Earbuds Round-Up
Mar 28, 2022 at 10:22 AM Post #60,736 of 77,557
Out of all 3, at least these are classy, with svelte elegance:



The other 2 fit the definition of "Pigs with lipstick...".

This earbud is the literal definition of "golden ears".

Best part is it still has non detachable noodle-thin cables. An awkward yank away from being gold dust. The cable and drivers inside better be made of gold too!
 
Mar 28, 2022 at 10:27 AM Post #60,737 of 77,557
MX500 shell can hold 3 different covers: metal - mesh, standard plastic and in some cases MX760.
Metal-mesh cover has slightly larger diameter than standard plastic cover and MX760 cover is smaller than both.
Another type of shells that use 15,4mm drivers are MX760, DP100, Hybrid etc. These shell are more comfy than MX500 and fit is also better.
DP100 shell you can find on ShoonTH buds line up. https://penonaudio.com/ShoonTH
Qian69 is another comfy buds https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002275229979.html
Next you have buds (14.8mm driver) with PK and Docomo shell but on Ali you can find only a few models (half branded and half DIY)

Modded Philips SHE3800 from a local modder that I ordered for about $5 just came in not even an hour ago, it's an instant night and day difference of fitting compared to the MX500-style KGIS. Grips better, also smoother on the edges. Virtually, the Philips is slightly wider compared to the KGIS.

Based on your recommendation, I found these items on a local e-commerce:
  • Cat Ear Mimi (Looks a lot like the MX760)
  • Qian39 (I know it's not the Qian69, but is it comparable for comfortability?)
  • The Yuin PKs, Nicehck B40, and other PK shell DIYs (are these comfy?)
Fit and comfort aside. Any recommendation between these buds?
 
Mar 28, 2022 at 10:29 AM Post #60,738 of 77,557
Maybe some earhooks would be useful?

Example:
25f98f97f47031c194fcafc611da0861

I found these online, planning to get these as well, but wanted to explore buds other than the MX500 style
 
Mar 28, 2022 at 10:46 AM Post #60,739 of 77,557
I found these online, planning to get these as well, but wanted to explore buds other than the MX500 style
A concern is the fitting of foams (for tuning) and the earhooks at the same time. I can't imagine putting foams over the earhooks, and putting the earhooks over foams could be a slight task as well?
 
Mar 28, 2022 at 10:53 AM Post #60,740 of 77,557
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Mar 28, 2022 at 2:49 PM Post #60,741 of 77,557
A concern is the fitting of foams (for tuning) and the earhooks at the same time. I can't imagine putting foams over the earhooks, and putting the earhooks over foams could be a slight task as well?
I always cut my foams to fit over the hook part of the ear hooks. You cut them in the same fashion you would cut the crust off of a section of pie and then place the hook through the resultant hole.


And just so you guys know, I wouldn't recommend the ST20 pro to anyone without stipulating the need for dramatic EQ, modification, and/or fit efforts, but in truth, they are the best bud I've ever heard as far as technicalities go. They do have that screaming banshie upper mids straight out of the box and a virtually impossible fit, but once those things are dealt with they are incredible even through BlueTooth. They require at least 2V to power them as well. 4V is perfect!
 
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Mar 28, 2022 at 4:40 PM Post #60,742 of 77,557
IMO 32 Ohm N52 is average, all the details on the front line and stage contained. It has a good tonality and I agree with @jeejack that there are much better ones, for example for me 32 bio is the undisputed king in that impedance, unless blue pet surpasses it.....

but my opinion may not be the best, because I greatly enjoy drivers that are simply free, like these photo (32 Ohm)

I see the $319 price of shozy gold, and I can't help but smile, they might already sound like celestial eternal life, paying that for a generic plastic shell.... plus a fancy cable... maybe the diaphragm is made of gold.

IMG_20220304_192635.jpg
I'm willing to bet money that the Shozy Gold is a similar story to the Shozy BK. Tuned warmer, and uses a more expensive cable than their little brother (in this case the SG).
 
Mar 28, 2022 at 5:14 PM Post #60,743 of 77,557
Got my package finally today after only 7 days shipping within the USA... LOL

My first impressions are that the RW-3000 is a re-tuning of the RW-2000. The shell has some very small differences in the way they were CNC'ed, all aesthetically done. The overall bud itself is exactly the same IMO (not sure if the driver is different though). The cable is thicker than the one that comes with the RW-2000, but only because it is not woven as tightly (still a fantastic cable). I prefer the case that comes with the RW-2000 because it is smaller overall, but easy to put the buds in. The one that comes with the RW-3000 is huge but doesn't have as much room inside to fit the buds (it is still really nice though).

As for sound, it is really different from the RW-2000. They decreased the quantity of bass (but it is still boosted compared to most other buds); especially the upper bass which is what gave the RW-2000 the much richer and fuller sound. On the other hand, this also makes the RW-3000's timbre more accurate sounding to my ears. They boosted the treble quite a bit (or at least parts of it), giving exceptional clarity and airyness. No longer can these be considered warm but with a boost to pina gain. There IS a boost to the pina gain, but I don't believe they took it further than the RW-2000 had; it only seems that way because they decreased the bass presence. I would call these neutral to bright on the macro level.

