[Mr.HiAudio]

I've been revisiting some older IEMs and it can be quite surprising. In the last few days I have heard the Artiste DC1, Elecom CB1000, Tin T3, TRN BA5, Revonext Kew-Tee 5 and the Trinity Audio Master. After finding the correct tips for the Master (it is incredibly tip sensitive) it sounded very good indeed. I am using TRN red/grey medium bore tips and the gunmetal filter. Goodness knows what drivers are inside, after all the controversy with their products, but I think there are two out of phase DDs and two BAs. The Kew-Tee 5, T3 and BA5 were also impressive. It puts some of the newest models into perspective. Perhaps we should begin a thread featuring older classics!

Artiste DC01 was a great earphones, but not for edm/pop music (very bright at ~2kHz), but for instrumental music...so cool!

 

[Nimweth]

Artiste DC01 was a great earphones, but not for edm/pop music (very bright at ~2kHz), but for instrumental music...so cool!

Yes, Artiste DC1, good implementation of a piezo driver, big DD moves lots of air!

 

[SHOOTINGTECHIE]

Update on the SHOZY B2 iem-

The extended bass becomes controlled bass with faster decay rather than natural decay and much better separation and width in the inter-notes and in between instruments !!!

Filters are meh, not much difference except for steel and titanium filter (both look identical please use a magnet) just kidding, titanium is wider nozzle

Titanium adds more of a good treble extension and feel yet making the sub-bass more light and yes the decay is faster. Copper was there any copper

Review should be up in the next week if I find time to edit it haha !!

 

[Dsnuts]

Update on the SHOZY B2 iem-

The extended bass becomes controlled bass with faster decay rather than natural decay and much better separation and width in the inter-notes and in between instruments !!!

Filters are meh, not much difference except for steel and titanium filter (both look identical please use a magnet) just kidding, titanium is wider nozzle

Titanium adds more of a good treble extension and feel yet making the sub-bass more light and yes the decay is faster. Copper was there any copper

Review should be up in the next week if I find time to edit it haha !!

If you have a pure silver cable try that with the B2.

 

[r31ya]

So for king under $100, What is it gonna be?

The ol darling, Moondrop Aria,
The revered, HZSound Heart Mirror,
The comeback, TinAudio TinT3+,
The new unit, Dunu Titan S,
The rumored budget ver of endgame, Trip Olina,

 

[LaughMoreDaily]

I've been revisiting some older IEMs and it can be quite surprising. In the last few days I have heard the Artiste DC1, Elecom CB1000, Tin T3, TRN BA5, Revonext Kew-Tee 5 and the Trinity Audio Master. After finding the correct tips for the Master (it is incredibly tip sensitive) it sounded very good indeed. The Kew-Tee 5, T3 and BA5 were also impressive. It puts some of the newest models into perspective.

Perhaps we should begin a thread featuring older classics!

Should we call it audiobudget.com?

 

[baskingshark]

New Hiby IEM, the Hiby Thor

https://store.hiby.com/products/hiby-thor

$59 USD, seems to be a hybrid, bullet shaped. 2 pin connector.

 

[r31ya]

New Hiby IEM, the Hiby Thor

https://store.hiby.com/products/hiby-thor

$59 USD, seems to be a hybrid, bullet shaped. 2 pin connector.

seems good, pretty damn nice that bullet style option has grown

 

[baskingshark]

So for king under $100, What is it gonna be?

The ol darling, Moondrop Aria,
The revered, HZSound Heart Mirror,
The comeback, TinAudio TinT3+,
The new unit, Dunu Titan S,
The rumored budget ver of endgame, Trip Olina,

My current vote goes to Moondrop Aria 2021 and Dunu Titan S.

The Aria is very well balanced with good tonality and timbre, though maybe it isn't the most technical. Though there are many reports of the paint chipping/bubbling off the shell, but the Aria's anime waifu packaging makes up for that (right?).

The Titan S is a rare neutral bright IEM, good mix of technicalities, timbre and tonality. It is a more refined version of the Heart Mirror (a similar neutral bright IEM) and beats the Heart Mirror in most departments, being not so peaky and also with better bass extension and better timbre. Titan S is also easier to drive, though in terms of technicalities they are on par (Titan S has better soundstage).

Tin T3 Plus is quite decent, but is held back by a one noted undefined boomy bass.


