[Forty6]

I bring excellent performing budget gear to shows and people love the sound without knowing what the price is. When I tell them the price, they love them even more.

The ED9 was a revelation to some of the guys I had listen to them. They nailed it in terms of build and sound. The two sets of filters compliment each other well and catre to different preferences.

+1 . This ED9 is one of my most beloved . I'm planning on purchase 2 or more pairs .

 

[mebaali]

  Did You get Your **** 4in1?

Last update of them was of leaving Shenzhen airport, 2 days back. This means I should expect at least another 2 to 3 weeks for them to reach me.
 
I am expecting 3 hybrids (all under 30 US$) in next month or so (**** 4 in 1, KZ ZST, and LZ A2S). Hoping each one of these to be of distinct sounding and gives me a variety of listening experience

 

[ozkan]

I think the right place to discuss the budget-fi products should be this thread. As far as I know this thread is for Chinese&Asian brand info thread where the price is no subject.

http://www.head-fi.org/t/805930/best-sub-100-chinese-brands-earphones-thread-hidden-gems-personal-favorite-best-deals-and-impressions-sharing-for-audiophile-on-budget-include-best-chinese-headphones-dap-section/1200#post_12875065

 

[Cinder]

  Last update of them was of leaving Shenzhen airport, 2 days back. This means I should expect at least another 2 to 3 weeks for them to reach me.
 
I am expecting 3 hybrids (all under 30 US$) in next month or so (**** 4 in 1, KZ ZST, and LZ A2S). Hoping each one of these to be of distinct sounding and gives me a variety of listening experience

I wish you luck with such a great endeavor. 

 

[peter123]

It's an insulting trend lately to call out reviewers who have received a product to review for free, on head-fi, amazon, etc and criticize their opinion. While there could always be some bias instances, the opinion is no less valid than someone else's.

Differing opinions are welcome. Attacks and condescending remarks are not.

It's called envy and its a powerful thing

 

[danimoca]

Me thinks this thread will eventually get closed (just like the first Havi B3 Pro 1 thread).
 
Also, I must admit, I do not like the way certain people comment on all of these IEM's, with little to none objectivity. We need proper reviews, not hype. That's why I can't decide on what budget IEM to buy! Such massive hype on the **** 4in1's and just ONE review?! 
 
As for the "Expensive Vs. Budget IEM" thing: it's total BS to think that something cheaper can't sound as good or even better. Profit margins and labor costs differ sometimes massively from company to company. There are so many factors that determine the price of an IEM that it is impossible to evaluate it based on it's price.

 

[Joe Bloggs]

I think the right place to discuss the budget-fi products should be this thread. As far as I know this thread is for Chinese&Asian brand info thread where the price is no subject.

http://www.head-fi.org/t/805930/best-sub-100-chinese-brands-earphones-thread-hidden-gems-personal-favorite-best-deals-and-impressions-sharing-for-audiophile-on-budget-include-best-chinese-headphones-dap-section/1200#post_12875065

I stand corrected--although the person audio123 was responding to did have a set budget, which he broke like 5 times. Lol

 

[ozkan]

I am gonna order **** 4in1 and leave head-fi forever lol.

 

[smy1]

I am gonna order **** 4in1 and leave head-fi forever lol.

**** 4 in 1 end gane confirmed.

 

[audio123]

The truth behind this thread

There should be sign warning newcomers to the thread about how the products here are overhyped and to proceed with caution before making purchases.

To sum up this thread:
Subscribers have this impression that Chinese iems (especially diy ones) have a better price to performance ratio compared to iems from established brands, due to these small firms making huge savings on advertising, R&D and other costs that big firms incur. This is partially true, as can be seen in some successful products eg havi, vsonic, dunu etc. As a result, some listeners go on a journey to find the mythical "giant killer", an iem so good it destroys others from big brands.

This bias towards diy products, coupled with the fact that new products are released almost every few days leads to them being hyped. Hype in turn creates even more hype, giving the impression that these iems are godly.

