Earbuds Round-Up

[samandhi]

They are available on AliExpress. I EP01, 02, 05 are different models so I was wondering which one has better sound quality for nice warm sound with good level of Bass as well as Clarity. Also, if EP05 is MMCX Earbud, so I was wondering if we can buy only earbud and not the cable? if there is any such option?

Alternatively, is there any other earbud which has good Warm Sound with good Clarity but good Bass too. Recently I ordered KBear but it is not good at all. I have Monk+ but that is 3rd one which is now almost broken. I need to change its 3.5mm plug but not sure how to do that? Others which I have are Yincrow but broken, TP16, FiiO EM3 and Faael Iris. Looking for 1-2 good alternative and Mic is must for that.

I don't think you will get many recommendations until you fill out the questions I re-posted, because unlike IEMs/headphones, the questions being asked (that you have yet to answer) effect earbuds drastically in some cases. For example, volume matters because some buds are pretty harsh at higher levels, but sound immensely better at lower levels. The type of music is important because what might be harsh with metal, could sound fairly warm(ish) with classical. Source also colors the way they sound, etc...

I can tell you this; it is very rare that you can buy just the buds themselves without a cable, even if it is detachable. If you buy them second hand you might be able to do this though.

 

[samandhi]

Interesting little device
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003009205497.html

The stuff they come up with these days?! LOL

 

[furyossa]

The stuff they come up with these days?! LOL

I don't see any andentage using it. You?
BTW... I like the idea

 

[WoodyLuvr]

I don't see any andentage using it. You?
BTW... I like the idea

To be the first kid on the block to have one of course! I wonder if the white/pink noise that it produces would be good for tinnitus? Yes, I am an enabler!

 

[WoodyLuvr]

Being the minimalist that I am, I am quite relieved to report that I am finally down to three (3) earbuds again.

A month or so back I was sitting on nearly thirty plus earbuds and a good number of dacs & amps which I have since managed to sell, trade, and/or gift away... not including those items that my daughter and wife continually, and quite illegally, procure from me! I have resigned myself to the fact that I most likely will never ever see my Turandots nor BTR5 again . I don't even know where my wife hides them when not in use... I desperately hunted around for them but to no avail!

Here are the earbuds currently residing in my stable and why:

​

Signature Role​	Listening Duration​	Brand​	Model​	Impedance​
Critical Listening​	Short Sessions​	Blur​	OFC MX64 aPs Special Tuning Edition​	64Ω​
Fun​	Medium-Long Sessions​	Blur​	256 PK16 White Face​	16Ω​
Warm & Smooth​	Ultralong Sessions​	Ksearphone​	Temperament 钛铃 Bell-Ti​	120Ω​

It would be nice to hear, from fellow rabid earbud enthusiasts, what you consider your top three earbuds are and why... or four... or five... or six... !

 

[baskingshark]

Being the minimalist that I am, I am quite relieved to report that I am finally down to three (3) earbuds again.

A month or so back I was sitting on nearly thirty plus earbuds and a good number of dacs & amps which I have since managed to sell, trade, and/or gift away... not including those items that my daughter and wife continually, and quite illegally, procure from me! I have resigned myself to the fact that I most likely will never ever see my Turandots nor BTR5 again . I don't even know where my wife hides them when not in use... I desperately hunted around for them but to no avail!

Here are the earbuds currently residing in my stable and why:

​

Signature Role​	Listening Duration​	Brand​	Model​	Impedance​
Critical Listening​	Short Sessions​	Blur​	OFC MX64 aPs Special Tuning Edition​	64Ω​
Fun​	Medium-Long Sessions​	Blur​	256 PK16 White Face​	16Ω​
Warm & Smooth​	Ultralong Sessions​	Ksearphone​	Temperament 钛铃 Bell-Ti​	120Ω​

It would be nice to hear, from fellow rabid earbud enthusiasts, what you consider your top three earbuds are and why... or four... or five... or six... !

My current rotated earbuds are, in no particular ranking:
1) Yincrow RW2000
2) SMABAT ST10
3) SMABAT ST10S Black Gold
4) SMABAT M2S Pro
5) FAAEAL Rosemary
6) K's Nameless
7) NiceHCK ME80
8) NiceHCK EBX21

Honorable mention goes to Yincrow X6, which I occasionally use for the yummy bass, if not @RikudouGoku will make issue if it is not mentioned here haha.

 

[nymz]

Being the minimalist that I am, I am quite relieved to report that I am finally down to three (3) earbuds again.

A month or so back I was sitting on nearly thirty plus earbuds and a good number of dacs & amps which I have since managed to sell, trade, and/or gift away... not including those items that my daughter and wife continually, and quite illegally, procure from me! I have resigned myself to the fact that I most likely will never ever see my Turandots nor BTR5 again . I don't even know where my wife hides them when not in use... I desperately hunted around for them but to no avail!

Here are the earbuds currently residing in my stable and why:

​

Signature Role​	Listening Duration​	Brand​	Model​	Impedance​
Critical Listening​	Short Sessions​	Blur​	OFC MX64 aPs Special Tuning Edition​	64Ω​
Fun​	Medium-Long Sessions​	Blur​	256 PK16 White Face​	16Ω​
Warm & Smooth​	Ultralong Sessions​	Ksearphone​	Temperament 钛铃 Bell-Ti​	120Ω​

It would be nice to hear, from fellow rabid earbud enthusiasts, what you consider your top three earbuds are and why... or four... or five... or six... !

