[trevdawg94]

While I was reading your post, three earbuds came to my mind without thinking,
@FranQL Blue Moon, Aquila and Ibis

I was considering them as well, just hadn't looked into them a lot since they're not readily available. I would love to try any of his earbuds if I got the chance but I understand that it's something he does for the enjoyment of this hobby not as an actual money maker.

 

[qua2k]

You can always give the new yinman 150ohm a shot. That's what I'm looking towards personally. I believe that'll be a higher end option.

Or you can always go for the fioio ff3s or ff5. Dunu Almost Alpha 3. They're pretty highly regarded.

Same here re: Yinman 150s. I am much more interested in the DIY/unknown makers out there. I feel like they are doing more interesting things than the 'top dawgs' out there.

 

[ttorbic]

I was looking at the Serratus as well but I don't think it's currently available but I should check with Jim to be sure. I would consider the RW4K if it wasn't such a huge jump in price for not that great of an improvement over the RW3K. And since I already have the RW2K I don't think it will be that large of a jump even if I went for the RW4K. Don't get me wrong I love Yincrow's tuning and the RW2K is much less fatiguing and smoother than the OH Nightingale but I don't think the tuning of the RW4K will have quite the sparkle that I'm looking for.

Red Serratus is available https://www.tgxear.com/store/products/red-serratus

Same tuning as the OG.

 

[droenald]

For those asking about the Yinmans, I can say this of them. Yes, we DO speak of the bass a lot for these buds, but it is not because they are "bass-head" type of buds, nor do they impede on the mids. The reason that this set is so impressive in the bass department is because of the depths to which it can go, and the texture and imaging of all of those frequencies. When damped incorrectly, the sound will range from anything like horribly muddy and flat, with recessed treble, to good sounding. HOWEVER.... damp them correctly and now you actually have some sparkle to the treble (still very smooth, but never recessed IMHO, and I could ALMOST be considered a treble head; though not upper mids/lower treble). In general, I don't find them to have any more or less bass than the ST10S (B&W), or the FiiO FF3. It is what it does when triggered that is impressive to me.

While not the widest out there, it certainly isn't intimate either. I would say they are average to good (depending also on the source and the source material). They don't force width where there is none, put it that way. And if that isn't enough, adding some cross feed works well with them as well. As for imaging/layering, I am blown away by how well they do for an overall smooth sound signature. The other thing that blows most people away about this set is the smoothness. These sound like you took an aggressive set and gave them to a really good tube amp. They are a bit confounding in this way because how can something so smooth remain so clear?

They ae a bit mid centric but aren't "super in your face" like some mid focused buds/IEMs/headphones are. I find the mids to be fairly close to linear. The most important thing to me is that they are neither shouty (upper mids) with any volume, nor are they sibilant (mid to upper treble), also with any volume (well, until it hurts your ears in general, and then nothing is enjoyable anyhow ).

Speaking of the ST10S, I will have to agree that they are one of the bassiest (storebought) buds out there, even now. The reason that they don't really get the credit for this is because the upper mids are boosted enough to sort of drown out the bass a bit. Comparing the M4 & M5 with the ST10S 150Ω driver is apples to oranges. These three buds sound almost night and day different; though the M5 comes a bit closer because it has a similar (if not same) maze "bass" port in it. The fact that there is NO tuning going on at all for the M4 and M5 with any frequency above bass is the reason they sound so different. I would actually call the tuning in these "wild" or "uncontrolled"...

Actually, now that I think about it, the Rose Technics Maria II have the potential to have the most bass of ANY earbud I have heard. If you don't remember, they are the buds that have dual stacked DD drivers, and one of them is 16.xx mm (or is it more, I don't remember, it is huge). But, they weren't tuned to show this, so EQ is required, and also why they aren't mentioned as super bass buds often. That and the fact that they are now discontinued.

