My gripe with donuts is how hard they're to put on & also how they often shift around on the earbud shell/face when you're inserting them or trying to get a better seal. Thick full foams are best for my use case. Not a fan of the porous full foams from VE either.
As a side note, currently listening to the RY4S UE after burn in. They sound great. Impressed with the bass quality and quantity. Details and mids too. No sibilance that i can detect...so far.
As a side note, currently listening to the RY4S UE after burn in. They sound great. Impressed with the bass quality and quantity. Details and mids too. No sibilance that i can detect...so far.
I had RY4S HI with braided cable, but I would not say that there was good bass, it needed modification, it was possible to drill a bass port. But recently I tried RY4S Plus MMCX version in which everything is fine with the bass, compared to previous versions
My gripe with donuts is how hard they're to put on & also how they often shift around on the earbud shell/face when you're inserting them or trying to get a better seal. Thick full foams are best for my use case. Not a fan of the porous full foams from VE either.
As a side note, currently listening to the RY4S UE after burn in. They sound great. Impressed with the bass quality and quantity. Details and mids too. No sibilance that i can detect...so far.
Yes the donuts "slip" on me too, but it's a minor annoyance I'm willing to accept to preserve the trebles of treble-shy earbuds (namely TO200, TO600). The RY4S I'm still unsure, it's not an immediate "this is great" like the nameless, but not a "this is ok, I guess" like the snowlotus 2.0 either, somewhere in-between and I believe it can improve with burn-in.
Once I get my final Chinese packet for 2019 (TO180 and Tomahawk are yet to come) I'm gonna do a mega Roundup review. For what it's worth because we all hear differently, but someone out there might find it valuable.
I had RY4S HI with braided cable, but I would not say that there was good bass, it needed modification, it was possible to drill a bass port. But recently I tried RY4S Plus MMCX version in which everything is fine with the bass, compared to previous versions
I had similar experience with the RY4S UE. The bass is neutral at best, I can't hear or measure any kind of emphasis or boost in that area, the response is close to flat from 80hz to 1khz at least. The falloff in the lower region is quite slow so it has good definition, but I would prefer about +3-4db below 200hz (concentrated around 50-100hz) for it to sound balanced/realistic to my taste. There might be variations or recently modified tuning, so I can't be 100% sure that they still sound the same. I bought mine in last december.
The RY4S I'm still unsure, it's not an immediate "this is great" like the nameless, but not a "this is ok, I guess" like the snowlotus 2.0 either, somewhere in-between and I believe it can improve with burn-in.
Have you tried anything below 20usd that you liked more than ry4s ue? (I know I know, there's bk2 and nameless but I'd be interested more in similar price range alternatives to the ry4s, just curious) If so could you compare them briefly?
I had RY4S HI with braided cable, but I would not say that there was good bass, it needed modification, it was possible to drill a bass port. But recently I tried RY4S Plus MMCX version in which everything is fine with the bass, compared to previous versions
The difference between the HI version and the UE version is the cable, right? Maybe that plays a role as well? I wouldn't call the RY4S UE basshead buds, but to me the bass sounds sufficient for the kind of music of music I'm listening to. Certainly not bass-light like the Monk Lite.
Yes the donuts "slip" on me too, but it's a minor annoyance I'm willing to accept to preserve the trebles of treble-shy earbuds (namely TO200, TO600). The RY4S I'm still unsure, it's not an immediate "this is great" like the nameless, but not a "this is ok, I guess" like the snowlotus 2.0 either, somewhere in-between and I believe it can improve with burn-in.
Once I get my final Chinese packet for 2019 (TO180 and Tomahawk are yet to come) I'm gonna do a mega Roundup review. For what it's worth because we all hear differently, but someone out there might find it valuable.
Hmm, interesting. Different strokes for different folks, I guess. I'm beginning to think I prefer the sound coming from the RY4S UE over the NiceHCK B40.
I had similar experience with the RY4S UE. The bass is neutral at best, I can't hear or measure any kind of emphasis or boost in that area, the response is close to flat from 80hz to 1khz at least. The falloff in the lower region is quite slow so it has good definition, but I would prefer about +3-4db below 200hz (concentrated around 50-100hz) for it to sound balanced/realistic to my taste. There might be variations or recently modified tuning, so I can't be 100% sure that they still sound the same. I bought mine in last december.
Yes, can't discount the possibility of sample variations and/or revised tuning. Still, it's interesting to know that there are differing opinions regarding the RY4S UE.
I have been reading this thread for quite some days, and there are 3000 pages!
Recently into Hi-Fi music, I have HiFiMan He400i and VE Zen. I pair them with Sabaj DA3. As I read and also felt (little bit) that Sabaj DA3 does not do justice with the headphones. With that I have ordered Drop THX AAA 789 (coming to me in Feb/Mar 2020)
I normally listen to Bollywood music and am looking for a earbud that can enhance my listening experience like instrument separation/placement, clarity, etc. Not a Bass head but decent bass is ok with me.
Even after reading so much on this thread I couldn't make up my mind on what earbuds I should try. I am looking for two pairs, one which goes with my normal Android phone and 2nd which pairs well with the AMP I have purchased.
I meant to reply to this yesterday but it slipped my mind. I'm no expert, but if I recall correctly Bollywood tunes put emphasis on vocals (mainly female) and rapid percussions. At least the older songs are. Not too sure about current generation of Bollywood songs..maybe as pop-py as anything else. So...perhaps an earbud that emphasises mids and has a bit of rolled off treble (to counter some of the shrill instruments/recording quality)?
