The discovery thread!

[protoss]

IEM's 4 life! I got three headphones, and rarely use any of them.

so many good IEMs have been coming out lately

I checked out your spreadsheet. I will use as reference

Are there any that's full body and musical and not treble focus that's under $100

 

[Ineras]

It's got phenomenal detailed, punchy, deep bass, right? It sounds so natural in that side. It's got just an extra hint of decay on bass (likely with SuperStage module) that almost makes it sound not like planar bass.

SuperStage Module for life. Warmest, yet detailed planar I've ever heard.

One other tip: impedance adapter likely won't do much but try it with different sources and cables (if you have any other higher end ones). I put it on the Xduoo DM-01 with Mullard tubes. Holy crap it was great.

Likely video tomorrow. It's an easy guuuuud.

The bass with Superstage is so good, definitely doesn't sound like planar bass but with planar detail. Excellent dynamics and physicality, goes down super low. I also love that they didn't do a bass tuck to give it that natural warmth and punchy mid-bass. And the mids and highs are very clear and resolving, doesn't sound dampened at all while having zero harshness and fatigue. Easy endgame planar set.

Listened to it without any modules, was funny and interesting. All the bass pretty much left the building.
Should be a fun set to experiment with.

Congrats on your last set for a while. Man these things look massive.

The Quantum shell isn't very large, and ergonomics is very good for me. It has a texture that gives it some grip and is very comfy. They have a good weight to them which isn't felt in-ear. The problem is the large Superstage module that sticks out quite a bit, gives you that Frankenstein look. But it's worth looking stupid for the sound you get. I just won't wear it outside.

 

[Evldice]

PENON × EFFECT Audio
ARCHANGEL 8 Drivers Hybrid Audiophile IEM
Driver Configuration:
2 Dynamic Driver + 4 Balanced Armature + 2 Bone Conduction Driver
Low frequency: 2 coaxial 8mm PET + carbon nanotube diaphragm
Middle frequency: 2 Knowles composite middle frequency Balanced Armature
High frequency: 2 Sonion composite high frequency Balanced Armature
Full frequency: 2 Sonion composite bone conduction driver
Effect Audio Cadmus II Cable:
Effect Audio Cadmus II is the world's FIRST solid core 8-wire handwoven IEM cable, it’s offering a fuller body that maintains tight control and impactful depth. It excels particularly well on higher frequencies, unveiling layers of detail previously hidden, bringing clarity and brilliance to every note. Cadmus II delivers a sound that is both crisp and effortlessly refined.
Switch definition:
Switch 1: Control low frequency, turn on to enhance low frequency, turn off to normal mode
Switch 2: Control high frequency, turn on to enhance high frequency, turn off to normal mode

Specification
Impedance: 12ohm@1kHz
Sensitivity: 105dB@1kHz
Frequency response range: 10~40kHz
Cable: 26AWG 8-wire UP-OCC smelting process, single material Litz with silver-plated copper central core, 6 multi-sized core bundles with EA UltraFlexir insulation.
Connection: 2-pin 0.78mm
Plug: EA Standard Rhodium Plated Brass Straight Type

I'm interested to see how they compare to the EBC80, the only Penon IEM I've ever heard. I believe they've been compared to the Shock as being somewhat similar.

 

[activatorfly]

And actually I got deeper into headphones because of my kids. It was a way to keep listening to music at night and during nap time (theirs, not mine). And I got into IEMs when I was planning for a two-month extended bit of traveling. Liked IEMs so much that they’re now a daily part of my life. I still go to full sizers for movies and games (better sense of immersion IMO). I also find full sizers much more comfortable for long term listening if I’m working from home.

Plus my FT1's work far better than iems as studio monitors, i.e. for mixing tracks.

 

[nikbr]

Few folks know how to tune single DD bass like Abel from Aur Audio and now some other brand debuting. The Aur Audio Aure, playing through the DCE, with it's new cable and tips, simply is stellar. SO GUD! The bass is better than 90% of the IEMs in my rotation.

Correct, Aure's bass is perfectly tuned for the rest of the spectrum and a total joy with bass-heavy genres as well as singer songwriter stuff. Marvelous set still.

Is Aurora similar to Aure in the bass region?

so the Aure's bass is a bit of an anomaly in it's impact, snap, and tone. So it wouldn't be similar to the Aurora, though I'm sure the BA tuning may be similar?

Nope, Aure is much leaner and snappier, both descriptors meant in a good way! Aurora is lazier and definitely not AüR's best effort. With its L-shaped tuning it would have to blow my socks off with its bass for me to be fully sold on it.

I hope Abel doesn't go for more and more bass !

I do, too. He can do so much more.

The latest Fad is to create your Action Figure. Here’s mine.

WOW haha awesome, feel like this is @Ozboyblu's face reveal of sorts, too

He told me he has lingering feelings for Aure, might be a hint about where Prelude is going.