The sub 30usd catergory is flooded with numerous iems. Reviewers sometimes claim that they "beat iems many times their price" and are "external good for the price, you must try". Comments like a 40 usd hybrid going on head to head with 200 is hybrids is not unheard of. From 200 usd onwards, there are many multi driver diy iems (eg 350 for 9 drivers) that are claimed to beat shures, Westone iems and even encroach upon ciem territory. They are supposedly totl iems, offering a sound found in 700usd Western iems.

These diy iems have serious flaws:
-some have poor build qualities. This is made worse by the lack of warranty (some sellers offer a few months warranty tho), which can be painful especially if the iem is expensive eg 300usd. On the other hand, iems from big brands rarely have issues.
-their tuning can be terrible sometimes. Big brands spend larges amounts of monies on tuning so it is very rare that an iem sounds like ****. At worst, you get an iem that sounds meh but still listenable. On the other hand, small companies don't have high quality tuning skills or experience. For example, the original dqsm and zhiyin qt5 sound like ****. They are just unlistenable. I know sound is subjective, but if most people agree an iem sounds like ****, then it is ****. Its not only the number of drivers that matters, but the tuning plays a huge role too. Think about it, are you really going to buy a 7 driver iem tuned by a nobody based off a single persons positive opinions on it? And sometimes the person giving impressions hasn't listened to any totl iems to be able to give proper feedback. The most expensive the product is, the more you should care about tuning. Worse thing is, these products were over hyped at the beginning, and no one dared to admit they were bad as it would be an unpopular opinion at the time. Even reputable head fiers praised them. Those who gave negative impressions were told to do tip rolling and "burn in for 100 hours" which is imo utter ******** as if a product sounds terrible to you at the start, then it is terrible. Burn in or tip rolling isn't going to change the sound considerably for your impression to change by much, it's likely your brain adapting to the new sound signature or being coerced by the hype train to enjoy the iem. Only after many copies were bought did everyone come to a consensus that they are horrible. This shows how bad the hype train can be. I myself caught onto the hype and bought dqsm, ignoring the few negative comments, only to be shocked when I listened to them myself. To this date, dqsm and qt5 still have overwhelming positive feedback and high star ratings on aliexpress. But to be fair, there are instances of well tuned iems like the lz iems and banned d***. Too bad they are a rarity in this thread.

-lack of R&D. Big brands spend tonnes on research and development in their iems for example shure se846 with their sub woofer like bass. As a result, their iems can have unique strengths, making the products differentiated. You have jvc woodies with their insane timbre and bass,sennheiser ie80 with their natural tonality, shure se846 with their unrivaled sub bass, ciems with their speed and coherency created by high technology crossovers and design, sonys with their big ass hybrids and dynamics which sound so huge and unique. Diys don't have the R&D needed to make such sounds. For the sub 100 category, you can argue that the choice of driver itself makes the most difference to the sound, that I agree. But for iems above 300,you are looking for some special quality, eg high quality airy treble or rich bass. I don't think putting 7 drivers together in a simple crossover network is going to cut it. You need research and technology. I feel that these multi drivers Diys will sound quite similar and have no special qualities that the aforementioned iems do. They offer nothing special. Those who say their good really need to listen to some totl iems objectively. Those successful Chinese iems all have something special about them. Dunu 2kj with their bass, flc 8 with their tuning options.

Imo, of you're interested in buying iems based on recommendations here, this is what you should do
-try not to get influenced by overhyping. Don't 100 percent trust reputable head fiers as some have hyped up **** products before only to denounce them later. Only trust them if they have given trusted opinions in the past.
-don't not buy into reviews which claim the iems can "rival others many times their price". If it sounds too good to be true, it likely is. I've seen someone claim the lz a2 had equal level of details, even more in the sub bass levels compared to sennheiser ie 800, and nobody questioned it. This is just one example.
-don't be influenced too much by impressions which compare a diy to another diy (which you have never heard before and would likely judge based on some overhyped impressions). Some claim A is better than B, B is better than C and the list goes on when you don't even know how good A really is. Instead lean towards impressions that actually compare these iems to reputable brand iems,especially for the expensive ones.

