[ttorbic]

Thanks for the tip, but no Instagram, Fakebook, Twatter or the likes for me. I'm an IT pro for some decades and I know how they operate and what they do with data...

Cheers

You can message @ValSuki here to enquire about his upcoming set too.

 

[AsciiJC]

Yup! Im developing a set at the moment which is going to use a retro mx500 styled shell but with functional porting and customised speakers. I have plans for them to be sub 200usd and a totl, but not to be very competitive as I would like to do this as a form of artistic impression and a love letter to earbuds. I initially planned to do wooden shells, but those are very difficult to get made and sound good at the same time. Here's a little sneak peak of my shell!

 

[ksb643]

I'd be interested in these.

 

[assassin10000]

Yup! Im developing a set at the moment which is going to use a retro mx500 styled shell but with functional porting and customised speakers. I have plans for them to be sub 200usd and a totl, but not to be very competitive as I would like to do this as a form of artistic impression and a love letter to earbuds. I initially planned to do wooden shells, but those are very difficult to get made and sound good at the same time. Here's a little sneak peak of my shell!

Nice!


Makes me wish 15.4mm drivers fit my smallish ears comfortably.

 

[jogawag]

Nice!


Makes me wish 15.4mm drivers fit my smallish ears comfortably.

The Nokia HDS-3 with a smaller shell that fits 15.4mm drivers is now available on ebay in the US.
As you're a DIYer, go for it.

 

[AsheGlaw]

I, personally, found the Lilliums to be pretty terrible. I will add that they'd be okay for FEMALE vocals as I think they leave male vocals or any vocals that dip below the upper mid/lower treble region sounding thin and without much body. That said, I didn't particularly like them for female vocals either.

The RW-2000s should be very much up your alley if you're a fan of the Rosemarys. They are kinda like a super refined and better made version in a lot of ways. You could also look at something like the Shozy BKs which are an all time classic bud around here that I think would be enjoyed by most Rosemary fans too. You could even look at the FF3s which have a nice powerful bass presentation and have a similarly relaxed treble, but they are less like the Rosemarys than the RW-2000 or the BKs.

I'll probably think of others I should have mentioned in a few so I may post again, but this should be a good start.

Sorry for replying to an old post.

But i wanna ask you about lilium.

Is it really that terrible?
I was planning on buying one but..
Would you tell me what is ti like compared to some earbuds?

Thanks.

 

[imackler]

It's a little tricky navigating the DIY/Small Business Earbud market. There are a lot of products in a short period of time and it's a little difficult figuring out what distingusihes one item from another. Sometimes, they just don't have a lot of information given. If I want a HD600 like sounds in a MX500 shell, it seem like I should look at TGXears (Serratus) or Rikubuds (?). But are there any non-DIY manufactures that would have something similar in the line up? I like how these guys are not relying on a lot of self-description but leaving it up to purchasers to advertise for them the sound signature and nuances, but it's a little tough to navigate the earbud world now. Maybe it always has been, because the sound is so based on ear shape. I know some of the TOTL lists don't have any DIY/Small Business stuff, others are exclusively purchasing DIY/Small Business buds. (I hope there is no offense calling them DIY, thus I'm also including small business.) I also am nervous about product variation, which I imagine less in mass produced buds... but actually the opposite may be true: There may be more quality control from TGXears or Rikubuds... Anyways, just trying to navigate the ever-expanding market, with a lot of new products coming out... Is there a mass-produced HD600-like earbud in a MX500 shell? Or should I go the Small Business route? Serratus? Or does Rikubuds have something similar to a HD600? Thanks all!

 

[gylyf]

It's a little tricky navigating the DIY/Small Business Earbud market. There are a lot of products in a short period of time and it's a little difficult figuring out what distingusihes one item from another. Sometimes, they just don't have a lot of information given. If I want a HD600 like sounds in a MX500 shell, it seem like I should look at TGXears (Serratus) or Rikubuds (?). But are there any non-DIY manufactures that would have something similar in the line up? I like how these guys are not relying on a lot of self-description but leaving it up to purchasers to advertise for them the sound signature and nuances, but it's a little tough to navigate the earbud world now. Maybe it always has been, because the sound is so based on ear shape. I know some of the TOTL lists don't have any DIY/Small Business stuff, others are exclusively purchasing DIY/Small Business buds. (I hope there is no offense calling them DIY, thus I'm also including small business.) I also am nervous about product variation, which I imagine less in mass produced buds... but actually the opposite may be true: There may be more quality control from TGXears or Rikubuds... Anyways, just trying to navigate the ever-expanding market, with a lot of new products coming out... Is there a mass-produced HD600-like earbud in a MX500 shell? Or should I go the Small Business route? Serratus? Or does Rikubuds have something similar to a HD600? Thanks all!

FWIW, I don't think of Serratus, which leans a bit bright, as a HD600 equivalent. Of the TGXear buds I've tried, Tantalus (or maybe Ripples) would be my pick for that kind of neutral-ish mid-centric signature. Having said that, I sold my HD600 a while ago, so my memory might not be accurate and others might have better recommendations. I have no experience with Rikubuds.

