AmericanSpirit
Member of the Trade: Night Oblivion
KZ for S tier is my joke part
Anyway interesting to see what’s a new face on the list.
The discovery thread!
- Thread starter Dsnuts
- Start date
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- aful blon bl03 db3 ibasso am05 isn d02 isn h40 jq audio jvc-ha-fx101 jvc-ha-fx40-b-earphone-kv6902 nx7 nx7 pro philips-she3580-28-in-ear-headphones philips-she9700 pioneer-dje-1500-k-professional-dj-in-ear-headphones sony-mh1-livesound-hi-fi-stereo-in-ear-headphones sphere thermaltake-in-ear-headset tri i3 vsonic-vc1000
Anyway interesting to see what’s a new face on the list.
r31ya
Headphoneus Supremus
Don't worry KZ will be firmly entrenched in "C" rank or maybe rank down to "C-" after reset.
Only CCA CRA (1st gen) that able break that classification
Only CCA CRA (1st gen) that able break that classification
FreeWheelinAudioLuv2
Headphoneus Supremus
IE200 sent. Should be here on Thursday via FEDEX. Excited for this one. I ordered another of those Linsoul silver and gold cables for this one too. 2.5 balanced end.
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Nah, Crin just got more anal.
By the time 1,500 IEMs are on the rank list, I reckon like only 2 IEMs will be A tier and everything else will be B or lower
Not that his list means anything really other than Crin silently documenting his disdain for midbass / lower mids.
bryaudioreviews
100+ Head-Fier
Truthear HOLA / SHIO - First Impressions
Hi all. Here are my first impressions of both the Truthear HOLA and SHIO.1. TRUTHEAR HOLA
My opinion on the HOLA changes based on how I use the IEM: 1. amped / 2. unamped / 3. with Truthear SHIO. When unamped, I would give HOLA a 3/5. It has good tonal balance, but it sounds somewhat dull overall. Bass is a bit boomy and lacks texture, midrange and vocals sound a bit too laid back, and treble is just.... smooth. soundstage is on the smaller side, imaging and transients are both a bit soft and blunted. When amped, everything opens up and sound much better. I would rate HOLA amped a 4.5/5. For the price, I was surprised at how well it performed. Bass tightens up a lot with decent texture and punch, midrange sounds cleaner and clearer whilst still retaining its smooth character, vocals sound more airy and open, and its treble, whilst still smooth, has a bit more sparkle to it. Soundstage opens up a bit, imaging and transients are slightly sharper and tighter. However, when paired with Truthear SHIO, I think the HOLA sounds pretty bad. I would rate it maybe 2/5. The overall warmth and smoothness of the SHIO just does not go well with the HOLA. Everything just sounds muddy, boomy, and a bit of a mess. Will get more into details later.
2. TRUTHEAR SHIO
I think SHIO is pretty good for the price. At $69.99usd, it has balanced output, decent power output, volume controls, detachable cable, dual dacs, low/high gain, low power draw, and doesn't get hot when used.In terms of sound, it is a warmer sounding source, with emphasis on bass and mids. Bass and mids here sound thick and warm, with vocals sounding fuller and more laidback. Treble here is smooth, slightly dark. In terms of technicalities, soundstage is average (around/inside your head), imaging and transients are a bit soft and blunted. Overall timbre is good. No glare, no lower treble sharpness.
However, there are issues with volume when used with Windows. On average, the max volume I can go to is 6/100 on 3.5mm unbalanced and 4/100 on 4.4mm Balanced. Even worse, when used with my Shanling M3X (without UAPP), I can still get around 50dB when my volume is literally 0/100. I think a software upgrade is needed to fix this issue.
Another issue I have with SHIO is how bad of a pairing it is with their very own Truthear HOLA. As mentioned above, HOLA and SHIO together do not sound good. Bass and midrange are both boomy and muddy, vocals sound a bit compressed, and treble is borderline dark. Not to mention, imaging and transients are also a bit too soft which makes the HOLA even more dull sounding.
CONCLUSION
All in all, on their own, I think both are pretty decent choices and are quite capable for the price. the Truthear HOLA really surprises me when amped - I find it to give IEMs around the $50usd range a run for its money. Furthermore, SHIO is also quite a complete package for the price of $69.99. If you are not using SHIO with HOLA, I think SHIO sounds pretty decent overall, especially if you are into warmer smoother sources.Thank you Cloris Gee from SHENZHENAUDIO for sending both the Truthear HOLA and SHIO over. Full review coming soon.