 

[anticute]

  Me thinks this thread will eventually get closed (just like the first Havi B3 Pro 1 thread).
 
Also, I must admit, I do not like the way certain people comment on all of these IEM's, with little to none objectivity. We need proper reviews, not hype. That's why I can't decide on what budget IEM to buy! Such massive hype on the **** 4in1's and just ONE review?! 
 
As for the "Expensive Vs. Budget IEM" thing: it's total BS to think that something cheaper can't sound as good or even better. Profit margins and labor costs differ sometimes massively from company to company. There are so many factors that determine the price of an IEM that it is impossible to evaluate it based on it's price.

I wouldn't bet against you, unfortunately. At the same time, seems like a lot of the arguments seem to revolve around one person, an easier solution would be to simply get rid of that person and get back on track. JMHO

 

[tripside]

I came across a post on reddit and according to it Vsonic is bundling a VSD3S free with VSD5S, on purchases made on 22nd Sep from their taobao page. 
 
https://detail.tmall.com/item.htm?id=520714486432&toSite=main&skuId=3218210766748
 
Any idea on how to purchase stuff from taobao? And do you guys think its a good deal?

 

[RedJohn456]

In regards to the LZ-A2s, I'm guessing there may be a QC issue.

If someone in the continental USA has a pair and feels they sound bad, maybe overly bassy and rolled off in treble regions, please ship it to me and I will compare. When I ship them back I will include a gift when I return them.

Hell, maybe a KZ or two lmao

I think it maybe a case of QC issue. My first pair sounded awesome, but I elected to send it off to another reviewer in the interest of time, and I received another unit some time later. I could immediately hear a difference in the treble midrange transition that made it sound a bit off compared to the other unit. I don't know if its memory playing tricks on me, but I do recall my first A2s sounding quite good. Sadly I don't get the same feeling from my 2nd unit. But thats how it goes, its always a roll of the dice with these things.

 

[RedJohn456]

Sticking a Dolphin in your ears!​

First Impressions ​

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Here we have a chinese iem offering that once again beggars belief that headphones of this quality can exist for this amount of coin! Something like this was unheard of even a few months ago. What the heck is going on? I can’t even imagine how the chinese iem market will look in a few weeks, never mind a few months!
 
For the better part of a week now, I have been testing two new samples, courtesy of AK Audio, so a big thank you to them for giving me this opportunity. The iems in question are the Super Dolphin 6BA (I will shorten it to Dolphin for sake of brevity) and the AK 2016 Custom 6ba iem.
 

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                                            The Dolphin                                                       AK 2016 Custom 6BA
 

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I will be talking about the Dolphin today, which uses 6 balanced armature drivers. It is available with either MMCX or 2 Pin cable connectors (my unit has the 2 pin connector). 
 

This is my first experience with a 2-pin connector and suffices to say I won’t be going back to M

MCX anytime soon. A common point of failure for many iems with removable cables is the connector, and MMCX connectors are more prone to issues developing over time. 

The Dolphin’s rock solid and sturdy connector ensures that this iem will last a long time.
 
The included cable is very soft and supple, easy to manage and not prone to tangling. Even the memory wire portion, that rests over the ear, is pleasantly flexible and not in the least bit annoying. The cable itself has a braid and terminates in a 90 degree L jack. The strain reliefs on both ends are very well done so the cable should hold up like a champ.
 
   
 
The Dolphin housing/shells are black, adorning the name in red and blue. The faceplate is made a multiocolor pattern shell (not sure what the technical term would be) but eye catching and pleasing nonetheless.
 
While the shells are a tad on the big side, they are comfortable once inserted into your ears. The Dolphin sports a durable build quality and sturdy construction, ensuring that it will easily withstand the rigors of daily use.
 
  
 
 
The Dolphin has an insane amount of sound isolation, especially when you use tips that give an optimal seal. I was on the subway yesterday and I couldn’t hear ANY outside sounds while the Dolphin was playing music. And mind you, this was at a low volume. This makes them perfect for long noisy commutes, where you can easily enjoy your music at lower volumes and not damage your hearing in the process.
 

