[loomisjohnson]

I am really torn on a decision right now: besides the fact that I do not need any new IEM (who does anyway in this thread? ).
With limited financial (around $100) should I buy the Pioneer SE-CH9T-K and stop buying iem/buds for few months, or follow the other hype/suggestions and buy 4-5 of the other iem discovered in the last 1 month (ZSE / CI800 / some of the last hybrids / a thought on 1More Triple) ?

My current favorite IEMs are Trinity Master and Magaosi K3 Pro and I mostly listen to Metal/Post-Rock. I was planning to save for a LZ 4A later on this year, but the latest reviews on the CH9T really took me by surprise. Mostly the comparison with LZ 4A and the fact that this is a sub $100 IEM.
About recent IEMs, I quite like the KZ ZS5 and Urbanfun + I own a bunch of other chi-fi IEMs bought in last 5 years... but only 2 ears to listen to music.

I am really really close to push the button on the Pioneer, and hopefully call it quit for a bit.

seems to me you have to define your objectives, which is to say do you want the best iem available for your $100 or (like me and the other freaks on this site) do you want to try to different flavors, in which case you want a bunch of cheaper pieces. keep in mind that the law of diminishing returns sets in really early in this game, and the difference between, e.g. your k3 and the 1/5 the price urbanfun is surprisingly small. (i haven't concluded, btw, that the k3 is better than the $35 magaosi bk50). note i haven't heard the pioneer, which some folks praise massively.
sorry to confuse you further...

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

I'm curious to know how it compare to some 130-200$ chifi iem....do you got some in your collection?

Cheapest price I find for the Pioneer (a company I respect alot...got retro headphone that sound great)...is 140$.

 

[loomisjohnson]

Hi, first of all sorry for my bad English. I am looking for basshead chinese IEM's and they should be below 150$. I am looking for chinese ones because they are not much choice if I choose European ones (just Shure SE215, Sennheiser Momentum and 1More 1001).. I have Sony MDR-XB90EX, sound and bass level is not enough for me. I want deep and punchy bass. I listen Electronic and Rap/Hip-Hop. So vocals are bit important too. Oh, and I will buy it from AliExpress

my bass-oriented pick would be the musicmaker tk12, which is around $90 on ali, but truth be told the supercheap boarseman kr49 and tennmak dulcimer are awful good for the price.

 

[CYoung234]

Pretty freaken good. Are there plenty of gems around? Is that why ZS5 seem under mentioned? Does it even have a dedicated thread besides the aggregate thread for K Z stuff?

Not too sure why the ZS5's do not get even more mention than they do. They punch well above their weight for sure. They actually give my Fostex T50RP's a halfway decent run for the money in a number of ways. They really illustrate that high end audio has always been a game of diminishing returns. You can spend thousands and thousands of dollars on this stuff, but really - is a $300 IEM really 10X as good as the ZS5? Clearly no. Maybe 10 or 15%, no more. And how about a $5000 IEM - there is just no way that it is 200X as good as the ZS5.

You would be better served spending the money and time on concert tickets! The other thing is, as far as audio goes, if you cannot hear the difference, you should not be paying for it!

 

[Slater]

I am really torn on a decision right now: besides the fact that I do not need any new IEM (who does anyway in this thread? ).
With limited financial (around $100) should I buy the Pioneer SE-CH9T-K and stop buying iem/buds for few months, or follow the other hype/suggestions and buy 4-5 of the other iem discovered in the last 1 month (ZSE / CI800 / some of the last hybrids / a thought on 1More Triple) ?

My current favorite IEMs are Trinity Master and Magaosi K3 Pro and I mostly listen to Metal/Post-Rock. I was planning to save for a LZ 4A later on this year, but the latest reviews on the CH9T really took me by surprise. Mostly the comparison with LZ 4A and the fact that this is a sub $100 IEM.
About recent IEMs, I quite like the KZ ZS5 and Urbanfun + I own a bunch of other chi-fi IEMs bought in last 5 years... but only 2 ears to listen to music.

I am really really close to push the button on the Pioneer, and hopefully call it quit for a bit.

You're going to be taking a step back on the ZSE since you already have the Magaosi K3 Pro, Urbanfin HiFi, and ZS5 (all of which are better than the ZSE).

My CH9T haven't arrived yet, so I can't compare them to the K3 Pro or ZST, but if you are considering them I wouldn't spend $100 on them right now, because I just got them a week ago on Amazon for $59 shipped. I'm willing to be that they'll drop again in price, especially as we are getting ready to go into the holiday season (black friday, cyber monday, christmas, etc).

As far as the 1More Triple, I wasn't all that impressed by them. They're not terrible, but I didn't feel like they were worth the $100 asking price.

 

[mochill]

Shozy X aaw hibiki should be considered when released soon

 

[Slater]

...keep in mind that the law of diminishing returns sets in really early in this game, and the difference between, e.g. your k3 and the 1/5 the price urbanfun is surprisingly small...

So true.

 

[vic2vic]

You're going to be taking a step back if you have the Magaosi K3 Pro (at least with the ZSE). Especially if you already have the Urbanfin HiFi and ZS5 (both of which are better than the ZSE).

My CH9T haven't arrived yet, so I can't compare them to the K3 Pro or ZST, but I wouldn't spend $100 on them because I just got them a week ago on Amazon for $59. I'm willing to be that they'll drop again in price, especially as we are getting ready to go into the holiday season (black friday, cyber monday, christmas, etc).

As far as the 1More Triple, I wasn't all that impressed by them. Certainly not for the $100 asking price.

