Earbuds Round-Up

[h8uthemost]

I would like to thank my newfound friend in here, @jeejack, for helping me make these earbuds. He's been very nice and helpful all throughout.


(Also, I've started making my own cables. So I decided that I'm going to use them for this build.)

This is actually my first time following someone's build, and personally, it got me by surprise, as I didn’t expect them to turn out to be this good. I don't know if I can do them justice through words like others here can. But I will try.

The sub-bass presence can truly be felt, especially with Fiio bass foams or thicker foams. The mid-bass is very prominent, well-textured, and it packs quite a punch.

The mid-range has a warm and full-bodied presentation with impressive tonality and timbre.

The treble is well-extended with well defined clarity and resolution. Tbh I didn't expect this level of detail.

I've been listening to them all the time after making them, and have fallen asleep while wearing them multiple times already because of how immersed I got from listening to them. They're really that good lol.

Congrats on your new shiny build!

Can I ask how to got that red piece of work so perfectly wrapped around the right earbud cable, or what you used to do that with? I always do the same when I get a new pair of flats. I'll take the intertwined wire off that they came with and cut off a little piece off of it. But I can never get it to wind perfectly like yours does.

 

[Kamikaze777]

I would like to thank my newfound friend in here, @jeejack, for helping me make these earbuds. He's been very nice and helpful all throughout.


(Also, I've started making my own cables. So I decided that I'm going to use them for this build.)

This is actually my first time following someone's build, and personally, it got me by surprise, as I didn’t expect them to turn out to be this good. I don't know if I can do them justice through words like others here can. But I will try.

The sub-bass presence can truly be felt, especially with Fiio bass foams or thicker foams. The mid-bass is very prominent, well-textured, and it packs quite a punch.

The mid-range has a warm and full-bodied presentation with impressive tonality and timbre.

The treble is well-extended with well defined clarity and resolution. Tbh I didn't expect this level of detail.

I've been listening to them all the time after making them, and have fallen asleep while wearing them multiple times already because of how immersed I got from listening to them. They're really that good lol.

Hi. Can i ask you, which driver did you used?

 

[Kyonnie]

Congrats on your new shiny build!

Can I ask how to got that red piece of work so perfectly wrapped around the right earbud cable, or what you used to do that with? I always do the same when I get a new pair of flats. I'll take the intertwined wire off that they came with and cut off a little piece off of it. But I can never get it to wind perfectly like yours does.

I'm using these, it's called spiral cable protector thingy. I got them from a local shop so idk where to buy them reliability online.

I mainly use it to protect cables from bends; for example, I'm using it in my Apple Dongle, but I also use it to have left and right indicators in my cable, like the one you commented on or style my cable lol.

I use these cable protection wraparound thingy
It really helps protect my cables even my Apple dongle which is infamous for breaking still works fine and I've had it for 2 years already

Hi. Can i ask you, which driver did you used?

Sorry, I don't know if I can.

 

[fooltoque]

I'm using these, it's called spiral cable protector thingy. I got them from a local shop so idk where to buy them reliability online.

I mainly use it to protect cables from bends; for example, I'm using it in my Apple Dongle, but I also use it to have left and right indicators in my cable, like the one you commented on or style my cable lol.

I did some searching. This came up

Maybe it's just what you wanted??

 

[Kyonnie]

I did some searching. This came up


Maybe it's just what you wanted??

How do you know??? Hahah

 

[Brillig]

Alrighty folks, here are my impressions from three days with the Yincrow RW-4000s. As with any preliminary impressions, they can and often do change somewhat over time, though I have put these through a pretty thorough test-drive so I don't anticipate anything dramatic as far as possible changes in my evaluation. Also, I purchased these with my own money, as always. Disclaimers done, I hope you guys find these useful:

Okay, so last night I posted a teaser saying the RW-4000s (referred to as 4Ks from here on) are not just a revamped RW-3000 (3Ks from here on). What I meant by that, is that Yincrow didn't fall into the obvious temptation of bumping the price for a few minor tweaks and an accessory change. Much like the 3Ks are very much their own beast compared to their predecessors, the 2Ks, the 4Ks have their own identity. In that same teaser I referred to the 3Ks as "comfortably excellent," meaning they provide excellent performance as top tier buds should, but they have a relatively safe and balanced tuning paired with a detailed, but overall pretty relaxed presentation. To me their strong suit is being almost indefinitely listenable without the compromise in technical performance and clarity that you often find in buds that can be described similarly.

The 4Ks, on the other hand, take a more energetic and forward approach that makes you sit up and listen. Their tuning is still quite balanced, but the low end has more impact and energy (without being elevated much more than the 3Ks) and the treble gives you a significantly more incisive presentation with some additional detail and sparkle without being fatiguing or sibilant. If the 2Ks are lush, warm, and a bit veiled like the Sennheiser HD650s and the 3Ks are clearer, less warm timbral masterpieces, then the 4Ks are what Sennheiser was shooting for with the HD800s: A technical power with with impressive dynamics (macro and micro), detail retrieval that outstrips previous models, staging that provides the kind of height that gives you more layers, and an overall more intense and insightful transducer. However, Yincrow managed to do this and keep that same excellent timbral and tonal accuracy and without treble peaks that can feel like icepicks to your frontal lobes. Something Senn has been unable to accomplish. (Source: I have owned the HD800 and currently own the HD650 and HD800s)

All of that profusive gushing aside, I do have some nit-picks. I feel comfortable recommending the 3Ks to just about anyone with the cash because they're a great performer with an inviting, relaxing, and wholly innofensive presentation. I won't be doing that with the 4Ks for a couple reasons: A) The 4Ks are significantly more expensive and, while they do offer some significant audible advantages over the 3Ks, those advantages are relatively small for the price jump (AKA diminishing returns territory). B) The more forward and energetic nature of the 4Ks makes them awesome in my book, but I can see that making them appeal less as a daily driver to some folks who want a bud that works for casual listening. As I mentioned before, the presentation on the 4Ks requires your full attention. They aren't a casual listening earbud, but I'm betting that's not what Yincrow was going for. They already have the 3Ks for that. So this isn't a criticism for me, but it's something those of you considering a purchase should keep in mind.

