[Rockwell75]

EXT... compared to Z1R.

For me the biggest difference between these two is that Z1R has a more "Eastern" FR and EXT a more "Western" which I think is precisely what you observed when describing their bass (EXT more mid-bass, Z1R more sub-bass etc.). I think this contrast is apparent with the midrange as well. I think I even commented to you earlier while I had the EXT that I wasn't sure it would supplant Z1R for you because of all this. Looking forward to seeing how all this pans out for you.

 

[gLer]

For me the biggest difference between these two is that Z1R has a more "Eastern" FR and EXT a more "Western" which I think is precisely what you observed when describing their bass (EXT more mid-bass, Z1R more sub-bass etc.). I think this contrast is apparent with the midrange as well. I think I even commented to you earlier while I had the EXT that I wasn't sure it would supplant Z1R for you because of all this. Looking forward to seeing how all this pans out for you.

Interesting...since my entire music library and musical preferences are 'western'... Like I said, I think this shootout is going to be full of contradictions.

 

[Rockwell75]

Oops

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

I'm definitely not a professional reviewer. That said, I'd normally ask FiiO for a set but for some reason they now insist on YouTube popularity to send review samples. Their loss.

You should have seen that Mojo 2 review by Audio Advice. It was horrible. It looked great and the reviewer sounded like he knew what he was doing. But, he paired the Chord Mojo 2 with wireless headphones. I just shook my head. I guess it will result in sales.

 

[gLer]

Oops

I think where our specific preferences differ is that I listen to alot of female vocals (my predominant 'genre'), mainly with real (but also electronic) instruments. I also don't mind vocals playing second fiddle to drums (and bass) as long as they're clear enough to hear the words. And I very rarely listen to male vocals. Plus, while I enjoy ambient and electronic music in general, I enjoy those genres with basically any IEM (which is to say that I find it harder to judge sound quality when there's no vocals or live instruments as a baseline).

 

[Rockwell75]

Interesting...since my entire music library and musical preferences are 'western'... Like I said, I think this shootout is going to be full of contradictions.

They're not ideal descriptive terms as a direct "Eastern" vs "Western" interpretation doesn't always apply. I think they do broadly constitute two different tuning ideals (one with a more sub-bass/upper mid emphasis and another with amore mid-bass & lower mid emphasis). The former type, say, tends to work best for female vocals-- which is I think is what inspired the "eastern" label due the predominance of female vocalists in Asian pop. There are, of course, female vocalists in both eastern and western parts of the world which is why the "east vs. west" label is not ideal. I think I sent you a bunch of links to music I listen to once and you commented that, hearing it, you weren't surprised that I prefer the type of signature that I do. As usual, YMMV and all that.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

I think where our specific preferences differ is that I listen to alot of female vocals (my predominant 'genre'), mainly with real (but also electronic) instruments. I also don't mind vocals playing second fiddle to drums (and bass) as long as they're clear enough to hear the words. And I very rarely listen to male vocals. Plus, while I enjoy ambient and electronic music in general, I enjoy those genres with basically any IEM (which is to say that I find it harder to judge sound quality when there's no vocals or live instruments as a baseline).

I think your music preferences are more similar to mine than to Rockwells. That's probably why we like similar IEMs.

 

[gLer]

They're not ideal descriptive terms as a direct "Eastern" vs "Western" interpretation doesn't always apply. I think they do broadly constitute two different tuning ideals (one with a more sub-bass/upper mid emphasis and another with amore mid-bass & lower mid emphasis). The former type, say, tends to work best for female vocals-- which is I think is what inspired the "eastern" label due the predominance of female vocalists in Asian pop. There are, of course, female vocalists in both eastern and western parts of the world which is why the "east vs. west" label is not ideal. I think I sent you a bunch of links to music I listen to once and you commented that, hearing it, you weren't surprised that I prefer the type of signature that I do. As usual, YMMV and all that.

I replied before you replied but yes, I concur. Although I tend to prefer sub-bass focus with only minimal (or gentle) upper mid/lower treble lift, and not bothered by upper-mid/lower treble dips either (makes for easier listening most of the time, especially with pitchy female vocals, unless the quality of the presence region is top drawer, like Z1R's, and EXT's).

 

[discord]

It's definitely NOT the all-out bass monster some impressions suggested it would be. In fact, like Z1R, while bass is emphasized, basshead it's not, and as punchy and textured as its midbass proved to be, it doesn't really compete with Z1R for sub bass depth and rumble. Quantity wise, don't expect anything close to LX or EVO bass saturation.

