So, finally, me and fellow enthusiasts, were able to meet. The main focus was to try out the different IEM's, we had between ourselves: Massdrop Plus, Nicehck Hk6, Magaosi X3, KR06-06, CA Andromeda, Tinaudio T2, Magaosi K5, Rose BR5.
Of the lot, Magaosi K5 couldn't make it. (although we've heard it earlier).I'll try to summarize what was the general consensus/my impressions (there were 3 of us). We didn't listen much to CA Andromeda much this time (had spent quite a while, previous meetup), but undoubtedly it was definitely superior overall. Very impressed with the soundstage depth, and treble, in particular.
Amongst the mid-range IEM's, Massdrop Plus impressed the most . Again, keep in mind that, with LG v20 which had a high OI, it was reported to be very bassy. But switching to GO2A/Earstudio ES100, made it overall the best sounding-IEM. Rose BR5, was very good, and had very good extension both in treble and bass, had bigger soundstage, and aggressive mids (which only I amongst the 3 found to result in grating vocals, leading to a bit artificiality in sound for me.) But again, others didn't have this observation. Rose BR5 served up lots of micro-details, but overall massdrop plus had a more cohesive sound. Although the soundstage width was not much, compared to HK6 or Rose BR5, it had surprisingly good depth. This coupled with the warmth in mids, plus good sub-bass made it the most preferred IEM amongst the 3 of us. (although one still preferred BR5 over Massdrop plus overall)
Nicehck HK6 was reported to be pretty good. (I have complete 400+ hours burn in, by now, not sure if it has made a difference; I have got ML Spiral dots which fit me perfectly which has made a difference). Good vocal reproduction, and bass (in some tracks, the mid-bass still was a bit too much), very good soundstage, but lacking in extension a bit, was the comment. Overall, between HK6 and X3, it was a mixed opinion. The general consensus was that Magaosi X3 and K5 are quite similar. X3 had better extension in bass (making it slightly dark sounding, coupled with the smooth treble w/ rolloff, and more bass impact, while K5's lack of bass extension made the mids more prominent. However X3 definitely was faster as well.
In the budget IEM's, definitely Tinaudio T2 with the bass vent mod (and foam tips to tame the treble peaks), took the cake. It delivered an overall warm sound, with good bass impact, while still having engaging mids. While it was lacking in resolution compared to the other higher-end IEM's it was a pleasure listening to them. KR06 was a bit too bassy in the stock configuration; surprisingly in this case, sealing up the vents made it less bassier and overall more balanced. But, overall i think T2 still is better. (with foam tips plus bass vent mod).
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