Earbuds Round-Up

[Ronion]

Yes I also have LBBs, wonder whether St20 pro would be a good side grade

So I compared them for about an hour, but in truth I am probably too tired to make a comparison. Neither of them had any soundstage and the both sounded muddy lol. Not a description I would normally use for either of these buds. This is what kills me about this hobby: your physical state of being has a lot to do with what you hear. Measurements are more consistent and even they vary lol. I have just worked 7 days in a row and took a huge hike to decompress before doing to comparison. The things I could definitely hear as far as differences go is that the SMABAT has deeper bass while the LBBs has more treble that still seems fairly smooth though plasticky in comparison. I’ve never thought of its treble as plasticky before. Keep in mind that the LBBs wasn’t EQed at all and is also too small to get a stable fit in my ears and it didn’t have helper shark fins attached to make it more stable and repeatable. The LBBs also takes bass boosting EQ well according to reports. I haven’t had such luck with it however and that may be a fit problem. Nonetheless, if I was going to spend my money on an LBBs upgrade, I wouldn’t look at this SMABAT. It’s just too much hassle. I’d look for a traditional shape: Lite, PK, DP, MX, Docomo, or some hybrid variant in plastic. There are several that are not too expensive: HE150, TG38s, White Lotus, and several others I’m sure. None of these may be absolutely a total win for what you want (or they may be), but they are at least another side grade that’s worth the price of admission and will likely have something that you’ll appreciate for many years to come and you could get all three several times for the price of the SMABAT.

I actually think my ears are tired from all the ear squinting they did last night to make the EQ because last night was after the end of a 7 day work stretch and I could hear like a bat.

 

[regancipher]

My review of the Linkbuds here, would love to hear the thoughts of other headfiers

 

[WoodyLuvr]

...while the LBBs has more treble that still seems fairly smooth though plasticky in comparison. I’ve never thought of its treble as plasticky before... ...LBBs also takes bass boosting EQ well according to reports...

Indeed the Ks Bell-LBBs do respond (play) very well with DSPs and EQ... especially in the lower-half frequencies. The Ks Bell-LBBs is a super neutral, mid-centric sounding earbud which some find to be slightly warm-leaning but I think that is simply due to it's rather prominent warm sounding secondary sound characteristic. The Ks Bell-LBBs do present a lot of energy in the upper midrange to very lower treble. Combine this with mildly recessed, aggressive upper highs and the result can be that "plasticky" sound you are hearing. Though this usually can be corrected with careful EQ'ing it is certainly something of a bane for a lot of plastic shelled earphones out there.

Ks Bell-LBBs Sound Signature Chart

It is crucial that you do not interpret this chart two-dimensionally but rather three-dimensionally using all axes offered. Optimally, this would be best presented as a sphere but in turn that would make it difficult to clearly see and read all the labels and sections. Thus, we are limited to two-dimensions for the sake of presentation and clarity. Please note that I tried my best to stick to the "classic" (more basic) sound signature & tuning characteristic definitions as used by recording professionals & audio engineers.

Ks Bell-LBBs
Primary = Mid-Centric - Neutral
Secondary (Strong) = Warm (not muddy, nor muffled)
Secondary (Weak) = Sharp & Detailed
Tertiary (Complementing) = Hard-Harsh (enhanced female vocals; sometimes aggressive though)
Tertiary (Opposing) = Hard-Harsh (not overly bright, nor sibilant though); Thin & Tinny (aggressive)

The primary sound signature (red dot and red-shaded oval) of the Ks Bell-LBBs is "mid-centric - neutral" with a very strong secondary sound signature (dark-blue shaded balloon) that reaches out to "warm" but is far from being muddy, smeared, or muffled. A non-overpowering weak secondary sound signature (light-blue shaded balloon) reaches out to "detailed" for greater resolution and more realistic, natural-sounding timbre. Prominent complementing tertiary sound characteristics (green shaded arrows) are exhibited in the upper mids and very lower treble that may/can come across as being rather "hard-harsh" but in-turn also provides enhanced female vocals and reproduction of bright-leaning instruments. Due to mildly recessed mid and upper highs a sneaky and quite "aggressive" ("thin & tinny") opposing tertiary sound characteristic (green shaded arrow) may rear it's ugly head occasionally with certain recordings and music genres.