Hyped!

This is a really bad take. I find that Chick-fil-A nuggets are more consistent in their quality, but McDonald's nuggets have a certain nostalgia factor that's hard to overcome. I'm just assuming your comment was about chicken nuggets because I, in fact, did not bother to read it before I made my response.

Actually, Speedos are the quickest swimwear and there is no contest.

Everyone here fully into IEMs, or use both full-size headphones and IEMs?

Both here, plus a set of on-ears and a couple of earbuds. All have their strengths.

You made me laugh several times out loud with this post. Thanks. You are on a roll!

Haha ditto, you can always count on @thaslaya's multipost to deliver the goods.

 

[Ineras]

WOW haha awesome, feel like this is @Ozboyblu's face reveal of sorts, too

Now we know, @Ozboyblu is John Cena.

 

[thaslaya]

Now we know, @Ozboyblu is John Cena.

You really just going to post 2 pictures with nobody in them?

 

[Jenzbullets]

Ordered a few things in the Ali sale including the Phoenixia! Ahem plus I cheated on this thread and bought the Arya Stealths.

Will see how these are that arrived today. Pleased so far with a quick test.

 

[Evldice]

What do you get when you combine melodic metalcore with traditional Indian instruments, vocals in both Hindi and English, and amazing production and mixing? You get this band that's blown me away with their new album. It's an easy contender for me as one of the Top 5 releases in 2025.

 

[jbfps116]

Well I caved.. and I blame the tariffs and threat of having to pay duty on anything from China next month. Phoenixia on the way! When I realized to has a DD AND BAs for bass I’m like wow. I have to hear that lol. And the graph looks more exciting than the H60 so… how can it go wrong!!

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

The Flipears Legion deserves all the hype, it's the ultimate, refined version of the ZE51B without the sibilance and a better cable. It sounds glorious, the bass just HAMMERS. Definitely a keeper.
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the...ge-all-welcome.957426/page-7066#post-18653861

Flipears Legion is indeed a bass head dream IEM. Handles bass heavy genres with aplomb. Just not busy bass tracks, like extreme metal.

I could see how the HS80 could seem a bit about compared to other IEMs… but it’s smooth, pure sound. Bass isn’t the most punchy but it’s so clean and detailed, like I said before, it’s easily the BEST lighter-bass IEM I’ve ever tried! If I want more bass, the CK2V is the jam. I guess I’m passing on the Phoenixia no matter how nice it is. I have too many midfi IEMS now for me to feel I need it. Or am I wrong?!

Why you asking us? LOL You're the one buying it (or not)! Sounds to me like with all your reasons for not buying it, you don't need to buy it. FOMO is strong in this one. You fell for the side by side with the H60?! LOL

Found a Squiglink for Kiwi Ears Septet: https://earphonesarchive.squig.link/?share=5128_DF_Target,Kiwi_Ears_Septet

Anyone hogging info on this release?

Neat! Another Kiwi Ears release! How many is that?

My Aether arrived today.
For the first few tracks I wasn't particularly impressed. Veiled and nothing particularly stood out as impressive.
During the first hour they've improved so much.
Like a flower bud starting to open up to show a beautiful rose.

The way they present this track is stunning, had to listen again with the Punch to make sure I'm not going mad.


Using with hifiiman ef600, so power requirements well and truely covered.
Looking forward to see how they continue to improve.

Probably expectation bias, due to the hype these got? Wasn't living up to the hype, but once you spent time with them, your brain was like "yeah, these are really good."

In this hobby, you're always wrong about a set until you get it in your own ears to prove you're right! Or wrong!
For me the Phoenixia is unique and special with that DD+dual BA bass that's so well implemented, coupled with a tuning that meshes very well with my HRTF. I'd say it's just as musical as H60, with improved bass. Yes, I'm ranking it up there with H60.

That's where world views can diverge. I find the H60 bass almost immaculately balanced, teetering on too much, but never going there. That bass is too much for me. That's way over the line, and then the mids of the H60 are sweet, warm, and balanced, and there you have that peak, and then the treble of the H60 is crisp, airy, detailed, and yet never gets too excited and lacks the finer bit of resolution on the upper mids and treble, and this is less than the H60. It's more reserved.

 

[GorGhast]

The Phoenixia seems nice, but I think I'm going to pull the trigger on the TSMR Armor (or both?!)! Still looking for a bassy-warm set in that 200-300 range with lush, expansive mids and a relatively chill upper end, at least one that doesn't overcompensate in the upper mid and treble region with BA timbre like the Doscinco (to my ears). From reviews and graphs, the Armor looks to have a more refined tuning? The electrostatic driver seems promising too, haven't tried those before

 

[jbfps116]

Why you asking us? LOL You're the one buying it (or not)! Sounds to me like with all your reasons for not buying it, you don't need to buy it. FOMO is strong in this one. You fell for the side by side with the H60?! LOL

Well yea I caved. Call me insane but hobbies can be a bit like that sometimes. At least for me. My room is currently full of thousands of $ of board games so… yea. But really, having to pay a duty tax on everything from AE plus the possibility of prices going up anyway because of tariffs is a good justification. I just read that an east coast cheapo-import store, Five Below, has paused buying from China, their obviously main supplier.

