Those look great! Pretty sure they sound the part too.
I have 4 builds with the 300r LCP driver on my bench. Yes, I am obsessed with it!
They were the same except for different lenghts of the bass tube inside. From my testing so far it sounds clearly the best when the bass tube ends in the middle of the shell.
Just needs a tiny but more treble, which is hard to achieve without changing the overall character.
I think I'll let this project rest for a while and will build a bud with the "donkey" next!
Pro tip: If in the U.S and you want to skip to a good value earbud that sounds great and comes with everything needed to get an excellent fit, pick up a FiiO FF3S from this eBay seller. The prices have been going up.
I have both the OG FF3 and FF3S, between the two of them I like the OG FF3 better. Not saying that the FF3S are bad buds at all, just mentioning my preference.
Stock foams are just assorted donut foams. As a general rule, is it reasonable to assume that full foams boost bass and tame upper mids and/or treble? Or does the density of the foam have a bigger role in the ultimate effects?
In general full foams don't boost the bass, their real effect is filtering the higher frequencies, which has the effect of boosting the bass, when in reality the bass remains the same, but you now hear more of the bass because the higher frequencies are filtered out a bit. Foams whether they are full or donut foams aid in getting a better, more solid fit for your earbuds in the concha area of your ear. The better fit has a major impact on the bass. That's why you can press earbuds into the concha and you will hear the bass increase and when you let go, the bass returns to the previous level.
Here's an example to think about. Lets say that you had a high density foam which has a smaller diameter, it would need to stretch more to fit your earbud. The stretching pulls the pores of the foam further apart so those high density foams may act like medium density foams. Whereas you may have another brand of high density foams with a slightly bigger or normal diameter. Since they are a little bigger, they don't stretch as much to fit your earbuds. The foam pores don't pull apart as much and as a result the higher frequencies are filtered more. You would probably use those foams to lessen unwanted higher frequency peaks for instance or "tame the frontal lobe icepick" frequencies so to speak. Donut foams have the benefit of providing a better fit which somewhat increases the bass while still allowing higher frequencies to pass through unfiltered.
The best plan is to have quality foams of different density so that you can use them to fine tune both fit and sound of your earbuds. Another tip for proper fit is to make sure the cable from the splitter up to the earbuds are at least neutral, meaning no undue twist which can affect how the buds will fit into your concha. Having silicone rings which will increase the diameter of the earbud shell can help with fit. You can put on a silicone ring on the naked shell and a foam covering the ring may be another method for a better fit. You can also use earbud wings to help stablize and hold your earbuds in place as well.
Fear not, we all have our Yays-Nays split into our collections. The challenge is always having more Yays than Nays. I'm on the 50-50 ratio as of today, btw...
If that's a goal then I'm a ways off the mark lol, might have to sell several of my least used pairs to close the gap. Part of the problem is that I'm so damn picky especially when it comes to technology that even if an earbud sounds good and is close to my preferred sound signature if it's too far off then I find myself wanting to go back to ones that are exactly where I want them sound signature wise.
We already live in a time where we read reviews that have been written by/with the help of AI. I fear the moment fake profiles are created and really an AI is posting stuff. This will be the point where we cannot escape fake marketing at all any more. Forums will become totally useless and communication on the internet will become pointless. You'll not know anymore if you are dealing with a human being any more. Let's face it, the internet has already gotten a lot sh...ier over the course of the last 20 years, from a place of freedom and free communication to a huge marketplace that tries to push products on you all the time.
When it's happening and AI will invade forums and social media it's over. I'll pull the plug, grow a long beard and move to some hippie community in the countryside to grow vegetables and potatoes.
It's already begun, I saw a news story today about a university in Germany that used AI chatbots on Reddit to go through user's post and comment history to try and learn about their views and use that info to try and change their viewpoints. Super messed up that anyone would do this and they did it without consent and specifically prompted the chatbot to ignore any moral or ethical concerns in their prompts to it. And that's just what we know about and it's only going to get worse as chatbots evolve over time.