The mids is where the massive improvement is on the RW-3000. Because of the boosted treble (some might find it too much, but I don't at all), and the revealing nature of the presence region, mids are no longer as dull... I wouldn't say that they are more forward than before, but they have gained an incredible amount of clarity.

Someone asked me if they were worth the $100-$150 more that one pays over the RW-2000, and I would say that it depends if you like the signature or not (they really are now a different signature than the RW-2000). Also, are they worth $300 in general? Well, again I would say that depends. For me, I say yes, because overall these sound better than most single DD IEMs I have heard in this price category (and somewhere above too). I WILL say that so far they are better in almost every way than the RW-2000. I would ALMOST put them up against the Chaconne (as it stand right now). They seem pretty close in sound, but with more quanty of bass, and a bit more aggressive up top. Clarity and Micro details seem to be there (I'll know more after some A/B'ing).

But, I will share more when I have had a chance to listen more. Sorry so long! :)
 
Mar 28, 2022 at 9:11 PM Post #60,744 of 77,557
I always cut my foams to fit over the hook part of the ear hooks. You cut them in the same fashion you would cut the crust off of a section of pie and then place the hook through the resultant hole.


And just so you guys know, I wouldn't recommend the ST20 pro to anyone without stipulating the need for dramatic EQ, modification, and/or fit efforts, but in truth, they are the best bud I've ever heard as far as technicalities go. They do have that screaming banshie upper mids straight out of the box and a virtually impossible fit, but once those things are dealt with they are incredible even through BlueTooth. They require at least 2V to power them as well. 4V is perfect!
Excellent description of how to cut / slit the foam at the seam to create a hole for the earhook to go through. I haven't had to use earhooks / supports except for on the LinkBuds, but that's a different animal.
 
Mar 28, 2022 at 9:12 PM Post #60,745 of 77,557
Got my package finally today after only 7 days shipping within the USA... LOL

My first impressions are that the RW-3000 is a re-tuning of the RW-2000. The shell has some very small differences in the way they were CNC'ed, all aesthetically done. The overall bud itself is exactly the same IMO (not sure if the driver is different though). The cable is thicker than the one that comes with the RW-2000, but only because it is not woven as tightly (still a fantastic cable). I prefer the case that comes with the RW-2000 because it is smaller overall, but easy to put the buds in. The one that comes with the RW-3000 is huge but doesn't have as much room inside to fit the buds (it is still really nice though).

As for sound, it is really different from the RW-2000. They decreased the quantity of bass (but it is still boosted compared to most other buds); especially the upper bass which is what gave the RW-2000 the much richer and fuller sound. On the other hand, this also makes the RW-3000's timbre more accurate sounding to my ears. They boosted the treble quite a bit (or at least parts of it), giving exceptional clarity and airyness. No longer can these be considered warm but with a boost to pina gain. There IS a boost to the pina gain, but I don't believe they took it further than the RW-2000 had; it only seems that way because they decreased the bass presence. I would call these neutral to bright on the macro level.

The mids is where the massive improvement is on the RW-3000. Because of the boosted treble (some might find it too much, but I don't at all), and the revealing nature of the presence region, mids are no longer as dull... I wouldn't say that they are more forward than before, but they have gained an incredible amount of clarity.

Someone asked me if they were worth the $100-$150 more that one pays over the RW-2000, and I would say that it depends if you like the signature or not (they really are now a different signature than the RW-2000). Also, are they worth $300 in general? Well, again I would say that depends. For me, I say yes, because overall these sound better than most single DD IEMs I have heard in this price category (and somewhere above too). I WILL say that so far they are better in almost every way than the RW-2000. I would ALMOST put them up against the Chaconne (as it stand right now). They seem pretty close in sound, but with more quanty of bass, and a bit more aggressive up top. Clarity and Micro details seem to be there (I'll know more after some A/B'ing).

But, I will share more when I have had a chance to listen more. Sorry so long! :)

Thanks for taking one for the team man!

I already found the RW2000's pinna gain to be on the fence between shoutiness and forwardness, on some tracks (via neutral source). So will probably skip this RW3000 if the bass is less (this may make the pinna gain more prominent based on a see-saw effect with lesser bass).
 
Mar 28, 2022 at 9:16 PM Post #60,746 of 77,557
Got my package finally today after only 7 days shipping within the USA... LOL

My first impressions are that the RW-3000 is a re-tuning of the RW-2000. The shell has some very small differences in the way they were CNC'ed, all aesthetically done. The overall bud itself is exactly the same IMO (not sure if the driver is different though). The cable is thicker than the one that comes with the RW-2000, but only because it is not woven as tightly (still a fantastic cable). I prefer the case that comes with the RW-2000 because it is smaller overall, but easy to put the buds in. The one that comes with the RW-3000 is huge but doesn't have as much room inside to fit the buds (it is still really nice though).

