[progdvd]

my favorite on the EJ is the mids, the star of the show. It’s not at all recessed like the S8

You are referring to S8F?
Would you compare these 2 in more detail please.
I recently got Mest MKII, and even though I'm generally satisfied with it, mids are a bit recessed for my liking and treble can be too much sometimes, occasional sibilance and piercing cymbals can occur.
Monarch OG is the king of mids and treble tuning imo absolute perfection.

 

[Vruksha]

You are referring to S8F?
Would you compare these 2 in more detail please.
I recently got Mest MKII, and even though I'm generally satisfied with it, mids are a bit recessed for my liking and treble can be too much sometimes, occasional sibilance and piercing cymbals can occur.
Monarch OG is the king of mids and treble tuning imo absolute perfection.

Yes, I had S8F a while back they were fun exiting in the beginning, coming from $200 iems, they sounded like a big upgrade but eventually realized V shaped tuning is not my thing. S8P was supposedly better with mids so switched to Pro (I believe Fearless didn’t do anything with mids in particular here but tuned down the bass and treble a bit from F) after hearing LZ A7 which had much better mid presence and less peak even just with the stock black nozzle, I sold the S8P and happily downgraded to A7. With 10 tuning options it’s the best iem to play around if you want to find your ideal sound signature.
My impressions about S8F is from my memory and very subjective but I clearly remember it was fatiguing with my library (old school thrash/death/black) the production quality didn’t help paired with an analytical V sounding iem. My sound preference also changed from bright neutral to warm neutral in over an years period but that said EJ07M is not warm iem, treble is energetic but smooth, there no fatigue or peak. You get the details here without elevated treble. Mids are not at all recessed and that’s the highlight for me with the EJ. Meanwhile S8F was extremely detailed to a point it felt very unnatural with elevated treble which didn’t suit my library and the mids suffered, guitars sounded thin. EJ on the other hand is extremely different with mids, guitars sound forward in the mix and heavy AF. I am listening to good old Abhorrence - Completely Vulgar compilation record atm, it’s not the not the cleanest production but more raw and real sounding. Guitars tone is freaking heavy, it sounds not polished but just as is when plugged into an amp, very dirty (if you grew up listening to a lotta 90s death metal like me you’d appreciate the raw sounding guitars, instruments sounded like instruments) I am able to appreciate all the instruments in the mix here, that rumbling bass guitar following the guitar sounds really good. Keep in mind, production here is not the highlight infact it’s usual 90s sound but I am able to appreciate it much better with EJ07M compared to S8F. I believe the OG EJ07 follow the diffuse field target, while updated EJ07M has slightly more elevated mid bass and treble more air.
S8F might have a slight edge in bass speed being a BA ( I wish I could A/B them) it was lightning fast I remember but EJ definitely has the better bass, that DD punches hard but Mest might be more punchy? I haven’t tried Mest Mk2 but from what I hear they are bass heavy. I am not a bass head, EJ07M gives me more than enough bass, anything beyond this could be too much for my taste and affect my listening experience. Drum strikes are more natural in comparison with S8F. For a tribrid coherency is really good. Better timbre defenitely goes to EJ. Soundstage wise I am not sure which one is better but EJ is exceptional with imaging.
Comfort wise, EJ07M is smaller in shell size even for a tribrid so I pick EJ over S8F. With that very energetic tuning and bigger shells I couldn’t use S8F for longer listening sessions.
FYI recently there was a collab btw HBB and Shuoer, there’s a new EJ07M Kinda lava edition which just got released with more mid bass and lower mids.

