The discovery thread!

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

My top 25 as of 03/01/2025 (subject to change) :

Not based on sheer performance, but combination of performance, fitment, and personal taste/pleasure...

Sources : Cayin N3 Ultra (Tube mode, H gain, slow/fast roll off filter), Dethonray Clarinet (stock fw, H gain) + Hiby R3 II, FiiO JM21 (H gain, slow roll off filter), iBasso DX170 (H gain, slow roll off filter), and Sony NW-A55 (modded) + FiiO Q1 II (H gain).

1. ISN H60
2. Letshuoer Cadenza 4
3. ISN EBC80
4. Softears Volume S
5. Dunu DK3001 Brain Dance
6. 7Hz FIVE
7. Dita Project M
8. Sennheiser IE900
9. Penon Fan 3
10. Simgot EW300
11. AFUL Explorer
12. Tri i3 MK III
13. AFUL Performer 7
14. Aur Audio Aure
15. Sound Rhyme SP01
16. KEF M200
17. Tangzu Wu Zetian
18. Simgot EM6L
19. CCA Trio
20. Juzear 81T Dragonfly
21. Tangzu Legend
22. Pula Anvil 114
23. KBear KB02
24. Letshuoer S12 (2024)
25. KZ x HBB PR2 (modded)/Letshuoer S08

 

[Ineras]

The cantor are brighter iems than the P7 with more detailed sound, slightly bigger stage but with weaker bass, harsher treble and less fun sound.

Cantor is one set I find very highly influenced by source. Bass can be weak and treble can be harsh on some sources, but for me Cantor really shines with the DC-E and Clarinet.

PSA, don't use TRN modular 4.4 with the Clarinet. The plug can get stuck, very difficult to remove. The TRN plug has very sharp grooves, and the Clarinet 4.4 port has aggressive fang-like contacts inside.

 

[jbfps116]

I was searching for the Pirole IEM that I saw in this thread and this showed up.

Here are coupons for some Tangzu IEMs if anyone is interested, monthly Choice sale starts tomorrow so we are looking at Xuanwu Gate and Bajie under $500 after tax. This AKHifi store is active on Twitter and seems to have solid reputation.

Yea… Tangzu has been hit/miss with me so dropping this kind of $ on a Tangzu seems crazy. I’d rather buy a Shock lol.

I came to save your money.
As i told already before, i was meeting with my audiophile friends and i was trying many of their iems like the "tangzu gate" and i said that the shock are better purchase than the gate for that price in my opinion.
One of the other iems that i tried was the "Cantor" (I'm sorry cantor fans about what I'm going to say about them).
In my opinion, the cantor are a complete waste of money.
First of all, the positives:
Very good looking iems, they fit pretty well in my ears and they've been surprisingly comfortable for me.
Now, as for the sound, not only the cantor are not leagues better than the aful p7, they were actually a downgrade from the p7 for me.
They have similar sound to the much cheaper slt6 iems from myer audio (during sale you can buy them for less than $350).
They also sound similar to my $170 CK2V iems (that i decided to keep at the end) just with little bit cleaner treble.
The cantor are brighter iems than the P7 with more detailed sound, slightly bigger stage but with weaker bass, harsher treble and less fun sound.
I also tried in the meeting the "Sound Rhyme SR8", another iems with 14BA's per side.
Those iems actually impressed me and I'm gonna buy them from my friend.
Again, this is only my opinion.

Wow. It’s this kind of unflinching critique that we need in this hobby. I wonder how the SR8 compare to the famous EPZ 530?? I know it’s a lot less BAs but it has gotten many rave reviews.

My top 25 as of 03/01/2025 (subject to change) :

Not based on sheer performance, but combination of performance, fitment, and personal taste/pleasure...

Sources : Cayin N3 Ultra (Tube mode, H gain, slow/fast roll off filter), Dethonray Clarinet (stock fw, H gain) + Hiby R3 II, FiiO JM21 (H gain, slow roll off filter), iBasso DX170 (H gain, slow roll off filter), and Sony NW-A55 (modded) + FiiO Q1 II (H gain).

