[unifutomaki]

I think the minute the "i" word is used, it ceases to be a hobby and the fun goes out the window. But ymmv.

Life is short and you're dead a long time.

IEMs as an investment… more like a depreciating asset haha

 

[gLer]

IEMs as an investment… more like a depreciating asset haha

An IEM is an investment in enjoyment. You're not making any money from it, you're making joy**.

**How much you want to spend on that is personal to each of us, because the amount of joy we get doesn't correlate with cost. In fact for many, spending too much actually reduces the joy they get, because it makes them anxious, or because they feel they can't afford to spend more. Sorry for getting all philosophical...

 

[mndless]

An IEM is an investment in enjoyment. You're not making any money from it, you're making joy**.

**How much you want to spend on that is personal to each of us, because the amount of joy we get doesn't correlate with cost. In fact for many, spending too much actually reduces the joy they get, because it makes them anxious, or because they feel they can't afford to spend more. Sorry for getting all philosophical...

This exactly. If it's for an end-game highly versatile set, then $250 is quite a small price to pay in the audiophile community. For a set bought solely for a unique sound experience, unless I've managed to already buy everything else on my wishlist which are more generally functional, which is incredibly unlikely, then $250 is a lot.

Your philosophical interpretation is exactly correct. It's an investment in future enjoyment, and overspending on something I can't use frequently is something that gives me anxiety.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

I have to admit that I'm getting somewhat weary of IEMs too. None of the new budget stuff really entertains me despite the massive variety. I have a bunch of IEMs sitting on my desk (Kato, Timeless, DUNU) that I haven't really touched. They sound good for sure, I'm just not in the mood to hear them as of late. Part of the reason for that might be because I've also gotten somewhat bored with my writing style. I'm currently writing a rhetorical film analysis for one of my classes, and it was kind of alarming that I've been more excited to write about that than IEMs. I don't know - it just feels like reviewing has gotten somewhat repetitive, and I'd like to make some changes to spice things up. I'd be interested in any feedback you guys have in that regard.

Back to audio, I've also had a mid-fi phase where I've been buying and selling kilobuck IEMs because I felt like I missed something when I jumped from budget IEMs directly to the U12t. It's been fun and all, but I know my preferences at this point. I'm basically just waiting for an IEM to be released that tops either the Helios or the U12t for me. None of the flagship stuff even really excites me. Actually, the only thing that really had me excited these past few weeks was getting to hear a friend's speaker setup. It wasn't anything crazy, but there's just no comparison between the dynamics and imaging of speakers versus IEMs. He also had a subwoofer which convinced me I need one for my setup when I get back home - music just isn't the same without the sub-bass frequencies.

TL;DR: I guess I've entered the (extra) jaded period of my audiophile journey. I'm not going to stop writing about IEMs, but I could definitely use some thoughts on what you guys would like to see.

It's getting boring to you because you are no longer discovering interesting insights you want to share with us. Everything seems like just another iteration of something you've already told us about. The way to change that up is to do different types of comparisons. There is so much to learn in Audio that you can spend a lifetime learning new things. There is no lack of that light bulb hitting you where you think you've just discovered fire. You just need to go about searching for fire instead of just reviewing the next 200 IEMs crossing your desk. Think about it in terms of questions you want answered and then go answer them. Here's an interesting question. Do cables actually make a difference in sound quality. Nobody can answer that for sure because nobody is willing to do what it really takes to answer it once and for all. The science guys just say do a blind test to anything a cable believer says. The cable guys just say I trust my ears and not your scientific theories. You are a smart guy. I'll bet you can come up with a plan to prove it one way or another and you now have the ear and the rudimentary systems required to do it. If your writing is boring its because your questions are boring.

 

[RikudouGoku]

I have to admit that I'm getting somewhat weary of IEMs too. None of the new budget stuff really entertains me despite the massive variety. I have a bunch of IEMs sitting on my desk (Kato, Timeless, DUNU) that I haven't really touched. They sound good for sure, I'm just not in the mood to hear them as of late. Part of the reason for that might be because I've also gotten somewhat bored with my writing style. I'm currently writing a rhetorical film analysis for one of my classes, and it was kind of alarming that I've been more excited to write about that than IEMs. I don't know - it just feels like reviewing has gotten somewhat repetitive, and I'd like to make some changes to spice things up. I'd be interested in any feedback you guys have in that regard.