 

[progdvd]

Yes, I had S8F a while back they were fun exiting in the beginning, coming from $200 iems, they sounded like a big upgrade but eventually realized V shaped tuning is not my thing. S8P was supposedly better with mids so switched to Pro (I believe Fearless didn’t do anything with mids in particular here but tuned down the bass and treble a bit from F) after hearing LZ A7 which had much better mid presence and less peak even just with the stock black nozzle, I sold the S8P and happily downgraded to A7. With 10 tuning options it’s the best iem to play around if you want to find your ideal sound signature.
My impressions about S8F is from my memory and very subjective but I clearly remember it was fatiguing with my library (old school thrash/death/black) the production quality didn’t help paired with an analytical V sounding iem. My sound preference also changed from bright neutral to warm neutral in over an years period but that said EJ07M is not warm iem, treble is energetic but smooth, there no fatigue or peak. You get the details here without elevated treble. Mids are not at all recessed and that’s the highlight for me with the EJ. Meanwhile S8F was extremely detailed to a point it felt very unnatural with elevated treble which didn’t suit my library and the mids suffered, guitars sounded thin. EJ on the other hand is extremely different with mids, guitars sound forward in the mix and heavy AF. I am listening to good old Abhorrence - Completely Vulgar compilation record atm, it’s not the not the cleanest production but more raw and real sounding. Guitars tone is freaking heavy, it sounds not polished but just as is when plugged into an amp, very dirty (if you grew up listening to a lotta 90s death metal like me you’d appreciate the raw sounding guitars, instruments sounded like instruments) I am able to appreciate all the instruments in the mix here, that rumbling bass guitar following the guitar sounds really good. Keep in mind, production here is not the highlight infact it’s usual 90s sound but I am able to appreciate it much better with EJ07M compared to S8F. I believe the OG EJ07 follow the diffuse field target, while updated EJ07M has slightly more elevated mid bass and treble more air.
S8F might have a slight edge in bass speed being a BA ( I wish I could A/B them) it was lightning fast I remember but EJ definitely has the better bass, that DD punches hard but Mest might be more punchy? I haven’t tried Mest Mk2 but from what I hear they are bass heavy. I am not a bass head, EJ07M gives me more than enough bass, anything beyond this could be too much for my taste and affect my listening experience. Drum strikes are more natural in comparison with S8F. For a tribrid coherency is really good. Better timbre defenitely goes to EJ. Soundstage wise I am not sure which one is better but EJ is exceptional with imaging.
Comfort wise, EJ07M is smaller in shell size even for a tribrid so I pick EJ over S8F. With that very energetic tuning and bigger shells I couldn’t use S8F for longer listening sessions.
FYI recently there was a collab btw HBB and Shuoer, there’s a new EJ07M Kinda lava edition which just got released with more mid bass and lower mids.

Thanks for detailed reply.
Yes library and tuning preference plays a big part. Undoubtedly ej07m is upgrade over S8F so as Monarch and Mest.... But I still love it. I on the other hand like V shape and I'm not particularly treble sensitive. S8F was never fatiguing for me both in sound or fit. For me there isn't anything to improve on S8F being all BA iem it's good as it gets.
Monarch was my upgrade from S8F, bass is somewhat slower but after all it's DD bass it has more power, better timbre and this particular subbass is just like having subwoofers in your ears, so addicting. And that is not the best part. IMO Monarch shines with its mids and treble tuning. Best i ever heard period. Mids are forward, clear, detailed.... I'm out of audiophile terms atm here.... It's just beautiful. And that treble is smoothest and super detailed but without ever being harsh or sibilant.
And I notice ej07m and Monarch have very similar high mid tuning. There are some differences with bass and treble but I think generally they are in the same league.
On the other hand Mest is doing its own thing. Unfortunately I cannot compare them directly now because my Monarch is on the way to Linsoul for repair, but from memory Monarch is exchanging punches with Mest and its not losing, both have something what they do amazing.

I was curious about how you feel about ej compared to something we both heard. I'm glad you found ej so good, I know how much I enjoy my gear.
This hobby is expensive, I think we are obsessing about trifles. It's good that we found something we love. For one I'm ready to retire, I can't afford chasing something perfect anymore, nor I want to. I'm going to enjoy music now. Still daily listening to new Amorphis... And my usual prog, djent, power, thrash stuff.

