[RodRevenge]

I have the graphene, pk2s, diy pk2 and Cygnus beside me and I listened to all 3 tracks.

If you want the bass to hit deep the cygnus does all the 3 songs the best by a narrow margin

graphene completely ruined the metal btw, it’s veiled effect is ‘the wall’ you speak of imo. It’s like a filter between you and the music.

PK2 sounded the best for the mix of drum and beat but but misses the deep bass impact but I question the importance of sub bass in this genre of music so it just sounds a small bit less deep. Drum’s sound fantastic though.

DSQM was middling-good on the metal and very good on the first track.

Overall I gotta say assuming you don’t buy the cygnus as it’s not budget range get the diy pk2/dsqm pk2s and grab the 1$ thin foams. Great combo here.

Here’s how I see it. Diy pk2 does treble better and has a tighter drum roll and details are crisp. But lacks bass impact.

PK2s has bass impact but the treble is abit too smooth and not as sparkly, also the dynamics aren’t as quick/tight which doesn’t favour metal as much.

Thank you so much bro, i have the budget to get the cygnus but you think the SQ upgrade justifies the price jump?

 

[RodRevenge]

Cool! I'll find them on Tidal, and try them out with various ear buds. Thanks.

Great, waiting for your input.

 

[seanc6441]

Thank you so much bro, i have the budget to get the cygnus but you think the SQ upgrade justifies the price jump?

That’s a really tough question. I think the cygnus hits that awkward middle ground between good budget and lower premium earbud.

The Cygnus is like an acomplised version of the budget pk buds but do you really wanna spend $75-80 on a slightly better earbud? I jumped from budget to premium and skipped middle ground and i’m glad I did so.

I got my cygnus for €33/$40 so consider that. It’s a great earbud but not 2x as good as pk2/dsqm. Personally I’d stick to those two and choose between better treble and detail or better bass and smoother deeper tonality.

But if you see a cygnus in FS section for under $50 grab it quick. Definitely worth it at that price for acoustic/pop/rock and somewhat nice with metal though no expert at it. Works best with monk thin foams imo. Best tonal balance and fills out the midrange nicely.

What the cygnus does notablely better than the diy pk2/dsqm is layering, imaging and depth. It’s just a little bit more fine tuned.

But detail wise it’s only on par with diy pk2 (which has good detail) and slightly beyond dsqm.

 

[seanc6441]

I also tried my penon bs1 with the first track. Cygnus does the drums better and bs1 has more detail. Both sound good and pretty neutral but the cygnus has a more bloated mid bass, bs1 sounds more flat response which is not as fun but more analytical.

Seeing as both sound good I have to say Cygnus can still hold it’s own at times but doesn’t have the technicality of bs1 or shozy bk but will most likely sound more musical in some instances if you enjoy mid bass bump and a slightly ‘fun’ but proficient approach.

Most people consider neutral tonality to be analytical and flat but the cygnus definitely defies that whilst remaining more neutral than its warmer big brother the shozy bk stardust.

But I prefer a warmer tonality with most of my music (except in a few instances were neutral sounds better) so the bk has my preferred signature. Shozy bk cannot do metal though! But I don’t listen to metal so there’s that haha

 

[seanc6441]

@RodRevenge I see you’re using a zuperdac with ess sabre chip. If it’s like most sabre chips as was my hifime diy sabre dac and my lg v20 quad sabre dac the sound very clean and detailed but lacks a little weight in the lower mids.

The cygnus works excellently in this case with its bump in that region and through my lg v20 it sounds more weighty than my penon bs1. Really appreciates a clean source to help with its sound sig and I think if you’re device has that same signature it’ll really shine.

 

[plumpjack]

http://theheadphonelist.com/shozy-bk-stardust-earbud-review/

This was the review that put me over the edge and made me buy the Shozy BK's. No regrets as they are an amazing all-around pair of earbuds and now my most used!

 

[seanc6441]

This was the review that put me over the edge and made me buy the Shozy BK's. No regrets as they are an amazing all-around pair of earbuds and now my most used!

I found the original or very similar types of donut foams to be the best for them. Agreed the are phenomenal. They look as good as good as they sound too.

Little picky on source and with foams but if you get it right they are amazing with a magic midrange and textured vocals.

