[chinmie]

I just grab a ballpoint pen from the desk and run it around the inside perimeter to stretch that inner fold out a bit.

if you don't have a pen around, i usually strech new earbud foams by putting them on my pinky fingers like tiny socks. the thumb can help to pinch the lip of the opening

 

[MelodyMood]

I’d get the Earbuds Anonymous Buds then. Earbuds won’t get you bass impact though like those larger drivers will. I’d pretty much bet that they’ll have better clarity than those Yamaha do, but I cannot say for sure having never heard the Yammy. They certainly compete with far more expensive over ear cans though that are renowned for their clarity. if you do a search, you can find the code to get them for $25USD from Penon(also good shipping and customer service).

oh, but no mic….

I ordered TP16 from Penon Audio in past. I basically want to have good Clarity with Warmness and bit of Sub-Bass to feel too. Not sure if SMABAT or any other earbud can provide that. But I agree that Headphone sound are different and Earbud may not be able to come close to that at all.

X6 doesn't have subbass imo. The M2s has come the closest of the bunch, but it needs power (and volume) to get there.

Regarding the plug, any MMCX cable would work for the Smabat. I'm sure there's plenty of well-built MMCX cables with an in-built mic.

As to the Traceless, I'm going to debate on it, but I can "liberate" the USB-C end so we can find out for sure what's underneath that housing. I'm inclined to believe it's literally a pinout, so the D/A conversion is happening upstream. There's not enough weight in that plug for me to think there's any IC in it.

Oops missed one. I don't have enough of a basis for comparison, at least not like some here. Of the 4 pairs I have here, the FAAEAL and Smabat seem to lean towards the tonality you're describing.

Yeah. I want little bit of Sub Bass to feel too with Warm Sounding earbuds. But you mentioned that there is no Sub Bass in SMABAT M0 or any other earbuds? Right?

 

[MelodyMood]

Decided to score my recent earbuds purchases from last year up to this year. Also, I’ll score my earbuds that I owned throughout the years. My sources are an Ipod Touch 7th gen 256gb and Ak Kann Alpha set to medium gain. My files are at mp3 320 and 256 aac:

1.)Smabat M2 Pro second filter installed(not the M2s Pro) 6/10- weird timbre as I said before and the positioning of the mids and highs are off.

2.)Toneking Viridis- 6.5/10- Bass light even for an earbud. However, mids and highs are amazing, widest soundstage of any earbud I currently own. Even wider than the Onmyoji. Also, female vocals on the Viridis are sublime, this is a double edged sword though since male vocals can be off tonally sometimes. I only rated it this low because I have very few orchestral/sountrack music in my collection.

3.)Catear Audio Mimi- 8/10- I don’t understand why this got tons of hate here on this thread. Haha Relaxed sound sig, the Mimi is warm sounding with fast bass and above average soundstage.

4.) ShoonTh Esep-01 Bl- 8.5/10- basically take the Mimi make the mids more forward and you’ve got the ShoonTh. I use this quite alot currently and I’m satisfied with my purchase.

5.) Yincrow Rw9- 8/10- Lesser bass quantity for me than the X6. Mids are recessed as well and the highs are a boosted in an unnatural way. Still
Amazing bass for an earbud and this is the earbud I’ll recommend along with the X6 for earbud newbies because of the bass.

6.) Yincrow X6- 9/10- Bass quantity and to a lesser extent quality is amazing. Also more natural sounding than the Rw9. Mids are not as recessed as the Rw9 and highs are decent as well considering the low-end.

7.) Ksearphone Onmyoji- 9.7/10- Build quality aside these are amazing. Anything I throw at this thing it excels. From classical to rock to electronic to movie soundtracks, it’s the most versatile earbud I own, it is only rivaled by the classic Mx980. Bass quality is above average, but the star of the show are the
Mids and highs. Basically take the Mids and highs of the viridis and make it a tad darker, the result is that the Onmyoji is alot more versatile than the Viridis and has better low end. Was suppose to give it a 10/10 but the build quality issues that some users are reporting have me worried.

8.) Willsound Mkii- 10/10- Take the X6, and make it more refined, and you’ve got the Willsound Mkii. This is the upgrade i was looking for when I bought the X6. Better Mids on the willsound.

Old earbuds in my collection:

1.) Ve Monk Plus- 8.5/10- I find a hard time describing the Monk plus. Haha Bass is present and it’s a tad boomy making the mids recessed but on the other hand the sound definitely has body. Highs have a bit of sparkle in them as well. I don’t know exactly why but I keep going back to the Monk Plus despite its flaws. Very fun sounding earbud.

