[thehientk]

I have a question.
LEORY SD05 AMP and Artextreme SD05 is the same ?

 

[waynes world]

I wouldn't say that ME80 is like Sabia v7, but one thing you are right bro Sabia v7 sounds awesome

Nice collection! You're probably right about the sound sigs - it would require some critical listening (which I'm not good at doing) and some non-bronze ears lol.

I'd be interested in your sound comparison if you feel inclined in doing it

 

[fonkepala]

Hey guys been using a pair of Headroom MS-16 for a while and really enjoy them. Really enjoy the soundstage and the warm sound signature. Any recommendations for an upgrade from them? Been lurking this thread for a while and the recent talk of the ME80 has interested me.

I haven't heard the MS16 (mine is still on the way) but I think you'll probably be happy with the ME80. One thing though, I wouldn't describe the ME80 as being warm. Other than that, they sound great IMHO.

 

[daid1]

New beauties are coming

https://www.facebook.com/Tiny.Woodcraft/

https://www.facebook.com/SupremoLub/

when they will come I will write my inpression about it, so far I have to say is a pleasure talking to them, especially Tiny Woodcraft, exquisite person and super friendly, the service is more than impeccable.

Thailand seems the land of earbuds makers, there are quite a lot of beautiful works, yet I don't know how they sound, but there are some reviews

 

[darmanastartes]

I typically use the ME80s when I'm out running (I don't like to expose my IEMs to sweat after a few bad experiences and earbuds are better for situational awareness) and I really don't feel like I'm missing out on all that much compared to my higher end gear in that context.

 

[fonkepala]

So I've been listening to the Ocean Pearl 139 for several days now. Initially bought them based on a couple of glowing reviews and impressions in the EA group on Facebook. Purported to have drivers made by Foster (makers of Fostex). Burned them in for roughly 48 hours before having a listen.

Right off the bat what struck me was how warm they sounded, bordering right on being dark. Treble is very rolled off while bass is quite well extended, albeit a bit loose. Not boomy, just…not tight. The emphasis seems to be on the mids, although there's a sort of 'veil' in the mids somewhere that makes them lack clarity and detail, almost recessed. I can't for the life of me point out where it is, or maybe I don't trust myself to describe it accurately enough. Vocals do sound quite nice, though. I also noticed sometimes that these tend to sound a bit congested, especially on busy tracks where there's a lot going on at any one time. Soundstage is great, imaging and separation too.

At first I paired them with the iFi Zen DAC and Mojo then in a bid to maybe counteract the warmth, I started using it with the more-analytical sounding Stoner Acoustics UD130. Not much difference, if at all. Maybe a tad brighter on the UD130, but not enough to matter. I also switched from full foams to donuts and that didn't improve things so I switched back to full foams (Trig Rains). They sound best with full foams, IMO.

I like the angle plug. I also like the cable, while thin it is nicely ribbed (!). I also like the odd shape of the shell. At first glance they appear to be identical to MX500 shells but if one looks closer, they do have slight differences, particularly where the stem flares out.

So, TL;DR: the Ocean Pearl 139 are okay sounding buds, not great. Worth considering if you're interested in the shell design and/or if you don't mind overly warm-sounding buds. At the equivalent of USD$11 (where I sourced them), they're likely cheap enough to warrant a try. You might like them. I did try very hard to like them, but in the end they sounded alright enough and looked different enough for me to not give them away.

As always, YMMV. Have a good Sunday ahead everyone.

 

[wskl]

While browsing Aliexpress today, these 2 mmcx earbuds showed up on my page from a store called OpenHeart. They are cheap and can be bought with or without cables.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001185272588.html




https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001180479742.html
(this one looks like a clone of Fengru PT52)

 

[lgcubana]

Hard pass for me at $300, with non detachable cables to boot. I know there's some interchangeable balanced and 3.5 mm jack at the end, but there's no MMCX detachable cable at the housing, and that is a potential source of failure down the line. Not to mention some of us wanna use wireless adapters or other aftermarket balanced cables.

The $300 market is also considered TOTL for earbuds, and Fiio is gonna be facing super tough competition against the other established big boys in the earbuds industry. I know Fiio is trying to ride on the beryllium driver hype, but it isn't even a full beryllium driver, but beryllium plated/coated. I am not too sure it will sell well TBH.

@FiiO (link), " As mentioned earlier, the EM5 is different from other FiiO models and is not a market-oriented product. So we don't have to consider its sales and profit. Basically, the pricing follows the principle of hardware cost + reasonable profit. We assume that the EM5 project will make a negative profit in the end. But as long as it can fulfill the wishes of us and some loyal fans, it is enough. "

 

[Alex.Grimm]

FiiO EM5 https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001310441888.html

Also available already in the official store

Spoiler

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001308929873.html

 

[baskingshark]

@FiiO (link), " As mentioned earlier, the EM5 is different from other FiiO models and is not a market-oriented product. So we don't have to consider its sales and profit. Basically, the pricing follows the principle of hardware cost + reasonable profit. We assume that the EM5 project will make a negative profit in the end. But as long as it can fulfill the wishes of us and some loyal fans, it is enough. "

Thanks. So even Fiio themselves think the EM5 earbud isn't gonna sell well. No surprise then for all the stakeholders involved. The TOTL earbud market isn't as big as say the IEM or headphone market, it is still a pretty niche segment, coupled with this covid economy and tough competition against other established TOTL buds, no surprise then if they already expect bad sales.

