[Holypal]

  Just ordered the Magaosi K3 Pro's at Penon Audio.
Was about to pull the trigger on the LZ-A4 but was kinda offended by the Mitsubishi Turbo shape.
K3 vs LZ-A4 reviews are not wildly spread on the net, but the things I read is that the K3 isn't a slouch compared to the A4.
Correct me if I am wrong.

 
 
I also worried about the comfort of LZ-A4, by judging the look.But maybe it's all OK. If the the comfort is good and sound is so amazing, I may get A4. I prefer straight down fit than over ear.

 

[TT600R]

 
No and as a matter a fact @TwinACStacks prefers the K3 to the A4

He actually pulled me over  

 

[Podster]

 
He actually pulled me over  

He does have a way with doing that, if you keep following him you'll need to guard that wallet

 
 
Like what I'm hearing you say on the T-2 Loomis

 

[Skullophile]

 
I placed an order for the X5 on 09-FEB-17, and they were delivered here in Houston, TX on 22-FEB-17.  I think I selected ePacket shipping.  They, and the Mantis C7, passed though Chicago, IL, on their way from China to Texas... 

Hey you guys should use this thread to discuss Ali shipping, it makes for a cleaner chi-fi discussion on this thread.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/805466/ae-shipping-discussion-thread/30#post_12890640

 

[Lurk650]

He actually pulled me over  

Yeah they are on similar levels, just remember that Twin reviewed the first edition of the K3 not the Pros which supposedly add warmth. I too have the originals and I still prefer the A4 bc it's a smoother sound but if I didn't have the A4 the K3 would be my go to.

 

[bhazard]

I've come to the conclusion that if you have the budget, own both the A4 and K3. They have both dominated my daily listening for months with no real desire to try anything else. They really are the sweet spot in price/performance that cheaper sets can't match, and more expensive ones only improve on marginally.

 

[JacKallen]

I've come to the conclusion that if you have the budget, own both the A4 and K3. They have both dominated my daily listening for months with no real desire to try anything else. They really are the sweet spot in price/performance that cheaper sets can't match, and more expensive ones only improve on marginally.

I don't understand this way of thinking of just getting every low budget Chinese IEM you can find. Instead of buying many earphones with a combined value of $800 (or $400 or $1000), why not restrict yourself to one or maybe two really high performing earphones? 
I can understand if there is a huge difference in the sound signature, and your music library is very diverse, that you want maybe two different earphones with different tonalities. In this case, I could rationalize having two earphones, but still, in my opinion it makes more sense to buy only one or two earphones, but then get the best ones your budget allows. Unless you have money enough to buy everything on the market. 

 

[crabdog]

  I don't understand this way of thinking of just getting every low budget Chinese IEM you can find. Instead of buying many earphones with a combined value of $800 (or $400 or $1000), why not restrict yourself to one or maybe two really high performing earphones? 
I can understand if there is a huge difference in the sound signature, and your music library is very diverse, that you want maybe two different earphones with different tonalities. In this case, I could rationalize having two earphones, but still, in my opinion it makes more sense to buy only one or two earphones, but then get the best ones your budget allows. Unless you have money enough to buy everything on the market. 

Because it's fun? 

 

[rubick]

  I don't understand this way of thinking of just getting every low budget Chinese IEM you can find. Instead of buying many earphones with a combined value of $800 (or $400 or $1000), why not restrict yourself to one or maybe two really high performing earphones? 
I can understand if there is a huge difference in the sound signature, and your music library is very diverse, that you want maybe two different earphones with different tonalities. In this case, I could rationalize having two earphones, but still, in my opinion it makes more sense to buy only one or two earphones, but then get the best ones your budget allows. Unless you have money enough to buy everything on the market. 

It is easy to pay top bucks to get great performing earphones.
but getting a low budget earphones that can perform greatly is more thrilling.
and the portable market recently is getting more and more insane with their pricing.
who knows one day we might hit a jackpot with low budget earphone that can perform closely to the top bucks one.

 

[misteral201103]

   
 
I also worried about the comfort of LZ-A4, by judging the look.But maybe it's all OK. If the the comfort is good and sound is so amazing, I may get A4. I prefer straight down fit than over ear.

 
I find them very comfortable (I wear them down, JVC Spiral Dot tips) Haven't had any issues with ergonomics at all. However, we all have different size and shape ears, so very clearly YMMV!

 

[alvinlim2010]

It is easy to pay top bucks to get great performing earphones.
but getting a low budget earphones that can perform greatly is more thrilling.
and the portable market recently is getting more and more insane with their pricing.
who knows one day we might hit a jackpot with low budget earphone that can perform closely to the top bucks one.

 


I do agree with both schools of thought. It is rather similar to watch collecting; where for me as a budding collector, will find some good and cheap pieces e.g. Seiko, Timex, and slowly move up the ranks (and usually correspondingly, price). Once you amass a growing collection, some people will keep their collection and have it grow even more, and some may trim their collection to a few key watches, to differing extents.

In my own earphone journey, I am also reaching a point that I have quite a diverse collection (not to the point of TOTL, in the high $XXX and to $XXXX range), and I feel my A4s, with a couple more earphones, are hitting the sweet spot. I would admit not listening much to my KZ IEMs as much as before, despite them being really good bang for the buck earphones. Whether I will start to trim my collection to a select few IEMs, is still an unknown though!