Dammit! It seems every few pages in this thread someone else sings the "Legend of Yinman" - Song. I really don't think it is only you @samandhi praising them? But that post really makes me want to to get them! From your description it sounds as if they have no peak in the higher mids and or lower treble at all, so super buttery smooth! The Avcck shop is not accessible from Belgium (apart from being certified as being very sketchy by now) and I simply won't put up with the Taobao website. Aaaaaaaaaaaarghhh! Stop praising the Yinmans please!

 

[trevdawg94]

Red Serratus is available https://www.tgxear.com/store/products/red-serratus

Same tuning as the OG.

Whoops I should've taken a closer look, didn't realize they were they same. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[kaeswiss]

I actually thought I'd be blown away by the Yinman and while I appreciate its sub-bass, I find it sounds a bit "muddy" and prefer my EB2S Pro. I'm running it off of a FiiO KA13 and if I use portable mode it sounds very muddy (not enough power I guess). Desktop mode makes it sound less so. I wonder if it's still not enough power or if I should experiment with EQ?

In all of the discussions about the Yinman 600 I've seen a lot about how well it handles bass frequencies but not much about how it handles other frequencies. I know that it's considered a warmer earbud, but do mids and treble suffer in pursuit of that warmth? And I haven't seen a lot about soundstage or imaging, though I have read that it isn't very wide yet it has a lot of height and depth but it was only mentioned once or twice so I'm not sure how accurate that opinion is. Layering is another consideration as well, are instruments and vocals well defined without being blurred together and possibly overshadowed or is everything smoothed out?

For those asking about the Yinmans, I can say this of them. Yes, we DO speak of the bass a lot for these buds, but it is not because they are "bass-head" type of buds, nor do they impede on the mids. The reason that this set is so impressive in the bass department is because of the depths to which it can go, and the texture and imaging of all of those frequencies. When damped incorrectly, the sound will range from anything like horribly muddy and flat, with recessed treble, to good sounding. HOWEVER.... damp them correctly and now you actually have some sparkle to the treble (still very smooth, but never recessed IMHO, and I could ALMOST be considered a treble head; though not upper mids/lower treble). In general, I don't find them to have any more or less bass than the ST10S (B&W), or the FiiO FF3. It is what it does when triggered that is impressive to me.

While not the widest out there, it certainly isn't intimate either. I would say they are average to good (depending also on the source and the source material). They don't force width where there is none, put it that way. And if that isn't enough, adding some cross feed works well with them as well. As for imaging/layering, I am blown away by how well they do for an overall smooth sound signature. The other thing that blows most people away about this set is the smoothness. These sound like you took an aggressive set and gave them to a really good tube amp. They are a bit confounding in this way because how can something so smooth remain so clear?

Apologies for the incoming negative impressions on a set so widely regarded on this thread. These are just my impressions so YMMV.
TL;DR - The Yinman 600 sounds muddy and they're not for me.

I received the Yinman 600 a week ago and they've been burned in for about ~50hrs now. My initial thoughts were that they have good bass for an earbud, but it seems to make the rest of the FR very muddy-sounding. Well, unfortunately, my impressions haven't changed much after driver burn-in and brain burn-in.

I've tried them with the stock foams (both full and donut) and without any foams. I've tried them on the BTR7 and RU7 dongle DACs on high gain. I've tried them on the Violectric V222 desktop amp. They do sound better on the desktop amp, but they still sound muddy overall. Bass is good for an earbud. Sub bass is better than mid bass. Treble is faint, soundstage is small, and I can't say much for layering and imaging.

I should mention that I've heard a lot more IEMs and headphones than I have earbuds so I'm starting to wonder if I just have a bad set. I also have the DUNU Alpha 3 earbuds and I much prefer its sound signature. The Alpha 3s have better treble extension and a larger soundstage in comparison. The Alpha 3's bass isn't as impactful or rumbly, but the mids and treble aren't muddied up either. The Alpha 3 just sounds more clear overall.

The Yinman 600 has a pretty nice 4w cable. It's soft and plush, but somehow very microphonic. I think it may have more to do with how the cable is snaked into the shallow wooden stems and tiny movements will make the cable "rattle" within the shells. I'm betting the older version of the Yinman 600 with the detachable MMCX cable doesn't have this issue.

