[Redcarmoose]

The Original Solaris 2018.

Kinda reminds me of Solaris drama early on lmao.

 

[mungster]

Final list update for a while!

It’s been an expensive couple of months for me in this hobby, but I feel pretty damn lucky to have owned/heard some amazing IEM’s, and I’m now at a place where I can sit back and enjoy my collection for a while and stop the constant chasing (famous last words but my bank account is now calling the shots). So with that said, here is how I would rank the IEM’s I’ve owned over the past 2 years of chasing the endgame dragon. New additions in bold:

1. MMR Thummim
2. Vision Ears Erlkönig LE
3. 64 Audio A18s
4. Empire Ears Legend X SE
5. Sony IER-Z1R
6. 64 Audio U12t
7. Empire Ears Odin
8. 64 Audio Tia Fourte Noir
9. 64 Audio Nio *not a new addition, but bumping it up the list after I discovered how much better they sound with wide bore tips.
10. Campfire Audio Solaris 2020/SE
11. QDC Anole VX
12. Sony IER-M9
13. Empire Ears Legend X
14. Campfire Audio Andromeda S
15. Sony XBA-Z5
16. Sony EX1000
17. FAudio Major
18. Sony XBA-N3
19. BLON BL-03
20. Sony EX800ST
21. Tin HiFi T4
22. Sony XB90EX
23. Sony XBA-4
24. Sony MH1C
25. Sony MH755
26. KZ ZSX

Beautiful list! Good taste in audio gear. Expensive taste also! Damz is the man!

 

[mungster]

So far aaf evo is selling his odin in one day and bggar also selling the odin and quite a few people ranking it pretty low on the list is not giving me optimism about odin.

 

[aaf evo]

So far aaf evo is selling his odin in one day and bggar also selling the odin and quite a few people ranking it pretty low on the list is not giving me optimism about odin.

The Odin is the quickest I’ve ever sold an IEM. And that’s not because I heavily disliked it or anything like that, it is because I know rather quickly when something isn’t for me (burn in won’t fix what I disliked about the Odin), and it’s a $3400 IEM, I’m definitely not hanging onto something that expensive if it doesn’t tick a lot of boxes and for me the Odin fell short on a lot of them. It’s on its way to its new owner.

 

[RikudouGoku]

1. LZ A6/Fiio FH3 (tied)
2. Tin Hifi P1+EQ
3. Intime Sora 2
4. Tanchjim Oxygen

 

[Redcarmoose]

Any IEM named after Germanic mythology becoming less than great is strangely ironic. IMO

 

[ngd3]

Update:

1. Empire Ears Odin
2. 64 Audio U12T
3. Sony Z1R
4. 64 Audio Tia Trio
5. Hidition Viento-B
6. Unique Melody MEST
7. Campfire Andromeda MW10
8. Shure KSE1200
9. Audeze LCDi4
10. QDC Anole VX

Slight shake up. Moving 2020 off the list because Tia Trio wandered its way in. Moved Shure KSE1200 to #8 (from #5 - more on this later) and bumped up UM MEST and MW10 one rank each.

Now onto the Trio:

- if there was an IEM that combined technicalities and tonality without overly sacrificing too much, I think the Trio would be it. Odin - treble is a tad pulled back, U12T - no DD bass, Z1R - lower mids are lacking, Viento - no DD bass. One would think the Trio is a hard V-shape looking at the graphs, but oddly enough, I found my vocals not recessed at all and in the center of the presentation. Female vocals particularly have an extra boost to them which compliments the aggressive (yet precise) sub-bass very well. Male vocals has excellent texture to them as well. I find the full vocal register presented well with no holes in it which is really nice if you like vocals (usually either lower mids or upper mids are pulled back).
- DD bass - really no replacement for it. BA bass wise I think the U12T takes it as far as it goes, but for proper air, slam and dynamics - you just need a DD bass and the Trio gives gobs of it while being precise and not smearing like the LX or Hero. Reminds me of Odin in some ways, but I think Odin does bass better (better texture, more definition, reaches a little deeper).
- TIA highs - really the best treble out there in terms of definition, extension and tone. You can fight me on this one.
- mids - like I mentioned before, I don't find them lacking at all and well presented. There's no lower mids suck out or excessively boosted upper mids which are my usual gripes. Transients are good (probably added by the upper mids boost). Everyone overall just sounds sharp and defined.
- non-tangibles: I find the Trio has a very romantic and warm-ish sound to them. They're very easy to listen to and immerse yourself in. I find myself having longer than usual listening sessions compared to other IEMs because I'm so engaged in the music. Probably added by the light weight of the units and the internal APEX as well.

