Earbuds Round-Up

[droenald]

This is true, but the materials are no secret; only the tuning AFAIK.

And that is the most important...

If @jeejack or @mt877 ever sought any sort of recognition, they would also be ones that you should consider as legendary as well (IMHO).

It is difficult to view somebody you've had a conversation with as legendary.
They have helped me out a lot and I got a lot of great tips so far. So thank you guys!

 

[jeejack]

My companions for 2 days in a quiet area.
300 LCP, 120 LCP and 130 bery

 

[tOMZY]

He does not have them, I do But I wish I had the latest model though:

 

[Pabsu]

My latest build: "Aika". 120Ω Bery Composite.

Can you message me a parts list so I can build this?

 

[samandhi]

It looks like this is the driver. Do you have photo with the back of the driver?

Yes, the minimum order is 100 pieces so they can make them

OH! I was thinking the wrong driver. For some reason I was thinking that it was the 64Ti.....

It is difficult to view somebody you've had a conversation with as legendary.
They have helped me out a lot and I got a lot of great tips so far. So thank you guys!

Nah, you can converse with legends. Now myths on the other hand.... LOL

My companions for 2 days in a quiet area.
300 LCP, 120 LCP and 130 bery

Not a bad set of companions as far as that goes...

BTW! Which Shanling is that?

 

[jeejack]

OH! I was thinking the wrong driver. For some reason I was thinking that it was the 64Ti.....

Nah, you can converse with legends. Now myths on the other hand.... LOL

Not a bad set of companions as far as that goes...

BTW! Which Shanling is that?

H2 and in the bag is the great Ifi Diablo

@Pabsu
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/earbuds-round-up.441400/post-18677571

 

[h8uthemost]

There are some, yes. But you are suggesting that $400 will get you sound that is better than $100 will. Those that love the Yinman 600 ($129) think that they sound better than $400 sets as an example; though neither are DIY. So when I said yes, I meant that there are DIY buds on here that fall into the TOTL tier ($80-400) where sonic properties are concerned, and if you are ranking them by price.

The ones that I currently have that will resemble that statement might be:

• Aika
• Artiste
• Destiny
• Caelum
• Aquila
• Draco
• Blue Moon

That is to say, I know what you are looking for with your question, but in the flathead realm, things are not so "black-and-white" like they might be in the headphone/IEM realm. Even in that realm, I find some mid-tier (if ranked by price alone) to sound as good or better than some kilobuck headphones/IEMs... Marketing has blown out of proportion what good sound is supposed to be, or rather how much it should cost.

Take the Sennheiser HD600 or HD650 (which are much cheaper than kilobuck headphones). There are those that will argue that they are the best sounding (audiophile) headphones on the market, and partially why they have been around for (what seems) ages now.

I'm listening to the Aika now after listening to the EB2S Pro for a while(I'm really in like with it's tuning), and I've forgotten how wide the staging is and good the separation is. On tracks that are mastered well especially. Just a great tuning that @mt877 did.

Oh and I fixed my Nightingale. Just had the solder the driver back. I got lucky there. And now that I successfully did that I want to do the Donkey build.

Anyways I'm content with what I have. At least until the tariffs are dealt with. If ever. Alix US warehouses have no flatheads or drivers that I've seen.

 

[trevdawg94]

Note: Most of this was written a while ago (even before I got the DB1E) so if it seems out of place in my current earbud journey that's why. But read through it again today and my impressions of it haven't changed since I wrote this so I wanted to post my thoughts about the Green Mamba especially after talking about it in a negative light a while back. Needless to say my thoughts on it changed pretty drastically, even more so when listening to it through Shanling's H2 to the point where it's my fourth most favorite earbud for vocals behind the DB1E, the Starling (my DIY build), and mt877's Nightingale But the warnings about it being a spicy tuning definitely do apply, especially if you have a brighter or more neutral source so head the warnings if you're sensitive to brighter sound signatures!


After reading through all of the suggestions about what stage focused earbud I would like the best I narrowed it down to the Chaconne but I was still having doubts about whether I was searching for the right sound signature. It also didn't help that I was starting to look into options for a different source to replace my 5K so I really didn't want to get an earbud that I could only use with one device which would alter my impression of it. So I decided to hold off on the Chaconne for now until I figured out what I wanted in a source. I appreciate all of the suggestions I've received about tuning the 5K to sound how I want and I'm working on figuring that out.

So then I started looking into other options that had a removeable cable so I would have more flexibility with what source I could use them with. After going through the options again I decided to foolishly ignore the warnings I had read in this thread and ordered the Green Mamba. Compared to what I've looked for in an earbud previously it felt like I had went off the deep end but I figured that even if I didn't like how it sounded it would give me a definitive answer to whether great staging was what I'm looking for. @JAnonymous5150 also mentioned that the Green Mamba gets to within 95% of how the Chaconne sound which is what ultimately sealed my decision as even if I didn't use the Green Mamba regularly it would give me greater confidence that I would like how the Chaconne sounds.

