[Lidson Mendes Br]

by the way, i just do a unboxing+quick first impression review of OH10.

Really no bs great. Very very promising. Will give them proper burn in and come back with a conclusion in a week.

OH10 is incredibly beautiful.

 

[thejoker13]

I posted thoughts on both the Magaosi K5 and BGVP DM6 with photos months ago in this thread. And while I’m not up to date on the IEM of the month hype; I’ve always found this section of the market to be the most exciting.

Would like to add the $389 Fearless S6Rui to the consideration of many on this thread. And while the 6 BA S6 does go outside the rules/box here it’s a pretty big step up in sound. Just thought I would add to the confusion...........but rather it may be found used around some of the prices for IEMs here? Also I’m pretty sure it still rules the $400 bracket?

I agree that the S6rui was the best price to performance iem in all of the Fearless Audio lineup (except for hyperS and Paladin series, as I haven't listened to those at all), I disagree fully that they're the best in all of the 400.00 and under bracket and shouldn't be included in this 300.00 and under category. In my opinion, it is a top 5 performer that I've heard in this bracket, but possibly 3rd, MAYBE second to the LZ A6 or Toneking T88k, and that would depend on someone's personal preference.
I would classify the S6rui as a fun, musical and more energetic sound signature, and to me, the A6 is the exact kind of signature but bit better. The main difference for me was the treble. Both have about the same brightness, but the A6 is of better quality in the treble.
I would also take the T88k over the rui if I wanted a smooth, balanced sound, as they're the best I've heard in the price bracket with that signature.
It's all horses for courses, as they all are great iem's and one couldn't go wrong with any.

 

[Redcarmoose]

I agree that the S6rui was the best price to performance iem in all of the Fearless Audio lineup (except for hyperS and Paladin series, as I haven't listened to those at all), I disagree fully that they're the best in all of the 400.00 and under bracket and shouldn't be included in this 300.00 and under category. In my opinion, it is a top 5 performer that I've heard in this bracket, but possibly 3rd, MAYBE second to the LZ A6 or Toneking T88k, and that would depend on someone's personal preference.
I would classify the S6rui as a fun, musical and more energetic sound signature, and to me, the A6 is the exact kind of signature but bit better. The main difference for me was the treble. Both have about the same brightness, but the A6 is of better quality in the treble.
I would also take the T88k over the rui if I wanted a smooth, balanced sound, as they're the best I've heard in the price bracket with that signature.
It's all horses for courses, as they all are great iem's and one couldn't go wrong with any.

Great points. And yes.......it’s all subjective in value. Haven’t heard the T88k nor A6. I haven’t read this whole thread since I posted before, just thought maybe the Fearless hadn’t been mentioned? Basically offering up another choice, and the S6 didn’t get sounding really great until I found tips for it; though it always fit well.

Really much of my limited comparison was going against what I feel is short comings with both the BGVP DM6 and Magaosi K5; with the S6Rui addressing those issues well. Yes, it’s more money, and still the S6 doesn’t offer top top flagship technicality and full flagship frequency range, but offers a fun and rather complete competence for what it’s priced at.

Some say the DM6 bass and S6 bass are similar, though I think the midrange increase in the S6 offers a distraction, making them seem to have less bass. Though the top end with the S6 offers a more refined and able personality actually getting more detail than what the DM6 does with a brighter response up top. IMO

We all know that part of the DM6 controversy was the treble spike and rather pedestrian mids, where the S6 seems to band-aid both areas for a win?

But this equipment turns over fast making IEMs that were popular a year ago... old-hat. It seems new market additions are offering a chance at improvement ......almost every two months.

 

[Cevisi]

Can we change the kanas pro against the kxxs first of all it sounds better and you cant buy the kanas any and it can hold up whit the t800