I think of the EXT bass quantity as something more of a halfway point between IE 900 and those bass cannons that you mentioned (EVO/LX) at most. It's got more mid bass than IE 900 for sure and their sub bass is about equal in quantity with basically no roll off. I know that in my impressions in the VE thread, I mentioned that EVO has more bass, which was by memory since there was a month gap, but it's an obvious thing.

 

[gLer]

I think of the EXT bass quantity as something more of a halfway point between IE 900 and those bass cannons that you mentioned (EVO/LX) at most. It's got more mid bass than IE 900 for sure and their sub bass is about equal in quantity with basically no roll off. I know that in my impressions in the VE thread, I mentioned that EVO has more bass, which was by memory since there was a month gap, but it's an obvious thing.

Agreed, with the proviso that both IE900 and Z1R have a stronger sub bass focus, which makes the sub bass perceptibly more prominent with those IEMs (even though they both still have excellent midbass heft for my liking). I also think EXT's prominent estat treble tuning takes some of the focus from the bass, more so than either IE900 and especially Z1R with its extended but more natural treble tuning by comparison. Much more listening to be done, so these initial raw impressions may yet be tweaked.

 

[YoungAudioEnthusiast]

My top 5 iems after being in the hobby for 3 years.

1. QDC Anole VX( Simply amazing, since I am a detail head, it fits my preferences as I tend to analyze music)
2. Sony ier Z1R ( I love the sub bass and treble on these)
3. UM Mest OG( Great staging, and simply phenomenally fun to listen to)
4. UM Mest Mk2( I feel like the staging takes a bit of a toll, but I really like the darker signature on these)
5. Sony ier m9 ( my recommendation for the 1k kilobuck benchmark. I put the m9 over the andromeda 2019, and 2020. I love the vocals and the midrange on these, they are my go to iem for vocals)

 

[ddlo]

My totally subjective ranking for gears i currently owned ( sources are mostly Tidal and Spotify):

IEMs (my mostly used is Fiio M15; occasionally used Fiio M17, AK SP1000m or Fiio M11pro; quite often using L&P W2 or zorloo ztella mqa dongle from my phone too):

1. Shure KSE1200 (using the included energizer - easily the best of the best by far, even with the inconvenience of the energizer and the rigid cable)
2. Sony Just ear Listening (simplicity in design doesnt imply handicap in performance - if there's no KSE1200, this is the best)
3. 64 Audio A18s CIEM (not sure if it's the better fitting of CM vs universal, it sounds better and more enjoyable to me than U18t)
4. sennheiser ie900 + brise audio bsep cable (remind me of hd800s/hd820! that's really great for iem! sound very spacious. good, convincing bass)
5. Vision Ears VE8 UIEM (the best BA universal I have)
6. Acoustune HS2000MX (surprisingly well made and sounds exceptionally coherent!)
7. Fir M4 CIEM (picked this over M5 after several auditions. i think this is actually quite a lot better than M5)
8. Inear PMX (fits almost as good as CIEM. sounds top tier too but not a very entertaining sound signature)
9. Sony IER-Z1R (sonic performance is very impressive but very hard to wear securely)
10. 64 Audio U18t (the form factor is quite difficult to wear securely for my ears and isolation is not very good. top tier resolution)
11. 64 Audio N8 CIEM (quite similar to legend x that it's (very) bass heavy. the craftmanship of 64audio is better than UE and EA)
12. Astell&Kern x JH Layla AION (just bought for the beautiful carbon body & box. sounds warm and dense. not the monitor type sound that's trendy now)
13. UE 18+ Pro (3rd gen) CIEM (very deep insertion and maybe uncomfortable for some. very high resolution and clarity)
14. Empire Ears Legend X CIEM (super heavy bass player)
15. Campfire Solaris (original gold ver - sonic performance is very good/dynamic but very hard to wear securely too)
16. 64 Audio tia fourte (not really great for my taste. u18t sounds decidedly better for me)
17. UE Live CIEM (very deep insertion and maybe uncomfortable for some. bass heavy)
18. Noble K10Ua (an all rounder that's good in most areas)
19. Vision Ears EVE20 (quite similar to VE8. but i've got VE8 so ranked this so low. if i don't have VE8, i might rate it higher)
20. Astell&Kern x Beyerdynamic T8ie Mkii (so comfortable to wear. easy to drive. super sounding too)
21. Campfire Atlas (the most heavy bass i've heard. suppress even Legend X in this arena)
22. AAW Canary CIEM (very weird sound. the high sounds recessed to me)
23. Duun Luna (both A8000 and this sound thin and weird to me. so just pick the cheaper pure beryllium driver. if i made the decision now, i'd buy fiio FD5 instead)
24. Astell&Kern Diana
25. Drop x Empire Ears Zeus (sounds so weird - i learnt that purchase decision must be based on first hand audition from this iem)
26. AAW x Shozy Pola (sounds so weird - i learnt twice that purchase decision must be based on first hand audition from this iem)

