CHIFI LOVE Thread-A never ending IEM-Heaphones-DAP-Dongles Sound Value Quest
Dec 8, 2017 at 11:04 AM Post #5,011 of 31,809
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The extra beautiful, relatively expensive i8 earphones by LKER are some of the best mids/vocals performers around. They have a professional-level sound quality, with all frequencies properly balanced to provide audiophile-grade sound. After using them myself extensively for music, films and gaming, I can wholeheartedly recommend them, even if they're not as budget as most of the earphones on this website. You will experience level of micro-detail and clarity, along with a powerful bass response, that no other earphones on AB can outperform. Despite their price, they deserve to be on the top of the leaderboard.

Sound signature: Mid-centric

Pros
Cons
  • Extremely impressive mids and reproduction of vocals, nearly perfect.
  • Extremely loud with no amplification required.
  • Very high build-quality, with an extra-soft and long cable.
  • An impressive variety of ear tips and accessories, which is expected, considering the price.
  • The cable seems to be quite fragile because it's not coated.
  • One of the most expensive earphones on AB.''
PS:This is from a site that strangely can't be talk about here....but its usefull nonethless...and i'm pretty pround to see the NICEHCK BRO gain a five star there, I praise them before...but I will not suggest them for people that don't like V shaped sound, its boomy but in a very nice and elegant way!

That's why I bought them. But the bass is killing everything..for me (this is totally subjective).
 
Dec 8, 2017 at 11:06 AM Post #5,012 of 31,809
I think both of you have good names. Nymphonomaniac is clever and amusing while Otto Motor is easy to remember and still fairly unique. Win win!
Otto Motor is the technically correct name for a four-stroke engine.
 
Dec 8, 2017 at 11:59 AM Post #5,014 of 31,809
That's why I bought them. But the bass is killing everything..for me (this is totally subjective).
As I read your profil, I see your a big classical fan, I still struggle to find IEM that will make sound good harpichord as well as organ. I'm obsess by classical music (Bach, Couperin, Rameau, Vivaldi, Scarlatti, Purcell, Shostakovitch, Rachmaninov....hate Mozart) , as well as my only canadian proudness is to have live in a country where Glenn Gould born and die (too soon). Baroque era is my favorite period, i'm kind of allergic to contemporary composers, exception may apply (Phillip Glass), kind of allergic to symphony too, rather prefer intimate emotionality of chamber orchestra, as well as instruments rendering of those.
So, from your IEM list, wich do you prefer for classical?
 
Dec 8, 2017 at 12:03 PM Post #5,015 of 31,809
I'd say the ZS5 are a waste of money! Horrible sound signature with tinny mids for the price. Get the Brainwavz B100, they are balanced and neutral.

Balanced and neutral seems to be interpreted differently by many. And not all want that sig.
 
Dec 8, 2017 at 12:05 PM Post #5,016 of 31,809
I like it. These were my first impressions that I posted on Facebook a while back:

"The play/pause button handles too many functions which is my only real complaint at this point. So far I can see that it handles;

- play/pause
- item selection in the menus
- backing out from Now Playing to the tracklist menu (brief 1 second hold)
- power on/off (3 second hold each way)

Took me longer than I'd like to admit to figure out how to leave the Now Playing screen as a result. The rest of the controls are pretty intuitive and the menus are simple and self explanatory, so the learning curve is short. I'm thankful for this because I wasn't sent any packaging or instructions so I'm learning as I go.

I also haven't run into any file playback errors despite ignoring the recommendation to format the card in the device, then load music on. I just threw in the small 16GB card from my Shanling M1, filled with everything from 128 to FLAC, and it all plays just fine.

For the 50-60 bucks it goes for, it seems like a solid, feature rich little player. It's nice to use and sounds better than the HiFiMan MegaMini imo, and that costs a heck of a lot more. I'm sure I'll find some quirks and whatnot as I check out all the features over the coming weeks."

