[NeonHD]

Hey guys, what's the best IEM around 5 to 10 ?

KZ ED9 hands down. Just touches that $10 threshold but the sound you get from it is absolutely mindblowing for the price. Great lows and detailed highs, along with a spacious soundstage and 3D imaging.

 

[dhruvmeena96]

how does hifiman re400 compare to tin audio t2?

Well TinAudio t2 forté is neutrality, speed and clarity over high range.

HifiMan re400 forté is perfect impulse, which leads to better transition of instrument, locational cues of instrument, correct phase and naturalness.

Under 50$, TinAudio t2 is better because of speed and clarity over hifiman and you can exchange cables, if damaged.

Hifiman is on weaker construction side, but is good.

Only difference between 400 and 600 is that 600 sounds less grainy and more quicker in speed

 

[NeonHD]

This is a subjective question, but which mid-tier chi-fi do you guys think has the most spacious soundstage?

 

[dhruvmeena96]

This is a subjective question, but which mid-tier chi-fi do you guys think has the most spacious soundstage?

KZ zs5

 

[dhruvmeena96]

Usually when midrange is muffled, that generally means there's something blocking the sound. Either a foam plugged shoved in the nozzle or a double nozzle filter (so for example a nylon or tyvek filter stacked either on top of or underneath a standard stainless nozzle mesh). You can gently remove the stainless mesh by prying on the edge of it with a sewing needle, removing whatever is choking the sound, and sticking the stainless mesh back into place.

It certainly can't hurt, especially since the reports of the V60 are less than stellar. What have you got to lose? You can always put it back.

The other thing I would make sure to do is tip roll, as 9/10 times the stock tips don't provide the best sound. I would go with something wide bore and not foam (Auvio wide bores or Whirlwinds), which would allow the most sound possible to get to your ear (thus reducing anything that would cause muffle and/or frequency absorption to an absolute minimum).

Continuing his point, when foam is placed in front of speaker, it causes a detrimental effect. To loudspeaker, as they move way more air, its okay. Sometimes for headphone also, but iem produces way less air on movement, so instead effecting treble, The effect goes to higher mid range and sometimes midrange also, creating a bad roll off. Some foams mess up timing of frequency due to weird porosity creating muffle up sound.

Better solution is micropore or teabag.

And use damping in front when it is actually needed, otherwise remove it

 

[SuperLuigi]

Where are you located?

Alberta, Canada

 

[dhruvmeena96]

Confirmed! Mids and vocals are better now, bigger soundstage and it’s not going to be thrown into the dust bin. No idea why they used the filter they did, the holes are tiny..From memory the difference in sound is more significant than when I removed the red kz atr filter.

I want to ask how much difference is there...

Can you make comparison between foam and removed foam

 

[Slater]

Confirmed! Mids and vocals are better now, bigger soundstage and it’s not going to be thrown into the dust bin. No idea why they used the filter they did, the holes are tiny..From memory the difference in sound is more significant than when I removed the red kz atr filter.

Nice!

Reminds me of the screen they used on the back of the Headroom MS16. It looked like it was a nice grille, allowing the MS16 to be a semi-open backed earbud. Well, in reality it was the worst screen I've ever seen, chocking the air so much that there was the equivalent of a single pinhole's worth of air actually getting through. I found if you just remove the whole screen, it revealed a nice beefy hole (maybe ~3mm) in the back of the shell. The sound improved considerably before vs after.



So yet again with the V60, we have yet another example of "good intentions, bad execution". I've said it before and I'll say it again - the devil is in the details, and these companies can't skimp on tuning and continue botching up things as simple as a $0.01 mesh filter buggering up the final sound.

You should post your results on the IEM mod thread, so other owners of the V60 know about the mod. The same problem probably also affects the MDK-ESS ASE as well.

• https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the-mod-collective-bring-all-your-iem-mods-here.867486/

In addition, you may want to consider adding back a 'normal' stainless nozzle mesh, that allows plenty of airflow. It is basically transparent (as far as it's effect on the sound), and having something there is better than nothing, as it will protect the drivers from dust, dirt, and ear wax.

