[mbwilson111]

It's not 5xs better, I can tell you that right now. In GENERAL, the more the price goes up the SMALLER the differences.

That's why I own dozens of KZs in my collection. They offer amazing value and put out very good sound.

Think of it this way - you mentioned that you are rough on IEMs. Well, you can get 6-8 really nice IEMs for what ONE $100 magaosi k3 pro or pioneer ch9 costs - and they would last you the next 10 years.

Also, you can learn a lot starting out with the lower budget stuff, because you can afford to get quantity (in other words, a larger sample size). What you like, what you don't, you'll learn to describe different sound signatures and the nuances between them because you physically have more to hear, play around with, learn from, listen to.

If it was me, I would get a handful of cheaper IEMs, even if they didn't have removable cables. If an IEM lasts you a year before the cable finally breaks, or if it gets lost at school, or someone steals it, or your family pet chews it up, who cares if you only spent $9 on it. See what I mean?

I would be willing to bet that you would be more than pleased getting most if not ALL of the following IEMs for example:

Urbanfun HiFi hybrid $20
Einsear T2 $10
KZ ZS5 $18
KZ ED9 $8
KZ HDS3 $5
KZ EDR1 or EDR2 $5
BossHiFi B3 $25
E-MI CI880 $15

Here you have a sampling of some of the best budget IEMs with slightly different sound signatures, differences in soundstage, clarity, detail, etc. None of the IEMs in that list are "perfect" or "the best", because no one can tell you what you will like but YOU. But more importantly, none of the IEMs in that list are terrible - they are ALL good in their own way. Are all the great $100+ IEMs people are recommending to you technically "better" than those in the above list? Yeah, but will YOU like them? Will it LAST? Will it FIT well? Will it sound good with YOUR music source? Will it sound good with YOUR music genre preferences?

You also get an assortment of tips with all of those IEMs, which you can use to swap around onto each other to see how the sound changes (called "tip rolling"). You get a removable cable model (ZS5), which gives you the option to get a silver plated upgrade cable ($5) or bluetooth cable ($9) later on. And in the case of the ED9 you have 2 tuning filters which is like getting 2 IEMs in 1. You can even pick up a pack of foam tips on Aliexpress for $1, and be able to try foams as well (which make many of those IEMs sound even better than the tips they come with).

All of that for about what many of these $100 suggestions cost.

The point is that as you've seen you have 30 different opinions of what you should get from 25 different people. But the only one that really matters is what YOU like. Maybe you LIKE a u-shaped sound. Or maybe you like a v-shaped sound instead. Maybe you don't like neutral because what you think is neutral really isn't neutral. Maybe you don't are for a cold analytic IEM, and instead figure out that you prefer warm or energetic or smooth.

But by limiting yourself to ONE iem is like tying your hands behind your back. What if you don't like it? What if you could have got something else that sounds better or has a signature style you would have liked more? What if something that fits one person's ears doesn't fit yours well at all? What if these people telling you to get this or that is because theirs have different tips and possibly different cables, and you'll never know that. It could also be that they have a DAP with a headphone amp, and listen to FLAC files, but you will be listening to MP3 on an iPhone. You'll never know the answer to any of these questions because you'd only have a sample size of ONE.

This is why most of the people on this site have multiple IEMs.

Everything would be much less complicated if there was a local shop where you could try different phones out. But since you said nothing like that exists in Bangladesh, you have to decide if you want to put all of your eggs in ONE basket, or put MANY eggs in your basket.

I'm not saying the approach I laid out above is any "better" than just sinking all of your money into one single $100 IEM. Surely some HF members will disagree with me and that's their opinion. But I am hoping that I at least provide you some food for thought, so you can figure out what's best for YOU.

Remember, it doesn't work on a linear scale. A $100 IEM isn't "10xs better" than a $10 one. A $20 IEM isn't "5 times worse than a $100 IEM". That's not the reality of this hobby.

Can I give you 50 likes for this?

 

[Slater]

Cool, so Magaosi-K3-Pro is more v shaped?

No, it's more u-shaped than v-shaped. I know because they are in my ears as I type this haha

 

[Slater]

Is this closer to the correct price??
..

That's LIST price. Don't be a chump and pay list price LOL. You can find it cheaper if you dig around.