Back to audio, I've also had a mid-fi phase where I've been buying and selling kilobuck IEMs because I felt like I missed something when I jumped from budget IEMs directly to the U12t. It's been fun and all, but I know my preferences at this point. I'm basically just waiting for an IEM to be released that tops either the Helios or the U12t for me. None of the flagship stuff even really excites me. Actually, the only thing that really had me excited these past few weeks was getting to hear a friend's speaker setup. It wasn't anything crazy, but there's just no comparison between the dynamics and imaging of speakers versus IEMs. He also had a subwoofer which convinced me I need one for my setup when I get back home - music just isn't the same without the sub-bass frequencies.

TL;DR: I guess I've entered the (extra) jaded period of my audiophile journey. I'm not going to stop writing about IEMs, but I could definitely use some thoughts on what you guys would like to see.

Consider trying earbuds.

Some suggestions:
Yincrow X6
Faaeal Iris 2.0

K´s LBBS
Smabat M2S Pro

Yincrow RW-2000
Moondrop Chaconne

 

[mndless]

Consider trying earbuds.

Some suggestions:
Yincrow X6
Faaeal Iris 2.0

K´s LBBS
Smabat M2S Pro

Yincrow RW-2000
Moondrop Chaconne

I've never felt so starved of graphs than when browsing earbuds and their raw drivers. If you think the weirdness inherent to earbud graphs will frighten people off, give a recommended tuning curve alongside your model a graph.

 

[Precogvision]

Just like to ask what are some of your favourite single DD iems and do you agree that single DD's sound more life like then any other iem driver types you've heard?

My two favorites are probably the Tanchjim Hana 2021 and the Sennheiser IE900. Unfortunately, the IE900 does not fit me with my preferred ear tips and the upper-midrange is too recessed for my preferences. I want a Hana 2021 still, it's just a little too bling for my aesthetic tastes. I'd say if we're looking at the driver-type in general, yes, dynamic drivers have the most lifelike timbre to my ears - especially when it comes to low-end reproduction. But I've heard plenty of DDs with bad timbre. I think it really comes down to the implementation and the quality of the driver itself.

How about going into another audio rabbithole, eg speakers or earbuds?

I used to be very skeptical about earbuds and looked down on them for years. But after diving into the earbuds rabbithole (nice folk and discussion can be found here: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/earbuds-round-up.441400/), they are actually like mini open backed headphones without clamp/heat of the pads. Earbuds give superior soundstage to IEMs, most are single DD so the timbral accuracy is authentic. Most earbuds have weak subbass (due to lack of seal), and they may not be as technical proficient as IEMs. But pound for pound, the earbuds are cheaper than IEMs, even sub $10 can give good sound, $50 is considered midFI and $100 can get you TOTL earbuds.

Haha, I'm still in the skeptical position on them myself. I know I need to check them out eventually, a number of people have offered to send me some. I'll get around to it eventually.

Have you heard the Fearless Audio Tequila? I've got the GS Audio GD7B, which seems to be related, and it has essentially no pinna gain, but that doesn't really seem to bother me. I have also done some listening on my KEF iQ90 towers and have come to the realization that my inherent pinna gain must just be lower than average, since I don't get a whole lot of gain in the treble off my flat-tuned towers.

Yes, I heard the Tequila roughly a year ago and posted some impressions here. I don't remember much about it at this point, but I know it was definitely not my cup of tea haha. It's definitely possible your HRTF requires less pinna, though.

It's getting boring to you because you are no longer discovering interesting insights you want to share with us. Everything seems like just another iteration of something you've already told us about. The way to change that up is to do different types of comparisons. There is so much to learn in Audio that you can spend a lifetime learning new things. There is no lack of that light bulb hitting you where you think you've just discovered fire. You just need to go about searching for fire instead of just reviewing the next 200 IEMs crossing your desk. Think about it in terms of questions you want answered and then go answer them. Here's an interesting question. Do cables actually make a difference in sound quality. Nobody can answer that for sure because nobody is willing to do what it really takes to answer it once and for all. The science guys just say do a blind test to anything a cable believer says. The cable guys just say I trust my ears and not your scientific theories. You are a smart guy. I'll bet you can come up with a plan to prove it one way or another and you now have the ear and the rudimentary systems required to do it. If your writing is boring its because your questions are boring.

