The discovery thread!

[Dsnuts]

I'm toying with the idea that Archangel might well be my EG set?

What I like about the Archangel is that it is a fully optimized IEM each driver down to the Cadmus II cable to achieve the sound it has. I have had IEMs that boasts some serious driver configurations but you get the not so fresh feeling like its not throwing out an optimal sound from each and every driver it is taxed with. Archangel is not like that. Its sound is about as engrossing and complete as it gets in this hobby and there is something to be said about that. I am in the process of writing my overdue review about them but so far it is one the best IEMs I have heard this year.

 

[caryking]

So you would always have 1 as an option and then you could have 8, 16 or 32 as another fixed option ?

If that is the case logically the 32 ohm setting would give the biggest difference from the 1 ohm setting. That would also be sort of in line with the 30ish ohm impedance adapters that some folks seem to favour to manipulate IEM sound.

Frankly I am still not sure I would bother but the above seems the logical approach if you were committed to that course of action.

Good luck

Well, I have this amp sitting on the floor of a closet. It’s not being used. When I had headphones, I used the amp. Unfortunately, I never got comfortable with any headphone. So, I was trying to see if it can be used for IEM’s. It’s a 4 watt single-ended amp. It does have taps for 2-channel speakers; however, as you guess, I need reasonably efficient speakers for 4 watts. The builder winds his own transformers and added additional taps for the headphones (kind of what you see on some amps having 4, 8, or 12 ohm taps). He fully believes it will quiet enough for IEM’s. That, I unsure off; however, I’ll try. I hate that it’s sitting unused.

 

[activatorfly]

It's most definitely a unicorn set for 80% of hobbyists. Most certainly. If it wasn't for Can Jam, it would be mine too.

What I like about the Archangel is that it is a fully optimized IEM each driver down to the Cadmus II cable to achieve the sound it has. I have had IEMs that boasts some serious driver configurations but you get the not so fresh feeling like its not throwing out an optimal sound from each and every driver it is taxed with. Archangel is not like that. Its sound is about a engrossing and complete as it gets in this hobby and there is something to be said about that. I am in the process of writing my overdue review about them but so far it is one the best IEMs I have heard this year.

Cheers it's a set that really piques my interest, in a few weeks, post moving to my new apartment I might celebrate with a bit of a spending spree !!

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

What I like about the Archangel is that it is a fully optimized IEM each driver down to the Cadmus II cable to achieve the sound it has. I have had IEMs that boasts some serious driver configurations but you get the not so fresh feeling like its not throwing out an optimal sound from each and every driver it is taxed with. Archangel is not like that. Its sound is about as engrossing and complete as it gets in this hobby and there is something to be said about that. I am in the process of writing my overdue review about them but so far it is one the best IEMs I have heard this year.

Also it's one of the VERY FEW IEMs where even though I do cable roll it, I find myself just using the EA stock cable with it, unless I want a modular, then I use the Juzear cable, but if I'm fine with 4.4mm, I just leave the stock cable, and it sings.

Cheers it's a set that really piques my interest, in a few weeks, post moving to my new apartment I might celebrate with a bit of a spending spree !!

Well, if you do end up buying it, you'll be done with that EG tier, and probably be living in the budget basement out of curiosity, because you'll be set with the unicorn?

 

[jbfps116]

The TFZ T2 Pro is VERY clear, basically a treble-head set. Super capable driver, but I'd like more bass. Which EarAcoustic set would be more similar to that?

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

This green monster (Fengru A6S) has kept all other IEMs out of my ears today, even though I had picked out a daily trio.

I've enjoyed every single Fengru IEM that has crossed my ears, but this A6S (2BA + 1DD) has an especially large stage, and is tuned so well, that it's been an addictive listen today. First time I really spent a good amount of time with them, and they have been pretty stunning in their tuning and delivery. The bass is stout and quick, and the treble is well extended but controlled and never metallic or strident, like BA's can be. Sub bass is fantastic, yet mid bass is punchy. Midrange is crisp and clean and incisive with transparency. Fengru really dropped the ball with it's lineup of IEMs, as most of them are as good or superior to any KZ IEM currently in production. Puzzling, but rewarding. Let's hope these tariffs go away or are reduced soon, so more of you can get these in your ears.