I just paid $59 shipped form Amazon a few weeks ago. For brand new factory sealed one. From a Pioneer-authorized dealer:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/pionneer-se-ch9t-premium-in-ear-headphones.857460/#post-13664539

If you find it's a little out of your budget, for basically the same sound at a much lower price, you may want to consider the Pioneer SE-CH5T instead. They are VERY CLOSE in sound (not identical, but it was very hard for me to tell the difference when I blindly put on each). The CH5T has a fixed cable instead of removable MMCX cable. So you can save a big chunk of change by going with the CH5T and getting an extremely similar version of the CH9T.

 

[Octave0]

Well, these are my first impressions and I'm liking the ES3 a lot so far. I've never owned a $10 IEM that sounds this good...well I actually paid less than $10
PS: This is my own personal experience with the KZ ES3 therefore YMMV.

Great writeup my friend, I really been enjoying mine listening to them for a few hours everyday getting used to the sound signature of these & liking it.

7.) My only complaint is that the ES3 is not as comfortable as the ZST and ZS5 but not unbearable.

I agree I wish they was a little more comfortable to wear for longer periods.

 

[Fox2twenty]

That's LIST price. Don't be a chump and pay list price LOL. You can find it cheaper if you dig around.

I just paid $59 shipped form Amazon a few weeks ago. For brand new factory sealed one. From a Pioneer-authorized dealer:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/pionneer-se-ch9t-premium-in-ear-headphones.857460/#post-13664539

If you find it's a little out of your budget, for basically the same sound at a much lower price, you may want to consider the Pioneer SE-CH5T instead. They are VERY CLOSE in sound (not identical, but it was very hard for me to tell the difference when I blindly put on each). The CH5T has a fixed cable instead of removable MMCX cable. So you can save a big chunk of change by going with the CH5T and getting an extremely similar version of the CH9T.

Awesome advice

 

[BunchOfAtoms]

It's not 5xs better, I can tell you that right now. In GENERAL, the more the price goes up the SMALLER the differences.

That's why I own dozens of KZs in my collection. They offer amazing value and put out very good sound.

Think of it this way - you mentioned that you are rough on IEMs. Well, you can get 6-8 really nice IEMs for what ONE $100 magaosi k3 pro or pioneer ch9 costs - and they would last you the next 10 years.

Also, you can learn a lot starting out with the lower budget stuff, because you can afford to get quantity (in other words, a larger sample size). What you like, what you don't, you'll learn to describe different sound signatures and the nuances between them because you physically have more to hear, play around with, learn from, listen to.

If it was me, I would get a handful of cheaper IEMs, even if they didn't have removable cables. If an IEM lasts you a year before the cable finally breaks, or if it gets lost at school, or someone steals it, or your family pet chews it up, who cares if you only spent $9 on it. See what I mean?

I would be willing to bet that you would be more than pleased getting most if not ALL of the following IEMs for example:

Urbanfun HiFi hybrid $20
Einsear T2 $10
KZ ZS5 $18
KZ ED9 $8
KZ HDS3 $5
KZ EDR1 or EDR2 $5
BossHiFi B3 $25
E-MI CI880 $15

Here you have a sampling of some of the best budget IEMs with slightly different sound signatures, differences in soundstage, clarity, detail, etc. None of the IEMs in that list are "perfect" or "the best", because no one can tell you what you will like but YOU. But more importantly, none of the IEMs in that list are terrible - they are ALL good in their own way. Are all the great $100+ IEMs people are recommending to you technically "better" than those in the above list? Yeah, but will YOU like them? Will it LAST? Will it FIT well? Will it sound good with YOUR music source? Will it sound good with YOUR music genre preferences?

You also get an assortment of tips with all of those IEMs, which you can use to swap around onto each other to see how the sound changes (called "tip rolling"). You get a removable cable model (ZS5), which gives you the option to get a silver plated upgrade cable ($5) or bluetooth cable ($9) later on. You get some single dynamic drivers, some single hybrids, some multi-driver hybrids. And in the case of the ED9 you have 2 tuning filters which is like getting 2 IEMs in 1. You can even pick up a pack of foam tips on Aliexpress for $1, and be able to try foams as well (which make many of those IEMs sound even better than the tips they come with).

All of that for about what many of these $100 suggestions cost.

The point is that as you've seen you have 30 different opinions of what you should get from 25 different people. But the only one that really matters is what YOU like. Maybe you LIKE a u-shaped sound. Or maybe you like a v-shaped sound instead. Maybe you don't like neutral because what you think is neutral really isn't neutral. Maybe you don't are for a cold analytic IEM, and instead figure out that you prefer warm or energetic or smooth.