2.) Ve Zen 2.0- 9.7/10- Was originally supposed to give the Zen’s the 10/10 rating but Having to use an amp is a bit of a hassle for me. The Zen’s sound like open back headphones, with the comfort of earbuds imo. Soundstage is wide and I can hear subtle nuances in my music. These are very warm sounding though so if you don’t prefer that sound signature these won’t be for you. Bass is amazing for an earbud.

3.) Penon Bs1 Official- 5/10- I don’t really mind if an earbud lacks bass but an earbud has to do something to compensate for its lack of bass. Unfortunately, the bs1 does nothing to compensate its lack of bass. I found these to be my most underwhelming earbud purchase up to this day. Was originally suppose to give it 4/10 but the build quality is awesome so I bumped it to 5.

4.) Fiio Em3- 7/10- Take the monk plus, make the highs warmer and you’ve got the Em3.

5.) Headroom Ms16- 9/10- Decent bass quality but the above average soundstage coupled with the mids and highs make the Ms16 special imo. True open back earbuds. Neutral to bright sound signature.

6.) Sennheiser MX980- 10/10- This is what got me into to the world of earbuds. Top to bottom, everything is top notch. I do have to recable these as they aren’t working anymore. But this is the benchmark up to this day to what an earbud can do without a portable dac/amp.

7.) Ubiquo/Ucotech Es903- 9/10- Very versatile mids. Male vocals and to a lesser extent female vocals are awesome. Decent bass quality as well. Can’t really complain about the Es903. Midcentric sound signature.

8.) Faaeal Snow Lotus 1.0- 9/10- Similar to the monk plus but with better mids and gentler highs. Underrated earbuds imo.

That about covers it. Haha sorry if I couldn’t get into detail as much as some of the better reviewers on this forum.

Thanks for sharing your view. From the above list, I have only Monk Plus and FiiO EM3 which are good but this is my 3rd Monk Plus as rest two did not last and now this is also broken from the plug but it still works. I need to find out how to change the plug so it will be fine again.

Also, for Snow Lotus 1.0, do you think it has better sound quality than Monk + and little bit of more bass or sub-bass too? Headroom MS16 is suggested by someone else too but I am afraid that its open back will leak the sound too much and everyone know what I am listening or what someone else is saying if I use it for phone call.

Cat Ear Audio Mimi looks good but it has not Mic so I did not consider Rest most of the ones you mentioned are too expensive for my budget.

 

[wskl]

For those interested in the Astrotec Lyra Mini, someone has written a review.
https://audiophilian-reviews.blogspot.com/2021/08/astrotec-lyra-mini-mini-looking-big.html

 

[jao29]

Thanks for sharing your view. From the above list, I have only Monk Plus and FiiO EM3 which are good but this is my 3rd Monk Plus as rest two did not last and now this is also broken from the plug but it still works. I need to find out how to change the plug so it will be fine again.

Also, for Snow Lotus 1.0, do you think it has better sound quality than Monk + and little bit of more bass or sub-bass too? Headroom MS16 is suggested by someone else too but I am afraid that its open back will leak the sound too much and everyone know what I am listening or what someone else is saying if I use it for phone call.

Cat Ear Audio Mimi looks good but it has not Mic so I did not consider Rest most of the ones you mentioned are too expensive for my budget.

Welcome! I’m not an expert with regards to sound quality so do take my recommendations with a grain of salt. Anyways, the Snow Lotus 1.0 has better bass than the monk plus, not because of the quantity but because of quality. It’s bass is much more cleaner and doesn’t bleed into the mids like the monk plus. However, the monk plus has more sparkle in the highs as opposed to the Snow Lotus. I like the Snow Lotus a bit better because of that cleaner mids. While the monk plus has the more forward highs.

The Ms16 by design can leak a bit of sound because of it’s open back nature but I listen to low to moderate volume levels so I can’t really comment if the ms16 does leak sound or not. At least they’re not as bad as something like Grado’s haha.

 

[40760]

For those interested in the Astrotec Lyra Mini, someone has written a review.
https://audiophilian-reviews.blogspot.com/2021/08/astrotec-lyra-mini-mini-looking-big.html

They look really beautiful. Didn't know their shells are translucent...

 

[WoodyLuvr]

They look really beautiful. Didn't know their shells are translucent...

Plus they use an ultra low-profile 3.5mm gold plated metal plug as well. The design is very pleasant to look at.

 

[nymz]

Wow. Strong looks it is on this one. Yoda aproves.

