[ABuilder]

I've never really tried a good set of IEM and want to learn. Are there any go to recomendations for IEMs like the HD6XX/650 or HiFiMan Sundara/XS? I'm looking for a set, maybe two to play with and figure out what I'm into. In Headphones, I tend to like planners like Hifiman and Audeze. I like clarity and texture and probably favor a warm presentation. I like some bass boost, but only if it stays clean and I can hear the reverberation instead of just a boom.

Figured there were a few solid recommendations that would be good for me to start with similar to those headphones. However, there is so much out there, I got lost right off the bat.

Primary used for classic rock, metal, singer songwriter, folk, blues, through a Schist Jotunheim 2 Multbit DAC/Amp which get used when sim racing/listening to music. They will get sweaty.

Should I try the Timless 7hz or something else. Are there two "affordable" "quality" IEM you would recommend to start out?

 

[msing539]

The Sennheisers sound most natural, not necessarily the most detailed. Also not the most open sounding.

The XS is detailed and open sounding but is bass light.

The Timeless is detailed and has plenty of bass, but is not natural sounding.

 

[dunring]

Can't go wrong with the Hifiman Ananda, and I have the He5xx which are a better value, though not as resolving. The Sundara has a tight clamp, no swivel to the cups, and the soundstage is wide but no front to back depth for gaming. The Ananda is my favorite, and I've had every model they make up to the Arya.

 

[Exekuhtor]

Guys he's looking for IEM's not headphones. He is referencing 6XX / Sundara because these two are the #1 recommended cans for beginners to check what they like.

For entry IEM's it's not that clear.
I would recommend the youtube channel Gizaudio (for example his "Best IEM's under 250", but you can watch a lot of the reviews from Timmy).
Some IEM's that come to mind are:
7Hz Timeless (Planar in IEM form, not exactly natural but does exceed in clarity, resolution). I have the 7Hz Timeless AE and the bass is just awesome, like a big planar bass.
Moondrop stuff, like the Aria / Kato. I have the Aria Snow edition with less bass.
Letshuoer S12, highly recommended by a lot of people, haven't heard it myself.

Also, check crinacle's ranking list. It's been not updated for a while (he is working on it), but general consent is that you should have at least technicalities around B-. Tone grade can be more subjective.
https://crinacle.com/rankings/iems/
If you can read frequency graphs and know what you like, things get of course easier.
The IEM market moves VERY fast, at least in the entry level segment. The higher you go up in price, the more an IEM should stay relevant, even if it's a few years old. Sometimes. Sometimes not.

There is stuff that IEM's can do, that headphones can't. Dynamic driver bass in combination with EStat tweeters for the treble for example.
I've also not found a headphone with this much air and treble extension like the Gaea, for me it's perfect.

The IEM market is more complex. Watching review videos helps a lot, there are a lot of IEM's that get mentioned again and again, these are the ones you probably are interested in.

 

[ABuilder]

Sorry, I did not word that well and have gone back and edited the original question to make it clearer. I'm basically looking for the current solid recommendations for $200-$400 for someone looking to learn more about the IEM game.

 

[msing539]

Sorry, I did not word that well and have gone back and edit the question to make it more clear. I'm basically looking for the current solid recommendations for $200-$400 for someone looking to learn more about the IEM game.

Got it now. From what I've owned:

Timeless OG (have not heard the AE) is fast, detailed, punchy--the timbre sounds a little strange, not natural
LETSHUOER S12 is v-shaped, great bass, energetic highs--but the timbre is natural sounding--I kept these over the Timeless
Moondrop Aria - neutral, not a ton of bass, decent details.
Moondrop Blessing 2 Dusk - neutral, again not a lot of bass but enough for some, very good detail retrieval.
Softears Volume - like the Blessing 2 but with a little more bass, little less detail

If you've not heard any IEMs recently, just get the Salnotes Zero for $22. At that price, it's a steal and you'll soon learn what you want more of.

 

[KinGensai]

Moondrop Blessing 2 Dusk is a safe bet. Close to harman tuning with a bit of diffuse field flavoring, has been reviewed by most of the tubers so you have a good point of reference.

Moondrop Aria will come up a lot no doubt, I'd advise against that because IMO Aria produces a flat image that doesn't render music very well. It's like a cylindrical 2d screen of sound that mashes everything together in terms of depth. B2D images much better in comparison, and the Moondrop Variations improves on that marginally (main area of improvement on that set is treble, the tuning change and quality of mids & bass are a sidegrade IMO).

Beyond this I can only provide hearsay. IMO DDs are too imprecise to enjoy. I don't have a problem with 1DD overears generally in terms of harmonic distortion or bad imaging, so going into IEMs surprised me because 1DD IEMs have much more noticable issues with harmonic distortion. 1DD overears and IEMs have similar levels of distortion objectively speaking (from sets I have tested, low end HD sits around 1% on both), but it seems much more subjectively noticable in IEMs for whatever reason. Perhaps the more pricey 1DD sets avoid this issue (sennheiser IE300 for example), but I became a big fan of BAs and ESTs after trying the B2D and Variations.

If you are willing to spend a bit more, Thieaudio Oracle mk1 seems like very safe option aurally, but this is hearsay because I chose to go the moondrop route and I hear every reviewer compare the two in a good way. Take with a grain of salt.

Be advised, my opinions are biased by my current daily, QDC Anole V14. Those make almost everything else seem like a muddy mess lol, not exactly fair.