[Frederick Wang]

Hi guys, need recommendation here.
What's the best budget dynamic iem that produce high resolution, large scale sound, with neutral/balanced tonality, one that plays orchestral music well?
I used to own Havi b3 pro1, is there better choice now?
Thanks!

 

[maxxevv]

For what I have tried to date, the EMI CI880 and the Urbanfun Hifi (hybrid 1BA+1DD version) comes closest on a budget. The CI880 has a bit more sparkle in the details and treble without adding artificialness to the sound. The UF being quite close to sounding 'neutral' as many people would term it.

Both have decent but not artficially expansive soundstage too.

 

[Frederick Wang]

For what I have tried to date, the EMI CI880 and the Urbanfun Hifi (hybrid 1BA+1DD version) comes closest on a budget. The CI880 has a bit more sparkle in the details and treble without adding artificialness to the sound. The UF being quite close to sounding 'neutral' as many people would term it.

Both have decent but not artficially expansive soundstage too.

Thanks for reply. I have several hybrids, now I want to try some dynamics.
I have the impression that Tin Audio T2 will have better bass presence, but soundstage-wise I'm not sure...

 

[Slater]

Thanks for reply. I have several hybrids, now I want to try some dynamics.
I have the impression that Tin Audio T2 will have better bass presence, but soundstage-wise I'm not sure...

You want an excellent dynamic? UiiSii CM5 is the best one I’ve ever heard for the price.

 

[Frederick Wang]

You want an excellent dynamic? UiiSii CM5 is the best one I’ve ever heard for the price.

Thanks for the recommendation, I just talked to Tin Audio on taobao, very nice people, I ended up buying a T2, lol, excited.

 

[loomisjohnson]

Thanks for reply. I have several hybrids, now I want to try some dynamics.
I have the impression that Tin Audio T2 will have better bass presence, but soundstage-wise I'm not sure...

the ty hiz g3 and/or moni one both have generally balanced signatures, great resolution and large stages

 

[maxxevv]

Unfortunately the G3 can't be found anymore. The follow-up didn't seem to have happened.

The Urbanfun Berylliums are actually quite good but its not exactly close to neutral in my books. Has a heavier bass response compared to the UF Hifi.
It seems tuned more biased towards mainstream music enjoyment as opposed to outright accuracy of the UF Hifi.

 

[loomisjohnson]

Unfortunately the G3 can't be found anymore. The follow-up didn't seem to have happened.

The Urbanfun Berylliums are actually quite good but its not exactly close to neutral in my books. Has a heavier bass response compared to the UF Hifi.
It seems tuned more biased towards mainstream music enjoyment as opposed to outright accuracy of the UF Hifi.

surprised the g3 is unavailable. the cheaper seaf akh009 have a family relationship and similar signature, albeit with a little more bass.

 

[xxAMAROKxx]

The Urbanfun Berylliums are actually quite good but its not exactly close to neutral in my books. Has a heavier bass response compared to the UF Hifi.
It seems tuned more biased towards mainstream music enjoyment as opposed to outright accuracy of the UF Hifi.

Original Urbanfun HIFI have pronounced MID/UPPER- BASS, but weak SUB-BASS. If new Berylium have it in opposite way, they can be my cap of tea.
Can you write a little more about Berylliums sound?
And which one do you have?
- with Beryllium DD only
- or with Beryllium DD and BA

 

[maxxevv]

Reading your comments reminded me of some little details I couldn't pin down on the UF Hifi hybrids. Just did a back A-B listen of the two phones via a splitter using my LG G6, playback on FLAC files ripped off original CDs.

First things first, mine are :

I) Urbanfun Hifi hybrids (1BA + 1DD), second revisions with the grey cables. Foam tips.
II) Urbanfun Beryllium ( Single DD) in the fun colour scheme. Standard Silicone tips from package.

I now understand why you said the UF Hifi have 'elevated bass' or pronounced mid/upper bass. When I compare between the two and then I did a third short take on the CI880, I came to conclusion that the UF Hifi had a very weak sub-bass. Almost to the point of 'missing'. Which probably made the mid/upper bass sound elevated to you. When I played Ministry of Sound tracks and some from Deep Dish, the sub-bass thump was all there on the Beryllium and the CI880, the latter being less pronounced but the UF Hifi just didn't have much of it.

Bearing in mind that between the two earphones, I was comfortable on the UF Hifi at 30/75 volume. But I had to turn the volume down to 20/75 on the Beryllium for the techno tracks. The CI880 being closer to the UF Hifi at around 27/75.