 

[Ronion]

Yep, those cleaning protocols are going to continue to be the make/break for transmissability. Remember what that one front-line worker said in Wuhan eeeeearly on in this whole ordeal: every one of them that ended up sick could pin-point when they were complacent with PPE, donning/doffing, or cleaning protocols. Even applies outside of the hospital; that part of my brain that will never forget aseptic gowning procedures goes crazy when I see how lazy people are with their masks and keeping track of what they touch. Reminds me that the gentleman who told everybody how important it was to just wash their hands during the Spanish flu was more or less considered a conspiracy theorist. But I digress...

If you got a patient off ECMO, I salute you; thought for a good while that served as little more than a cash cow for the guys who make 'em and permanent life support for those who ended up in it. Man, that machine takes some effort to run, so I tip my hat to you for having a patient recover from ECMO at all.

No atheists in foxholes, indeed. There's a lot of parallels between what some of my deployed shipmates/soldier friends have overcome/are overcoming and what the nursing community has endured over the past year (not even touching the bureaucracy aspect...enjoy your free coffee, pizza, and donuts). Unironically, I say thank you for your service.

Found this talented one-man outfit on Bandcamp and figured I'd share. This album's themes really seem to hit home right now. Well worth the purchase; even got a response from the artist themselves thanking me for the buy. Fair warning, might need something a bit more upbeat to follow this one. It's pretty raw.

Breaths - Lined In Silver​

Stay safe friend!

I also work in health care and the past few months have been quite crazy due to covid. One of our most respected and esteemed members here, who was a healthcare worker (HungryPanda), unfortunately lost his life to covid a few months back, very sad news for all of us and a big loss to this hobby. So please take care.

I used to bring my IEMs and earbuds to the hospital where I work to listen during lunch hours, but the past few months, I've left my gear at home. I mainly use wired connections and I see covid or suspected covid cases not unfrequently. I'm paranoid the cables can trap some viruses (formite) at the workplace, so it isn't fun to wipe down the cables and IEMs, or worse still, bring covid back home. Wireless stuff is an option, but they don't sound as good as wired sources haha, so sometimes once you have heard something, it is not easy to unhear it and step back down.

I too thank all those that have been considered front-liners (and even some that don't get that credit, but are there nonetheless). For myself, I have been considered a front-liner by some, but absolutely nothing compared to what most have had to endure. During the pandemic I have been tasked with programming and fixing building automation/temperature controls for isolation rooms.

From existing wings in hospitals, to other hospitals that either have converted, or built whole new wings, I have simply been around it, and those that have had it in these rooms. But, I have not had to deal with being close to, or seeing suffering on the same level that others have. But my experience affords me the knowledge that gives me appreciation for those that ARE a lot closer than myself.

Read this and fill this form:

• source (using a DAC/AMP/DAP/PC/smartphone/streamer; audio file type including bit & sample rate)
• preferred connection (termination type e.g. 3.5SE/4.4TRRS/2.5mm; single-end vs balanced; mic/no mic)
• listening level & time (volume, and for how long?)
• listening environment (mobile/office desk/home desktop/listening room)
• preferred sound signature (bright; flat/neutral; balanced/natural/smooth; dark/warm; extra bass/bassy; L/U/V-shaped)
• preferred genre (rock, heavy metal, pop, classical, OST, hip-hop, R&B, Korean-Pop, EDM, podcasts, audiobooks, etc.)
• preferred shell type (depends on your ears and personal comfort; please see here)
• preferred brand (only applicable if asking for a model recommendation within a single brand)
• price range (probably the most important; what are you willing/looking to spend?)

Thank you guys so much! @miserybeforethemusic, I have had that same sentiment about ECMO. We have some disparaging remarks about it lol. Administrators have done some pretty horrendous things during this whole struggle. The fat cats are so good at seizing opportunities. FWIW, I’ve had 3 of those ‘bunny suits’ rip on me and one while doing chest compressions during a cardiac arrest(sometimes QC isn’t the best from some manufacturers, but times were desperate and choices were limited). That was just a week after a coworker/friend for 10years died in our unit (just 1 of 3 we coded that shift). Toughest code I’ve ever been in. I’ve run my house like an operating theater for so long. Fatigue has certainly set in And news of these new variants is disheartening. I’m so glad I found this thread and this group of people. Came at the right time. Earbuds have strangely brought me a lot of joy. Thank you guys for all your contributions on many levels. Stay safe. Don’t let your guard down yet, and I’m so sorry for your loss. That’s upsetting to hear. Stay strong.

For those interested in the Astrotec Lyra Mini, someone has written a review.
https://audiophilian-reviews.blogspot.com/2021/08/astrotec-lyra-mini-mini-looking-big.html

Those look awesome! I swear my wife has got the divorce lawyer on speed dial ha ha.

 

[Ronion]

Look like a high end Cat Ear Mimi to me. I can’t believe how much my opinion has changed on these.