 

[BS5711]

For anyone that may be interested.

This will be my last comment so others that don’t care please bear with me

Today I spent three hours with my switch box set up to blind compare my iFi Diablo with my Dethonray Clarinet, the former fed by coaxial and the latter by optical from an SMSL digital to digital converter (DDC) run off an iPad Mini 6 so they were running the same music in perfect sync.

I used my AüR Audio Ascension which have DD for bass and EST for treble so I figure should be quite revealing of differences in sound at both ends.

Honestly, I went into this thinking the Dethonray had a different sound signature to other devices I own with an intentional V oriented tuning rather than aiming for neutral.

Well, it took a bit of fiddling to get the volumes matched but once I did there was no discernible difference in tonality, staging, dynamics or any other measure by which I might judge sound. Flicking the switch resulted in a seamless flow of identical music despite my preconception that the Dethonray did something different. Even passages of music with obvious soundstage features like a far away instrument or some such were identical, flicking one device to the other the sound was rock solid in its virtual location.

I was a bit disappointed that the Clarinet failed to deliver the different sound that I perceived it had but I guess I should be happy that it matches the much more expensive Diablo at least in sound if not in user experience

Something that was interesting given the difficulty getting the volumes perfectly matched with basic volume pots on both devices, was just how impactful a tiny difference in volume is. A very small difference in volume that with even just a moments pause between listening would not even be recognised as a volume difference would impact the perception of overall clarity and bass impact in particular. Match the volumes and the differences disappeared.

I know most are not especially interested in this sort of stuff but it takes very little experimenting with the switcher to demonstrate just how fickle, and dare I say it faulty, perception of sound can be and how unreliable uncontrolled comparisons are.

The switcher cost about $20 USD but is going to save me a great deal more than that knowing that other source gear is likely to provide nothing tangible unless I need the features or use case preferences.

YMMV of course but without giving it a go you can’t know

 

[Hypops]

Well, I have this amp sitting on the floor of a closet. It’s not being used. When I had headphones, I used the amp. Unfortunately, I never got comfortable with any headphone. So, I was trying to see if it can be used for IEM’s. It’s a 4 watt single-ended amp. It does have taps for 2-channel speakers; however, as you guess, I need reasonably efficient speakers for 4 watts. The builder winds his own transformers and added additional taps for the headphones (kind of what you see on some amps having 4, 8, or 12 ohm taps). He fully believes it will quiet enough for IEM’s. That, I unsure off; however, I’ll try. I hate that it’s sitting unused.

You could certainly try it with IEMs and see what happens. No harm in trying. I use some of my IEMs on my OTL amp (with ~30 Ohm output impedance). But like @BS5711 said, most IEMs that you use with it are going to sound different from how they were designed to sound. Whether or not you like the results is down to personal preference.

 

[Narendhiran]

Sound Rhyme DT264: Grows on you, slowly and steadily​

Review In Short:

Sound Rhyme DT264 is a brilliantly tuned IEM. The tuning grows on you, the more you listen, the more you start liking it.

Quick note on driver config: Among the other items you won’t forget about the IEM driver config is one, the 264 in Sound Rhyme DT264 comes from 2 DD, 6 BA and 4 EST.

Disclaimer:
I am not a seasoned audiophile, so take my impressions with a grain of salt (maybe multiple grains of salt).

Thanks, Audio Geek⁩ community, for gracefully helping me audition the Sound Rhyme DT264.