1. ISN H60
2. Letshuoer Cadenza 4
3. ISN EBC80
4. Softears Volume S
5. Dunu DK3001 Brain Dance
6. 7Hz FIVE
7. Dita Project M
8. Sennheiser IE900
9. Penon Fan 3
10. Simgot EW300
11. AFUL Explorer
12. Tri i3 MK III
13. AFUL Performer 7
14. Aur Audio Aure
15. Sound Rhyme SP01
16. KEF M200
17. Tangzu Wu Zetian
18. Simgot EM6L
19. CCA Trio
20. Juzear 81T Dragonfly
21. Tangzu Legend
22. Pula Anvil 114
23. KBear KB02
24. Letshuoer S12 (2024)
25. KZ x HBB PR2 (modded)/Letshuoer S08

Wow… I’d be a tad irked if the much more expensive EBC80 was better than H60 lol. I’m sure it sounds very very good but… not obviously better than H60?!?!

 

[mrsergey]

My top 30 iems as of 01/03/2025 (subject to change):
1. Hifiman RE2000
2. Fir Audio Neon 4.
3. Fir Audio krypton 5.
4. Tansio mirai shock.
5. Sound Rhyme SP01.
6. AFUL Performer 7.
7. Penon Fan 3.
8. Campfire Trifecta (AliExpress).
9. Shanling ME600.
10. Ziigaat Odyssey.
11. BQEYZ Autumn.
12. IKKO OH10.
13. ISN H60.
14. Fiio FH3 and FH7.
15. Raphsodio Orla.
16. Oriviti OD200.
17. Kinera Celest Relentless.
18. Unique Melody Mini Mest and Mest MK1.
19. Pula anvil114.
20. Ibasso IT00.
21. Blon BL03.
22. YU9 Yan.
23. Simgot EW300.
24. Myer Audio CK2V.
25. Kefine klean.
26. Aful Explorer.
27. BQEYZ Wind.
28. HBB Deuce.
29. ISN Neo 1.
30. Kbear KB02.

Waiting to receive:
1. Sound Rhyme SR7.
2. NiceHCK Himalaya.
3. Kiwi ears Aether.

Planing to buy:
1. Sound rhyme SR8.
2. Softears Volume S.
3. Kiwi Ears punch.
4. Simgot EA1000.

 

[gadgetgod]

Big OOF! But yes, the cable that came with the Arete was disturbingly atrocious. So Ziigaat is out here making wired IEMs for us weirdos, yet they cheap out on the WIRED part which is what the whole hobby is based around. Oh well, after the Arete I feel no desire to try their stuff anyway, but that's just me.


This happens when I mistakenly take pics in 50MP mode instead of regular 12MP. Not to mention the 50MP pics get post-processed like crazy and end up looking way worse than those taken in 12MP mode anyway. S23 is the phone in question.


Looking forward to this. But don't you dare say the Cantor is leagues better than P7 or else I might have to buy it and I'll be sending the invoice your way to cover my losses!


This is what it's all about! I love meeting people that still appreciate wired stuff.


Well this renders my R3 II 2025 obsolete, huh. And I have yet to write the review. Why? Because it's been awfully laggy for streaming which means I need to get my SD card loaded with bangers and ready to go, then I hope it'll perform better.

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I also received these!



Unsurprisingly, they're not as rock solid in build- nor sound quality as the SR7000 or 109 Pro or Luan, but they're darn good for the cash and their form factor is so refreshing! They are a statement piece and a conversation starter (leaning heavily to the introverted side, I'm not sure that's good lol). I'll talk sound later on.

I personally liked how clean the Distant Mountain sounds, yes pretty solid for the buck.

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

any loving for the EPZ P50 here?

i just receive them and the surprise is quite big....since i wasn't no1 fan of EPZ before for sure.

very competitive performance with an immersive and musical sound, 180$ yet 300$ would be legitly priced based on nowadays audiophile relativity.
softly W shape, dense bass slam with vibrant and wide sustain that dont veil mids, those mids are clear, lush but energic too, i would have prefer 2db less upper mids gain personaly but still its no shout fest, then a fast crunchy treble, full sounding, planars are well implemented and add extra layers. macro dynamic is very articulated, yet coherent enough too.
whole musicality is super holographic and multi layered in a big soundstage
this isnt boring musicality, it's special.

and this come from a non fanboi of EPZ...i dislike both Q5 and 620. but i might become a fan now.

EPZ is on something. bu i just receive them, need more listen. right now its pairing sweetly with iFi go pod. warm it a bit, which is welcome upper mids wise.

