crinacle's IEM Ranking List
Aug 1, 2018 at 2:00 AM Post #646 of 3,338
Many many thanks, of course that help a lot. No I have never listened any product from this company. Thanks again
 
Aug 7, 2018 at 4:24 PM Post #647 of 3,338
@crinacle new changelog soon? would be great to see the addition of the ~30-40+ IEMs you did since the last one.
 
Aug 14, 2018 at 1:04 AM Post #650 of 3,338
Hey, crinacle, thank you for being the new joker. The whole leveling helps immensely even if one chooses not to take this in literal sense.

I have a few questions to ask,

You have placed ls200 to a lower tier compared to imo2 (which is surprising) care to explain this a bit more? as imo2 is harder to find these days for a good price a lot of people including me are considering getting ls200 instead.

So there is no significant difference to gain going from gr07 to imo2 as both are placed in the same tier?

My current iem is gr07 which i love very dearly, but i am thinking of upgrading to imo2/ls200 hence the asking.

Thanks again.
 
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Aug 14, 2018 at 7:11 AM Post #651 of 3,338
Hey, crinacle, thank you for being the new joker. The whole leveling helps immensely even if one chooses not to take this in literal sense.

I have a few questions to ask,

You have placed ls200 to a lower tier compared to imo2 (which is surprising) care to explain this a bit more? as imo2 is harder to find these days for a good price a lot of people including me are considering getting ls200 instead.

So there is no significant difference to gain going from gr07 to imo2 as both are placed in the same tier?

My current iem is gr07 which i love very dearly, but i am thinking of upgrading to imo2/ls200 hence the asking.

Thanks again.

I've been thinking about it and I guess the difference between the IM02 and LS200 would go down as preference. I'll nail down something in the next update.
 
Aug 15, 2018 at 10:51 AM Post #654 of 3,338
Hey crin, just curious have you tried the k3003? Its an amazing iem considering its about 4 years old. All my iems sounded veiled after using it for about 2 weeks. Also just curious have you tried the zeus xiv?
 
Aug 16, 2018 at 1:35 AM Post #655 of 3,338
Thank you.
What about upgrading from gr07 to imo2? will i see any noticeable improvement? or do you have any other suggestion in mind? My limit is 250.

I'd say there is.

Hey crin, just curious have you tried the k3003? Its an amazing iem considering its about 4 years old. All my iems sounded veiled after using it for about 2 weeks. Also just curious have you tried the zeus xiv?

I keep forgetting to get to the K3003 again. I'll see if I can get a hold of one in the coming weeks. Zeus-XIV falls under the Zeus-XRA ranking as it's basically a Zeus-XIV and Zeus-R in one.
 
Aug 17, 2018 at 7:22 AM Post #656 of 3,338
Alright, new additions to the ranks with what will be in their "Comments" section. Next update will be for a rank reshuffle, and then after that I'll be updating the list itself. BBcode takes a loooong time to work with, especially for the cell formatting I decided on...

