[PinkyPowers]

Pinky I still want to say they are not a bass heavy IEM by any stretch, but with proper tips and seal and a non bright cable the bass is really good. The bass layers are all there and the quality is great, it is fair to say quality over quantity. I found out this is one of the few times I use a smaller size Final Audio tip, I usually use large, and it improves quantity a tiny bit as well. It just comes down to signature. I think I have said this so many times, none of these TOTL IEM's suck, it comes down to what signature works for you. That said I could understand how the signature might not be for some because it isn't a warm, sexy sound.

I agree it's all about signature. Either you love it or you don't, but no question Zeus is top quality.

I don't agree "the bass layers are all there." Sub-bass seems to be missing almost entirely. Maybe just the beginning of sub-bass is there, but it rolls off pretty fast after that. So I can't even say "Well, at least it's well-extended." Even the very neutral Spartan has deeper lows, which is an IEM I love a lot.

Zeus is great, and a lot of people's favorite. But it's not for me. Which is perfectly fine. tia Fourté, with its bright treble, isn't for everyone either. And my dear old U12 CERTAINLY wasn't for everyone.

 

[fuhransahis]

I agree it's all about signature. Either you love it or you don't, but no question Zeus is top quality.

I don't agree "the bass layers are all there." Sub-bass seems to be missing almost entirely. Maybe just the beginning of sub-bass is there, but it rolls off pretty fast after that. So I can't even say "Well, at least it's well-extended." Even the very neutral Spartan has deeper lows, which is an IEM I love a lot.

Zeus is great, and a lot of people's favorite. But it's not for me. Which is perfectly fine. tia Fourté, with its bright treble, isn't for everyone either. And my dear old U12 CERTAINLY wasn't for everyone.

Just curious, how come you sold the U12 instead of the Encore, since you describe its signature as being a lesser version of Fourte, whereas the U12 has a very different tonality to give you some variety?

 

[PinkyPowers]

Just curious, how come you sold the U12 instead of the Encore, since you describe its signature as being a lesser version of Fourte, whereas the U12 has a very different tonality to give you some variety?

Indeed! It would have made better sense to keep the super warm U12, and the brightish Fourté, instead of keeping two brightish IEMs. But... Encore is a review sample, and it's bad form to sell those.

Honestly, it works out well. I use Thor II on Encore, to make it warmer and a little bassier, and Leonidas on Fourté, to push it along that path of absolute transparency. So they end up sounding rather different anyways.

In fact, I took Encore to work today, and loved it to death.

 

[fuhransahis]

Indeed! It would have made better sense to keep the super warm U12, and the brightish Fourté, instead of keeping two brightish IEMs. But... Encore is a review sample, and it's bad form to sell those.

Honestly, it works out well. I use Thor II on Encore, to make it warmer and a little bassier, and Leonidas on Fourté, to push it along that path of absolute transparency. So they end up sounding rather different anyways.

Shoot, there go my dreams of hoping The Headphone List team and Twister6 one day offer a massive sale of their review gear.

 

[Mimouille]

Encore is a review sample, and it's bad form to sell those.

Except to me. For zero. And if possible you can throw in a couple of snickers bars, I am feeling hungry.

 

[Mimouille]

Looks like there is such a thing as too small for an iem. Sounds great though.

 

[PinkyPowers]

Except to me. For zero. And if possible you can throw in a couple of snickers bars, I am feeling hungry.

I have some peanut M&Ms I could toss at your eyeballs.

 

[ezekiel77]

Hi, I was looking at your Headphonelist website.
Are the scores in the Multi-IEM comparison list still accurate, or are they outdated as some reviews are from 2012/2013?
While looking for <$100 IEM the JVC HA-FXT90 seems to be decent, and is listed as $78.
However when I check Ebay, it looks to be available for just $25? Are these fakes? Are these considered now that great anymore compared to 2017 products in the same price range? Is this a crazy deal?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/JVC-HA-FXT...hash=item3add6c402a:m:m5loWYrf9gyehH_SVuPEuHg

Neither of the options include packaging so it's very fishy to me, the seller did promise a money-back guarantee so you can still go for that if you really want to.

I've had the FXT90 about 2 years ago. It has a fun signature that's easy to like. Nice bass, treble, and one of the first IEMs to tinker with carbon nanotube coating for their drivers. The problem lies in the mids. It has a metallic sheen and sounds the opposite of organic (digital?), quite unnatural. Joker recommended it in his guide 2 years ago, but I think it's been surpassed at the $100 price range. At $25 you can take a look at KZ ZS5, which despite the glue+drivers controversy, sounds pretty good. And at the $100 mark, do look for the old Joker standard, the GR07, it's still a very good reference until today. Excellent tone, note speed and well-balanced signature (unless you're treble sensitive), just that the separation is not stellar because of very little stage depth. At the halfway $50 mark I'm now rocking the FiiO EX1 2nd Gen. Apart from a slightly metallic tone compared to GR07 (I haven't burned it in yet), it's very engaging with an excellent soundstage. I'd say this is probably a direct upgrade to FXT90.

Joker is legend. His reviews are the reason I'm in Headfi spending my retirement money away.

 

[Jackpot77]

Looks like there is such a thing as too small for an iem. Sounds great though.

Mine arrived yesterday - been very impressed at the sound for the price paid. Plus they look like someone forgot to put the IEM part on there, they are that small!

They are a nice reminder for me that there's plenty of good quality (and good sounding) gear in the so called "lower end" of the audiophile market these days, if you know where to look.

 

[Gavin C4]

I disagree. If you know you're tastes well enough, save $300.

But maybe that $300 could help me save another $2000 for a sidegrade TOTL. Future proof I guess.

 

[Mimouille]

Mine arrived yesterday - been very impressed at the sound for the price paid. Plus they look like someone forgot to put the IEM part on there, they are that small!

They are a nice reminder for me that there's plenty of good quality (and good sounding) gear in the so called "lower end" of the audiophile market these days, if you know where to look.

Well they are indeed very good, but wouldn't call them lower end, as their normal price is like 250$ or so. At the 80$ I paid it is a huge steal. When you compare with dynamics at 2k$, you can be a bit scared at the (not so huge) difference.

 

[Deezel177]

Guys, I’m currently listening to the MrSpeakers Aeon Flow Open... Forget the HD650, everyone buy this headphone NOW. It takes the best facets of the HD650 (tonal naturalness and musicality), the Focal Elear (dynamism, punch and low-end energy) and the HD800 (clarity, air and transparency) and packs them all into a light and comfortable package. I hardly ever rave, but I know a good product when I hear one; I haven’t had a positive reaction this strong and assured since I tried out the Aether in 2015. I might regret being this positive later, but I highly doubt it; this thing is stunning.

 

[EagleWings]

Oh screw!!!

 

[EagleWings]

D, how is the stage on the Aeon open? People seem to complaint about the staging.

 

[Deezel177]

D, how is the stage on the Aeon open? People seem to complaint about the staging.

Yes, that’s the one aspect I thought wasn’t too amazing. It has more than enough width and depth to avoid intimacy, but no one would blame you if you thought you were listening to a very good closed/semi-open headphone. That and left-right separation were the weakest aspects of an otherwise-fantastic pair of cans, but I assume it was due to the DAP I was driving it with; my AK70 was pushing 100-110. It sounds more open and transparent than the open Ether Flow based on memory.

But, that’s pretty much it; minor drawbacks of an otherwise bang-for-the-buck knockout of a headphone. Besides, if it were any worse, I wouldn’t have a Jaben Indonesia sales invoice in my back pocket.