You're satisfied with the VE Zen? It could be perfectly up to the job.
Others here might be able to chime in with more substantial input.
I meant to reply to this yesterday but it slipped my mind. I'm no expert, but if I recall correctly Bollywood tunes put emphasis on vocals (mainly female) and rapid percussions. At least the older songs are. Not too sure about current generation of Bollywood songs..maybe as pop-py as anything else. So...perhaps an earbud that emphasises mids and has a bit of rolled off treble (to counter some of the shrill instruments/recording quality)?
You're satisfied with the VE Zen? It could be perfectly up to the job.
Others here might be able to chime in with more substantial input.
The zen is one of the darkest earbuds available. Considering it sounds dark without foams which most earbuds do not. It definitely has a dip in the upper mids and treble, with prominent mid bass and somewhat elevated low mids. It's not the cleanest nor is it muddy but it has pretty good detail without a hint of sharpness.
If bass impact is not a concern I would advise you to consider the ourart TI7 instead. It has a better refined and detailed midrange and very soft but detailed treble. Like the zen it does not emphasize upper mids but it has a slightly more forward and realistic vocal quality than the zen.
The zen has more bass slightly even without foams but the TI7 has the perfect mids and treble for what you are looking for.
Also the TI7 is $59 and the zen is more than twice that.
I know this is a newb question but here goes.
I can see the difference between an "Earbud" and an "IEM"
But what are the advantages / Disadvantages of an Earbud?
They don't look like they would provide as good a quality of sound as an IEM to my eyes.
Is it convenience? Or something else that i'm missing?
I know this is a newb question but here goes.
I can see the difference between an "Earbud" and an "IEM"
But what are the advantages / Disadvantages of an Earbud?
They don't look like they would provide as good a quality of sound as an IEM to my eyes.
Is it convenience? Or something else that i'm missing?
I used to look down on earbuds for years as I'm an IEM guy, I always thought they would have less details and bass than IEMs. Until I tried some buds at the last 11/11 sale and was quite impressed with their technicalities. Now I'm exploring the earbuds rabbithole too.
Compared to IEMs, earbuds generally have poorer isolation (and generally have subbass rolloff) but they have better soundstage than IEMs. So it's like miniheadphones/speakers in your ears when using buds. I like headphones but I can't use them much in my hometown due to the hot humid weather, so buds are an option. Or if you have a ear infection or ear pain with IEMs, buds are a good alternative.
Buds also tend to sound more natural in timbre/tonality than many budget CHIFI multi BA/hybrid IEMs too. But I would stick to homeuse for buds due to the isolation/subbass loss in noisy environments, and some of them have quite high impedance and cannot be easily driven on the go.
I used to look down on earbuds for years as I'm an IEM guy, I always thought they would have less details and bass than IEMs. Until I tried some buds at the last 11/11 sale and was quite impressed with their technicalities. Now I'm exploring the earbuds rabbithole too.
Compared to IEMs, earbuds generally have poorer isolation (and generally have subbass rolloff) but they have better soundstage than IEMs. So it's like miniheadphones/speakers in your ears when using buds. I like headphones but I can't use them much in my hometown due to the hot humid weather, so buds are an option. Or if you have a ear infection or ear pain with IEMs, buds are a good alternative.
Buds also tend to sound more natural in timbre/tonality than many budget CHIFI multi BA/hybrid IEMs too. But I would stick to homeuse for buds due to the isolation/subbass loss in noisy environments, and some of them have quite high impedance and cannot be easily driven on the go.
Yes, it's potentially dangerous listening to earbuds in a noisy environment, because we might push the volume too loud to counter the background noise. Some closed IEMs that I've tried and remind me a lot to earbuds sound are the TFZ King and the recent Blon BL03, also the EX1000 and MT100 which both have a bit more leakage in isolation
I know this is a newb question but here goes.
I can see the difference between an "Earbud" and an "IEM"
But what are the advantages / Disadvantages of an Earbud?
They don't look like they would provide as good a quality of sound as an IEM to my eyes.
Is it convenience? Or something else that i'm missing?
Pros of earbuds over IEMs:
• Better tonality from even the cheapest buds (all IEMs that I've ever tried sound wrong to me in one way or another)
• More open/airy sound (bigger difference than going from closed-back headphone to open-back headphone)
• More comfortable (depends on your ear shape - might be more uncomfortable for some)
• Reduced risk of ear damage or infection due to nothing inserted in the ear canal
• More bass!!
- this is a big 'pro' for outdoor use - when outdoors, the first thing you lose is bass perception, so very bassy earbuds compete well with moderate outdoor noise
• Foam rolling - use different grades of foam to tune the bud to your taste
Cons of earbuds over IEMs:
• reduced isolation - you might be tempted to turn the volume up outdoors and risk ear damage
• micro-details translate better in some IEMs. In some buds, the finer details can get a bit congested.
• foams might need replacing somewhat frequently - this probably depends greatly on your own personal hygiene ^_^
Problems with both:
• Fit - just like IEMs, you will probably need to try out different combination of foam, or silicone rubber rings to get the best fit and sound
My gripe with donuts is how hard they're to put on & also how they often shift around on the earbud shell/face when you're inserting them or trying to get a better seal. Thick full foams are best for my use case.
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