PLANAR IEMs fans thread-Impressions, suggestions, ranking list, techs

[redrol]

Here I just made this acoustically.. for EQING it works too

After EQ

 

[ExTubeGamer]

Will the upcoming xMEMS tech beat the planars in technicalities?

Planar IEMs are impressive but these DD+BA+EST hybrids bring even more details to the table.

 

[voicemaster]

Will the upcoming xMEMS tech beat the planars in technicalities?

Planar IEMs are impressive but these DD+BA+EST hybrids bring even more details to the table.

But with higher price point tho. For budget around $100-200, planar is probably the better option than BA, DD and hybrid BA + DD.

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

Will the upcoming xMEMS tech beat the planars in technicalities?

Planar IEMs are impressive but these DD+BA+EST hybrids bring even more details to the table.

its possible XMEMs tech give a boost of fresh air in iem driver conception for sure and push limit of multi layered sound projection not as compromise by soundwave inter phasing....a bit like big EST driver...or multiBAs...it might take years before sub500$ greatness appear, or be faster since Creative Lab are on it, but TWS way alas...anyway, they tend to sell affordable products.

i was fascinate when i read this:

''Creative Labs explains that the solid-state silicon driver prototypes make sound by triggering tiny flaps with electronic pulses to make an array of micro sound waves, forgoing the traditional design of a cone with a magnet in its center to move air and create sound waves.These specialized drivers, expertly integrated into each earbud, showcase an innovative design with tiny flaps meticulously mounted to silicon chips. What makes this technology stand out is how it replicates sound when these flaps swiftly respond to short electrical signals. In doing so, these drivers are able to generate sound waves that closely mimic the way users naturally hear sounds in the world around them.''

https://www.techradar.com/audio/ear...river-earbuds-and-they-surprised-me-in-3-ways

its true tribrid can be fabulous, i would not say no top a 1xplanar+4EST hybrid since sparkle aren't the most brilliant with planarr....with the exception of Tinhifi P1plus so their hope i feel. i cant say this for multi BA only, ive never head any with proper sparkle. even in kilobucks territory like 64audio U18T

 

[Zerstorer_GOhren]

LCDi4 is unlistenable without their DSP cable to EQ, IMHO. They are also very difficult to wear. You would look like a TIE fighter with two flat plates poking out of your ears. Zero isolation.

Fun experience comes at a very stiff price. Though I can see the potential. Those drivers sound quite special.

It looks like the same case with iSines, they are probably the worst tuned planar sets that I've tested.

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

ok, thats a bit ridiculous but im trying to share new Moondrop 1DD+1planar IEM info yet...im ban from their Facebook official page for very obscure reason...so im unable

@Zerstorer_Goren or @baskingshark feel free to share pics and stuff about this here (not just link so i can see it!)

wait OK i find it on rreddit:

lets hope they learn forrm Stellaris. but this is certainly something we need more, for now ive only try the disastrous Obravo Cupid for 1dd-planar game.

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

Ok, more info about Moondrop May 1Dd+1planar IEM have pop up on Chifi Love, there you go:

yes its pure Moondrop tonal balance but pinna gain-upper mids boost is way lower than Stellaris....it will be the bass pat that will have love/hate reception i feel, sub boom but no hard punch for kick surely...

seem interesting still, depending of the price but i expect this be cheaper than Variation.

DD-plana implementation is similar to IMR RAH which is a dual planar DD sticken togheter too....

 

[Kumonomukou]

Nicehck F1
7Hz Timeless
Tangzu Wu Zetian
Shuoer S12
Tin P1 OG
KZ PR1 HIFI
Audeze iSine 10
Moondrop Stellaris
KZ PR2

Planar IEMs I had so far. I want to point out Nicehck F1, thought they're underrated cuz late to the game. Are they subjectively better than competitions? NO, but IMO they're on par with likes of S12, Tangzu, or 7Hz which all gotten their share of hype. Short nozzle might be disliked by some, but not a problem to me, also very well built.

 

[Kumonomukou]

very interesting to have a Stellaris owner here. havent try this one cause the graph scare me so much....especially the 13db upper mids spike.


indeed it look niche...crisp and airy....bright mids....curious about the bass part though...

oh, im both surprise and not surrprise by your choice, P1 still get lotta lovin but since its an old model its less hyped and prromote...

i still love them but P1plus is quite a step up in clean clarity. its my no1 planar for technicalities....and thats puzzling because it perhaps underline planar tech evolve slowly in 2023. i guess the double sided magnet used are of great quality, this can inflict alot on transient response speed and distortion. for ex, not exactly planar but both TRN Xuanwu and Celest Gomiho use same SPD driver but with one difference: magnets quality. and TRN SPD is super noisy boomy, less clean and speedy than Celest.

Stellaris, very 'Thin' sounding IEMs to me, we thought P1 is relatively clean & 'neutral', but Stellaris excessive upper energy taken them to another level. I do like their cables though!

 

[bamboostreet]

I'm still waiting for someone to bring up the subject of kiwi ears melody but it doesn't seem to attract anyone...
Tangzu zetian wu was my first contact with a planar and I really didn't like it, but melody managed to reconcile me with this type of driver. Good mid-bass, cymbals are excellent, back vocals are present and layered (not like a dd), some reviewers said that females voices was a little brighter, but its ok with Feist (I'm Not Running Away) and Portishead (Roads), but above all, above all, it is the tonality, a united, uniform, undistorted tone (like a dd).