Nah. I don’t think AI is anywhere near able to fool anyone who is paying attention (yet). Like any other form of marketing, it might catch us when we’re tired or not paying attention.But anyone paying attention should know what’s up.
It all depends on your knowledge of a subject as well as your literacy level, there are a lot of things that it excels at and if not expected to perform outputs in real time I'm sure you can get even better results out of it than when the time for each response is limited.
Oh yes!!! It happens. My first purchase was also one of my worst. The Yincrow Calf. I also didn't get a good fit in the beginning and turned to the fine folks on this thread for help. They kindly nudged me towards getting Silicone rings, which finally gave me a good fit, the sound of the Calf got a little better - but I still didn't like how it sounded at all!
It's so odd that the Calf was such a huge misstep in Yincrow's line-up for most people, it would be interesting to see what their reasons were for tuning it how they did. At least the Rhino more than made up for it in my opinion even though it costs slightly more.
In my final attempt to beat out the May 1st deadline of increased fees for products and shipments from China, I had ordered 3 sets of buds from AliExpress at the same time. You guys already saw my post on receiving the Tiandirenhe TD26 buds. They shipped so fast and cleared US Customs without a hitch. Not only that, I was really surprised when I got them yesterday, because the package was expected to arrive two days later (tomorrow) via US Postal Service. The other two buds I ordered were the Flat Head FH-01 and the TMusic HB1 300Ω buds (with cable version). Even though the FH01 and HB1 were from different AE stores, they were combined into one package as a cost savings measure in the Chinese warehouse. I'm happy to say that I received an email that the package cleared US Customs today and will be delivered soon. It will be a dry spell for those of us living in the US. Fortunately I really don't have to acquire anymore earbuds or other head gear. I still have enough DIY materials to experiment and build some DIY buds if I want to, so I'm pretty much set for the foreseeable future.
Here's the latest info I found online:
On May 1st, the United States will begin enforcing a $100 fee on every package entering the country from China, including Hong Kong and Macao. This action, combined with a 145% tariff on most Chinese imports, is expected to significantly impact shipping volume and potentially lead to shortages of certain goods.
The $100 fee will be applied to all packages entering the US from China, including those previously exempt through the de minimis exemption (packages up to $800). This, coupled with the 145% tariff on most Chinese imports, is expected to cause a dramatic decrease in shipments from China to the US.
I may have panic bought a couple spare pairs of the DB1E as well as some DIY parts and seeing how little is able to be purchased at all I'm glad I did as I have a few setups where I can make use of the extra pairs so they're not just sitting in a box on the shelf. It seems I was right to be worried about what the additional fees would be for packages that used to fall under the de minimis exception, thankfully everything I ordered has already made it through customs already so I won't be hit with a bunch of extra fees. Hopefully everyone else here who's affected by the tariffs will receive their orders in time as well to avoid these idiotic fees.
Saw the worst example of how much Dumbledorf's idiocy will impact prices, as I found another item that I can still order. I paid around $140 for Cayin's RU6 last fall and the price has now jumped up to $280, but that's not even close to the actual amount US buyers would have to pay:
See that little notation next to the listed price? Nearly $500 Additional *estimated* fees!!!!! So they could be even higher than that! So your *minimum* expected total cost is $780!!!!! And their website says *nothing* about *any* potential additional fees an item would incur upon entering the US which they absolutely need to fix ASAP. Until this insanity is over *do not buy from AliExpress* and if you must *only use their app* to see that cost that you'll actually end up paying!
I have both the OG FF3 and FF3S, between the two of them I like the OG FF3 better. Not saying that the FF3S are bad buds at all, just mentioning my preference.
The FF3S is closer to the FF5 than the original FF3 IMO, if you're looking for a warmer, bassier signature you might be a little disappointed with the FF3S as the FF3 easily beats it in those aspects. It's not a bad sounding bud by any means but it really should've been called the something else or used the same shell material as the original FF3.
Nah. I don’t think AI is anywhere near able to fool anyone who is paying attention (yet). Like any other form of marketing, it might catch us when we’re tired or not paying attention.But anyone paying attention should know what’s up.