Please Note - The other shown earphone plots (gray dots) are only indicating the primary (strongest sounding) signature and does not take into account other possible strong/weak secondary sound signatures and/or opposing/complementing tertiary sound characteristics. Some transducers may exhibit multiple and opposing tonal attributes all at the same time. I tend to plot earphones by their strongest attribute(s) first and then do my best to fine tune their position based on their other (minor) attributes.

 

[syazwaned]

So I compared them for about an hour, but in truth I am probably too tired to make a comparison. Neither of them had any soundstage and the both sounded muddy lol. Not a description I would normally use for either of these buds. This is what kills me about this hobby: your physical state of being has a lot to do with what you hear. Measurements are more consistent and even they vary lol. I have just worked 7 days in a row and took a huge hike to decompress before doing to comparison. The things I could definitely hear as far as differences go is that the SMABAT has deeper bass while the LBBs has more treble that still seems fairly smooth though plasticky in comparison. I’ve never thought of its treble as plasticky before. Keep in mind that the LBBs wasn’t EQed at all and is also too small to get a stable fit in my ears and it didn’t have helper shark fins attached to make it more stable and repeatable. The LBBs also takes bass boosting EQ well according to reports. I haven’t had such luck with it however and that may be a fit problem. Nonetheless, if I was going to spend my money on an LBBs upgrade, I wouldn’t look at this SMABAT. It’s just too much hassle. I’d look for a traditional shape: Lite, PK, DP, MX, Docomo, or some hybrid variant in plastic. There are several that are not too expensive: HE150, TG38s, White Lotus, and several others I’m sure. None of these may be absolutely a total win for what you want (or they may be), but they are at least another side grade that’s worth the price of admission and will likely have something that you’ll appreciate for many years to come and you could get all three several times for the price of the SMABAT.

I actually think my ears are tired from all the ear squinting they did last night to make the EQ because last night was after the end of a 7 day work stretch and I could hear like a bat.

Thank you friend. Really appreciate your thought and your valuable time in doing this. Smabat st20 pro Bass does interest my a lot, I have the m2s pro, love the bass although it is too big for my ears.

 

[WoodyLuvr]

'THE CHECKLIST' FOR FLATHEAD EARBUD RECOMMENDATION REQUESTS
For those looking for a flathead-earbud recommendation from the Earbuds Round-Up thread gang, the following data is extremely helpful:

• budget (what are you willing/looking to spend? e.g. price range)
• source (e.g. Smartphone, DAP, AMP/DAC, PC, Streamer)
• preferred connection (termination type, single-ended or balanced e.g. 3.5TRS, 4.4TRRS, 2.5TRRS)
• listening level & session length (volume level and for how long?)
• listening environment (e.g. mobile, office, home desktop, home listening room)
• preferred music genre (to include podcasts and audiobooks)
• preferred shell and foam-cushion type (e.g. please see here and here)
• preferred sound signature i (e.g. bright, dark, warm, aggressive, bassy, neutral, L/U/V/W-shaped)
• preferred sound signature ii (optional; offer a comparative non-earbud transducer model)
• preferred brand (optional; only applicable for a model recommendation within a single brand)
• any special need and/or consideration (e.g. mic/no mic?; fixed cable vs. mmcx?)

My defunct (no-longer updated/supported) Earbud God-Tier List can be found here.

 

[baskingshark]

Thanks for your impressions on the ST20 Pro, probably it is the first impressions/review I've seen so far on audio forums.

So looks like adding a BA to earbuds is still a pipedream of sorts, or at least a failed proof of concept. It is a good idea in theory, BAs do bring advantages to the table, such as better technicalities than a single DD (in general). But in a earbud shell, where different folks have different fits (due to ear anatomy), I think it would be very difficult to get the ideal fit so that the BAs don't sound piercing, there's so much variation in fit compared to an IEM. Not to mention hybrid type IEMs/earbuds, may have coherency/crossover issues if not implemented well, and BAs may add an artificial sheen to timbral accuracy sometimes.