I haven't tried the Tripowin Olina, but this set is on a massive hype-train on Facebook and social media, purportedly it graphs similarly and uses the same driver as the Oxygen. Well the same driver claim needs to be verified independently, as a lot of CHIFI are claiming beryllium drivers or the latest hyped novel materials, but on the shell being taken apart, some were noted to have fake claims: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/bgv...d-new-ba-series.894331/page-327#post-15987274

Even if given the benefit of doubt and assuming the drivers and graphs are similar, between the Oxygen and the Olina, the shells are different. The shell size, nozzle sizing, shell material, dampers, position of drivers etc all affect resonances and will affect the sound. The Oxygen has a very short nozzle for instance, which supposedly has a part in the sound (the guy who tuned the Oxygen also tuned the BLON BL-03 which has a short nozzle). So same driver doesn't mean same sound if the implementation is different.

And even if 2 graphs look similar, graphs don't tell the full story. There are some components such as timbral accuracy, imaging, dynamics, micro-details, instrument separation that cannot be gleaned from a standard FR graph.

I realize a lot of the first reviewers of the Olina on social media haven't heard the Oxygen themselves. They say it graphs similarly and has the same drivers as the Oxygen ya, but that's third hand information, nothing beats hearing the IEMs themselves and doing an A/B comparison. Personally, I think it is unsafe to give a recommendation on the Olina sounding the same as the Oxygen if one hasn't heard the Oxygen, graphs aside (I also see a lot of people on social media recommending Olina without hearing it before). Anyway, just my 2 cents, but best to wait for more consumer reviews to filter out regarding the Olina, there seems to be a review embargo until 10th feb.

 

[r31ya]

My current vote goes to Moondrop Aria 2021 and Dunu Titan S.

The Aria is very well balanced with good tonality and timbre, though maybe it isn't the most technical. Though there are many reports of the paint chipping/bubbling off the shell, but the Aria's anime waifu packaging makes up for that (right?).

The Titan S is a rare neutral bright IEM, good mix of technicalities, timbre and tonality. It is a more refined version of the Heart Mirror (a similar neutral bright IEM) and beats the Heart Mirror in most departments, being not so peaky and also with better bass extension and better timbre. Titan S is also easier to drive, though in terms of technicalities they are on par (Titan S has better soundstage).

Tin T3 Plus is quite decent, but is held back by a one noted undefined boomy bass.


I haven't tried the Tripowin Olina, but this set is on a massive hype-train on Facebook and social media, purportedly it graphs similarly and uses the same driver as the Oxygen. Well the same driver claim needs to be verified independently, as a lot of CHIFI are claiming beryllium drivers or the latest hyped novel materials, but on the shell being taken apart, some were noted to have fake claims: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/bgv...d-new-ba-series.894331/page-327#post-15987274

Even if given the benefit of doubt and assuming the drivers and graphs are similar, between the Oxygen and the Olina, the shells are different. The shell size, nozzle sizing, shell material, dampers, position of drivers etc all affect resonances and will affect the sound. The Oxygen has a very short nozzle for instance, which supposedly has a part in the sound (the guy who tuned the Oxygen also tuned the BLON BL-03 which has a short nozzle). So same driver doesn't mean same sound if the implementation is different.

And even if 2 graphs look similar, graphs don't tell the full story. There are some components such as timbral accuracy, imaging, dynamics, micro-details, instrument separation that cannot be gleaned from a standard FR graph.

I realize a lot of the first reviewers of the Olina on social media haven't heard the Oxygen themselves. They say it graphs similarly and has the same drivers as the Oxygen ya, but that's third hand information, nothing beats hearing the IEMs themselves and doing an A/B comparison. Personally, I think it is unsafe to give a recommendation on the Olina sounding the same as the Oxygen if one hasn't heard the Oxygen, graphs aside (I also see a lot of people on social media recommending Olina without hearing it before). Anyway, just my 2 cents, but best to wait for more consumer reviews to filter out regarding the Olina, there seems to be a review embargo until 10th feb.

If Titan S is a decent upgrade from HeartMirror, i might be interested with it.
Tin T3+ seems to be a similar tuned side grade of Aria which i already own.

My eye is currently on Olina, but i'll wait for reading several proper review first before buying. Considering soo many factors in play in design, supplies, and production, i'll proceed with caution about Olina.
---

Also, with Quarks, Tanya, and several others.
It seems we could ranks and compare bullet style IEM under $50 as well. It'll be pretty interesting comparison.

