[InEarDistortion]

Greetings,
I'm fairly new to this forum, has been lurking around for almost two years now and decided to jump into the fun just recently. To be honest, the reviews and rating of all the gears is overwhelming to me. Thus I finally decided to ask for an opinion.

Currently still using my old Fiio M3Pro, and recently bought Fiio BTR5 paired with ASUS Phone ROG 3 and Fiio Music apps. For listening gear, I use KZ ZSN silver purple with upgraded cable to 4 braided silver plated cable (also by KZ).

Specifically listens to 24bit Flac like Anima, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sarah Vaughan, Diana Krall, Yuko Mabuchi, Miles Davis, Joe Pass, Enya, and sometimes Kovacs or Hooverphonic.

I am thinking of budged IEM like KBear Diamond vs Moondrop SSP, something that is already available (and budget retrievable lol) at the store nearby.

Or if there is any other reference, I would like to get your opinion on this, please.

 

[baskingshark]

If u listen to classical and jazz, I would recommend the HZSound Heart Mirror. It has very good timbral accuracy for acoustic instruments and vocals. Very good technicalities for a single DD setup and fast transients. Tuned neutralish bright. It needs amping though, sounds meh from a lower powered source. Also soundstage isn't the biggest, but I think it makes an excellent pairing for the genres u described. It manages to bring a forward vocals without being shouty.

KBEAR diamond I think is no longer being sold. But it is too V shaped for acoustic/classical genres IMHO. It is very bassy too, so not a good pairing for classical per se. Timbre is good and technicalities are not bad though.

For the moon drop SSP, I haven't heard it, but I auditioned the SSR predecessor. The SSR has good technicalities but has poor isolation and is difficult to drive. Also it had a very shouty 3 khz area for me, big deal breaker for me especially at louder volumes (fletcher munson curve).

 

[InEarDistortion]

If u listen to classical and jazz, I would recommend the HZSound Heart Mirror. It has very good timbral accuracy for acoustic instruments and vocals. Very good technicalities for a single DD setup and fast transients. Tuned neutralish bright. It needs amping though, sounds meh from a lower powered source. Also soundstage isn't the biggest, but I think it makes an excellent pairing for the genres u described. It manages to bring a forward vocals without being shouty.

KBEAR diamond I think is no longer being sold. But it is too V shaped for acoustic/classical genres IMHO. It is very bassy too, so not a good pairing for classical per se. Timbre is good and technicalities are not bad though.

For the moon drop SSP, I haven't heard it, but I auditioned the SSR predecessor. The SSR has good technicalities but has poor isolation and is difficult to drive. Also it had a very shouty 3 khz area for me, big deal breaker for me especially at louder volumes (fletcher munson curve).

Dear sir,
Thank you for the prompt advice. I searched the local market and it doesn't seem to have hzsound heart in stock (i have to PO it). However, they suggest me another alternatives, between Moondrop Starfield and Tri Starsea. They also told me to consider Tin T2 plus but I wonder if it can be considered an upgrade from my current iem (KZ ZSN).

Very much thanks in advance.

 

[baskingshark]

Dear sir,
Thank you for the prompt advice. I searched the local market and it doesn't seem to have hzsound heart in stock (i have to PO it). However, they suggest me another alternatives, between Moondrop Starfield and Tri Starsea. They also told me to consider Tin T2 plus but I wonder if it can be considered an upgrade from my current iem (KZ ZSN).

Very much thanks in advance.

Haven't tried the Starfield.

But the Tin T2 plus is a U shaped set with good timbre and tonality. Technicalities are average at best. Also there are a lot of Tin T2 plus sets with poor MMCX QC connectors. Mine was affected too. So best to buy from somewhere with a good returns policy, just in case.

For TRI Starsea, it is very versatile as it has four tuning options, from V shaped to U shaped to neutralish. Very good fit and isolation, very good technicalities. Timbre for acoustic instruments isn't as good as some single DD types like the aforementioned Tin T2 plus though.

 

[InEarDistortion]

Haven't tried the Starfield.

But the Tin T2 plus is a U shaped set with good timbre and tonality. Technicalities are average at best. Also there are a lot of Tin T2 plus sets with poor MMCX QC connectors. Mine was affected too. So best to buy from somewhere with a good returns policy, just in case.

For TRI Starsea, it is very versatile as it has four tuning options, from V shaped to U shaped to neutralish. Very good fit and isolation, very good technicalities. Timbre for acoustic instruments isn't as good as some single DD types like the aforementioned Tin T2 plus though.

Dear sir,
I apologize for the late reply. I went to the shop and directly tried Tin T2 plus, Moondrop SSP, Moondrop Starfield and KBear Diamond, wasn't able to try TRI, it was sold a day before. After *also* trying Moondrop Blessing 2, *cough* Acoustune HS160, and several over $500 iem, I decided to drop my quest to get the clarity and soundstage I was looking for and went to the warm and comfortable Moondrop Starfield (both comfortable for my ear and my current budget). I'm very satisfied with Starfield at the moment. And all those review was right, soundstage is kinda disappointment, but believe me, its still very acceptable at that price.

I don't know yet if burn-in is myth or not, but I'm willing to do it and still in the middle of it for now. Again, thanks for the insight, sire. I'm still looking for a budget iem with good soundstage so advice will always be welcomed, especially the currently hyped chi-fi running amok at the iem market.

Warm regards,

 

[silent-circuit]

I'm tempted to buy the Starfield just for first hand experience. Many seem to be very happy with it. Would also be nice to be able to honestly recommend something under $250 new.