[552609]

Others…some love it (you) and others are not very impressed. That’s all I am saying.

I'm not sure I've seen anyone that wasn't impressed (especially for their price,) but I've seen other people rank other IEMs higher. I've also seen people, myself included, knock points off for the eartips, cable, fit, etc. The sound though, I have to agree, is fantastic. And yet, sometimes they end up in the middle of someone's ranking list. To each their own right?

 

[firesign]

Others…some love it (you) and others are not very impressed. That’s all I am saying.

Well, just like everything in this life...

 

[maceto]

I'm not sure I've seen anyone that wasn't impressed (especially for their price,) but I've seen other people rank other IEMs higher. I've also seen people, myself included, knocks points off for the eartips, cable, fit, etc. The sound though, I have to agree, is fantastic. And yet, sometimes they end up in the middle of someone's ranking list. To each their own right?

Yes and I am not attacking the poster - I am just perplexed that we’re seeing that big differences. And yes some are not giving it that great kudos. Some sell and return it too, like for all IEMs.

 

[maceto]

Yes and I am not attacking the poster - I am just perplexed that we’re seeing that big differences. And yes some are not giving it that great kudos. Some sell and return it too, like for all IEMs.

It makes it close to impossible to have anything to go by in terms of advice. That’s all I am trying to get across

 

[RIGATIO]

Yes and I am not attacking the poster - I am just perplexed that we’re seeing that big differences. And yes some are not giving it that great kudos. Some sell and return it too, like for all IEMs.

I get you but on the other hand- who cares? These are the best ive heard until now. Maybe in the near future my ranking/others ranking will change.
I dont care about others opinion too, this is my take on the best sounding iems ive ever heard. I trust my ears

 

[maceto]

I get you but on the other hand- who cares? These are the best ive heard until now. Maybe in the near future my ranking/others ranking will change.
I dont care about others opinion too, this is my take on the best sounding iems ive ever heard. I trust my ears

People who look at people’s rankings and reviews. Many can’t audition and have to go by online reviews and rankings. If you compare the big reviewers you’ll find significant differences too… it’s only after getting burned you’ll know. At least with a TV etc., reviewers tend to agree, as there’s standards. I am happy that you like them and I might just give them a go. I’ve not so far. For me it’s 100% a gamble as I don’t have the time to go somewhere and listen

 

[RIGATIO]

People who look at people’s rankings and reviews. Many can’t audition and have to go by online reviews and rankings. If you compare the big reviewers you’ll find significant differences too… it’s only after getting burned you’ll know. At least with a TV etc., reviewers tend to agree, as there’s standards. I am happy that you like them and I might just give them a go. I’ve not so far. For me it’s 100% a gamble as I don’t have the time to go somewhere and listen

All i can say is- if you value your money, you care about great sound reproduction of your library on a TOTL level, go with the Monarch Mk2. Just my opinion. Many reviewers have no clue and they dont even try to be objective. People listen to them, spend money and are disappointed.
If you know what a good sound is, the Monarchs 2 will not let you down

 

[552609]

People who look at people’s rankings and reviews. Many can’t audition and have to go by online reviews and rankings. If you compare the big reviewers you’ll find significant differences too… it’s only after getting burned you’ll know. At least with a TV etc., reviewers tend to agree, as there’s standards. I am happy that you like them and I might just give them a go. I’ve not so far. For me it’s 100% a gamble as I don’t have the time to go somewhere and listen

Yep, everyone has different preferences and hears differently. Best bet is to find someone you have similar tastes with and go with their recommendations. I thought the MEST Mk2 were going to be good, and I hated them. Gamble.

 

[552609]

Yep, everyone has different preferences and hears differently. Best bet is to find someone you have similar tastes with and go with their recommendations. I thought the MEST Mk2 were going to be good, and I hated them. Gamble.

Turns out my MEST may have been defective, so I'm going to have to review them again...