Yeah, that's a good way of looking at it. I just need to explore some new stuff. Crinacle's post on the hybrid endgame was cool. I'm somewhat interested in what the IEM "greats" were back in the day, and have been thinking about doing a little research into that. I'd also like to learn more about the scientific aspect of audio and perhaps break some of it down into layman summary posts.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

Yeah, that's a good way of looking at it. I just need to explore some new stuff. Crinacle's post on the hybrid endgame was cool. I'm somewhat interested in what the IEM "greats" were back in the day, and have been thinking about doing a little research into that. I'd also like to learn more about the scientific aspect of audio and perhaps break some of it down into layman summary posts.

Those are all great ideas. You've already done a ton of IEMs and you are never going to catch up to Crin, but he doesn't do many in depth reviews. I like that he is getting more active again. For a long while, he wasn't doing much. At first I hated his videos, but now they are starting to grow on me. He is such a zany personality. It seems he also has a new collaboration he will be announcing soon. I really like the idea of breaking down audio into layman's terms. You are good at that and it is needed. You should also consider a buying guide. Or, ideas for collections of 3 IEMs. There are plenty of good ideas.

 

[Precogvision]

I'll post impressions later today, but this is Fearless Audio's new budget trio that was sent courtesy of Linsoul.

 

[TooPoorForHiFi]

@Precogvision Any idea if you'll be getting this Tanchjim TWS? Would be interested in a comparison to the Hana 2021

 

[Precogvision]

Fearless Audio Barcelona, Provence, & Shangri-La Impressions

I was going to write about these yesterday, but got distracted with some other stuff.

Let's kick things off with the Barcelona, the 1DD/1BA offering. Bloated bass shelf and horrible amounts of compressed stick impact. Now, it'd be fine if it just sounded generic, but the Barcelona literally has no air. It sounds like it rolls off before 10kHz; I think even some of KZ's stuff has better extension than this. Not worth talking about this IEM further. Moving to the Provence, this is arguably the most palpable of these three offerings, at least in the sense that the tuning isn't a straight mess. It's definitely got more treble presence than the Barcelona - I'd say mostly mid-treble, but it does seem to have more air too - and a slight technical edge as a result. The real problem with the Provence and the Barcelona is that they sound dampened as all hell. Furthermore, they barely have surface level detail and they have no soundstage. Fearless Audio's IEMs have always had the second problem, but at least their IEMs like the S8 series were relatively resolving.

And then we have the Shangri-La, a cautionary tale of "be careful what you wish for". The Shangri-La, at least, is decently resolving and more reminiscent of the technical sound that I associate with Fearless Audio. The problem: this has been achieved in the worst way possible. Massive amounts of 3-5kHz, a disgusting upwards-skewed transition between midrange and treble that makes singers sound like they're constantly in head-voice, and the cherry on top is the ridiculous amounts of lower and mid-treble. In essence, the Shangri-La is painfully bright and shouty. As an aside, I believe all three of these IEMs use the same dynamic driver. The Shangri-La, interestingly, noticeably has better definition and bounce here than it's peers, but I still don't like the bass on it very much. It sounds boomy and sort of dominates the stage too much.

Quite honestly, I'm bored of hearing stuff like the Tequila and now this stuff; even the S8Z was not very good in my opinion. It's even more unfortunate given that the build quality on these is good, and I liked how Fearless Audio used to be a forerunner in the Chi-Fi race. But it's time to stop throwing stuff at the wall and hoping something sticks.

Scores: 3/10 for all of them

 

[antdroid]

You ranked them too high.

 

[InvisibleInk]

You ranked them too high.

 

[gLer]

Honestly Precog, I can tell the novelty has worn off. It gets real old real fast sifting through the sand for one sparkle. Your efforts and talents would be better spent taking time with quality releases much further upmarket, and leave the low-hanging fruit to the low-end YouTube reviewers.

But hey, if you're getting compensated and it's paying your way, I can think of worse part time jobs out there for sure.

 

[KuroKitsu]

Honestly Precog, I can tell the novelty has worn off. It gets real old real fast sifting through the sand for one sparkle. Your efforts and talents would be better spent taking time with quality releases much further upmarket, and leave the low-hanging fruit to the low-end YouTube reviewers.

But hey, if you're getting compensated and it's paying your way, I can think of worse part time jobs out there for sure.

100% agree with this.