Yes, AI is still too dumb to really fool us. But my tests with ChatGPT gave me a pretty normal conversation...
We may still have a few years until the internet is going to be totally useless...
About the link I posted:
Scroll down a little on the page and you will see the silicone rings.
If you have ordered those already ignore my message. If you have ordered some other brand of silicone rings definitely get the Nicehck ones for more variety. Not only are they bigger in diameter as the usual ones, they also add about 1 - 1,5 mm depth to the shell, which can help you increase the pressure if the bud in the ear, so it will sit more safely. For me it is always foams on top of the rings, but of course you can wear them naked if you prefer them that way .
@jeejack:
That looks awesome bro!!
I will report to you on my progress with "the donkey" tomorrow in detail with pics. I should be in bed since 3 hours!
What material did you use for your bass tube? I used shrink tube because that's what I had lying around. I had seen pics of someone grinding away big parts of the shell and inserting a brass tube. Seemed over the top to me and I would have had to order the tubes...
I notice your bass tube goes all the way up to the voicecoil. You even left 2 holes open so the driver breathes more air into the tube!
Seems like you used Y6 from the look of it...
With the one bud I built with a long bass tube denser tuning paper Y3/Y4 resulted in more but bloated bass than with Y2, I didn't like it. Does this effect reverse when using even denser tuning paper like Y5/Y6 and you get punchy bass and more treble again?
I have 1 150r bg driver. I also like the driver. It has good and even treble, best of all it is not all upper mids & lower treble only.
I might have to slaughter the Rosemary so I can build two buds to have comparability when tuning...
About the link I posted:
Scroll down a little on the page and you will see the silicone rings.
If you have ordered those already ignore my message. If you have ordered some other brand of silicone rings definitely get the Nicehck ones for more variety. Not only are they bigger in diameter as the usual ones, they also add about 1 - 1,5 mm depth to the shell, which can help you increase the pressure if the bud in the ear, so it will sit more safely. For me it is always foams on top of the rings, but of course you can wear them naked if you prefer them that way .
I'm sure they are. Unfortunately, current going price for the FF3s is $90. A bit out of the price range where I'd be willing to pick them up just for the accessories, and not different enough from what I already own to justify having them as a second set. Something to pick up on sale, maybe.
On May 1st, the United States will begin enforcing a $100 fee on every package entering the country from China, including Hong Kong and Macao. This action, combined with a 145% tariff on most Chinese imports, is expected to significantly impact shipping volume and potentially lead to shortages of certain goods.
The $100 fee will be applied to all packages entering the US from China, including those previously exempt through the de minimis exemption (packages up to $800). This, coupled with the 145% tariff on most Chinese imports, is expected to cause a dramatic decrease in shipments from China to the US.
Wow, this is insane... Etsy along with makers from other parts from the world will benefit from this. This might lead to discovering something new worth attention.
That looks awesome bro!!
I will report to you on my progress with "the donkey" tomorrow in detail with pics. I should be in bed since 3 hours!
What material did you use for your bass tube? I used shrink tube because that's what I had lying around. I had seen pics of someone grinding away big parts of the shell and inserting a brass tube. Seemed over the top to me and I would have had to order the tubes...
I notice your bass tube goes all the way up to the voicecoil. You even left 2 holes open so the driver breathes more air into the tube!
Seems like you used Y6 from the look of it...
With the one bud I built with a long bass tube denser tuning paper Y3/Y4 resulted in more but bloated bass than with Y2, I didn't like it. Does this effect reverse when using even denser tuning paper like Y5/Y6 and you get punchy bass and more treble again?
I have 1 150r bg driver. I also like the driver. It has good and even treble, best of all it is not all upper mids & lower treble only.
I might have to slaughter the Rosemary so I can build two buds to have comparability when tuning...