I wish I had a brighter source I could pair it up with to see if the Yinman 600 would sound better to me, but I don't. Perhaps warm IEMs like the Softears Twilight or warm headphones like the ZMF Atrium Closed are good for me, but not warm earbuds.

 

[trevdawg94]

Apologies for the incoming negative impressions on a set so widely regarded on this thread. These are just my impressions so YMMV.
TL;DR - The Yinman 600 sounds muddy and they're not for me.

I received the Yinman 600 a week ago and they've been burned in for about ~50hrs now. My initial thoughts were that they have good bass for an earbud, but it seems to make the rest of the FR very muddy-sounding. Well, unfortunately, my impressions haven't changed much after driver burn-in and brain burn-in.

Thanks for the honest opinion even if it doesn't match with most people's experiences, outliers are helpful with finding issues based on how people hear sounds differently. I'm not a fan of any of Fiio's currently available buds even though they're well regarded by most people on this thread so I can understand your hesitance to post an opinion that goes against the grain. I trust the opinions I get here but I think it comes down to how I hear things, I had a lot of ear infections as a kid which undoubtedly altered my hearing.

I've tried them with the stock foams (both full and donut) and without any foams. I've tried them on the BTR7 and RU7 dongle DACs on high gain. I've tried them on the Violectric V222 desktop amp. They do sound better on the desktop amp, but they still sound muddy overall. Bass is good for an earbud. Sub bass is better than mid bass. Treble is faint, soundstage is small, and I can't say much for layering and imaging.

Your impression of bass with them mirrors my experience with the FF3 even without the treble warbling, I might have expected that with the BTR7 but not with the V222 as it has plenty of power to drive them. That's not a great experience for other frequencies and how well it handles staging.

I should mention that I've heard a lot more IEMs and headphones than I have earbuds so I'm starting to wonder if I just have a bad set. I also have the DUNU Alpha 3 earbuds and I much prefer its sound signature. The Alpha 3s have better treble extension and a larger soundstage in comparison. The Alpha 3's bass isn't as impactful or rumbly, but the mids and treble aren't muddied up either. The Alpha 3 just sounds more clear overall.

There's always the possibility of it being a bad set, especially depending on where you purchased them from. If AVCCK were more trustworthy I wouldn't have any second thoughts about them replacing a bad set and the hassle of dealing with returns or refunds through Taobao makes me hesitant to go that route. The Alpha 3 is too hot and sibilant for me, I love it for watching videos and streams but I can't stand to listen to music through it. I should revisit them and see if I can tone them down with EQ.

The Yinman 600 has a pretty nice 4w cable. It's soft and plush, but somehow very microphonic. I think it may have more to do with how the cable is snaked into the shallow wooden stems and tiny movements will make the cable "rattle" within the shells. I'm betting the older version of the Yinman 600 with the detachable MMCX cable doesn't have this issue.

This is why I prefer removeable cables, I've heard microphonics before and it's not pleasant. Sad to hear that this is present with the Yinmans, maybe it could be fixed by putting a small dab of glue where the cable exits the stem? Though that might just transfer the microphonics into the body instead of the driver so idk whether it will help.

I wish I had a brighter source I could pair it up with to see if the Yinman 600 would sound better to me, but I don't. Perhaps warm IEMs like the Softears Twilight or warm headphones like the ZMF Atrium Closed are good for me, but not warm earbuds.

The BTR7 should be a pretty neutral source, the only thing I can think of with it is that it might not have quite enough power to fully drive them. I haven't looked into the V222 so I can't say a lot about it but it should be more than capable of properly driving the Yinman so I don't think that's the issue. It could be the position they sat in your ears, as even small changes can greatly affect the sound. I know they're not really meant to be worn this way, but did you try wearing them over ear to keep them in a fixed position? It might also reduce microphonics since the cable would sit on your ear and help reduce how much makes it to the earbud.