But by limiting yourself to ONE iem is like tying your hands behind your back. What if you don't like it? What if you could have got something else that sounds better or has a signature style you would have liked more? What if something that fits one person's ears doesn't fit yours well at all? What if these people telling you to get this or that is because theirs have different tips and possibly different cables, and you'll never know that. It could also be that they have a DAP with a headphone amp, and listen to FLAC files, but you will be listening to MP3 on an iPhone. You'll never know the answer to any of these questions because you'd only have a sample size of ONE.

This is why most of the people on this site have multiple IEMs.

Everything would be much less complicated if there was a local shop where you could try different phones out. But since you said nothing like that exists in Bangladesh, you have to decide if you want to put all of your eggs in ONE basket, or put MANY eggs in your basket.

I'm not saying the approach I laid out above is any "better" than just sinking all of your money into one single $100 IEM. Surely some HF members will disagree with me and that's their opinion. But I am hoping that I at least provide you some food for thought, so you can figure out what's best for YOU.

Remember, it doesn't work on a linear scale. A $100 IEM isn't "10xs better" than a $10 one. A $20 IEM isn't "5 times worse than a $100 IEM". That's not the reality of this hobby.

This post will put your mind at ease. As for your wallet, though...

 

[mochill]

https://m.ebay.com/itm/232484962677?_mwBanner=1

 

[Slater]

https://m.ebay.com/itm/232484962677?_mwBanner=1

Would those stick out of your ears funny? I would imagine there's lots of strain on the cable

 

[mochill]

It is an upgrade to the famous zero audio carbo tenore

 

[bjaardker]

Uii sii cm5? What is the sound Sig like?

I just got my pair this afternoon and been listening for a few hours.

I would say they have a very classic dynamic driver type of feel to them. Initial OOTB impressions. Warmer v-ish shaped sound. Very good bass, slightly recessed mids, not a whole lot of sparkle on the top. Soundstage is average, but the separation is good. I need more time with them for a more detailed review.

 

[djmakemynight]

It's not 5xs better, I can tell you that right now. In GENERAL, the more the price goes up the SMALLER the differences.

That's why I own dozens of KZs in my collection. They offer amazing value and put out very good sound.

Think of it this way - you mentioned that you are rough on IEMs. Well, you can get 6-8 really nice IEMs for what ONE $100 magaosi k3 pro or pioneer ch9 costs - and they would last you the next 10 years.

Also, you can learn a lot starting out with the lower budget stuff, because you can afford to get quantity (in other words, a larger sample size). What you like, what you don't, you'll learn to describe different sound signatures and the nuances between them because you physically have more to hear, play around with, learn from, listen to.

If it was me, I would get a handful of cheaper IEMs, even if they didn't have removable cables. If an IEM lasts you a year before the cable finally breaks, or if it gets lost at school, or someone steals it, or your family pet chews it up, who cares if you only spent $9 on it. See what I mean?

I would be willing to bet that you would be more than pleased buying multiple IEMs on this list (in other words, owning more than 1 if not all of them):

• Urbanfun HiFi hybrid $20
• Einsear T2 $10
• KZ ZS5 $18
• KZ ED9 $8
• KZ HDS3 $5
• KZ EDR1 or EDR2 $5
• BossHiFi B3 $25
• E-MI CI880 $15

Here you have a sampling of some of the best budget IEMs with slightly different sound signatures, differences in soundstage, clarity, detail, musicality, etc.

You also get the following advantages:

1. An assortment of tips with all of those IEMs, which you can use to swap around onto each other to see how the sound changes (called "tip rolling").
2. A model with a removable cable model (ZS5), which also gives you the option to get a silver plated upgrade cable ($5) or bluetooth cable ($9) for even more flexibility.
3. You get some single dynamics, some single hybrids, and some multi-driver hybrids (because 1 type is not heads and shoulders better than another, and there are pros and cons to each).
4. And in the case of the ED9 you have 2 tuning filters which is like getting 2 IEMs in 1.
5. You can even pick up a pack of foam tips on Aliexpress for $1, and be able to try foams as well (which make many of those IEMs sound even better than the tips they come with).

