The discovery thread!

[Simar747]

Agree with all these points, with two to add:

Likes
-- I know fit of the DX1 is divisive for some. They fit my ears almost like customs. I LOVE the small size -- another advantage of single DD's.

Dislikes
-- Sub-bass could use more reach and rumble, as you suggested. And mid-bass isn't very present, either. This works for the neutral tuning Letshouer seeks with the DX1, but bassheads should run from this set. It won't satisfy you.

The DX1 is very solid as a neutral-ish model at $150. Damn good, in fact.

It also seems that Letshouer may be ahead of the proverbial curve a bit here, as I sense a slight shift away from the nu-meta to more neutral tuning from many manufacturers these days. That's much like how the industry swayed from Harman to nu-meta about a year ago. Sure seems like no tuning trend lasts that long these days in this ever-evolving hobby of ours.

Most single dd iem's fit my small ears perfectly and that is why i love them too.. i can go on for hours and not notice them in my ears at all.. i sometimes even fall asleep with them still on and wake up several hours later to take them out

 

[gadgetgod]

Agree with all these points, with two to add:

Likes
-- I know fit of the DX1 is divisive for some. They fit my ears almost like customs. I LOVE the small size -- another advantage of single DD's.

Dislikes
-- Sub-bass could use more reach and rumble, as you suggested. And mid-bass isn't very present, either. This works for the neutral tuning Letshouer seeks with the DX1, but bassheads should run from this set. It won't satisfy you.

The DX1 is very solid as a neutral-ish model at $150. Damn good, in fact.

It also seems that Letshouer may be ahead of the proverbial curve a bit here, as I sense a slight shift away from the nu-meta to more neutral tuning from many manufacturers these days. That's much like how the industry swayed from Harman to nu-meta about a year ago. Sure seems like no tuning trend lasts that long these days in this ever-evolving hobby of ours.

Completely agree with your points. I love the DX1 for its unique neutral signature, but at the same time, sometimes my heart wants more bass haha.

 

[jbfps116]

Testing [officially] the PR3, ZeTianWu, and Aether to see which I like best and which 0-2 will be culled.

Notes during testing:
PR3 is brightest and has the least bass impact.
ZTW has better mids/vocal tuning and less bass impact than Aether but a lot more bass than PR3.
ZTW has better instrument separation than Aether in dense passages. [this actually surprised me.] And again, better vocals!
PR3 is very detailed but overall sounds too bright.
ZTW and Aether are quite close... if you have one you don't need the other. However, Aether is still in stock.

Results: PR3 lost all the song battles.
Aether got second place 6.7 times, often a very close second place.
ZeTianWu reigns supreme as the best planar I own!
Aether is... very, very good... but as I compared these, I didn't check my main rating until after, and it tracks. Aether got 85, ZTW a high, high 91. The only reason a lucky ZTW owner would want an Aether is for slightly punchier bass and a bit warmer sound. [Not warm clouded sheen like the S12 2024, but just simply not as clear in the midrange as the ZTW.] In fact, the Aether is so good that if you can't find the ZeTianW, just get Aether and you'll be like 90% of the way to planar perfection. And of course, fans of richer sound will like the Aether better anyway.

But honestly, they perform so close to each other in sheer dynamics that they are about equally amazing IMO. I just SLIGHTLY prefer the clearer sound of the ZTW. If they offered a more varied tuning so that there was a GOOD excuse to keep both in my collection, I WOULD. But since they're so close:
TWO IEMS getting CULLED today, as the legendary Tangzu ZeTianWu reigns SUPREME.

FWIW, I like the shells of the Aether a lot better then the ZTW or PR3. Maybe an odd choice in color, but it gives them a sort of ... futuristic look I think.

Also, It's unusual to cull an IEM before I rate it [PR3] but... I'll keep it around long enough to rate it, just to give it a number haha.

 

[pk4425]

Completely agree with your points. I love the DX1 for its unique neutral signature, but at the same time, sometimes my heart wants more bass haha.

Yep. The special sauce of the DX1 is its pure neutrality. That may not have enough pizazz or sex appeal for some, me included. We shall hear!

My only quibble remains that the vocals feel like they're too separated from the rest of the mix while not being too shouty, as I mentioned in a previous post. A strange phenomenon I'm encountering for the first time in my admittedly short time as an IEM enthusiast.

Vocals enthusiasts will LOVE the DX1. I think the vocals dominate the tuning a bit too much. Just a smidge, though, and I value cohesion perhaps more than any other aspect of sound. That's why I HATED the lauded Simgot EA500 LM last year. Terrible cohesion across all frequencies.

 

[GroovyAudio]

Sorry about that outcome. Your description makes perfect sense (mid bass over sub bass emphasis, safe treble, warm midrange). That's TDM's calling card preference! He basically says this in all his intro videos! You just got spoiled by the ISN H60, which still ranks top two in my rotation, and though it can still give me fitting fits, sonically, it's that gift that keeps on giving. You need to focus your research on a tuning that's close to the H60 (good luck! easier said than done! I know), but with a smaller shell and nozzle size. Also, I could be wrong, but you'll need to focus your research on IEMs that are above the $300.00 range. I don't think you're going to find that H60 killer in the sub $300 category? Again, I could be wrong, but I don't think so? I've had literally dozens of self purchased and review units that have come in, in that price bracket, and none have eclipsed the H60. The ones that have come close, are ALL above the $300 bracket, and most of them above $900. I'll keep you posted if something does roll around that's in the ballpark that can play with the H60? I'm pullin for ya, buddy!

