[baskingshark]

Headsup, there's a big Aliexpress sale on 23.08.21 (END OF SEASON SALE).

Seems the Kearphones Bell-LB/Bell-LBs will be on sale in a few days time: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32983779232.html

Any other good deals??

 

[nymz]

Headsup, there's a big Aliexpress sale on 23.08.21 (END OF SEASON SALE).

Seems the Kearphones Bell-LB/Bell-LBs will be on sale in a few days time: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32983779232.html

Any other good deals??

Chaconne will be on sale, 40€ off

 

[Min2]

Headsup, there's a big Aliexpress sale on 23.08.21 (END OF SEASON SALE).

Seems the Kearphones Bell-LB/Bell-LBs will be on sale in a few days time: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32983779232.html

In this thread people talked about new / old? Lbb / LBBs and one is not as good as the other. Can someone point me out which one is which in this listing?

On topic, there's going to be Smabat M2SPro deal for 44$

 

[nymz]

In this thread people talked about new / old? Lbb / LBBs and one is not as good as the other. Can someone point me out which one is which in this listing?

On topic, there's going to be Smabat M2SPro deal for 44$

llbS is the best one

 

[RikudouGoku]

In this thread people talked about new / old? Lbb / LBBs and one is not as good as the other. Can someone point me out which one is which in this listing?

On topic, there's going to be Smabat M2SPro deal for 44$

LBBS, the LBB is a joke compared to it.

 

[chinmie]

i was listening to this first with my IEM: first with the Tin T2 Plus (which i paired with BT20S pro)... feels like something's lacking.. not enjoyable enough. then i tried my LZA7, still missing something.. then i tried the MS16 that happens to be inside my box of current rotation earphones..

man.. i stuck to the MS16 for the entire album..
Moments like this always reminds me how our beloved earbuds always seems to punch really high above their price level

 

[fonkepala]

i was listening to this first with my IEM: first with the Tin T2 Plus (which i paired with BT20S pro)... feels like something's lacking.. not enjoyable enough. then i tried my LZA7, still missing something.. then i tried the MS16 that happens to be inside my box of current rotation earphones..

man.. i stuck to the MS16 for the entire album..
Moments like this always reminds me how our beloved earbuds always seems to punch really high above their price level

+1. I haven't listened to the MS16 for quite a while. I might pull them out of storage and into rotation again soon thanks to your post.

 

[Ronion]

i was listening to this first with my IEM: first with the Tin T2 Plus (which i paired with BT20S pro)... feels like something's lacking.. not enjoyable enough. then i tried my LZA7, still missing something.. then i tried the MS16 that happens to be inside my box of current rotation earphones..

man.. i stuck to the MS16 for the entire album..
Moments like this always reminds me how our beloved earbuds always seems to punch really high above their price level

Since hearing more modern earbuds, I just can’t understand how they lost popularity. Competition is high and value is better than I could have imagined a year ago(when it had been over a decade since I heard an earbud). I’ve never heard the ms16, but your not the first person to make a remark regarding their sound quality And value. No doubt you had a good night.

 

[samandhi]

Since hearing more modern earbuds, I just can’t understand how they lost popularity. Competition is high and value is better than I could have imagined a year ago(when it had been over a decade since I heard an earbud). I’ve never heard the ms16, but your not the first person to make a remark regarding their sound quality And value. No doubt you had a good night.

I totally agree with this whole paragraph. Though, I think they weren't ever really popular because people loved the sound from them. They were given with iPods, and that made them popular (in the beginning) because of convenience and you couldn't destroy them. They became associated with the mp3 movement (which means they didn't have to sound REALLY good). Since the advent of modern tech, people just don't know about them. I can say this with confidence, because I thought the same thing up until I joined this thread. I couldn't imagine how they could sound very good. On the other side of things, you have IEM manufacturers preaching that if you don't get a proper seal with them, there is something wrong, and they won't sound right (for instance). This lends to the stigma that buds can't sound good IMO. So, really it is more a marketing thing as to why they aren't more popular since they have gotten really good.

It wasn't until I saw someone on the DX300 thread that was talking about how so very good their buds sounded through a $1200 DAP, and I thought, "OK! They HAVE to sound better than they used to if someone is willing to use them on a TOTL DAP". I was curious, and that began my adventure fall down the rabbit hole. In hindsight I am glad that I did though!