In my final attempt to beat out the May 1st deadline of increased fees for products and shipments from China, I had ordered 3 sets of buds from AliExpress at the same time. You guys already saw my post on receiving the Tiandirenhe TD26 buds. They shipped so fast and cleared US Customs without a hitch. Not only that, I was really surprised when I got them yesterday, because the package was expected to arrive two days later (tomorrow) via US Postal Service. The other two buds I ordered were the Flat Head FH-01 and the TMusic HB1 300Ω buds (with cable version). Even though the FH01 and HB1 were from different AE stores, they were combined into one package as a cost savings measure in the Chinese warehouse. I'm happy to say that I received an email that the package cleared US Customs today and will be delivered soon. It will be a dry spell for those of us living in the US. Fortunately I really don't have to acquire anymore earbuds or other head gear. I still have enough DIY materials to experiment and build some DIY buds if I want to, so I'm pretty much set for the foreseeable future.
Here's the latest info I found online:
On May 1st, the United States will begin enforcing a $100 fee on every package entering the country from China, including Hong Kong and Macao. This action, combined with a 145% tariff on most Chinese imports, is expected to significantly impact shipping volume and potentially lead to shortages of certain goods.
The $100 fee will be applied to all packages entering the US from China, including those previously exempt through the de minimis exemption (packages up to $800). This, coupled with the 145% tariff on most Chinese imports, is expected to cause a dramatic decrease in shipments from China to the US.
Congrats on your new shinies! Excited to read the impressions when they arrive - although a bit bittersweet as we may have to wait a while to read more impressions from you due to the tariffs
Wow, this is insane... Etsy along with makers from other parts from the world will benefit from this. This might lead to discovering something new worth attention.
why have DIY talks moved there from the DIY Earbuds thread which is now languishing?
Because it's more fun to read something other than reviews. The more diverse it is, the more interesting it is.
We're still talking about earbuds, nothing else. I don't think anyone was upset.
Why do you feel bothered?
Well, I read the whole 336 pages of the DIY Earbuds thread. It was absolutely thriving during the Covid period and, unfortunately, has gradually died down, which makes me a bit sad.
Anyway, my rabbit hole has jus made a sharp turn - ordered some tools and supplies. Next move will be designing my original wooden shells, once i figure out what I like about the shells of the others. But let's leave it for the future - I hope I'll get there bit by bit.
Well, I read the whole 336 pages of the DIY Earbuds thread. It was absolutely thriving during the Covid period and, unfortunately, has gradually died down, which makes me a bit sad.
Anyway, my rabbit hole has jus made a sharp turn - ordered some tools and supplies. Next move will be designing my original wooden shells, once i figure out what I like about the shells of the others. But let's leave it for the future - I hope I'll get there bit by bit.
I received my Penon Conductor yesterday, and I thought I would share my experience (thus far) with you. First some pictures (I won't share the whole unboxing experience since most of you have seen all of that before):
I'll start with the bad. I REALLY don't appreciate the dishonesty that Penon has shown here (all the way from their advertising tactics, to the use of the term "bone conductor" where these earbuds are concerned). These are neither bone conducting (which I sort of knew to begin with, this is the whole reason I bought these; in case you hadn't read my rant about these earlier), nor do they have any sort of tactile vibration that you can "feel". The third option for a vibration unit (not bone conducting driver), I hadn't considered because it is actually really a stupid idea (sorry to sound so harsh about it, but that is how it seems to me). How these actually are working is that the vibration unit in these is indeed vibrating, but it isn't strong enough to actually feel, and is located in such a place that you wouldn't feel it anyhow. Instead of feeling the vibration, you HEAR it. It is a very low buzz. And as you dial more into it, the louder the buzz gets.
Think of this as being exactly like you would get from a game controller, except you can't feel it, you can hear the buzz it makes. This is where I finally made the connection from (no less than) one review I read that said that as you dial more energy into the driver, the sound gets muddy sounding down low. What is actually happening here is that introducing more of a noticeable buzzing sound makes it sound like the driver is distorting or a lot of grain sound; like would happen if you tried to increase bass response on a very small speaker of something like +12dB that just can't handle it.
