[DynamicEars]

The ear-gain region is an interesting beast. To my ears, 2kHz has the effect of sharpening the "edge" sound, whilst 3kHz "focuses" the midrange sound, especially vocals, and brings it toward your face.

Just enough 3kHz => kind-of-shallow stage, but wide and "open" / "transparent"
Too high 3kHz => in-your-face, shallow stage
Too low 3kHz => narrow but uncannily deep stage (a.k.a., FiiO FA7s, at least to my ears)

Moondrop Blessing 3 and the Simgot EW100P both have Harman-like 3kHz. Both have shallow but very wide and open soundstage.

I've just realised today whilst listening to the SA6II: the illusion of soundstage "depth" is a by-product of recessed midrange. At all time, the SA6II, U12T, and similar U-shaped IEMs, have bass as the foreground, midrange further away, and treble air at the furthest back around around the headstage. Both U12T and SA6II also take advantage of pulling the 3kHz down to "diffuse" the center image a little bit, further improving the illusion of depth.

Meanwhile, Moondrop Blessing 3 and Simgot EW100P place everything on the same plane. So, if the ultimate goal of tuning is "balance between frequencies", then I guess they have achieved it with VSDF and Harman IE target.
A small "hypothesis test": Using EQ to bump the 150Hz and 50Hz and drop 3kHz, the illusion of depth and layering immediately returns to Blessing 3 and EW100P. The separation between layers, however, still depends on that "mythical" technical performance of the driver configurations. EW100P is simply no match against the B3 and SA6II (as it should be).

---

If you ever wonder what's the fuss about with those $$$$$$ DAP, you can have a look at my review of P6 Pro ($3899). I approached the borrowed unit with the expectation of snake oil, and left the review thinking about saving up to buy one for myself.



Here are some tricks about sources that I learned when trying to get P6 Pro sound without paying $4000:

• It's not about "scaling up". It's more about smaller dongles not being able to drive IEMs to their full capability. And no, I don't think it is about max power output.
• The sense of "dynamic" and "snappiness" of note attacks depends a great deal on your amplifier. Apple dongle sounds way crisper and more dynamic when supported by my Topping G5.
• The DAC has impact in terms of fine-tuning the sound. For example, keeping G5 as the amp, I can hear noticeable change in the forwardness of the soundstage when swapping between different dongles and DAPs acting as the DAC.
• Most of the time, gain is just loudness, not driving power (meaning those "scaling" thing I mentioned does not exist when changing gain). However, some sources change the way the amp works when changing gain, thus might change the driving power. Therefore, you should try high-gain once to see if the driving power of your amp actually changes. For example, Shanling M6 Ultra sounds way more dynamic and crisp at high-gain, but low and mid-gain sounds the same.

Cheapest way to get the sound close to P6 Pro is Apple dongle + Topping G5 (or NX7). I'll explore some even cheaper battery amps in the future and see what works.

Couldn't agree more. I was skeptic to get Fiio M17 at first. I just want to buy the new Sony ZX707 at first, then was thinking how if stretch up budget to get WM1Am2 instead to pair with my Z1R but in the end, the M17 (more expensive than WM1Am2) have more technicalities and snappier transient attack and that dynamic while have "body" on every single transient attack although the more colored WM1Am2 also sounded very great. Was torn between two but I got the M17 with great price so I went with M17.
This "dynamic" and "snappiness" that @o0genesis0o said, is spectacular on high end DAP, that i never heard before. Maybe combination of great DAC and together with flagship amplifier as a package made this effect. I thought M11 plus or similarly mid high DAP is just enough for me, but once I get the M17, there is no way going back.
the dynamic, refinement, those transient attack that go fast with body weight, just like quality jab. Since I am a bass quality lover, i like the very tight mid bass presentation but have weighty sub bass on below.
Having flagship DAP has changed my perception from "Good sound = 70% transducers + 20% source + 5% eartips + 5% cable" to "Good sound = 50% transducers + 40% source + 5% eartips + 5% cable"
my midfi IEMs sounded better, and some have marginal improvement, especially those with planars, ESTs, piezos.
This is isn't an advertisement nor review unit. Bought with my own money and I don't have any connection with Fiio btw, just happen that I have lot of their sources, they make great DAPs but their IEMs aren't great to be honest.

 

[carrots99]

Am I the only one imagining that this cable would look really gorgeous with the Kiwiears Quartet?
https://market.m.taobao.com/app/idleFish-F2e/fish-pc/web/detail.html?id=679156198924

 

[Leonarfd]

Ordered the KZ Ling Long, appeared in the bottom row on AliExpress when I was ordering some tips. I guess my year of not buying cheap IEMs has ended.

@FreeWheelinAudioLuv2 I know you have liked yours and the price is so cheap.

 

[AmericanSpirit]

Bro told you that buying from Taobao is a crapshoot.
If all goes well, it is generally cheaper than Aliexpress, and sometimes they do carry stuff that isn't released internationally yet.

But if you need CS or warranty, it is a mega hassle trying to talk to the taobao reps, unless your Chinese is superb and you have their internal app chat stuff. Anyways, won't advise buying more expensive gear from taobao, as if you need returns, you are screwed. Sometimes returning stuff to China is more expensive than the item itself!

Hey it worked

My agent is very slow in response but Night Oblivion guy actually responds quite fast

 

[ericf]

I would like to order some 'unknown' IEMs some time but I can't buy from Aliexpress. Something about "According to AliExpress policy, this order cannot be placed". Any ideas? I sent an ID photo a couple of months ago since they asked for it. No response. My first order from 3 years ago was no problem (very small amount).

