[baskingshark]

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001291591406.html

2020 ksearphone reincarnation edition

Bling bling! Price is also crazily expensive! Fit for golden ears who can hear fine nuances in the music!

 

[furyossa]

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001291591406.html

2020 ksearphone reincarnation edition

Bling bling! Price is also crazily expensive! Fit for golden ears who can hear fine nuances in the music!

It's too much. Maybe they use gold coat for drver diaphragm

 

[WoodyLuvr]

U need an amp with the SMABAT ST10S Black Gold.

I keep forgetting to ask did we ever get a final confirmation on the correct specs for ST-10S Black-Gold? I am very curious about this.

I remember there was quite a confusing period there where the advertised specs were saying either 120Ω or 150Ω and then if I recall correctly @DBaldock9 after testing discovered that his pair had an impedance of 300Ω or higher. I too have seriously questioned and doubt the given 150Ω impedance and 115 dB/mW sensitivity rating and do believe that mine are closer to 300Ω with a sensitivity maybe in the mid to high 90s only.

If they are indeed 150Ω / 115 dB/mW it doesn't explain at all why they sound better (less anemic) when amp'd as 110 dB SPL can be easily reached with only 0.22 volts; a current of only 1.45 mA; and require power of only 0.32 mW which is available from nearly all mobile sources that I can think of.

But if the impedance is indeed much higher and the sensitivity much lower this would then explain the need for them to be amp'd... I created this scenario as follows:

 

[baskingshark]

I keep forgetting to ask did we ever get a final confirmation on the correct specs for ST-10S Black-Gold? I am very curious about this.

I remember there was quite a confusing period there where the advertised specs were saying either 120Ω or 150Ω and then if I recall correctly @DBaldock9 after testing discovered that his pair had an impedance of 300Ω or higher. I too have seriously questioned and doubt the given 150Ω impedance and 110 dB/mW sensitivity rating and do believe that mine are closer to 300Ω with a sensitivity maybe in the mid to high 90s only.

If they are indeed 150Ω / 110 dB/mW it doesn't explain at all why they sound better (less anemic) when amp'd as 110 dB SPL can be easily reached with only 0.39 volts; a current of only 2.58 mA; and require power of only 1 mW which is available from nearly all mobile sources that I can think of.



But if the impedance is indeed much higher and the sensitivity much lower this would then explain the need for them to be amp'd... I created this scenario as follows:

Haha we gotta ask @DBaldock9 and the rest who have measuring gear, I unfortunately don't. But I also do think it is probably more than the advertised 150 ohm impedance, and the sensitivity might be lower. Black Gold is tough to drive for sure. Though drivability as you pointed out, is more dependent on sensitivity, and to a lesser extent impedance.

It is not a matter of loudness too, one can easily put the Black Gold on a low powered smartphone and just pump up the volume. It is more that amping increases dynamics, bass tightness/texture, perhaps microdetails and soundstage.

 

[Nool]

Gotta say I'm rather disappointed with the yincrow rw-9, the tuning is alright but it still sounds thin, which is a complaint I have with a lot of buds. The YY BK2 has a healthier note weight to it, better timbre, and overall better neutral tuning for the price. Better cable, too.

My **** bk2 just died. Is anything better or equal for the same price? 20€

I loved the fit, the flexible cable and sound. My problem with other earbuds is the cable, it's always stiff, rubbery or tangled easily, but the bk2 cable was perfect.

Yeah, another BK2, lol. Easily the best neutral tuning & timbre I've heard, though very bass-light and cramped staging. You could also try the NSC Clear buds I posted a link to earlier, which are a little less resolving imo but has some bass presence which the BK2 clearly lacks. Sounds a bit thinner as well but still pretty good, with good enough timbre. If you want straight warmth go with the yincrow x6, less resolution than the other two but it has a well executed bass emphasis and fair timbre. Out of what's in my signature those three are what I'd recommend, for price/quality.

Edit: Yeah, the rw-9 is pretty similar to the NSC clear, but the mids on the rw-9 are recessed somewhat.

 

[LordZero]

Yeah, another BK2, lol. Easily the best neutral tuning & timbre I've heard, though very bass-light and cramped staging. You could also try the NSC Clear buds I posted a link to earlier, which are a little less resolving imo but has some bass presence which the BK2 clearly lacks. Sounds a bit thinner as well but still pretty good, with good enough timbre. If you want straight warmth go with the yincrow x6, less resolution than the other two but it has a well executed bass emphasis and fair timbre. Out of what's in my signature those three are what I'd recommend, for price/quality.

Thank you
Yeah, I am thinking in another bk2...The problem with my unit is the left driver, sometimes buzzs and drives me crazy. Don't know how to fix.
I have the Yincrow X6 they are nice, but the cable is what I don't like :\ the NSC Clear are cheap and seem nice, will order one to test it out

 

[Nool]

@LordZero See if there's any hair stuck in the earbuds grill, sometimes a strand gets in there and interferes with the diaphragms vibrations. You could also try gently blowing through the grill and back vent with a can of compressed air, though I dunno how safe that'd be.

