[Slater]

So I make a first 1-10$ best IEM Poll, check it out!

Every 2 weeks I will make a new one and keep result in first post of this thread, think it can be very interesting!

here on Headfi we cannot create more than one Poll so I need to use this Doodle thing!

Anybody can vote, even Headfi guest that do not have account here.

https://doodle.com/poll/wsm8f6sb6tw3rw4s

Most people haven't heard the HDS1. I would change it to HDS3 personally. Also, a lot of more recent users may be more familiar with the ATR instead of the ATE. Other than that, I like the poll idea - nice job buddy

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

Very nice build, 3.5mm cable and 2.5mm balanced cable included, amazing sound

Do you have other single BA to compare too?
Wonder if bass is there as well as soundstage or if its a fowards-detailed soundsignature (that can still have nice imagin and layering too).....?

From ali feedback I read it look like to be MID centric?

Intrigued but find it a little pricey....will rather prefer a choice to buy them without cable at like...80$ or something.

 

[Slater]

I think that this was the Question mark item on NiceHCK, a single BA MMCX IEM, looks really gorgeous to me. Here is the link.
I have a weakness towards single BA IEMs and I am in love with this one when it comes to looks.
Also nice to see how NiceHCK is starting to develop as a brand, similar to Penon - I am all for it as it appears that all of their products are interesting and competitive.

Very nice build, 3.5mm cable and 2.5mm balanced cable included, amazing sound

What is the nozzle size on that IEM gents?

I have always had a difficult time wearing the KZ HDS2 because the enormous nozzle size makes tip selection difficult (because the large nozzle stretches out tips making S tips like a SM and M tips like a ML size). Also, I can only wear them for a short amount of time, because of ear canal soreness (large tip and less silicone = more "stiffness" and more irritation). Otherwise, I have to try and space the nozzle out of my ear using double or triple-flange tips (which changes the sound due to moving the driver away from my ear). On IEMs like HDS3 (and from the photos this NiceHCK one), the edge of the eartip is pushed down all the way even with the edge of the nozzle, which again causes the eartip to be hard as a rock (causing soreness).

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

Most people haven't heard the HDS1. I would change it to HDS3 personally. Also, a lot of more recent users may be more familiar with the ATR instead of the ATE. Other than that, I like the poll idea - nice job buddy

Okay, I change as you suggest....now I begin to wonder if I should have made a sub-20$ Poll with like 20 iem choices....anyway, will let this one go and see. Next one will be more varied.

 

[HungryPanda]

They are mid centric, sound great with singer-songwriters. Saying that bass is fine as I'm listening to Marillion with them and it sounds good to me, bass actually goes quite deep

 

[vladstef]

What is the nozzle size on that IEM gents?

I have always had a difficult time wearing the KZ HDS2 because the enormous nozzle size makes tip selection difficult (because the large nozzle stretches out tips making S tips like a SM and M tips like a ML size). Also, I can only wear them for a short amount of time, because of ear canal soreness (large tip and less silicone = more "stiffness" and more irritation). Otherwise, I have to try and space the nozzle out of my ear using double or triple-flange tips (which changes the sound due to moving the driver away from my ear). On IEMs like HDS3 (and from the photos this NiceHCK one), the edge of the eartip is pushed down all the way even with the edge of the nozzle, which again causes the eartip to be hard as a rock (causing soreness).

I think it looks much larger than it is because the casing is so small. Look at how big the female MMCX is compared to it, that is a standard 4.5 - 5mm nozzle I think.

 

[HungryPanda]

The nozzle is bigger than Tin Audio T2 but not as large as Pioneer SE-CH9T

 

[Slater]

The nozzle is bigger than Tin Audio T2 but not as large as Pioneer SE-CH9T

OK, that helps. So it sounds like it's >5mm. Thanks!

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

Make update about Z5000 again....I don,t know what eartips are my favorite with them, wasnt a big fan of memory foam, just thanks this tips for making PMV A01 MK2 stay still in my ears without making them sound congested, but for the Zhiyin something else happen....now they are near neutral with ultra thigh bass with good body but less decay and a little smaller soundstage but less harsh in upper mids (they weren't really but hey) and even more details....a more fowards presentation but with a little more deepness due to better clarity. Not V shaped anymore, W shaped now.

A must try IMO and I urge any Z5000 owner to share impressions about sound change with memory foams tips. It do not sound dry at all and will please anti-bassy IEM too!