 

[onraid]

1. Hifiman RE-2000 Gold
2. Sony IER Z1R sound is good but fit is the worst of all IEM's
3. ThieAudio Monarch V2
4. Moondrop s8
5. Mest Mext
6. Earsonics S-EM9 best for rock
7. JH Rox
8. CA Solaris 2020
9. FINAL Audio B3
10. CA Andromeda
11. EMPIRE AUDIO WRATH ONLY WITH POWERFULL SOURCE
12. Sony EX-1000
13. Dunu DN-1000
14. IMR R1 Zenith with re-2000 cable
15. Fiio FH5
16. Shure se215
99. AAW Canary

 

[pseudomagick]

I'm considering buying a Nostalgia Audio Camelot.
Any comparisons to IEMs above 2.5k USD?

 

[aiaosu]

1. Sony MDR EX-800ST with silver cable made by Peterek. Sounds like speakers strapped to my head.
2. TDK BA-200. Still like the sound of the mids on these
3. CCA C10
4. KZ ZS3. Bought for my daughter but work great for movies.
5. Don't remember a bunch I've tried. Nothing very expensive.

 

[DaveStarWalker]

So, here it is...

Disclaimer:

What I'm looking for in my hifi listening, are products whose general behaviour, the sound, is as close as possible to the sensations of a live session. It has to be lively, as dynamic as possible, with nuanced transients (from murmur to extreme violence). I'm not interested in whether it's "neutral" or "straight" or "transparent". What I'm looking for is balanced and homogeneous products, both in BP and in texture. I'm also interested in "definition" and "resolution": it has to be as high as possible, but still natural. It's like a TV with too much or too little sharpness. You have to find the right gradient. So I like products that are "on the edge". You also need substance, harmonic richness. I'm not interested in overtly analytical sounds... because they are not realistic. The same goes for the opposite, when I think it's too "round", or too "hot", or lacking in "sparkle" and "bite" (these are purely musical notions by the way). The stories of "musicality" also seem completely abstract to me...

In short, this is what I'm looking for. If a recording, a song, a track is aggressive, then it should sound like that. If it's soft, then it should sound "soft", if it's... we get it.

The merciless ranking version !!!...........

DAP : Aune m1s, balanced output, fast filter (One gear to rule them all... ).

1/ Aure Audio Ringo* (Perfect alliance of a reference tuning and a magic spell). Aaw Aoraki mk7 balanced cable x4 (ABSOLUTE TOTL as I think ; best match ever with these uiems) and tips "Canal Works 肉球 Gel Narrow Bore" L.
And...
2/ FiiO FH9* (Absolute - balanced - weapon of mass destruction). FiiO "LC-RE Pro 2022" 8-wires, balanced cable (pure litz sterling silver, plus copper plated gold and pure copper : perfect match) and tips "Canal Works 肉球 Gel Narrow Bore" L. Vents modded (value 700 for the filtering strength).
And...
3/ Aure Audio Elixir* (aka "Squaring the - organic - Circle"). Penon Totem x2 coaxial balanced cable (one of it's kind ; best match ever with these uiems) and tips "Canal Works 肉球 Gel Narrow Bore" L.

Then :

4/ Final A8000 (God of infinite clarity). Dunu Blanche balanced cable and tips "Azla Xelastec", L.
5/ Fir Audio Kr5 (Love and Thunder). PlusSound GPS x8 balanced cable and "(unidentified ; stock tips ?) black silicone tips, medium bore", L.
6/ Rhapsodio Supreme Mk2 (Lord of the Audiophile Rings). Rhapsodio Evolution SPC Ultimate Edition balanced cable x 4 and tips "Xelastec ML"
7/ Rhapsodio Infinity Mk2 (Kaiser Encore on steroids !). PlusSound Tricopper x8 balanced cable and "Azla Xelastec ML" tips.
8/ Noble Kaiser Encore (Emperor of the razor-sharp... katana's). PlusSound Tricopper x8 balanced cable and "Rapgo adaptive eartips (gel modded), L"
9/ Empire Ears Zeus XRA (United colors). Penon GS849 x8 balanced cable and "Ultimate Ears (old = discontinued, what a shame...) grey tips, ML".
10/ Jomo Flamenco (hidden son of Zeus XIV and Kaiser Encore). Penon GS849 x8 balanced cable and "Jomo Whirlwind tips, L".

