[RikudouGoku]

Very important points. For this reason, I really appreciate head-fi, where I can get a good idea of how something should sound based on a consensus opinion. That helps in eliminating the few outliers that may have received a defective unit. While a consensus is not the end all, what a group of members who paid their own money for an item says, carries a lot more weight than a bunch of glowing reviews from professional reviewers that have inherent conflicts of interest (though certainly not all reviewers are equal).

I have to admit, I’m guilty of not backing up statements with specific music passages, b/c it does take a lot more effort to do so. That indeed is the best way to describe how a product sounds, that someone else can understand.

Other than finding patterns in what multiple members report, finding 1-2 reviewers or members to follow, that have one’s same interests in music and sound signature, is key.

"specific music passages" and "finding 1-2 reviewers or members to follow, that have one’s same interests in music and sound signature"
Finding both a reviewer that likes the same songs/taste in music as you do, and also are using them as statements are really rare to find. But would be ideal.

 

[voja]

Although I personally believe no one can be entirely free of bias

Absolutely. That is correct, but as long as you state that bias and acknowledge it, or support/back it up, it's fine.

This is the kind of bias I was trying to describe

Ah yes, psychology about some sub-concious things our brain does. And that is true indeed.

I have to admit, I’m guilty of not backing up statements with specific music passages, b/c it does take a lot more effort to do so. That indeed is the best way to describe how a product sounds, that someone else can understand.

Other than finding patterns in what multiple members report, finding 1-2 reviewers or members to follow, that have one’s same interests in music and sound signature, is key.

It does require time and effort for sure, and it's one of those things which you usually don't expect from people who bought the product with their own money... because why would they bother?

I myself don't call myself a reviewer, but I do receive products free of charge from manufacturers. I make sure to do all I can to make close observation about sound, because that's what it is all about in the end.

There are way too many people who do this as a job... but don't even do that job right, instead they do it very crappily. The term "professionally" or "professional" gets thrown around a lot. I myself found very little people who make professional content, to do something professionally doesn't necessarily mean to do it as your job. I see the term "professional" as a reflection of the quality of content, and quality is one aspect which overall lacks in hi-fi media and reviewers. Let's take photographers as an example;
A professional photographer does indeed usually refer to somebody who is doing it as a job, probably has a degree and what not, however you can have a photographer who neither has a degree or has spent too much time with photography but the result is professional. Meaning that the end result is matching the standards which are present in the quality of the result from a person who does have a degree.
In audio it's a little bit different, you must have a lot of experience in order to understand sound. Sound is something very complex, and it's far beyond just throwing random terms which you don't even truly understand, nor can you explain them... resulting in confusion to the reader, who may trust your opinion, but they don't know that you don't even know what you are saying.

The worst thing about the whole situation in the industry is that the majority doesn't even bother to strive towards improving on the quality. And it makes sense: Why would somebody improve something if they see that they are getting the desired result with the current content. Why would I improve my content if I can make this crappy content and still get free stuff.

It's something like that.. and it can be noticed miles away.


Finding somebody with the same music taste and everything is hard enough, then... ears. They don't have the same ears as you. I find it the best if you can find somebody who analyzes their reference tracks, and play the same reference track and follow along, focus on the elements which they are describing, I think that would greatly help with forming the most accurate image which you can form from a review.

 

[kadas152]

Hi, I am looking to buy TRN BT20s in summer sale and potentialy new IEMs after not buying anything for quite a while

Currently I am mostly using the piezo hybrid that we shouldn't talk about (non pro) and still like it quite a lot (like the bass and details) and I would be totally ok to stay with it if it would be more comfortable worn upside down for use with BT cables... Also have couple of awesome MH755. Other than that I have NiceHCK N3 (like the detail) and EP10 and still use Tennmak Piano with TRN BT10. Various earbuds and few other older KZs and DIY attempts.

I am looking for something that would ideally be usable with TRN BT20 for on the go listening and with ES100 balanced for more quality listening. Ideally MMCX as I have all my cables and current sets with MMCX and all my DIY stuff is MMCX.

I also have no experience with those multi driver hybrids or full ba sets other than couple days with KZ ZS6. Unfortunately most of currently hot hybrid stuff seems to be 2pin and I cannot find much with MMCX. Anything with MMCX that would be worth looking at (listening to)? TRN BA5 looks interesting. Or maybe Blon BL-03?

Is it worth it? Or would I be better off with modded and mmcxd MH755 and saved money?

 

[RikudouGoku]

Hi, I am looking to buy TRN BT20s in summer sale and potentialy new IEMs after not buying anything for quite a while

Currently I am mostly using the piezo hybrid that we shouldn't talk about (non pro) and still like it quite a lot (like the bass and details) and I would be totally ok to stay with it if it would be more comfortable worn upside down for use with BT cables... Also have couple of awesome MH755. Other than that I have NiceHCK N3 (like the detail) and EP10 and still use Tennmak Piano with TRN BT10. Various earbuds and few other older KZs and DIY attempts.