I applaud Smabat for trying to innovate with the addition of a BA, but there's a big reason why the vast majority of earbuds are still single DD, not only cause of pricing but implementing BAs inside a earbud shell is a supremely difficult task. Looks like it's back to the drawing board.

Speak about the devil! I bought an ST20 (non pro) at the crowdfunding, but was very surprised when an ST20 Pro was delivered in the mail this afternoon instead. Hmm, will check with Smabat about this.



Anyways, the ST20 Pro is huge for a earbud. I daresay the hugest earbud I've tried so far in my earbud journey. Build is good, comes with MMCX connectors as per most SMABAT earbuds. The shell is on the heavier side but I didn't get any weight-fatigue while using them.

Accessories are quite premium, other than the earbuds themselves, these are included:
- Leatherette carrying pouch
- Full foams, donut foams, silicone covers
- 2 cables - 1x 3.5 mm and 1x 4.4 mm termination cable
- 1/4 inch jack



The ST20 pro can be worn cable down or over ears. This in theory gives more fitting permutations. However, this earbud is legit one of the hardest to fit earbuds ever. Not only are the shells huge, the preformed hooks on the 3.5 mm cable are quite stiff and they tend to yank the earbud out of the ear. In fact, with a suboptimal fit, there is no bass heard and the upper mids/treble handled by the BA will just overwhelm the sonic scene and make this an overly bright shouty and fatiguing earbud. I now know what @Ronion was referring to when he said the finicky fit on this set affects the sound tremendously, that is no exaggeration. Even small adjustments in the fit will skew the sound signature a lot.

So I foresee lots of differing sound impressions on the ST20 Pro, by virtue of all of us having different fit/ear anatomies. Small variances in the fit will push the BA into different positions and affect shoutiness and resonances.




So after fiddling with various permutations, I managed to finally get the bass frequencies to come out to play, and even out the BA higher frequencies (the ears take the FR as a whole). My most optimal fitting was via cable down with silicone covers inside, and putting a full foam over them. Of course YMMV, but see what works for you in terms of fit. I definitely foresee quite a few folks having fitting issues with this set, which will surely skew the sound. I would think most of us in this thread know about rolling foam covers and optimizing fit, but those new to this rabbit hole might very well give up on fitting them, or even worse, using them in a suboptimal fit which makes them sound like shrieking banshees. So my advise is, don't give up on them OOTB!

So as per the 120 ohm impedance, the ST20 Pro is difficult to drive. Amping is mandatory, do not try this set with a weak source. Tests below done on a Khadas Tone Board -> Schiit Asgard 3 and E1DA dongle.

So on to sound, with an optimal fit, and with adequate juice, I would describe the ST20 Pro as being a neutral bright set.

Bass is just a tinge north of neutral, definitely not at basshead levels. Subbass extends very well for a earbud, as per the SMABAT labryinthine designs, with good rumble. The SMABAT earbuds beat most other run-of-the-mill earbuds in subbass extension, and the ST20 Pro is no different in this regard. In terms of bass quality, bass speed is moderate, texturing is above average, with minimal midbass bleed.

Lower mids are a tinge depressed, with upper mids boosted around the 2 - 3 kHz regions, which is sort of the house sound of SMABAT tuning. Due to the Fletcher Munson curve, volume-played-at affects the ST20 Pro a lot. Boosting the volume to high levels will make this 3 kHz region piercing, but at moderate to low levels, this region is right at the borderline of being forward versus shoutiness. This region also probably depends on hearing health, and the aforementioned fitting issues, as a good fit will get the bass out, which evens out this region.

Lower treble is boosted, but there is a higher treble roll off, and the ST20 Pro is not an airy or sparkly set. Sibilance is mild.

Timbre-wise, there is a slight BA flavour for acoustic instruments, but not the worst I've heard in a BA containing set, still acceptable for me (I'm a timbre freak).