Haven't had much chance to use it since then and still haven't tested the Bluetooth out, but I haven't run into any firmware issues and have the controls down pat. As long as I don't run into any major issues it'll be an easy recommendation.

Thanks for feedback. Sounding better than Hifiman Mega mini is a very impressive comparaison!!! I think F.Audio is a brand to look at, 2 first products look very impressive and seriously well made and thinked in construction. I'm quite curious about new Xduoo D3 too, might try it cause i'm a immense fan of Xduoo brand (only one I don't try its X10, wich look very promising too!). Xduoo X3 is even more fabulous using line out, cause amp section isn't the best with power hungry IEM (ZS5 V1 is a good exemple of that! Sound very veiled directly out of it. PMV A01 MK2 are perfect pairing with X3 cause extremely easy to drive.).
 
Dec 8, 2017 at 12:10 PM Post #5,017 of 31,809
As I read your profil, I see your a big classical fan, I still struggle to find IEM that will make sound good harpichord as well as organ. I'm obsess by classical music (Bach, Couperin, Rameau, Vivaldi, Scarlatti, Purcell, Shostakovitch, Rachmaninov....hate Mozart) , as well as my only canadian proudness is to have live in a country where Glenn Gould born and die (too soon). Baroque era is my favorite period, i'm kind of allergic to contemporary composers, exception may apply (Phillip Glass), kind of allergic to symphony too, rather prefer intimate emotionality of chamber orchestra, as well as instruments rendering of those.
So, from your IEM list, wich do you prefer for classical?

Focal Sphear! I also use the Tin Audio T2. The Focal are a tinge warmer.
 
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Dec 8, 2017 at 12:23 PM Post #5,018 of 31,809
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Dec 8, 2017 at 12:52 PM Post #5,019 of 31,809
I'd like to say a few words on my philosophy as a newbie here.

First, I love Sennheiser - and for two reasons. Around 1980 I had a cheap model of theirs with yellow earpads, which were fabulous. And Sennheiser is a great and very competent company from lower Saxony in Germany, near one of the places I used to live. I have always been looking for the ultimate headphone: which means one close to perfect independent of price - but not outrageously expensive. I may have found exactly that in the HD 600.

10 years ago, when earphones above $50 started to appear ("earphones better than the ones that came with your mobile phone"), I grabbed the V-Moda Vibes (at a proud USD $139 - still don't know what to think of them). Next, I reverted to Sennheiser and got the CX-300 Precision Mk II - too muddy for many. And after a hiatus of a few years, I found the Sennheiser Momentum in-ear - highly praised but disappointing for me as the mids disappeared at the bottom of the "V". I then found the CX 5.00 on sale which have the same drivers as the Momentum and were equally disappointing. This was followed by another highly lauded model: Soundmagic E10C (quite frankly, the people at Whathifi must have been drunk: another mud slinger).

These disappointments started my listening spree in the budget area: Rock Zircon (horrible to my ears, great to many), tons of KZ models, Tennmak, VJJB, Joyroom, UiiSii, DZAT, Einsear, Boarseman, Plextone, Urbanfun, Takstar etc. etc. Unfortunately, Canada Post was not up at all to the task of timely delivery (an example: stuff arrived in Vancouver 5 days after ordering, and it took another 148 days on Canadian soil for delivery to Calgary). This catapulted me onto CTV television, who interviewed me in my living room on the shortcomings of the postal service.

Back to the brandname earphones: the most expensive inears I have are the B&W C5 Series 2, which I got on frequent-flyer points. I was actually considering the Brainwawvz B400, but I am generally afraid of ripping fragile earphones apart in some airplane or lose them on the bus. If the cheap ones break, the loss is smaller. The next reason why I went for the cheaper B100 is because a $200 earphone like the B400 is another bus stop: next you want the $400 and $800 earphone. My general logic here: at the time my Focal Sphear and B&W C5 Series 2 were the only earphone model of each company. And since both are reputable headphone producers, their only earphone model can't be bad.

