[Aklo09]

Hi all,
I'm about purchasing my first pair of IEMs and I'd like an opinion from the more knowledgeable.

I started reading this forum few months ago about the same time I've discovered you can have really good sound quality while on the go.
At home I have an hi-fi set bought in early '90s, when I stopped having interest in the matter, so I'm really out of the loop.
But I have Audezee LCD2 headphone because I'm curious and I didn't knew what a magnetic planar headphone was (I think they didn't exist at the time),

My problem is I suspect I won't like having something stuck into my ears but if I will not try I will never know.
The plan is using a smartphone, a Chord Mojo DAC and a not too expensive pair of IEMs to start.
Budget for IEMs around 250 euros.

I listen to every musical genre with a preference for jazz, prog rock, classical

Thank you in advance for any advice

 

[baskingshark]

Hi all,
I'm about purchasing my first pair of IEMs and I'd like an opinion from the more knowledgeable.

I started reading this forum few months ago about the same time I've discovered you can have really good sound quality while on the go.
At home I have an hi-fi set bought in early '90s, when I stopped having interest in the matter, so I'm really out of the loop.
But I have Audezee LCD2 headphone because I'm curious and I didn't knew what a magnetic planar headphone was (I think they didn't exist at the time),

My problem is I suspect I won't like having something stuck into my ears but if I will not try I will never know.
The plan is using a smartphone, a Chord Mojo DAC and a not too expensive pair of IEMs to start.
Budget for IEMs around 250 euros.

I listen to every musical genre with a preference for jazz, prog rock, classical

Thank you in advance for any advice

Just my 2 cents, i would suggest u start at a cheaper price bracket since u are not sure about iem fit, maybe something sub $50 usd or even sub $30. 250 euros is not a small amount in case u don't like the fit, that's considered midfi iem pricing. Or could you audition some sets locally?

Sub 50 usd can get u quite good sound nowadays especially with chifi flooding the market.

 

[surfgeorge]

Buon giorno, signore!

With the Mojo you have a excellent source, that's a really good start.
My Mojo has served me well for 2 years and even now that I upgraded to the Hugo 2 I continue to enjoy it.

Comfort - be prepared to experiment with tips to get the best fit, seal and sound. This can really make a big difference

Technology - BA (balanced armature) vs DD (dynamic Driver)
BA tend to be more resolving, faster, thinner, more technical, can sound plasticky, unnaturally fast, have timbre issues, potentially more technical
DD tend to be smoother, a bit slower more organic, move more air so bass typically has more slam (but mainly depending on tuning)

Recommendations in your price range:
Moondrop Starfield €120 - I had the predecessor, smooth, sub bass and upper mid elevated, not the fastest and most tetxtured

JVC FD02 - better technicalities than Starfield (resolution, speed, texture, stage) otherwise similar. A bit bright (but smooth), but with a simple tape mod it can be easily improved.
Around €200 incl. import from Amazon Japan

A bit higher:
Used Sony EX1000 - a legend, hard to find, excellent resolution, wide stage, high clarity. Used price around €300 for a decent pair
Only flaw - it has a narrow treble spike that will make some sounds a little harsh at times

Moondrop Blessing 2:
Hybrid with a brighter but very clean signature. Bass is a little lean, but detail is very good top to bottom and it does everything right.
Still, it sounds a little clinincal to me. For the price (around €300) it does everything right, but sometimes the less accurate FD02 is just easier to enjoy.
Would not use it with potentially harsh music.

Sony XBA-N3 (€300 new look for used)
Smooth and resolving mids with a tastefully boosted bass.


I'd generally look for used IEMs that you can sell again or even better would be a shop or a fellow head-fier where you can try different IEMs to test what suits you.

Whatever you do, stay safe

 

[Aklo09]

Thank you for replies.

Sub 50 usd can get u quite good sound nowadays especially with chifi flooding the market.

That's a good advice, the choice is overwhelming, lol.
I was afraid by going too low in quality I won't have enjoied it.

With the Mojo you have a excellent source, that's a really good start.

I have it since one month ago and I love it too. I blindly choose a Mojo because of the brand.
I remember the wonderful preamps they made which I still regret never have bought.
But I think it can't properly drive LCD-2. Despite their low impedance it looks like to me they need more "juice".

Back on topic: I like the idea of a single driver unit, from my experience with home hi-fi less crossover you have the better.
JVC FD02, difficult to get and with customs added they will be well over the budget.