 

[odnimusic]

very interesting to have a Stellaris owner here. havent try this one cause the graph scare me so much....especially the 13db upper mids spike.


indeed it look niche...crisp and airy....bright mids....curious about the bass part though...

oh, im both surprise and not surrprise by your choice, P1 still get lotta lovin but since its an old model its less hyped and prromote...

i still love them but P1plus is quite a step up in clean clarity. its my no1 planar for technicalities....and thats puzzling because it perhaps underline planar tech evolve slowly in 2023. i guess the double sided magnet used are of great quality, this can inflict alot on transient response speed and distortion. for ex, not exactly planar but both TRN Xuanwu and Celest Gomiho use same SPD driver but with one difference: magnets quality. and TRN SPD is super noisy boomy, less clean and speedy than Celest.

I got them cause I was able to score them for good sale price and I thought why not give it a try see how terrible it is with my own ears (yeah, I’m that kinda person since it‘s in my nature to want to experiment)

and I was surprised that it wasn’t as terrible as many ear purist made it to be (brain burn in tho even from the first few seconds, I didn’t reject them). If you favour mid bass, forget about this set, but if we’re talking about sub bass, damn it hits nice and textured and great authority. That a pretty great achievement imho. at least on the bass part. But yeah, if you’re scared of the treble, you have the right to be. I mean I’ve permanently applied I divinus filter on it to attenuate it slightly which I have openly shared in the fb group Eric, tho again I’m aware most people wouldn’t even go near this thing like a plague. Haha, which is totally warranted .


I quite like P1 cause it’s very holographic staging and it was quite addicting . hehehe, I’m sure the P1 plus is probably a step up, but I thought they generally are a cut from the same cloth. (I got my P1 second hand, so….)

I think that generation of planar that Tin hifi uses is a rather peculiar despite its small size yet is harder to drive compare to other planar sets. But the have good speed and transient and will improve as you gave it more clean power.

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

Nicehck F1
7Hz Timeless
Tangzu Wu Zetian
Shuoer S12
Tin P1 OG
KZ PR1 HIFI
Audeze iSine 10
Moondrop Stellaris
KZ PR2

Planar IEMs I had so far. I want to point out Nicehck F1, thought they're underrated cuz late to the game. Are they subjectively better than competitions? NO, but IMO they're on par with likes of S12, Tangzu, or 7Hz which all gotten their share of hype. Short nozzle might be disliked by some, but not a problem to me, also very well built.

Nice collection mate, its true the F1 isnt talked about alot, ive seen some positive post on CHifi Love.... @PeacockObscura have it. indeed some say it remind the of Timeless AE too...

as for Stellaris graph seem to promise thin mids indeed...shouty way...

Kefine Klanar too are a bit late in planar game, feeling on par with all othere plan you mention...and perhaps using very same driver in fact, tuned differently just a bit...i do feel S12 is overhyped, though good enough and very well built. i dont like the bass of those at all tbh.

Timeless hype was so so intense in 2022...still waiting for news about the new one....but Dioko disappoint me so much that my hope arent very high with 7HZ now, Legato was just OK too...but its no planar and out of subject.

 

[PeacockObscura]

Nice collection mate, its true the F1 isnt talked about alot, ive seen some positive post on CHifi Love.... @PeacockObscura have it. indeed some say it remind the of Timeless AE too...

as for Stellaris graph seem to promise thin mids indeed...shouty way...

Kefine Klanar too are a bit late in planar game, feeling on par with all othere plan you mention...and perhaps using very same driver in fact, tuned differently just a bit...i do feel S12 is overhyped, though good enough and very well built. i dont like the bass of those at all tbh.

Timeless hype was so so intense in 2022...still waiting for news about the new one....but Dioko disappoint me so much that my hope arent very high with 7HZ now, Legato was just OK too...but its no planar and out of subject.

My problem with the F1 was they pretty much sounded like the S12. Timeless etal so what's the point if they were your only set of planar then they're great but in company nothing special like eg the Hook X

 

[Kumonomukou]

My problem with the F1 was they pretty much sounded like the S12. Timeless etal so what's the point if they were your only set of planar then they're great but in company nothing special like eg the Hook X

Well that's the thing with many Planar IEMs, they're all very similarly graphed, and we suspect they all used the same driver. Same trend goes for single DD in 2022 as well. Different tuning / build quality do make difference in buying decision though. Also the black filter on F1 automatically made it darker, which was a nice touch.

 

[baskingshark]

Here's graphs of the NiceHCK F1. It has 3 tuning nozzles to give more versatility (8 kHz is a coupler peak):

I think it is not bad for a planar IEM, just that it got overshadowed by the S12 Pro/Timeless, as those 2 are more technical than the F1.

Anyways there is a NiceHCK F1 Pro released, it has no tuning nozzles strangely, but I bought one during Black Friday sales, waiting for it to come.

Ok, more info about Moondrop May 1Dd+1planar IEM have pop up on Chifi Love, there you go:


yes its pure Moondrop tonal balance but pinna gain-upper mids boost is way lower than Stellaris....it will be the bass pat that will have love/hate reception i feel, sub boom but no hard punch for kick surely...

seem interesting still, depending of the price but i expect this be cheaper than Variation.

DD-plana implementation is similar to IMR RAH which is a dual planar DD sticken togheter too....

Bro this doesn't look like a legit planar though. More of those square planar pseudo planar stuff that are actually like DDs in a way.