[Lobarkaine]

long time since I've been in here (got super into earbuds in the meantime, have sold most of those) - what's good, what's not good, what's not worthy of being more than a flavour-of-the-month pick?

Baskingshark have just suggested you the best neutral sounding iem around e. 100.

Looking at your iems I think you like bass so I will add in order by quality and price:
Shozy Form 1.1(need change cable)
Jade Audio EA1 (absolutely need change cable)
CCA C12 (Ks10 pro more refined version)
Tanchjim Tanja

+1 for Aria

In my radar there are the Reecho SG03 and the Tingker TK300 but are basshead iems and Dunu Titan S and Tripowin TC-01 as neutral sounding iems.

All depend by your taste.

 

[Lobarkaine]

About neutral iems what do you think mates about QOA Vesper?

And which are the differences between the three colour versions green/gray/red that sims play different?

 

[Tzennn]

Just found my old CCA CSN, still have the best bass that i have experience!

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

The CHU CHU hypetrain has arrived.

Moondrop CHU quick impressions:


So this is the biggest hypetrain of this month. Haha Olina seems to be yesterday's train.

The CHU cost $20, and they come with Moondrop Spring tips which are by themselves retailing at $15. So think of getting the CHU for $5 LOL.
Accessories are generous for the $20, comes with a small bag, earhooks, spring tips (S/M/L).


Oh ya, it comes with the quintessential Moondrop Waifu, which perhaps for some, is worth more than the $20 entrance fee haha.

The cable is non detachable, quite thin and hard to keep it winded down. Surprisingly, there are minimal microphonics. In view of the lack of chin cinch, the cable may unwind when you are using it over the ears, so I would recommend to put the earhooks on.

The CHU has very good fit, is quite small yet very comfortable and suited for long listening sessions. Isolation is average with the spring tips. The CHU is very easy to drive, but scales slightly with amplification.



Graph of the CHU via IEC711 compliant coupler. The 8 kHz area is a coupler artefact peak.

So on to sound, the most important part. Moondrop generally tunes their IEMs to their in-house sound signature, which is the virtual diffuse sound field (VDSF), this is an amalgam between diffuse field and Harman tuning. The CHU follows this curve.

CHU has A for tonality, there's nothing very glaring in terms of major peaks/troughs in the tuning.

Bass is actually quite neutral, contrary to the graphs. There's a tickle of sub-bass in bass heavy tracks, and this set is not for bassheads. Bass isn't the most detailed, but it is fast and nimble with no mid-bass bleed. Bass texturing is average. The upper mids are actually quite smooth, not that fatiguing or shouty. Lower treble is boosted, but the upper treble rolls-off quite early.

Note weight is thin, timbre can occasionally be nasal with the stock spring tips. Timbre for acoustic instruments is decent enough, there's a slight metallic tinge at times.

In technicalities, the CHU doesn't fare that well. Imaging is actually very good for the price, but micro-details and soundstage aren't that great. In fact, the soundstage is quite compressed, width is average, but depth and height are below average and music sounds in-your-head. When music tracks get complex or busy, the CHU can't keep up and stuff smears. Though in the big scheme of things, the CHU cost $20, so this is being quite nitpicky.

Using aftermarket eartips eg Spinfit CP145 opens up the sound and soundstage, provides more clarity and is my preferred eartip with the CHU. Though the irony is some of these aftermarket eartips cost the same or even more than the CHU LOL.

So should you pick-a-chu? No pun intended.

Well, among the budget $20 pokemons, the CHU CHU hypetrain is somewhat deserved. It's not a total train wreck, and is decent enough. Tonality is A, but technicalities is around C grading. For the price of a restaurant meal, I'd gladly skip the meal for the CHU. CHU is recommended for those new to the hobby as a beginner set, but those who own a higher end single DD eg Aria, Olina, it might not be worth it to get this set, unless you want the Spring tips. Will do some comparisons with other $20 stuff like the BLON BL-03, Tripowin Lea, Tanya and report back.

So happy to finally read a nuanced sound impression about those. Well, you calm my excitment just a little bit. Imaging being good is a signt of good technicalities imo, while soundstage is very ear tips dependant (as you underline with other ear tips you use) but for some IEM cant be save.
Note weight is what worry me here, since Aria suffer from it and if its worst...well, it will make the dynamic feel a bit dead.
DO you have the Quarks too? I need to know Chu is WAY better, especially in musicality and timbre since. I give quarks to my ex gf but she dont like it, so i might take it back for comparison....

Nice review as always mate! Much needed too!

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

long time since I've been in here (got super into earbuds in the meantime, have sold most of those) - what's good, what's not good, what's not worthy of being more than a flavour-of-the-month pick?

whats your budget mate?
I dont want to repeat what Basking write, but they are all legit.