Shure KSE1200 bump down:

- after listening the Trio, I've realized how important tonality is to musical enjoyment. While the KSE1200 is very proficient technically, it's hard to have long listens w/ it because of its intense and sterile sound.

Hoping to demo the Nio soon and update the list again. So many good TOTLs and near TOTL out there right now.

Love the list and notes you've been posting. For the MEST vs Trio, would you say they are similar? I have the Trio and have been tempted to buy the MEST but not sure if there's anything it does better to really make it worth owning both

 

[Colors]

Love the list and notes you've been posting. For the MEST vs Trio, would you say they are similar? I have the Trio and have been tempted to buy the MEST but not sure if there's anything it does better to really make it worth owning both

I like Trio a little better. Has the TIA highs whereas the MEST treble while good, I don’t think can compare. Not used to the EST treble sound yet I suppose. Bass and mids are pretty equal in terms of texture, impact, coherency and vocal range though.
I’d say both are pretty close though, no point in having both.

Although the MEST is obviously much better value for the $. Way cheaper.

 

[Damz87]

That's true but it's silly. If you get worked up over someone else's ranking then you're losing the battle of life. That said it's been long enough that we're starting to see some more balanced views of the Odin...and surprise surprise it turns out it doesn't walk on water. I don't agree with all of @Damz87 's placements but I admire and respect his consistency. Based on his and other trusted assessments I've read I'm starting to suspect that if I ever want to break into the $3K + realm and get something more than a sidegrade to what I have right now then the Thummim and Erlky are currently the best candidates for me. I'd have to sell a kidney to get there at the moment though.

If you do decide to pursue the single-kidney life, I would highly recommend demo'ing the Thummim based on your love for the Solaris. It's like an amped up version of the Solaris in terms of presentation, but with a lot more density and note weight across the FR.

 

[mungster]

If you do decide to pursue the single-kidney life, I would highly recommend demo'ing the Thummim based on your love for the Solaris. It's like an amped up version of the Solaris in terms of presentation, but with a lot more density and note weight across the FR.

I will keep both my kidneys and wait till damz give me a good deal on his thummim. Lol

 

[chickenmcnug]

If you do decide to pursue the single-kidney life, I would highly recommend demo'ing the Thummim based on your love for the Solaris. It's like an amped up version of the Solaris in terms of presentation, but with a lot more density and note weight across the FR.

@Rockwell75 we only need one kidney to function after all

 

[KevInquisition]

Posted this on another forum but posting here as well just to add to the discussion. Warning: I like bass.

1 - Sony IER Z1R
Jesus Christ that bass. It’s natural, it’s extended, and it’s damned powerful. Best thing this side of a subwoofer. Low mids are recessed, making things like vulfpeck and Frank Sinatra hard to listen to, but they are detailed and have nice timbre. Upper mids are presented a bit forward, making higher pitched male vocals and female vocals a treat. Tonality and dynamics here are quite good. Treble is smooth and extended. I find it doesn’t have coherency issues but ymmv. Detail isn’t absolute tops but it’s good enough. The one area it struggles as a totl is separation, busy tracks can get congested.

2 - 64 Audio U12t/A12t
These have the best bass I’ve heard from a BA set. Not quite as natural as a DD but fast and impactful, with a bit of subbass boost to help add punch. Where 12t really excels is dynamics and resolution. These are at the top in those categories, without sacrificing natural tonality and timbre. Mids are slightly recessed, but not to the level of Z1R, meaning both male and female vocals shine. Treble is peaky but extended. I have seen some people who cannot get past the peaky treble, but I'm not one of those people. Soundstage is wide but imaging isn’t super precise, things tend to get pushed to the side.

3 - Vision Ears VE8
Ohhh man all those male vocals we’ve been neglecting? Yeah here’s their time to shine. Bass isn’t a highlight here, you get punchiness and a natural timbre, but you won’t get the rumble that 12t and Z1R give you. Good enough, but not stellar. Mids though, now we’re talking. VE8 lends all the warmth you could ever want, allowing gravelly male vocals to occupy center stage. As vocals get higher, they become sweeter, still warm but not as powerful on this set. Female vocals aren’t as crystal clear as on the previous sets. Treble isn’t emphasized, but it is extended. Soundstage is rather average, but imaging is quite good. Detail is not top of the top, but this is easily the highest res warm IEM you can get.

