[Nimweth]

In which way was your charitable donation disappointing....

1: you saw the person doing the local sorting for the charity wearing them.

2: you saw the CEO of the charity wearing them.

3: you recieved a letter from a third world country

"Please forget the donkey, well and seeds for planting. I need a Tidal subscription, DAP, 6N OCC 8 core cable and some better tips?"

Ha ha, yes that was a bit ambiguous. I was happy to donate but the Chu was disappointing!

 

[AmericanSpirit]

Dude I feel 100% the same about the Chu. I bought them thinking I was going to hear the next great Moondrop tuning effort only to be completely let down. I suppose it is genre specific. Hope you are doing well man.

Chu is eastern profile tuning, meanwhile Lea is western profile tuning. I’ve posted a review on Amazon walking though Chu , Lea, 7Hz Salnotes Zero and here is an quote from that:

Tripowin Lea ($20) VS Moondrop Chu ($20):

It’s hard to pull whether Chu or Lea is better, Chu’s note is thinner, Lea is thicker. But Chu’s cable is not swappable, while Lea left a choice for users. I’d pick Lea over Chu for rock/billboard hit chats, and Chu for J-pop/classical over Lea.

Moondrop Chu($20) vs 7Hz Salnotes Zero ($19)

Both are tuned to neutral and natural approach, Chu has slightly thinner and impactful basa, a tad more energetic thus averted from pure natural, which bring Chu slightly detail oriented all-rounder, especially great for J-Pop/K-Pop. 7Hz Zero is pure natural, it serves a perfect studio in-ear monitor /reference. Great for all music genre, and 95% of people would find Zero to be their best sounding IEM ever tried. This is my honest opinion from my 20 years of experience in audio world. 7Hz Salnotes Zero is Sennheiser’s HD600/HD560S in an IEM form.

7Hz Salnotes Zero ($19) vs Tripowin Lea($20)

7Hz Zero has more natural and neutral note touch, which suites perfectly for all-genre but especially great for strings / jazz ensemble. Lea on the other hand would perfectly fit Rock/Pops, male vocals where you find in need for lower range of mid range and higher bass floor and warmer/richer note touch

Then now, Kiwi came out single LCP with nicely made shell for $35, Cadenza, and TinHifi came out with single LCP, C2 for $29. New challengers here.

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

Thoughts on budget DAPs? Thinking of picking up the xduoo x2s and wondering if there's something better out around that price now.

What is your price range? if sub-100$, the choice are less interesting than 3 years ago...i rant a bit about Zishan Z4, but at crazy low price right now its hard not to suggest it still...if you can deal with clumsy UI the sound is clean, smoothly analytical, pair well with bassy IEM but not with too lean one since dynamic lack a bit of punch for my taste. yet, bal out is about 600mw i think and their plenty of features...so for 80$ right now its a steal imo.
Ziku X10 is about 54$, i like the sound of X9 and think X10 is surely as good.
Used market might be best solution for proper deal.
right now, Hiby R3pro can be found around 150$ new on ALi x too...
for dongle, Mondrop Dawn 4.4 is incredible. if you dont need high power, Jcally JM20 is still legit no brainer deal too.

 

[bantn]

What is your price range? if sub-100$, the choice are less interesting than 3 years ago...i rant a bit about Zishan Z4, but at crazy low price right now its hard not to suggest it still...if you can deal with clumsy UI the sound is clean, smoothly analytical, pair well with bassy IEM but not with too lean one since dynamic lack a bit of punch for my taste. yet, bal out is about 600mw i think and their plenty of features...so for 80$ right now its a steal imo.
Ziku X10 is about 54$, i like the sound of X9 and think X10 is surely as good.
Used market might be best solution for proper deal.
right now, Hiby R3pro can be found around 150$ new on ALi x too...
for dongle, Mondrop Dawn 4.4 is incredible. if you dont need high power, Jcally JM20 is still legit no brainer deal too.

Yeah, I was looking for $100-120ish max. So you would recommend Zishan Z4 the most at that price?

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

Yeah, I was looking for $100-120ish max. So you would recommend Zishan Z4 the most at that price?

for new DAP yes.
for used one ill still think nothing can beat the Ibasso DX90 for 125$ used
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1239881330...aBYyMXIq4S3yUjmX9rTnMyyfdL|tkp:Bk9SR870_u6XYQ

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

Legit Comparison of

PENON SERIAL VS UNIQUE MELODY 3DT

Let's say that the 3DT follow the opposite musical balance than Serial by focusing more on instrument texture presence and definition than their body and note weight. The result is brighter tonality with less boosted bass and more upper mids and pina gain boost. The resolution is sharper, texure is more detailed but the sub bass is more roll off too, timbre is thinner dryer and overall presentation less wide open and more about center stage compression.