None of the IEMs in that list are "perfect" or "the best", because no one can tell you what you will like but YOU. But more importantly, none of the IEMs in that list are terrible - they are ALL good in their own way. Are all the great $100+ IEMs people are recommending to you technically "better" than those in the above list? Yeah, technically "better", but it's not 5xs or 10xs "better" believe me. The important thing in all of this is will YOU like them? Will it LAST? Will it FIT well? Will it sound good with YOUR music source? Will it sound good with YOUR music genre preferences?

All of that for about what many of these $100 suggestions cost.

The point is that as you've seen you have 30 different opinions of what you should get from 25 different people. But the only one that really matters is what YOU like. Maybe you LIKE a u-shaped sound. Or maybe you like a v-shaped sound instead. Maybe you don't like neutral because what you think is neutral really isn't neutral. Maybe you discover that you don't care for a cold analytic IEM, and instead learn that you prefer warm or energetic or smooth.

You've told us that you are basing what you want on your current headphones - ATH-M50x. Imagine if you had an assortment of 7 or 8 headphones along with your M50s? I would argue that you would have a MUCH clearer idea of what you prefer and don't prefer if you had more headphones to base that preference on.

But by limiting yourself to ONE iem, it's kind of like tying your hands behind your back:

• What if you don't like it the ONE iem you chose?
• How do you know that what BillyBobBBQ or Johnny8599 or TimmyTimTim likes is what you are going to like too? We all hear things a little differently, and I see cases of this all of the time on HF.
• What is you are treble-sensitive and don't even know it because you've never had a bright enough or sharp enough headphone before? Or a very specific frequency that really grates on your nerves?
• What if cable microphonics really bothers you (or doesn't bother you at all), but you failed to mention that or consider that?
• What if you could have got something else that sounds better or has a different sound signature that you would have liked more and not even known it?
• What if something that fits one person's ears doesn't fit yours well at all because yours are different size or shape?
• What if these people telling you to get this or that is because theirs have different tips and possibly different cables, and you'll never know that. It could also be that they have a DAP with a headphone amp, and listen to all of their music as FLAC files, but you listen to everything as MP3 on an iPhone - you'll likely never even hear the minute micro-details they do because the source is different.
• What if they don't even listen to the same musical genre as you? There are headphones with the same basic "sound signature", but vocals on 1 sounds more "natural" and the other some tracks sound "artificial".
• And while we're on the subject of genres, be aware that different genres sound better or worse on some headphones (same goes for movies and gaming). So if you have multiple headphones to choose from, you can use the one that sounds the best for movies for that use, the one that sounds best for gaming for that use, the one that sounds best for your hip-hop and Pop for that, the one that sounds best for classical or opera for that, etc.
• I even have some that I wear out in public and others that I use exclusively at home - example, because 1 isolates better than another, or because 1 looks totally ridiculous in public but fine at home, or is too bulky and difficult to roll up and stick in my pocket when I take it off, or 1 sounds better with my phone as the source (which I'm more likely to use when I'm out and about).

You get the point - which is you'll never know the answer to any of these questions if you only have a sample size of ONE.

This is why most of the people on this site have multiple headphones and/or IEMs.

Everything would be much less complicated if there was a local shop where you could try different phones out. But since you said nothing like that exists in Bangladesh, you have to decide if you want to put all of your eggs in ONE basket, or spread your eggs out between multiple baskets and diversify your listening enjoyment.

I'm not saying the approach I laid out above is any "better" than just sinking all of your money into one single "perfect" IEM. I'm sure that some HF members will disagree with me on this, and that's their opinion. I'm just hoping that I at least provide you some food for thought, so you can figure out what's best for YOU.

Remember, it doesn't work on a linear scale. A $100 IEM isn't "10xs better" than a $10 one. A $20 IEM isn't "5 times worse than a $100 IEM". That's not the reality of this hobby.

Gonna sell my wife this tonight. I need more "hearing aid".

 

[demo-to]

It's not 5xs better, I can tell you that right now. In GENERAL, the more the price goes up the SMALLER the differences.

That's why I own dozens of KZs in my collection. They offer amazing value and put out very good sound.

Think of it this way - you mentioned that you are rough on IEMs. Well, you can get 6-8 really nice IEMs for what ONE $100 magaosi k3 pro or pioneer ch9 costs - and they would last you the next 10 years.

Also, you can learn a lot starting out with the lower budget stuff, because you can afford to get quantity (in other words, a larger sample size). What you like, what you don't, you'll learn to describe different sound signatures and the nuances between them because you physically have more to hear, play around with, learn from, listen to.