Great initiative. Gotta say Im jealous of that list. All 3 are my radar. I intend to grab one flagship from k's after hearing LBBS. Blur has always been endgame for me, but not before I find my preferences set in stone.

At the moment im using for:

* Critical listening: Zen 2.0 SLQ 320ohm - Lovely bud. Still want to wait for my RAP5 before going into final conclusions. Not easy to drive, more of a stationary bud. Worst confort and isolation of the 3. Short to medium sessions. Close to open back headphones. Theres some magic done in these by KK.

* All-rounder balanced warm/fun: Smabat M2S Pro with the 150ohm golden driver - Lovely bass but more balanced than the stock driver. Very good overall, very good isolation, very good confort. My go to for music enjoyment.

* Grab'n'Go/Perfect confort/Dongle usage/Sleep: K's Temperament LBBS 30ohm - most perfect fit for my ears. Its like im using nothing, can even sleep with it. Even if I prefer the sound of the above buds, this is my grab and go with a dongle. Easy to drive, very nice signature sound, pounchs way above its price. Love them!

* Honorable mentions: X6 and Monk+ SPC

 

[Ronion]

I’ve got 2 buds that are truly special:

1) the SMABAT M2s Pro with the 150Ohm Gold drivers in them (they are still quite nice with the 40Ohm drivers in them, but I do prefer the 150Ohm with an amp) and

2) the Earbuds Anonymous Earbuds.

They are in fact my 2 favorite headphones and I shamefully have a ton of them.

Beyond that, other buds I enjoy are my Yincrow X6, QianYun Qian69, and the ShoonTH. The ShoonTH is probably my favorite of the three (at the moment), but it really depends on my mood.

 

[RikudouGoku]

Being the minimalist that I am, I am quite relieved to report that I am finally down to three (3) earbuds again.

A month or so back I was sitting on nearly thirty plus earbuds and a good number of dacs & amps which I have since managed to sell, trade, and/or gift away... not including those items that my daughter and wife continually, and quite illegally, procure from me! I have resigned myself to the fact that I most likely will never ever see my Turandots nor BTR5 again . I don't even know where my wife hides them when not in use... I desperately hunted around for them but to no avail!

Here are the earbuds currently residing in my stable and why:

​

Signature Role​	Listening Duration​	Brand​	Model​	Impedance​
Critical Listening​	Short Sessions​	Blur​	OFC MX64 aPs Special Tuning Edition​	64Ω​
Fun​	Medium-Long Sessions​	Blur​	256 PK16 White Face​	16Ω​
Warm & Smooth​	Ultralong Sessions​	Ksearphone​	Temperament 钛铃 Bell-Ti​	120Ω​

It would be nice to hear, from fellow rabid earbud enthusiasts, what you consider your top three earbuds are and why... or four... or five... or six... !

Well, if I could only keep 3 buds.

• Yincrow X6
• Smabat M2S Pro
• Moondrop Chaconne

 

[SolaVirtus]

For me the Yincrow RW-2000 and Newbsound X made by @irv003 get the most time.

I've a K's 300 for at the office and a few budget sets for exercise (X6 and RY4S).

A set of Blur buds from Master Wong is on the way. I don't have 30 sets, but clearing out much of the rest is in the future for me.

 

[1Q84]

The M2s pro I received has a stripped wire coating on the black coated wire. Its kinda buffling how they package these, the wires seems exposed and can really be an issue especially during transport.

 

[furyossa]

Being the minimalist that I am, I am quite relieved to report that I am finally down to three (3) earbuds again.

A month or so back I was sitting on nearly thirty plus earbuds and a good number of dacs & amps which I have since managed to sell, trade, and/or gift away... not including those items that my daughter and wife continually, and quite illegally, procure from me! I have resigned myself to the fact that I most likely will never ever see my Turandots nor BTR5 again . I don't even know where my wife hides them when not in use... I desperately hunted around for them but to no avail!
Here are the earbuds currently residing in my stable and why:
It would be nice to hear, from fellow rabid earbud enthusiasts, what you consider your top three earbuds are and why... or four... or five... or six... !

I'm more oriented toward DIY drivers.
- DIY 400ohm graphene (500ohm graphene is probably the best DIY driver out there, but not have them)
- DIY 150ohm "Red Film"
- DIY 130ohm Beryllium

Modded branded versions
- HiFI Boy Dream (MX500 mod)
- HE150Pro (MX500 mod)
- ShoonTH ESEP-01BL (swapped cable mod)

BTW...did you check jewelry box?

 

[WoodyLuvr]

BTW...did you check jewelry box?

First place I looked! She is part flying squirrel so hundreds, if not thousands, of clever stashes all about... it is a lost cause for me really.

 

[furyossa]

First place I looked! She is part flying squirrel so hundreds, if not thousands, of clever stashes all about... it is a lost cause for me really.

She knows you very well
I think you'll end up installing security cameras all over the apartment or hiring a private investigator

 

[dissociativity]

I'm surprised I don't hear much praise for the 1more E1008 despite how they sound with a decent source at higher volumes, feels like a tiny full sized open back, my HE150 Pro isn't far behind in my earbud preferences, and my Nicehck DIY MX500 isn't far behind that, shame I don't have the B40 anymore, loved that, was hoping to get one with a mic as an EDC since any media always was so easy to listen to on it, even bad voice recordings in youtube and podcasts, phone calls.