Dammit! It seems every few pages in this thread someone else sings the "Legend of Yinman" - Song. I really don't think it is only you @samandhi praising them? But that post really makes me want to to get them! From your description it sounds as if they have no peak in the higher mids and or lower treble at all, so super buttery smooth! The Avcck shop is not accessible from Belgium (apart from being certified as being very sketchy by now) and I simply won't put up with the Taobao website. Aaaaaaaaaaaarghhh! Stop praising the Yinmans please!

LMAO I feel your pain, the FOMO can be overwhelming at times especially when a new cheap earbud comes along and completely changes what you thought you wanted in an earbud. That's why I'm glad there is such a diverse set of opinions here, with usually at least one or two people finding flaws with even the most highly regarded earbuds. It's frustrating that you can't access AVCCK from Belgium but tbh with how their customer service acts it may not be the worst thing as I'm not too keen to buy anything from them. I'm not trying to make your FOMO worse I swear, but have you looked into a buying agent for Taobao? It is much, much easier than dealing directly with Taobao but you'll pay more since they're acting as the middleman. And please correct me if I'm wrong, but they can usually step in if there's an issue with the item you receive to help procure any refunds and replacements so you don't have to worry about getting a defective set as much.

 

[Brillig]

The tm9 was like $300 also yin was $300, tm7 was $190

Just got an email back from Woo at Bloxearphone.com

TM11 are 168 usd and shipping cost is 12 usd.

 

[kaeswiss]

Thanks for the honest opinion even if it doesn't match with most people's experiences, outliers are helpful with finding issues based on how people hear sounds differently. I'm not a fan of any of Fiio's currently available buds even though they're well regarded by most people on this thread so I can understand your hesitance to post an opinion that goes against the grain. I trust the opinions I get here but I think it comes down to how I hear things, I had a lot of ear infections as a kid which undoubtedly altered my hearing.


Your impression of bass with them mirrors my experience with the FF3 even without the treble warbling, I might have expected that with the BTR7 but not with the V222 as it has plenty of power to drive them. That's not a great experience for other frequencies and how well it handles staging.


There's always the possibility of it being a bad set, especially depending on where you purchased them from. If AVCCK were more trustworthy I wouldn't have any second thoughts about them replacing a bad set and the hassle of dealing with returns or refunds through Taobao makes me hesitant to go that route. The Alpha 3 is too hot and sibilant for me, I love it for watching videos and streams but I can't stand to listen to music through it. I should revisit them and see if I can tone them down with EQ.



This is why I prefer removeable cables, I've heard microphonics before and it's not pleasant. Sad to hear that this is present with the Yinmans, maybe it could be fixed by putting a small dab of glue where the cable exits the stem? Though that might just transfer the microphonics into the body instead of the driver so idk whether it will help.


The BTR7 should be a pretty neutral source, the only thing I can think of with it is that it might not have quite enough power to fully drive them. I haven't looked into the V222 so I can't say a lot about it but it should be more than capable of properly driving the Yinman so I don't think that's the issue. It could be the position they sat in your ears, as even small changes can greatly affect the sound. I know they're not really meant to be worn this way, but did you try wearing them over ear to keep them in a fixed position? It might also reduce microphonics since the cable would sit on your ear and help reduce how much makes it to the earbud.



LMAO I feel your pain, the FOMO can be overwhelming at times especially when a new cheap earbud comes along and completely changes what you thought you wanted in an earbud. That's why I'm glad there is such a diverse set of opinions here, with usually at least one or two people finding flaws with even the most highly regarded earbuds. It's frustrating that you can't access AVCCK from Belgium but tbh with how their customer service acts it may not be the worst thing as I'm not too keen to buy anything from them. I'm not trying to make your FOMO worse I swear, but have you looked into a buying agent for Taobao? It is much, much easier than dealing directly with Taobao but you'll pay more since they're acting as the middleman. And please correct me if I'm wrong, but they can usually step in if there's an issue with the item you receive to help procure any refunds and replacements so you don't have to worry about getting a defective set as much.

