[paulindss]

Chi-fi TOTL go way above $200. Maybe a new sub$50 topic would make more sense.

I know, i used the expression meaning like. The best you can get for the biggest price you can pay and stay happy with It. Like a period for your budget.

Yeah I can honestly say my obsession is still sub-100$ earphone, right now I listen to 15$ **** PT-15 and feel blessed. I think I will go back to sub-150, feel it can be usefull for IEM at 110$ that can't be include here and that it will not open door for 210$ IEM etc....I don't even have any IEM that cost more than 100$ lol...but my new obsession about Ibasso IT01 and long obsession about Simgot Pro kind of push me about this price limit. Anyway, we talk one pair out of 50 IEM, but I really still hope to find a big boy that can kick ass of way pricier IEM, I KNOW it exist out of LUXURY market! I'm a chifi BELEIVER!
Amen!

FOR EXAMPLE, the LA-A4 can be found for les than 150$ here:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/LZ-A4-Audio-Top-Grade-Hi-Fi-In-Ear-Earphones-Black/372048987014?_trkparms=aid=111001&algo=REC.SEED&ao=1&asc=49452&meid=583b244104dc46b9b2eeb767acda3f80&pid=100675&rk=3&rkt=15&sd=331915517847&_trksid=p2481888.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%3A7b325fe4-f225-11e7-9e74-74dbd180bd54%7Cparentrq%3Ac6be402d1600aa47a51b86ecffe14518%7Ciid%3A1

I See your point, maybe 150$ Would do what you aim for. But 200$ seems like too Much. Imo.

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

I am waiting for EMI-CI880, Einsear t2, Hifiman re-400a, EZ Ask, KZ EDR2, and Brainwavz b100.

Oh, its 6, lol. See Theres no need for another one right now. Even more If i get the earbud.

The plan is to get only a fengru Emx500 - cause i learned to love earbuds for a relaxing listening in the night. And the tin audio in some time.

You cannot and will not regret the EMX500. Have 2 pairs and use them everyday.
Where did you get your hifiman re-400a and at what price if I can ask? There was a big deal at Joybuy but its not here anymore...

 

[paulindss]

Hey! New here and would like to start off by thanking you guys for the f*ckloads of awesome info on chifi.
Im not an audiophile at all but have been longing for better quality sound for a while now - problem is im way too stingy to go buy something expensive straight away.
After reading this thread i ordered myself a pair of KZ ATE from Gearbest only to realize their official store is on Aliexpress. Wrote the Aliexpress official KZ store and asked them about the Gearbest ones only to get the answer that they dont know anything about the other stores.

So, did a make another stingy mistake ordering from GB wanting to save a dollar or two? Are the GB ones fake?

These are the ones i got https://www.gearbest.com/earphones/pp_216375.html

Gearbest are legit and the best place to buy Kz's, their price always beat Aliexpress prices and they have lots of good deals. People here already managed to get KZ Zs5 for like 13-16$. In Aliexpress they are like 26$

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

Hey! New here and would like to start off by thanking you guys for the f*ckloads of awesome info on chifi.
Im not an audiophile at all but have been longing for better quality sound for a while now - problem is im way too stingy to go buy something expensive straight away.
After reading this thread i ordered myself a pair of KZ ATE from Gearbest only to realize their official store is on Aliexpress. Wrote the Aliexpress official KZ store and asked them about the Gearbest ones only to get the answer that they dont know anything about the other stores.

So, did a make another stingy mistake ordering from GB wanting to save a dollar or two? Are the GB ones fake?

These are the ones i got https://www.gearbest.com/earphones/pp_216375.html

GB is more trustable than 99% of Aliexpress sellers. You did not make a mistake and shipping is faster with them (well in canada Ali is ultra slow don't know why).

 

[paulindss]

You cannot and will not regret the EMX500. Have 2 pairs and use them everyday.
Where did you get your hifiman re-400a and at what price if I can ask? There was a big deal at Joybuy but its not here anymore...

I buyed Mine in that sale on joyboy. Payed 25$. They Just did'nt reach home yet cause you know... Brasil.

I'm antecipating the emx500, but i am in no hurry. I have a Vido that sounds awesome. And a faaeal 64ohm that's much more refined but lacks some Bass for me. The Vido are horribly built and the transparent faaeal looks gorgeous. See that you have faaeal to, could you have some word in comparing them to emx ? No hurry.