I am looking for something that would ideally be usable with TRN BT20 for on the go listening and with ES100 balanced for more quality listening. Ideally MMCX as I have all my cables and current sets with MMCX and all my DIY stuff is MMCX.

I also have no experience with those multi driver hybrids or full ba sets other than couple days with KZ ZS6. Unfortunately most of currently hot hybrid stuff seems to be 2pin and I cannot find much with MMCX. Anything with MMCX that would be worth looking at (listening to)? TRN BA5 looks interesting. Or maybe Blon BL-03?

Is it worth it? Or would I be better off with modded and mmcxd MH755 and saved money?

If you like piezo drivers then maybe the lz a6 mini will suit you.

 

[baskingshark]

Sounds very accurate what you are saying.

Although I personally believe no one can be entirely free of bias. Whether it is bias from as you say, only stating the good things to get on the manufacturers good side. Or simply buying it yourself and it sounds crap, but you want to justify your purchase (otherwise it would have been a waste of cash) so you overestimate it.

Edit: This is the kind of bias I was trying to describe.
" Choice-supportive bias or post-purchase rationalization is the tendency to retroactively ascribe positive attributes to an option one has selected and/or to demote the forgone options.[1] It is part of cognitive science, and is a distinct cognitive bias that occurs once a decision is made. For example, if a person chooses option A instead of option B, they are likely to ignore or downplay the faults of option A while amplifying or subscribing new negative faults to option B. Conversely, they are also likely to notice and amplify the advantages of option A and not notice or de-emphasize those of option B. "

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choice-supportive_bias

Haha what you described in a nutshell is "buyers' remorse". I agree with @IEMusic , best to follow a few reviewers or headfiers that tend to have the same preferences as you in music and sound signature. It would also be good to get a consensus of all the reviews and take the average of the most stellar review to the worst review and the IEM probably lies somewhere in the centre, and certain strengths and weaknesses of the same reviewed IEM should be quite consistently seen in most legit reviews.

Just my 2 cents, but it is sometimes difficult to put reference tracks in reviews, headfi is an international site, as such we all listen to different music genres, we are all of different age groups and even listen to different music of different languages. Perhaps someone who has listened to solely EDM all their life will probably not know what to look out for in a classical piece, and vice versa.
I do occasionally listen to non english songs, so I wonder how will that translate to someone who doesn't understand what is being sung. Well perhaps music is universal and certain areas of the music like melody, rhythm and harmony still can be conveyed to non native speakers, regardless of language.

On the same issue of reference tracks, we all use different source files even for the same track, some are using lossless stuff, some Mp3s, some spotify/streaming, some youtube. I know that's a big can of worms, whether 320 mp3 is as good as FLACs, but that's another story for another time. I don't have golden ears, but I do hear quite a subjective difference in details and dynamics and the higher frequencies between 192 mp3 and FLACs. One audiophile friend once told me that youtube also puts a filter at 192 mp3s for their uploads and they also filter out some the higher frequencies, not sure if someone can confirm this.

Source is another thing that may affect an IEM's review, some reviews only use one source for the review. Some multi BA sets with crossovers may sound quite different in the curves with different impedance output, especially if the amp's output impedance is > 1 ohm. Source also can colour the music indirectly, as some ain't neutral, but add warmth or brightness to the music. Some sources also have a subbass roll off for example.

Another thing other than our individual music genres and sound signature preferences, is that we are all at different stages of hearing health (either from noise induced hearing loss due to prolonged exposure in work or hobbies, or due to age related hearing loss). So other than being trebleheads, some have different tolerances to treble even for the same IEM, that may explain the varying opinions.

Listening volumes may also affect the bass/treble frequencies (Fletcher Munson curve). Music sounds more V shaped at higher volumes, while it is more U shaped at softer volumes. I've not seen a lot of reviewers state how loud they are pumping their music, but maybe certain highly sensitive IEMs may be affected by this more than others.

Hi, I am looking to buy TRN BT20s in summer sale and potentialy new IEMs after not buying anything for quite a while

Currently I am mostly using the piezo hybrid that we shouldn't talk about (non pro) and still like it quite a lot (like the bass and details) and I would be totally ok to stay with it if it would be more comfortable worn upside down for use with BT cables... Also have couple of awesome MH755. Other than that I have NiceHCK N3 (like the detail) and EP10 and still use Tennmak Piano with TRN BT10. Various earbuds and few other older KZs and DIY attempts.

I am looking for something that would ideally be usable with TRN BT20 for on the go listening and with ES100 balanced for more quality listening. Ideally MMCX as I have all my cables and current sets with MMCX and all my DIY stuff is MMCX.