Good point about the holiday season: I can wait a bit to get the CH9T, hoping price will not increase in the meanwhile due to hype At the moment I found them at $85 in a local webstore (no shop to audition).
And I will patiently wait for your review.

seems to me you have to define your objectives, which is to say do you want the best iem available for your $100 or (like me and the other freaks on this site) do you want to try to different flavors, in which case you want a bunch of cheaper pieces. keep in mind that the law of diminishing returns sets in really early in this game, and the difference between, e.g. your k3 and the 1/5 the price urbanfun is surprisingly small. (i haven't concluded, btw, that the k3 is better than the $35 magaosi bk50). note i haven't heard the pioneer, which some folks praise massively.
sorry to confuse you further...

For my taste, I found Trinity Master and K3 Pro sound significantly "better" than Urbanfun, ZS3, ZST (better = warmer and more emotional, with right amount of details and perfect sound stage). It's not 5 times "better", but definitely a relevant step upwards. My main source is a rockboxed XDuoo X3, but I found the same results also with my Benjies S5 and T6. The only exception is ZS5, which is not too far behind my top 2 IEMs and costs 1/4.
I will be patiently waiting for some more CH9T impressions... and meanwhile, as suggested by @CYoung234, I will attend few more concerts

 

[Hypthus]

my bass-oriented pick would be the musicmaker tk12, which is around $90 on ali, but truth be told the supercheap boarseman kr49 and tennmak dulcimer are awful good for the price.

Thanks, I am looking TK12, TK13 and TFZ Series 5 right now. I have to decide between 3 of them. I used to use cheap chinese headphones but all of them broke after 1-2 months of use (especially left one headphone). But they say TFZ 5 is for bassheads and electronic music listeners so I will probably buy it. Also, I am looking for Pioneer CH9T too. I had pioneer headphones once and they have really kicking bass. Like my ear had eartquake when i listen with them.

 

[snip3r77]

That's what happened to me, after I've got CH9T every time I listen to any other IEMs I mainly hear their deficiencies and crave to get back to CH9T, actually after each such and experience I have to listen to Pioneers for at least couple of minutes to wash away other IEMs "taste"

I'm seriously considering sticking to Pioneers as my main/reference IEMs and quitting ChiFi race for some time (if not for good), I don't mind the experience and what it taught me, but I found (non-ChiFi, fancy that) IEM's I am quite content and happy with.

where's the headfi thread for this IEM?

 

[Ivan TT]

where's the headfi thread for this IEM?

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/pionneer-se-ch9t-premium-in-ear-headphones.857460/

 

[snip3r77]

Not too sure why the ZS5's do not get even more mention than they do. They punch well above their weight for sure. They actually give my Fostex T50RP's a halfway decent run for the money in a number of ways. They really illustrate that high end audio has always been a game of diminishing returns. You can spend thousands and thousands of dollars on this stuff, but really - is a $300 IEM really 10X as good as the ZS5? Clearly no. Maybe 10 or 15%, no more. And how about a $5000 IEM - there is just no way that it is 200X as good as the ZS5.

You would be better served spending the money and time on concert tickets! The other thing is, as far as audio goes, if you cannot hear the difference, you should not be paying for it!

To make it simple. an easily powered IEM combo with an iPhone is just audio bliss

 

[snip3r77]

You're going to be taking a step back on the ZSE since you already have the Magaosi K3 Pro, Urbanfin HiFi, and ZS5 (all of which are better than the ZSE).

My CH9T haven't arrived yet, so I can't compare them to the K3 Pro or ZST, but if you are considering them I wouldn't spend $100 on them right now, because I just got them a week ago on Amazon for $59 shipped. I'm willing to be that they'll drop again in price, especially as we are getting ready to go into the holiday season (black friday, cyber monday, christmas, etc).

As far as the 1More Triple, I wasn't all that impressed by them. They're not terrible, but I didn't feel like they were worth the $100 asking price.

Can you pls do a comparo with our favourites like Tennmak Pro , ZS5 ?

Lowest for pioneer is $82
https://camelcamelcamel.com/Pioneer...s-SE-CH9T-K/product/B06XFY1CKF?context=search

 

[Ivan TT]

Can you pls do a comparo with our favourites like Tennmak Pro , ZS5 ?

CH9T is in completely different league.

Compared to Tennmak Pro CH9T has better highs (both in level and precision), much faster and cleaner (maybe a just a bit lacking or not smooth but rather clear) mid-range, better low extension, speed and precision, but narrower soundstage. I'm not that well-versed in V-A-U shapes, but CH9T is moderately V-shaped.

ZS5 is highly colored in upper highs area and lacks in precision compared to CH9T, my impression of ZS5's low-end is that it is... nondescript and not THAT engaging, unlike the power and musicality CH9T has.

One way to describe and compare CH9T is take UrbanFun (beryllium), improve precision tenfold (especially in the high frequency range, reducing quantity but increasing quality and class), tame down its V-shape a bit, but leave the fun factor in and you will get an idea about the direction you have to go to get to CH9T.

PS: apologies, just noticed that the request was not addressed to me, but I leave my comments regardless, I hope they would be helpful to someone in the end.

 

[Slater]

Can you pls do a comparo with our favourites like Tennmak Pro , ZS5 ?

Lowest for pioneer is $82
https://camelcamelcamel.com/Pioneer...s-SE-CH9T-K/product/B06XFY1CKF?context=search

I don't have the Tenmark Pro, but I will definitely do a comparison with my better IEMs like the ZS5, VSonic VSD5S, Magaosi K3 Pro, etc