 

[jbfps116]

My top 30 iems as of 01/03/2025 (subject to change):
1. Hifiman RE2000
2. Fir Audio Neon 4.
3. Fir Audio krypton 5.
4. Tansio mirai shock.
5. Sound Rhyme SP01.
6. AFUL Performer 7.
7. Penon Fan 3.
8. Campfire Trifecta (AliExpress).
9. Shanling ME600.
10. Ziigaat Odyssey.
11. BQEYZ Autumn.
12. IKKO OH10.
13. ISN H60.
14. Fiio FH3 and FH7.
15. Raphsodio Orla.
16. Oriviti OD200.
17. Kinera Celest Relentless.
18. Unique Melody Mini Mest and Mest MK1.
19. Pula anvil114.
20. Ibasso IT00.
21. Blon BL03.
22. YU9 Yan.
23. Simgot EW300.
24. Myer Audio CK2V.
25. Kefine klean.
26. Aful Explorer.
27. BQEYZ Wind.
28. HBB Deuce.
29. ISN Neo 1.
30. Kbear KB02.

Waiting to receive:
1. Sound Rhyme SR7.
2. NiceHCK Himalaya.
3. Kiwi ears Aether.

Planing to buy:
1. Sound rhyme SR8.
2. Softears Volume S.
3. Kiwi Ears punch.
4. Simgot EA1000.

OK wow. so you like the $80 SP01 BETTER than: the famous P7, FAN 3, Trinity [Trifecta clone], ME600 [I've seen the rave reviews... so I know they are GOOOOD], H60 [?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? REELING] Anvil, EW300 [wow. WOW.] Apparently I've been SLEEPING on likely the best <$100 IEM in existence?! We're talking ONE place lower than the SHOCK. I don't know what to think. The EW300 are EASILY the best budget IEM I've ever tried, and the H60 is just.... magical. Seems like the SP01 would be my only logical next purchase?!

EDIT: The most recent review here of the SP01 suggests to me that the EW300 is as good or better than the SP01 in the ways that matter to me, especially bass.

 

[BS5711]

I got the stock firmware on the Clarinet (which I know for certain is the warmer more soft fw, so not my typical preference) thru the USB C, and well....I like it a lot! With the Sony NW-A306 as the transport, it sounds very voluminous! Bassy for sure. Wide and deep soundstage. Not the most transparent, but musical. I can see if these features stick, along with some more transparency and top end extension from the other firmware, I'm gonna love this dac amp big time. I'm getting more excited to try the other fw, as well as the coax/optical, for that extra special juice.

Great you are enjoying it.

The firmware it ships with is “Rhapsody” which is the more V leaning tuning.

The previous only other option was “Serenade” and that is the softer tune that I believe you are thinking of.

However, as of just recently, they have introduced two more options, one called “Rock” and another that is a reduced gain version for IEM. I did a quick listen just to check other functionality but not long enough to comment on sonic differences except that the IEM option is worthwhile for a bit more volume pot travel at normal listening volumes.

The new firmware also fixed a bug to do with hot plugging coaxial and optical inputs.

Regarding your existing interconnects. As has been discussed, a standard 3.5mm to 3.5mm (both TRS) should work fine with an iBasso DAP, I recall you said you had a couple of those on hand already so coaxial should be available to you.

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

Yea… Tangzu has been hit/miss with me so dropping this kind of $ on a Tangzu seems crazy. I’d rather buy a Shock lol.

Wow. It’s this kind of unflinching critique that we need in this hobby. I wonder how the SR8 compare to the famous EPZ 530?? I know it’s a lot less BAs but it has gotten many rave reviews.

Wow… I’d be a tad irked if the much more expensive EBC80 was better than H60 lol. I’m sure it sounds very very good but… not obviously better than H60?!?!