I also have no experience with those multi driver hybrids or full ba sets other than couple days with KZ ZS6. Unfortunately most of currently hot hybrid stuff seems to be 2pin and I cannot find much with MMCX. Anything with MMCX that would be worth looking at (listening to)? TRN BA5 looks interesting. Or maybe Blon BL-03?

Is it worth it? Or would I be better off with modded and mmcxd MH755 and saved money?

The BT20S may be quite hissy with highly sensitive IEMs, just a ballpark figure, but some sets with sensitivity > 100 I get a hiss with it eg TFZ No. 3. The hiss is mostly not noticable when music plays, but it can be apparent during soft parts in the music. But otherwise the BT20S is quite good in battery life, connectivity and sound quality, good compromise from a TWS as u can use the existing IEM u have and just connect it on.

What's your budget for your IEM? And you have any preferred sound signatures or preferred music genres?

 

[zenki]

BQEYZ Spring1/2 if you like piezo

 

[kmmbd]

So, I've been using the KBEar Diamond for the past few days, and while I'm late to the party - this one still deserves the full review treatment since I find it V-shape well-done.
The build is substantial and has a density to it that belies the price-tag. The stock cable is also pretty decent but it's a bit tangle-prone.

As for the sound, the sub-bass is more prominent than the mid-bass which at times make the bass sound “detached” from the rest of the sonic landscape. A bit of 2.1 subwoofer effect, if you will. Bass extension is excellent, however. The leaner mid-bass has the added bonus of not bleeding into mids, but then again it does rob male vocals of some fullness and snare hits don’t sound that substantial.

While the lower-mids can sound recessed (making male vocals sound distant), the upper-mids are boosted just enough to bring back some clarity and the necessary pinna-gain, and also add some mid-range presence (esp in terms of female vocals). String instruments are a strong suit of the KBEar Diamond, albeit taking a step back in the overall presentation.

The treble, meanwhile, is there without ever imposing itself. You’ll hear cymbal hits, hi-hats, and triangles etc. but they won’t stand out as much as, say, the Tin T4. This of course helps in avoiding listening fatigue but robs the Diamond of some sparkle up top as well. Soundstage seemed fairly close-in, while imaging was decent, but these are things I'll explore further in the full review.

The unboxing video is linked below for your viewing pleasure:

 

[baskingshark]

So, I've been using the KBEar Diamond for the past few days, and while I'm late to the party - this one still deserves the full review treatment since I find it V-shape well-done.
The build is substantial and has a density to it that belies the price-tag. The stock cable is also pretty decent but it's a bit tangle-prone.

As for the sound, the sub-bass is more prominent than the mid-bass which at times make the bass sound “detached” from the rest of the sonic landscape. A bit of 2.1 subwoofer effect, if you will. Bass extension is excellent, however. The leaner mid-bass has the added bonus of not bleeding into mids, but then again it does rob male vocals of some fullness and snare hits don’t sound that substantial.

While the lower-mids can sound recessed (making male vocals sound distant), the upper-mids are boosted just enough to bring back some clarity and the necessary pinna-gain, and also add some mid-range presence (esp in terms of female vocals). String instruments are a strong suit of the KBEar Diamond, albeit taking a step back in the overall presentation.

The treble, meanwhile, is there without ever imposing itself. You’ll hear cymbal hits, hi-hats, and triangles etc. but they won’t stand out as much as, say, the Tin T4. This of course helps in avoiding listening fatigue but robs the Diamond of some sparkle up top as well. Soundstage seemed fairly close-in, while imaging was decent, but these are things I'll explore further in the full review.

The unboxing video is linked below for your viewing pleasure:

Nice review and vid!

A few of us prefer wider bore tips eg tenmark whirlwinds with the Kbear Diamond. Makes the bass less pronounced and hence gives the mids/treble more space to breathe and more tonally congruent. And it opens the soundstage a tinge with these tips.

 

[Ders Olmaz]

I have a problem with earphone. It's right side play left audio and vice versa. When I swap cable which mark L to right it plays normally. Is there will be any side effect to earphone?

 

[JEHL]

I always wonder why balanced armatures have extremely low impedance to the point where a few mΩ of output impedance can affect how they sound. Which probably necessitates the use of dozens if not hundreds of sources and cables on a single IEM for a review.

Edit: My BL-03 hisses a bit when plugged on my HP pavilion g4 laptop. I wonder if source is very noisy.

 

[IEManiac]

I always wonder why balanced armatures have extremely low impedance to the point where a few mΩ of output impedance can affect how they sound. Which probably necessitates the use of dozens if not hundreds of sources and cables on a single IEM for a review.

Edit: My BL-03 hisses a bit when plugged on my HP pavilion g4 laptop. I wonder if source is very noisy.