It sucks because I've been reading through this thread and I was convinced that the Yinman 600 would for sure be a one and done for me. I got them from the AVCCK AE store so I will likely try to go through the return process soon.

Yea, I didn't mention it, but I did try wearing the Yinmans looped over my ears and it does reduce microphonics. The cable contact with the top of my ears are probably absorbing the sound before it could travel further to the shells.

As for the Alpha 3, which song(s) do you notice the sibilance with? I haven't really come across any tracks that were too spicy or sibilant. There are the occasional zingy S's and T's on poorly mixed tracks, but they aren't really wince-inducing for me.

 

[droenald]

Apologies for the incoming negative impressions on a set so widely regarded on this thread. These are just my impressions so YMMV.
TL;DR - The Yinman 600 sounds muddy and they're not for me.

I received the Yinman 600 a week ago and they've been burned in for about ~50hrs now. My initial thoughts were that they have good bass for an earbud, but it seems to make the rest of the FR very muddy-sounding. Well, unfortunately, my impressions haven't changed much after driver burn-in and brain burn-in.

I've tried them with the stock foams (both full and donut) and without any foams. I've tried them on the BTR7 and RU7 dongle DACs on high gain. I've tried them on the Violectric V222 desktop amp. They do sound better on the desktop amp, but they still sound muddy overall. Bass is good for an earbud. Sub bass is better than mid bass. Treble is faint, soundstage is small, and I can't say much for layering and imaging.

I should mention that I've heard a lot more IEMs and headphones than I have earbuds so I'm starting to wonder if I just have a bad set. I also have the DUNU Alpha 3 earbuds and I much prefer its sound signature. The Alpha 3s have better treble extension and a larger soundstage in comparison. The Alpha 3's bass isn't as impactful or rumbly, but the mids and treble aren't muddied up either. The Alpha 3 just sounds more clear overall.

The Yinman 600 has a pretty nice 4w cable. It's soft and plush, but somehow very microphonic. I think it may have more to do with how the cable is snaked into the shallow wooden stems and tiny movements will make the cable "rattle" within the shells. I'm betting the older version of the Yinman 600 with the detachable MMCX cable doesn't have this issue.

I wish I had a brighter source I could pair it up with to see if the Yinman 600 would sound better to me, but I don't. Perhaps warm IEMs like the Softears Twilight or warm headphones like the ZMF Atrium Closed are good for me, but not warm earbuds.

Ooof! Finally somebody who dislikes the yinmans. This tames down my Fomo a tiny little bit...
@trevdawg94 - I am not ready to pay somebody extra money just to navigate the webpage for me. Call me cheap, but at this point it feels to me, as it is simply not meant to be. Also I somehow can't justify for myself to go to great lenghts just to get them. I am in a point in my life where I am more busy than I ever was before. The 2 kids (aged 3 and 5) and a full time job basically leave no time for a hobby and even "wasting time" by posting here is giving me a guilty conscience... Still doing that, as I really enjoy the company and and knowledge of you guys here!
In two weeks I will go to germany for a few days. Will then check if the Avcck store delivers there... If yes, I will order the yinmans and have them delivered to my mothers place.
If that doesn't work out, I'll simply have to continue whining around every time someone praises the yinmans.

 

[droenald]

It sucks because I've been reading through this thread and I was convinced that the Yinman 600 would for sure be a one and done for me. I got them from the AVCCK AE store so I will likely try to go through the return process soon.

Yea, I didn't mention it, but I did try wearing the Yinmans looped over my ears and it does reduce microphonics. The cable contact with the top of my ears are probably absorbing the sound before it could travel further to the shells.

As for the Alpha 3, which song(s) do you notice the sibilance with? I haven't really come across any tracks that were too spicy or sibilant. There are the occasional zingy S's and T's on poorly mixed tracks, but they aren't really wince-inducing for me.