 

[plumpjack]

I found the original or very similar types of donut foams to be the best for them. Agreed the are phenomenal. They look as good as good as they sound too.

Little picky on source and with foams but if you get it right they are amazing with a magic midrange and textured vocals.

I just got some HieGi donuts and am going to try these on the various buds I have to see the difference. I just wish Shozy had included a few extra foams in the pack... I'm hesitant to remove them!

 

[seanc6441]

I just got some HieGi donuts and am going to try these on the various buds I have to see the difference. I just wish Shozy had included a few extra foams in the pack... I'm hesitant to remove them!

Heigi's didn't work for me. Bass was awesome, mids were still there, high's smooth as hell and still retained detail.

But the soundstage and airy sound were gone, everything was in your face, even for a forward sounding bud it was just too much, so regular donuts preferably not too thick were the best for me.

 

[plumpjack]

Heigi's didn't work for me. Bass was awesome, mids were still there, high's smooth as hell and still retained detail.

But the soundstage and airy sound were gone, everything was in your face, even for a forward sounding bud it was just too much, so regular donuts preferably not too thick were the best for me.

Thank you for the info seanc6441! Any recommendations of better foams then? I don't want to baby the Shozy's but don't have enough knowledge of the subject to has a good backup set of foams other than the Heigis.

 

[seanc6441]

Thank you for the info seanc6441! Any recommendations of better foams then? I don't want to baby the Shozy's but don't have enough knowledge of the subject to has a good backup set of foams other than the Heigis.

I got a tonne of different foams with many earbuds and many were regular full foams or regular donut foams. Of those I selected a few for my bk's depending on which sounded the best but all were pretty similar in design just slighty differnt foam density. Judge by ear is my best advice as everyone is different. I wish I had more of the original bk donuts to test them but i just use donuts I had from previous buds.

Most thin donuts will work, some sound slighty better than others but idk where to by them specifically sorry. Wish I knew lol!

You can also cut holes in full foams and use them as donuts too, works well for me.

 

[waynes world]

Been listening to trance for a few hours, swapping between the snow-lotus 2.0's and the seahf 150c's. The snow-lotus' have more mid-bass thump (plenty-o-bass!). The 150c's also have a lot of bass, but seem to be a bit more refined with a bit more sparkle upstairs. Both are awesome - love'em both!

Edit: listening to this: https://www.friskyradio.com/show/destinations/12-14-2017

 

[DBaldock9]

I got a tonne of different foams with many earbuds and many were regular full foams or regular donut foams. Of those I selected a few for my bk's depending on which sounded the best but all were pretty similar in design just slighty differnt foam density. Judge by ear is my best advice as everyone is different. I wish I had more of the original bk donuts to test them but i just use donuts I had from previous buds.

Most thin donuts will work, some sound slighty better than others but idk where to by them specifically sorry. Wish I knew lol!

You can also cut holes in full foams and use them as donuts too, works well for me.

I found these - not quite as thin as the thin foams that come with Monk+ earbuds, but they aren't too thick, either - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/50P...Cushions-Ear-Buds-For-Mobile/32695762992.html

 

[waynes world]

Did you ever receive the Edifier H190? I love mine. I bought that from Amazon after you made me curious. Later I also bought the H185 and I enjoy that also. Both fit well.

Starting to feel the itch. Maybe the H190's will be the ones?

 

[paulindss]

Good night guys. Wanted a quick Help.
I am more of an IEM guy, but sometimes i can apreciatte a good earbud. I have a faaeal 64ohm that is good, but sound lack too much bass too me, but i find them confortable, good to listen, seem natural with a lack of fun and spaciouness. I have a vido that i like more, it hass the bass impact. It seems with more soundstage altought with much less precision, i think ? whatever. Basically i find faaeal cold, and vido funnier. The problem is, the faaeal are gorgeous built, and the vido looks like a trash. My question is, my search for something in the middle, sounding better than vido and with a good cable end up with a safe bet on EMX500 ? I don't wanna much complication. I wanted to know if the Emx is more in the side of fun vido, or cold/precise faaeal/monks. Thx.

Other recommendations are welcome. My powerfull source is a small Fiio E70k.

Soundstage and airyness with bass presence is basically what i look for in a earbud.

Thanx in advance.