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I don't know if this thread is interested in TWS earbuds with ANC but I will submit my opinion about the 1MORE EVO which surprised me with their sound quality.
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/1more-evo.25864/review/30103/
Very highly recommended.
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/1more-evo.25864/review/30103/
Very highly recommended.
Carpet
Headphoneus Supremus
Silently???
When he heard the Tipsy TTROMSO, he was initially silent as his face screwed up. After that there were a few words spoken, that were far from complimentary!
(granted, it's the exact opposite of his preference)
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Mine are collecting dust, to be a warm v shaped IEM with good soundstage it's good.
The problem is the build, started with small rattle on left side then happened on the right side also.
But calling them bad for the sound ain't right, not class leading for the price by any means. But still a good sound for what they are.
But I guess that's what Crin rankings are, 100% subjective to his own preference.
The problem is the build, started with small rattle on left side then happened on the right side also.
Silently???
When he heard the Tipsy TTROMSO, he was initially silent as his face screwed up. After that there were a few words spoken that were far from complimentary!
(granted, it's the exact opposite of his preference)
But calling them bad for the sound ain't right, not class leading for the price by any means. But still a good sound for what they are.
But I guess that's what Crin rankings are, 100% subjective to his own preference.
Might be of interest to some will share some impressions here also when I have them. Ordered the IMR BC 2023 model, will not be long wait time as it often is with IMR since they are in stock.
https://imracoustics.com/collections/instock/products/imr-bc
https://imracoustics.com/collections/instock/products/imr-bc
AudioNewbie76
Head-Fier
I know people like to say implementation matters more, but what advantages would a Planar DD hybrid have over more conventional hybrid configurations out there? Also, it's 150 USD if bought directly from them, which makes me question even more on why they went with that housing specifically and why make it have a non detachable cable.Helm Audio has released a hybrid Planar + DD IEM: the F2
Lots of headfiers were asking for a planar with DD bass, and it seems your wish is granted!
$110 USD. Ridiculously, at this price point, the cable is not detachable and looks quite thin. Might be a deal breaker for some.
6 mm planar + 10 mm DD
https://drop.com/buy/helm-f2-planar-magnetic-dual-driver-wired-headphones
Carpet
Headphoneus Supremus
A few of their recent releases have been pretty good. I'd rate EDA balanced and EDX Ultra ahead of CRA. CRA was a landmark in budget releases. Although I do remember Mark Ryan of Super Review getting pretty excited about the EDX Pro ahead of the ZEX Pro released about the same time(CRN wasn't announced at that point). PR1 Pro, AS16Pro and ZS10Pro X have all been good at their price point too. KZ seems to be improving. Unfortunately for them, so are a lot of other companies. I presume that this reorganization is a big reset that downgrades older releases to maintain a spread of ratings. Crin hardly wants his own database to be skewed towards high ratings (like some other sites)!
Edit: and this
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I forgot about his Youtube impressions which is why I said silently.Silently???
When he heard the Tipsy TTROMSO, he was initially silent as his face screwed up. After that there were a few words spoken, that were far from complimentary!
(granted, it's the exact opposite of his preference)
2/5 was pretty rough, I expected him to say a 3/5
Haven't heard the EDX ultra, but fully agree with you on the EDA balanced
r31ya
Headphoneus Supremus
oh, how we ask for EDA-Balanced successor with updated/better driver in KZ discord.
I mean, KZ then uses several new DD. From that 12mm LCP in ESX, to pretty well praised 10mm DD in CXS, to the DD with updated voice coils in ZAR.
EDA-Bal tuning on those would be lovely. but for some reason KZ prefer EDA-Bass line.
Then other companies make (somewhat) Eda Balanced succesor with Wan'er being notable example.
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Fat Larry
500+ Head-Fier
I had the EDX Ultra and was really impressed with it given the price. Amazed actually as i hadn't bought a budget set since the BL-03 and the Ultra was half the price and better technically. Only thing i didn't like was that it has a really cold tone, i like warm or warmish sets. That and the shells, if only they were bullets.
