[baskingshark]

Toneking MrZ Tomahawk came in yesterday. It sounds really good! Definitely the best earbud I've heard yet, with Moondrop Nameless still coming in the mail yet. I'm quite pleased with it, though it's a little too hot for bright music without EQ. Really nice, thick mid bass!

RW-9
RW-1000 BE
Monk+
**** **** (bud or IEM?)
Soundmagic E10
NiceHCK EP10

**** soundmagic E10 and NiceHCK EP10 are IEMs.

IEMS (picture on the right) sit within the ear canal whereas earbuds are the picture on the left where the transducer doesn't really enter the ear canal.

 

[RobinFood]

Trig Rain on aliExpress (as recommended by so many others before me) have been good with only a few duds here and there.

Have any of you really noticed , in general, a glaring difference in quality of foams though? I am honestly beginning to believe that these are made in only one or two factories which supply the world.

I have a pack of the famous thin foams. They come in packs of 100 but tear easily and there are a few duds in the pack.

The VE foams are very different, and almost feel like they have some nylon in there.

I also got thick foams when I bought the yincrow x6 that feel like they are made of felt.

All very different, and they all affect the sound differently. Thin foams are my favorite but they break down pretty fast. Luckily the bag never seems to shrink.

 

[WoodyLuvr]

I have a pack of the famous thin foams. They come in packs of 100 but tear easily and there are a few duds in the pack.

The VE foams are very different, and almost feel like they have some nylon in there.

I also got thick foams when I bought the yincrow x6 that feel like they are made of felt.

All very different, and they all affect the sound differently. Thin foams are my favorite but they break down pretty fast. Luckily the bag never seems to shrink.

Felt and nylon... I don't think I have yet come across foams like this. Could it be at all possible that you are simply mistaking thickness and gauge as a material difference? I myself have noticed that the thicker foams can be more springy/spongy feeling while the lower gauge (more porous) foams seem stiffer/harder... so I definitely could see why one could think that it is different material composition. I may be totally wrong though... just an observation. Very interested in hearing your and others feedback on it.

 

[waynes world]

Is it just me, or are the K's 64's really good? Sheesh, $8. I hadn't listened to them in a while, but they're great. I must admit, it makes me interested in (and scared of) their other offerings!

I hadn't listened to the K 64's in a while, but I did so tonight. The wise man who said those wise words above almost 1 year ago was correct then, and is still correct now!

 

[DAndrew]

Hello everyone! Its been some time since I've been here. Just wanted to put a little project I am starting here.

So I have found this aiwa and was very excited about it...then I got really disappointed. It's rather awful sounding with a sound alike a very old radio, perhaps that was intended? Anyways I have to say these are very, very comfortable and the shell seems interesting so I will retrofit it with some new drivers I am working on.
I took it apart to look at the drivers and they are pretty standard. Will try replacing the membrane with one I've been working on and see how that changes sound, but the magnet in these drivers is very weak so I am not sure I will get a good result.

Will post when I am done

 

[Alex.Grimm]

So I have found this aiwa and was very excited about it...then I got really disappointed. It's rather awful sounding with a sound alike a very old radio

I have the same, bad sound deaf

Spoiler

 

[j4100]

I hadn't listened to the K 64's in a while, but I did so tonight. The wise man who said those wise words above almost 1 year ago was correct then, and is still correct now!

My K64s are at work. Haven't seen them in 7 weeks. Sad face

However, not like I'm short of earbuds

 

[j4100]

Maybe I didn't propose the topic/question well enough... here it goes for a second try.

If you wanted to sit at a desk and listen to your earbud collection via a PC-based music player or a desktop streaming device what AIO Desktop DAC (+HPA) would you want to use? Of course, please do take into consideration the wide range of impedance (16 to 600Ω) and sensitivities (~93 to ~120 dB/mW) that earbuds come in these days . Money no object. I am extremely curious to hear what others believe (or have found) an ultimate desk setup for earbud only listening would be.

Me personally? I run my pc into an Audiolab M-DAC with aftermarket power supply, then through my Cyrus Straightline->Densen B300->Shahinian Arcs

The M-DAC has a 1/4" headphone input, so I use an adapter. Makes me happy. Good luck with your search.

 

[Alex.Grimm]

Is it just me, or are the K's 64's really good? Sheesh, $8. I hadn't listened to them in a while, but they're great. I must admit, it makes me interested in (and scared of) their other offerings!

Which one 64? K's 64 ohm or K's Earphone 64U or K's 64s?

 

[mochill]

Hello everyone! Its been some time since I've been here. Just wanted to put a little project I am starting here.

So I have found this aiwa and was very excited about it...then I got really disappointed. It's rather awful sounding with a sound alike a very old radio, perhaps that was intended? Anyways I have to say these are very, very comfortable and the shell seems interesting so I will retrofit it with some new drivers I am working on.
I took it apart to look at the drivers and they are pretty standard. Will try replacing the membrane with one I've been working on and see how that changes sound, but the magnet in these drivers is very weak so I am not sure I will get a good result.

Will post when I am done

I have the same, bad sound deaf

Spoiler

Those are expensive now

 

[ClieOS]

So I have found this aiwa and was very excited about it...then I got really disappointed. It's rather awful sounding with a sound alike a very old radio, perhaps that was intended?

...or maybe they are just fake. Aiwa earbuds were already widely counterfeited before the company went under.

 

[mochill]

...or maybe they are just fake. Aiwa earbuds were already widely counterfeited before the company went under.

Thanks for the information , it would be sad to buy one only to find out that it is fake

 

[ClieOS]

Thanks for the information , it would be sad to buy one only to find out that it is fake

Old Sony and Aiwa are two of the most counterfeited earbuds brand going back to the 90s. So even if it looks old and has old, degraded cable and design, they could still be just new old 'fake' stock. You can only have better confidence if they come from very reliable source, but those often come with very high price tag, easily going from $100~200 to as high as >$500. If you consider that most of these earbuds were sold for well under $50 at its days, you are definitely paying more for the nostalgic factor rather than SQ.

 

[Slater]

If you consider that most of these earbuds were sold for well under $50 at its days, you are definitely paying more for the nostalgic factor rather than SQ.

I agree.

A few years ago I bought a NIB vintage Sony MDR-W20G. I liked it so much I looked for another one, and was shocked to see USED ones were going for stupid ridiculous prices ($150-$200). It was obvious the inflated prices were due to nostalgia factor, because no way in heck is the Sony MDR-W20G worth that kind cheddar.

 

[genck]

I agree.

A few years ago I bought a NIB vintage Sony MDR-W20G. I liked it so much I looked for another one, and was shocked to see USED ones were going for stupid ridiculous prices ($150-$200). It was obvious the inflated prices were due to nostalgia factor, because no way in heck is the Sony MDR-W20G worth that kind cheddar.

Same thing happened with the Sony MDR V6, the lowest I see on ebay is $200. I got mine for $80 only 3-4 years ago. lol
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