Following @baskingshark advice I am lowering the budget and looking at something like Dunu Titan 6 (90 USD + shipping atm)

 

[baskingshark]

Thank you for replies.



That's a good advice, the choice is overwhelming, lol.
I was afraid by going too low in quality I won't have enjoied it.



I have it since one month ago and I love it too. I blindly choose a Mojo because of the brand.
I remember the wonderful preamps they made which I still regret never have bought.
But I think it can't properly drive LCD-2. Despite their low impedance it looks like to me they need more "juice".

Back on topic: I like the idea of a single driver unit, from my experience with home hi-fi less crossover you have the better.
JVC FD02, difficult to get and with customs added they will be well over the budget.

Following @baskingshark advice I am lowering the budget and looking at something like Dunu Titan 6 (90 USD + shipping atm)

I haven't tried the dunu titan 6 but have seen a lot of good reviews about it.

For some sub $100 usd single DD types, u can consider:

1) iBasso IT00 $69 usd - U shaped good timbre and technicalities. Has driver flex though.

2) BLON BL03 $23 usd - harmanish with mid bass bump. Very good tonality and timbre for the price. But not the best technicalities and the mid bass has a bloat. The stock tips are not the best fitting so most spend a bit to get aftermarket eartips with longer nozzles or aftermarket eartips.

3) BLON BL05S $42 usd - mild V shaped. This is not the non S version. Better fit and technicalities than BL03 above and fixes the midbass bleed. Awful colour though.

4) Tin HIFI T2 plus $40ish usd. Not the original Tin T2 or Pro version but the plus version. U shaped good timbre and tonality. Not the best technicalities but very non offensive tuning. Mmcx qc issues reported so best to buy from amazon or someplace with good returns policy.

5) Final Audio E3000 $40 usd - v shaped warm bassy set. Non detachable cable, very smooth and non fatiguing. One of the best soundstages and imaging at sub $50. Treble a bit dark and midbass is slow. Needs amping, sounds meh from a low powered source.

6) HZSound Heart Mirror $40ish usd - neutralish bright set, very good transients and technicalities. Excellent timbre. Soundstage not the best and note weight a bit thin. Also needs amping. It has great forward vocals without being harsh, superb set for vocals.

7) KBEAR Diamond $70usd - V shaped good technicalities and timbre. Near bass head levels. Some may find the mids a bit too recessed but it is good for bass heavy music.

Good luck with your search.

 

[surfgeorge]

Thank you for replies.



That's a good advice, the choice is overwhelming, lol.
I was afraid by going too low in quality I won't have enjoied it.



I have it since one month ago and I love it too. I blindly choose a Mojo because of the brand.
I remember the wonderful preamps they made which I still regret never have bought.
But I think it can't properly drive LCD-2. Despite their low impedance it looks like to me they need more "juice".

Back on topic: I like the idea of a single driver unit, from my experience with home hi-fi less crossover you have the better.
JVC FD02, difficult to get and with customs added they will be well over the budget.

Following @baskingshark advice I am lowering the budget and looking at something like Dunu Titan 6 (90 USD + shipping atm)

With the lower budget, this is an IEM I find interesting:
https://crinacle.com/2020/10/31/tin-hifi-t2-plus-review-value-added/
Crinacle has heard and tested tons of IEMs, and his reviews and website are incredibly useful.
I don't always completely agree, but my take is that if he likes something it is at least good-very good for the money.
EIDT: one thing though - Crinacle points out that the T2 Plus has bad imaging/soundstage. That's a pity as soundstage is one of Mojo's strengths.

The FD02 is €200 including shipping and customs fees. Amazon Japan automatically includes them in the price and I even got a refund when the actual customs costs were lower than calculated. It took me a long time (and lots of money) to find an IEM that I consider substantially better, that is the Sony IER-M9 for €1000.

Ciao

 

[Lamby90]

I put my 2 cent on the Blon BL 03, I absolutely love them.
I tried them, the Trn V90 and the Kz ZSN Pro but the Blon blow all of them away. I agree with baskingshark, you should start with something cheaper to see if you like them, if you do you can always upgrade later, but if you start with the blon you could even keep them for life in my opinion.
Way way way more value than the price, but you have to upgrade the cable and ear tips right away when you take them out the box, with the right cable and tips they're wonderful

 

[Aklo09]

... Amazon Japan automatically includes them in the price and I even got a refund when the actual customs costs were lower than calculated. It took me a long time (and lots of money) ...

this is a great advice. I didn't knew I could buy from Japan that easily.