I have at least three pairs that sound better than, all but the best, IEMs I have. And at a fraction of the cost I paid for the IEMs. I would say that If you bought nothing but TOTL buds, you would still be saving money, if you have already been down this rabbit hole for IEMs or headphones (for instance the $300 Chaconne absolutely compare to the $1k IT07 IEMs). Color me VERY impressed with how far earbuds have come.

Disclaimer; I could be totally wrong, this is just how I see it from the perspective of someone that thought earbuds were a toy for children that didn't care about good sound because that is the last time I listened to them.

 

[Braekfast]

Hi gang, I've been enjoying my Datura Pro for a couple of months now. Which were also a recommendation from this thread, so thanks for that. They still work fine, but the shell tends to pop loose every once in a while on both sides. While I'm gonna try and fix it with some glue or tape, I am going to use this as an excuse opportunity to get myself something new to play around with

On that note, I was wondering what buds are the deals of the moment right now? I quite like the Datura Pros, I run them straight off my smartphone, using wavelet to just a little bit to the bass/low end. But apparently they're out of production. I've seen the Bell-LBS pop up a few times in the thread over the past pages. Also the Smabat modular pieces. Let me start off with the template.

• source Redmi Note 8 -> VE Odyssey dongle dac
• preferred connection 3.5SE
• listening level & time Usually 35-ish% volume with my current buds, for anywhere between half an hour to a couple of hours at a time
• listening environment Strictly at home, a lot of it during the evening and at night in a quiet room
• preferred sound signature I think smooth and slightly warm? I'm unsure how to really describe it. I like to hear everything, including the little aftersounds of the guitar strings for example, which is why I generally add a little bit of low end because otherwise that gets lost. I'm a bit sensitive to high sounds, so some headphones sound harsh to me when there's flutes and such.
  To give some examples: For headphones I still enjoy my HD555's, K701 (if EQ'd through wavelet), KSC75 and KPH30i. I've had a shure srh440, but they sounded too dry for me. I've also had portapros but those were just a bit too dark for my taste.
  For earbuds, I liked the OG monks, the niceHK B40, and the datura. I did not like the monk+ or the ME80's. Though granted, I may have gotten a dud or a knockoff of the ME80, since they sounded truly awful, just very harsh and thin with absolutely no low end.
• preferred genre Usage will be mostly OST's, Piano/Guitar pieces with vocals, Metal and podcasts. With a healthy dose of electronic music and jazz thrown in there.
• preferred shell type none
• preferred brand none
• price range (Up to 50 euro for sure. I might go to 100 if there's a truly stellar option.

The Smabat pieces seem nice. 30-ish euro for M0 shell + cable + 40ohm driver. Though I'm unsure what effect the two different shells have, considering the other one is almost 3 times the price.
So far I haven't really looked at higher ohm drivers/buds (like the 100/150ohm Smabats) since I'm unsure if running them through my phone+dongle dac will give enough juice.

Any recommendations or tips are appreciated.

 

[Ronion]

I think you are totally correct @samandhi ! I’ve got $30 M0 that compete with $250 IEMs. They each have their own strengths and weaknesses, but I personally prefer the $30 buds and the $250 IEMs are generally considered a bargain by the vast majority of reviewers.

 

[nymz]

Hi gang, I've been enjoying my Datura Pro for a couple of months now. Which were also a recommendation from this thread, so thanks for that. They still work fine, but the shell tends to pop loose every once in a while on both sides. While I'm gonna try and fix it with some glue or tape, I am going to use this as an excuse opportunity to get myself something new to play around with

On that note, I was wondering what buds are the deals of the moment right now? I quite like the Datura Pros, I run them straight off my smartphone, using wavelet to just a little bit to the bass/low end. But apparently they're out of production. I've seen the Bell-LBS pop up a few times in the thread over the past pages. Also the Smabat modular pieces. Let me start off with the template.