Hmmmmm... Do you have them terminated with a 2,5mm plug? In that case you could send them to me instead of sending them back to china and hoping to get refunded. I'll pay what you payed for them. Shipping to Belgium would be on you in that case though. In any way, I think you should be able to find someone in here who is willing to take them!

 

[kaeswiss]

Hmmmmm... Do you have them terminated with a 2,5mm plug? In that case you could send them to me instead of sending them back to china and hoping to get refunded. I'll pay what you payed for them. Shipping to Belgium would be on you in that case though. In any way, I think you should be able to find someone in here who is willing to take them!

Mine has the 4.4mm plug, but yea good point, I could always try the headfi classifieds if I run into issues with the AE return policy.

 

[mt877]

You can always give the new yinman 150ohm a shot. That's what I'm looking towards personally. I believe that'll be a higher end option.

Or you can always go for the fioio ff3s or ff5. Dunu Almost Alpha 3. They're pretty highly regarded.

If you find a Yinman 150Ω let us all know. I would sure like to get a set. Maybe there's a little confusion with the recent buying Yinman buds from AliExpress discussions.

Here's the breakdown. Both Yinman 600Ω and Yinman 32Ω are purchasable. If you buy from AVCCK store the 3 listings for the 150Ω are misleading. 2 of the 150Ω listings have pricing of ~$41.00. You will get Yinman 32Ω buds. The 3rd listing for 150Ω has pricing ~$118.00, you will be getting Yinman 600Ω.

@samandhi messaged the store and grilled them about whether they had the Yinman 150Ω available and they kept dancing around his questions by answering with suggestions to purchase either the 600Ω or 32Ω. The store would never comment if the 150Ω was in stock or not. Draw your own conclusions, if they had the 150Ω in stock there would be no reason for them to keep suggesting the other buds.

 

[samandhi]

This is a very long post, so I will put (most of) my replies in "spoiler tags" so that you don't need to scroll a ton if you don't want to read my replies.

Woah what? For stagehead?
Respectively, the Chaconne is one of the worst buds i've ever heard from the stage and bass perspective. Bass is so weak compared to anything i've heard before (this is not because i mainly use iem before either). Since the bass was so weak, along with really high uppermids, there's not much bass related spatial cues i can perceive

I know i know. I know bass and soundstage don't necessary go together. But i've never heard such buds that disappointed me so much with Yosi Horikawa's songs.

Spoiler

I don't doubt what you are hearing with these. Here on this thread they have been reported to be very "niche" buds since forever. These have a decidedly "audiophile" or "diffuse" tuning and really work best with classical music (or the like). What I mean by that is that the bass is not weak by any measure, for where they fit into their strengths. It is simply not boosted in any way. Of course this is all subjective and we can't really know what the recording is supposed to sound like without having the buds, and then being in front of the recording artist at the same time.

I have always said that you will not be disappointed with these if you know what you are getting into before purchasing them. Maybe you missed all the warnings, so apologies if you absolutely hated them. Having said that, I would also normally mention (when recommending them) something like this:

The bass is all there, but at a level that you won't be happy with on music that relies on it.

And, I have listened to quite a few songs from Yosi Horikawa now and I can tell you that this music is definitely centered around bass and percussion paired with other atmospheric sounds (the opposite of what the Chaconne are good at).

BTW, thanks very much for the unwitting recommendation! I have never heard of this person before, but I am really enjoying listening to his works (randomized)... This is great for atmospheric listening IMHO. So far, his recordings sound just so pristine. And this is just me listening at Redbook (16/44). I can only imagine if I had some of his works on 24/192+ or DSD.... WOW!

I wonder if you don't have them seated correctly in your ear or have a bad fitment due to your ear shape?! Of all the earbuds out there, these have the very least amount of boost in the upper mids that I have heard. And I can say that with certainty because, I have a built-in radar for such boosts. I don't even have to actually listen for it, and I can't simply ignore it. It is automatic ranging from uncomfortable to pain. This has been a major (probably exhaustively so) complaint about earbuds in general for quite a few years now for me.