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

Yes, yes, I only speak on gear that I personally have auditioned. I really hate when people say this is better than this or that and have never heard one or the other.
In full transparency though, I have only listened to the T800 for about a total of a half hour now, so I am not one to be able to speak on them with absolutes. They were not bad by any means for me, but I just felt like may be I couldn't gel with the way they tuned the BA bass to try and mimic a dynamic driver bass. To me, it sounded good, but is actually slower and slightly bloated sounding compared to the A6 bass, which is lighting quick and agile for a dynamic. Again though, the T800 sound GREAT, it's just I feel the A6 was better in a straight up comparison, for me and my preference and sources used.
I do believe someone could take the T800 or the A6 and be happy for their whole lives. They're both great, great gear and exactly what I hoped I'd find when I started in this chi-fi love affair long ago.
It amazes me how far we've come and how amazing gear we can get now for so little money!!!!
Thank you @NymPHONOmaniac for all that you've done in helping bring the chifi into the mainstream consciousness. You were instrumental in me being exposed to this crazy love affair, lol.
Now for a little iem porn! These are currently my favorite gear. The LZ A6 and Toneking T88k!
Also, I agree about the Fearless brand may be being a little over hyped. They're a good brand, with consistent well tuned iem's, but damn they aren't bargain priced at all. They're not very price to performance oriented, in my humble opinion. Others mileage may vary. I don't have much exposure to Linsoul really, so I can't speak on them. I think I've only bought 1 iem from them, and that was the BGVP dmg. It was a fairly typical purchase, with normal price and slow shipping, with no after purchase support needed, so again I have nothing negative or positive to say about them.

Its true that T800 bass is strangely both its weak and kinda good part, in the sens its beefy thumping impact is very impressive for balanced armature but lack refinement in definition as well as natural sub bass extension. We just can't make whisky with wine. And BA's have their limit...I read that lowest range Knowles can dig is 50khz, and I feel it with the T800 too. At the same time, it give a welcome hint of warmth to the sound. Yeah, I love both imperfection and perfection of T800, its really a passionate love story...as well, it take me time finding right eartips and its a capricious iem about sensitive pairing. The low impendance output thing about audio source is utterly factual.

LZ A6 look extremely interesting, I will put it in the list...in fact, this list is based on multiple and trustable very positive (mind blowed) feedback when I coulnt hear the iem myself...

So now, about Fearless....i feel they might be good...im obsess to give them a try but how? So, will investigate more to know wich exact model i can put here.

T88K look very interesting, I respect Toneking company, for both earbuds and iem....but I think its 400$...i guess we can pass 300 by some $ but not 400...like 325 supreme max cause of price change etc.

OH. And big THANKS for the good words....i'm not even conscious of this. Sure this passion is near neurotic for me, and now i feel its time to concentrate more about 100-300$ supreme bargain after like 6 years of sub-100$ chifi. But i dont stop my search for supreme budget too...its more on my facabook group NBBA were well...i can speak more freely and have direct connection and feedback of budget audiophile.

I make a POOL there to know what price range people feel give biggest sound value, the type of sound value that can lead to end game, answer was: 100-300$!!

 

[Redcarmoose]

Its true that T800 bass is strangely both its weak and kinda good part, in the sens its beefy thumping impact is very impressive for balanced armature but lack refinement in definition as well as natural sub bass extension. We just can't make whisky with wine. And BA's have their limit...I read that lowest range Knowles can dig is 50khz, and I feel it with the T800 too. At the same time, it give a welcome hint of warmth to the sound. Yeah, I love both imperfection and perfection of T800, its really a passionate love story...as well, it take me time finding right eartips and its a capricious iem about sensitive pairing. The low impendance output thing about audio source is utterly factual.

LZ A6 look extremely interesting, I will put it in the list...in fact, this list is based on multiple and trustable very positive (mind blowed) feedback when I coulnt hear the iem myself...

So now, about Fearless....i feel they might be good...im obsess to give them a try but how? So, will investigate more to know wich exact model i can put here.

T88K look very interesting, I respect Toneking company, for both earbuds and iem....but I think its 400$...i guess we can pass 300 by some $ but not 400...like 325 supreme max cause of price change etc.

OH. And big THANKS for the good words....i'm not even conscious of this. Sure this passion is near neurotic for me, and now i feel its time to concentrate more about 100-300$ supreme bargain after like 6 years of sub-100$ chifi. But i dont stop my search for supreme budget too...its more on my facabook group NBBA were well...i can speak more freely and have direct connection and feedback of budget audiophile.

I make a POOL there to know what price range people feel give biggest sound value, the type of sound value that can lead to end game, answer was: 100-300$!!

Well there is a sub $300 range from Fearless. Also there was the tour this year. One way to get a demo would be if there is another tour?
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/us-head-fi-tour-fearless-audio-ciem-tour-starting-may-2019.905792/

 

[thejoker13]

Great points. And yes.......it’s all subjective in value. Haven’t heard the T88k nor A6. I haven’t read this whole thread since I posted before, just thought maybe the Fearless hadn’t been mentioned? Basically offering up another choice, and the S6 didn’t get sounding really great until I found tips for it; though it always fit well.

