[nikbr]

This Thread is a wonderful idea and I'm looking forward to following its development.

Briefly about me, I've been into audio in one way or another for the past 8ish years. IEMs were a completely new thing to me and it all began with a 20€ Tangzu Wan'er in December 2022. A year and a half later, here I am with plenty of Mid-fi sets and thinking about where to go next.

As everything in this life, there comes an end. Night Oblivion Butastur is on its way out and if anyone is interested feel free to contact me.

 

[kaeswiss]

To get the conversation flowing, what are your top mid-fi sets right now?

My personal list:
Symphonium Titan, Nightjar Singularity, U4s, IER-Z1R, Symphonium Crimson

My top mid-fi sets:
Symphonium Titan, Crimson
Elysian Diva
Aur Audio Ascension
Softears Twilight

 

[Hypops]

As everything in this life, there comes an end. Night Oblivion Butastur is on its way out and if anyone is interested feel free to contact me.

I still can't help chuckling at that name. Yes, I have the sense of humor of an 8 year old.

 

[PeacockObscura]

Can you compare these Sonic Memory SW2 to Himalaya or some other recently released IEMs that have a positive response?
My under $500 canons are EA2000...to me fantastic IEMs.

Sure. But before I do I was thinking on the price conversation, I'm pleased I removed the price limitations from the opening post on the thread because I realised I judge mid fi on sound quality not how much I paid for an iem.
Right the Himalaya has bigger bass with a warmer more fluid delivery while still having bags of details. The SW2 has a big open spacious sound not lacking in bass but it's almost separate from the mids which are clean with more clarity and air and treble that reaches for the stars it almost sounds like everything you are listening to is in a big venue with space around all the notes. Listening to the SW 2 on the Cayin N3Ultra adds some warmth which is a positive as with a col/analytical dap it can sound a little brittle especially on the brass nozzle. The wood nozzles add some bass warmth and smooth the mids a bit.
The Himalaya on the other hand sounds great on any source it's really the complete deal as far as DD goes upto and above the $500 bracket . The tuning is just so well balanced with my idea of the perfect bass attack and timbre for vocals and guitars
I love both to be honest I liked the SW so much I bought 2 sets so I could have both sets of tuning nozzle versions. The SW is my go to dd for prog rock and fast metal while the Himalaya works pretty much with all the genres from Jazz, pop, blues, funk, R n B, acoustic and classic rock.

 

[BS5711]

Set up for an afternoon walk around the local vineyards - S12 Pro - iFi Go Bar hidden inside a magsafe sleeve run off iPhone 15.

Overall barely mid fi pricing but very definitely mid fi performance.

 

[emdeevee]

I also love the idea and guy behind this thread! Andy became excited about TSMR X along with me in that thread and his enthusiasm is infectious.

I just wanted to say that I've never spent over $2000 for any iem. Still, I've scored everything, including several TOTL sets at or well under that. Buy TOTL in the classifieds after you've demoed and decided.

Everything else, crap shoot...but as mentioned above, threads here will lead you to TOTL sound even at $400 with TSMR X.

 

[Lindholdt]

Set up for an afternoon walk around the local vineyards - S12 Pro - iFi Go Bar hidden inside a magsafe sleeve run off iPhone 15.

Overall barely mid fi pricing but very definitely mid fi performance.

Nice cable for the S12
The stock one is a bit bulky.
Which one is that?

 

[PassionForMusic]

I also love the idea and guy behind this thread! Andy became excited about TSMR X along with me in that thread and his enthusiasm is infectious.

I just wanted to say that I've never spent over $2000 for any iem. Still, I've scored everything, including several TOTL sets at or well under that. Buy TOTL in the classifieds after you've demoed and decided.

Everything else, crap shoot...but as mentioned above, threads here will lead you to TOTL sound even at $400 with TSMR X.

Takes notes. You have quite the collection. I shall learn your ways.

Everything will be a crap shoot until you learn what you like. Basically buy cheapos and figure out what sound signature you like. Or figure out what your music library is. Say you like to really listen to a particular genre of music. For example if it is rock you go and demo an iem like the Rn6, Xe6, or anything. Once you listen you figure out if you like it.