Technicalities-wise, the added BA does bring benefits to the table. Imaging, instrument separation and clarity are top notch for a earbud and up there with TOTL buds. Soundstage is quite spacious in height, depth and width. Layering is good and almost close to some midFI IEMs in this department.



So in a nutshell, the ST20 Pro is a proof-of-concept of what an added BA can bring to the earbud buffet table. My main beef with the ST20 Pro is that the various fitting angles will all give a different sound signature, due to the BA being positioned differently. This will give differing opinions among different users on the sound, but I would advise consumers to not give up, try double foaming, silicone covers, earhooks, whatever you can to get an optimal fit. Once the fit is secured, this set is very good in technical performance, while keeping the deep subbass we find in SMABAT series earbuds. Accessories are great, build is solid and the layering, soundstage and imaging are really very strong for a earbud. Those sensitive to the upper mids 3 kHz regions or those that do not have an amp on hand might also want to look elsewhere, but I foresee "fitting" to be the achilles' heel of this earbud. Fit can literally make or break a earbud/IEM -> case in point BLON BL-03.

 

[Vannak]

Speak about the devil! I bought an ST20 (non pro) at the crowdfunding, but was very surprised when an ST20 Pro was delivered in the mail this afternoon instead. Hmm, will check with Smabat about this.



Anyways, the ST20 Pro is huge for a earbud. I daresay the hugest earbud I've tried so far in my earbud journey. Build is good, comes with MMCX connectors as per most SMABAT earbuds. The shell is on the heavier side but I didn't get any weight-fatigue while using them.

Accessories are quite premium, other than the earbuds themselves, these are included:
- Leatherette carrying pouch
- Full foams, donut foams, silicone covers
- 2 cables - 1x 3.5 mm and 1x 4.4 mm termination cable
- 1/4 inch jack



The ST20 pro can be worn cable down or over ears. This in theory gives more fitting permutations. However, this earbud is legit one of the hardest to fit earbuds ever. Not only are the shells huge, the preformed hooks on the 3.5 mm cable are quite stiff and they tend to yank the earbud out of the ear. In fact, with a suboptimal fit, there is no bass heard and the upper mids/treble handled by the BA will just overwhelm the sonic scene and make this an overly bright shouty and fatiguing earbud. I now know what @Ronion was referring to when he said the finicky fit on this set affects the sound tremendously, that is no exaggeration. Even small adjustments in the fit will skew the sound signature a lot.

So I foresee lots of differing sound impressions on the ST20 Pro, by virtue of all of us having different fit/ear anatomies. Small variances in the fit will push the BA into different positions and affect shoutiness and resonances.




So after fiddling with various permutations, I managed to finally get the bass frequencies to come out to play, and even out the BA higher frequencies (the ears take the FR as a whole). My most optimal fitting was via cable down with silicone covers inside, and putting a full foam over them. Of course YMMV, but see what works for you in terms of fit. I definitely foresee quite a few folks having fitting issues with this set, which will surely skew the sound. I would think most of us in this thread know about rolling foam covers and optimizing fit, but those new to this rabbit hole might very well give up on fitting them, or even worse, using them in a suboptimal fit which makes them sound like shrieking banshees. So my advise is, don't give up on them OOTB!

So as per the 120 ohm impedance, the ST20 Pro is difficult to drive. Amping is mandatory, do not try this set with a weak source. Tests below done on a Khadas Tone Board -> Schiit Asgard 3 and E1DA dongle.

So on to sound, with an optimal fit, and with adequate juice, I would describe the ST20 Pro as being a neutral bright set.

Bass is just a tinge north of neutral, definitely not at basshead levels. Subbass extends very well for a earbud, as per the SMABAT labryinthine designs, with good rumble. The SMABAT earbuds beat most other run-of-the-mill earbuds in subbass extension, and the ST20 Pro is no different in this regard. In terms of bass quality, bass speed is moderate, texturing is above average, with minimal midbass bleed.