 

[baskingshark]

If Titan S is a decent upgrade from HeartMirror, i might be interested with it.
Tin T3+ seems to be a similar tuned side grade of Aria which i already own.

My eye is currently on Olina, but i'll wait for reading several proper review first before buying. Considering soo many factors in play in design, supplies, and production, i'll proceed with caution about Olina.
---

Also, with Quarks, Tanya, and several others.
It seems we could ranks and compare bullet style IEM under $50 as well. It'll be pretty interesting comparison.

If u own Aria, T3 Plus is at most a sidegrade. There's more bass in the T3 Plus to give it a more fun sounding signature, but the bass quality is worse than Aria. Aria is smoother in the treble though.



For the bullet style IEMs under $50, these are what I've tried (ranked in alphabetical order):

1) Astrotec Vesna - neutral bright set, decent technicalities, has subbass roll off and a bit of a peak at the 6 - 8 kHz regions, but otherwise not bad for $19 USD. Needs amping.
2) Audiosense TX15 - V shaped, boomy bass that bleeds, subpar technicalities. Not recommended, very lowFI sounding.
3) Cambridge Audio SE1 - supposedly beryllium drivers. Originally $99 USD, but bought it from Amazon at $20ish firesale. Technically sub-par compared to present-day CHIFI sets. Crappy fixed cable. Would recommend BLON BL-03 over this.
4) Final E3000 - smooth and non fatiguing dark L shaped set. Thick note weight, good imaging, soundstage and instrument separation when amped. Needs amping due to low sensitivity, don't try it with a weak source. Bass boomy and nebulous, treble dark, not for trebleheads. Crap noodle-thin microphonic cable without strain-relief. Quite a niche tuning, but good for smooth fatigue free listening.
5) Final E1000 - very balanced and decent neutralish set, not bad, but perhaps not the most technical. Prefer Astrotec Vesna over this.
6) Final E500 - neutral unit, sounds meh for normal music, but is very good for binaural tracks, gaming and movies with good imaging/soundstage for these. Crap noodle thin cable. Recommended for gaming/movies/binaural tracks. Comes with Final E tips too.
7) KBEAR Neon - rare midcentric set. Subbass and higher treble roll off as per most single BA types. Quite laid back and smooth, 2D soundstage due to deep insertion. Perhaps those who want a midcentric niche tuning can consider this. Good isolation and possible use for a stage monitor.
8) Kinera Tyr - very meh, lacks extension at both ends, can be a bit shouty. In a drawer somewhere, bought it for the included Final E tips actually (the tips go at $15, so the IEM costs $5 haha).
9) Moondrop Quarks - shouty, metallic timbre, not the best in technicalities. Bought 2nd hand at $5 but still won't recommend it. Prefer Tanchjim Tanya and Astrotec Vesna over this.
10) Sony MH755 - harman tuned set with good tonality and timbre. Crap short microphonic fixed cable. Lots of fakes out there in the wild, so finding a genuine set is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Otherwise for the price of $5USD or so, a genuine set has excellent price to performance ratio. I would skip a MacDonald's meal for this any day, but I think it isn't in production any more.
11) Strauss & Wagner EM205 - warm set, average in most departments, not the best in technicalities. Outclassed by present day CHIFI.
12) Tanchjim Tanya - harmanish smooth set, good timbre. Needs amping though, not recommended without amp. Not the best in technicalities, but kind of a BLON BL-03 like sound in a bullet shaped design.

 

[nymz]

My current vote goes to Moondrop Aria 2021 and Dunu Titan S.

The Aria is very well balanced with good tonality and timbre, though maybe it isn't the most technical. Though there are many reports of the paint chipping/bubbling off the shell, but the Aria's anime waifu packaging makes up for that (right?).

The Titan S is a rare neutral bright IEM, good mix of technicalities, timbre and tonality. It is a more refined version of the Heart Mirror (a similar neutral bright IEM) and beats the Heart Mirror in most departments, being not so peaky and also with better bass extension and better timbre. Titan S is also easier to drive, though in terms of technicalities they are on par (Titan S has better soundstage).

Tin T3 Plus is quite decent, but is held back by a one noted undefined boomy bass.