But what surprises me is (correct me if I'm wrong) this is the first time I've seen an established audio company release a new product that they expect to have negative profits. I mean some newcomers may sometimes sell stuff at a loss to gain market recognition/sales and perhaps some other companies may sell off older models or unpopular models at a loss, though I haven't seen this for a new product.

 

[duyanh43]

Hi guys, because of changing work environment, I have to dropped IEM for Earbuds and I just bought a Moondrop Chaconne as my first bud (Im kinda fan of Moondrop brand and this bud looks fancy as well). Overall impression was pretty good but I still want more bass like the bass with my previous VE Monk SPC. And the fit is kinda weird too, is there anything like earbuds hook that hold the bud for me to get proper bass impact. Thanks guy.

 

[digititus]

But what surprises me is (correct me if I'm wrong) this is the first time I've seen an established audio company release a new product that they expect to have negative profits.

I speak as someone with a manufacturing business. Products that you think will make a loss for the company are generally not released unless they bring a significant positive marketing impact on other product lines. Therefore, take marketing speak for what it is - marketing! The psychology of the sale.

 

[Slater]

I speak as someone with a manufacturing business. Products that you think will make a loss for the company are generally not released unless they bring a significant positive marketing impact on other product lines. Therefore, take marketing speak for what it is - marketing! The psychology of the sale.

You beat me to it. I too was in the manufacturing for many years, and that excuse is total BS marketing speak.

What they’re saying is that the price is fixed at $299, so don’t wait for sales, expect the price to drop, ask for a discount, etc.

As far as a Chinese earbud being sold for $299 ‘at a loss’, sorry but that’s comical.

 

[fonkepala]

I speak as someone with a manufacturing business. Products that you think will make a loss for the company are generally not released unless they bring a significant positive marketing impact on other product lines. Therefore, take marketing speak for what it is - marketing! The psychology of the sale.

You beat me to it. I too was in the manufacturing for many years, and that excuse is total BS marketing speak.

What they’re saying is that the price is fixed at $299, so don’t wait for sales, expect the price to drop, ask for a discount, etc.

As far as a Chinese earbud being sold for $299 ‘at a loss’, sorry but that’s comical.

These are both very enlightening. I guess no one could be expected to do anything if it will come at a loss, more so in this day and age. I wish someone with marketing knowledge would call Fiio out in the official EM5 thread

 

[Danneq]

I haven't posted anything in a long time and almost 2 years since I bought new earbuds, but now I've got 3 new pairs! (well, 2, actually)

I sort of got caught up in the hype around Turandot and bought a pair of from NiceHCK. Also got a pair of NiceHCK B40 for my wife as a spare when her curret pair of NiceHCK DIY (Yuin shells) breaks.
Also recently I received a pair of C Major from ClieOS.

NiceHCK sent the package so that it looked like it was sent to me from the Netherlands. It took a little over 1 month but I didn't need to pay any import taxes or anything. Unfortunately I had to pay that for ClieOs' earbuds, but I'm okay with that.

I no longer have much time for long comparisons, too busy with 2 kids and other hobbies (mainly ripping and digitizing a 700+ collection of DVD and Blu ray movies).
But some brief impressions are: Turandot are quite nice tonally. Slightly warm sounding and a bit "dry" compared to SWD2+. Also the mids seem to be slightly more forward on the Turandot compared to the SWD2+. Bass is there and audible but not deep (I feel that SWD2+ has got slightly deeper bass, for an earbud with Yuin type shells). Bass-wise my earbuds with MX500 shells, mainly Cypherus ZoomFred and also CampFred2, completely obliterate Turandot and SWD2+, but those 2 earbuds have other great qualities and are both top tier. So both are keepers.
NiceHCK B40 is really good sounding for the low price. They are better than the NiceHCK DIY which I bought for $22 in 2017.

C Major are really nice earbuds. I wonder what the impedence is? I compared the 3 new pairs of earbuds and the C Major needed more volume to get on the same level as the NiceHCK B40 and Turandot.
I am actually not a fan of removable cables and it was scary to insert the cable into the MMCX plug, as I needed to use a bit of force (I "popped my cherry" on MMCX plugs with the C Major - but used to own a pair of Rose Mojito).
They do not have the same type of hard hitting bass as some other earbuds with MX500 shells but it's still quite sufficient. I like the slightly "dryish" sound signature. I'm happy to have been given the opportunity to try them out. Thank's ClieOS!

Some pics (sorrt for the poor quality, at least they are not out of focus, well sort of not out of focus...):