** More about me, my music preferences & songs used for testing are added at last, so you need not scroll through things that are not necessarily interesting for you. **

Looks, fit & comfort:

Looks: Beautiful -- Blue, turquoise & white printed resin with a silvery white braided cable -- reminds you of boho gemstone jewels. (My pictures don't do justice; my photography skills are not as good as my listening skills.)

Fit & comfort: Slightly chunkier but the contoured shape fits my ears nicely and it is very light on ears as well.

Side-sleep test: Pass -- happily. Easy to wear for a quick bedtime music, before dozing off.

Stock Cable:

• Silvery white, braided
• Well-behaved, no memory
• No microphonics
• Neither too thin not too thick -- lovely wish it came with swappable terminations.

Source chain:
Source device:

1. Samsung S23
2. Apple MacBook Pro
3. Asus 6z

Music streaming:

1. Apple Music
2. Hiby music (local FLAC files)

DAC & Amps:

1. Fiio K11 R2R [~ 75-80% usage]
2. Moondrop Dawn pro

Sound:

Bass: Clear and punchy bass, more towards the sub bass. Bass rendering is a job well done, not extraordinary and at same time nothing to complain.

Vocals: Vocals are great, actually too good, but the vocals and mids are recessed (little, may be little lot). Eventhough recessed, the vocals sounded so good that there is no complaints. I did try to tinker here with my first of few EQ experiments (more on that in later part of this review).

Treble, Details, & Resolution: Brilliant, smooth and extended, also at times magical. It delivers a lot of details and resolution, at the same time they don’t interfere in your music listening. You can listen critically to find nuances of the music or just layback and enjoy, the treble just supports both the moods easily.

Experimentation & EQ:

EQing the Sound Rhyme DT264 works great. The drivers are of high quality and very receptive to EQ. But I did regularly fall back to the stock tuning because there is some magic in it that is more magnetic than the EQed tunings.

Recommended EQ: 1 band peak filter @350 Hz for 3-5 DB with a widespread Q of 0.5ish.

About me: [Feel free to skip]

**Not a seasoned audiophile**

More of a music lover than an audiophile. Most of the time, I am lost in the song before I notice any technical details.

Music preferences:

• Severely localized (Tamil 75%, Hindi 20%, International 5%)
• Heavy on vocals; bass and instruments more supportive in nature
• Bass and beats on ~40% of songs
• My hearing capabilities/ limitations
  • I have a hearing lull in the 15-16K frequency range
• Favorite artists:
  • Composers: AR Rahman, Ilayaraja, Deva, MS Vishwanathan
  • Male Vocals: SP Balasubramanian, Hariharan, KJ Yesudas, P Unnikrishnan
  • Female Vocals: P Susheela, KS Chitra, Harini, Shreya Ghoshal

Glad that you are here; thanks for reading.

Verdict:

Like the title says -- it is an IEM that grows on you and you start liking them as you spend more and more time with them -- like a nice rocking chair, you can relax eyes closed or focus and read a book, at first you may wish a leather finish or a better headrest but as time passes you enjoy it nonetheless.

 

[suman134]

I saw a lot of praise for the EPZ Q5 pro but the what has been hiding in plain sight is their gaming centric single DD IEM, G20. Priced just under $50 this is the IEM impressed me the most. After some kilo buck exploration I have been dwelling in the under $100 IEMs and I have no hesitation in stating that the G20 is the best U shaped (mild vocal emphasis) IEM under $50. Much better clarity and air when compared to Kefine Klean and has one of the biggest stage under $100.
Lovely looking, superb sounding IEM that I will recommend to everyone. Perfect for those looking for an IEM that delivers impressive sonics and imaging and can double up as a gaming IEM thanks to it's accurate cue placements.
Here is my YT review link, feel free to have a go:

 

[Ozboyblu]

I received the offical Box Cover for the Archangel yesterday. Really nice!

(The front and back are exactly the same background color. However the photos were taken in different lighting)

---

Request to all you serial collectors...
...and for a bit of fun.

Name your kilobuck killers (if any exist) that genuinely (in your opinion) deserve their place amongst the hallowed.