Downside of all of the above: the cheap crap adds up and I could have had a few expensive earphones instead - but with the learning curve missing.

Before the in-ears, I indulged myself with some nice headphones whenever the price was right: the ever so solid Beyerdynamic Custom Pro (another great German company), the fantastic NAD Viso HP50 (best headphone I could think of just to run with a phone; also a great Canadian company), some AKGs and so on. My biggest oddity are the bulky "Teufel Massive Reloaded".

What I would still like to have: headphones by Grado and Focal. But, as they say "instant gratification is for dummies". And I would like to see Sennheiser produce some non "v"-shaped, affordable earphones.

And the ever expanding and improving Chifi market keeps on offering excellent stuff at skyrocketing price points.

The future is bright!
 
Dec 8, 2017 at 12:53 PM Post #5,020 of 31,809
Dec 8, 2017 at 1:00 PM Post #5,022 of 31,809
Well Otto Motor welcome to head-fi sorry for your wallet and most importantly welcome. Your knowledge is a boon for the site
 
Dec 8, 2017 at 2:40 PM Post #5,024 of 31,809
I would have to agree with @vladstef on this one. I find the ZS5 anything but balanced, quite V-shaped and very coloured.
And which version You both have?
It saddens me sometimes that ZS5 (v1 at least) is getting so much flak only because they are so source peaky (due to the idiotic low impedance build and at the same time requiring so much current to being driven properly).
If you'd consider: 1. using a source having a low (<0.5 ohm) output impedance, changing the cable to a SPC lower ohmage aftermarket, running them through an amp or dac/amp - you'll have a nice surprise. Big one.
a BIG +1

I got the first version of the ZS5 ("early adopter") and always use the same third party tips from aliexpress - and I convinced myself that I don't like foam or these Christmas tree tips. I typically use the iPhone 5S with or without the audioquest dragonfly black.
I also don`t like foams or dual/triple flange but I also tell You that those tips You linked don`t work well with ZS5v1.
Like said before, ZS5v1 requires ridiculous low-impedance output source and amping. I add large bore tips with deep fit to that mix.
I have small ears and use these tips with ZS5v1:https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Ori...id=3fab12da-e73a-4eef-a14f-2561d9fda4bd&tpp=1

I wouldn`t call ZS5v1 neutral at all.... but... I`d call it fairly well balanced with U shaped signature, huge soundstage (comes really close with Fidelio X1 in my desk gear, sometimes even portraying larger soundstage due to BA details), great imaging and separation, no bass bleed into mids (but little smooth and could have more punch/tightness), neutral but definitely not recessed mids, no harshness or spikes in highs (I`m treble sensitive around 6.2-7.5kHz and generally prefer rather smoother/softer highs - no problem with ZS5v1).

Are You 100% sure You got v1? because reading Your comments makes me think You rather have v2 which is more V-shaped and spike in highs, very similar to ZS6.

Another thing, I`m not much into neutral IEMs like many others here. Why? They sound dull and lifeless as much as I have heard neutral-sided IEMs.
I Prefer slightly L or U shaped signature with good mids and overall slight warmth in sound (I like tube-produced/treated sound, like my desk gear).
Yes, it is coloured sound and ZS5v1 is also coloured... so what, if it is done only little and nicely? I ENJOY music with such SQ. With neutral signature - not.

Are ZS5v1 total waste of money - IMHO no! Absolutely no! For ~26$ I spent on them - best SQ vs. price deal I`ve got so far! :wink:
 
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Dec 8, 2017 at 2:48 PM Post #5,025 of 31,809
Can someone suggest sub $100 headphones with same sound signature as JVC ha s500?I own it and I think this is probably the best sub $100 headphone.I sold my sennheiser hd 598se because they sounded lifeless compared to these I don't know why these are not popular.
 

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