If it was me, I would get a handful of cheaper IEMs, even if they didn't have removable cables. If an IEM lasts you a year before the cable finally breaks, or if it gets lost at school, or someone steals it, or your family pet chews it up, who cares if you only spent $9 on it. See what I mean?

I would be willing to bet that you would be more than pleased buying multiple IEMs on this list (in other words, owning more than 1 if not all of them):

• Urbanfun HiFi hybrid $20
• Einsear T2 $10
• KZ ZS5 $18
• KZ ED9 $8
• KZ HDS3 $5
• KZ EDR1 or EDR2 $5
• BossHiFi B3 $25
• E-MI CI880 $15

Here you have a sampling of some of the best budget IEMs with slightly different sound signatures, differences in soundstage, clarity, detail, musicality, etc.

You also get the following advantages:

1. An assortment of tips with all of those IEMs, which you can use to swap around onto each other to see how the sound changes (called "tip rolling").
2. A model with a removable cable model (ZS5), which also gives you the option to get a silver plated upgrade cable ($5) or bluetooth cable ($9) for even more flexibility.
3. You get some single dynamics, some single hybrids, and some multi-driver hybrids (because 1 type is not heads and shoulders better than another, and there are pros and cons to each).
4. And in the case of the ED9 you have 2 tuning filters which is like getting 2 IEMs in 1.
5. You can even pick up a pack of foam tips on Aliexpress for $1, and be able to try foams as well (which make many of those IEMs sound even better than the tips they come with).

None of the IEMs in that list are "perfect" or "the best", because no one can tell you what you will like but YOU. But more importantly, none of the IEMs in that list are terrible - they are ALL good in their own way. Are all the great $100+ IEMs people are recommending to you technically "better" than those in the above list? Yeah, technically "better", but it's not 5xs or 10xs "better" believe me. The important thing in all of this is will YOU like them? Will it LAST? Will it FIT well? Will it sound good with YOUR music source? Will it sound good with YOUR music genre preferences?

All of that for about what many of these $100 suggestions cost.

The point is that as you've seen you have 30 different opinions of what you should get from 25 different people. But the only one that really matters is what YOU like. Maybe you LIKE a u-shaped sound. Or maybe you like a v-shaped sound instead. Maybe you don't like neutral because what you think is neutral really isn't neutral. Maybe you discover that you don't care for a cold analytic IEM, and instead learn that you prefer warm or energetic or smooth.

You've told us that you are basing what you want on your current headphones - ATH-M50x. Imagine if you had an assortment of 7 or 8 headphones along with your M50s? I would argue that you would have a MUCH clearer idea of what you prefer and don't prefer if you had more headphones to base that preference on.

But by limiting yourself to ONE iem, it's kind of like tying your hands behind your back:

• What if you don't like it the ONE iem you chose?
• How do you know that what BillyBobBBQ or Johnny8599 or TimmyTimTim likes is what you are going to like too? We all hear things a little differently, and I see cases of this all of the time on HF.
• What is you are treble-sensitive and don't even know it because you've never had a bright enough or sharp enough headphone before? Or a very specific frequency that really grates on your nerves?
• What if cable microphonics really bothers you (or doesn't bother you at all), but you failed to mention that or consider that?
• What if you could have got something else that sounds better or has a different sound signature that you would have liked more and not even known it?
• What if something that fits one person's ears doesn't fit yours well at all because yours are different size or shape?
• What if these people telling you to get this or that is because theirs have different tips and possibly different cables, and you'll never know that. It could also be that they have a DAP with a headphone amp, and listen to all of their music as FLAC files, but you listen to everything as MP3 on an iPhone - you'll likely never even hear the minute micro-details they do because the source is different.
• What if they don't even listen to the same musical genre as you? There are headphones with the same basic "sound signature", but vocals on 1 sounds more "natural" and the other some tracks sound "artificial".
• And while we're on the subject of genres, be aware that different genres sound better or worse on some headphones (same goes for movies and gaming). So if you have multiple headphones to choose from, you can use the one that sounds the best for movies for that use, the one that sounds best for gaming for that use, the one that sounds best for your hip-hop and Pop for that, the one that sounds best for classical or opera for that, etc.
• I even have some that I wear out in public and others that I use exclusively at home - example, because 1 isolates better than another, or because 1 looks totally ridiculous in public but fine at home, or is too bulky and difficult to roll up and stick in my pocket when I take it off, or 1 sounds better with my phone as the source (which I'm more likely to use when I'm out and about).