 

[Vruksha]

Definitely! We all hear different and that’s the beauty.Tonality, library, budget everything plays a huge role. I think at this budget which is beyond what I should be spending, every set excels. It’s just personal preference to what sortta sound you want..smoother, fun, analytical whatever you can’t go wrong at this price point. Thankfully there’s lotta options to choose around 1k. I am glad you find Monarch the best for your ears. Just peeked at the graph, looks not that far from EJ07M, treble might be slightly more than what I need but overall looks very interesting. Maybe when you get em back you can do a comparison with Mest Mk2. I think both Monarch and Mest is highly regarded so you made good call.
When I got LZ A7 I thought that will be my last purchase lol here I am with EJ07M. I have one more purchase coming up and hopefully that should be enough for a long time.
Thanks for that new Amorphis album recc. They sound pretty damn good. Jens Bogren and Amorphis is like a perfect combo.

 

[Hito127]

Hello guys, I am choosing from Moondrop Starfield, Aria, KZ ZAS. I've seen many introduction video about these, but none talking about metal.So I need you metal head to decided between them. Or is there any other better same price range iem?

 

[devvii]

Hello! I'm currently a bit baffled about what to get...
As my IEM's I've had Moondrop Blessings 2 and almost immediately sold them. Didn't like the tonality one bit, seemed... boring? Now recently I have got 7hz Timeless. I like it... I do, the technicality, tonality - it is there... but something is missing. I have been looking at DUNU SA6's, are they worth upgrading my 7hz?
I am mostly into metal/rock and deathcore.
I have ATH-R70X's, Sundaras as my overears and I like them both, but I need something more playful and punchy for my IEM's. Is there anything around 400-500$ that gives me an upgrade?

 

[Garney]

Hello! I'm currently a bit baffled about what to get...
As my IEM's I've had Moondrop Blessings 2 and almost immediately sold them. Didn't like the tonality one bit, seemed... boring? Now recently I have got 7hz Timeless. I like it... I do, the technicality, tonality - it is there... but something is missing. I have been looking at DUNU SA6's, are they worth upgrading my 7hz?
I am mostly into metal/rock and deathcore.
I have ATH-R70X's, Sundaras as my overears and I like them both, but I need something more playful and punchy for my IEM's. Is there anything around 400-500$ that gives me an upgrade?

The SA6 is tuned exceptionally well. It is fatigue free and has a present bass shelf with good sub bass extension. No odd dips or lifts in the mid range and it does well with electric guitars. The treble is a bit less detailed, with less sparkle and bite compared to the Timeless. This is nice with hotly mixed black metal or strident cymbal crashes, but it can often times come across as sounding a bit flat. Being an all balanced armature set I always found the bass to be a bit lacking when compared to a dynamic driver. It's fast and accurate, but it doesn't have the heavy, weighty "oomph" that a DD provides for the low end. This is the Achilles heel of the SA6 IMO. Some folks complain about a "plasticky" BA timbre but I never had much, if any, issue with it.

All that said, I haven't heard much in the way of competitors in that ~$500 price range so I can't give sage advice on other sets that I feel best the SA6. For tonality, the SA6 is pretty much bang on IMO. The only hang-up I had, and the reason I moved on from them, was my proclivity for a dynamic driver handling the low end with metal. Maybe the Moondrop Variations are worth considering? Thieaudio Oracle may also be worth checking out.

 

[devvii]

The SA6 is tuned exceptionally well. It is fatigue free and has a present bass shelf with good sub bass extension. No odd dips or lifts in the mid range and it does well with electric guitars. The treble is a bit less detailed, with less sparkle and bite compared to the Timeless. This is nice with hotly mixed black metal or strident cymbal crashes, but it can often times come across as sounding a bit flat. Being an all balanced armature set I always found the bass to be a bit lacking when compared to a dynamic driver. It's fast and accurate, but it doesn't have the heavy, weighty "oomph" that a DD provides for the low end. This is the Achilles heel of the SA6 IMO. Some folks complain about a "plasticky" BA timbre but I never had much, if any, issue with it.