TWS IEMs

1. Sennheiser MTW3 - sounds amazingly good for a TWS, bass is convincing. i don't really missed much of my wired iems with the convenience of tws. the battery life is great and i've not been prompted to charge it for over 5hrs listening on the street during weekend (on aptx connection). the case is slightly on the large (unnecessarily) side; the connection is prone to drop near some traffic lights
2. B&O EQ - surprisingly, it offers the most secure connection with my samsung zfold3. sound quality and battery life are both decent with useful app and noise cancellation. construction quality is top notch. just wind noise is a challenge to its noise cancellation mechanism which the mic points forward.
3. Victor FW1000T - no apps but complex touch control could take care of all functions. sounds great but has to turn up volume to over 100 for me (vs ~75 for most other TWS)
4. Final ZE3000 - the smallest case amongst my collection and very portable. quite untypical for Final, the tuning is quite mainstream and has healthy amount of mid-bass! the connection is also strong and survive almost all situations in city. battery life also quite good and easily last over hours without promoting me to charge. the best of all, the price is also the cheapest amongst my collection. fits very well/secure and seals well too. i don't miss the anc function much.
5. AK UW100 - the single BA driver performs exceptionally well. there're pretty BA midbass but not reaching as low as conventional driver i guess. the bucky (really gigantic and bigger than anything else on the market!) case is a big let down and the app couldnt tell the battery level of the case either. the connection is best amongst my collection. the app doesnt do anything useful other than assigning button functions. for obsessionists care about the country of origin, it's made in korea! the only one not made in China or Vietnam I aware of. btw, no IP rating like the fokus pro so not suitable for exercise or rainy days. fits very well/secure and seals well too. i dont miss the anc function much.
6. Sony XM1000m4 - no major fault. sounds good, strong connection, the best noise cancellation, exceptional battery life. just dont offer the best resolution for current TWS
7. Noble Fokus Pro - big metal battery case, looks great and sounds great too. but no noise cancellation. the major shortcoming is connection drops whenever i pass through traffic lights. such a pain for me living in urban district
8. B&W PI7- the best sound tws to my taste plagued by very poor battery life and connection. my unit also seems to continue to drain battery even stow in the case.
9. Samsung Buds+ (exceptionally long battery life and seamless integration with Samsung phones)
10. Samsung Buds Pro (not that much difference from buds+ and i dont feel the noise cancellation is very effective. yet much shorter battery life)
11. sony xm1000xm3 - weird ergonomics and poor connection
12. earin e3/2/1 - the original is actually the worse in all aspects. but kudos must be given to earin for their insight and pioneering this type of earphones that will dominate the market very soon.

 

[earsource]

Dunu titan s > ER2SE >Aria >T2 plus >ZEX pro >Tripowin mele

Still yet to hear IEMs outside of the budget space. Would use the ER2s a lot more if not for the fit.

 

[Camph]

I hope I remember all the ones I've heard. My list has comfort factored in since I have small ears. All listening was done on either Fiio BTR5 / LG G7 / Q5k or Hidizs S9Pro with Spinfit CP100 tips. All ranks in order. Updated January 2023.

64 Audio U12t (Currently Own)

So nice I bought it twice. The first unit I had was an old review unit. After a lot of back and forth on figuring out the ultimate IEM it's got to be the U12t so I purchased a newer set. Nice, tight bass with a clear shelf and natural decay. Doesn't slam as hard as the Nio but it's enjoyable in its own way. Brilliant and detailed mids. Controlled treble suitable for all genres. Comfortable low pressure thanks to its apex modules. If you need a small IEM this is the endgame.

64 Audio Nio (Previously owned)

Like a U12t but way more warm and fun. Extremely comfortable. Sounds almost perfect with Fir modules. Extremely competent in its tonality and technical ability. Not as detailed as the U12t but has significantly more bass. Sold because I simply didn't use it enough.

