I bought these over a year ago as an upgrade to the generation 3 of the Piston earphones. I've been a user since generation 2 and I've loved the line up ever since. This simply feels like another marginal improvement to the series. First things first, Xiaomi are definitely using less and less metal with each generation. However, at this price range especially considering the fact that it is a dual driver these price cuts were bound to happen. As for the sound quality, these sound great. With a good seal, the balance between the bass notes, smooth vocals, and detailed highs play a symphony from a device as light as a feather. Am I an audiophile? No, but I am very picky and my ears are in the sensitive side. Until I gather enough funds for a more expensive pair, i believe these are beautiful sounding piece of gear.