• source Redmi Note 8 -> VE Odyssey dongle dac
• preferred connection 3.5SE
• listening level & time Usually 35-ish% volume with my current buds, for anywhere between half an hour to a couple of hours at a time
• listening environment Strictly at home, a lot of it during the evening and at night in a quiet room
• preferred sound signature I think smooth and slightly warm? I'm unsure how to really describe it. I like to hear everything, including the little aftersounds of the guitar strings for example, which is why I generally add a little bit of low end because otherwise that gets lost. I'm a bit sensitive to high sounds, so some headphones sound harsh to me when there's flutes and such.
  To give some examples: For headphones I still enjoy my HD555's, K701 (if EQ'd through wavelet), KSC75 and KPH30i. I've had a shure srh440, but they sounded too dry for me. I've also had portapros but those were just a bit too dark for my taste.
  For earbuds, I liked the OG monks, the niceHK B40, and the datura. I did not like the monk+ or the ME80's. Though granted, I may have gotten a dud or a knockoff of the ME80, since they sounded truly awful, just very harsh and thin with absolutely no low end.
• preferred genre Usage will be mostly OST's, Piano/Guitar pieces with vocals, Metal and podcasts. With a healthy dose of electronic music and jazz thrown in there.
• preferred shell type none
• preferred brand none
• price range (Up to 50 euro for sure. I might go to 100 if there's a truly stellar option.

The Smabat pieces seem nice. 30-ish euro for M0 shell + cable + 40ohm driver. Though I'm unsure what effect the two different shells have, considering the other one is almost 3 times the price.
So far I haven't really looked at higher ohm drivers/buds (like the 100/150ohm Smabats) since I'm unsure if running them through my phone+dongle dac will give enough juice.

Any recommendations or tips are appreciated.

Check LBBS. Theres couple of posts talking about it in this thread

 

[Ronion]

Hi gang, I've been enjoying my Datura Pro for a couple of months now. Which were also a recommendation from this thread, so thanks for that. They still work fine, but the shell tends to pop loose every once in a while on both sides. While I'm gonna try and fix it with some glue or tape, I am going to use this as an excuse opportunity to get myself something new to play around with

On that note, I was wondering what buds are the deals of the moment right now? I quite like the Datura Pros, I run them straight off my smartphone, using wavelet to just a little bit to the bass/low end. But apparently they're out of production. I've seen the Bell-LBS pop up a few times in the thread over the past pages. Also the Smabat modular pieces. Let me start off with the template.

• source Redmi Note 8 -> VE Odyssey dongle dac
• preferred connection 3.5SE
• listening level & time Usually 35-ish% volume with my current buds, for anywhere between half an hour to a couple of hours at a time
• listening environment Strictly at home, a lot of it during the evening and at night in a quiet room
• preferred sound signature I think smooth and slightly warm? I'm unsure how to really describe it. I like to hear everything, including the little aftersounds of the guitar strings for example, which is why I generally add a little bit of low end because otherwise that gets lost. I'm a bit sensitive to high sounds, so some headphones sound harsh to me when there's flutes and such.
  To give some examples: For headphones I still enjoy my HD555's, K701 (if EQ'd through wavelet), KSC75 and KPH30i. I've had a shure srh440, but they sounded too dry for me. I've also had portapros but those were just a bit too dark for my taste.
  For earbuds, I liked the OG monks, the niceHK B40, and the datura. I did not like the monk+ or the ME80's. Though granted, I may have gotten a dud or a knockoff of the ME80, since they sounded truly awful, just very harsh and thin with absolutely no low end.
• preferred genre Usage will be mostly OST's, Piano/Guitar pieces with vocals, Metal and podcasts. With a healthy dose of electronic music and jazz thrown in there.
• preferred shell type none
• preferred brand none
• price range (Up to 50 euro for sure. I might go to 100 if there's a truly stellar option.

The Smabat pieces seem nice. 30-ish euro for M0 shell + cable + 40ohm driver. Though I'm unsure what effect the two different shells have, considering the other one is almost 3 times the price.
So far I haven't really looked at higher ohm drivers/buds (like the 100/150ohm Smabats) since I'm unsure if running them through my phone+dongle dac will give enough juice.

Any recommendations or tips are appreciated.

I will say that the M0 with the 40 Ohm drivers are slightly bright of neutral even without using any tuning nets (which makes them as warm as they go). I use both thicker foams (HeiGi) and a tube amp to bring them to my personal preference. I like them out of the box and they are definitely a detailed bud (not just elevated treble/false detail), but I wouldn’t describe them as warm or mellow.

 

[RikudouGoku]

I totally agree with this whole paragraph. Though, I think they weren't ever really popular because people loved the sound from them. They were given with iPods, and that made them popular (in the beginning) because of convenience and you couldn't destroy them. They became associated with the mp3 movement (which means they didn't have to sound REALLY good). Since the advent of modern tech, people just don't know about them. I can say this with confidence, because I thought the same thing up until I joined this thread. I couldn't imagine how they could sound very good.

Also because I believe those earbuds back then sounded so bad, that people have written them off before giving them a chance again.