Another bad (for me anyhow) is that they are some of the hardest to get a good fitment in my ears. Of course this is specific to just me potentially, and YMMV. This is the first set that I (almost) have to wear over ear. They DO fit well once I adopted this method though, so I suppose "poor fitment" is nullified.
Now the good: Everything else!
I REALLY don't get why Penon didn't just sell these as regular buds (and do away with the gimmicky BS) because these things are REALLY good. They are definitely high-end and worth the asking price on sound qualities alone IMHO. Take this with a grain of salt because I have only had them for a day, and these are very early impressions. But, sometimes you just know after listening for an hour or two. With this set, that is exactly how I feel. I won't share complete thoughts about ALL aspects of the sound for the very reason I just mentioned.
I DO find these to be beautiful (if a bit unorthodox, and large). I STILL think they look like a yoyo... They seem to be built very solid, though they are plastic. I love the cable. These things just have an elegance that you can't really get from a picture. Also, the accessories are very abundant, and the carry case is very nice (if not a bit big).
As for sound, I have to say that I was thoroughly shocked about this. They have a super balanced sound (nothing offensive or off, tonally). One of the things that I have mentioned in the past is that I always look for the drums to all sound at the same level volume to sound balanced. These have that (that included the bass drum as well). These have two very unique aspects that most buds just don't possess.
The first is that the bass is very linear on this set. There is no "super boosting" of the mid or upper bass to compensate for the lack of sub bass. I mean, the bass area overall is indeed boosted, but all frequencies are boosted equally. This leads to the other unique aspect; the sub bass. These things can reach lower in the spectrum than any other set I have heard thus far. So, while the amplitude of the bass overall is indeed north of neutral, it is done in a tasteful way. Bassheads would like this set (even though I still wouldn't consider them basshead buds). The quality of the bass is also top notch on this set. Layering, texturing, slam, and rumble are all there for you to hear.
The mids are nice and warm, but not overly thick like you might have on a "dark" set. I wouldn't say that they are so warm that I would call them "sweet" though. I find the male and female vocals to be at equal levels, and very clear. There is just nothing wrong in this area. I am sem-shocked that there isn't a boost in the upper mids. There is JUST enough of a peak there that it lends presence to everything in that area (imagine that, actual presence in the presence region?! ). But they are NOT fatiguing or shouty at all in this region. Even heavy metal works well in this set. Fantastic!
The mid treble is a tiny bit boosted, but not enough to effect the overall tonal quality of the overall sound. It seems to be just right to add great attack and note weight to everything. Also, the upper treble is extended and so these have some fantastic air about them. None of this is to say that there is any sibilance. Though there might be enough of a boost for those that are super sensitive to treble that they could be considered fatiguing in the area (though it would have to be someone that REALLY likes rolled off or relaxed treble).
All this to say that the technicalities are also excellent. Resolution and clarity are top notch, and bass doesn't intrude on anything it isn't supposed to. They are wide, deep, and tall (though I wouldn't say they are the best in any of these categories, but better than average). Micro and macro dynamics are brilliant as well. I would call this a very tasteful and slight W tuning (something that earbuds aren't normally able to achieve in the alphabet ).
Overall I think that these are for folks looking for a critical listen, and they are also for those wanting great PRAT or a fun sound... They really do have both without sounding like they are struggling to do either. Another word I might use for these might be "smooth".
Having said all of that, I don't know if I would have ever bought these, even with good recommendations, because of the fact that I really don't like how Penon does business. What a shame too because they have actually stumbled on to a formula that is really really good. Doing a blind listen, I would put these in the top 5 on my "likes" list. Take the "gimmick" away, and these are definitely TOTL buds.
Timbre heads will love these buds. Pretty well balanced sound for timbre head earbuds, very easy to just relax and let the music flow. There is bass, but is not the highlight of these buds. Mids focus is excellent with great instrument separation. Airy top end without any hint of fatigue or sibilance. These are my first 15 minutes of listening impressions.