1. $100 or less iem
2. $200 or less iem
3. $300 or less iem

Rules:

• Only for iem releases since 2021 (so in the past 5 years) - that includes the kilobuck iems too.
• You can name up to 3 iems per category
• Feel free to name the kilobuck iem you think it equals or betters.
• Kilobuck is more a reference, so iems of $750 & higher will count

1. H20
2. TD20
3. TSMR ARMOR

Oh nice okay, you really like this little thing. Me? Not so much. While it's charming and sounds decent enough, the lagginess and unresponsiveness annoy me greatly.



Yes, I've had it since January and only now managed to get my poop together and finish the review:

R3 II 2025 review

I love this review. It’s so brutal. The usability of the device is really its downfall. That being said. I still love my R3 II 2025.

Great impressions and pictures! Looks like a banger!

Thank you!. Really impressed with Archangel so far.

Wow, it's interesting that they are so different in color. I actually like the maroon color in person, but it's not exactly what I thought i was ordering. Oh well. I'm sure I'll find something to pair it with, and if I can't then I'll just have to go shopping

How does that maroon color even happen. I’d still be stoked to have a maroon XINHS H04. But does give you a good excuse to buy a new IEM to pair with it. Lol.

Can't wait to hear the H60. It's on its way to me!

I’m looking forward to this. Your impressions of the H60 will be something to look out for.

Cross-post from the esteemed Penon thread...

After 7 years on Head-Fi I have just tried my hand at my very first review.
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/pe...us-ii-in-ear-monitor-headphones.28158/reviews

Hope my ramblings may prove useful (or at least amusing) to someone

A big shout-out to all you crazy cats that drop reviews on a regular basis - it is indeed a lot of work!

Really enjoying the Penon Archangel.

I also can not believe this is your first review. Massive effort . I also love the way you point out in the various listening tracks the things to look out for in each track. I really like your comparison against the TSMR X. Looking forward to your next review.

Phoenixia is more of a highly musical flavor, somewhat similar to H60 but with additional focus on bass quality and more sub-bass quantity. Comfort food for my ears, an all-day set and great for some louder listening.

VP-07 is more technical sounding, more focused on detail retrieval and resolution, crisp and incisive without going overboard. It's more of a Cantor flavor, but with a cohesive DD bass (very good driver) that adds musicality, and a more natural rolled-off upper treble. Lower treble is very apparent, but somehow manages to behave itself enough for my ears. Vocals on this set really draw you in.

Imo. I'm all about finding these value gems that are normally overlooked.

I am all about what you said, Highlighted in bold. Looking forward to VP-07. I have to say though I’ve found Phoenixia to be a little source picky. But my Phoenixia may need a little more burn in yet.

I'm trying to keep my promise to not buy any more sets until cheetolini is kicked out.

Even though I already kinda broke it with the AM16, "for science."

LOL “For Science”. Looking forward to your impressions of the AM16.

Its all ok i sure hear a difference if it is placebo then that it is, so if the placebo effect makes it more enjoyable then i am paying for the effect as an upgrade

But i am going to say that we cant measure everything, but still its hard to scientificly argue against that graph you showed.
So we choose what path to take.

I have got to the point in my audio journey that cables , regardless of sound placebo or not. Does it give me a feeling of overall joy? So I couldn’t care less if it genuinely gives a major audio difference or not.

Could you please check how many hi-res stickers it would take to get the sound quality equal to having one of those?

How many stickers to turn my H20 into a TSMR Shock ?

MAIL CALL!!!

Kiwi Ears Septet is in da hizzouse!! Bought off Amazon, so no tariffs or extra taxes, with the early bird discount thrown in!!



Way too early impressions....