64 Audio Tia Trio (S-)
: A more correct sounding version of the Fourte with slight cutbacks in staging and sheer resolution.
64 Audio N8 (S-): Sub-bass focused, rich and smooth yet relatively neutral in tone.
64 Audio A12t (S): Amazing bass (for a BA), top-tier resolution and detail-oriented signature.
Acoustune HS1503 (C): Shrill, odd timbre and way too intense for normal listening.
Advanced GT3 (D): Sharp, shrill and overall unpleasant.
Advanced M51D (D): Typical chifi DD sound. Nothing special.
Advanced M55D (D+): An otherwise capable hybrid unfortunately let down by its ridiculous treble spike.
AKG N5005 (B): Amazing bass control only let down by plastic timbre.
ARC Pollux (B): Well-tuned neutral single-BA IEM.
Campfire Comet (C+): Rolled-off at the top end, warm and bassy single-BA sound reminiscent of Final's offerings.
Campfire Atlas (B): Bass isn't as clean as the Vega and ultimately worse off on a technical level.
CTM CT6E (new edition?) (B-): Not the raging mess that the originals were, but nothing stands out here either.
Dita Fidelity (A): The more technical and less natural sounding of the Dita twins.
Dita Fealty (B+): The more natural sounding and less technical of the Dita twins.
Earsonics EM10 (B+): Oddly low dynamics makes this sound rather dead and lifeless.
Empire Ears EVR (A-): A nicely tuned signature with good technical ability all around.
Empire Ears ESR (B): Sharp and fatiguing.
Empire Ears Phantom (A): Heavy, rich and decadent, great for male vocals and bassy instruments.
Empire Ears Bravado (B-): A basic hybrid sound with big bass and energetic treble.
Empire Ears Vantage (A): A Legend-X-mini, essentially. Nice alternative on a budget.
Empire Ears Nemesis (A): A lot more treble compared to the Vantage.
Empire Ears Legend X (A+): High resolution hybrid flawed only by lack of control in the bass regions.
FiiO F3 (C): Well-balanced U-shaped sound that's rather atypical of a chifi dynamic IEM.
FiiO F5 (C): Typical chifi V-shaped sound, nothing much to report on.
HUM Pristine Reference (force fitted custom) (B+): Good detail pickup and generally inoffensive.
Hyla Nerva X (B): Low dynamics, rolled off and nothing that it really excels in.
iBasso IT04 (B+): A nice improvement over the IT03 though midrange hollowness still exists.
InEar SD5 (A): Excels in timbre and has an overall pleasant signature.
JH Audio Billie Jean (C): Follows the JH house sound but otherwise nothing special.
Jomo Haka (D): Mushy, blobby and low resolution.
Jomo Quatre (A): Nicely tuned hybrid that serves as a good all-rounder.
JVC FW-01 (C): Very heavy and very dark sounding IEM whose signature marrs technical ability slightly.
JustEar Club Sound (custom forcefitted) (A): Nice, pleasant signature that reminds me of a more textured HS1551.
Kinera IDUN (C): Not a bad hybrid, considering Kinera's track record.
Kumitate KL-Sirius (A+): Excellent technical ability, well tuned with a dash of Japanese flavour.
Kumitate KL-REF (Type-S) (A-): Well tuned but unfortunately suffers from very odd timbre.
Lark Studio LSX (A-): Nothing much stands out as exceptional or unique.
Lime Ears Model X (A-): Technically capable IEM that goes from decently neutral to warm and smooth in a pinch.
PEARS SH3 (A): Great detail pickup and solid all-rounder, perhaps a little strident.
qdc Anole V3 (B): The bassier of the Anole brothers. Better timbre but worse technicalities.
qdc Anole V6 (B): The more mid-centric of the Anole brothers. Better technicalities but worse timbre.
RHA CL750 (D-): Ear-piercing treble makes it hard to listen to.
RHA CL1 (E): So much treble to the point where nothing sounds correct.
Sony EX800/MDR-7550 (A): A more forgiving, warmer version of the EX1000.
Sony EX1000 (S-): Outstanding imaging and detail retrieval though can be intense to listen to.
Stealthsonics U2 (C+): Sharp, emphasised treble and boosted bass, sounds more mainstream than audiophile.
Stealthsonics U4 (C-): An odd character, simultaneously bassy and thin at the same time.
Stealthsonics U9 (B): An otherwise capable hybrid caught out by nasally and odd midrange.
Stealthsonics U9 JDM (A): Does away with the timbre issues of the standard U9.
Symphonium Audio Mirage (C-): Typical single-BA sound that doesn't offer anything special.
Symphonium Audio Aurora (C+): Solid tuning, though average in technicalities.
Ultimate Ears UE6 Pro (B+): A capable hybrid with little weaknesses.
Ultimate Ears UE18+ Gen 3 (A): Perceived more neutrally compared to the Gen 2; less emotional, more boring.
Ultimate Ears Live (B-): Soft, muddy, low resolution and lacks any sort of definition.
Unique Melody ME1 (D): Soft transients, low definition and odd timbre makes this the worst planar I've listened to.
Warbler Prelude (custom forcefitted) (B-): Rolled off on both ends with a very typical single-BA sound.
 