Just received the Dunu Alpha 3. Really well tuned and nice package! Using the donut foams on them, truly give me open headphone vibes. The amount of slam can't match basshead IEMs but it is there, and does what its supposed to, much like my 800S - ppl complain that it lacks bass, but I've never found that to be true.

Will burn them in more before forming an opinion on them. But for now, initial impressions are positive, not let down in anyway. Giving me the Aiwa discman + earbud vibes back when i was still young.

Spoiler

Congrats on your new shiny!

With the similarly tuned Yincrow RW3000 and FiiO FF5, I think that these have gone under the radar (which might be a bit unfair to the set) and I am glad that someone is giving them some recognition for what they are good for. I really do enjoy them because they are bright, but not offensive in any way, much like the FF5. The RW3000 DO indeed have a boost in the upper mids, but it is not so much so that they are uncomfortable unless I try and listen to them loudly.

I don't think that people truly mean that it lacks bass, per se' (or maybe not the way you are thinking). What I mean is that while the low end is not perceived as lacking, because of the boost to mid bass, giving them a bassy thump and quickness, they do severely lack in any sort of sub bass. This will only be evident on music that relies on sub bass to show its face. For rock and things that require more thump, and less rumble, these are fantastic, but for something like rap or deep synth, these are a tad bit lacking.

Personally I don't find this a bad thing though, because the rest of the tuning is good, and there is nothing in the tuning that is offensive, and yet they still remain non-boring sounding to my ears...

And, BTW! I don't think the HD800S lack bass AT ALL either... They are one of my favorite headphones of all times. Having said that, and like the Chaconne, the OG HD800 DID indeed lack bass for anything except classical and the like, unless you EQ'ed it in there. Then again, I can also (sometimes) tilt in the other direction, and I am not ashamed to admit it. The 7Hz Legato for instance are bass monsters that resemble old style 80s 2 speaker sounds. Or the (really cheap) CCA CRA that DO have some decent (if not a bit sibilant at times) treble, but are just about bass in an IEM... haha

While I was reading your post, three earbuds came to my mind without thinking,
@FranQL Blue Moon, Aquila and Ibis

Yep, and he is a master at tuning out any boost that the driver might inherently exhibit in the presence region. I don't have ANY buds from him that even begin to be offensive or "shouty" in any way, even with volume.

Dammit! It seems every few pages in this thread someone else sings the "Legend of Yinman" - Song. I really don't think it is only you @samandhi praising them? But that post really makes me want to to get them! From your description it sounds as if they have no peak in the higher mids and or lower treble at all, so super buttery smooth! The Avcck shop is not accessible from Belgium (apart from being certified as being very sketchy by now) and I simply won't put up with the Taobao website. Aaaaaaaaaaaarghhh! Stop praising the Yinmans please!

Apologies to you for being repetitive, but depending on one's expectations, these are simply the best at what they do, and I am not afraid to recommend them for all that desire the sort of tone, tuning, technicalities that these bring to the table.

Yes, this is a big deal for me, that they are not offensive in any way. Yes, they are warmer, and smoother, but have all the clarity and resolution of a set that might be MUCH more aggressive sounding otherwise, all while remaining musical as well.

Apologies for the incoming negative impressions on a set so widely regarded on this thread. These are just my impressions so YMMV.
TL;DR - The Yinman 600 sounds muddy and they're not for me.

I received the Yinman 600 a week ago and they've been burned in for about ~50hrs now. My initial thoughts were that they have good bass for an earbud, but it seems to make the rest of the FR very muddy-sounding. Well, unfortunately, my impressions haven't changed much after driver burn-in and brain burn-in.

I've tried them with the stock foams (both full and donut) and without any foams. I've tried them on the BTR7 and RU7 dongle DACs on high gain. I've tried them on the Violectric V222 desktop amp. They do sound better on the desktop amp, but they still sound muddy overall. Bass is good for an earbud. Sub bass is better than mid bass. Treble is faint, soundstage is small, and I can't say much for layering and imaging.