You're right! Oh, man, I keep thinking of buying H60 again and just... endure the pain I guess?
At least I could enjoy it for 30-45 minutes before the real pain kicks in. Maybe the iem that will come to me next week will pull me out of this depressive state of never finding a good iem that can also fit me well? We'll see...
Yes, please keep me posted if you find something closer to H60 sound.

 

[caryking]

The bossman said different people in the team have their own shops they are responsible for.

That’s interesting enough. Heck, all I want is the 174 Firefox cable. The one store said they will sell it for $90…

 

[Simar747]

Yep. The special sauce of the DX1 is its pure neutrality. That may not have enough pizazz or sex appeal for some, me included. We shall hear!

My only quibble remains that the vocals feel like they're too separated from the rest of the mix while not being too shouty, as I mentioned in a previous post. A strange phenomenon I'm encountering for the first time in my admittedly short time as an IEM enthusiast.

Vocals enthusiasts will LOVE the DX1. I think the vocals dominate the tuning a bit too much. Just a smidge, though, and I value cohesion perhaps more than any other aspect of sound. That's why I HATED the lauded Simgot EA500 LM last year. Terrible cohesion across all frequencies.

I'll be testing my whole greek ballads and pop songs playlist as soon as i get my hands on the DX1 lol..

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

My last daily trio maybe until after Can Jam? Why? My listening habits lately have been geared towards one or two IEMs for the majority of the day, as opposed to listening to three or more equally. So it's more like a daily single or daily double lately. So going to continue that trend, and not worry about picking out three sets for the day. Also, as the summer sets in, and the wife and I plan our weekly hiking & swimming trips, I'll usually only take a single IEM with me (wired), along with my EDC DAP, so less opportunity for daily trios, so this will be it for awhile. This includes seldom used IEMs : Tanchjim ONE, Tangzu Legend, and Tangzu YuXuan Ji. The ONE and the Ji will get the warmer Sony ZX100 treatment, and the Legend will go in Desktop Mode thru the M21 in super high gain mode. Ok all, carry on and be water with your audio luv!

@jbfps116 - Very cool you came to a very similar conclusion about the Wu, PR3, and Aether, and this was very independently done of one another. It put a pause on purchasing the Aether, as the Wu pretty much was already 95% of the way there to the Aether, with some small caveats. I'm gonna cull some IEMs, and maybe rethink the Aether, but not sure one way or the other yet? All I know is that the OG Wu is just as good as the Aether. Just not readily available for purchase.

 

[carrots99]

Meanwhile. on X:

 

[PeacockObscura]

Where's the hype for the Dunu BrainDance o feel like shouting from the rooftops about how amazing this iem is. From bass to the highest treble I eat it up. It's unique yet completely how my music should sound. All the details while still being musical, exciting but not fatiguing. An out of head mysical extravaganza awaits.

Yep I love em
P.S
They make my Shanling M1S sound like a Kilobuck DAP

 

[Jmop]

xDuoo X5 in the house.

 

[pk4425]

Where's the hype for the Dunu BrainDance o feel like shouting from the rooftops about how amazing this iem is. From bass to the highest treble I eat it up. It's unique yet completely how my music should sound. All the details while still being musical, exciting but not fatiguing. An out of head mysical extravaganza awaits.

Yep I love em
P.S
They make my Shanling M1S sound like a Kilobuck DAP

I loved the BrainDance when I tried them on a kind loan from @thaslaya. About the only loaner or tour unit that I didn’t end up buying that I miss.

Magical sound, indeed.

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

Where's the hype for the Dunu BrainDance o feel like shouting from the rooftops about how amazing this iem is. From bass to the highest treble I eat it up. It's unique yet completely how my music should sound. All the details while still being musical, exciting but not fatiguing. An out of head mysical extravaganza awaits.

Yep I love em
P.S
They make my Shanling M1S sound like a Kilobuck DAP

I'll share with you a few reasons why it's not getting a larger shine than it should :

1. It's $500.00, so not cheap

2. It got scathed by a couple well known YT celebs, so treble sensitive folks are saying nope (even though the treble isn't like described, and the P7 and Cantor has peakier treble, but once scathed...)

3. The mid bass is linear and lacks impact, so folks who want mid bass won't get it unless they do the impedance adapter trick or warm cable/warm dap/EQ/IA, so for mid bass, it takes massaging that some folks might not want to deal with for $500.00.

4. The looks (I personally dig it, but the aesthetics aren't for everyone) and size might intimidate buyers?

5. It's now old hat, and this hobby moves on lightning quick. Since then, we've had the Meteor and the Tangzu is coming out with similar tech.

xDuoo X5 in the house.

Transport or native file?

 

[Hypops]

Where's the hype for the Dunu BrainDance o feel like shouting from the rooftops about how amazing this iem is. From bass to the highest treble I eat it up. It's unique yet completely how my music should sound. All the details while still being musical, exciting but not fatiguing. An out of head mysical extravaganza awaits.

Yep I love em
P.S
They make my Shanling M1S sound like a Kilobuck DAP

Yup. Once I landed on the Dunu BrainDance and the Kiwi Ears Punch, I stopped the IEM buying spree. Combined with the US tariff BS, I’m perfectly content with that tremendous pair of IEMs (well, those plus the bonus sets of Symphonium Meteor and qdc Superior EX; I’m not a complete heathen).

 

[Jmop]

Transport or native file?

It’s got a bit of weight to it, no use yet just cracked the box, feels pretty good in hand but I’ll return for something simpler as transport if I’m not into the sound.