[syazwaned]

Hi, I am looking for an upgrade for my k's LBBS

• budget less than 250 usd
• source Questyle M15 & Apogee Groove
• preferred connection Balanced
• listening level & session length 1 hours or more, with 10 break in between
• listening environment anywhere
• preferred sound signature i (neutral like lbbs, chaconne)
• preferred sound signature ii neutral like lbbs or chaconne
• any special need and/or consideration must be mmcx connection. I have the chaconne before, while it pains me to have sold it before due to money issue, I would like earbuds that have mmcx connection to ensure longevity of my earbuds.

My initial recommendation is EBX21 and DQSM PD21, but happy to listen for other recommendation. Thanks, appreciate in advance!

Or should I wait for ff5?

 

[samandhi]

Or should I wait for ff5?

I am sorry, I didn't answer only because of all the ones I have/have heard, the Chaconne are really the only ones that are neutral. Though I would consider the Yincrow RW2000 the closest to neutral I have heard besides the Chaconne (the RW3000 could be considered bright neutral, or W depending on your sensitivity levels and where they lie). All the rest are either warm, bright, or W shaped.

The Smabat ST10S Black and Gold doesn't really fit any of those. I would call them a deep U at the lower end but a small little dip, then back up again in the upper mids, making a lopsided W.

 

[o0genesis0o]

Or should I wait for ff5?

FF5 is coming next month anyway. If I were you, I would wait and see how it goes. At least you will have peace of mind, if FF5 craps out.

But of course, I would never be able to wait and end up with both and a bunch more earbuds

 

[syazwaned]

FF5 is coming next month anyway. If I were you, I would wait and see how it goes. At least you will have peace of mind, if FF5 craps out.

But of course, I would never be able to wait and end up with both and a bunch more earbuds

hahaha . Ok I'll wait for ff5

 

[jeejack]

I will be sure to post some pics of @FranQL's artwork when they arrive (and they ARE indeed fantastic looking). I can't thank him enough! What a wonderful human being he is (OK, enough sappy crap)...

There you have a lot of work, passion and love. @FranQL is one of the founding members of the DIY Workroom group

 

[Ronion]

hahaha . Ok I'll wait for ff5

If the FF5 is a dud, we know the FF3 is not. It will still be available regardless of what @Setmagic or @samandhi say. Unlike ourselves, they are both crazy people anyway. Oh, but you want mmcx….Don‘t we all.

 

[gordonli]

Quick impressions of Fengru DIY QGM S300, black edition, which I think is different from the white version which may be the same as White Lotus which I haven't tried? (Balanced vs bass version Qigom S300s?) I picked these up for fun among other for-fun buds yet to come.

Spoiler: pic

Build quality seems good. Cable same as LBBS. Fabric sleeve. Chin slider. Comes with 3 pairs (unflattened!) foams. In a quality hard fabric case of the Nicehck/Xinhs kind. Talk about value!

Powered fine from dongle (Hiby FC4) and just the phone too.

Frequency response is quite comfortable to listen to and reasonably balanced. Subbass is rolled off only a little lower than what I would call neutral. Mild mid bass emphasis. Moderate upper mid gain. Past that, treble is a little dark. Doesn't sound like would need much EQ if I were bothered.

Stage is very wide and open, ok depth. Bass dynamics are responsive and quick. Mid dynamics are also good, but can be hard to tell due to mid bass emphasis. Mid and treble detail is good.

I think these are great value for money and a great budget rec (e.g. I would choose over LBBS even at same price: less ear gain, probably better dynamics)

I was curious about these drivers and now I'm satisfied. Cheers!

 

[Setmagic]

If the FF5 is a dud, we know the FF3 is not. It will still be available regardless of what @Setmagic or @samandhi say. Unlike ourselves, they are both crazy people anyway. Oh, but you want mmcx….Don‘t we all.

Guilty
I'm not sure I like mmcx that much anymore. It's only 4 points of soldering but 4 metal prices additional weight.

Most amazing thing in buds is that they are ultra light and I will choose it over mmcx for now.
Maybe i will change my mind to use my 16 cores premium cables with big shiny connectors to impress... myself in mirror.