I haven't tried the Tripowin Olina, but this set is on a massive hype-train on Facebook and social media, purportedly it graphs similarly and uses the same driver as the Oxygen. Well the same driver claim needs to be verified independently, as a lot of CHIFI are claiming beryllium drivers or the latest hyped novel materials, but on the shell being taken apart, some were noted to have fake claims: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/bgv...d-new-ba-series.894331/page-327#post-15987274

Even if given the benefit of doubt and assuming the drivers and graphs are similar, between the Oxygen and the Olina, the shells are different. The shell size, nozzle sizing, shell material, dampers, position of drivers etc all affect resonances and will affect the sound. The Oxygen has a very short nozzle for instance, which supposedly has a part in the sound (the guy who tuned the Oxygen also tuned the BLON BL-03 which has a short nozzle). So same driver doesn't mean same sound if the implementation is different.

And even if 2 graphs look similar, graphs don't tell the full story. There are some components such as timbral accuracy, imaging, dynamics, micro-details, instrument separation that cannot be gleaned from a standard FR graph.

I realize a lot of the first reviewers of the Olina on social media haven't heard the Oxygen themselves. They say it graphs similarly and has the same drivers as the Oxygen ya, but that's third hand information, nothing beats hearing the IEMs themselves and doing an A/B comparison. Personally, I think it is unsafe to give a recommendation on the Olina sounding the same as the Oxygen if one hasn't heard the Oxygen, graphs aside (I also see a lot of people on social media recommending Olina without hearing it before). Anyway, just my 2 cents, but best to wait for more consumer reviews to filter out regarding the Olina, there seems to be a review embargo until 10th feb.

I've heard both and given that, Olina is now my default 100usd, but soon more people will chime in with reviews.

Off that list (i heard them all but T3+) , my second pick would be Titan S. I love its neutral tuning and has some good packaging. I would take it over Aria in a heartbeat, which I'm not very found of.

 

[Jmop]

If u own Aria, T3 Plus is at most a sidegrade. There's more bass in the T3 Plus to give it a more fun sounding signature, but the bass quality is worse than Aria. Aria is smoother in the treble though.



For the bullet style IEMs under $50, these are what I've tried (ranked in alphabetical order):

1) Astrotec Vesna - neutral bright set, decent technicalities, has subbass roll off and a bit of a peak at the 6 - 8 kHz regions, but otherwise not bad for $19 USD. Needs amping.
2) Audiosense TX15 - V shaped, boomy bass that bleeds, subpar technicalities. Not recommended, very lowFI sounding.
3) Cambridge Audio SE1 - supposedly beryllium drivers. Originally $99 USD, but bought it from Amazon at $20ish firesale. Technically sub-par compared to present-day CHIFI sets. Crappy fixed cable. Would recommend BLON BL-03 over this.
4) Final E3000 - smooth and non fatiguing dark L shaped set. Thick note weight, good imaging, soundstage and instrument separation when amped. Needs amping due to low sensitivity, don't try it with a weak source. Bass boomy and nebulous, treble dark, not for trebleheads. Crap noodle-thin microphonic cable without strain-relief. Quite a niche tuning, but good for smooth fatigue free listening.
5) Final E1000 - very balanced and decent neutralish set, not bad, but perhaps not the most technical. Prefer Astrotec Vesna over this.
6) Final E500 - neutral unit, sounds meh for normal music, but is very good for binaural tracks, gaming and movies with good imaging/soundstage for these. Crap noodle thin cable. Recommended for gaming/movies/binaural tracks. Comes with Final E tips too.
7) KBEAR Neon - rare midcentric set. Subbass and higher treble roll off as per most single BA types. Quite laid back and smooth, 2D soundstage due to deep insertion. Perhaps those who want a midcentric niche tuning can consider this. Good isolation and possible use for a stage monitor.
8) Kinera Tyr - very meh, lacks extension at both ends, can be a bit shouty. In a drawer somewhere, bought it for the included Final E tips actually (the tips go at $15, so the IEM costs $5 haha).
9) Moondrop Quarks - shouty, metallic timbre, not the best in technicalities. Bought 2nd hand at $5 but still won't recommend it. Prefer Tanchjim Tanya and Astrotec Vesna over this.
10) Sony MH755 - harman tuned set with good tonality and timbre. Crap short microphonic fixed cable. Lots of fakes out there in the wild, so finding a genuine set is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Otherwise for the price of $5USD or so, a genuine set has excellent price to performance ratio. I would skip a MacDonald's meal for this any day, but I think it isn't in production any more.
11) Strauss & Wagner EM205 - warm set, average in most departments, not the best in technicalities. Outclassed by present day CHIFI.
12) Tanchjim Tanya - harmanish smooth set, good timbre. Needs amping though, not recommended without amp. Not the best in technicalities, but kind of a BLON BL-03 like sound in a bullet shaped design.

