
EDIT 2023-08-25: If you are not aware, I am selling my own Earbuds, called RikuBuds: https://rikubuds.com/
Disclaimer: I bought this at amazon japan at my own expense.
Price: 20 usd
Specifications:
Impedance: 34Ω
Earphone sensitivity:109dB/mW
Frequency range:20-25000Hz
THD: <1%@1KHz
Earphone plug type: 3.5mm straight plug
Cable Length: 1.2m±5cm
Drive unit: Single 15.4mm N52 dynamic drive unit

Accessories:
1 pair of blue donut foams
1 pair of blue full foams
1 pair of black donut foams
1 pair of black full foams
Carry case

Cable: A 4-core cable that is covered by another material (plastic?) so it is a 2-core cable instead. No microphonics and very well built with metal on both the divider and connector. It is a bit stiff though so rolling it up isn’t very easy.

Build: Completely made out of metal and feels very well built and without any sharp edges. L/R are marked with blue and red lines which is very good to have. A single vent on the backside of the build.
Fit: I was a bit worried that the size would be a bit too big for me, but it fits perfectly. Although since it isn’t an MX500 shell it doesn’t fit as deep.
Comfort: Better comfort than MX500 buds for me since they don’t fit as deep and therefore don’t generate as much heat as MX500 buds do.
Isolation: None, it is an earbud after all.
Setup: Ibasso DX160 (low gain, volume around 43) stock cable, full foams
Lows: Not a bud for bass quantity that’s for sure. It is lacking quantity on a majority of my tracks. While the quality isn’t bad, it’s not outstanding either. But is very suited for acoustic tracks though.
Mid-bass: Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), Very fast and tight but lacks in quantity and texture. The (02:55-03:01) section with the chopper isn’t very hearable.
Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), very clean because of the speed/tightness, but is very dull/boring because of the lack of quantity and texture.
Sub-bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), Almost none-existent rumble and extension is pitiful, punch is also lacking a lot of quantity and texture. The saving grace is the tightness/speed which makes it clean sounding.
Will Sparks – Sick like that (03:08-03:22), Texture is lacking along with quantity, but speed and tightness is pretty good (although if it was tighter and faster It would be better).
Mids: The star of the ME80, the vocals. Tonality is excellent, so the naturality is insanely good. Very clean and vocal balancing between male/female is very good too.
Female-vocals: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), tonality is very good, but a tiny bit brighter would be better. Very clean and detailed vocals.
Yuki Hayashi – MightU (01:58-02:55), Stunning vocals that are extremely natural due to the tonality, while it is very clean.
Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), Not a trace of sharpness let alone being shouty. Excellent.
Hiroyuki Sawano – Crescent (02:07-02:26), Very good but is borderline shouty.
Male-vocals: Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (00:57-01:17), Tonality is spot on and very clean and natural vocals.
Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), Tonality is yet again spot on and vocals sounds very clean and natural. (Although the bass needs some more quantity.)
Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), Electric guitars are very detailed and clean without being sharp at all.
Deuce – America (03:03-03:16), Tonality is spot on, not too bright or warm but just enough to be energetic and without it being shouty or sharp.
Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), Lots of texture on both the violins and cellos. Tonality is excellent for both and timbre so it sounds very natural.
Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), Very clean and natural treble but a bit more air would be better along with more bass quantity.
Soundstage: Huge soundstage and imaging is also very good. (the low bass quantity probably helps a lot.)
Tonality: This is the tonality king of all buds I have currently tried. Even with the bass quantity lacking on most of my tracks, it is so very tonally correct.
Details: Very good detail reproduction.
Instrument Separation: Excellent instrument separation and the low bass quantity is most likely having a big effect on that.
Songs that highlight the Earbud: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HxxQ8d68_E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lrm7uTvsyPk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L17S9SYRzQY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzaW0E7uRwc
Good genres: Acoustic songs, Rock/metal, OST
Bad genres: EDM, Trance, Hip-hop
Comparisons:
Earbud: NiceHCK DIY MX500, stock cable, full foams
Bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), Quantity, extension, rumble and texture are all better on the MX500. While the speed and tightness are similar.
Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), Quantity and texture are better on the MX500 while it is tighter and a bit faster on the ME80 so it Is cleaner as well.
Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), Quantity and texture are better on the MX500 while it’s a bit faster and tighter on the ME80.
