Earbuds Round-Up
Jul 24, 2020 at 7:33 AM Post #48,556 of 74,632
The FiiO tube is just like the vent tube on a typical bud. They just routed the tube with a gentle radius for a unique look.

Typical bud:
193B59C7-F97C-49AA-92A0-C2EA47EFD7EC.jpeg

FiiO design:
C5C47CFE-7A24-4252-A77B-F92255779BB7.jpeg
It looks more like a water bucket handle to me
dd.jpg
 
Jul 24, 2020 at 9:34 AM Post #48,557 of 74,632
I am looking for earbuds with balanced plug and would prefer neutral to bright signatures. Anyone who owns Faaeal Snow Lotus 2.5mm? May I know how's the sound signature of these? I can't seem to find anything online.

I'm also considering Fengru DIY PK1, ISN Rambo, VE Monk Lite SPC. Which of these would you recommend?
 
Jul 24, 2020 at 11:11 AM Post #48,558 of 74,632
I am looking for earbuds with balanced plug and would prefer neutral to bright signatures. Anyone who owns Faaeal Snow Lotus 2.5mm? May I know how's the sound signature of these? I can't seem to find anything online.

I'm also considering Fengru DIY PK1, ISN Rambo, VE Monk Lite SPC. Which of these would you recommend?
You can always replace the plug on aftermarket earbuds. Maybe VE's are willing to change the plug for you but it will probably cost you more than doing it yourself.
And as for DIY PK1 (especially "red-coated" film) and ISN Rambo, these don’t have the sound signature you’re looking for. Don't get me wrong, both of these are very good earbuds
 
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Jul 24, 2020 at 2:29 PM Post #48,559 of 74,632
You can always replace the plug on aftermarket earbuds. Maybe VE's are willing to change the plug for you but it will probably cost you more than doing it yourself.
And as for DIY PK1 (especially "red-coated" film) and ISN Rambo, these don’t have the sound signature you’re looking for. Don't get me wrong, both of these are very good earbuds

Thanks for the input. Any suggestion on what I can get for the same price range of those buds?
I was hoping those buds have neutral to bright signatures since reviews I read is saying they have good mids, highs and neutral bass.
 
Jul 24, 2020 at 3:32 PM Post #48,560 of 74,632
If you are looking for bright sound I can't help because I'm treble sensitive and I always skip models with like these. Most of the DIY driver on Ali has rolled-off or smooth treble.
PK1 "transparent film" driver is mid-centric, "red film" is a more dynamic sound.
Tingo TG-38s has very nice bass and treble extension, slightly recessed mids (U-shape), above-average soundstage. Can be sibilant in rare cases.
TY Hi-Z lineup (32-600ohm) can be a nice choice. This is TY Hi-Z 150ohm model but you can find others on Ali and PENON Audio Store.
 
Jul 24, 2020 at 3:43 PM Post #48,561 of 74,632
Thanks for the input. Any suggestion on what I can get for the same price range of those buds?
I was hoping those buds have neutral to bright signatures since reviews I read is saying they have good mids, highs and neutral bass.

The best bright'ish signature buds I've had were the Nicehck EBX. They also had really good mids and good bass too.

The Ourart ACG was also very very good but not quite bright. More like it was DF tuned. Excellent mids and details without being harsh.
 
Jul 24, 2020 at 4:05 PM Post #48,562 of 74,632
The best bright'ish signature buds I've had were the Nicehck EBX. They also had really good mids and good bass too.
I don't know about that, probably we have totally different models. My unit has solid mid-bass, slightly recesed mids, and smooth treble.
It's a black shell and I swap the stock cable with NiceHCK Black 16 core 2.5mm (balance) cable
 
Jul 25, 2020 at 3:14 AM Post #48,563 of 74,632
Just got the memt r7 and the ocean pearl op139 in. R7 has this under damped housing, cavernous effect, it can make simpler recordings sound bigger but falls apart with more complex stuff. Overall tonality is warm and slightly boxy. Unless you only listen to chamber and simple jazz/acoustic, these are worth skipping imo, there's better and more versatile stuff for the same price and cheaper. Kinda sad, expected more with the good reviews and biocellulose driver.

The oceal pearl is pretty lovely. Super smooth, warm neutral and laid back sounding. It's mid centric with rolloff on both ends which aids its signature but worth noting for the bassheads and trebleheads that might want to avoid. Texturing and dynamics are excellent, which is pretty impressive considering how smooth it is. Resolution is alright but not great, but I feel that aids the signature. Staging is good with nicely balanced width, depth and height, sounds pretty big but layering is not the best. With simpler recordings and any well recorded instrumentation it's excellent and shows refinement well past its price. With more complex stuff like metal the smoothness and relative lack of resolution hampers the layering and there will be come congestion. It's very competent for the price and is very clear in terms of how it wants to sound, with a refined rendition of a specifically defined signature, which I really appreciate instead of the dabbling in everything and not really achieving anything patchwork approach that many buds in this price category suffer from. Overall, I think it's great both as a starter bud or as an addition to a collection, with it's solid execution of a relatively unique signature.
 