 

[HungryPanda]

Make update about Z5000 again....I don,t know what eartips are my favorite with them, wasnt a big fan of memory foam, just thanks this tips for making PMV A01 MK2 stay still in my ears without making them sound congested, but for the Zhiyin something else happen....now they are near neutral with ultra thigh bass with good body but less decay and a little smaller soundstage but less harsh in upper mids (they weren't really but hey) and even more details....a more fowards presentation but with a little more deepness due to better clarity. Not V shaped anymore, W shaped now.

A must try IMO and I urge any Z5000 owner to share impressions about sound change with memory foams tips. It do not sound dry at all and will please anti-bassy IEM too!

I don't like memory foam on most iems, I'm using a soft silicon wide bore tip and they are W shaped and very good indeed

 

[Otto Motor]

i've always like to wax philosophic about this cost/benefit stuff. my wholly subjective thoughts at large:
...
2. as you infer, cost is a really imperfect measure of sq in this game, and a lot of our budget faves slay some much more expensive models. coincidentally i was listening to the ($100) senn momentum on the train just yesterday and, while it's certainly not a bad iem, i would rate the ($20) urbanfun or the e-mi substantially higher in all respects--they're more coherent, less artificial tonality, etc. that said, there are some $100 mainstream players like the focal sphear and pioneer 9t i rate even higher, but it's not a foregone conclusion..."\

And herein lies my confusion:

1. Urbanfun Hifi or Sennheiser in-ear Momentum better? You say Urbanfun, I have not figured that one out in several months (I may be influenced by the placebo effect: expensive brandname must be better).
2. All sorts of blogs: KZ ZS5 higher rated than Urbanfun Hifi...nowhere the other way round as far as I am aware of. I disagree.
3.. Whathifi: Sennheiser in-ear Momentum higher rated than Focal Sphear. I disagree.
3a. Other online reviewer: Focal Sphear sounds in the $300 bracket. I don't know.
4. Therefore KZ ZS5 better than Sennheiser in-ear Momentum better than Focal Sphear? Hmmmmmm....
5. Another (serious) reviewer: KZ ZS5 good for the price but not a $100 earphone

We conclude: no real conclusions possible.

And we had this one before:

5. KZ HDS3...higher rated than Soundmagic E10C by Headflux
6. Whathifi: Soundmagic E10C best in class ca. 2012-2016
7. KZ HDS3 is a hell of a value..both are actually really similar
8. KZ HDS3 is rated soso in most blogs
9. Lots of cheepos must be much better than the Soundmagic E10C

We conclude: possibly true, but some of the lauded cheapos have a tuning not made for everyone...e.g. piercing treble.

And now, everybody, go and get your KZ HDS3 for $5 before they are gone. They certainly belong to a dying breed.

 

[vladstef]

And herein lies my confusion:

1. Urbanfun Hifi or Sennheiser in-ear Momentum better? You say Urbanfun, I have not figured that one out in several months.
2. All sorts of blogs: KZ ZS5 higher rated than Urbanfun Hifi...nowhere the other way round as far as I am aware of. I disagree.
3.. Whathifi: Sennheiser in-ear Momentum higher rated than Focal Sphear. I disagree.
3a. Other online reviewer: Focal Sphear sounds in the $300 bracket. I don't know.
4. Therefore KZ ZS5 better than Sennheiser in-ear Momentum better than Focal Sphear? Hmmmmmm....
5. Another (serious) reviewer: KZ ZS5 good for the price but not a $100 earphone

We conclude: no real conclusions possible.

And we had this one before:

5. KZ HDS3...higher rated than Soundmagic E10C by Headflux
6. Whathifi: Soundmagic E10C best in class ca. 2012-2016
7. KZ HDS3 is a hell of a value..both are actually really similar
8. KZ HDS3 is rated soso in most blogs
9. Lots of cheepos must be much better than the Soundmagic E10C

We conclude: possibly true, but some of the lauded cheapos have a tuning not made for everyone...e.g. piercing treble.

And now, everybody, go and get your KZ HDS3 for $5 before they are gone.

I was equally confused for different cases but came to this conclusion - unless the comparison is made by the same person, you can't cross reference like this. Here is an interesting example:

Headphonelist - VSonic VC1000 sound score 9.2, Sennheiser IE800 scores 9.3
Provocative Ear - VSonic VC1000 score 7, KZ ZS5 score 9.7

Personal bias, different sources, different music - judging audio quality is already a difficult thing and this just adds more variables that skew things. The most you can expect is one person's direct comparison of one of the sound components between two chosen IEMs, and then you combine multiple of these individual small comparisons to form a blurry image of what to expect, but you don't truly know whether you'll like something until you've heard it.