Almost terminated (life is cruel...) :

Campfire Solaris (very good, euphonic and fun sounding gear, but I have to choose), Oriolus Oriolus (the same), UM Mason V3 (so smooth and musical, liquid, but a little sleepy), Andromeda V2 (everything very good but nothing really exceptional, except for the soundstage), Fir Audio Xe6 (too warmish for me, unbalanced), Vision Ears Phoenix (well... safe, safe, safe, safe and... safe tuning. Nothing wrong, but... Almost terminated ), FitEar 435 (excellent, just excellent, but not in the A list anymore), FitEar 334 (the same), FitEar a111 (idem).

Special case : Craft Audio Aurum... Excellent. Just excellent. Maybe in the 4th place of my ranking. But... current and power hungry like no other product I know...

Terminated (RIP) :

U12t (boring, generic tuning...), u18t (very good but... no magic), Fourté Noir (very weird tuning !... medium wise...), Legend X (too much BASS for me... and uncontrolled), Dunu Luna (too safe for me), Sony Z1r (king of the "V tuning" but...), Jomo Trinity brass (no homogeneity...), Campfire Altas v1 (huge bass, and ?...), Fidue a83 (my first real love but... Meh... sorry), Brainwavz B2 (only treble), Qdc Anole vx (boring), Vsonic gr07 (no phonic isolation), Jomo Samba (well, very clean, but...?), Audio Technica IM03 (there is a long, long time ago... ), Ultimate Ears ue18+ v3 (very - boring...), TDK BA200 (flat, boring, muffled...), Earsonic Grace (I don't even understand what they wanted to do... veiled, muddy... a total mess ), Alambic Ears Mundaka (very fun but way to bassy for me, disbalanced), Vision Ears EXT (unbalanced, pronounced "V" shape, decent technicalies...), Vision Ears VE7 (weird tuning, medium muffled ??? fatty but extended high at the same time. Weird)...

(...)

And a lot more, but I have forget them...

Want to hear :

Thieaudio Monarch mkII, Empire Ears Legend X Evo and Odyssey, Nostalgia Audio Camelot, Istfit Fusion, UM Indigo, Alambic Ears Mentawai (last version), Noble Kublai Khan, Viking, Ragnar, JH Jolene... non-exhaustive list.

That's all folks



* Not the last word about the bass, but... tones, timbres, definition, musical realism are just crazy good.... Crystal transparency. So subtle.
* Perhaps the ultimate musical all rounder I know, ever. Totl level (technicallies...). Not as transparent and subtle as the 1st one mentionned above, but what an incredible talent... And the stock cable is... almost perfect. Perfect with the optional FiiO "LC-RE Pro 2022" 8-wires, balanced cable (pure litz sterling silver, plus copper plated gold and pure copper (better tones, timbres, harmonic richness texture and weight...)
* W shaped. Very powerful and full of life and fuel... Not as subtle and refined as their cousins the Ringo's, less technical and "every think is in the bag" (the stock cable is horrible...) than the Fh9's, but what a talent too !!!!.... The Penon Totem cable takes them very far, however, in an amazing way.

About the other gears, I can expand upon request.

So, last revision...

Disclaimer:

What I'm looking for in my hifi listening, are products whose general behaviour, the sound, is as close as possible to the sensations of a live session. It has to be lively, as dynamic as possible, with nuanced transients (from murmur to extreme violence). I'm not interested in whether it's "neutral" or "straight" or "transparent". What I'm looking for is balanced and homogeneous products, both in BP and in texture. I'm also interested in "definition" and "resolution": it has to be as high as possible, but still natural. It's like a TV with too much or too little sharpness. You have to find the right gradient. So I like products that are "on the edge". You also need substance, harmonic richness. I'm not interested in overtly analytical sounds... because they are not realistic. The same goes for the opposite, when I think it's too "round", or too "hot", or lacking in "sparkle" and "bite" (these are purely musical notions by the way). The stories of "musicality" also seem completely abstract to me...

