[Sam L]

Hi there

I would like to get my first earbuds.
Is Toneking Tomahawk a good start point or I could get something better at the same price range ($30) ?

What kind of sound profile are you looking for? What iems do you currently enjoy?

 

[kr0mka]

Did you try to clean to plug and connector ?

Yes, also 2 different cables, I think this is a mechanical issue.

Only on the headphone shaker test? Fine with regular music?

Does it go away if you turn the volume down? If so the driver could be touching the cover if it has enough extension/power.



There could be debris or a hair stuck inside the cover rattling against the driver. You could try facing the driver down and shaking the earbud while it plays a bass heavy song to see if you can get it out.

Blowing or sucking lightly shouldn't damage the drivers. But since if it already has a problem it is worth a shot.

It gets noticeable on tracks with a lot of sub bass when there isn't much of other frequencies. But in the main 2 genres I listen to (heavy guitar stuff) it gets masked away. But after hearing it on the bass shaker, the main effect here is the psychological one haha

Yeah, lowering the volume makes it less noticeable to the point of dissapearing. A light blow towards the driver mesh or the bass port gets rid of the buzz for a moment, I've also tried playing the bass shaker for a longer time than just once (10-15 mins) and it also helped. The main thing that's concerning me right now it's that this happens on both earbuds, first it happened on the left one, I started playing around with it and managed to make it go away and now it's happening on the right earbud with the same symptoms.

It's really weird if it's some debris, because I've been using these way shorter and with more care than my PT15 that have pretty similiar mesh on the driver and they don't experience this problem at all.

 

[fonkepala]

Hi there

I would like to get my first earbuds.
Is Toneking Tomahawk a good start point or I could get something better at the same price range ($30) ?

What kind of sound profile are you looking for? What iems do you currently enjoy?

What music genres do you listen to? It might help us make better recommendations for you.

 

[rprodrigues]

What kind of sound profile are you looking for? What iems do you currently enjoy?

I prefer neutral to slightly warm sound. I like Tin T2, BGVP dh3 and Fiio fh7.

 

[rprodrigues]

What music genres do you listen to? It might help us make better recommendations for you.

Hi there, fonkepala.

Mainly classic, jazz/blues, and rock.

 

[jasonhpchu]

Just gotten the Faaeal Iris:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33041471307.html
Shipping was pretty fast to Canada, compared to my other orders, about 2 weeks.

Build quality is excellent, bass is decent but not as nice (deep?) as the Elibuds Sabia.
But since can't get another Sabia, this will do.
Maybe after some burning in it'll sound nicer.
I'm no audiophile, but this is still much nicer than any stock buds.

 

[fonkepala]

Just gotten the Faaeal Iris:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33041471307.html
Shipping was pretty fast to Canada, compared to my other orders, about 2 weeks.

Build quality is excellent, bass is decent but not as nice (deep?) as the Elibuds Sabia.
But since can't get another Sabia, this will do.
Maybe after some burning in it'll sound nicer.
I'm no audiophile, but this is still much nicer than any stock buds.

Is that the Iris 1.0 or 2.0? It's not specified on the AE page.

 

[fonkepala]

Hi there, fonkepala.

Mainly classic, jazz/blues, and rock.

Based on the buds that I have and for that price range of around USD30 and for listening to those genres with a neutral to slightly warmish sound sig, I'd recommend the EA buds from Penon. If you need detachable cables then the BK2 would be it, although it isn't warm. Hope this helps.

 

[rprodrigues]

Based on the buds that I have and for that price range of around USD30 and for listening to those genres with a neutral to slightly warmish sound sig, I'd recommend the EA buds from Penon. If you need detachable cables then the BK2 would be it, although it isn't warm. Hope this helps.

Thank you!

 

[fonkepala]

Thank you!

No problem. Another to consider is the RY4S UE (~USD9) and the NiceHCK B40 (USD10).

There are other members here with the Tomahawk series of buds (I don't), they might be able to chime in.

 

[rprodrigues]

No problem. Another to consider is the RY4S UE (~USD9) and the NiceHCK B40 (USD10).

There are other members here with the Tomahawk series of buds (I don't), they might be able to chime in.

I've ordered the NiceHCK MK500 PK1 and the Tingo T200 (FENGRU) impulsively yesterday. They are so cheap I could not resist.

Are the more expensive ones really worth it? I mean, should I get any earbuds at $50 to really get a good performance?

 

[rprodrigues]

I just received a review unit of the SMABAT M2 Pro.

Any additional impression about the Smabat M2 Pro?

 

[baskingshark]

Any additional impression about the Smabat M2 Pro?

I'll come up with a review maybe in the next 1 - 2 weeks or so. Sorry been very busy at work, and I've been testing the Urbanfun YBF and IBasso IT00 a lot this week, so they have taken up most of my listening time.

 

[fonkepala]

Are the more expensive ones really worth it? I mean, should I get any earbuds at $50 to really get a good performance?

Well, as with most audio gear, the quality generally improves as price goes up. But, with earbuds, the law of diminishing returns is particularly significant. There are some fantastic earbuds in the $50-$100 range, I'd guess. But there are also some very good earbuds in the under $50 bracket. Does a $100 earbud sound two times better than a $50 bud? Is it worth the doubling in price? Only you (and your wallet) can answer that.

As with everything else, YMMV. Just my $0.02. Hope this is of assistance.

 

[assassin10000]

Got these in last week, fresh off burn in.



These are the K's Bell LB, white version. These came in much larger box than my other ones I ordered last year, which were the black version.

I think these may be the updated ones as the distortion specs are different. Old was <1% and new is <0.5%. They also sound quite different.


The old ones were a somewhat mid-bassy, very warm, smooth analogue signature. Somewhat L-shaped with mids & highs a step back. Great rock buds.

These have more sub-bass, less mid-bass and while still warm, are more towards neutral with warmth in comparison. They have very good bass for a small driver (15mm), amongst the best I've heard for this size (15.0mm and under). The mids and highs are also much more forward and it is a balanced instead of somewhat L-shaped.


I'm quite pleasantly surprised, these lean more towards my preferences in sound sig. Comfort is of course outstanding. O.D. is 16.3mm, not quite as small as the original PK/Yuin/etc. but the superior ergonomics of the shell make them the most comfortable I've worn.