 

[Black-Wolf]

Hello,
As i've bought some time ago a pair of Yinman 600 (more about them later), and i like to use my earbuds around the house or in my garden, i wanted a transportable AMP able to drive them fully.

As Ifi Audio and Chord are a bit expensive for me, i went for an Xduuo XD05 Plus.
Well, if you're looking for a dac/AMP combo for the most demanding buds, don't look further.

It works wonderfully with the Yinman 600... But also with my Senn HD650, my Audeze LCD2 and my TinHifi P1.

Much power, very clean, sufficient for demanding cans and buds (voltage hungry or current hungry)...battery powered ans less than 300 euros... A real deal.

I'm not into Vodoo at all for amps and dacs, especially with solid state devices: if distorsion is low, power is sufficient and SINAD is above the audible threshold: perfect for me. With the Yinman, i think they are fed very well and they do sound fantastic. I tried to compare with my desktop set: no difference, and i am a relatively well trained listener. (Maybe golden ears would disagree..)

The Yinman are really some of the best earbuds i ever heard, with the Turandot, the Newbesound 32Pro and the Riku Grand Rider 1 (each in their category)...the Yinman have something special in their tuning, very similar to a pair of Open Back cans, as they seem so effortless... (Partly because they have very good low end and not a lot of pinna gain)


And perfectly driven by the Xduoo, which is a bargain in this category for a good transportable combo.


Just a thing:the XD05 Plus is not very good with sensitive stuff, a bit too much noise and not enough play with the volume wheel.
For sensitive IEM and buds, go for a Hidisz S9, an E1DA or a Luxury and Precision (if you want to spend a bit more) dongle.

 

[samandhi]

If the FF5 is a dud, we know the FF3 is not. It will still be available regardless of what @Setmagic or @samandhi say. Unlike ourselves, they are both crazy people anyway. Oh, but you want mmcx….Don‘t we all.

Hey! I resemble that remark....

Hello,
As i've bought some time ago a pair of Yinman 600 (more about them later), and i like to use my earbuds around the house or in my garden, i wanted a transportable AMP able to drive them fully.

As Ifi Audio and Chord are a bit expensive for me, i went for an Xduuo XD05 Plus.
Well, if you're looking for a dac/AMP combo for the most demanding buds, don't look further.

It works wonderfully with the Yinman 600... But also with my Senn HD650, my Audeze LCD2 and my TinHifi P1.

Much power, very clean, sufficient for demanding cans and buds (voltage hungry or current hungry)...battery powered ans less than 300 euros... A real deal.

I'm not into Vodoo at all for amps and dacs, especially with solid state devices: if distorsion is low, power is sufficient and SINAD is above the audible threshold: perfect for me. With the Yinman, i think they are fed very well and they do sound fantastic. I tried to compare with my desktop set: no difference, and i am a relatively well trained listener. (Maybe golden ears would disagree..)

The Yinman are really some of the best earbuds i ever heard, with the Turandot, the Newbesound 32Pro and the Riku Grand Rider 1 (each in their category)...the Yinman have something special in their tuning, very similar to a pair of Open Back cans, as they seem so effortless... (Partly because they have very good low end and not a lot of pinna gain)


And perfectly driven by the Xduoo, which is a bargain in this category for a good transportable combo.


Just a thing:the XD05 Plus is not very good with sensitive stuff, a bit too much noise and not enough play with the volume wheel.
For sensitive IEM and buds, go for a Hidisz S9, an E1DA or a Luxury and Precision (if you want to spend a bit more) dongle.

Fantastic!

I agree with your assessment of the Yinman on their tuning. The magic in them is because the wood used to make them is from Jack's beanstalk (which was grown from magic beans, as we all know). How else could they sound so good?

 

[WoodyLuvr]

Hello,
As i've bought some time ago a pair of Yinman 600 (more about them later), and i like to use my earbuds around the house or in my garden, i wanted a transportable AMP able to drive them fully.

As Ifi Audio and Chord are a bit expensive for me, i went for an Xduuo XD05 Plus.
Well, if you're looking for a dac/AMP combo for the most demanding buds, don't look further.

It works wonderfully with the Yinman 600... But also with my Senn HD650, my Audeze LCD2 and my TinHifi P1.

Much power, very clean, sufficient for demanding cans and buds (voltage hungry or current hungry)...battery powered ans less than 300 euros... A real deal.