In short, this is what I'm looking for. If a recording, a song, a track is aggressive, then it should sound like that. If it's soft, then it should sound "soft", if it's... we get it.

The merciless ranking version !!!...........

DAP : Aune m1s, balanced output, fast filter (One gear to rule them all... ).

1/ Alambic Ears Mentawai "Mars"* (Jade's Emperor : personal best, everything ; Endgame). Rhapsodio Graphene balanced cable x4 (ABSOLUTE TOTL as I think ; best match ever with these uiems) and tips "Canal Works 肉球 Gel Narrow Bore" L.
and
2/ Aure Audio Ringo* (Perfect alliance of a reference tuning and a magic spell). Aaw Aoraki mk7 balanced cable x4 (ABSOLUTE TOTL as I think ; best match ever with these uiems) and tips "Canal Works 肉球 Gel Narrow Bore" L.
and
3/ Aure Audio Elixir* (aka "Squaring the - organic - Circle"). Penon Totem x2 coaxial balanced cable (one of it's kind ; best match ever with these uiems) and tips "Canal Works 肉球 Gel Narrow Bore" L.

Then :

4/ Final A8000* (God of infinite clarity). Dunu Blanche balanced cable and tips "Azla Xelastec", L.
5/ FiiO FH9 "DSW tuned"* (Weapon of mass destruction). FiiO "LC-RE Pro 2022" 8-wires, balanced cable and tips "Canal Works 肉球 Gel Narrow Bore" L. Vents modded (value 550 for the filtering strength). Green filters on the nozzle.

Last :

6/ Fir Audio Kr5 (Love and Thunder). PlusSound GPS x8 balanced cable and "(unidentified ; stock tips ?) black silicone tips, medium bore", L.
7/ Rhapsodio Supreme Mk2 (Lord of the Audiophile Rings). Rhapsodio Evolution SPC Ultimate Edition balanced cable x 4 and tips "Xelastec ML"
8/ Rhapsodio Infinity Mk2 (Kaiser Encore on steroids !). PlusSound Tricopper x8 balanced cable and "Azla Xelastec ML" tips.
9/ Noble Kaiser Encore (Emperor of the razor-sharp... katana's). PlusSound Tricopper x8 balanced cable and "Rapgo adaptive eartips (gel modded), L"
10/ Empire Ears Zeus XRA (United colors). Penon GS849 x8 balanced cable and "Ultimate Ears (old = discontinued, what a shame...) grey tips, ML".

Special case : Craft Audio Aurum (The magnificent ogre ). Rhapsodio Graphene balanced cable x4 and tips "Canal Works 肉球 Gel Narrow Bore" L.... Excellent. Just excellent. Maybe in my 10th best gears in my ranking. But... current and power hungry like no other product I know...

Almost terminated (life is cruel...) :

Jomo Flamenco (hidden son of Zeus XIV and Kaiser Encore), Campfire Solaris (very good, euphonic and fun sounding gear, but I have to choose), Oriolus Oriolus (the same), UM Mason V3 (so smooth and musical, liquid, but a little sleepy), Andromeda V2 (everything very good but nothing really exceptional, except for the soundstage), Fir Audio Xe6 (too warmish for me, unbalanced), Vision Ears Phoenix (well... safe, safe, safe, safe and... safe tuning. Nothing wrong, but... Almost terminated ), FitEar 435 (excellent, just excellent, but not in the A list anymore), FitEar 334 (the same), FitEar a111 (idem)*, Vision Ears EXT (pronounced "V" shape, decent technicalies, need a lot of power...), Alambic Ears Mundaka (very fun but way to bassy for me, disbalanced lack of definition, resolution), U12t (boring, generic tuning...), u18t (very good but... no magic), Dunu Luna (too safe for me), Sony Z1r (king of the "V tuning" but...), Fidue a83 (my first real love but... Meh... sorry : perfect for radio podcasts however)*, Qdc Anole vx (boring), Jomo Samba (well, very clean, but...?), Audio Technica IM03 (there is a long, long time ago... ), Ultimate Ears ue18+ v3 (very - boring...).

*Currently in use, see my signature. Second choice and "special" choice.