Try before you buy as much a possible. Blind buying costs money and is essentially gambling. Demoing first and then buying is a guarantee. One other thing folks, might bea a me thing, I would rather own a few really good quality things than many so so things. In short, usually if you switch iems every 4ish months and spend about 500 or less each time remember you could basically have put all those together and have between 900 to 1500 which is where you hit the sweet spot for price performance for iems. Usually things are divided into the 1500 or less bracket. The 2000 to 3000 bracket. Or the 3000 plus bracket. Using classifieds lets you get 2000 iems for really good deals. For example, we have plenty of Anni 2023 currently floating around or Trifectas if that is more your speed. Hope it helps. Shout out to @emdeevee for his offer for the Phonix. One day I hope you get to enjoy one.

 

[BS5711]

Nice cable for the S12
The stock one is a bit bulky.
Which one is that?

I am not exactly sure.

It is the stock cable from some AuR Audio IEM. It is probably actually a little more bulky than the stock S12 cable but it is very soft fabric covered and is extremely supple and hangs/drapes nicely and is very comfortable around the ears at least for me.

I have tried to track down exactly the same cable but can’t find it. It is very similar to a NiceHCK Jialai but the hardware is slightly different and that one doesn’t have the flat fitting two pin but the more typical raised block that is intended for an IEM with a recessed fitting. It is also very similar to some XINHS “2 strand” cables. They have flat two pin but I can’t find the same colour.

I bit of searching on AliExpress using those names as a starting point my be fruitful but I gave up after half an hour or so.

If colour mattered XINHS store on AliExpress could probably make a custom one through the “Store” contact button on the app. I have had about half a dozen custom cables made and they are very good to deal with.

 

[-rowan-]

I’ve been wanting to say this for some time and this seems as appropriate a thread as any to say it.

I run the gamut from ultrabudget KZ pokemons to TOTLs like Trifecta and Ragnar, and I have to say that the $300-$500 price range is a sweet spot and an extremely competitive one these days, one that includes most of the favourites in my current rotation, like Himalaya, Quattro, Cascara and Project M.

And if we take it to the kilobuck mark, Black Star and Titan have also impressed me a lot.

After about 9 years on (and off) headfi I recently posted the closest thing I ever got to an introductory post, so here it is.

 

[Whazzzup]

I’m hanging on to one mid fi gear for a decade now, chord tt and hd800S. Both very hard to take out.

 

[Hypops]

Everything will be a crap shoot until you learn what you like. Basically buy cheapos and figure out what sound signature you like. Or figure out what your music library is. Say you like to really listen to a particular genre of music. For example if it is rock you go and demo an iem like the Rn6, Xe6, or anything. Once you listen you figure out if you like it.

As a recent arrival to the land of IEMs, I took a very different approach. When I was looking for a good starter set, I found that most of the budget sets were all aiming for the same (or similar) tunings. There’s just not many options to experiment in those lower price ranges. Not until about the $250 or $300 mark did I begin to see some tuning variety. So I began there and have been hunting for distinct (but well regarded) sets. Much more fun this way and much more revealing of my own tastes.

 

[thaslaya]

I am not exactly sure.

It is the stock cable from some AuR Audio IEM. It is probably actually a little more bulky than the stock S12 cable but it is very soft fabric covered and is extremely supple and hangs/drapes nicely and is very comfortable around the ears at least for me.

I have tried to track down exactly the same cable but can’t find it. It is very similar to a NiceHCK Jialai but the hardware is slightly different and that one doesn’t have the flat fitting two pin but the more typical raised block that is intended for an IEM with a recessed fitting. It is also very similar to some XINHS “2 strand” cables. They have flat two pin but I can’t find the same colour.

I bit of searching on AliExpress using those names as a starting point my be fruitful but I gave up after half an hour or so.

If colour mattered XINHS store on AliExpress could probably make a custom one through the “Store” contact button on the app. I have had about half a dozen custom cables made and they are very good to deal with.

It looks similar to a NiceHCK Jialai cable I have

 

[nikbr]

I welcome you to check out my AüR Audio Aurora review right over here

 

[fidgeraldo]

Sure. But before I do I was thinking on the price conversation, I'm pleased I removed the price limitations from the opening post on the thread because I realised I judge mid fi on sound quality not how much I paid for an iem.

Thanks for the short review. It seems very interesting to me.
It could be an A-bomb for excitement, and it looks great, too, with those Onyx-like black wood plates.

Hmm, I never like to see/read something good when I have other plans.

I don't care about the price frames. However, someone's trash may be another person's treasure.

I'm open-minded to anything...I was just messing, as I (almost) always do



Cheers!