As for sound, it is really different from the RW-2000. They decreased the quantity of bass (but it is still boosted compared to most other buds); especially the upper bass which is what gave the RW-2000 the much richer and fuller sound. On the other hand, this also makes the RW-3000's timbre more accurate sounding to my ears. They boosted the treble quite a bit (or at least parts of it), giving exceptional clarity and airyness. No longer can these be considered warm but with a boost to pina gain. There IS a boost to the pina gain, but I don't believe they took it further than the RW-2000 had; it only seems that way because they decreased the bass presence. I would call these neutral to bright on the macro level.

The mids is where the massive improvement is on the RW-3000. Because of the boosted treble (some might find it too much, but I don't at all), and the revealing nature of the presence region, mids are no longer as dull... I wouldn't say that they are more forward than before, but they have gained an incredible amount of clarity.

Someone asked me if they were worth the $100-$150 more that one pays over the RW-2000, and I would say that it depends if you like the signature or not (they really are now a different signature than the RW-2000). Also, are they worth $300 in general? Well, again I would say that depends. For me, I say yes, because overall these sound better than most single DD IEMs I have heard in this price category (and somewhere above too). I WILL say that so far they are better in almost every way than the RW-2000. I would ALMOST put them up against the Chaconne (as it stand right now). They seem pretty close in sound, but with more quanty of bass, and a bit more aggressive up top. Clarity and Micro details seem to be there (I'll know more after some A/B'ing).

But, I will share more when I have had a chance to listen more. Sorry so long! :)
Wow, thanks for the mini review. The anticipation level just went up a couple notches. I hope mine arrive soon.
 
Mar 28, 2022 at 9:35 PM Post #60,747 of 77,557
I'm willing to bet money that the Shozy Gold is a similar story to the Shozy BK. Tuned warmer, and uses a more expensive cable than their little brother (in this case the SG).
The Shozy BK will set you back roughly $170. It has the same more expensive cable as the Gold, so that would leave only the tuning and being a limited edition to more than double the price of SG which is about $140. There better be a bit more "magic sauce" to account for the Gold pricing.

Edit: What I mean by the "magic sauce" is a better description on the Penon webpage for the Gold's. If you want to attract attention, you have to make a compelling description so people know why or where their spend is going toward.
 
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Mar 28, 2022 at 10:52 PM Post #60,749 of 77,557
Got my package finally today after only 7 days shipping within the USA... LOL

My first impressions are that the RW-3000 is a re-tuning of the RW-2000. The shell has some very small differences in the way they were CNC'ed, all aesthetically done. The overall bud itself is exactly the same IMO (not sure if the driver is different though). The cable is thicker than the one that comes with the RW-2000, but only because it is not woven as tightly (still a fantastic cable). I prefer the case that comes with the RW-2000 because it is smaller overall, but easy to put the buds in. The one that comes with the RW-3000 is huge but doesn't have as much room inside to fit the buds (it is still really nice though).

As for sound, it is really different from the RW-2000. They decreased the quantity of bass (but it is still boosted compared to most other buds); especially the upper bass which is what gave the RW-2000 the much richer and fuller sound. On the other hand, this also makes the RW-3000's timbre more accurate sounding to my ears. They boosted the treble quite a bit (or at least parts of it), giving exceptional clarity and airyness. No longer can these be considered warm but with a boost to pina gain. There IS a boost to the pina gain, but I don't believe they took it further than the RW-2000 had; it only seems that way because they decreased the bass presence. I would call these neutral to bright on the macro level.

The mids is where the massive improvement is on the RW-3000. Because of the boosted treble (some might find it too much, but I don't at all), and the revealing nature of the presence region, mids are no longer as dull... I wouldn't say that they are more forward than before, but they have gained an incredible amount of clarity.

Someone asked me if they were worth the $100-$150 more that one pays over the RW-2000, and I would say that it depends if you like the signature or not (they really are now a different signature than the RW-2000). Also, are they worth $300 in general? Well, again I would say that depends. For me, I say yes, because overall these sound better than most single DD IEMs I have heard in this price category (and somewhere above too). I WILL say that so far they are better in almost every way than the RW-2000. I would ALMOST put them up against the Chaconne (as it stand right now). They seem pretty close in sound, but with more quanty of bass, and a bit more aggressive up top. Clarity and Micro details seem to be there (I'll know more after some A/B'ing).

But, I will share more when I have had a chance to listen more. Sorry so long! :)
How comfortable it is on your ears? I found chaconne way to heavy for long listening session.
 
Mar 29, 2022 at 12:02 AM Post #60,750 of 77,557
new budget earbuds from nicehck in the form of lucky bag again. haven't seen any photos other than these teasers though.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004083704394.html

Screenshot 2022-03-29 at 09.55.44.png

Good pickup!

The NiceHCK Traceless also uses a 15.4 mm driver, but IIRC it was red and blue and not these psychedelic colours. Very tempted to click buy, but have too many budget earbuds at home and sneaking another budget earbud past the wife/hawk may be tough. Must keep the powder dry for a earbud that is a clear upgrade, rather than sidegrade pokemons!
 

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