They have my beloved Denon DL-103 cartridge, not much cheaper than Italy but special versions never seen here...
Ordered a couple.

I'll let you all know which IEM I will end buying

Thanks again.

 

[Aklo09]

I've got Moondrop Starfield from Amazon because of next day delivery.
I've used them for a couple of hours, more serious tests in the weekend.

First impression right out of the box and connected to 3.5 jack of Oneplus 5T: this thing is bright, too much bright, lol.
Almost unbearable to me.
With the Mojo inbetween, much better.
With some EQ it became usable.

Will it settle after some burn in ?

I see also positives: human voices are really good, bass is fast and detailed.

Bear with me, it's my first IEM, I didn't knew what to expect.
Is this emphasis on higher frequencies a characteristic of IEMs ?


A bonus question about EQ:
I've used the preset from the AutoEq project on github ((link) which, with my great surprise, greatly boosts frequencies between 6k and 9k.
But the treble looked much more in control, less harsh.
I don't get it, I though it should have the the other way around.

 

[baskingshark]

I've got Moondrop Starfield from Amazon because of next day delivery.
I've used them for a couple of hours, more serious tests in the weekend.

First impression right out of the box and connected to 3.5 jack of Oneplus 5T: this thing is bright, too much bright, lol.
Almost unbearable to me.
With the Mojo inbetween, much better.
With some EQ it became usable.

Will it settle after some burn in ?

I see also positives: human voices are really good, bass is fast and detailed.

Bear with me, it's my first IEM, I didn't knew what to expect.
Is this emphasis on higher frequencies a characteristic of IEMs ?


A bonus question about EQ:
I've used the preset from the AutoEq project on github ((link) which, with my great surprise, greatly boosts frequencies between 6k and 9k.
But the treble looked much more in control, less harsh.
I don't get it, I though it should have the the other way around.

A lot of folks frequently mix up the upper mids with treble. Upper mids can be jarring too, u can try EQing down the frequencies around 2 - 4 kHz and see if this helps?

To tame treble per se (not upper mids), u can consider a few options:
1) use foam tips
2) use narrower bore silicone tips
3) play music at softer volumes (Fletcher Munson curve) -> music is perceived to be more V shaped (ie boosted bass/treble) at louder volumes, whereas it is perceived to be more U shaped at softer volumes
4) use a warm source -> I haven't tried the Mojo, but seems in your post it helps as I read Mojo is a warm source.

Treble sensitivity is a big can of worms though, cause we all have varying degrees of hearing health (either from age/occupational/leisure exposure). For upper mids region, we all have different ear anatomy which can affect the pinna gain, but do see if the above tips can help u.

 

[gazzington]

I think the Sony XBA-N3 are an excellent rec

 

[surfgeorge]

I've got Moondrop Starfield from Amazon because of next day delivery.
I've used them for a couple of hours, more serious tests in the weekend.

First impression right out of the box and connected to 3.5 jack of Oneplus 5T: this thing is bright, too much bright, lol.
Almost unbearable to me.
With the Mojo inbetween, much better.
With some EQ it became usable.

Will it settle after some burn in ?

I see also positives: human voices are really good, bass is fast and detailed.

Bear with me, it's my first IEM, I didn't knew what to expect.
Is this emphasis on higher frequencies a characteristic of IEMs ?

The Starfield is not really considered a very bright IEM but rather "bright neutral with a sub bass boost"
But you are right, many if not most IEMs use this frequency emphasis to boost clarity and separation.

I'd say give yourself some time to adjust to the signature, the Starfield should be quite easy to enjoy.
And for the next IEMs go for a "warm" tuning. I aggree with @gazzington that a pair of used XBA-N3 would be a strong contender. Good, warm bass with smooth and detailed mids and treble. Quite uniqe.

 

[buke9]

If you want a warmer iem I would also look at Final Audio the E5000 is a very good iem but a bit power hungry but I’m sure the Mojo can supply it.

 

[silent-circuit]

I am a broken record today, but.... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GW786B4/ref=dp_cr_wdg_tit_nw_mr
$200 new, $170 for open box ER4XR. I have the ER4SR ('flat') and the XR (slight bass boost) will arrive tomorrow. If you can get over the deep insertion thing (I'm getting there, day 3) I think these may do exactly what you want.

EDIT: Didn't realize you're in Italy. Is the sale valid on your local Amazon?