Good stuff. I definitely prefer Tanya style bullet to Final, but I also have tight ear canals so the Final ends up a bit uncomfortable due to the nozzle not protruding far from the housing. That said, E500 and Tanya are easy recs, and Vesna does sound pretty technical and not harsh despite the treble peak and the bass is tight despite the roll off. FiiO JD3 another good one.

 

[amonmeiz]

If u own Aria, T3 Plus is at most a sidegrade. There's more bass in the T3 Plus to give it a more fun sounding signature, but the bass quality is worse than Aria. Aria is smoother in the treble though.



For the bullet style IEMs under $50, these are what I've tried (ranked in alphabetical order):

1) Astrotec Vesna - neutral bright set, decent technicalities, has subbass roll off and a bit of a peak at the 6 - 8 kHz regions, but otherwise not bad for $19 USD. Needs amping.
2) Audiosense TX15 - V shaped, boomy bass that bleeds, subpar technicalities. Not recommended, very lowFI sounding.
3) Cambridge Audio SE1 - supposedly beryllium drivers. Originally $99 USD, but bought it from Amazon at $20ish firesale. Technically sub-par compared to present-day CHIFI sets. Crappy fixed cable. Would recommend BLON BL-03 over this.
4) Final E3000 - smooth and non fatiguing dark L shaped set. Thick note weight, good imaging, soundstage and instrument separation when amped. Needs amping due to low sensitivity, don't try it with a weak source. Bass boomy and nebulous, treble dark, not for trebleheads. Crap noodle-thin microphonic cable without strain-relief. Quite a niche tuning, but good for smooth fatigue free listening.
5) Final E1000 - very balanced and decent neutralish set, not bad, but perhaps not the most technical. Prefer Astrotec Vesna over this.
6) Final E500 - neutral unit, sounds meh for normal music, but is very good for binaural tracks, gaming and movies with good imaging/soundstage for these. Crap noodle thin cable. Recommended for gaming/movies/binaural tracks. Comes with Final E tips too.
7) KBEAR Neon - rare midcentric set. Subbass and higher treble roll off as per most single BA types. Quite laid back and smooth, 2D soundstage due to deep insertion. Perhaps those who want a midcentric niche tuning can consider this. Good isolation and possible use for a stage monitor.
8) Kinera Tyr - very meh, lacks extension at both ends, can be a bit shouty. In a drawer somewhere, bought it for the included Final E tips actually (the tips go at $15, so the IEM costs $5 haha).
9) Moondrop Quarks - shouty, metallic timbre, not the best in technicalities. Bought 2nd hand at $5 but still won't recommend it. Prefer Tanchjim Tanya and Astrotec Vesna over this.
10) Sony MH755 - harman tuned set with good tonality and timbre. Crap short microphonic fixed cable. Lots of fakes out there in the wild, so finding a genuine set is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Otherwise for the price of $5USD or so, a genuine set has excellent price to performance ratio. I would skip a MacDonald's meal for this any day, but I think it isn't in production any more.
11) Strauss & Wagner EM205 - warm set, average in most departments, not the best in technicalities. Outclassed by present day CHIFI.
12) Tanchjim Tanya - harmanish smooth set, good timbre. Needs amping though, not recommended without amp. Not the best in technicalities, but kind of a BLON BL-03 like sound in a bullet shaped design.

Just chiming in with what i have from the list:

1)final e3000 is very nice, and sound as u described. Just a note to add, it's pretty power hungry. With my qudelix 5k,i need to push it nearly 70% of volume on Performance mode.

2)sony mh755 is very good, unfortunately lots of fake. Personally enjoy it more than bl-03.

 

[baskingshark]

I've heard both and given that, Olina is now my default 100usd, but soon more people will chime in with reviews.

Off that list (i heard them all but T3+) , my second pick would be Titan S. I love its neutral tuning and has some good packaging. I would take it over Aria in a heartbeat, which I'm not very found of.

You are one of the minority reviewers to have heard both sets (Oxygen and Olina), so at least we can trust your assessment, and thanks for that.

However, a lot of the hype for the Olina on social media/FB are from other reviewers/first adopters who have not even heard the Oxygen (but claim the Olina sounds the same as the Oxygen, just because the graphs and drivers are purportedly the same). Some are also blindly recommending the Olina without first having heard it. Personally I think that's rather unsafe, to recommend to others something you have never heard.