 

[furyossa]

Oh. So I think maybe this explains it. Haha. I find the Willsound mkii have better detail retrieval than the X6. But since they are warm sounding earbuds they won’t have the same detail retrieval like the Viridis and the Onmyoji. But for fans of warm sounding earbuds , I highly recommend the both the X6 and the mkii’s.

Be careful what you are saying about X6, Mr Chuck follows this thread as well

 

[furyossa]

I'm addicted to the HE150 Pro, it's just the most overall pleasant earbud to listen to that I've heard except maybe my 1more E1008 which I baby, which is a bit similar, but the peizo offers a very distinct sparkle without any siblance I've heard nowhere else, I just baby it since I don't feel confident replacing the cable if it breaks!

I've had the smabat m2 pro with gold 150 ohm driver (very bright, made folk punk/alt rock too sibalent, even if it's the most technical detail I've heard from an earbud, nicehck mx500 diy (quite nice overall, excellent for the price),
qian69 (a previous favorite), qian39 (I need to order new ones, can't remember what they were like),
nicehck b40 (my favorite for relaxed listening, podcasts, youtube, anything with a chance of badly recorded and sibalent vocals, currently missing mine, it was my favorite nicehck and I'm sad it's disonctinued, the pk shell is my favorite),
monk plus (mediocre, overrated, worst cable in any earbud I've listened to),
smabat m0 with it's stock and the titanium dome 40 ohm driver (still not sure about this one, I like the shell comfort and DIY fun, but may need to play with tuning more, it has big potential)
It's odd, it seems I enjoy a slightly dark tonality in earbuds, but prefer neutral-bright in iems, both sound close in my opinion (dark earbud vs neutral-bright iem)

Any PK shell recommendations? I've of course got to get the Yincrow X6 given everyone's recommendations, the earpod style RW-100 is pleasant btw, I didn't listen to it a lot as it was a gift to a friend who prefers that style, but it was lovely and warm from what I did hear!

I will add, once more to rant about the 1more E1008, I think due to the treble sorcery, it has immense treble clarity with no distortion even at higher volumes, and treble heavy tracks that also have bass at the same time due to treble, and has much more subbass extension than any other earbud I've heard, period, it's an overall dark tonality, and bass can give me a headache, but that airy spacious open backed headphone feel is amazing.
I find the HE150 Pro to be the best /overall/ earbud I've listened to, even if it's bass doesn't extend as far, it's a less dark tonality, closer to the Nicehck B40, only with much more clarity and detail, the technical ability of the E1008 feels higher due to that unique piezo, but the dark tuning makes it a very warm earbud with a lot of treble extension, with no siblance, a basshead earbud that doesn't compromise in quality anywhere else, so long as one doesn't mind the tonality.

I will not go that far, but yes, HE150 Pro is very addictive pair of buds, but I like OG HE150 (MX500 version) more. I broke mine trying to open them to change the cable
but I managed to convert HE150Pro in HE150+, and now I have best of both worlds

 

[RikudouGoku]

(teaser for whats coming)

 

[RikudouGoku]

Spoiler: Faaeal Iris 2.0

Spoiler: Faaeal Iris Ancestor

Spoiler: Faaeal Iris CE Gray

Spoiler: K´s LBBS (Bell-LBS)

Spoiler: Yincrow RW-100

 

[miserybeforethemusic]

Happy Monday, y'all! Start strong, stay strong. Find that power track if you need to

Superchick - Reinvention
AKA the daughter's favorite
​

The current rotation's featured up there, too. Still have the 3.5mm Traceless on the desktop amp burning in; they got a pretty heavy workout from whatever Roon Radio decided to throw on after that Chick Corea album. Still very mid-focused, but I don't mind it as much.

Faaeal Iris 2.0
Faaeal Iris Ancestor
Faaeal Iris CE Gray
K´s LBBS (Bell-LBS)
Yincrow RW-100

Nice! That'll keep you busy for a while. Curious what the differences are between the Iris 2.0 and Snow Lotus 1.0.

These people speak as though we owe them a living. The name calling and playing of the "race" card was really the final straw for me.

It gives me insight to the personality on the other side of that keyboard, at least. Perhaps they're going through something and this is how they choose to process it. Can only hope they find peace.

For a short reply, you're wrong. Only review you should be concerned with is my interaction and rights here using logic, even according to rules. You're still (beside whack) unfair, arrogant and in general exact opposite of what you're implying to be or contributed with my interactions, and if that's all the good human traits you exhibited (though misplaced, nagging and false) i wouldn't want to know what's it's like for the people subjected to and live with you.

God bless your heart.