Doesnt help that a lot of brands out there are using the term earbud, when they actually mean iem..
(like AKG)

the other side of things, you have IEM manufacturers preaching that if you don't get a proper seal with them, there is something wrong, and they won't sound right (for instance). This lends to the stigma that buds can't sound good IMO.

You cant really compare the seal aspect like that, they are entirely different in that regard.

I’ve got $30 M0 that compete with $250 IEMs

If we are talking about acoustic/vocal music, then yeah. I dont see iems beating earbuds at all. But for other genres, like trance or hip-hop its the opposite.

 

[samandhi]

Hi gang, I've been enjoying my Datura Pro for a couple of months now. Which were also a recommendation from this thread, so thanks for that. They still work fine, but the shell tends to pop loose every once in a while on both sides. While I'm gonna try and fix it with some glue or tape, I am going to use this as an excuse opportunity to get myself something new to play around with

On that note, I was wondering what buds are the deals of the moment right now? I quite like the Datura Pros, I run them straight off my smartphone, using wavelet to just a little bit to the bass/low end. But apparently they're out of production. I've seen the Bell-LBS pop up a few times in the thread over the past pages. Also the Smabat modular pieces. Let me start off with the template.

• source Redmi Note 8 -> VE Odyssey dongle dac
• preferred connection 3.5SE
• listening level & time Usually 35-ish% volume with my current buds, for anywhere between half an hour to a couple of hours at a time
• listening environment Strictly at home, a lot of it during the evening and at night in a quiet room
• preferred sound signature I think smooth and slightly warm? I'm unsure how to really describe it. I like to hear everything, including the little aftersounds of the guitar strings for example, which is why I generally add a little bit of low end because otherwise that gets lost. I'm a bit sensitive to high sounds, so some headphones sound harsh to me when there's flutes and such.
  To give some examples: For headphones I still enjoy my HD555's, K701 (if EQ'd through wavelet), KSC75 and KPH30i. I've had a shure srh440, but they sounded too dry for me. I've also had portapros but those were just a bit too dark for my taste.
  For earbuds, I liked the OG monks, the niceHK B40, and the datura. I did not like the monk+ or the ME80's. Though granted, I may have gotten a dud or a knockoff of the ME80, since they sounded truly awful, just very harsh and thin with absolutely no low end.
• preferred genre Usage will be mostly OST's, Piano/Guitar pieces with vocals, Metal and podcasts. With a healthy dose of electronic music and jazz thrown in there.
• preferred shell type none
• preferred brand none
• price range (Up to 50 euro for sure. I might go to 100 if there's a truly stellar option.

The Smabat pieces seem nice. 30-ish euro for M0 shell + cable + 40ohm driver. Though I'm unsure what effect the two different shells have, considering the other one is almost 3 times the price.
So far I haven't really looked at higher ohm drivers/buds (like the 100/150ohm Smabats) since I'm unsure if running them through my phone+dongle dac will give enough juice.

Any recommendations or tips are appreciated.

Until I read the price range, I was going to suggest the Yincrow RW2000. They seem to fit everything that you are after... Matter of fact, I actually thought of Sennheiser a bit when I plopped them into my ears. They are tuned in such a way that they are the most versatile buds I have heard. They don't do any genre perfect, but they can do ALL genres superbly IMO... You can find them as low as $138USD on Aliexpress (not sure where else though).

It also depends on what frequencies you are sensitive to. For myself I am sensitive in the 2-5k region (where Chinese manufacturers like to boost for clarity and upper mids). If you are also, then the Smabats are a bit guilty of this, though less so than others I have heard. Of all the ones I have the Chaconnes, and the Yincrow are the two that absolutely do NOT have a boost in this region to my ears. the Smabat ST10S gold is a 150ohm and is less guilty of this and has a better lower end than most. These sound fine from my phone (Samsung Note 9), though if you want crazy volumes, you might have to worry about it. To my ears, the Smabat M2S Pro are a bit on the shouty side, though listening to them a week straight either calmed them down, or killed my hearing in that range... But every time I put them back in, they are on the shouty side again.

For more fine tuned help, you might try THIS?! It is a tone generator, and you can use it to pinpoint where you are sensitive. From the way you describe what you like to hear, you seem to be sensitive in the same area as myself, because I LOVE details (derived from mid to upper treble), but am sensitive to upper mids and lower treble.

Just my thoughts, and you can disregard if you disagree...