[486873]

After a short spell with TWS, I've decided to go back to wired earphones. I just recently bought a pair of headphones (SHP9600), so my budget is tight (around $20). I've been liking how it sounds so far, overall neutral but with just enough bass boost. For context, I've only had two IEMs before, the Philips SHE3590, which was too bassy, and the Tin Audio T2, which sounded too flat for me and was extremely bass light. Which of these IEMs most closely matches the SHP9600 in terms of sound signature (neutral with a slight warmth)? Thanks in advance!

 

[podnosimyszafe]

To be fair I find it difficult to give you any advice to help with your dilemma. Out of these 4 I own CRA and Chu, and both are great sounding, but if I really had to say anything about potential downside of these IEMs:

1. CRA has paper filters than are a little bit fragile. Do not get me wrong, it is not that this they will self-destruct after a week or something, they will work prefectly fine as long as you woulkd not do anything silly. I detroyed paper filter in my pair trying to clean the nozzle with cotton swab (silly me!), so as long as you are not as carelees as I am this 99,99% should not be a problem. Also, CRA is V+shaepd IEM, so in relation to your dissatisfaction with T2, it might be a little bit too intense in treble region.

2. Chu is amazing sounding, to be honest only lack of detachable cable is bad about it. Also bass is not the most powerful one. It is not that it is bad, but if a song benefits from punchy bass, these "do not deliver" in my opinion.

I have not heard BL03 and CRN, but the most common cons of these sets mentioned by folks online are weird shape and not the best fit for BL03 and unnatural treble around 8k Hz for CRN.

All these 4 models have more bass than T2 and are (in general) well-tuned, so none of these will be as dissaponting as T2 and that Philips.

Whichever of these 4 you will choose, remember that you can fine tune an IEM a little bit more to your taste with EQ. Even the basic one, like in smartphones, can be a free upgrade for set of IEMs.

 

[jmwant]

After a short spell with TWS, I've decided to go back to wired earphones. I just recently bought a pair of headphones (SHP9600), so my budget is tight (around $20). I've been liking how it sounds so far, overall neutral but with just enough bass boost. For context, I've only had two IEMs before, the Philips SHE3590, which was too bassy, and the Tin Audio T2, which sounded too flat for me and was extremely bass light. Which of these IEMs most closely matches the SHP9600 in terms of sound signature (neutral with a slight warmth)? Thanks in advance!

May I know which TWS you were using? I'm also a bit confused between getting a budget IEM and $40-$60 TWS. Considering the Soundpeats Mini Pro and CRA Plus.

 

[Dizm0]

Unlike @podnosimyszafe I found the fit of the BLON to be excellent. However, the cable and ear tips are both trash and really should be replaced. I use mine with some EQ, however I found them pretty bassy...and kind of bloated. I thoroughly enjoyed them while I used them, but I've since moved on to other things. I have a KZ CRN, and sound is ok but the quality of the unit is lacking. I treat them nicely, keep them in a case with a DAP when not in use, and the finish is already chipped and flaking off. I know they're only $30, but I'm unimpressed and won't buy another KZ piece.

 

[INeedFewerHobbies]

Hi, OP! Funny enough, I have all of the IEMs that you listed in the poll, but I haven't tried the SHP9600s or any of the IEMs you currently own. Just looking at some frequency response graphs for the gear you own, it looks like you like some boost in the midbass (instead of solely subbass like some people) with fairly neutral treble. From that, I don't think that the Moondrop Chu or KZ CRN would be the best fit.

Between the CRA and the BL-03, I think that a lot of it will come down to taste with the treble. The CRA is a little "hotter" in the treble, but you might not mind that. If a slightly calmer treble (like the BL-03) sounds better to you, the (similarly tuned) Tripowin Mele may also work well for you. None of these are bad options, but I also like warm-neutral, and I prefer Mele to the BL-03 (by a small margin) and don't like the CRA quite as much.

As far as build quality, I would say that it's the same order as my sound preferences - Mele>BL-03>CRA. The first two have more robust-feeling metal shells, while the CRA shows its considerably lower price here. I don't have a problem with any of the cables, but the Mele cable stands out as feeling pretty nice, whereas the other two just get the job done. All three can benefit from an eartip change, though. With all of that said, I haven't had any durability issues from any of them, and they've all seen pretty good use.

 

[gobu]

Hello OP, I own the BL-03 and have KZ and CRN iems but not the same you mentioned. I agree on KZ build being poor, my ZEX are flaking as well. I have CCA CA4 which is cheaper but better maintained. It also sounds better over time compared to KZ. All of the above mentioned IEMs will not have a flat sound but some may be more v shaped than other. BL-03 out of box is a little muddy but its super easy to fix with a little bit of EQ ( I use wavelet for autoeq). They still are decent performers and I have listened to most genres without issues like sibilance.

For the BL-03, like people have mentioned, the cable is not great nor the tips. Aftermarket tips have improved and I got myself a balances cable for BL-03. One point to note is that the BL-03 is the only IEM here with a 0.78mm connector size. So the upgrade cable should also work for future IEMs as well unless you go for one with a mmcx connector. The KZ and CCA models use 0.75mm connector sizes and most cables you can buy won't be available for that size. Its safe to say that you can still use whatever is in the box but an upgrade down the line will make it worthwhile.

I have not used Chu, but if you are looking at rough usage and potential upgrades to setup, an iem with no detachable cable is a bad idea.

All the best with choosing one, but definitely look into EQing with any of these.