That open back design delivers SOUNDSTAGE!! But not just soundstage, but this IEM delivers spatial cues that have depth and height, to go along with width. Actually, I'm inclined to day there's more depth than width? It's a fascinating stage, that provides a unique dimensionality. Sub bass rumble. On the track Miracle and Streetfight by Ambrose Akinmusire, there's a bass "buzz" that actually buzzed by ears. Got my ears tickled! Now, you can tell the ultra highs are piezo, as it's there, the timbre. It's crisp. It's like a cross between the EW300, Raptgo Bridge, and Geek Wold GK10. Not as wispy as the EW300, but not as harsh as the Bridge, it's a crisp extention, with some piezo texture. The micro planar texture is also audible, so treble extension, air, shimmer, and texture are right in my wheelhouse. Incisive is the key word. The treble AND the midrange are incisive, resolute, and transparent. CLEAN. CLEAR. SPATIAL. I want to source roll, and listen some more, so that's about all I will comment on at this point, but this IEM speaks FWAL2 language fluently, and the Septet is winner winner chicken dinner!! SO FAR. More listening to go...plus I want to see if the midrange has note weight or if it's thin? Ok.

Kiwi Ears are pumping out the IEMs this year. Very nice impressions and also Driver config is unique. Looking forward to your review.

I cancelled the other and got this one, i love my single Crystal copper

Thank you for the tip, got any more of these

Yeah this one was a good price. Any more I come across I’ll be sure to post. If you follow XINHS and ivipQ and trusted and NiCi on (twitter) ‘X’. I find they post the deals there.

Did you order the Vzonis? Looking forward to your impressions!!


Ordered the Ivipq-80 cable! Been eyeing it before, couldn't resist with the code. Thanks!!

Yes Vzonis VP-07 is on the way. Glad you got that cable deal.

OHHH baby, baby, what a Monday!

Congratulations ! Very Nice. Looking forward to your review.

Got a juicy personal coupon code for this MOZI cable, to go with the other coupons, and when you go to the page, it's a 404. Page does not exist LOL So us U.S. customers don't really need to look away, because it's a phantom product right now. Doesn't exist (except for the rest of the world). lol Same thing happened with the Twistura WoodNote, which had my attention. Juicy coupon, but 404.

What makes the Archangel so lethal, like the H60, is that it's not source picky or dependent in the least. It will play back fantastically on the cheapest to the most TOTL sources, with the bass presence the only FR that might change slightly upon sources, but mostly, it's just this fantastic, natural, and open sound. I'm addicted to it.

XINHS did send me a Juicy Coupon for the S101 MOZI & S06 combination cable too. It was too good to resist.

I’ll stop with my look away statement for our US Friends. It really is an odd feeling , for US friends not being able to find the same gear. I sincerely hope this changes soon. It really is not fair and it’s already making an impact to the hobby. Cause we all want you to be able to give your impressions too.

Archangel is becoming an addiction for me also.

The Armor could be the most fun iems i tried in the last year.
They have outstanding bass, energetic and dynamic sound.
I just can't stop using them.
They probably the 3rd iems that i would give them 5/5 star.
My second best purchase of the year (after the sound rhyme SR8).
This year i got iems like 64 Audio U4S, Softears Studio 4, BGVP Phantom, EJ07, moondrop Kadenz, SLT6, Punch, Himalaya.
So saying that they are my 2nd favorite this year is unbelievable achievement.

I am so happy you found the same joy I have with TSMR ARMOR. A beautiful set. Amazing price to performance.

Second test with ISN EBC80 (again: my own; bought 2nd hand with H2 cable).

I do not feel the BC drivers directly (which is very good for me) as I did with Penon Fan 3 (which sounded good but hurted my brain with the vibrations).
I do feel'em indirectly (wide stage is most probably produced by them).

I changed the cable to Penon ASOS (I have the "basic" version, not the "+" or "X"); did tip rolling:
- Tang Sancai Wide Bore : as expected, too bright for me (but worth a test)
- AZLA SednaEarfit Crystal: worked, but ... somehow did not sounded good (and I can not describe it well, sorry)
- Penon Licky Black: this is it ! Bass rumbles, treble is sharp, maybe not too airy. Violins are lovely in Sibelius Violin Concerto in D minor Op.47 main violin played by Hilary Hahn.

