[oyobass]

We know that wide bore tips increase treble and possibly remove a bit of midrange, we know that taping vents increases bass, we know that adding metal screens adds treble and textile screen remove some. But what does tape do? I would like to see the respective frequency response curves.

Hmm... I find wide bore tips to increase treble and midrange, but mine are fairly shallow, putting the nozzle opening closer to my eardrum.

 

[Ders Olmaz]

@Nymphonomaniac isnt the z5000 anda game
Ue900s is pike 210 sth most of the time

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

@Nymphonomaniac isnt the z5000 anda game
Ue900s is pike 210 sth most of the time

Well, Z5000 can be end game for some people I guess, but if you listen to a very wide music palette it will not WOW you 100% of the time, but it will never agress you or disgust you neither, this is why I adore them. In fact, a philosophical crisis begin with this collector disease I have about IEM, cause YES I use 90% of the time the 5000....50% of my IEM take dust because of some issue, should it be peaky highs that feel like having a lazer war in your ears, hissy vocal that make harsh sounding your favorite signers, boomy bass that bleed too much, distant or dry sound, small soundstage or bad imaging. hum, this really is epicurism, or some kind or hearing erotism, don't know, why people never stop trying new wine and go up in price? Its to find new enjoyable savor.
Whats in my ear right now? Z5000 using Xduoo X20. They shine with clear detailed source, will never use them with my Ipod (un)touch since it have a colored bassy sound even without EQ.

 

[Otto Motor]

Now you have made me want to listen to mine today. I love them. Have you tried different tips?
...
It's very nice to just put them in without having to fiddle with an over the ear type cable. they are very comfortable.

Hey, good idea. I'll pull mine out, too. And I will try the wide-bore Tennmak Whirlwind tips for a change. As to the "fiddling", yeah, that's why I like them in bed.
The opposite would be the UE900S with the stock cable: a horror to get them in- and out- of the ears.

 

[oneula]

Wow, lot of nice stuffs there.
I'm curious how much you pay the Tenore and were you find them?

Zero Audio Carbo Tenore ZH-DH200 CT (Amazon) $44.00
TIN Audio T2 (AliExpress) $33.23
LKER i8 (AliExpress) $ $38.54
KZ ED9 (Amazon) $13.79

ED9 loser of the bunch
Can't go wrong with the other 3
Carbo Tenore for ultimate portability (bass a little lacking but they are so small)
T2 and i8 for sound (about the same)

I ran some sound fit tests because I was Having problems with all these staying in my ear so I tried either complys, spin fits or spiral dots in no amp, with the A5 and with the portable tube.

For the T2 I found the Spiral Dot and Spin Fit sounde and fit better with no amp and the with the fiio, with the tube the complys sounded better though but fit was bad as they tend to slide out or time.

For the Biggies I found that the spiral fits where better with both amps but the comply sounded better without. Plus they don't seem to fall out with the complys like the T2 does. Same for the LKER i8s.

For the Carbo Tenores the medium stock tips held and sounded best

All four buds came alive with amp support and nothing cold help the ED9 ($13.79) even changing filters and tips. Reminded me of the Soundmagic E80s.which cost $49.95

To me its a wash between the TIN T2, LKER i8 and Monk Biggies although none can stnad up to the Monk Zens but those are like 3-5 times the cost of these IEMs. They do show me how the harshness of all my KZ IEMs.

Still need to receive the Yersen ZEN 2000, TY hi-2 150ohm and FAAEAL 64 ohms. I received the DZAT DF-10 yesterday with the LKER i8 and KZ ED9 but haven't opened the box.

The question i how my Mass Drop Nu Force EDC and EDC3s will hold up at $59.99 and $99.99 they are way more expensive than this group of IEM/buds

 

[mbwilson111]

And I will try the wide-bore Tennmak Whirlwind tips for a change.

I received some of those Whirlwind tips last week and would have tried them if these others had not been good. I don't know what they are though. Let me know if the Whirlwind sit ok on the nozzle.

As to the "fiddling", yeah, that's why I like them in bed.

I have others that sit flatter in the the ear that I would use for that... the Dzat still sticks out a little. When I have time I will gather my "sleeping iems" together for a photo.

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

Zero Audio Carbo Tenore ZH-DH200 CT (Amazon) $44.00
TIN Audio T2 (AliExpress) $33.23
LKER i8 (AliExpress) $ $38.54
KZ ED9 (Amazon) $13.79

ED9 loser of the bunch
Can't go wrong with the other 3
Carbo Tenore for ultimate portability (bass a little lacking but they are so small)
T2 and i8 for sound (about the same)

Nice stuffs again! Curious about this amp too....
WIch one sound better for Thelonious Monk music?

PS: I have owned the FIIO X3 first gen as well....but the wolfson WM8740 dac wasn't sounding as I wish, today I would have sure try out the line out potential cause i miss wolfson sweet mid centric soundsignature. Hum ,must find a cheap second had DAP with this dac in it now. Nostalgia is too high.