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Aug 17, 2018 at 7:32 AM Post #657 of 3,338
Alright, new additions to the ranks with what will be in their "Comments" section. Next update will be for a rank reshuffle, and then after that I'll be updating the list itself. BBcode takes a loooong time to work with, especially for the cell formatting I decided on...

64 Audio Tia Trio (S-)
: A more correct sounding version of the Fourte with slight cutbacks in staging and sheer resolution.
64 Audio N8 (S-): Sub-bass focused, rich and smooth yet relatively neutral in tone.
64 Audio A12t (S): Amazing bass (for a BA), top-tier resolution and detail-oriented signature.
Acoustune HS1503 (C): Shrill, odd timbre and way too intense for normal listening.
Advanced GT3 (D): Sharp, shrill and overall unpleasant.
Advanced M51D (D): Typical chifi DD sound. Nothing special.
Advanced M55D (D+): An otherwise capable hybrid unfortunately let down by its ridiculous treble spike.
AKG N5005 (B): Amazing bass control only let down by plastic timbre.
ARC Pollux (B): Well-tuned neutral single-BA IEM.
Campfire Comet (C+): Rolled-off at the top end, warm and bassy single-BA sound reminiscent of Final's offerings.
Campfire Atlas (B): Bass isn't as clean as the Vega and ultimately worse off on a technical level.
CTM CT6E (new edition?) (B-): Not the raging mess that the originals were, but nothing stands out here either.
Dita Fidelity (A): The more technical and less natural sounding of the Dita twins.
Dita Fealty (B+): The more natural sounding and less technical of the Dita twins.
Earsonics EM10 (B+): Oddly low dynamics makes this sound rather dead and lifeless.
Empire Ears EVR (A-): A nicely tuned signature with good technical ability all around.
Empire Ears ESR (B): Sharp and fatiguing.
Empire Ears Phantom (A): Heavy, rich and decadent, great for male vocals and bassy instruments.
Empire Ears Bravado (B-): A basic hybrid sound with big bass and energetic treble.
Empire Ears Vantage (A): A Legend-X-mini, essentially. Nice alternative on a budget.
Empire Ears Nemesis (A): A lot more treble compared to the Vantage.
Empire Ears Legend X (A+): High resolution hybrid flawed only by lack of control in the bass regions.
FiiO F3 (C): Well-balanced U-shaped sound that's rather atypical of a chifi dynamic IEM.
FiiO F5 (C): Typical chifi V-shaped sound, nothing much to report on.
HUM Pristine Reference (force fitted custom) (B+): Good detail pickup and generally inoffensive.
Hyla Nerva X (B): Low dynamics, rolled off and nothing that it really excels in.
iBasso IT04 (B+): A nice improvement over the IT03 though midrange hollowness still exists.
InEar SD5 (A): Excels in timbre and has an overall pleasant signature.
JH Audio Billie Jean (C): Follows the JH house sound but otherwise nothing special.
Jomo Haka (D): Mushy, blobby and low resolution.
Jomo Quatre (A): Nicely tuned hybrid that serves as a good all-rounder.
JVC FW-01 (C): Very heavy and very dark sounding IEM whose signature marrs technical ability slightly.
JustEar Club Sound (custom forcefitted) (A): Nice, pleasant signature that reminds me of a more textured HS1551.
Kinera IDUN (C): Not a bad hybrid, considering Kinera's track record.
Kumitate KL-Sirius (A+): Excellent technical ability, well tuned with a dash of Japanese flavour.
Kumitate KL-REF (Type-S) (A-): Well tuned but unfortunately suffers from very odd timbre.
Lark Studio LSX (A-): Nothing much stands out as exceptional or unique.
Lime Ears Model X (A-): Technically capable IEM that goes from decently neutral to warm and smooth in a pinch.
PEARS SH3 (A): Great detail pickup and solid all-rounder, perhaps a little strident.
qdc Anole V3 (B): The bassier of the Anole brothers. Better timbre but worse technicalities.
qdc Anole V6 (B): The more mid-centric of the Anole brothers. Better technicalities but worse timbre.
RHA CL750 (D-): Ear-piercing treble makes it hard to listen to.
RHA CL1 (E): So much treble to the point where nothing sounds correct.
Sony EX800/MDR-7550 (B+): A more forgiving, warmer version of the EX1000.
Sony EX1000 (A+): Outstanding imaging and detail retrieval though can be intense to listen to.
Stealthsonics U2 (C+): Sharp, emphasised treble and boosted bass, sounds more mainstream than audiophile.
Stealthsonics U4 (C-): An odd character, simultaneously bassy and thin at the same time.
Stealthsonics U9 (B): An otherwise capable hybrid caught out by nasally and odd midrange.
Stealthsonics U9 JDM (A): Does away with the timbre issues of the standard U9.
Symphonium Audio Mirage (C-): Typical single-BA sound that doesn't offer anything special.
Symphonium Audio Aurora (C+): Solid tuning, though average in technicalities.
Ultimate Ears UE6 Pro (B+): A capable hybrid with little weaknesses.
Ultimate Ears UE18+ Gen 3 (A): Perceived more neutrally compared to the Gen 2; less emotional, more boring.
Ultimate Ears Live (B-): Soft, muddy, low resolution and lacks any sort of definition.
Unique Melody ME1 (D): Soft transients, low definition and odd timbre makes this the worst planar I've listened to.
Warbler Prelude (custom forcefitted) (B-): Rolled off on both ends with a very typical single-BA sound.