Output impedance of mΩ affecting sound? Not unless the transducer is in the low single digits impedance. Ohm's Law is your friend.

It's your laptop. BL-03 is not that sensitive.

 

[JEHL]

Output impedance of mΩ affecting sound? Not unless the transducer is in the low single digits impedance. Ohm's Law is your friend.

It's your laptop. BL-03 is not that sensitive.

Well I found this after some digging on this site:

If anyone ever wondered how Andromeda's reaction to several output impedances looks/sounds like:

The yellow line shows a 0 ohm source, so there's no sound chance, hence it's a straight line. The lines below show 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64 ohm outputs. I think it's not a secret, that Andromeda will sound brighter on high z sources, but nevertheless nice to see different outputs in comparison.
If you like the "original" uncolored sound I'd recommend sources below 0.5 ohm. 0.5 ohm is the exact value the variation of the frequency response will be as high as 1dB compared to a 0 Ohm output.

The reason is Andromeda's impedance which alternates between extremely low and relatively high values:


As you can see the impedance looks pretty much the same as the frequency variations shown in the plot above.
The reason why the impedance is like this is because of the driver selection and crossover design.

Campfire Audio Andromeda seem to be the most infamous IEMs when one demonstrates the effect of output impedance and Andromeda themselves are a 5BA IEMs (last time I checked anyway). I do wonder if this is an issue for multi driver equipment in general which there's no shortage of in the sub $100 bracket either.

Thankfully it looks like as you said the effect mΩ should probably be too subtle for a human ear. It still looks severe enough to the point where it's considered very output impedance dependant, which probably throws yet another wrench into the delicate yet subjective task of reviewing audio equipment, well mostly multi driver sets like these.

Edit: Figured it's my laptop, but thanks for confirmation.

Edit 2: Wonder how expensive is to reach the .5Ω target output impedance that OP recommends to not color the the Andromeda in this case.

Does this mean .5Ω output is a safe recommendation if one does not want to color the signature of a multi driver IEM?

 

[IEManiac]

Well I found this after some digging on this site:


Campfire Audio Andromeda seem to be the most infamous IEMs when one demonstrates the effect of output impedance and Andromeda themselves are a 5BA IEMs (last time I checked anyway). I do wonder if this is an issue for multi driver equipment in general which there's no shortage of in the sub $100 bracket either.

Thankfully it looks like as you said the effect mΩ should probably be too subtle for a human ear. It still looks severe enough to the point where it's considered very output impedance dependant, which probably throws yet another wrench into the delicate yet subjective task of reviewing audio equipment, well mostly multi driver sets like these.

A few points:

• A source output impedance over 2 ohm means that the thing is not well designed. An output of impedance of 64 ohm and the thing is essentially broken. For reference, the output impedance of a $150 Topping NX4 DSD is 0.9 Ohm (measured).
• A rule of thumb is a 8x multiplier. So 8 x 0.9 Ohm equals 7.2 Ohm. Anything above that is fine to use with the Topping. Obviously the Andromeda is not.
• The Andromeda impedance plot shows a peak in the treble region and a valley in the bass. This means that treble will be boosted relative to the bass.
• That's the Andromeda. Does it mean all BA IEMs have the same type of impedance plot? Probably not.
• Shame on Campfire for designing something with a 3.5 Ohm impedance in certain places.

Check the measurement database at ASR.

 

[baskingshark]

Well I found this after some digging on this site:


Campfire Audio Andromeda seem to be the most infamous IEMs when one demonstrates the effect of output impedance and Andromeda themselves are a 5BA IEMs (last time I checked anyway). I do wonder if this is an issue for multi driver equipment in general which there's no shortage of in the sub $100 bracket either.

Thankfully it looks like as you said the effect mΩ should probably be too subtle for a human ear. It still looks severe enough to the point where it's considered very output impedance dependant, which probably throws yet another wrench into the delicate yet subjective task of reviewing audio equipment, well mostly multi driver sets like these.

I think this is true to some extent actually, it is one of the points I brought up in a previous post here that the source used for reviewers may be important for some pure multi BA setups. Not only in this impedance issue, but some sources for example colour the music by being brighter or warmer. Some sources have a subbass roll off, etc.

My multi BA sets like Audiosense T800 (8BA) and Hisenior B5+ (5BA) are very picky with sources to sound good. Ideally something with <1 ohm output impedance (even better to be as close to 0 as possible) makes these 2 sound good. They sound pretty meh with other sources. It seems to not affect a few of my other multi BA sets like the Westones as much, not sure if it is a crossover or implementation issue, I'm not an expert.

So, I do appreciate reviews I read which use the same source I have, or at least use multiple sources to get a fairer gauge of an IEM's capabilities.

 

[Useless]

What do you think about iBasso IT01 vs Shure SE-215?