Mids: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), Tonality is a bit more correct on the MX500 since it is brighter. But both are very clean and natural while the MX500 is a bit more detailed (most likely due to having more treble quantity, air and extension).
Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), Can be a tiny bit shouty on the MX500 while it isn’t on the ME80.
Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), Tonality is more correct on the ME80 due to the warmth (even though the MX500 has more bass quantity) but the MX500 sounds cleaner due to the treble quantity and air.
Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), Can be a tiny bit shouty on the MX500 while it isn’t on the ME80.
Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), The violins are more tonally correct and more textured on the MX500 while the cellos are more tonally correct and more textured on the ME80.
Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), Tonality and timbre is a bit better on the MX500 and is cleaner and more detailed.
Technicalities: Shiro Sagisu – Hundred years war (02:24-02:57), Soundstage and details are better on the MX500. Instrument separation, imaging and timbre are better on the ME80.
Overall: Similar technicalities overall but timbre and tonality are better on the ME80. ME80 is better for vocals and acoustic music while the MX500 is more versatile due to it having a better bass and airier treble.
Earbud: Yincrow X6, stock cable, full foams
Bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), The ME80 is outmatched in quantity, extension, rumble while tightness and speed are similar. The ME80 is like a typical bud with its bass quality/quantity while the X6 is like an iem.
Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), much more quantity and texture on the X6, while speed and tightness are similar.
Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), ME80 is faster and tighter, but lacks a lot of quantity and texture which the X6 has.
Mids: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), More tonally correct with the ME80 and cleaner too.
Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), None of them are sharp but the added bass quantity on the X6 makes it much more fun.
Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), Tonality is very good on both but the bass quantity on the X6 makes it a more “complete” sound. Although the ME80 is more detailed.
Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), Tonality is more correct on the ME80 and is cleaner and more detailed.
Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), Similarly textured with the cellos (slightly more on the X6) but with a bit better tonality on the X6. Violins are more textured and more tonally correct on the ME80. Cleaner and more detailed on the ME80.
Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), Tonality and details are better on the ME80.
Technicalities: Shiro Sagisu – Hundred years war (02:24-02:57), soundstage is similar but imaging, details, instrument separation and timbre are better on the ME80. Although the naturality is much better on the X6 with bass focused songs/genres.
Overall: X6 is a no brainer if you are a regular iem user and/or you like bass. The ME80 has better technicalities and is the better one for vocals/acoustic music.
Earbud: K´s earphone Bell-LB, stock cable, full foams
Bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), Extension is a tiny bit better and there is slightly more rumble and punch are a bit more powerful on the Bell. But is tighter, faster and has slightly more texture on the ME80 and it sounds a bit muddy on the Bell.
Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), More quantity on the Bell but cleaner (due to tighter and faster) and more textured on the ME80.
Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), Individual bass strikes are a bit muddy on the Bell but it has more quantity than the ME80.
Mids: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), Tonality and timbre are pretty similar but sounds cleaner on the ME80.
Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), Not shouty on either of them, but sounds cleaner and more detailed on the ME80.
Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), Tonality and timbre are similar but sounds much cleaner and detailed on the ME80.
Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), A tiny bit sharp on the Bell and timbre is better on the ME80.
Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), More tonally correct and more textured with both the violins/cellos on the ME80.
Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), Timbre and tonality are better on the ME80, sounds slightly artificial on the Bell.
Technicalities: Shiro Sagisu – Hundred years war (02:24-02:57), A bit bigger soundstage on the Bell. But imaging, instrument separation and timbre are better on the ME80.
Overall: I do not recommend the Bell-LB at all and especially at double the price of the ME80. It sounds inferior in basically all aspects and I would even call it sounding a bit low-resolution.
Conclusion: The ME80 is a king of tonality and timbre. If you are a treble head or a basshead, there are others that will be better for you (like the Yincrow X6 and the NiceHCK DIY MX500). But If you listen to acoustic music this is a great bud and you should hurry up and get it since it is discontinued. Thanks for reading.
Reference/test songs:
Thank you for sharing it.