Then I played Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto by David Ostrakh under Eugene Ormandy. A piece I know very intimately well. A-B between the two. And later with the CI880.

There were a few instances where there with some cellos and a few double-bass parts in the 1st Movement. On the Beryllium, it was all there, at 25/75 volume. The UF Hifi had to be cranked up to 33/75 to catch glimpses of those instances. And it wasn't very clear either. I played back the same segments on the CI880, they were there too, albeit not as pronounced as the Berylliums.

The Berylliums lose out to the UF Hifi's in the overall separation of instruments. BUT they overall sound more cohesive when I look at them in this detail now as the important details are not missing at all if you listen out for them. Just that they are not as cleanly presented on a platter like the UF Hifi and easily picked out for 'consumption'.

I have to say, listening to classical tracks, the Berylliums actually sound better with energetic pieces. The tonal correctness seems to be there too just that the bass is overall more obvious but yet not quite bleeding or mushing up the mids either. It is however at the limits of what I like though.

But when it comes to pop tracks, there really isn't much of contest, the Berylliums sound better compared to the UF Hi-fi. From pop vocals to techno and rock. As long as it was an energetic track, the Berylliums came out better. On quieter, more delicate stuff, I actually like the UF Hifi better.

Looking at it, I'm suddenly intrigued by the UF Beryllium Hybrids !!!

 

[BubbleWrap86]

I'd really appreciate a few recommendations for some good IEMs with detachable cables, between $35 and $100. I run Mr. Speakers Mad Dog Pros for heavy listening at home and ATH-M50X when I can't be plugged into the amp. I'm really pleased with those sound profiles. I need something for a more mobile setup when I'm at work or traveling. My musical tastes are pretty varied: a few staples are Plini, Sithu Aye, Intervals, Opeth, Keith Merrow, Tycho, Nujabes, and Mogwai.

Thanks!

 

[CYoung234]

Reading your comments reminded me of some little details I couldn't pin down on the UF Hifi hybrids. Just did a back A-B listen of the two phones via a splitter using my LG G6, playback on FLAC files ripped off original CDs.

First things first, mine are :

I) Urbanfun Hifi hybrids (1BA + 1DD), second revisions with the grey cables. Foam tips.
II) Urbanfun Beryllium ( Single DD) in the fun colour scheme. Standard Silicone tips from package.

I now understand why you said the UF Hifi have 'elevated bass' or pronounced mid/upper bass. When I compare between the two and then I did a third short take on the CI880, I came to conclusion that the UF Hifi had a very weak sub-bass. Almost to the point of 'missing'. Which probably made the mid/upper bass sound elevated to you. When I played Ministry of Sound tracks and some from Deep Dish, the sub-bass thump was all there on the Beryllium and the CI880, the latter being less pronounced but the UF Hifi just didn't have much of it.

Bearing in mind that between the two earphones, I was comfortable on the UF Hifi at 30/75 volume. But I had to turn the volume down to 20/75 on the Beryllium for the techno tracks. The CI880 being closer to the UF Hifi at around 27/75.

Then I played Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto by David Ostrakh under Eugene Ormandy. A piece I know very intimately well. A-B between the two. And later with the CI880.

There were a few instances where there with some cellos and a few double-bass parts in the 1st Movement. On the Beryllium, it was all there, at 25/75 volume. The UF Hifi had to be cranked up to 33/75 to catch glimpses of those instances. And it wasn't very clear either. I played back the same segments on the CI880, they were there too, albeit not as pronounced as the Berylliums.

The Berylliums lose out to the UF Hifi's in the overall separation of instruments. BUT they overall sound more cohesive when I look at them in this detail now as the important details are not missing at all if you listen out for them. Just that they are not as cleanly presented on a platter like the UF Hifi and easily picked out for 'consumption'.

I have to say, listening to classical tracks, the Berylliums actually sound better with energetic pieces. The tonal correctness seems to be there too just that the bass is overall more obvious but yet not quite bleeding or mushing up the mids either. It is however at the limits of what I like though.

But when it comes to pop tracks, there really isn't much of contest, the Berylliums sound better compared to the UF Hi-fi. From pop vocals to techno and rock. As long as it was an energetic track, the Berylliums came out better. On quieter, more delicate stuff, I actually like the UF Hifi better.

Looking at it, I'm suddenly intrigued by the UF Beryllium Hybrids !!!