Now let me highlight the under the radar star of the show for the 4Ks: the mids. In a pair of technical buds with articulate, impactful bass and crisp, insightful, well extended treble, the mids can be overlooked and, believe it or not, that's perfect. See, the mids on these buds are clean and clear, providing great tonal/timbral accuracy to vocals and instruments in their domain. They do absolutely nothing wrong as they simply do their job and get out of the way so the more exciting extremes can do their thing. To me, the mids are like a great bassist in a band: They sit back, stay in the pocket, and, in doing so, they make everything work. The mids are the unnoticed hero of the 4Ks and they deserve to be acknowledged as such.

The soundstage is a tough nut to crack on the 4Ks. On some tracks it sounded wider and taller than the 3Ks to my ears, but on others it seemed to be similar if not a touch smaller. I was unable to pinpoint what it was about specific tracks that caused this phenomenon, but I noticed it during multiple sessions so I don't think it was a difference in placement, but rather an inherent quality. I have to do more listening and analysis to figure it out, but I took notice and in doing so felt it needed to be mentioned here.

When it comes down to it, who would I recommend the 4Ks to? Those users who listen to the 3Ks and think they'd like to hear that kind of balance with more dynamic swing, more energy, and a 10 to 15% increase in technical performance. I'd also say the 4Ks deserve consideration by anyone looking for a TOTL pair of buds for fully engaged critical listening sessions. Folks who dig bass punch, impact, and articulation paired with detail and sparkle in the treble in a tuning that doesn't overly boost those areas to achieve those characteristics, like myself, are bound to appreciate the 4Ks. Overall, I'm happy with my purchase and pretty impressed by the 4Ks. I expect them to remain in my collection for the foreseeable future.

I hope this was helpful. If anybody has any questions they'd like to ask feel free to post here or PM me and I'll be happy to answer them when I get a chance. Thanks for reading!

Bonus info: For now I have settled on some silicone rings and Fiio Crisp Donuts as my favorite setup on these buds. My favorite portable pairing was with my Cayin N8ii because it can do ultra clean and detailed or dirty things up a bit with the NuTube channel which the 4Ks take very well to. My favorite desktop signal chain was running the 4Ks off of a Schiit Magnius with a Soekris 2541 DAC. Something about this chain added a certain liquid smooth, effortless quality to the presentation that put them over the top. I'm yet to try them on my main rig though as I tend to do most of my bud based sessions when I'm kickin' it in my lounge chair.

Last, but not least, my favorite album that I listened to with the 4Ks so far was a 2019 release from Izz entitled Don't Panic. The recording style employed on the drums on that album made it an absolutely killer experience. I ended up listening to it twice, back to back. It was just progalicious!



Edit: Typos. Because small keyboard + big thumbs + poor proofreading = mistakes.

I'm a little late to the Praise Party, but this is definitely one of the most insightful, detailed, and *useful* earbud reviews I have read. It's great to have a professional musician, with a trained ear and refined musical sensibilities, use all of his heightened perceptive abilities to help us find our way through the Unknown Earbud Swamp. (How do you choose an earbud if you don't know what it sounds like?). That's just -- I don't know -- "progalicious" maybe?

 

[jeejack]

Hi. Can i ask you, which driver did you used?

The one that I have recommended for some time 120 beryllium composite

 

[jeejack]

Sorry, I don't know if I can.

Of course you can, we are not sellers.
So... for less than 20$ we will have an extraordinary pair of earbuds

 

[JAnonymous5150]

I'm a little late to the Praise Party, but this is definitely one of the most insightful, detailed, and *useful* earbud reviews I have read. It's great to have a professional musician, with a trained ear and refined musical sensibilities, use all of his heightened perceptive abilities to help us find our way through the Unknown Earbud Swamp. (How do you choose an earbud if you don't know what it sounds like?). That's just -- I don't know -- "progalicious" maybe?

Now you're gonna make me blush!

Seriously though, I'm glad you find it useful. I have learned so much through this thread and the folks on it that I'm quite happy to give back in my own small way. The 2K, 3K, and 4K (Heck, the 1K Bass version is pretty good as well) are all very good buds and each for pretty different reasons. It's not often I encounter a single company with a series of buds that cover as much range with different tunings and presentations as successfully as Yincrow has managed to do with the RW series. I could honestly whittle my bud collection down to those three models and have all my bases covered and covered very well. But what's the fun in that?

Thank you sincerely for the kind words, me friend!

 

[vandung2510]

The one that I have recommended for some time 120 beryllium composite

Can i have a link to that driver please?

 

[Kamikaze777]

The one that I have recommended for some time 120 beryllium composite

Thx. That is a great driver.

 

[ObserverOfEmpty]

I keep A/Bing between the RW-3000 and the 4000, and I find the 4000 to be noticeably much more muddy, like on snare strikes. For me, it's the 3000 that sounds like the expensive one, and the 4000 like the cheaper. Do these need some amplification or I may have gotten a defective pair?

Edit: Sorry, meant snare.

 

[anli]

the 1K Bass version is pretty good as well

Would you please compare it with 2k or 3k in a couple of words?

Or anybody else?

 

[sunsun89]

The one that I have recommended for some time 120 beryllium composite

this one? may i know what cotton tuning did you use?

 

[jeejack]

this one? may i know what cotton tuning did you use?

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