 

[Otto Motor]

Zero Audio Carbo Tenore ZH-DH200 CT (Amazon) $44.00
TIN Audio T2 (AliExpress) $33.23
LKER i8 (AliExpress) $ $38.54
KZ ED9 (Amazon) $13.79

ED9 loser of the bunch
Can't go wrong with the other 3
Carbo Tenore for ultimate portability (bass a little lacking but they are so small)
T2 and i8 for sound (about the same)

I am interested in your opinion on the Lkers. I first disliked them for there pounding bass, but then realized that their sound (perception) is very sensitive to tips. A wide bore tip did it for me in the end.

 

[boblauer]

Yes please do. I lost my younger son to depression in spite of family support and therapy. That is all.

Sorry to hear this, I lost a cousin same way, just a terrible thing to go thru.

 

[oneula]

I am interested in your opinion on the Lkers. I first disliked them for there pounding bass, but then realized that their sound (perception) is very sensitive to tips. A wide bore tip did it for me in the end.

Yup I went with the JVC Spiral Dots as they have the same hole size as the comply without the earwax filter
The spin fits have a small hole but I think that's how they work from the pictures I've seen on their site.

The bass and treble on the KZ IEMS is what turned me off on most of those. I need to change tips and see if it makes a difference.

 

[oneula]

Nice stuffs again! Curious about this amp too....
WIch one sound better for Thelonious Monk music?

PS: I have owned the FIIO X3 first gen as well....but the wolfson WM8740 dac wasn't sounding as I wish, today I would have sure try out the line out potential cause i miss wolfson sweet mid centric soundsignature. Hum ,must find a cheap second had DAP with this dac in it now. Nostalgia is too high.

With the X3 Gen1 I'd go with the Little Bird portable tube amp.
I'm trying to build out some rig options and so far I have the following

Phone only
LG V30 solo

Really small pants friendly DAP/Amp combo
HiDiz AP60 with SMSL sAp7 amp (have a Mass Drop HiDiz AP60 Pro coming)

Pretty small jacket friendly DAP/Amp combo
Cowon Plenue D or older D2 with Topping NX1s (have a Xuelin IHIFI780 DSP with line out coming)

Regular DAC/Amp Combo with line/coaxial out
Fiio x3 Gen1/Fiio X3 Gen2/iPod Classic Gen 5.5 with Fiio A5/Little Bird Portable Tube/VE RA/xDuoo 5

 

[mbwilson111]

Sorry to hear this, I lost a cousin same way, just a terrible thing to go thru.

Yes it is, it has been few years but often feels like yesterday. I would love to share some of this headfi stuff with him. He was my music, computer and tech buddy. I miss him everyday. More people have been affected by this type of loss than we sometimes realize. People are often afraid to talk about it. There needs to be more awareness.

 

[cqtek]

Looking for something different with presence of bass and subbass, good level of detail and forward mids, I found these reviews here:

http://www.aproear.co.uk/musicmaker-tk12/

And here:

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/musicmaker-tk12.21305/reviews

And finally I bought them in their mmcx version. I really now know what massive sound is.
I like its sound a lot but there are always pending details, more advanced mids and some more brightness.
Still enough to dedicate a review in Spanish here to these "old bullets of massive sound":

https://auricular.org/toneking-tk12s/

Out of curiosity and following the same brand, how are the Toneking Nine Tail? Are they old, are they outdated?

Now I'm testing Fiio F9, F9 Pro and FH1. I Like FH1 in its price range due to the presence of subbass and general tonality, and Ilike F9 Pro more than my RHA T20.

Suggestions?

 

[Arkady Duntov]

The Marshall Mode is the best at any price.

haha, j/k

Not even sure if anyone gets that joke

Is this a good time to insert another?

"Marshall will buoy but Fender controls!"

 

[Otto Motor]

Now you have made me want to listen to mine today. I love them. Have you tried different tips? I am looking at the online photos of the DZAT DF-10 and it seems that I am not using the stock tips. I have no idea what they are though. We have boxes full of tips here. I will put a photo at the end of this post

It's very nice to just put them in without having to fiddle with an over the ear type cable. they are very comfortable. I am hearing details and nothing is too boomy... seems like the right amount of bass to me. I do know what you mean about not being able to listen long when it is sounding as you describe. Listener fatigue.

While I was looking for them, I saw others I want to use more often.... Another photo included (showing two of the five bags I have for iems and buds). I need more ears!

First, sorry for your loss. It shows how unimportant earphones are.


The DZAT-DF10 were my first order ever from aliexpress. And, although factory sealed, the large stock tips were missing. I see from your picture that the have a wide bore. My third-party standard tips (blue and red) have a slightly narrower bore. When applying the white Tennmaks whirlwind, the bass becomes a bit slimmer but the mids and treble stay approximately the same. But this is minor.

The doing the same to the Urbanfun Hifi hybrids, the Tennmaks make them sound tinny.