Earbuds Round-Up
Aug 15, 2021 at 10:15 AM Post #57,167 of 75,470
I love this cable

Thanks @jeejack and @fonkepala

I don't have Shopee available here, but I've seen that they are available at Amazon for 20€:
https://www.amazon.es/****-audífono...d=1&keywords=B07F74YPTL&qid=1629036688&sr=8-1

But they also have the this 8 core silver plated cable for the same price:
https://www.amazon.es/reemplazo-act...eywords=2.5mm+mmcx&qid=1629035381&sr=8-1&th=1

Which one would you choose? Or for this price would you prefer some NiceHCK cables from Aliexpress?
 
Aug 15, 2021 at 10:39 AM Post #57,168 of 75,470
Is it good to buy from Penon Audio? I'm eyeing on the TY Hi-Z earbuds and only them currently has the stock. I don't even know if they really have the stock as I have not tried contacting them or they just have not updated their website. Sadly, they don't have the F150TS and HP-650 models. I'm suspecting that TY and Seahf were related in some way specially in the way their earphones look and packaged.

I found this review: https://audio123reviews.com/2018/03/13/ty-hi-z-f150ts/ and sounds like that my Seahf F150c is a mix of both the 150S and F150TS so it got me curious. If someone here has either of these or even the HP-650 and feel like these babies are not getting any love, let me know and I can sign up for an adoption. :ksc75smile:
I've never really had any major issues with Penon, though the one issue I did have was more to do with the grey text "Yuin" PK3's I ordered a looooong time ago. Their photos used to show the white text variant which used the driver from the Nokia HS-23 (386XXXXXXX serial code) unlike the grey text version, which seem to use a different batch of drivers from the HS-23 (I suspect it was the 350XXXXXXX batch as the 474XXXXXXX are foster drivers with a different cover) that just sounds like everything below 200Hz doesn't exist. They seemed to have changed the photos now though.

TL;DR : This was more of an issue on Yuin's end than Penon but they still should've updated photos when they got the grey text batch in, and Penon did actually give me a partial refund in the end.
 
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Aug 15, 2021 at 1:18 PM Post #57,169 of 75,470
Aug 15, 2021 at 3:48 PM Post #57,171 of 75,470
I have been enjoying my Smabot M1 pros for some time now, noticing that they like to have the volume nob turned up more than most, so I have been looking for a suitable balanced cable for it, especially since the stock cable is turning green. I’ve been reluctant though since I don’t care to wait the 5 weeks or so to get anything from AliExpress, plus the M1s are one of the few phones I have with mmcx cables and they do not have the best reliability record after frequent changes. Well I found a vender on Amazon called Fedai with a cable that looked like a good fit. It can be found here https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0965Q37VW. It’s an 8 core silver plated cable with no hooks, even though there is some slight hook memory, it is relaxing quickly, and with a good cinch, does not affect fit. The cable has nice haptics and soft drape, feels very comfortable. The mmcx connections seem pretty robust, although I will likely refrain from changing it too often. But best of all, when it’s hooked up to the balanced output of my Qudelix 5K it sounds glorious. The M1pro has the resolving power to really take advantage of the improved stereo separation and lower noise floor of the balanced output. It probably has one of the broadest and most accurate frequency responses of anything in my inventory. Makes me wonder how Smabots other offerings respond to a balanced output, pretty good I bet 🤔.
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Aug 15, 2021 at 4:06 PM Post #57,173 of 75,470
You can literally get TOTL performance now for $30! Kids these days have it so easy compared to what we had it. Now I sound even more like my grandfather.
 

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Aug 15, 2021 at 5:26 PM Post #57,175 of 75,470
Thanks @jeejack and @fonkepala

I don't have Shopee available here, but I've seen that they are available at Amazon for 20€:
https://www.amazon.es/****-audífono...d=1&keywords=B07F74YPTL&qid=1629036688&sr=8-1

But they also have the this 8 core silver plated cable for the same price:
https://www.amazon.es/reemplazo-act...eywords=2.5mm+mmcx&qid=1629035381&sr=8-1&th=1

Which one would you choose? Or for this price would you prefer some NiceHCK cables from Aliexpress?

I use xinhs for 95% of my cables and can vouche for them. The one I made for buds (mmcx 4.4mm), ultra light, ultra thin, no ear hooks :

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Aug 15, 2021 at 10:50 PM Post #57,176 of 75,470

Tonight's choice is a little...bubblier than the usual fare, but play this album on the right gear and you'll be surprised how many musical goodies are hidden in each track. He's more than just the Levels guy.
 