Terminated (RIP) :

Fourté Noir (very weird tuning !... medium wise...), Legend X (too much BASS for me... and uncontrolled), , Jomo Trinity brass (no homogeneity...), Campfire Vega OG (huge bass, and ?...), Brainwavz B2 (only treble), Vsonic gr07 (no phonic isolation), , TDK BA200 (flat, boring, muffled...), Earsonic Grace (I don't even understand what they wanted to do... veiled, muddy... a total mess ), Vision Ears VE7 (weird tuning, medium muffled ??? fatty but extended high at the same time. Weird)...

(...)

And a lot more, but I have forget them...

Want to hear :

Thieaudio Monarch mkII, Empire Ears Legend X Evo and Odyssey, Nostalgia Audio Camelot, Istfit Fusion, UM Indigo, Noble Kublai Khan, Viking, Ragnar, JH Jolene... non-exhaustive list.

That's all folks



* A real crush. My personnal best uiem ever, every prices every technologies. Everything is at the top of my mountain, technically and musically wise. Period.
* Not the last word about the bass, but... tones, timbres, definition, musical realism are just crazily good.... Crystal transparency but enveloping. So subtle.
* W shaped. Very powerful and full of life and fuel... Not as subtle and refined as their cousins the Ringo's, less technical, crazy transparent and "everythink is in the bag" (the stock cable is horrible...) than the Mentawai "Mars", but what a talent too !!!!.... The Penon Totem cable takes them very far, however, in an amazing way.

and

* The A8000 could be in my top 3 uiems, or even in 1st place... But... I can't fit them with my "Canal Works 肉球 Gel Narrow Bore" L tips. Instead, I need Xelastec L. They are very good tips, but slightly colored, not nearly as open as the aforementioned Canals Works... which results in compensation. The A8000 are indeed "hot" and need to be channeled. Hence the 4th place...
* The FH9 "DSW tuned" could be in my top 3 uiems too... But I had a choice to make. Technically the A8000 are superior. Also, their audio profile, as I tuned them, is very close to the Aure Elixir aforementioned (third place). The latter however, have more beautiful tones and are more nuanced, refined. On the other hand, the FH9 "DSW tuned" are terribly powerful... In my top 5 then...

About the other gears, I can expand upon request.

 

[Ryokan]

When someone says an iem is fantastic and others say it's boring/average/poor fit, makes you wonder if it's worthwhile reading ranking lists, maybe it should be taken as just a bit of fun and it just highlights that we all fall into different camps regarding tuning preferences.

 

[DaveStarWalker]

When someone says an iem is fantastic and others say it's boring/average/poor fit, makes you wonder if it's worthwhile reading ranking lists, maybe it should be taken as just a bit of fun and it just highlights that we all fall into different camps regarding tuning preferences.

These listing are purely about personal preferences, so, no surprise

But my pre-requisites are these one, repeat :

What I'm looking for in my hifi listening, are products whose general behaviour, the sound, is as close as possible to the sensations of a live session. It has to be lively, as dynamic as possible, with nuanced transients (from murmur to extreme violence). I'm not interested in whether it's "neutral" or "straight" or "transparent". What I'm looking for is balanced and homogeneous products, both in BP and in texture. I'm also interested in "definition" and "resolution": it has to be as high as possible, but still natural. It's like a TV with too much or too little sharpness. You have to find the right gradient. So I like products that are "on the edge". You also need substance, harmonic richness. I'm not interested in overtly analytical sounds... because they are not realistic. The same goes for the opposite, when I think it's too "round", or too "hot", or lacking in "sparkle" and "bite" (these are purely musical notions by the way). The stories of "musicality" also seem completely abstract to me...

In short, this is what I'm looking for. If a recording, a song, a track is aggressive, then it should sound like that. If it's soft, then it should sound "soft", if it's... we get it.

So if this little speech speaks to you, it may speaks to other people, and therefore, there is every chance that what I am considering to be the "best products" I know of, will also be the best products for you and other people that are sharing these pre-requisites.

And that goes for all the lists published out there.

You just have to know what you are looking for, in terms of technical and musical qualities, listening styles...