 

[Wiljen]

I think we have all said "I'm not going over $100 on this purchase" only to spend $120 because it was a big step up in quality for a small step up in price. Knowing that this thread has had a lot of that discussed, I see no worry in occasionally mentioning things on the periphery if they are enough better that the difference in budget makes it a worthy spend.

 

[skajohyros]

Hey! New here and would like to start off by thanking you guys for the f*ckloads of awesome info on chifi.
Im not an audiophile at all but have been longing for better quality sound for a while now - problem is im way too stingy to go buy something expensive straight away.
After reading this thread i ordered myself a pair of KZ ATE from Gearbest only to realize their official store is on Aliexpress. Wrote the Aliexpress official KZ store and asked them about the Gearbest ones only to get the answer that they dont know anything about the other stores.

So, did a make another stingy mistake ordering from GB wanting to save a dollar or two? Are the GB ones fake?

These are the ones i got https://www.gearbest.com/earphones/pp_216375.html

Gear Best is trustworthy.

 

[DBaldock9]

GB is more trustable than 99% of Aliexpress sellers. You did not make a mistake and shipping is faster with them (well in canada Ali is ultra slow don't know why).

In one of the threads, someone identified that it was at Canadian Customs, where their shipments seemed to stall (sometimes for weeks).

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

I buyed Mine in that sale on joyboy. Payed 25$. They Just did'nt reach home yet cause you know... Brasil.

I'm antecipating the emx500, but i am in no hurry. I have a Vido that sounds awesome. And a faaeal 64ohm that's much more refined but lacks some Bass for me. The Vido are horribly built and the transparent faaeal looks gorgeous. See that you have faaeal to, could you have some word in comparing them to emx ? No hurry.

Both are nice but EMX500 is big winner in term of soundstage and deepness in imaging as well as bass. They are less warm than FAAEL wich have more mid and better vocal, but its all what it have better than EMX500 and im not sure better is a good word cause vocal are clean and present with EMX500 and overall sound is less congested and way more layered.

Hope EMX500 will blow your mind as it blow my mind!

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

Another extremely good value earbuds look like to be the NICEHCK DIY PK2 (black version 2)....some headfier look like to really think it use same driver than 100$ Shozy cygnus, saying it sound near exactly the same.

I think it will be my next earbuds buy.

I should have bought a pair at 11/11 sale...grrr.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/201...d-Plug-Earplugs-Headset-Free/32801437048.html

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

In one of the threads, someone identified that it was at Canadian Customs, where their shipments seemed to stall (sometimes for weeks).

Yeah....its or this custom holding or using fedex or even worst DHL and have to pay extra fee and customs. DHL charge 25$ even for 10$ package, no exception, ALWAYS 25$. Never will I use this service again, epacket is the best cause it cut the time in half (2-4 weeks) but its not offer by all Ali sellers wich is a shame.

 

[Otto Motor]

No one HAS to mod them - everyone's ears are different. .

Fair enough. I read a few extensive reviews including the one by Chris, and I knew the ZS6 were not for me. I still think they are overrated based on their cool Campfire Audio looks. What they are certainly not is balanced.

But why did you get three pairs...freebies?

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

Personally, I'm not looking for piercing highs myself, but the HIFI Walker did mention that it gives a "better resolution", which many companies are trying to focus on by providing a wider frequency response.

Yeah I see your point, just find it easy for a manufacturer to invent any freq they want, a graph would have been more serious and accurate....I like graph, as I like seing sound freq with my eyes like when I play with frequencies of sound for music creation. Perhaps they should just have put a sticker with HD approved logo....human hearing is from 12hz to 15khz in average but can go up to 28khz for exceptional people with absolute hearing capability (not me!).
Cat hearing can go up to 64khz tough....kitty migh like the Hifiwalker!

 

[groucho69]

Another extremely good value earbuds look like to be the NICEHCK DIY PK2 (black version 2)....some headfier look like to really think it use same driver than 100$ Shozy cygnus, saying it sound near exactly the same.

I think it will be my next earbuds buy.

I should have bought a pair at 11/11 sale...grrr.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/201...d-Plug-Earplugs-Headset-Free/32801437048.html

That was my 11/11 buy recommended by @HungryPanda . I use them every day. Great value.

 

[groucho69]

Yeah....its or this custom holding or using fedex or even worst DHL and have to pay extra fee and customs. DHL charge 25$ even for 10$ package, no exception, ALWAYS 25$. Never will I use this service again, epacket is the best cause it cut the time in half (2-4 weeks) but its not offer by all Ali sellers wich is a shame.

If there are 2 sellers and only one has epacket, then I choose the epacket seller.