After it arrived today my initial impressions weren't great and I thought I had been bitten by the snake, but thankfully I decided to persevere and try to fix some of the issues I had. A suggestion of using two foams from @Kyonnie helped tame it somewhat and as ridiculous as it may seem I even tried three but that was too much as it was dulling the sound. Up until this point I was listening to them without the included wings, as I had used an over-the-ear cable instead of the stock straight cable and figured I didn't need them. I couldn't have been more wrong, and using them made the Green Mamba tolerable for most songs and mind blowing with some songs.

Even though I've only listened to them for a couple hours they've confirmed that what I loved about the OH Nightingale is its staging, and while the Green Mamba does fix some of the issues I had with the OHN it introduces issues of its own. Treble can be overwhelming with some songs but is just right with others, while mids are clear and well defined without being overbearing. Vocals have depth and width that was flattened by the OHN which is the most noticeable upgrade of the Green Mamba. Though they're not bass canons by any definition, they do have present bass if you have them positioned correctly with the wings. Staging is also improved with proper positioning but unfortunately seems to make their harshness worse. So as long as you know what you're getting into and don't mind taking some time to find a foam combo and EQ settings that help tame some of the harsher areas it's a pretty good bud for the price.

 

[Pabsu]

H2 and in the bag is the great Ifi Diablo

@Pabsu
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/earbuds-round-up.441400/post-18677571

No parts available huh?

 

[h8uthemost]

No parts available huh?

Tons of parts available just gonna pay a premium for them thanks to our fearless leader

 

[mt877]

@mt877 When you have time, can you try replacing the 68ohm graphene with the 130 bery and tell me if you like it?
- Huayunxin HS on the shell (the best quality horseshoe foam)
- MHS on the driver
- VC up

Hey JJ, Thank you for sharing one of your builds. I built the Enchantress and it is a fine sounding set of buds as is, but I did make a small change to tighten the sound.

My listening conditions: Shanling M8T and Cayin N3 Ultra, 4.4mm Bal output. RY 8 strand cable with 4.4mmBal plug. HieGi donut foams.

First, here's my thoughts of the original tuning. Very on point for the 130Ω Bery and this shell. The bass is the star of the show, but also caused some veiling of the rest of the FR range. What I noticed was that cymbal and other subtle things which I knew were in the music were way too recessed, almost barely audible. Another thing I thought about the bass was that it was a little loose.

Spoiler: JJ Enchantress mod

Y2 on driver as shown. MHS installed as you described, covering the Y2.

I only wanted to tighten up the bass and bring out some of the details which I knew were in the music.

Give it a try, you may like it.

Spoiler: A small concern

I noticed on your build the left driver cover is split open. Are you hearing an imbalance between left and right channel?
I had this kind of problem before and I could tell there was a channel imbalance.

Can you message me a parts list so I can build this?

I could give you the list of materials, but you would never be able to build the Aika buds. I did not release the build to the public. The tuning of those buds are way above your level and I wouldn't spoon feed you on the build either. My apologies, but I am firm on this. Another thing is that it is difficult for US residents to buy anything from AliExpress. You already know this from when you were seeking help with getting the materials to build the Destiny buds. Thanks to a very generous buddy of mine, you were able to get those materials. You seem very direct with your requests for help and for some reason it feels like you expect us to bend over backwards for you so you can build up your collection of top level diy buds in the shortest amount of time. I have nothing more to say about this.

I'm listening to the Aika now after listening to the EB2S Pro for a while(I'm really in like with it's tuning), and I've forgotten how wide the staging is and good the separation is. On tracks that are mastered well especially. Just a great tuning that @mt877 did.

Oh and I fixed my Nightingale. Just had the solder the driver back. I got lucky there. And now that I successfully did that I want to do the Donkey build.

Anyways I'm content with what I have. At least until the tariffs are dealt with. If ever. Alix US warehouses have no flatheads or drivers that I've seen.

Good on you, I'm so glad your were able to get the Nightingale repaired. I'm sure you missed hearing music through them. Go Donkey, Go! Hehe.

 

[h8uthemost]

Good on you, I'm so glad your were able to get the Nightingale repaired. I'm sure you missed hearing music through them. Go Donkey, Go! Hehe.

I really did miss them. Plus I felt horrible. I feel right again.

The Donkey and the Destiny I wanna build. Whenever I can order parts from Alix again I'll give them a go.

 

[jeejack]

Hey JJ, Thank you for sharing one of your builds. I built the Enchantress and it is a fine sounding set of buds as is, but I did make a small change to tighten the sound.

My listening conditions: Shanling M8T and Cayin N3 Ultra, 4.4mm Bal output. RY 8 strand cable with 4.4mmBal plug. HieGi donut foams.