So I've done so many a/b's, and there's two areas where the EBC80 does not supersede the H60, and for me, this is very important in my listening experience. The first is the bass. It's been a common critique of the EBC80, and though they apparently sport the exact same dual dynamic drivers, the H60, in my opinion, and the opinion of others, just has a bit more mid bass energy than the EBC80. So the punch and resolution just come across more authoritative and resolute. Now it's not night and day, but for some reason, Penon tuned the bass on the EBC80 to encroach more into the midrange, to create a bit more warmth than the H60, where the H60 has more a feeling of separation from the midrange, and thus a tad more mid bass energy and slap. Secondly, despite the EST's on the EBC, the treble on the H60 appears to have more air and crispness. for some reason, Penon did not let the resolution and crispness of the EST's fly (@Jaytiss made mention of this in his review), and coupled with more forward midrange, especially upper mids, the H60 comes off as more balanced, and though it is less resolving and "hi-fi" sounding that the EBC80, for my tastes, I prefer the more balanced, and less warm midrange of the H60. The EBC80 is still a BEAST, and gives you a taste of BCD and EST, but I don't see it as a better all-arounder as the H60.

Regardless, you should add the SP01 to your rotation. It's a sub $100 BEAST.

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@BS5711 Nope. The 3.5mm didn't work. Silence. I tried jigging the output selections, but again, nothing. I still need to do some experimenting, but as far as inteerconnects, I've been sticking to usb c so far, as I'm enjoying what i'm hearing, but I'll try some more options and firmware before my official coax and opticals land.

 

[jbfps116]

So I've done so many a/b's, and there's two areas where the EBC80 does not supersede the H60, and for me, this is very important in my listening experience. The first is the bass. It's been a common critique of the EBC80, and though they apparently sport the exact same dual dynamic drivers, the H60, in my opinion, and the opinion of others, just has a bit more mid bass energy than the EBC80. So the punch and resolution just come across more authoritative and resolute. Now it's not night and day, but for some reason, Penon tuned the bass on the EBC80 to encroach more into the midrange, to create a bit more warmth than the H60, where the H60 has more a feeling of separation from the midrange, and thus a tad more mid bass energy and slap. Secondly, despite the EST's on the EBC, the treble on the H60 appears to have more air and crispness. for some reason, Penon did not let the resolution and crispness of the EST's fly (@Jaytiss made mention of this in his review), and coupled with more forward midrange, especially upper mids, the H60 comes off as more balanced, and though it is less resolving and "hi-fi" sounding that the EBC80, for my tastes, I prefer the more balanced, and less warm midrange of the H60. The EBC80 is still a BEAST, and gives you a taste of BCD and EST, but I don't see it as a better all-arounder as the H60.

Wow. I would definitely not want it to be much warmer than the H60 with less treble. H60 for the win!

 

[BS5711]

Nope. The 3.5mm didn't work. Silence. I tried jigging the output selections, but again, nothing. I still need to do some experimenting, but as far as inteerconnects, I've been sticking to usb c so far, as I'm enjoying what i'm hearing, but I'll try some more options and firmware before my official coax and opticals land.

Odd, I don’t have any experience with iBasso so can’t comment but it is my understanding based on iBasso literature and others comments that it would work.

There was comments from some that the Clarinet can be fickle with plugs/tolerances in the coaxial port and with some pulling the plug back out a touch from fully home worked. Might be worth a try for a temporary option.

There are a few idiosyncrasies about the Clarinet that reduce the user experience for me but I can’t argue that sonically it is very capable.

Enjoy

 

[claud W]

I just received my Nunchaku and the right channel is out. How did you fix it?

I cleaned out the ( C ) connections and the Male 4.4 . Connecting and reconnecting the C and 4.4 about 5 times was the charm.

 

[BS5711]

I cleaned out the ( C ) connections and the Male 4.4 . Connecting and reconnecting the C and 4.4 about 5 times was the charm.

Might just be plug tolerance issues not a dead device.

I have had a few issues with 4.4mm plugs/devices where some work flawlessly and others are problematic even using plugs on cables of the same brand.

I was told by a cable maker that tolerance issues with 4.4mm are not at all uncommon.

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

I tried, but nothing works. Right now though, the Rhapsody is the stock version as mentioned, as this is the fw I generally prefer. Using USB c at the moment, and it sounds amazing to me. I'll continue to wait for my other interconnects to arrive, and in the meantime, I'm in no way disappointed in the Clarinet, even in USB c mode, as it makes the S12 (2024) sound YUUUUGE!

 

[ExTubeGamer]

All cables sound different on the i3 MK3. Slightly different I mean. Except the DragonScale 3.5mm cable. This cable changes the tonality and the clarity a lot. The improvement is actually massive and I am surprised. It is a very heavy and stiff cable but the sound makes it worth it.