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Jul 25, 2020 at 4:16 AM Post #48,564 of 74,632
Just got the memt r7 and the ocean pearl op-139 in. R7 has this under damped housing, cavernous effect, it can make simpler recordings sound bigger but falls apart with more complex stuff. Overall tonality is warm and slightly boxy. Unless you only listen to chamber and simple jazz/acoustic, these are worth skipping imo, there's better and more versatile stuff for the same price and cheaper. Kinda sad, expected more with the good reviews and biocellulose driver.

The oceal pearl is pretty lovely. Super smooth, warm neutral and laid back sounding. It's mid centric with rolloff on both ends which aids its signature but worth noting for the bassheads and trebleheads that might want to avoid. Texturing and dynamics are excellent, which is pretty impressive considering how smooth it is. Resolution is alright but not great, but I feel that aids the signature. Staging is good with nicely balanced width, depth and height, sounds pretty big but layering is not the best. With simpler recordings and any well recorded instrumentation it's excellent and shows refinement well past its price. With more complex stuff like metal the smoothness and relative lack of resolution hampers the layering and there will be come congestion. It's very competent for the price and is very clear in terms of how it wants to sound, with a refined rendition of a specifically defined signature, which I really appreciate instead of the dabbling in everything and not really achieving anything patchwork approach that many buds in this price category suffer from. Overall, I think it's great both as a starter bud or as an addition to a collection, with it's solid execution of a relatively unique signature.

Thanks for the info, how does the Ocean Pearl compare to the Faaeal Datura Pro? Since both of them are midcentric with roll off at both ends?
 
Jul 25, 2020 at 5:47 AM Post #48,565 of 74,632
Very surprised with the new ISN Rambo II. Actually, they are not a version II, they are totally different in their look. Its sound tends to Ourart QJ21 (to make an analogy with something I own), but with a little more low zone, without losing the smoothness. Very very open sound, very clear middle zone, neutral character, with a midcentric feel. They have dethroned my beloved Smabat M1, in this price segment.

ISN Rambo II 14_resize.jpg
 
Jul 25, 2020 at 6:51 AM Post #48,566 of 74,632
Thanks for the info, how does the Ocean Pearl compare to the Faaeal Datura Pro? Since both of them are midcentric with roll off at both ends?
I liken the datura pro to a audeze with the colder darker upper mids and slightly flat presentation with the midbass bump and warmer lowers mids of a hd650. The op is a lighter, sweeter presentation more akin to the hd600, but with smoother highs. Extension wise I find the datura pro extends quite linearly on both ends before falling of a cliff on the extremes, whereas the op is more of a smoother mild n shape. Technicalities wise, in terms of the more immediate aspects like raw resolution and separation, the datura pros are noticeably better, but not by a giant margin. In terms of the more refined aspects like snap, dynamics and texturing, the op really encroaches into totl performance in those particular aspects and kind of dumpsters the datura pro here, but it requires you to be willing to listen past the immediate lack of resolution, which I think some won't be willing to do, it was worth it for me though. At 15usd I'd say it's a fairly safe buy, but if your region has shopee it can be found for about around 11usd and at this price it's pretty fantastic.
 
Jul 25, 2020 at 11:39 AM Post #48,567 of 74,632
Very surprised with the new ISN Rambo II. Actually, they are not a version II, they are totally different in their look. Its sound tends to Ourart QJ21 (to make an analogy with something I own), but with a little more low zone, without losing the smoothness. Very very open sound, very clear middle zone, neutral character, with a midcentric feel. They have dethroned my beloved Smabat M1, in this price segment.

ISN Rambo II 14_resize.jpg
Thanks for this short review. I look forward to see the full review. I hope it will be soon.
Can you compare them to Smabat ST-10S?
 
Jul 25, 2020 at 5:07 PM Post #48,569 of 74,632
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Jul 25, 2020 at 6:23 PM Post #48,570 of 74,632
Man, I’m loving the NiceHCK ME80.

These are the favorite earbuds I have tried by far. Great fit, meaty bass, clear mids, nice metal build. I wish they were mmcx however.
I just got mine in, along with a bunch of other sub $25 earbuds I've been waiting for a couple months to finally arrive.

The ME80 is the only earbud in the sub 40 dollar market that has decent 1k to 4k extension without overwhelming bass. The bass still has plenty of punch but pretty decently defined, especially so for a budget earbud.

My initial observations after listening for 5 mins. I'll open up the other buds and eventually give these the time they deserve.
 

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