DAC is still my beloved Shanling Onix XI1; sure I will test it with others (iBasso DC04Pro and Musehifi M5 Ultra) later.

So, a very welcome surprise: ISN EBC80 could really work for me. Pinna gain is OK, lower mids are not too much, BC drivers do not hurt me (2nd and 3rd were my biggest fears).

Real test will come when I/O Volare gets back and I can compare.
I do not see the point to compare it to ThieAudio Monarch MK III: these are different beasts from a different zoo. I will do that comparision anyhow ... just not now.

Sometimes it is worth to experiment; sometimes it is not. Penon Quattro was in my ears for 3 minutes and I certainly knew I do not want to hear it ever again. Yeah, we are different.

I’m so glad the EBC80 may work out for you. Looking forward to your documented experience.

CODE: GY193P
Gy 193
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mN0iw2J

Thanks for the cable suggestion with discount. I purchased this one.

I am fully back, was in this city for a while. Busan S, Korea. If you haven't been it is absolutely fantastic place to visit, especially if your a sea food fan. I was using the Archangel for the entire trip. Vacationing with the Archangel was a blast.

Welcome back. How awesome the journey your Archangel had while you were on vacation. So glad you had a great time.

What I like about the Archangel is that it is a fully optimized IEM each driver down to the Cadmus II cable to achieve the sound it has. I have had IEMs that boasts some serious driver configurations but you get the not so fresh feeling like it’s not throwing out an optimal sound from each and every driver it is taxed with. Archangel is not like that. Its sound is about as engrossing and complete as it gets in this hobby and there is something to be said about that. I am in the process of writing my overdue review about them but so far it is one the best IEMs I have heard this year.

Really looking forward to your review. It’s going to be worth the wait I reckon.

 

[bithalver]

Yep. Time for all us Yanks to get lost in the music with our favorite transducers instead of using music as a medium to test our new toys.

When we mistakenly exchange the tool and the goal ... strange things happen.

I'm cool with that, especially since I turned over half of my six wired IEM collection just before the tariffs kicked in with my new purchase of the Aether, discount purchase of the Hype 2 and used purchase of the Volume S. I wouldn't need anything new even if Cheeto Satan didn't play Monopoly with our retirement savings with his new taxes on his fellow citizens.

Wooo man, you are really a wizard with words; that "Cheeto Satan" is a big plus !

Looks nice ! Thx for photos ! Enjoy !

I’m so glad the EBC80 may work out for you. Looking forward to your documented experience.

Thx ! My DE ( (c) you ) will come but it needs time ( all the tour units has to come first ) .

 

[Redcarmoose]

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/pe...t-or-adapter-cable.28162/reviews#review-37946
Penon TOTEM ULTRA 10cm Interconnect or Adapter Cable Review:

 

[perrew]

This green monster (Fengru A6S) has kept all other IEMs out of my ears today, even though I had picked out a daily trio.

I've enjoyed every single Fengru IEM that has crossed my ears, but this A6S (2BA + 1DD) has an especially large stage, and is tuned so well, that it's been an addictive listen today. First time I really spent a good amount of time with them, and they have been pretty stunning in their tuning and delivery. The bass is stout and quick, and the treble is well extended but controlled and never metallic or strident, like BA's can be. Sub bass is fantastic, yet mid bass is punchy. Midrange is crisp and clean and incisive with transparency. Fengru really dropped the ball with it's lineup of IEMs, as most of them are as good or superior to any KZ IEM currently in production. Puzzling, but rewarding. Let's hope these tariffs go away or are reduced soon, so more of you can get these in your ears.

What's the difference between the Fengru BP and A6S, sound wise?

 

[Ozboyblu]

Was just posted to facebook.