 

[rubick]

 

  It is easy to pay top bucks to get great performing earphones.
but getting a low budget earphones that can perform greatly is more thrilling.
and the portable market recently is getting more and more insane with their pricing.
who knows one day we might hit a jackpot with low budget earphone that can perform closely to the top bucks one.

 


I do agree with both schools of thought. It is rather similar to watch collecting; where for me as a budding collector, will find some good and cheap pieces e.g. Seiko, Timex, and slowly move up the ranks (and usually correspondingly, price). Once you amass a growing collection, some people will keep their collection and have it grow even more, and some may trim their collection to a few key watches, to differing extents.

In my own earphone journey, I am also reaching a point that I have quite a diverse collection (not to the point of TOTL, in the high $XXX and to $XXXX range), and I feel my A4s, with a couple more earphones, are hitting the sweet spot. I would admit not listening much to my KZ IEMs as much as before, despite them being really good bang for the buck earphones. Whether I will start to trim my collection to a select few IEMs, is still an unknown though!

 
I have been coming from TOTL earphone. and now without chasing for TOTL, Specs wise. I feel that I am enjoying my music more.
In the past, it has always been the case, chasing the "newer" and "better" one.
Now I have come to the point to learn to appreciate each and every one of them.

 

[LaughMoreDaily]

  I don't understand this way of thinking of just getting every low budget Chinese IEM you can find. Instead of buying many earphones with a combined value of $800 (or $400 or $1000), why not restrict yourself to one or maybe two really high performing earphones? 
I can understand if there is a huge difference in the sound signature, and your music library is very diverse, that you want maybe two different earphones with different tonalities. In this case, I could rationalize having two earphones, but still, in my opinion, it makes more sense to buy only one or two earphones, but then get the best ones your budget allows. Unless you have money enough to buy everything on the market. 

I'm one of those people on this website who has bought probably thirty pairs of headphones and still continues to purchase more despite the best efforts of other members telling me to stop.
 
A disease is one of the reasons to continue purchasing more and also being a curious person... as I still haven't received most of my earbuds yet, it's easy just to keep ordering more until I finally do.
 
I think the fact that anyone can pop down $15 at a time to buy earbuds, even if they end up buying one-hundred pairs over a couple of years. Yes, it was a bad business decision and a waste of money, but it's too easy to do. I would have never bought thirty pairs of headphones in my life if I got them from a store. But uploading my credit information to Ali and clicking the button that says Buy is just too easy, and they made it this way for a reason, so people end up buying things they don't need or want. I've bought thirty pairs so far... I don't even know if it's a waste of money because it takes 1-2 months to get them in the mail. By that time, I'll have ordered another ten or twenty earbuds... when I finally get the realization and the credit card statement showing how much money I wasted. The realization will start setting in.
 
Sometimes it's hard to rationalize an expensive purchase unless everyone is on board of how amazing they are. The Red Demun's from Indonesia are starting to gain popularity. They are looking to hold actual great value for someone wanting to buy TOTL earbuds, but it's going to cost a Canadian like me about $100.00 to buy them. Even though it's probably a better business decision to buy them, there is a high chance of being robbed while listening to them in a public place.
 
I think my goal in life right here, right now, is to help find people a fantastic ear bud choice, even if I go bankrupt doing it. I want to find a pair people will enjoy, and that may look simple, so they don't lose their life while being robbed because a potential person/criminal sees they have a superiorly high value they can't afford, so they rob you. I can tell you right now, things like the Monk+ Espresso's, I won't be wearing them in some cities near me because of this reason.

 

[alvinlim2010]

 
I have been coming from TOTL earphone. and now without chasing for TOTL, Specs wise. I feel that I am enjoying my music more.
In the past, it has always been the case, chasing the "newer" and "better" one.
Now I have come to the point to learn to appreciate each and every one of them.

 


I think there is always this cycle that we will go through; may it be starting from the top, and appreciating the better bang-for-buck earphones, or like me, start from the lower-tier, going up, and now to see how to maintain my collection.

It is hard to evaluate whether e.g. 10 earphones of $20 each is less/more value than one $200 earphone. Still boils down to personal preference.

 

[rubick]

 

   
I have been coming from TOTL earphone. and now without chasing for TOTL, Specs wise. I feel that I am enjoying my music more.
In the past, it has always been the case, chasing the "newer" and "better" one.
Now I have come to the point to learn to appreciate each and every one of them.

 


I think there is always this cycle that we will go through; may it be starting from the top, and appreciating the better bang-for-buck earphones, or like me, start from the lower-tier, going up, and now to see how to maintain my collection.

It is hard to evaluate whether e.g. 10 earphones of $20 each is less/more value than one $200 earphone. Still boils down to personal preference.

 
I started from the bottom many years back. Then slowly went up the chain to the TOTL. 
But in recent 2-3 years, the price of the earphone market for TOTL is getting higher and higher.
So I decided to stop with the chasing of TOTL and went on to find the bang for bucks earphone.
 
I agree with you. I will take a $20 earphone that is my signature preference over a $1000 earphone that is not my signature preference.
Personal preference still plays the bigger part in this hobby.