[captione]

I think those foams that came with the MS16 will do the treble decrease trick. They were made in much denser material (neoprene? I think?) and used it on various bright earbuds. You should combine some full foam + donut too.

 

[noknok23]

My small collection of earbuds: Simphonio Dragon3, Moondrop Chaconne, Rose Masya, Willsound mk600, BGDV DX5, Fengru DIY PK1

Can you rank them? Very nice collection.

 

[thesoundandthefury]

Can anyone recommend me an earbud that might compete with my go-to iem, the mee audio pinnacle p1?
For those who haven't heard the p1: your suggestions are still very welcome!

Looking for:

1) something that sounds OK with just a good smartphone (xperia z3)
2) a neutral to warm/dark/smooth signature.
3) lush fullness in bass and mids
4) excellent separation, imaging and SOUNDSTAGE (enough to match or surpass that of mee pinnacle p1)
5) a detachable cable (necessary if the earbud costs over $100)

Is this asking for too much? My budget is $350 usd

 

[beanxinh]

Can you rank them? Very nice collection.

From best to worst:
- Simphonio Dragon 3: very large Soundstage, balance sound.
- Willsound mk600: very good mid, small sound stage suitable for female vocal.
- Chaconne : good bass but very uncomfortable to wear for a long time.
- DX5: weak bass, decent mid and trebe a little bit similar to yuin pk2.
- Fengru DIY Pk1: bloated bass

 

[seanc6441]

Yeah that is the Ling Brass, just that I can't find many review online so I don't know its sound signature.

I have one (original black ling 195ohm) if you want to hear my two cent and why I've been wanting to mod it since i got it!

Ok, so I've had the earbud for about 2 years now technically, but because of various reasons like being away from earbuds for 8 months due to tinnitus and because of the difficulty of separating the driver cover from the shell I've only recently been able to really know how this driver should perform because of covid-19 lockdown giving me time to mod some earbuds again.

So to start I'll say this about the black ling. Fantastic driver (possibly the most coherant slightly warm tilting frequency response ive heard. Bass depth and impact, midrange tonality and vocal imaging, treble detail and smoothness is all there.

But most of that is not realised with the stock tuning which literally sucks! I don't know if they forgot to add a port somewhere in my unit but the brass shell without back porting or any dampening literally gives the driver a tin can sound effect.

Remove the driver from the shell and just place it to your ear and you start to get the real sound this thing can produce.

Spend about 5 hours tuning a pk shell (same diamter to fit in a pk shell luckily) and you get the earbud you thought you paid for.

I thought the guys at K's would've been adequate at tuning earbuds so im a bit perplexed as to how they can make such a nice driver sound so weird which the fix was reletively easy overall.

But anyways there you have it. Great full frequency range for an earbud, especially nice on guitar, bassy instruments and vocals but can also handle EDM and pop/rock fairly easily because its a clean sound with a hint of warmth and very nice bass separation. Treble is a touch soft for treble heads but its detailed and doesnt dip or fall off a clip, its simply just inline with the overall balanced smooth sound this driver gives out. It has enough energy for the task but is never bright.

Anyway thats my thoughts on the matter. Can't say whether you should buy the product as it is but if they should the drivers separately I'd be very interested in picking up some more!

 

[beanxinh]

I have one (original black ling 195ohm) if you want to hear my two cent and why I've been wanting to mod it since i got it!

Ok, so I've had the earbud for about 2 years now technically, but because of various reasons like being away from earbuds for 8 months due to tinnitus and because of the difficulty of separating the driver cover from the shell I've only recently been able to really know how this driver should perform because of covid-19 lockdown giving me time to mod some earbuds again.

So to start I'll say this about the black ling. Fantastic driver (possibly the most coherant slightly warm tilting frequency response ive heard. Bass depth and impact, midrange tonality and vocal imaging, treble detail and smoothness is all there.

But most of that is not realised with the stock tuning which literally sucks! I don't know if they forgot to add a port somewhere in my unit but the brass shell without back porting or any dampening literally gives the driver a tin can sound effect.

Remove the driver from the shell and just place it to your ear and you start to get the real sound this thing can produce.

Spend about 5 hours tuning a pk shell (same diamter to fit in a pk shell luckily) and you get the earbud you thought you paid for.

I thought the guys at K's would've been adequate at tuning earbuds so im a bit perplexed as to how they can make such a nice driver sound so weird which the fix was reletively easy overall.

But anyways there you have it. Great full frequency range for an earbud, especially nice on guitar, bassy instruments and vocals but can also handle EDM and pop/rock fairly easily because its a clean sound with a hint of warmth and very nice bass separation. Treble is a touch soft for treble heads but its detailed and doesnt dip or fall off a clip, its simply just inline with the overall balanced smooth sound this driver gives out. It has enough energy for the task but is never bright.

Anyway thats my thoughts on the matter. Can't say whether you should buy the product as it is but if they should the drivers separately I'd be very interested in picking up some more!

Does remove the driver from the shell difficult, does it delicate? I like what you described about the sound after modding but I have a shaky hand and afraid that I my destroy an 150$ bud .

 

[seanc6441]

Does remove the driver from the shell difficult, does it delicate? I like what you described about the sound after modding but I have a shaky hand and afraid that I my destroy an 150$ bud .

Not so easy because its all metal so its difficult to pry the cover open.

Sadly I don't think it's worth the risk and effort if you can buy ready high end pk earbuds like d3 and dsqm turandot which probably have a similar level of sound quality.

But i haven't heard those only whats on my list and this new black ling 'fixed' version which is the best I've heard so far.

The best comparison i can make it to the shozy cygnus, but with better bass depth and impact, and slightly less forward mids and slightly more smooth treble.