Lower mids are a tinge depressed, with upper mids boosted around the 2 - 3 kHz regions, which is sort of the house sound of SMABAT tuning. Due to the Fletcher Munson curve, volume-played-at affects the ST20 Pro a lot. Boosting the volume to high levels will make this 3 kHz region piercing, but at moderate to low levels, this region is right at the borderline of being forward versus shoutiness. This region also probably depends on hearing health, and the aforementioned fitting issues, as a good fit will get the bass out, which evens out this region.

Lower treble is boosted, but there is a higher treble roll off, and the ST20 Pro is not an airy or sparkly set. Sibilance is mild.

Timbre-wise, there is a slight BA flavour for acoustic instruments, but not the worst I've heard in a BA containing set, still acceptable for me (I'm a timbre freak).

Technicalities-wise, the added BA does bring benefits to the table. Imaging, instrument separation and clarity are top notch for a earbud and up there with TOTL buds. Soundstage is quite spacious in height, depth and width. Layering is good and almost close to some midFI IEMs in this department.



So in a nutshell, the ST20 Pro is a proof-of-concept of what an added BA can bring to the earbud buffet table. My main beef with the ST20 Pro is that the various fitting angles will all give a different sound signature, due to the BA being positioned differently. This will give differing opinions among different users on the sound, but I would advise consumers to not give up, try double foaming, silicone covers, earhooks, whatever you can to get an optimal fit. Once the fit is secured, this set is very good in technical performance, while keeping the deep subbass we find in SMABAT series earbuds. Accessories are great, build is solid and the layering, soundstage and imaging are really very strong for a earbud. Those sensitive to the upper mids 3 kHz regions or those that do not have an amp on hand might also want to look elsewhere, but I foresee "fitting" to be the achilles' heel of this earbud. Fit can literally make or break a earbud/IEM -> case in point BLON BL-03.

Thanks for sharing

 

[Xinlisupreme]

My ST20 tracking doesn't work, looks like it's still in China since 26th Jan

 

[jogawag]

My ST20 tracking doesn't work, looks like it's still in China since 26th Jan

If the parcel goes missing, you may be happy to get a refund.

 

[FranQL]

graphic: @Ronion ST20 pro stock

 

[Ronion]

Speak about the devil! I bought an ST20 (non pro) at the crowdfunding, but was very surprised when an ST20 Pro was delivered in the mail this afternoon instead. Hmm, will check with Smabat about this.



Anyways, the ST20 Pro is huge for a earbud. I daresay the hugest earbud I've tried so far in my earbud journey. Build is good, comes with MMCX connectors as per most SMABAT earbuds. The shell is on the heavier side but I didn't get any weight-fatigue while using them.

Accessories are quite premium, other than the earbuds themselves, these are included:
- Leatherette carrying pouch
- Full foams, donut foams, silicone covers
- 2 cables - 1x 3.5 mm and 1x 4.4 mm termination cable
- 1/4 inch jack



The ST20 pro can be worn cable down or over ears. This in theory gives more fitting permutations. However, this earbud is legit one of the hardest to fit earbuds ever. Not only are the shells huge, the preformed hooks on the 3.5 mm cable are quite stiff and they tend to yank the earbud out of the ear. In fact, with a suboptimal fit, there is no bass heard and the upper mids/treble handled by the BA will just overwhelm the sonic scene and make this an overly bright shouty and fatiguing earbud. I now know what @Ronion was referring to when he said the finicky fit on this set affects the sound tremendously, that is no exaggeration. Even small adjustments in the fit will skew the sound signature a lot.

So I foresee lots of differing sound impressions on the ST20 Pro, by virtue of all of us having different fit/ear anatomies. Small variances in the fit will push the BA into different positions and affect shoutiness and resonances.




So after fiddling with various permutations, I managed to finally get the bass frequencies to come out to play, and even out the BA higher frequencies (the ears take the FR as a whole). My most optimal fitting was via cable down with silicone covers inside, and putting a full foam over them. Of course YMMV, but see what works for you in terms of fit. I definitely foresee quite a few folks having fitting issues with this set, which will surely skew the sound. I would think most of us in this thread know about rolling foam covers and optimizing fit, but those new to this rabbit hole might very well give up on fitting them, or even worse, using them in a suboptimal fit which makes them sound like shrieking banshees. So my advise is, don't give up on them OOTB!