 

[gooberbm]

It's a little tricky navigating the DIY/Small Business Earbud market. There are a lot of products in a short period of time and it's a little difficult figuring out what distingusihes one item from another. Sometimes, they just don't have a lot of information given. If I want a HD600 like sounds in a MX500 shell, it seem like I should look at TGXears (Serratus) or Rikubuds (?). But are there any non-DIY manufactures that would have something similar in the line up? I like how these guys are not relying on a lot of self-description but leaving it up to purchasers to advertise for them the sound signature and nuances, but it's a little tough to navigate the earbud world now. Maybe it always has been, because the sound is so based on ear shape. I know some of the TOTL lists don't have any DIY/Small Business stuff, others are exclusively purchasing DIY/Small Business buds. (I hope there is no offense calling them DIY, thus I'm also including small business.) I also am nervous about product variation, which I imagine less in mass produced buds... but actually the opposite may be true: There may be more quality control from TGXears or Rikubuds... Anyways, just trying to navigate the ever-expanding market, with a lot of new products coming out... Is there a mass-produced HD600-like earbud in a MX500 shell? Or should I go the Small Business route? Serratus? Or does Rikubuds have something similar to a HD600? Thanks all!

Riku has very specific, detailed descriptions for what he intended in the sound of each of his buds. It's not true at all that he doesn't self-describe the vision of his buds

 

[FlacFan]

From my list a couple of posts above I decided to get the FiiO FF3.
Thanks to Amazon magic they arrived today and their return policy is hard to beat.
Anyway, so far I am liking what I hear. Needed to add some low end though (using it with a Shanling M3 Ultra).
Earbuds have come a long way for sure.

One thing I cannot work out: Those silicone rings. Are they supposed to be used additionally to the foam or instead?

In the latter case it would leave the openings exposed to all the debris...ahem, don't you worry when you get older, you'll understand....

Cheers.

 

[Ronion]

Basically any foam will cover your MX500 shell holes, no matter what manufacturer. I solve this by making holes in the full foams about this way.

Absolutely Brilliant and kudos to you for your creativity and sharing!

Do I need to “burn in” my headphones?​

Is Headphones Break-in Real? 120-hour Burn-in Test​

​

I have posted measurements several times in this thread about earbud burn in. The drivers don't measurably change (at least not in an obvious/overt way), but the foams sure do. Your earbuds will sound different if you use them every day for 2 weeks--Bass gets deeper and pinna/canal gain reduce. This will tilt the perceived tonal balance dramatically. That said, just running them off of an amp without wearing them won't do a lot (measurably), but letting the oils and salt in your ear interact with the foams under pressure and heat sure will. This is why I tune my buds brighter than I would like at first listen. They'll warm up over time.

Anyway, sorry I haven't been able to keep up with the thread and I'm fairly sure I've skipped 20-40 pages and just skimmed what I could!

 

[mochill]

Yup! Im developing a set at the moment which is going to use a retro mx500 styled shell but with functional porting and customised speakers. I have plans for them to be sub 200usd and a totl, but not to be very competitive as I would like to do this as a form of artistic impression and a love letter to earbuds. I initially planned to do wooden shells, but those are very difficult to get made and sound good at the same time. Here's a little sneak peak of my shell!

Hope it's audiophile basshead king

 

[imackler]

Riku has very specific, detailed descriptions for what he intended in the sound of each of his buds. It's not true at all that he doesn't self-describe the vision of his buds

Thanks for pointing that out. I did relook at the website and see the descriptions I missed. It is a little intimidating: 16 earbuds in the line up! Maybe I'm the only one who is overwhelmed. I don't really get the difference between Gen 1 and Gen 2...

 

[Touchowl]

Third DIY attempt
These sound PHENOMENAL. Compared to the better earbuds I've tried(e565 and e888) there's a whole lot more bass so it's a lot less clean but the midrange is fantastic and there's a good amount of treble there too
Driver this time is a 15.4mm beryllium composite, shell is my own custom made based on Sony's R10 headphone cups

 

[itwasluck]

It's a little tricky navigating the DIY/Small Business Earbud market. There are a lot of products in a short period of time and it's a little difficult figuring out what distingusihes one item from another. Sometimes, they just don't have a lot of information given. If I want a HD600 like sounds in a MX500 shell, it seem like I should look at TGXears (Serratus) or Rikubuds (?). But are there any non-DIY manufactures that would have something similar in the line up? I like how these guys are not relying on a lot of self-description but leaving it up to purchasers to advertise for them the sound signature and nuances, but it's a little tough to navigate the earbud world now. Maybe it always has been, because the sound is so based on ear shape. I know some of the TOTL lists don't have any DIY/Small Business stuff, others are exclusively purchasing DIY/Small Business buds. (I hope there is no offense calling them DIY, thus I'm also including small business.) I also am nervous about product variation, which I imagine less in mass produced buds... but actually the opposite may be true: There may be more quality control from TGXears or Rikubuds... Anyways, just trying to navigate the ever-expanding market, with a lot of new products coming out... Is there a mass-produced HD600-like earbud in a MX500 shell? Or should I go the Small Business route? Serratus? Or does Rikubuds have something similar to a HD600? Thanks all!

If you are looking for HD600 like sound, I highly recommend the Yinman 2.0 600s. They are dark and non-fatiguing but the sound coming out of them resemble both the HD600s (slightly forward mids) and the LCD-2Cs (low end extension). I am not the only person that thinks this, you should check out WoodyLuvr's review on them and he had very similar thoughts. They will provide you TOTL HP-like sound with amazing sub-bass extension.

WoodyLuvr's Yinman 2.0 600 Review: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LGcwSPNekxyt0mNII61yXpFWEILRdB8ycldr2i_QVd8/edit

I have them paired with the new Cayin RU7 ATM and I am very impressed. I am running SE at a volume of 84 and they drive them quite well (balanced has double the power so driving the Yinmans shouldn't be an issue with this powerful dongle!). I believe this is the only portable 1-Bit DAC on the market. The RU7 strikes an impressive balance between R2R smoothness and great detail retrieval similar to traditional delta-sigma DACs. The soundstage is also HUGE.