Sounds a bit similar to Penon BS1 Official too, but less bright upper mids and less cleaner deeper bass.

 

[beanxinh]

Not so easy because its all metal so its difficult to pry the cover open.

Sadly I don't think it's worth the risk and effort if you can buy ready high end pk earbuds like d3 and dsqm turandot which probably have a similar level of sound quality.

But i haven't heard those only whats on my list and this new black ling 'fixed' version which is the best I've heard so far.

The best comparison i can make it to the shozy cygnus, but with better bass depth and impact, and slightly less forward mids and slightly more smooth treble.

Sounds a bit similar to Penon BS1 Official too, but less bright upper mids and less cleaner deeper bass.

Thanks I guest I'll go with The turandot when I save enough money , it had been on my list for a while. I almost buy it this week on the 10th anniversary of Ali but in the end I buy the Chaconne because I got a good deal at the local store.

 

[thesoundandthefury]

Can anyone recommend me an earbud that might compete with my go-to iem, the mee audio pinnacle p1?
For those who haven't heard the p1: your suggestions are still very welcome!

Looking for:

1) something that sounds OK with just a good smartphone (xperia z3)
2) a neutral to warm/dark/smooth signature.
3) lush fullness in bass and mids
4) excellent separation, imaging and SOUNDSTAGE (enough to match or surpass that of mee pinnacle p1)
5) a detachable cable (necessary if the earbud costs over $100)

Is this asking for too much? My budget is $350 usd

I am veering towards buying the ourart QJ21 - can anyone comment as to whether this might best meet my expectations?

 

[ClieOS]

Smabat ST-10s has began to ship, though international shipping is so slow this days I'll be lucky if I can get it by the end of the month...

 

[baskingshark]

Smabat ST-10s has began to ship, though international shipping is so slow this days I'll be lucky if I can get it by the end of the month...

Did u get the black silver or black gold one?

Look forward to your review!

 

[thesoundandthefury]

Do fixed cables last longer than detachable ones?

Detachable cables usually last me about 4-6 months before one side cuts out when the connection is wiggled slightly. Albeit I am pretty rough with them, wear them in light rain etc. But at least its a cheap fix.

Seeing as the issue seems to be always with the point of connection (to the bud), would I have more luck with a (totl) fixed cable earbud or should I avoid them entirely? The thought of spending $200-500 on symphonio dragon only to have it break in a few months gives me shivers.

 

[baskingshark]

Do fixed cables last longer than detachable ones?

Detachable cables usually last me about 4-6 months before one side cuts out when the connection is wiggled slightly. Albeit I am pretty rough with them, wear them in light rain etc. But at least its a cheap fix.

Seeing as the issue seems to be always with the point of connection (to the bud), would I have more luck with a (totl) fixed cable earbud or should I avoid them entirely? The thought of spending $200-500 on symphonio dragon only to have it break in a few months gives me shivers.

I had 2 expensive Westone IEMs (non detachable cables) die on me in 2 years (even though I was babying them and putting them in hardcases when not using and never ever stuffing it in bags/pockets).

These non detachable cables generally are the first point of failure IMHO, so I won't buy any gear more than $30 USD with fixed cables from now on. I mean even a cheapo $20ish set like **** and BK2 can incorporate MMCX connectors, so it is pretty disappointing TOTL sets still come with non detachable cables nowadays. It is just one awkward yank away from dying, but of course everyone has their own opinions on this issue, so as long as you are happy with your gear!!
Well if u have soldering skills then maybe u can recable or MMCX mod your IEMs, but for the general laymen, once the non detachable cable dies, the IEM/bud goes with it.

But more than the non detachable cable dying, sometimes audiophiles want to use aftermarket balanced cables or even cables of different materials (eg copper, silver etc) to change the sound signature subtlely (if u are a cable believer that is).

 

[Carrow]

My small collection of earbuds: Simphonio Dragon3, Moondrop Chaconne, Rose Masya, Willsound mk600, BGDV DX5, Fengru DIY PK1

Is that an original Rose Masya or the Pro/MK2? I had the original and was wondering what you thought of the MK2 (if indeed that's what that is) as I've been thinking about picking them up recently!

 

[thesoundandthefury]

I had 2 expensive Westone IEMs (non detachable cables) die on me in 2 years (even though I was babying them and putting them in hardcases when not using and never ever stuffing it in bags/pockets).

These non detachable cables generally are the first point of failure IMHO, so I won't buy any gear more than $30 USD with fixed cables from now on. I mean even a cheapo $20ish set like **** and BK2 can incorporate MMCX connectors, so it is pretty disappointing TOTL sets still come with non detachable cables nowadays. It is just one awkward yank away from dying, but of course everyone has their own opinions on this issue, so as long as you are happy with your gear!!
Well if u have soldering skills then maybe u can recable or MMCX mod your IEMs, but for the general laymen, once the non detachable cable dies, the IEM/bud goes with it.

But more than the non detachable cable dying, sometimes audiophiles want to use aftermarket balanced cables or even cables of different materials (eg copper, silver etc) to change the sound signature subtlely (if u are a cable believer that is).

Thanks for your input, think I'll pass on the dragons then. Do you have any recs for TOTL mmcx eabuds? My sound priorities were outlined here:

Can anyone recommend me an earbud that might compete with my go-to iem, the mee audio pinnacle p1?
For those who haven't heard the p1: your suggestions are still very welcome!

Looking for:

1) something that sounds OK with just a good smartphone (xperia z3)
2) a neutral to warm/dark/smooth signature.
3) lush fullness in bass and mids
4) excellent separation, imaging and SOUNDSTAGE (enough to match or surpass that of mee pinnacle p1)
5) a detachable cable (necessary if the earbud costs over $100)

Is this asking for too much? My budget is $350 usd