Really much of my limited comparison was going against what I feel is short comings with both the BGVP DM6 and Magaosi K5; with the S6Rui addressing those issues well. Yes, it’s more money, and still the S6 doesn’t offer top top flagship technicality and full flagship frequency range, but offers a fun and rather complete competence for what it’s priced at.

Some say the DM6 bass and S6 bass are similar, though I think the midrange increase in the S6 offers a distraction, making them seem to have less bass. Though the top end with the S6 offers a more refined and able personality actually getting more detail than what the DM6 does with a brighter response up top. IMO

We all know that part of the DM6 controversy was the treble spike and rather pedestrian mids, where the S6 seems to band-aid both areas for a win?

But this equipment turns over fast making IEMs that were popular a year ago... old-hat. It seems new market additions are offering a chance at improvement ......almost every two months.

Oh yes, well said. I agree the rui is much better overall than the DM6, and I would definitely take it 10 times out of 10 if given the choice. I read so much good things about the DM6, but I was sorely disappointed with the pair I had. I may have gotten some with bad QC as I've read that has been a plague to BGVP in the past, but I'll never know. I know there sure are a lot of people who really loved their pairs though!
This hobby is really getting fun though because of new tech and iem's improving so fast, it amazes me!
I hope you eventually get a chance to audition the A6, as I believe you'd love them based on your sound preferences. I lurk in several threads that you frequent, lol. I know several more members here recently purchased the A6, so more impressions should be on here over the next several weeks.

 

[thejoker13]

Its true that T800 bass is strangely both its weak and kinda good part, in the sens its beefy thumping impact is very impressive for balanced armature but lack refinement in definition as well as natural sub bass extension. We just can't make whisky with wine. And BA's have their limit...I read that lowest range Knowles can dig is 50khz, and I feel it with the T800 too. At the same time, it give a welcome hint of warmth to the sound. Yeah, I love both imperfection and perfection of T800, its really a passionate love story...as well, it take me time finding right eartips and its a capricious iem about sensitive pairing. The low impendance output thing about audio source is utterly factual.

LZ A6 look extremely interesting, I will put it in the list...in fact, this list is based on multiple and trustable very positive (mind blowed) feedback when I coulnt hear the iem myself...

So now, about Fearless....i feel they might be good...im obsess to give them a try but how? So, will investigate more to know wich exact model i can put here.

T88K look very interesting, I respect Toneking company, for both earbuds and iem....but I think its 400$...i guess we can pass 300 by some $ but not 400...like 325 supreme max cause of price change etc.

OH. And big THANKS for the good words....i'm not even conscious of this. Sure this passion is near neurotic for me, and now i feel its time to concentrate more about 100-300$ supreme bargain after like 6 years of sub-100$ chifi. But i dont stop my search for supreme budget too...its more on my facabook group NBBA were well...i can speak more freely and have direct connection and feedback of budget audiophile.

I make a POOL there to know what price range people feel give biggest sound value, the type of sound value that can lead to end game, answer was: 100-300$!!

I fully believe the best value for performance is in the 200-300 range for sure!! I've had the pleasure of being able to audition several kilobuck iem's and I've personally listened to several that are very close in overall technical ability in the 200-300 range, it's amazing where we are now!
I also agree the T88k don't belong in this list because of their price, but was just more just making a point of signature preference in that earlier post.
I do hope you get a chance to hear some of Fearless gear, so you can see what you think! There is a review thread hear on headfi that you maybe interested in participating in, like I was able to do. I could pm you about it if you'd be interested.

 

[thejoker13]

Well there is a sub $300 range from Fearless. Also there was the tour this year. One way to get a demo would be if there is another tour?
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/us-head-fi-tour-fearless-audio-ciem-tour-starting-may-2019.905792/

Oh shoot, I didn't read this before I responded to @NymPHONOmaniac . This is the tour I was referring too.

 

[Orthanc]

Can someone offer insight on the best fitting chifi iem? I remember HBB saying during a dm6 video that it essentially felt like a custom iem, practically disappearing into his ear while wearing it. I'm looking for that combination of comfort and deep-seated fit with minimal external protrusion

 

[Orthanc]

by the way, i just do a unboxing+quick first impression review of OH10.

Really no bs great. Very very promising. Will give them proper burn in and come back with a conclusion in a week.