So for 100-200$ price realm I would add:
-Hisenior T2classic
-Audiosense AQ4
-Moondrop Kato
-Tinhifi P1plus
-BQEYZ Autumn

 

[1clearhead]

Hello my fellow head-fier’s! Here’s my current impression of the KZ EDA triple IEM!

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/knowledge-zenith-kz-impressions-thread.698148/post-16928837

Enjoy!

-Clear

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

The upcoming CCA CRA+ seem to have choose a well balanced slightly V shape signature....free of problematic sibilance or shoutyness....didn't bit on CRA hype but this time i might taste this one.

but sub bass will surely cut short too, i can deal with that if it keep mids clean enough.

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

hum.....i just can't be dishonnest...so there you go (ps: I love Olina still!!)

OLINA VS HZSOUND HEART MIRROR (1DD-50$)

Yep, these always come back when it's about technical prowess and again, I will surprise some people here since it's evident to me HZ is technically superior to the great Olina. But did it mean tonality is more appealing? That's your story here not mine.
HZ is more W shape and energic, with crisper, airier and cleaner tonality. The bass is fuller, better separated, tighter in punch and extend fully while it's more about slight mid bass boom with the Olina. Mids are more fowards and better extracted, cleaner, with better clarity and imaging, notably better transparency too, but perhaps less wide and open vocal presentation, so it can feel a bit centered and less immersive than Olina here. Male vocal (lower mids) of Olina have more presence too, so it sound fuller and better musicaly. Treble is less grainy and bright, more liquid yet more snappy and sparkly and full in restitution. Timbre here is very different, Olina is brighter and a bit more grainy while HZ can sometime lack a bit of texture nuance due to it being well polished, this translate to in being just a hint thinner than Olina, though notably more transparent. Soundstage is another big difference, Olina sound more wide and tall but we can't travel as deep in sound spatiality, still presentation is more holographic and enjoyable here. Imaging is near equal, but as said, cleaner resolution of HZ tend to make it more accurate and sharper in separation. To some extend, we can say tonality of Olina is more musical and immersive while HZ force you to be a critical listener. Bass performance is certainly superior with HZ, yet dynamic weight isn't magnify. Olina is less capricious about source even if i need to crank up Tri TK2 more....but was is because HZ is more agressive in SPL?
All in all, I love both but again, their not a single doubt HZ offer snappier, faster, clearer, cleaner, sharper and more refined technical performance.

 

[baskingshark]

So happy to finally read a nuanced sound impression about those. Well, you calm my excitment just a little bit. Imaging being good is a signt of good technicalities imo, while soundstage is very ear tips dependant (as you underline with other ear tips you use) but for some IEM cant be save.
Note weight is what worry me here, since Aria suffer from it and if its worst...well, it will make the dynamic feel a bit dead.
DO you have the Quarks too? I need to know Chu is WAY better, especially in musicality and timbre since. I give quarks to my ex gf but she dont like it, so i might take it back for comparison....

Nice review as always mate! Much needed too!

The Moondrop CHU actually has thinner note weight than the Aria (stock tips and cables used with both). Aria has better technicalities, but even so, Aria is not a very technical IEM compared to other single DD sets eg Heart Mirror, Olina.


Yes I have the Quarks. Bought the Quarks at $3 USD second hand. I threw it in a drawer after a 15 minutes of testing, found it quite shouty and timbre was off. I can say immediately that CHU is better in tonality and timbre. But for technicalities have to go back to dig the Quarks out to do A/B testing, will get back to you on that.

 

[r31ya]

The upcoming CCA CRA+ seem to have choose a well balanced slightly V shape signature....free of problematic sibilance or shoutyness....didn't bit on CRA hype but this time i might taste this one.



but sub bass will surely cut short too, i can deal with that if it keep mids clean enough.

One issue i have with CRA is that it seems the bass and the vocals sometimes compete for the same spot in the soundstage.
If this could fix that, i'll be thankful.

 

[seanwee]

The upcoming CCA CRA+ seem to have choose a well balanced slightly V shape signature....free of problematic sibilance or shoutyness....didn't bit on CRA hype but this time i might taste this one.



but sub bass will surely cut short too, i can deal with that if it keep mids clean enough.

Looks like a warmer, darker, less rumbly but more midbassy CRA. I thought that the CRA needed to have a bit less midbass, not more so the CRA+ may end up being a CRA- for me.

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

The Moondrop CHU actually has thinner note weight than the Aria (stock tips and cables used with both). Aria has better technicalities, but even so, Aria is not a very technical IEM compared to other single DD sets eg Heart Mirror, Olina.