I should mention that I've heard a lot more IEMs and headphones than I have earbuds so I'm starting to wonder if I just have a bad set. I also have the DUNU Alpha 3 earbuds and I much prefer its sound signature. The Alpha 3s have better treble extension and a larger soundstage in comparison. The Alpha 3's bass isn't as impactful or rumbly, but the mids and treble aren't muddied up either. The Alpha 3 just sounds more clear overall.

The Yinman 600 has a pretty nice 4w cable. It's soft and plush, but somehow very microphonic. I think it may have more to do with how the cable is snaked into the shallow wooden stems and tiny movements will make the cable "rattle" within the shells. I'm betting the older version of the Yinman 600 with the detachable MMCX cable doesn't have this issue.

I wish I had a brighter source I could pair it up with to see if the Yinman 600 would sound better to me, but I don't. Perhaps warm IEMs like the Softears Twilight or warm headphones like the ZMF Atrium Closed are good for me, but not warm earbuds.

Spoiler

You don't need to apologize for what you don't like at all my friend. Everyone's ears are completely different, so how do you KNOW you are getting the best FOR YOU just by reading some text here on an earbud thread? Truth is, you can't.... You can only develop (over time) an impression of what person's on here have a similar sound signature preference to yours, to decide whether a set will be for you or not. For instance, Woodyluvr... I know that he had issues with anything either shouty (upper mids), or sibilant (mid to upper treble), and even if they weren't quite at those levels, he generally wasn't as much a fan of overall bright signatures, so when he recommended something, you knew it was going to be warm and non offensive in any region.

As for me, there is really no way to be OBJECTIVE at this, but my subjective opinion encompasses all sorts of tuning, rather than being like a lot of reviewers that if the signature doesn't fit their preference, then they suck. I like bright, and warm, smooth, diffuse, etc... For me, the reason I love the Yinman the best of all my collection is because they are just so versatile, and don't offend my ears with ANY genre. I like the Chaconne best for classical of any sort, or the RW2000 for pop, but I might not like them as well for mixing other genres. What this means, is that normally when I put my buds in place, and hit the play button, I simply hit "Shuffle" with all my music (up to about 30K songs by now), and the Yinman cover them all equally well. All but a couple (or so) of my earbuds, I can, and have, sung praises of them. That is the reason I still own them after all...

One thing though, that makes me wonder (as you mentioned as well) that you either have a bad set, or the seller simply built his own, or did surgery on the real deal, is that the cable on this set is NOT microphonic in any way for me. I am not entirely sure what that might mean, but I have to wonder because what you are describing for sound is also NOT what I would expect from any well tuned high impedance set (especially the Yinmans). Yes, they are warm and smooth, but if driven well, there is no "muddiness" or bleed into any other frequency. And I am thinking that the V222 SHOULD be able to drive them fully at any volume level. Plus, from the reviews I saw, that amp tends to be just a tad bright of neutral as well.

P.S. To no one in particualar:
One thing I want to note for all that don't know (that I have forgotten to add in previous recommendations). Please don't get angry with anyone on here that gives recommendations for buds, and you end up hating them. I can assure you that those that have been here for a while (and even some fantastic new(er) people), never hand out recommendations lightly. And most give those recommendations based on what YOU the listener is looking for, rather than what they simply think sounds the best. It used to be that our own Woodyluvr used to give out recommendations based on a worksheet that he would have you fill out, which I have to say his recommendations were usually spot on; he KNOWS his buds. At one point he completely stopped giving out recs because people were sending him nasty PMs because he recommended the set they bought, and they thought they sucked, and it was Woody's fault blah, blah, blah.

It is perfectly normal to NOT like something that you bought based on recs here (read blind), but getting angry with those that tried to help is not cool.... [/spoiler]


Peace Y'all!

 

[samandhi]

If you find a Yinman 150Ω let us all know. I would sure like to get a set.

+1 for sure!