Excellent
 
Aug 17, 2018 at 8:18 AM Post #658 of 3,338
Hey, crinacle, thank you for being the new joker. The whole leveling helps immensely even if one chooses not to take this in literal sense.

I have a few questions to ask,

You have placed ls200 to a lower tier compared to imo2 (which is surprising) care to explain this a bit more? as imo2 is harder to find these days for a good price a lot of people including me are considering getting ls200 instead.

So there is no significant difference to gain going from gr07 to imo2 as both are placed in the same tier?

My current iem is gr07 which i love very dearly, but i am thinking of upgrading to imo2/ls200 hence the asking.

Thanks again.


Definitely, and obviously not Crinacle, but I have tried the GR07 and LS200 somewhat extensively, and also I used to own IM02. Now, to my ears I find that the GR07 and IM02 is perhaps more of a sort of a sidegrade between each other. GR07, being a dynamic driver has that DD slam, which you won't find in the IM02. The latter will sound somewhat anemic if you're used to a dynamic driver. As for the midranges, the IM02 has an edge over the GR07 in that it sounds much sweeter than the comparatively drier sounding GR07. As for treble both are comparatively competent and really depends on your preference. IM02 sounds more airy while the GR07 sounds quicker afaik. Moreover, the IM02 has somewhat of a wider staging than the more boxed-in GR07 as well

So, that about wraps it with my comparison between both.

As for the LS200, the reason I really don't like it is because it has a plastic-y timbre and comparatively, the IM02 sounds more natural and doesn't suffer from that plastic BA timbre. Technicality wise it was a tad bit better, with less wide staging which is alright, and depending on the listener it may be preferable. However, the overall tonality is detriment to my experience with it.

I'm sorry if I am hijacking the thread a little bit, but those 3 are something I'm quite familiar with and I thought I'd chip in a little with my personal experience with them
 

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