4 - Shure KSE
Now this is a strange pick for #4, but hey it gave me one of those “oh crap” moments so I had to rank it high. Detail detail detail. That’s what these are about. The speed of the electrostat driver allows these to give you that crystal clear sound that nothing else will, making them sound insanely good on certain tracks, for instance acoustic guitar. However they have a few fatal flaws. Their extremely fast decay doesn’t lend them to having pleasing bass. It’s tight but lacks impact, and the texture is rather unpleasant. Timbre is all over the place in the mids, making vocals sometimes sound great and sometimes exhausting. Treble is great. Soundstage is below average, but imaging is excellent. Definitely worth the listen just for that experience of rethinking what is possible in an IEM, but I wouldn’t buy these.

5 - QDC Anole VX
These are objectively very good but I can’t get myself to like them. Detail is top tier, with above average soundstage and imaging. However these die in the bass for me. It’s got plasticky timbre, lacks impact and reminds me exactly why people always shill DD over BA. Sure it’s fast and textured, but it just… Sounds wrong. Mids are a very clinical affair, very dynamic and detailed, but a bit dry. Treble is extended and smooth, where the A12t is peaky, so I guess if you value treble more than bass (smh) these would be your A12t from anotha motha.

6 - Sony IER M9
These are a bit boring, but boring doesn’t always mean bad. Bass is a bit flabby compared to the totls before, but it’s textured and detailed. Lacks air and impact, but it sounds really good for a BA. Bit more emphasis on midbass than subbass here. Mids are warm and well suited especially to male vocals. Female vocals are also good, but some high pitched singers don't get the chance to pierce through and shine. Treble isn’t very forward but it is extended. Soundstage is below average in width but imaging is extremely precise. Dynamics ok, but not amazing. Layering and separation are tops. Detail is good, but not top tier. For me it's a slightly less warm poor man’s VE8, which ya know, is still pretty good.

7 - 64 Audio Tia Trio
This guy is very V-shaped. Your male vocals will disappear, moreso than on Z1R. Bass is very textured and impactful, but not super quick. Mids are ok, but you can barely hear them. Treble is elevated but fairly smooth. Where these excel is providing a huge Soundstage, much like the fourte does, but these aren’t tonally ****ed like those are.

8 - 64 Audio U18t/A18t
Bruh moment, your flagship is worse than its lower priced siblings. So these have timbre issues. They’re near or at the top in terms of detail, layering, and separation. However, in their quest to make the ultimate “reference” monitor, 64 forgot to make things sound good. Bass is textured and detailed but not impactful. Mids have those timbre issues I mentioned before. Vocals sound unnatural, as though they’re being filtered before they hit your ear. Treble is very extended and (too) prominent; it reaches levels where it’s sibilant to me. Overall a significantly worse iem for casual listeners than 12t.

9 - Campfire Andromeda S/Solaris
Andro S - Slightly more elevated upper mids than the Andromeda, which you’re all familiar with. These have really nice treble but that’s about all I can say I like about them. The mids are rather hollow and lacking in detail, and the bass is just muddy and flabby. Better than original andro for sure tho.
Solaris - HOW DO YOU MAKE A HYBRID WITH BASS THAT SOUNDS LIKE A BA??? Only campfire audio can seem to manage this, but otherwise Solaris is quite nice. Hollow mids again, but more detailed than Andro, and treble is extended. Soundstage is great on these, though imaging is average. I would rank Solaris slightly higher than Andro, but it has QC issues and the bass has BA timbre and lacks slam, which is unacceptable for a DD hybrid.

10 - Empire Ears Legend X
BAAAAASSSSSS. That’s it. Mids are sacrificed due to the very elevated bass but wow these sound like club speakers in your ears. Get them if you want bass only.

Edit: IEMs I definitely want to hear: Hidition Viento, Pears SH3, Jomo (any of them lol), Elysian Annihilator

IEMs that are the opposite of being on this list: Shure SE846, Campfire IO, Delta Airlines Earbuds, anything Sennheiser, KZ… well there’s a lot of garbage out there

 

[Mikey99]

Audeze LCDi4
InEar PMX
InEar P8
Shure SE846
Shure SE525

 

[Uebelkraehe]

From best to worst:

Sony IER-Z1R
FiiO FH3
FiiO FH7
FiiO FD1
Sony MH755
Shuoer Tape
iBasso IT00
Final E5000
Arbily F7 (TWS)
Soundmagic E11
VE Monk Plus (Earbud)

 

[IEMusic]

From best to worst:

Sony IER-Z1R
FiiO FH3
FiiO FH7
FiiO FD1
Sony MH755
Shuoer Tape
iBasso IT00
Final E5000
Arbily F7 (TWS)
Soundmagic E11
VE Monk Plus (Earbud)

FH3 over FH7? You’re not the only one to rank them that way.
MH755 that high, over IT00 and E5000?

.....interesting. Thanks for the list.