 

[Otto Motor]

I was equally confused for different cases but came to this conclusion - unless the comparison is made by the same person, you can't cross reference like this.

...Personal bias, different sources, different music... .

Yes, a single source is most consistent. And a good reviewer should separate observation/objective and interpretation/bias.
The reviewer should first describe the sound, then judge it according to their liking. A quality ranking should be independent of taste.

In the end, we rank the reviewers...obviously Whathifi is not the most credible for me. I particularly like one who gives extremely detailed reviews that let you read between the lines.

There are some reviewers who are telling us right away that they judge earphones according to their personal tastes only. Such reviews are only informative when you know their tastes.

 

[DBaldock9]

initial sound impressions on the DZAT DT-10:

Very easy to drive, with excellent isolation. Soundwise, an extremely-well tuned, gentle U-shape, with impactful, well controlled subbass which presents good rumble, mildly pushed-back, detailed mids and bright, sparkly, well-extended treble. These are not analytical or neutral stage monitors—they inject some energy and drive into the proceedings. Tip-sensitive (silicons work best while foams tended to congest and deaden the presentation). Soundstage is wide, though not as 3D as some other top players, but instruments are well-separated and very accurately placed on stage. Overall character is quite similar to the (excellent) Bosshifi B3S, though the DZAT sound a little larger and more dynamic. Among my other favorites, the DZAT is more colored and less-natural-sounding than the PMV, Simgot or Fidue A73, especially at the high-end; others like the TK13 or DQSM have larger, more immersive soundstages. However, these match very well with uptempo genres and are an excellent listen in their own right. As a lark, I compared these to the ($20) DZAT DF-10, which I've always liked--the DT-10 are brighter and more coherent overall, with much tighter bass and more precise imaging, although the DF-10 actually sounds airier and more expansive. These guys know how to make an earphone.

Just looked more closely at the images on AliExpress, and I see that they're using some sort of proprietary Keyed MMCX connector, which means that it can not rotate.
It also means that standard MMCX plugs may not fit, and plug into the jacks.

@loomisjohnson - Can you confirm whether or not standard replacement MMCX cables will work with the DT-10 earphones? Thanks!

 

[loomisjohnson]

And herein lies my confusion:

1. Urbanfun Hifi or Sennheiser in-ear Momentum better? You say Urbanfun, I have not figured that one out in several months (I may be influenced by the placebo effect: expensive brandname must be better).
2. All sorts of blogs: KZ ZS5 higher rated than Urbanfun Hifi...nowhere the other way round as far as I am aware of. I disagree.
3.. Whathifi: Sennheiser in-ear Momentum higher rated than Focal Sphear. I disagree.
3a. Other online reviewer: Focal Sphear sounds in the $300 bracket. I don't know.
4. Therefore KZ ZS5 better than Sennheiser in-ear Momentum better than Focal Sphear? Hmmmmmm....
5. Another (serious) reviewer: KZ ZS5 good for the price but not a $100 earphone

We conclude: no real conclusions possible.

And we had this one before:

5. KZ HDS3...higher rated than Soundmagic E10C by Headflux
6. Whathifi: Soundmagic E10C best in class ca. 2012-2016
7. KZ HDS3 is a hell of a value..both are actually really similar
8. KZ HDS3 is rated soso in most blogs
9. Lots of cheepos must be much better than the Soundmagic E10C

We conclude: possibly true, but some of the lauded cheapos have a tuning not made for everyone...e.g. piercing treble.

And now, everybody, go and get your KZ HDS3 for $5 before they are gone. They certainly belong to a dying breed.

otto, there's certain review sites i find useful as a reference, and certain reviewers whose tastes conform to mine, but i'm not sure i'd take their opinions as more definitive than your own. of the iems you mention above, i'd rate the sphear the highest, and a higher tier than the sennheiser, tho to me it competes well in the $100 class, not the $300 class. as for the kz zs5, to me it does certain things very well, and it's a fun piece, but to be honest i rarely reach for it, mainly because it only sounds good when amped--i'm not as over-the-moon about it as some others. otoh, i often pull out the hds3 despite (or perhaps because of) its lack of refinement--it's a blast, like a shot of good cheap alcohol. i've briefly heard the e10, which were highly touted here, a couple years ago, and remember them being good and bassy but not memorable--i suspect our current bevy of $30 faves would compete very well with them.