I've been putting more ear time into the Aful PolarNight. The more I listen, the more that intense 2-3kHz peak rears its head. Combined with the mid-bass hump, I just can't find a way to get around the resulting "congestion" I hear in many mixes. It actually reminds me of the sound of stock Grado headphones. I love my Grados, but only with the addition of aftermarket ear pads that help even out the FR. Are there foam types or other mods that can do the same for earbuds? I can tame them with PEQ, but I'd rather have a more permanent solution that doesn't require setting up PEQ profiles on every amp.
This is a VERY common tuning policy for a very large percentage of earbuds that come out of China. Even sets that the consensus is very good and are TOTL have a boost in this region (some much more than others), and it will just come down to whether you are able to live with it, or it is too much for your ears to handle or not. Some are boosted as little as being "fatiguing" over time, and others are downright shouty out of the box...
I am very sensitive to this area, and some sets I have, I love the sound of but either need PEQ/EQ or lots of foam rolling to get them to agree with my ears.
There ARE sets that aren't offensive in this realm at all though. Some (store-bought, and ones still available) that I could mention (all of which I own; there are most likely more, but I have not heard them) that are not offensive at all might be:
DUNU Alpha 3
FiiO FF5 & FF1
HB1 300Ω
Penon Conductor
Moondrop Chaconne
(formerly Fengru) DR08
Others that can be fatiquing, but that I wouldn't consider to be shouty (ones that are definitely tolerable for my sensitive ears) might be:
OG FiiO FF3
Yincrow RW2000 & RW3000
OG NiceHCK EB2S
And that is not even mentioning DIY buds that you can either assemble yourself or purchase off of some of the more "known" sellers. Most of those have no offensive tuning in this area at all either. @mt877 has posted quite a few easy DIY builds that are simply amazing (well the two that I have heard), and you should check those out if you get a chance.
Those look great! Pretty sure they sound the part too.
I have 4 builds with the 300r LCP driver on my bench. Yes, I am obsessed with it!
They were the same except for different lenghts of the bass tube inside. From my testing so far it sounds clearly the best when the bass tube ends in the middle of the shell.
Just needs a tiny but more treble, which is hard to achieve without changing the overall character.
I think I'll let this project rest for a while and will build a bud with the "donkey" next!
It's so odd that the Calf was such a huge misstep in Yincrow's line-up for most people, it would be interesting to see what their reasons were for tuning it how they did. At least the Rhino more than made up for it in my opinion even though it costs slightly more.
I have always wondered this as well.... I don't recall ANY of their sets (former and contemporary) that weren't generally very well received except this one.
I'm sure they are. Unfortunately, current going price for the FF3s is $90. A bit out of the price range where I'd be willing to pick them up just for the accessories, and not different enough from what I already own to justify having them as a second set. Something to pick up on sale, maybe.
Keep in mind that both the OG FF3 and the FF3S are indeed TOTL buds, and this is fairly close to the original price that they came out with. I also think that the OG FF3 might be different than any other buds you have heard to this point; though I can't be sure because I don't really know your experience with earbuds yet, other than the Afuls. They (OG FF3) are and have been much beloved on this thread for their bass presence, and quality (along with their overall great sonic properties).
Congrats on your new shinies! Excited to read the impressions when they arrive - although a bit bittersweet as we may have to wait a while to read more impressions from you due to the tariffs
Well, I read the whole 336 pages of the DIY Earbuds thread. It was absolutely thriving during the Covid period and, unfortunately, has gradually died down, which makes me a bit sad.
Anyway, my rabbit hole has jus made a sharp turn - ordered some tools and supplies. Next move will be designing my original wooden shells, once i figure out what I like about the shells of the others. But let's leave it for the future - I hope I'll get there bit by bit.
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My first purchase was also one of my worst. The Yincrow Calf. I also didn't get a good fit in the beginning and turned to the fine folks on this thread for help. They kindly nudged me towards getting Silicone rings, which finally gave me a good fit, the sound of the Calf got a little better - but I still didn't like how it sounded at all! 
They seem to be built very solid, though they are plastic. I love the cable. These things just have an elegance that you can't really get from a picture. Also, the accessories are very abundant, and the carry case is very nice (if not a bit big). 