I also got a beautiful upgrade cable for it: ivipQ-196 Mermaid. If this ChiFi boat is sinking, I’m grabbing these few last deals lol. Although honestly I’m sure the world market will work SOMETHING out lol.

That's where world views can diverge. I find the H60 bass almost immaculately balanced, teetering on too much, but never going there. That bass is too much for me. That's way over the line, and then the mids of the H60 are sweet, warm, and balanced, and there you have that peak, and then the treble of the H60 is crisp, airy, detailed, and yet never gets too excited and lacks the finer bit of resolution on the upper mids and treble, and this is less than the H60. It's more reserved.

I need to listen to the H60 more… it has “decent” bass but the real magic is in the mids. I for one could use more bass on a daily…bassis! Haha!

 

[EnigmaFotos]

Before I get into a long chain of replies from catching up on over 15 pages, let me shoutout our very own @Leonarfd and @nikbr for both making the front page!

---

Like this?

And they can be yours for the low price of $4600!

The new and definitely Paul approved design from CFA!


Thank you! I'm nothing if not honest. I really wanted to love the Cantor but alas it's just not for me

The majority of my collection is in a giant Tupperware bin tucked away in storage, but I have a nice ALT-R case that I got for Christmas which I use as my everyday carry. I rotate items in and out depending on reviews and my mood.


This is the most vital part! I keep my collection tucked away and hidden for the most part but I do get a lot of deliveries which is tougher to hide. Maybe I need a PO Box

I hope thats true! P5+2 is my favorite AFUL so far

That graph does look very nice! Juzear definitely has a general curve they like to play with.

I recently picked up a used R3 II and I'm loving it! Totally agree that it and the DX1 pair very well together.

They reached out recently and asked which product I'd like for review. Took me awhile to discern the differences lol.

What's the point of the hobby if you can't tell other people they are wrong for what they hear?

This is a really bad take. I find that Chick-fil-A nuggets are more consistent in their quality, but McDonald's nuggets have a certain nostalgia factor that's hard to overcome. I'm just assuming your comment was about chicken nuggets because I, in fact, did not bother to read it before I made my response.

Amen! The Muse Hifi M5 Ultra is definitely synergizing well with a lot of my collection. I'm glad my brain is being fooled!

By that logic wouldn't the scientific style posts be more appropriate for that kind of thread?

This is the best way I know to fight pollution so let's all get our rings out


That red cable though!


Believe me, you're far from the only one who rolls their eyes at those kinds of posts

@MakeItWain - I see my Fei Wan caught a stray this morning…. Yet my man proud of that cases colors

 

[Ozboyblu]

In this hobby, you're always wrong about a set until you get it in your own ears to prove you're right! Or wrong!
For me the Phoenixia is unique and special with that DD+dual BA bass that's so well implemented, coupled with a tuning that meshes very well with my HRTF. I'd say it's just as musical as H60, with improved bass. Yes, I'm ranking it up there with H60.

Man H60 Comparo. Has got me excited about this one.

The bass with Superstage is so good, definitely doesn't sound like planar bass but with planar detail. Excellent dynamics and physicality, goes down super low. I also love that they didn't do a bass tuck to give it that natural warmth and punchy mid-bass. And the mids and highs are very clear and resolving, doesn't sound dampened at all while having zero harshness and fatigue. Easy endgame planar set.

Listened to it without any modules, was funny and interesting. All the bass pretty much left the building.
Should be a fun set to experiment with.


The Quantum shell isn't very large, and ergonomics is very good for me. It has a texture that gives it some grip and is very comfy. They have a good weight to them which isn't felt in-ear. The problem is the large Superstage module that sticks out quite a bit, gives you that Frankenstein look. But it's worth looking stupid for the sound you get. I just won't wear it outside.

This is Nuts

WOW haha awesome, feel like this is @Ozboyblu's face reveal of sorts, too

Not Quite. ChatGPT does not seem to draw from the original image that well. There were a few attempts.

Look what ChatGPT did for @Ineras

Now we know, @Ozboyblu is John Cena.

Thanks, I see John Cena is a compliment.

You really just going to post 2 pictures with nobody in them?

Thanks. I see Nobody is a compliment also.

Well I caved.. and I blame the tariffs and threat of having to pay duty on anything from China next month. Phoenixia on the way! When I realized to has a DD AND BAs for bass I’m like wow. I have to hear that lol. And the graph looks more exciting than the H60 so… how can it go wrong!!

So Glad you caved. Wasn’t going to try and influence you. But looking forward to the addition to your spreadsheet.