Serial is bassier, warmer, lusher and more natural, it's smoother less prompt to sibilance and timbral imbalance too.I did praise the bass of 3DT, but its very different, its cleaner and better separated, mid bass is faster and kick drum better restitute yet bass line are harder to follow, less vibrant and bodied and more about begining of attack for acoustic bass as an example, you will hear better the slapping texture and articulation yet not the extension of it which will get fastly low in amplitude while with Serial it will open in lush resonance, for rumble lover the Serial is notably more enjoyable, sens of weight and dynamic in whole spectrum is better too.

Mids are less recessed with the Serial, apart upper mids which are more fowarded with the 3DT. Vocal sound less wide open and well layered with 3DT, timbre isn't very appealing and in fact you tend to get distracted by the very generous amount of details. Piano presence is better carved in definition, texture of note is richer yet the weight is lacking and sometime higher pitch go trebly, so, higher note will feel more dynamic while lower mids and mids note more distant, making the listen a bit uneven even if strangely captivating.

Treble is very different, way brighter, more brilliant and generous in micro details, more snappy and perhaps faster, more extended too but to the cost of a more V shape imbalance too where percussions will tend to stole the show of every other instrument in jazz track for example, as well, 3DT extract more background noise artefact and texture grain that perhaps aren't beneficial for musicality. Nonetheless, whoe know what will happen if we exchange this very treble DD with the darker one of Serial, perhaps a miracle! I love 3DT treble but don't find it well balance enough due to mid range recession.
Spatiality is wider and taller with the Serial, just a hint deeper and cleaner with the 3DT, yet, even if space between instrument isn't the cleanest with Serial its wider to. 3DT feel a bit compressed and intimate in stage, lacking in stereo openess, your a bit stock in ''tunnel vision'' which doesn't create long term laid back immersivity like the Serial.

All in all, those 2 are great but very different in tonal balance, dynamic heft and timbre. I think it wort having both even if their no doubt i prefer Serial for its lusher fuller musicality and notably more appealing vocal. 3DT are for those allergic to warm, dark or bassy soundsignature and in that sens, they are great. Technicaly speaking, 3DT is a notch superior, both in attack speed and resolution, yet tonal balance it's his achiles heel.

 

[lushmelody]

Chu is eastern profile tuning, meanwhile Lea is western profile tuning. I’ve posted a review on Amazon walking though Chu , Lea, 7Hz Salnotes Zero and here is an quote from that:

Tripowin Lea ($20) VS Moondrop Chu ($20):

It’s hard to pull whether Chu or Lea is better, Chu’s note is thinner, Lea is thicker. But Chu’s cable is not swappable, while Lea left a choice for users. I’d pick Lea over Chu for rock/billboard hit chats, and Chu for J-pop/classical over Lea.

Moondrop Chu($20) vs 7Hz Salnotes Zero ($19)

Both are tuned to neutral and natural approach, Chu has slightly thinner and impactful basa, a tad more energetic thus averted from pure natural, which bring Chu slightly detail oriented all-rounder, especially great for J-Pop/K-Pop. 7Hz Zero is pure natural, it serves a perfect studio in-ear monitor /reference. Great for all music genre, and 95% of people would find Zero to be their best sounding IEM ever tried. This is my honest opinion from my 20 years of experience in audio world. 7Hz Salnotes Zero is Sennheiser’s HD600/HD560S in an IEM form.

7Hz Salnotes Zero ($19) vs Tripowin Lea($20)

7Hz Zero has more natural and neutral note touch, which suites perfectly for all-genre but especially great for strings / jazz ensemble. Lea on the other hand would perfectly fit Rock/Pops, male vocals where you find in need for lower range of mid range and higher bass floor and warmer/richer note touch

Then now, Kiwi came out single LCP with nicely made shell for $35, Cadenza, and TinHifi came out with single LCP, C2 for $29. New challengers here.

HBB noted the Cadenza driver is technically superior to 7hz Zero. Is it competitive to more expensive single DDs then? If this is confirmed, its getting harder and harder to spend more than $50 for a single DD

 

[Lobarkaine]

Yeah, I was looking for $100-120ish max. So you would recommend Zishan Z4 the most at that price?