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So that's all good and dandy but how do the buggers sound? Well in one word: Impressive! Allow me to tell you why
 
Overall the Dolphin is a clean and airy sounding iem, with a breathtaking midrange and tight bass that has great impact. I felt that it also had a slight emphasis on the mids, making a perfect complement to the airy and well extended treble.
 
The treble is just about perfect to my ears, very extended and airy without being bright or peaky in the slightest (I am quite treble sensitive). The Dolphin’s treble strikes a delicate balance between sounding analytical and sounding musical. It has great resolution and tons of micro-detail. All the elements of a song are there, easy to delineate and follow individually from beginning to end. All the details are there, but they are not pushed in your face. I am not quite sure how they pulled off the treble without sounding cold and analytical but that’s china for ya. 
 
The Dolphin has a natural soundstage that is more true to life and not exaggerated. It is not limited to inside your head and definitely sounds out of head, possessing more width than height. But what impressed me most was the sense of depth the Dolphin portrayed, it felt as if you are peering into the record; As if your music was being played in a room, positively cavernous!
 
In addition to its impressive sense of depth and staging, it has incredible separation and layering of instruments that make you feel as if you are enjoying a live performance. Accurate positioning of sonic cues make for a believable and natural sonic presentation that will leave you wanting more.
 
This leads to the star of the show, the midrange! This one really took me by surprise because how fantastically it renders female vocals, positively ethereal. If you enjoy female vocals AT ALL you really owe it to yourself to hear the Dolphins, it is simply breathtaking. The way in which it renders the details, vocal textures, ambience and atmosphere is something I have yet to hear on other headphones. 
 
The Dolphin is not a one trick pony however, if you are a metal head this is also the iem for you. The way distortion guitars are so textured and detailed is simply mesmerizing. Drum hits come through loud and clear with great impact, giving the iem great PRaT.
 
The bass is neutral with no bloom or midrange leak to speak of. It is tight and punchy with impressive impact, quickly getting out of the way when its not called for. It is distinct from the rest of the mix but not emphasized in anyway but still easy to hear in your music. While the Dolphin sounds good with EDM, its not going to give you the bumping bass you need to really enjoy electronic music.
 

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The Shells look stunning, one of the prettiest iems I have seen coming out of China​

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So overall, the Dolphin is light and quick on its feet, think Philadelphia Cream Cheese light lol. It is quite revealing without coming across as analytical, retaining a surprising sense of musicality, with impressive depth and a holographic presentation. The Dolphin is an all rounder that will sound great with most music but really shines with Female Vocals and Metal. I will say it again, if you are as big a fan of female vocals or metal as I am, you should give the Dolphin a listen! Heck these are even great for monitoring given how balanced they are from top to bottom. And lastly, for those of you who are massive Havi B3 Pro 1 fans like myself, you are sure gonna get a kick out of the Dolphin!
 
You would think that the Dolphin would eviscerate lower quality music files, right? WRONG. It is surprisingly forgiving of poorly encoded files, which means that your cheapo mp3s should sound just fine. Furthermore, the Dolphin scales with better gear so it will grow along with your collection. While it sounded great running straight out of my Macbook Pro and BlackBerry Z30, it was noticeably better out of something like FiiO X7 with line out to VE RunABOUT 2.0. Heck it sounded awesome sauce out of my Sansa Clip+ (<3 <3).
 
I avoided saying anything during first few days because I wanted to make sure that it was not new toy syndrome or a honeymoon phase, because if you can’t tell by now, I absolutely love the Dolphin! It does a lot of things right and really shines when driven out of a good source. This is the real McCoy, proving that you really ndon’t have to spend thousands to get top tier quality sounds!
 

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**As always YMMV. I have tried to capture how the Dolphin sounds to the best of my ability and as accurate as possible. These are my impressions and should be taken as such. I reserve the right to change my opinion as time goes on.**

 

[B9Scrambler]

Awesome writeup @RedJohn456 
 
They look amazing!