You get the point - which is you'll never know the answer to any of these questions if you only have a sample size of ONE.

This is why most of the people on this site have multiple headphones and/or IEMs.

Everything would be much less complicated if there was a local shop where you could try different phones out. But since you said nothing like that exists in Bangladesh, you have to decide if you want to put all of your eggs in ONE basket, or spread your eggs out between multiple baskets and diversify your listening enjoyment.

I'm not saying the approach I laid out above is any "better" than just sinking all of your money into one single "perfect" IEM. I'm sure that some HF members will disagree with me on this, and that's their opinion. I'm just hoping that I at least provide you some food for thought, so you can figure out what's best for YOU.

Remember, it doesn't work on a linear scale. A $100 IEM isn't "10xs better" than a $10 one. A $20 IEM isn't "5 times worse than a $100 IEM". That's not the reality of this hobby.

Seems like you created an introduction guide for anybody new at this hobby.
This covers most of my experiences and learnings the last years, too.
A little more standardized and I already see this paper copied and pasted to any such request. Thx

 

[loomisjohnson]

It's not 5xs better, I can tell you that right now. In GENERAL, the more the price goes up the SMALLER the differences.

That's why I own dozens of KZs in my collection. They offer amazing value and put out very good sound.

Think of it this way - you mentioned that you are rough on IEMs. Well, you can get 6-8 really nice IEMs for what ONE $100 magaosi k3 pro or pioneer ch9 costs - and they would last you the next 10 years.

Also, you can learn a lot starting out with the lower budget stuff, because you can afford to get quantity (in other words, a larger sample size). What you like, what you don't, you'll learn to describe different sound signatures and the nuances between them because you physically have more to hear, play around with, learn from, listen to.

If it was me, I would get a handful of cheaper IEMs, even if they didn't have removable cables. If an IEM lasts you a year before the cable finally breaks, or if it gets lost at school, or someone steals it, or your family pet chews it up, who cares if you only spent $9 on it. See what I mean?

I would be willing to bet that you would be more than pleased buying multiple IEMs on this list (in other words, owning more than 1 if not all of them):

• Urbanfun HiFi hybrid $20
• Einsear T2 $10
• KZ ZS5 $18
• KZ ED9 $8
• KZ HDS3 $5
• KZ EDR1 or EDR2 $5
• BossHiFi B3 $25
• E-MI CI880 $15

Here you have a sampling of some of the best budget IEMs with slightly different sound signatures, differences in soundstage, clarity, detail, musicality, etc.

You also get the following advantages:

1. An assortment of tips with all of those IEMs, which you can use to swap around onto each other to see how the sound changes (called "tip rolling").
2. A model with a removable cable model (ZS5), which also gives you the option to get a silver plated upgrade cable ($5) or bluetooth cable ($9) for even more flexibility.
3. You get some single dynamics, some single hybrids, and some multi-driver hybrids (because 1 type is not heads and shoulders better than another, and there are pros and cons to each).
4. And in the case of the ED9 you have 2 tuning filters which is like getting 2 IEMs in 1.
5. You can even pick up a pack of foam tips on Aliexpress for $1, and be able to try foams as well (which make many of those IEMs sound even better than the tips they come with).

None of the IEMs in that list are "perfect" or "the best", because no one can tell you what you will like but YOU. But more importantly, none of the IEMs in that list are terrible - they are ALL good in their own way. Are all the great $100+ IEMs people are recommending to you technically "better" than those in the above list? Yeah, technically "better", but it's not 5xs or 10xs "better" believe me. The important thing in all of this is will YOU like them? Will it LAST? Will it FIT well? Will it sound good with YOUR music source? Will it sound good with YOUR music genre preferences?

All of that for about what many of these $100 suggestions cost.

The point is that as you've seen you have 30 different opinions of what you should get from 25 different people. But the only one that really matters is what YOU like. Maybe you LIKE a u-shaped sound. Or maybe you like a v-shaped sound instead. Maybe you don't like neutral because what you think is neutral really isn't neutral. Maybe you discover that you don't care for a cold analytic IEM, and instead learn that you prefer warm or energetic or smooth.