You can get them here (cheap), in a multitude of sizes, and they just peel and stick in place:

• https://www.aliexpress.com/item/ear...on-Noise-cotton-Tuning-cotton/2046606720.html
• https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Dus...h-filter-gum-never-rust-belt/32825480205.html

==========================================================

Update: I remember a mod from a while ago, where there was a similar situation with a nozzle mesh that had it's holes too small (or not punched all the way through during manufacturing), and it was botching up the sound. The solution was simply to take a sharp sewing needle and use it to open up the holes some more. The IEM was the TFZ Series 5, and opening the holes made it "a completely different headphone" according to the owner. I suspect that is all that needs to be done to the V60:

 

[Slater]

Alberta, Canada

Oh, sorry friend. If you were in the US I could have helped

I would recommend looking for some inexpensive bluetooth sets on Gearbest and Aliexpress.

Check the Gearbest deals thread to see what's currently available in bluetooth. I see bluetooth earphones with extra coupon deals constantly:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/201...promotion-xiaomi-earphone-up-to-47-off.832367​

 

[eggnogg]

Confirmed! Mids and vocals are better now, bigger soundstage and it’s not going to be thrown into the dust bin. No idea why they used the filter they did, the holes are tiny..From memory the difference in sound is more significant than when I removed the red kz atr filter.

Update, from this guy.
Improved bass with pucturing a small hole inthe vent.

https://twitter.com/palm_house/status/999492363885019137?s=19

 

[SuperLuigi]

Oh, sorry friend. If you were in the US I could have helped

I would recommend looking for some inexpensive bluetooth sets on Gearbest and Aliexpress.

Check the Gearbest deals thread to see what's currently available in bluetooth. I see bluetooth earphones with extra coupon deals constantly:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/201...promotion-xiaomi-earphone-up-to-47-off.832367​

Is there some special deal unique to the US? I have access to a US mailbox and I order stuff to it and go pick it up.

 

[Slater]

Is there some special deal unique to the US? I have access to a US mailbox and I order stuff to it and go pick it up.

Nope, people all over the world order stuff from our friends at Gearbest

Some coupon codes are country-specific, but when that is the case it will say so. 75% of the time the coupon codes are for any country.

 

[SuperLuigi]

Nope, people all over the world order stuff from our friends at Gearbest

Some coupon codes are country-specific, but when that is the case it will say so. 75% of the time the coupon codes are for any country.

In the previous comment, you wrote this:

"Oh, sorry friend. If you were in the US I could have helped "

Which made me think there was some special deal you were referring to that was exclusive to the US or something.

But I'll keep an eye out on that gearbest coupon thread. It's always hard to know what's going to be good quality and not with some of those brands.

 

[Slater]

In the previous comment, you wrote this:

"Oh, sorry friend. If you were in the US I could have helped "

Which made me think there was some special deal you were referring to that was exclusive to the US or something.

But I'll keep an eye out on that gearbest coupon thread. It's always hard to know what's going to be good quality and not with some of those brands.

No, I meant that if you were in the US (like I am) I have some bluetooth stuff I could have sent you. But because you are not in the US, shipping would cost too much.

 

[Bartig]

Aside from the EP51/52, any suggestions on some bluetooth headphones for the gym? Cheaper the better.

Bluedio TE Turbine. Not too detailed, but a full and nice bassy sound great for sporting. Good comfort too, due to their ear hooks.

Hmm interesting.....thanks for the tip! I can see how this would affect sound, but did changing tips clear up comfort / ear pressure issues for you? If you never had those issues to begin with, it might just be that I've got weird shaped ears or something. Sound wise I was probably too harsh to begin with - they do sound good, but the comfort thing is a deal breaker for me as I wear my IEMs all day.

I’ve never had any comfort issues with the Z5000, sorry.

Confirmed! Mids and vocals are better now, bigger soundstage and it’s not going to be thrown into the dust bin. No idea why they used the filter they did, the holes are tiny..From memory the difference in sound is more significant than when I removed the red kz atr filter.

Allright! So I will have to either punctuate or remove the filter? Will try the first first.

I’d like some help with the filter removal, never modded before apart from putting a sticker on the Tin Audio T2 bass vent.

Update, from this guy.
Improved bass with pucturing a small hole inthe vent.

https://twitter.com/palm_house/status/999492363885019137?s=19

I already figured this hole was strangely aligned. It doesn’t line up properly with the ‘air bubble’ underneath it, thus maybe choking the sound. But - the are other steps to be taken first.

Thanks all!