Aug 15, 2021 at 11:56 PM Post #57,177 of 75,470
Thanks @jeejack and @fonkepala

I don't have Shopee available here, but I've seen that they are available at Amazon for 20€:
https://www.amazon.es/****-audífono-balanceado-desmontable-Auriculares/dp/B07F74YPTL/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_es_ES=ÅMÅŽÕÑ&dchild=1&keywords=B07F74YPTL&qid=1629036688&sr=8-1

But they also have the this 8 core silver plated cable for the same price:
https://www.amazon.es/reemplazo-actualización-balanceado-****-desmontable/dp/B07PM2WV54/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_es_ES=ÅMÅŽÕÑ&dchild=1&keywords=2.5mm+mmcx&qid=1629035381&sr=8-1&th=1

Which one would you choose? Or for this price would you prefer some NiceHCK cables from Aliexpress?

Hmm, 20EUR is kinda steep IMHO. I bought it on Shopee for the equivalent of USD13.50, iirc. But, if you must go for Amazon (especially if you're concerned about returns, shipping time, etc) and if they're the same price, go for the latter one. I have that one too, although iirc it's not as soft & pliable as the former, but only just slightly.
 
Aug 16, 2021 at 12:01 AM Post #57,178 of 75,470
You can literally get TOTL performance now for $30! Kids these days have it so easy compared to what we had it. Now I sound even more like my grandfather.
Wait, you mean I can just buy these two components (circled in red below) and then hook it up to an MMCX cable and essentially have myself a Smabat M0? I'm not familiar with Smabat products, especially the latest ones. Would appreciate some clarification, TIA.
 

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Aug 16, 2021 at 2:43 AM Post #57,179 of 75,470
Wait, you mean I can just buy these two components (circled in red below) and then hook it up to an MMCX cable and essentially have myself a Smabat M0? I'm not familiar with Smabat products, especially the latest ones. Would appreciate some clarification, TIA.
Yep, well somewhere in between the M0 and the M2S Pro(I can only assume that the driver listed in the pic is the default driver for the M2S Pro, 40 Ohms). These are similar to the more expensive M2S Pro, which are $65+ as a kit. The difference here is that normally you would also get drivers and a cable for $35 (basically a cheaper version of the M2S Pro). The default driver for the M0 is normally 20 Ohms vs. the 40 Ohms for the M2s Pro, and I also couldn't see where you can change the filters in these either like you can with the M2S Pro. So, for roughly $22USD you are getting everything but the cable.

I can't speak to how well they sound though, because it looks like the shells are a different shape than the M2S Pro. But, if they are anything like either of the Smabat buds I have (M2S Pro stock driver and ST10S gold 150 Ohm driver), they will sound good to great.
 
Aug 16, 2021 at 4:53 AM Post #57,180 of 75,470
Wait, you mean I can just buy these two components (circled in red below) and then hook it up to an MMCXthis will be a hot rod Ed cable and essentially have myself a Smabat M0? I'm not familiar with Smabat products, especially the latest ones. Would appreciate some clarification, TIA.
Like @samandhi said that’s essentially it except it would be hot-rodded, or a beefed-up version. They sound great for sure. Leaner than the 150Ohm driver in the M2s pro shell, but great for the money! I believe you can use the tuning nets with it, but I don’t think they are necessary at all. The open port is supposed to have the most bass and that’s how I like them. They are not over bassy(whatever that is) in the stock configuration. My biggest problem with them is that they’ve gone missing. This morning my wife said “wow, I really like that blue! How do they sound?” Well I foolishly let her listen to them because she’s always been happy with her Apple Ear Pods. I was hoping she would like them, but not enough to confiscate them. Well, I came home from work today and they are missing and she claims she doesn’t remember where she put them. She doesn’t forget anything. I mean ANYTHING. My Venture Electronics case is strange missing as well and it’s my favorite case. It fits the Qudelix and a set of buds perfectly. @WoodyLuvr, I feel your pain. I have no doubt she knows where they are because she was blown away by their sound AND though they looked awesome. She wouldn’t lose them, I’m abs sure of that. Now I just have to catch her in the act of listening to them. I think I just made an audiophile of her, but I wasn’t trying to.
 

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