The cable on the NSC clear isn't much better than the x6, and imo they all break anyway. You could buy some mmcx jacks and mod them if you want, I'd have done so already but the bk2 works well enough for me.

One last thing about the NSC clear, it's definitely brighter than the bk2, and I do hear some slight sibilance sometimes. I killed 8-20khz by a few decibels and found that helps clear out some of the air. Overall though the tuning is nice, pretty well done U-shape, they just overshot the treble a bit too much I think. The bass is a welcome presence coming from the bk2.

 

[rprodrigues]

Ebx21 at about $210 on Taobao. Besides the price, their shape reminds me the shape of Rambo II (the worst fit among all my buds)... so, they are indeed a no go for me.

 

[buzzyman]

But if the impedance is indeed much higher and the sensitivity much lower this would then explain the need for them to be amp'd... I created this scenario as follows:


[/QUOTE]

I keep forgetting to ask did we ever get a final confirmation on the correct specs for ST-10S Black-Gold? I am very curious about this.

I remember there was quite a confusing period there where the advertised specs were saying either 120Ω or 150Ω and then if I recall correctly @DBaldock9 after testing discovered that his pair had an impedance of 300Ω or higher. I too have seriously questioned and doubt the given 150Ω impedance and 110 dB/mW sensitivity rating and do believe that mine are closer to 300Ω with a sensitivity maybe in the mid to high 90s only.

If they are indeed 150Ω / 110 dB/mW it doesn't explain at all why they sound better (less anemic) when amp'd as 110 dB SPL can be easily reached with only 0.39 volts; a current of only 2.58 mA; and require power of only 1 mW which is available from nearly all mobile sources that I can think of.



But if the impedance is indeed much higher and the sensitivity much lower this would then explain the need for them to be amp'd... I created this scenario as follows:

I have a smabat m2 pro with drivers from st10s black gold. I measured the resistance and I have 156 ohms.

 

[buzzyman]

 

[waynes world]

Gotta say I'm rather disappointed with the yincrow rw-9, the tuning is alright but it still sounds thin, which is a complaint I have with a lot of buds. The YY BK2 has a healthier note weight to it, better timbre, and overall better neutral tuning for the price. Better cable, too.




Yeah, another BK2, lol. Easily the best neutral tuning & timbre I've heard, though very bass-light and cramped staging. You could also try the NSC Clear buds I posted a link to earlier, which are a little less resolving imo but has some bass presence which the BK2 clearly lacks. Sounds a bit thinner as well but still pretty good, with good enough timbre. If you want straight warmth go with the yincrow x6, less resolution than the other two but it has a well executed bass emphasis and fair timbre. Out of what's in my signature those three are what I'd recommend, for price/quality.

Edit: Yeah, the rw-9 is pretty similar to the NSC clear, but the mids on the rw-9 are recessed somewhat.

Interesting - I don't find the rw-9's to sound thin at all (with a donut foams and a good fit), so you've got me looking even more forward to receiving the x6's to compare.

 

[Nool]

Ebx21 at about $210 on Taobao. Besides the price, their shape reminds me the shape of Rambo II (the worst fit among all my buds)... so, they are indeed a no go for me.

I have to agree with the Rambo 2's fit, the EBX21 looks like it'd have the same problem with being too heavy. A cheap, light plastic mx500 shell is much comfier.

That diaphragm looks hot though, Japanese imported LCP. IIRC Sony uses the same material in some of their IEMs; Moondrop is also making a sub-$20 LCP IEM as well I believe, so yeah I don't think that alone justifies a $200 price tag.

 

[furyossa]

Ebx21 at about $210 on Taobao. Besides the price, their shape reminds me the shape of Rambo II (the worst fit among all my buds)... so, they are indeed a no go for me.

Hmmm...I don't see anything special that can justify the price.
It has the same cable as this one ($109). Only the earbuds worth around $100.
I own EBX OG and what I mentioned earlier my only complaint are the MMCX sockets.
The good thing is that EBX21 uses smaller driver size like OG.
Back vent has wrong placement for sure.
Sensitivity is too high 121dB
Material of the shell???? I hope is not the plastic. Maybe magnesium-zinc alloy?

 

[Nool]

Interesting - I don't find the rw-9's to sound thin at all (with a donut foams and a good fit), so you've got me looking even more forward to receiving the x6's to compare.

They're not terrible, just that I think some others are better. The Rambo 2's actually have the best note weight to me, but it's got a lot against it as well, mainly the tuning and timbre.

And for the record, the differences between these buds is maybe 10-15%, not really worth stressing over, especially at higher prices where you know you'll be getting much better fidelity in IEMs.

For the record I think the x6 is less resolving, but that's probably due to the bass boost and quieter treble. Also if I didn't hear the NSC Clear the rw-9 probably would've taken its place, they're pretty close I just think the mids on the rw-9 are more recessed. Again, the differences between these are pretty minor; I've been buying buds that are already acclaimed here, so it's not surprising I haven't heard anything that sounds like outright garbage, like some of the generic "complimentary" earbuds we randomly find laying around the house, you know

 

[mochill]

Ebx21 for $100 or less then I'll take them