All that said, I haven't heard much in the way of competitors in that ~$500 price range so I can't give sage advice on other sets that I feel best the SA6. For tonality, the SA6 is pretty much bang on IMO. The only hang-up I had, and the reason I moved on from them, was my proclivity for a dynamic driver handling the low end with metal. Maybe the Moondrop Variations are worth considering? Thieaudio Oracle may also be worth checking out.

Thank you for replying. I generally looked/read at a lot of reviews considering Variations and a big part points out that it is just a slightly better version of Dusk's. I was considering them before, but after hearing they're similar to Blessings, I kind of skipped this option. When I look at the frequency graph I can't imagine them sounding like Blessings 2 Dusk myself though.
With timeless, in some tracks (mostly heavy/deathcore), male vocals get a tad bit overpowered, so they don't seem as "strong-standing". At the same time, it is not as punchy as I would have hoped. From my knowledge, lower mids and non-bleeding bass is what I need, and timeless, graphically, more or less has it. So... what more should I look for?

Oracle's graph looks quite interesting, will look into them too.

 

[Vruksha]

Hello! I'm currently a bit baffled about what to get...
As my IEM's I've had Moondrop Blessings 2 and almost immediately sold them. Didn't like the tonality one bit, seemed... boring? Now recently I have got 7hz Timeless. I like it... I do, the technicality, tonality - it is there... but something is missing. I have been looking at DUNU SA6's, are they worth upgrading my 7hz?
I am mostly into metal/rock and deathcore.
I have ATH-R70X's, Sundaras as my overears and I like them both, but I need something more playful and punchy for my IEM's. Is there anything around 400-500$ that gives me an upgrade?

I would recommend considering Shuoer EJ07M as well.

If you want a bit more punch and smoother treble it’s a great option

 

[Vruksha]

Just to give you an idea @devvii

 

[G777]

The SA6 is tuned exceptionally well. It is fatigue free and has a present bass shelf with good sub bass extension. No odd dips or lifts in the mid range and it does well with electric guitars. The treble is a bit less detailed, with less sparkle and bite compared to the Timeless. This is nice with hotly mixed black metal or strident cymbal crashes, but it can often times come across as sounding a bit flat. Being an all balanced armature set I always found the bass to be a bit lacking when compared to a dynamic driver. It's fast and accurate, but it doesn't have the heavy, weighty "oomph" that a DD provides for the low end. This is the Achilles heel of the SA6 IMO. Some folks complain about a "plasticky" BA timbre but I never had much, if any, issue with it.

All that said, I haven't heard much in the way of competitors in that ~$500 price range so I can't give sage advice on other sets that I feel best the SA6. For tonality, the SA6 is pretty much bang on IMO. The only hang-up I had, and the reason I moved on from them, was my proclivity for a dynamic driver handling the low end with metal. Maybe the Moondrop Variations are worth considering? Thieaudio Oracle may also be worth checking out.

I found the lower-mids/upper-bass dip on the Variations to make male vocals to be too thin sounding, and also pushes the bass guitar too far back. I ended up returning mine because it's tuning wasn't really for me.

The EJ07M seems to be far better tuned for metal. Also, I'm looking forward to Dunu's upcoming Vulkan IEM. I think it's got potential to be one of the best in the $500 price bracket.

 

[redrol]

Just to mention this 07 OG is my favorite metal beast iem.

 

[Vruksha]

Just to mention this 07 OG is my favorite metal beast iem.

Same! The OG 07 is freaking awesome for metal. Thanks to your videos @redrol these are definitely worth all the hype.

 

[devvii]

I found the lower-mids/upper-bass dip on the Variations to make male vocals to be too thin sounding, and also pushes the bass guitar too far back. I ended up returning mine because it's tuning wasn't really for me.

The EJ07M seems to be far better tuned for metal. Also, I'm looking forward to Dunu's upcoming Vulkan IEM. I think it's got potential to be one of the best in the $500 price bracket.

Vulkan has intrigued me too, gotta wait for that one to come out and then make my decision. Hope it won't be too long for them to come out.

 

[rinderkappajoe]

+1 for the EJ07m for metal (Kinda Lava in my case )