Beyerdynamic Xelento (Store demo)

If I remember these correctly these sounded fantastic while also being by far and away the most comfortable IEM I ever heard. It didn't, however, have a sound quite as resolving as the M9 which I compared head to head at the time. I loved the tonality and overall design of the things.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro (Currently own)

If you find it hard to believe a TWS can be higher ranked than a Z1R then it should be noted, in my opinion fit and comfort play a massive role in my enjoyment of this hobby. The Buds 2 Pros are just about equal to the FH5 in terms of technical ability but its rolled off harman tuning is highly enjoyable for all genres of music. I also find it to be more comfortable to use than any of the IEMs below (besides the Xelento 2). It may not be as resolving or detailed as a modern $200 IEM but its technology and convenience allows me to have a music listening device in many more scenarios than I would with a traditional set. Occasionally I do miss having more detail but it's good enough that I can use it for hours without thinking about the equipment and simply enjoying the songs.

Sony IER-M9 (Previously owned)

Owned these for a year. Heavily laid back sound signature without giving up a near top tier resolution and imaging. Kind of a small soundstage. Generally comfortable though the in ear pressure felt high. Absolutely fantastic build quality.

Moondrop Blessing 2 Dusk (Previously owned)

Brilliant tonality and very good technical ability make the Dusk some of best sounding IEMs in its price range as long as you have gigantic ears. These units have some of the largest nozzles on the market and while the overall shape is acceptable it does feel like a large portion of the body could be shaved down for a better fit. I would pay a lot of money for an IEM that sounds like this in a much smaller housing with better build quality. Didn't keep the Dusk for long but I'm glad I got to listen to them.

Beyerdynamic Xelento 2 (Previously owned)

Was it a step backwards? Possibly. I'm not sure what was changed in the tonality but it's not nearly as enjoyable as the first one. Its driver gets bogged down with punk/rock music, and I don't believe it's worth the $1000 price point. At the very least it did take the crown for the most comfortable IEM I've ever used and the stock tips and cables were excellent quality. It also had almost no in-ear pressure due to its bass relief port. Maybe a 2.5 version is in order where the sound quality doesn't get beat by mid-range Chifi.

Shure KSE1200 (Previously owned)

These IEMs have, without a doubt, the absolute best in the business resolution and detail. Its soundstage is also very competent. With the right songs you'll feel transported into the recording studio where you can place where each band member is playing. It's quite a wonderful experience. Its tonality leaves much to be desired. The technical ability didn't make up for the strange tonality. The IEM itself is very comfortable in the ear like the Xelento but its non removable wire is ultra-microphonic. You had to sit still to listen to music otherwise all you'll hear is brushing noises.

Sony IER-Z1R (Previously owned)

Very V shaped sound signature. If you don't get the fit right these will absolutely not sound correct. For me, unless it was seated uncomfortably deep it will sound shouty at the high end. Could never get the fit right. Unbeatable bass. Resolution is surprisingly high.

Campfire Andromeda Original (Store demo)

Don't remember much about these besides its cool coloration and its super wide soundstage. Fit was not bad despite its edged shell.

Fearless S8F (Previously owned)

Just an OK IEM. Kind of large. Don't remember much. Seemed expensive for what it offered.

Fiio FH5 (Previously owned)

Another OK IEM. Resolution is ok. Tonality is ok. Don't remember much about its sound besides its resolution not sounding as good as the S8F. Build quality was superb.

Sennheiser IE80 (Previously owned)

Waste of money. Owned for maybe 3 years and used them maybe only 4 times. Total junk.

Shure SE215 (Previously owned)

My first IEM. Was good at the time (+10 years ago) but total garbage today. Very high isolation so it's good to use as earplugs. Left side unit died. The only IEM that has ever broken like this.

 

[Lépine]

Just offering a contrarian point of view.

I always find truth to the expression that hearing is an individual experience that neither can be easily shared or experienced with others. I suppose this is true for all our five senses. I might perceive colors with a different hue than others, but I wouldn't know that until it is possible to have eye transplants.

The relevance is the 64Audio U12t. I read and see many individuals that seem to have compared this IEM against other familiar IEMs and describe it with capabilities of high resolution. Yet, of the more expensive IEMs I own, I find it lower in detail resolution than the Sony IER, 64 U18t, Noble Kahn, and Noble K10u. I find it comparably soft in resolution. Since both sides ( reversed L & R ) don't change anything when playing back test tracks, I dismiss the likelihood of any manufacturing out of specification performance.

I consider myself adequately perceptive as I am able to discern sonic qualities of different wire materials and possibly to some extent even different HQPlayer algorithms and upscalers. I always warm up my equipment before listening and I also use silver tarnish remover on my connectors regularly.