Yes I have the Quarks. Bought the Quarks at $3 USD second hand. I threw it in a drawer after a 15 minutes of testing, found it quite shouty and timbre was off. I can say immediately that CHU is better in tonality and timbre. But for technicalities have to go back to dig the Quarks out to do A/B testing, will get back to you on that.

Oh, thats great to know....indeed, Quarks is very very bad imo il take EDX above it anytime. Cant listen more than 15min, so cant review it....im not that masochist. It make alot of people i read with similar impressions that you and me, i think they are all sensible to timbre. Technical performance wasnt that bad indeed so tx for comparing those 2 mate!

I'm listening right now to the Kato, comparing it to Olina...im not a good Linsoul hyper because Kato is way better to my ears. In fact, i find Kato so good i will perhaps need to update my review about them.

 

[ianfann]

Ian update about Lafitear LF1:

Me:about lafitear...is is VERY impressive? do you think its necessary i order them?

Him: No, it does not impress me. especially the treble which im not a fan. bass is good though.

(so, ill say its a pass...and lets wait for Vannak to confirm driver material)

Here is my honest review and impressions of the Lafitear LF1 :

Introduction :

Hello Everyone My Name Is Ian And Welcome To My Review Of The Lafitear Lf1. I Would Like To Thank Erik Lab From Chifi Love For Recommending Me To Buy This Iem To Try Out And Review. The Lafitear Lf1 Is A Single Dynamic Driver Iem And It Is Retailing At Just 13usd For The Whole Package And I Am Excited To Share With You Guys My Thoughts And Opinions About This Iem.

Box, Packaging, Fit And Comfort :

The Lf1 Comes Packed With A Set Of Silicon Ear Tips With 3 Different Sizes S/M/L. And A 4 Core Braided Cable. To Be Honest I Am Not Really A Fan Of The Ear Tips, The Quality Of The Tips Is Pretty Poor And Doesn't Give A Very Good Seal So I Would Suggest To Change Out The Tips. The Cable On The Other Hand Is Not Bad. The Silicone Is Not Those Grippy Type And It Doesn't Tangle Up Easily. The 3.5mm Straight Type Headphone Jack Looks Solid With It's Metal Sleave And Feels Durable. The Y Splitter Is Also Made Out Of Metal And Looks Quite Sturdy. The Ear Hooks Are Pretty Stiff And Works Well And The Connector Is A Qdc Type 2 Pin Connector. Overall I Find That The Accessories Are Standard And Nothing To Shout Out About. The Iem Fits Pretty Nicely On My Ears And Doesnt Hurt My Ears But The Seal Isn't Too Good And I Had Issues Getting A Good Seal With The Stock Tips.

Specifications :

What Attracted Me To This Iem Is The Driver Inside Which They Claim Is Made Of Dlc Diamond And Berilium Plated Composite Diaphram. There Is No Way I Am Able To Find Out Unless I Open This Up And I Guess I'll Save This Part For Another Video But For Now Lets Talk About The Rest Of The Stuff. The Frequency Response Rate Is 20-20khz, Impedance Is 20 Ohms And Sensitivity Is 115db.

Build Quality :

The Shell Of The Lf1 Is Huge In Fact Larger Than Most Iems And Too Large In My Opinion, It Is Made Of Plastic And Looks Pretty Cheap. The Colour I Choose Is Black And There Are 3 Other Colours To Choose From : Green, Purple And Pink. The Nozzle Is Made Of Metal And It's A Pretty Narrow Bore. Overall The Iem Doesn't Feel Premium Or Special And It Looks Pretty Cheap Rightly So At The Price Of 13usd.

Sound Signature :

The Lf1 Has A U Shaped Tuning That Generally Is Quite A Safe Way To Tune An Iem But Looking Closely At The Graph The Treble Is The Area That I Am Concerned About. Let Me Show You The Graph Which I Measured So That I Can Explain Better. As You Can See The Shape Of The Graph Levitates Close To U Shaped Tuning But If You Look At The Treble As Compared To The Harman Target, There Are A Few Peaks And Dips That Bothers Me. Let's Just Start With The Sub Bass And We Will Move Up To The Treble As We Go Along.

Sub-Bass :

As You Can See The Sub Bass Presence Is Strong And Quite Close To The Harman Curve With A Good Amount Of Rumble But The Resonance Is A Bit Short And Leaves Me Yearning For A Longer Rumble. The Note Weight Of The Rumble Is Warmish With A Naturual Tone To The Bass And Does Not Feel Unatural. Overall The Sub Bass Is Pretty Loose And Might Transit Into The Mids Which Sometimes Makes The Sub Bass Sound Boomy.