Ikko, upon request, made me a single-side version of their OH10 (i'm deaf in 1 ear) and sent it to me for free, and it absolutely sounds fantastic. They said they gave it a new and upgraded tuning from their OH10 and they created a cable without the y-split so i don't have to deal with any dangling/unused 2-pin connectors which has been amazing

 

[SoundChoice]

Can someone offer insight on the best fitting chifi iem? I remember HBB saying during a dm6 video that it essentially felt like a custom iem, practically disappearing into his ear while wearing it. I'm looking for that combination of comfort and deep-seated fit with minimal external protrusion

That's like asking what is the best-fitting pair of shoes.

Except most feet are generally the same shape, without all the nooks and crannies of the human ear. From what I recall, though, HBB was pointing out that BGVP used some database of thousands of individual ear shapes and sizes and made an earphone that fit the common denominator of many of them. The DM6, as a result, feels like a custom to many people. I know mine disappears into my ear, and feels extremely comfortable.

Do you need to spend two bills for this, though? There are other IEMs that are less costly but smaller, which people put under helmets or sleep with, and so they seek a low profile. But you didn't ask for the cheapest small IEM. For that, maybe the KZ ED9 would be a start. Some say the KZ ZS4s are like customs. You asked for which IEMs are best-fitting. And I'd venture to say there's no such thing as a best-fitting earphone, but with experience, research ,and some good ol' fashioned trial-and-error, there may be one that is best-fitting for you.

I hope this helps.

 

[Redcarmoose]

Oh yes, well said. I agree the rui is much better overall than the DM6, and I would definitely take it 10 times out of 10 if given the choice. I read so much good things about the DM6, but I was sorely disappointed with the pair I had. I may have gotten some with bad QC as I've read that has been a plague to BGVP in the past, but I'll never know. I know there sure are a lot of people who really loved their pairs though!
This hobby is really getting fun though because of new tech and iem's improving so fast, it amazes me!
I hope you eventually get a chance to audition the A6, as I believe you'd love them based on your sound preferences. I lurk in several threads that you frequent, lol. I know several more members here recently purchased the A6, so more impressions should be on here over the next several weeks.

Can someone offer insight on the best fitting chifi iem? I remember HBB saying during a dm6 video that it essentially felt like a custom iem, practically disappearing into his ear while wearing it. I'm looking for that combination of comfort and deep-seated fit with minimal external protrusion

I’ll make a note to try the A6, probably early next year on a trip. But true the DM6 can be a mixed bag. The fit is something that will be different for every individual. We all have slightly different ears, though the “semi-custom” idea came from combining a big human ear data base which went and consolidated human ear shape. Probably last year the new shape of Chi-Fi fit helped make it all the more exciting. And as we all know fit and tip selection is everything in reaching the potential sound quality. I always wonder how much fit effects personal opinion in reviews. I know I had an IEM for two years before the epiphany and full resulting sound realizations occurred. For two years I though I had the best fit. That’s the thing.......thinking you have the best fit isn’t always the best fit. IMO

The DM6 strangely was reviewed with many polarized reviews, almost like people had different IEMs. Though the subjectivity of each person and their own treble tolerance was noted over and over. At the time I started with the DM6 I was deep into electronic music, which seemed to make the midrange a gloss over? But yes, there was some quality control issues which really started to show with the MMCX connectors of the newer BGVP DM7. Though the company did do a good job to fix the issue with early purchasers well enough. I admit I still own two pairs of the DM6 IEM...both joined to 4.4mm after market cables and have no issues with quality control?

But the DM6 sound ideas got to a point that there was such paranoia people were studying the Knowles tube filters for color verification due to each color creating an alternate “tune”. For me going balanced and the correct aftermarket cable was the ticket to taking the DM6 to a special place.....though everyone is different?

 

[Cevisi]

The dm6 had massive quality issues after the first batch loose conectors channel imbalance broken drivers and what else dont meanting it in this list this one is death

 

[Redcarmoose]

Can someone offer insight on the best fitting chifi iem? I remember HBB saying during a dm6 video that it essentially felt like a custom iem, practically disappearing into his ear while wearing it. I'm looking for that combination of comfort and deep-seated fit with minimal external protrusion

There is the qdc Anole V3 which is the most low weight, smallest and best fitting semi-custom I have ever come across. Though the one single contrast has been qdc pricing......which really goes against the Chi-Fi value curve.
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/qdc-anole-v3.23655/reviews

Also remember too, what we are saying is everyone’s ears are different and every IEM is a different shape; even after being designed using the database for measurements. So it’s luck really or a portion of luck?