Nice review. I do not have the UF Berylliums, so it is hard to comment on them. However, I was intrigued by your comment about hte UF HiFi's missing so much of what you call sub-bass energy. So, I did a quick A-B-C test, using my ZS5's as the third iem. I used a FLAC of the Bink Audio CD, which has test tones recorded at -1dB at 16, 20, 25, 31.5, 40, 50, 60, 63, 70, 80, 90, 100, and 125Hz, which should cover everything relevant. This was just a short test, and I did not try to match levels between the 3, but was listening for the relative strength and changes between frequencies. Of the three iems, the UF is a little peaky between about 70-125Hz. However, it still retained the most energy of the 3 at 40 and 31.5Hz. The CI880s were almost totally absent of energy at 16 and 20Hz, which is not at all a bad thing. For starters, you can count the beats in frequencies that low, and almost nothing even generates anything that low. But, the CI880's had significantly less energy from 31.5-70Hz. They do not exhibit the same peak as the UF does, which may explain something about how the UF may be perceived to be a little bass heavy. Now, that said, I like the CI880's very much.

I used the stock tips for each iem. The ZS5 performed very well in this comparison. It is not bass shy at all, but lacks a little of the peakiness of the UF. I will do some more testing later. But thanks for your comparison. It was interesting.

 

[Frederick Wang]

UiiSii HM7 arrived, it is quite a capable IEM, unbelievable value (cost me only 5 bucks or so), and very neatly-made, would have made a wonderful cellphone companion if it were not so bass-heavy, give me headache (and the fragrance just fueled that effect...).

 

[-sandro-]

Reading your comments reminded me of some little details I couldn't pin down on the UF Hifi hybrids. Just did a back A-B listen of the two phones via a splitter using my LG G6, playback on FLAC files ripped off original CDs.

First things first, mine are :

I) Urbanfun Hifi hybrids (1BA + 1DD), second revisions with the grey cables. Foam tips.
II) Urbanfun Beryllium ( Single DD) in the fun colour scheme. Standard Silicone tips from package.

I now understand why you said the UF Hifi have 'elevated bass' or pronounced mid/upper bass. When I compare between the two and then I did a third short take on the CI880, I came to conclusion that the UF Hifi had a very weak sub-bass. Almost to the point of 'missing'. Which probably made the mid/upper bass sound elevated to you. When I played Ministry of Sound tracks and some from Deep Dish, the sub-bass thump was all there on the Beryllium and the CI880, the latter being less pronounced but the UF Hifi just didn't have much of it.

Bearing in mind that between the two earphones, I was comfortable on the UF Hifi at 30/75 volume. But I had to turn the volume down to 20/75 on the Beryllium for the techno tracks. The CI880 being closer to the UF Hifi at around 27/75.

Then I played Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto by David Ostrakh under Eugene Ormandy. A piece I know very intimately well. A-B between the two. And later with the CI880.

There were a few instances where there with some cellos and a few double-bass parts in the 1st Movement. On the Beryllium, it was all there, at 25/75 volume. The UF Hifi had to be cranked up to 33/75 to catch glimpses of those instances. And it wasn't very clear either. I played back the same segments on the CI880, they were there too, albeit not as pronounced as the Berylliums.

The Berylliums lose out to the UF Hifi's in the overall separation of instruments. BUT they overall sound more cohesive when I look at them in this detail now as the important details are not missing at all if you listen out for them. Just that they are not as cleanly presented on a platter like the UF Hifi and easily picked out for 'consumption'.

I have to say, listening to classical tracks, the Berylliums actually sound better with energetic pieces. The tonal correctness seems to be there too just that the bass is overall more obvious but yet not quite bleeding or mushing up the mids either. It is however at the limits of what I like though.

But when it comes to pop tracks, there really isn't much of contest, the Berylliums sound better compared to the UF Hi-fi. From pop vocals to techno and rock. As long as it was an energetic track, the Berylliums came out better. On quieter, more delicate stuff, I actually like the UF Hifi better.

Looking at it, I'm suddenly intrigued by the UF Beryllium Hybrids !!!

Seems like the Hybrids are not much better than the Berylliums despite having a BA+DD!

 

[xxAMAROKxx]

Finnaly I've found tripple-flanged eartips with tick bores. Suitable for earphones with 4 - 5,5 mm (and maybe bigger) nozzles.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/6pc...32701632837.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.m0YQsr
- They are OK, comfortable, soft silikon
- Three sizes and colors
Sound changes with them, in general:
- MORE Bass. Small one has stronger bass, then Large single-flanged.
- A little more highs
- More detailed sound at all frekvencies
- Better noise isolation

Highly recommended )