Mid-Bass :

The Mid Bass Slams Pretty Hard And Quite Impactful To A Point Where It's A Bit Overwhelming On Certain Tracks But Thanks To The Driver This Iem Produces A Pretty Fast Bass And The Impact Fast And Short. The Tone And Timbre Of The Mid Bass Is Well Balanced And Warm And Has A Good Heave Note Weight. Transition Into The Mids Is Pretty Smooth And Blends Well With The Rest Of The Mix.

Mids :

The Mids Are Neutral. Instruments Present Well In The Mix And Sometimes Are Vailed By The Sub Bass On Certain Tracks. Overall I Would Say The Instruments Are Just That Little Recessed In The Mix And Fighting For Space With The Percussions And Bass. Violins, Pianos, Clarinets And Trumpets Do Sound Warm And Natural And Does Have A Good Note Weight To It's Tone.

Vocals :

Male Vocals Sound Really Good On The Lf1, Good Tone And Timbre With Warm And Heave Note Weight And Commands Authority In The Mix And Has A Very Strong Presence In The Mix. Female Vocals Are Bright And Allmost Sparkle And Presents A Nice And Smooth Listen Though I Might Add That Sometimes They May Sound Harsh And Shouty On Certain Tracks Due To The 8k Peak Which I Will Talk About Later.

Treble :

Ok, So Treble Is The Region Which I Am Most Concerned About And Looking At The Graph There Are 3 Prominent Peaks And A Huge Dip That Corresponds With That I Am Hearing. The First Peak At 2k - 4k Region Is A Good Peak That Gives Me A Sense Of Excitement And Engagement To The Track Thru A Strong Pinna Gain Which Is Good, I Like A Good Build Up Of Emotion To A Track. Then There Is A Big Dip At 5k Which Most Of The Instruments Especially Cymbal Strikes And High Hat Sound Vailed And Hidden. And Now To The Peak Which Bothers Me The Most Which Is The Peak At The 8k, Some Tracks Which Has Strong Female Vocal And Electric Guitar Presence Will Sound Peaky, Shouty And Fatiguing To Listen To. Overall The Treble Is On The Bright Side And The Roll Of It Is Quite Ok And Resonates Well And Smooth.

Technicalities :

Sound Stage Is Standard To Me With Width To The Sides And Front. The Layer Of The Depth Of The Sound Stage Is Pretty Flat, Instruments, Percussions And Vocals Tend To Live On A Single Plane. Imaging, Position And Sound Seperation Is Less Than Average I Am Afraid. Vocals, Instruments Bass And Percussions Tend To Blend Together Like A Mixing Pot And Not Being Able To Tell Them Apart At Times. Detail Retrieval And Resolution Is Also A Bit On The Low Side I Feel, Cymbal Strikes And Percussion Sound Blunt And Vocals Sounds Muted. I Rarely Get To Pick Up The Neuances Of Details While Listening To My Regular Test Songs. Overall I Find The Technicalities On The Lf1 Underwhelming And Rightfully So At This Price Point.

Conclusion :

In Conclusion I Would Recommend The Lf1 To Those Who Likes Forward Mid Bass And Bright Treble Bearing In Mind That It May Be Harsh And Shouty On Certain Tracks. If You Like Listening To Edc, Techno, Heavy Metal Type Of Genre Of Music This 13usd Iem Is A Good Budget Set To Start Out With. But If You Are A Critical Listener Who Likes To Listen To Classical, Jazz, Instrumentals Then I Would Suggest For You To Skip This Iem. On The Whole I Am Not A Big Fan Of This Iem And Honestly It Is Not A Keeper For Me And This Concludes My Thoughts And Impressions Of This Lafitear Lf1.

Thank you so much for reading to the end!

Please watch my youtube video review here thanks :

 

[pevinkarker]

I need your help as I want to buy a "bullet" earphones to listen classical and ambient music. Any suggestion?

 

[Carpet]

Oh, thats great to know....indeed, Quarks is very very bad imo il take EDX above it anytime. Cant listen more than 15min, so cant review it....im not that masochist. It make alot of people i read with similar impressions that you and me, i think they are all sensible to timbre. Technical performance wasnt that bad indeed so tx for comparing those 2 mate!

I'm listening right now to the Kato, comparing it to Olina...im not a good Linsoul hyper because Kato is way better to my ears. In fact, i find Kato so good i will perhaps need to update my review about them.

Have you tried Micheal Bruce's Mod to the Olina? Just put a second (included) filter over the top of the existing one. It tones down the aggressive peaks, and doesn't seem to compromise any of the details, stage or imaging.