First, here's my thoughts of the original tuning. Very on point for the 130Ω Bery and this shell. The bass is the star of the show, but also caused some veiling of the rest of the FR range. What I noticed was that cymbal and other subtle things which I knew were in the music were way too recessed, almost barely audible. Another thing I thought about the bass was that it was a little loose.

Spoiler: JJ Enchantress mod

Y2 on driver as shown. MHS installed as you described, covering the Y2.

I only wanted to tighten up the bass and bring out some of the details which I knew were in the music.

Give it a try, you may like it.

Spoiler: A small concern

I noticed on your build the left driver cover is split open. Are you hearing an imbalance between left and right channel?
I had this kind of problem before and I could tell there was a channel imbalance.

Let me get home and take a picture because I made a major change that completely changes what you said.
What I sent was just DnD without making the small necessary adjustments

 

[samandhi]

Just a great tuning that @mt877 did.

So very true! I really love this set.

Oh and I fixed my Nightingale. Just had the solder the driver back. I got lucky there.

OH! That is fantastic to hear!

Congrats on your (re)new(ed) shiny!

Shakes be damned huh?!

Seriously though, I am super happy for you, and felt bad (for you) that you weren't able to listen to the (very excellent) build that is the Artiste.

Note: Most of this was written a while ago (even before I got the DB1E) so if it seems out of place in my current earbud journey that's why. But read through it again today and my impressions of it haven't changed since I wrote this so I wanted to post my thoughts about the Green Mamba especially after talking about it in a negative light a while back. Needless to say my thoughts on it changed pretty drastically, even more so when listening to it through Shanling's H2 to the point where it's my fourth most favorite earbud for vocals behind the DB1E, the Starling (my DIY build), and mt877's Nightingale But the warnings about it being a spicy tuning definitely do apply, especially if you have a brighter or more neutral source so head the warnings if you're sensitive to brighter sound signatures!

Very nice share. Thanks.

While @JAnonymous5150 has a very good ear for all things earbuds, keep in mind that he is almost invulnerable to a boosted upper mids/lower treble as well. So, I can definitely believe that the Dendroaspis Virdis (technical name for the Green Mamba) are a great set overall.

Tons of parts available just gonna pay a premium for them thanks to our fearless leader

Even those loyal folks that put the orange monkey into office are now regretting it. The Dems are desperately seeking a way (and a cause) to impeach him. ROFL

While I haven't tried installing the app to look at parts on AliX (as suggested by someone on here), there IS another workaround. If you have a VPN, setting it to connect to China isn't all that is needed. Nowadays (with all the forced advertising), most browsers have a "location" feature baked in to it. On top of setting up your VPN to connect to China (or another suitiable country), you must also install (and set) a browser add-on/extension such as this one.

I used to have to use this back when I was trying to avoid paying large amounts of money just for (free) local TV. I live in a location where an antenna doesn't work well unless I have one that is over 100' tall on the outside of the house. Point is that these free streaming local TV channels (via Locast) were locked to only those that live in major metropolitan areas. I used my VPN along with this browser add-on to fake my location successfully.

I don't know that this would be much help to anyone with this issue, but at least you can use it to SEE stuff on AliX because at this point, I can't see much on their site at all. That bugs me, because I like to at least stay in the know on current stuff, if nothing else.

I did not release the build to the public. The tuning of those buds are way above your level and I wouldn't spoon feed you on the build either.

IIRC, didn't those take you months to build/tweak/dial-in just right? Yeah, these aren't for folks not used to building sets.

You should be VERY proud of these (I don't know if I have stressed this to you enough). For the signature that they fit into, there are not many (if any) that rival them (that I have heard) IMHO.

I have to apologize because I feel I might be partially responsible for letting it get to this point. When showing them off (with all but two of them), I should have mentioned that they were all proprietary in their build. I just didn't know that they were looking for sets to build. I thought I was showing them off to show that sets can be built that cost less to make but can rival TOTL consumer bought buds sound to price ratio (helping @jeejack prove his point). The topic (very quickly) switched from showing sets that fall into this category, to which ones they want to build.

 

[mt877]

IIRC, didn't those take you months to build/tweak/dial-in just right? Yeah, these aren't for folks not used to building sets.

You should be VERY proud of these (I don't know if I have stressed this to you enough). For the signature that they fit into, there are not many (if any) that rival them (that I have heard) IMHO.

I have to apologize because I feel I might be partially responsible for letting it get to this point. When showing them off (with all but two of them), I should have mentioned that they were all proprietary in their build. I just didn't know that they were looking for sets to build. I thought I was showing them off to show that sets can be built that cost less to make but can rival TOTL consumer bought buds sound to price ratio (helping @jeejack prove his point). The topic (very quickly) switched from showing sets that fall into this category, to which ones they want to build.

I have to trust my gut feeling that his line of questions from the start was to bait people into helping him get what he doesn't have. He's had a taste of what a few good diy buds can sound like, so now that's his focus.