I'm not into Vodoo at all for amps and dacs, especially with solid state devices: if distorsion is low, power is sufficient and SINAD is above the audible threshold: perfect for me. With the Yinman, i think they are fed very well and they do sound fantastic. I tried to compare with my desktop set: no difference, and i am a relatively well trained listener. (Maybe golden ears would disagree..)

The Yinman are really some of the best earbuds i ever heard, with the Turandot, the Newbesound 32Pro and the Riku Grand Rider 1 (each in their category)...the Yinman have something special in their tuning, very similar to a pair of Open Back cans, as they seem so effortless... (Partly because they have very good low end and not a lot of pinna gain)


And perfectly driven by the Xduoo, which is a bargain in this category for a good transportable combo.


Just a thing:the XD05 Plus is not very good with sensitive stuff, a bit too much noise and not enough play with the volume wheel.
For sensitive IEM and buds, go for a Hidisz S9, an E1DA or a Luxury and Precision (if you want to spend a bit more) dongle.

XDuoo XD-05 Plus Black Edition HeadAMP driving my Blur 美魔女 Beautiful Witch "Dark" (300Ω) ear buds:

But my experience didn't last long ... more here

 

[ian91]

XDuoo XD-05 Plus Black Edition HeadAMP driving my Blur 美魔女 Beautiful Witch "Dark" (300Ω) ear buds:

But my experience didn't last long ... more here

I used to have this amp. It was great for the first few weeks but quickly developed noise and some feedback that I couldn't isolate. Very powerful though!

I think I need to look into the Yinman. Compared to the MX500 shell is it much bigger? I have smallish ears...

 

[rcoleman1]

Hey guys. Is there a list for websites of some TOTL custom earbuds here on Head-Fi? Seeking to add to the collection but I don't do social media so no Facebook or Instagram. Currently I'm enjoying my Blurs. Thanks in advance.

 

[Black-Wolf]

XDuoo XD-05 Plus Black Edition HeadAMP driving my Blur 美魔女 Beautiful Witch "Dark" (300Ω) ear buds:

But my experience didn't last long ... more here

Too bad...i think Xduoo may cut corners on QC in order to remain less expansive than IFi or Chord, for example, that's a shame. (but nothing is perfect, even on the higher end. I mentioned Chord earlier...the cost for a new battery is prohibitive on a Mojo, for exemple, is at least as expansive than a whole new Xduoo)

Sorry for the off-topic, i'm just like a child with the Xduoo/Yinman combo.


@ian91 : the shell on the Yinman is not much bigger than an Mx500, but it may not be as stable as an MX500 though. the long stem helps and they are light and quite confortable but they may move a little bit compared to the more "ergonomic" MX500 shell...but it is not problematic as some shell (Bell LBBS, Astrotec, Smabat) can sometimes be. I have small ears too and it is ok for me

 

[WoodyLuvr]

I used to have this amp. It was great for the first few weeks but quickly developed noise and some feedback that I couldn't isolate. Very powerful though!

I think I need to look into the Yinman. Compared to the MX500 shell is it much bigger? I have smallish ears...

What @Black-Wolf said... ever so slightly larger diameter face. I too have small ears/ear canals and I have had no fitting issues at all. They are extremely light-weight with a long stems so remain quite stable in my experience.

Too bad...i think Xduoo may cut corners on QC in order to remain less expansive than IFi or Chord, for example, that's a shame. (but nothing is perfect, even on the higher end. I mentioned Chord earlier...the cost for a new battery is prohibitive on a Mojo, for exemple, is at least as expansive than a whole new Xduoo)

Sorry for the off-topic, i'm just like a child with the Xduoo/Yinman combo.


@ian91 : the shell on the Yinman is not much bigger than an Mx500, but it may not be as stable as an MX500 though. the long stem helps and they are light and quite confortable but they may move a little bit compared to the more "ergonomic" MX500 shell...but it is not problematic as some shell (Bell LBBS, Astrotec, Smabat) can sometimes be. I have small ears too and it is ok for me

Did either one of you gents swap out the opamp? The stock TI OPA1612A is a good opamp but I found the Analog Devices AD827SQ to be much better for earbuds across the board.