Xduoo X2S is very little, with good power and open sounding. The Ziku HD-X10 Is biggher and heavier, if you like the option the opam is swappable.
Boot has an hiss without signal, not really annoying but present with low impedance iems

In my radar there are the Activio CT10 a cheaper clone of the Astrell & Kern CT15, support wireless and Wi-Fi, the Hidiz AP80 Pro with dual ESS9218P dacs, wireless, support USB DAC.
Zishan Z4 with dual ES9038Q2M, bluetooth, car digital and balanced output is the other good option.
All three are in the same price range.

 

[bantn]

Xduoo X2S is very little, with good power and open sounding. The Ziku HD-X10 Is biggher and heavier, if you like the option the opam is swappable.
Boot has an hiss without signal, not really annoying but present with low impedance iems

In my radar there are the Activio CT10 a cheaper clone of the Astrell & Kern CT15, support wireless and Wi-Fi, the Hidiz AP80 Pro with dual ESS9218P dacs, wireless, support USB DAC.
Zishan Z4 with dual ES9038Q2M, bluetooth, car digital and balanced output is the other good option.
All there are in the same price range.

Thanks for the list of recommendations. I'll look over and choose between them.

 

[bantn]

Xduoo X2S is very little, with good power and open sounding. The Ziku HD-X10 Is biggher and heavier, if you like the option the opam is swappable.
Boot has an hiss without signal, not really annoying but present with low impedance iems

In my radar there are the Activio CT10 a cheaper clone of the Astrell & Kern CT15, support wireless and Wi-Fi, the Hidiz AP80 Pro with dual ESS9218P dacs, wireless, support USB DAC.
Zishan Z4 with dual ES9038Q2M, bluetooth, car digital and balanced output is the other good option.
All three are in the same price range.

Quick question about X2S. Watching older review vids, a lot of people said album sorting is alphabetical and not by track list. Can you confirm if that is still the case? If so, I might just splurge extra and go with Z4 or Activo CT10.

 

[Lobarkaine]

Quick question about X2S. Watching older review vids, a lot of people said album sorting is alphabetical and not by track list. Can you confirm if that is still the case? If so, I might just splurge extra and go with Z4 or Activo CT10.

Sorry I use always alphabetical order so I don't know if it works by tracks order.

Any way Z4 or CT10 are shurely higher level DAP.

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

HBB noted the Cadenza driver is technically superior to 7hz Zero. Is it competitive to more expensive single DDs then? If this is confirmed, its getting harder and harder to spend more than $50 for a single DD

hum, you caught my interest since their nothing more confusing that reviewers ''technical performance'' appreciation....have yu try HZsound Mirror (not the pro)? these are benchmark of technical champ. you need to go 200$ to beat them, with something like Sonic Memory SM2 or Aune Jasper. HZM beat Moondrop Kato quite easily imo

Moondrop Aria are still legit, yet, tonality isnt the most musical and vocal-mids are thin.
in sub-50$ price range, their very few great single DD imo. i mean, CCA CRA+ is great, but technicaly just above average, Tangzu Waner are excellent, but again, technicaly average...a great single DD undr 100$ is Acoustune RS1, but tonaly its a bit hit or miss. As well, since Tinhifi Panda can be find under 100$, it kinda change technical value game imo even if im not personaly afound of its tonality...the new Tinhifi C2 might be a game changer, will see.

anyway, if you get Cadenza i will be very curious to read your impressions mate!

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

My review of the supremely addictive Penon Serial is up here on headfi: https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/penon-serial.25604/reviews#review-29662
we need more triple DD earphones!! i love UM 3DT but prefr fuller lusher more balanced-warm-bassy tonality of Serial. Safer bet imo, unless Treble head.

 

[SuperMAG]

Haven't been following the thread so what's the best sounding headphones under 55$ right now or under 30

What I currently have is LZ A4, Smabat M2s pro, yincow x6, emx500, Few vidos.

I want to know if currently budget king headphones can be an upgrade on my Lz A4.

Already bought fiio ff3 earbuds (more comfortable) for 61$ this sale.

Btw I like huge thick sounding with big bass, wide and deep soundstage and ultra clear trible with exceptional seperation and 3d ness.

 

[Carpet]

Haven't been following the thread so what's the best sounding headphones under 55$ right now or under 30

What I currently have is LZ A4, Smabat M2s pro, yincow x6, emx500, Few vidos.

I want to know if currently budget king headphones can be an upgrade on my Lz A4.

Already bought fiio ff3 earbuds (more comfortable) for 61$ this sale.

Btw I like huge thick sounding with big bass, wide and deep soundstage and ultra clear trible with exceptional seperation and 3d ness.

Audiosense AQ0 is still 61% off which puts it under $55. But not for much longer!