You've told us that you are basing what you want on your current headphones - ATH-M50x. Imagine if you had an assortment of 7 or 8 headphones along with your M50s? I would argue that you would have a MUCH clearer idea of what you prefer and don't prefer if you had more headphones to base that preference on.

But by limiting yourself to ONE iem, it's kind of like tying your hands behind your back:

• What if you don't like it the ONE iem you chose?
• How do you know that what BillyBobBBQ or Johnny8599 or TimmyTimTim likes is what you are going to like too? We all hear things a little differently, and I see cases of this all of the time on HF.
• What is you are treble-sensitive and don't even know it because you've never had a bright enough or sharp enough headphone before? Or a very specific frequency that really grates on your nerves?
• What if cable microphonics really bothers you (or doesn't bother you at all), but you failed to mention that or consider that?
• What if you could have got something else that sounds better or has a different sound signature that you would have liked more and not even known it?
• What if something that fits one person's ears doesn't fit yours well at all because yours are different size or shape?
• What if these people telling you to get this or that is because theirs have different tips and possibly different cables, and you'll never know that. It could also be that they have a DAP with a headphone amp, and listen to all of their music as FLAC files, but you listen to everything as MP3 on an iPhone - you'll likely never even hear the minute micro-details they do because the source is different.
• What if they don't even listen to the same musical genre as you? There are headphones with the same basic "sound signature", but vocals on 1 sounds more "natural" and the other some tracks sound "artificial".
• And while we're on the subject of genres, be aware that different genres sound better or worse on some headphones (same goes for movies and gaming). So if you have multiple headphones to choose from, you can use the one that sounds the best for movies for that use, the one that sounds best for gaming for that use, the one that sounds best for your hip-hop and Pop for that, the one that sounds best for classical or opera for that, etc.
• I even have some that I wear out in public and others that I use exclusively at home - example, because 1 isolates better than another, or because 1 looks totally ridiculous in public but fine at home, or is too bulky and difficult to roll up and stick in my pocket when I take it off, or 1 sounds better with my phone as the source (which I'm more likely to use when I'm out and about).

You get the point - which is you'll never know the answer to any of these questions if you only have a sample size of ONE.

This is why most of the people on this site have multiple headphones and/or IEMs.

Everything would be much less complicated if there was a local shop where you could try different phones out. But since you said nothing like that exists in Bangladesh, you have to decide if you want to put all of your eggs in ONE basket, or spread your eggs out between multiple baskets and diversify your listening enjoyment.

I'm not saying the approach I laid out above is any "better" than just sinking all of your money into one single "perfect" IEM. I'm sure that some HF members will disagree with me on this, and that's their opinion. I'm just hoping that I at least provide you some food for thought, so you can figure out what's best for YOU.

Remember, it doesn't work on a linear scale. A $100 IEM isn't "10xs better" than a $10 one. A $20 IEM isn't "5 times worse than a $100 IEM". That's not the reality of this hobby.

very fine post deserving of its own thread, i.e. "chifi: a primer for youth." also excellent recommended list--i'd throw the adax ($16) and boarseman kr25 or kr49 ($13?) on as well

 

[Lazostat]

You have a lot of choices. Just don't buy Xiaomi Hybrid.

For example:
Vivo XE800,

KZ ZS5 for 18$
https://www.gearbest.com/earbud-headphones/pp_641227.html

**** 4in1 （V-shaped) and **** UES (Neutral to V-shaped)
https://www.aliexpress.com/store/pr...arphone-HIFI-Headset/1825606_32704437923.html
https://www.aliexpress.com/store/pr...phone-As-UE900S-HIFI/1825606_32633013962.html

URBANFUN
https://www.aliexpress.com/store/pr...etal-Earphone-Monito/1825606_32736974040.html

I am talking about Xiaomi Hybrid Pro HD. They have very good reviews.. Also they are comfortable on ears.

 

[Slater]

Gonna sell my wife this tonight. I need more "hearing aid".

Seems like you created an introduction guide for anybody new at this hobby.
This covers most of my experiences and learnings the last years, too.
A little more standardized and I already see this paper copied and pasted to any such request. Thx

very fine post deserving of its own thread, i.e. "chifi: a primer for youth." also excellent recommended list--i'd throw the adax ($16) and boarseman kr25 or kr49 ($13?) on as well

Thanks chaps. I bookmarked it as well, so I can reference it to future HFers.

I appreciate the additional recommendations loomis!