So as per the 120 ohm impedance, the ST20 Pro is difficult to drive. Amping is mandatory, do not try this set with a weak source. Tests below done on a Khadas Tone Board -> Schiit Asgard 3 and E1DA dongle.

So on to sound, with an optimal fit, and with adequate juice, I would describe the ST20 Pro as being a neutral bright set.

Bass is just a tinge north of neutral, definitely not at basshead levels. Subbass extends very well for a earbud, as per the SMABAT labryinthine designs, with good rumble. The SMABAT earbuds beat most other run-of-the-mill earbuds in subbass extension, and the ST20 Pro is no different in this regard. In terms of bass quality, bass speed is moderate, texturing is above average, with minimal midbass bleed.

Lower mids are a tinge depressed, with upper mids boosted around the 2 - 3 kHz regions, which is sort of the house sound of SMABAT tuning. Due to the Fletcher Munson curve, volume-played-at affects the ST20 Pro a lot. Boosting the volume to high levels will make this 3 kHz region piercing, but at moderate to low levels, this region is right at the borderline of being forward versus shoutiness. This region also probably depends on hearing health, and the aforementioned fitting issues, as a good fit will get the bass out, which evens out this region.

Lower treble is boosted, but there is a higher treble roll off, and the ST20 Pro is not an airy or sparkly set. Sibilance is mild.

Timbre-wise, there is a slight BA flavour for acoustic instruments, but not the worst I've heard in a BA containing set, still acceptable for me (I'm a timbre freak).

Technicalities-wise, the added BA does bring benefits to the table. Imaging, instrument separation and clarity are top notch for a earbud and up there with TOTL buds. Soundstage is quite spacious in height, depth and width. Layering is good and almost close to some midFI IEMs in this department.



So in a nutshell, the ST20 Pro is a proof-of-concept of what an added BA can bring to the earbud buffet table. My main beef with the ST20 Pro is that the various fitting angles will all give a different sound signature, due to the BA being positioned differently. This will give differing opinions among different users on the sound, but I would advise consumers to not give up, try double foaming, silicone covers, earhooks, whatever you can to get an optimal fit. Once the fit is secured, this set is very good in technical performance, while keeping the deep subbass we find in SMABAT series earbuds. Accessories are great, build is solid and the layering, soundstage and imaging are really very strong for a earbud. Those sensitive to the upper mids 3 kHz regions or those that do not have an amp on hand might also want to look elsewhere, but I foresee "fitting" to be the achilles' heel of this earbud. Fit can literally make or break a earbud/IEM -> case in point BLON BL-03.

Your impression closely mirrors mine but more eloquently spoken. The cable down is where they sounded and measured best, but I could not get them to stay in very long. Wrapping the cable over the ears did not work at all for me at first, but oddly now it does. Unfortunately the sound there is crazy bright. So the EQ was devised. It‘s still not perfect, but my ears seem to be suffering exhaustion from the effort. Recording engineers suffer from this as well. My theory now is that it’s better to work fast and then review your changes again a few days later. In any case, it’s good to know that I’m not alone in my type of crazy

 

[Ronion]

graphic: @Ronion ST20 pro stock

Love it! That should come in the package

 

[Ronion]

Thank you friend. Really appreciate your thought and your valuable time in doing this. Smabat st20 pro Bass does interest my a lot, I have the m2s pro, love the bass although it is too big for my ears.

The HE150 graphs similar to the ST20 in its best position except it has more bass that is still detailed and the overall response is smoother. It’s fit is standard MX500.

 

[samandhi]

Anyways, the ST20 Pro is huge for a earbud. I daresay the hugest earbud I've tried so far in my earbud journey.

Then you should check out the Maria II... It is like having a wagon wheel on the side of your head.

Thanks for the very nice thoughts on these (also to @Ronion for yours as well)!

 

[Ronion]

Then you should check out the Maria II... It is like having a wagon wheel on the side of your head.

Thanks for the very nice thoughts on these (also to @Ronion for yours as well)!

This was had me laughing. Thank you for that!