 

[AmericanSpirit]

I would like to order some 'unknown' IEMs some time but I can't buy from Aliexpress. Something about "According to AliExpress policy, this order cannot be placed". Any ideas? I sent an ID photo a couple of months ago since they asked for it. No response. My first order from 3 years ago was no problem (very small amount).

Due to custom duties, many aliexpress shop don’t ship to Germany or some EU nations, maybe that’s the case?

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

Ordered the KZ Ling Long, appeared in the bottom row on AliExpress when I was ordering some tips. I guess my year of not buying cheap IEMs has ended.

@FreeWheelinAudioLuv2 I know you have liked yours and the price is so cheap.

I enjoy the Lings very much. When I wanted a worry free but highly entertaining mobile listen, I turn to the Lings. I lose em? So what! $15.00! But I have two, so if that happens, I can just grab my spare.

 

[ericf]

Due to custom duties, many aliexpress shop don’t ship to Germany or some EU nations, maybe that’s the case?

Well, my country is not in the list, so I don't know what the problem is. I managed to order 3 years ago, but maybe some things about duties have changed since then. I tried to get help through the Chat but they didn't seem to understand my problem. I'm trying to get a couple of IEMs from a company that seems to have stopped manufacturing their IEMs so there's only two available at Penon.com. And another online shop based in China was unable to get the models from the factory. Aliexpress has a few of those left. They're disappearing one by one, though.

 

[itwasluck]

Life has taken a strange turn for me.

Since the day I was introduced to the worlds of earbuds via @RikudouGoku Rider 1 and @tgx78 Serratus, I have found that I am constantly drawn to them instead of iems. The midrange never felt so alive and truly lifelike in any iems ever. The bass seemed punchy enough, and I was not much missing the physical reverberations of subbass either - just enough body became satisfactory and the wonderful textures wooed me over.

It has come to a point where I am inadvertently picking up earbuds over iems when listening at leisure and in quiet. I could not feel the affection to my iems anymore. Even in metro I am inclined to use earbuds if the noise is below a certain point.

And hence, I am selling my iems, and some cables also, probably. I will keep the 634EARS Miroak-S and LOAK-T(CL), IMR Elan, Intime Sho DD, and probably Custom Art Go One. But everything else will go up for sell. Do contact me if anyone needs anything. I have already sold my crown jewel combo - FAudio Dark Sky and Effect Audio Code23. I am also inclined to sell some cables if anybody is interested. Do let me know.

This is the point where I believe I have achieved peace. I do not have to run any more after the new releases. I do not have to look for what new technologies are being invented and incorportated in the field of DD. I now have a very handful of earbud makers (mostly artisan makers) to look for, and I have already ordered from most of them.

Man I am in the same boat, after getting the FAAEAL Iris Ancestor, I knew I had to try out some TOTL earbuds. I picked up the Yinman 2.0 600s and the GAS2, and I am in heaven. The sound that are coming out of these buds are just crazy when you think about how cheap they are (vs. higher end IEMs for example). Truly TOTL sound for a fraction of the price with better soundstage than an IEM without trying (just due to the physical design). Sounds have this physicality to it that I just haven't experienced before. I used to constantly chase the next IEM but honestly now I have zero reason to use an IEM. Earbuds are just infinitely more comfortable than IEMs and headphones, I barely use my LCD-2Cs anymore.

The GAS2 is so efficient that it can be powered by an apple dongle (80% volume). The bass is very tight and dynamic, it is surprising to see this much bass performance out of an EARBUD. Then we have the Yinman 2.0 600s which are the polar opposite. I need to use my full sized HP amp to power these at similar gain to my LCD-2Cs but they are basically mini-LCD2Cs. They are that good, with a dark timbre, air-y highs, and insanely good sub-bass performance. Vocals sound so lush on both of these sets. They are not fatiguing at all to listen to and that is very important for someone like me that just wants to enjoy music for long periods of time.

I will say this level of performance has brought me down a different rabbit hole but one that is much easier on the wallet (and one that the wife approves of). Can't say there is a better WIN-WIN situation than that!

 

[r31ya]

KZ PR2 review by a new reviewer.



Not the most detailed review, however (In-disregard whether you are into anime), its new reviewer that remembers visuals is still somewhat important aspect of a video reviews.
so its not just a moving hand holding the IEM.
and the writing is somewhat interesting not overtly descriptive which could be good or bad depending your taste,
but considering i listen to several review, getting one that is actually interesting to watch and listen is super nice. I could get the detailed review somewhere else

 

[Redcarmoose]

The Penon OSG
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/pe...sed-spc-iem-cables.24554/reviews#review-30754

 

[o0genesis0o]

KZ PR2 review by a new reviewer.



Not the most detailed review, however (In-disregard whether you are into anime), its new reviewer that remembers visuals is still somewhat important aspect of a video reviews.
so its not just a moving hand holding the IEM.
and the writing is somewhat interesting not overtly descriptive which could be good or bad depending your taste,
but considering i listen to several review, getting one that is actually interesting to watch and listen is super nice. I could get the detailed review somewhere else

Not my style, but I appreciate the effort. Editing a clip like that could be super annoying and take quite some time.

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

Nope. Not a fan of the quick cut. I'm not 20, nor do I have millennial ADHD.

 

[Jaytiss]

I am very curious about what we will get from Truthear next time. I hope for a all BA set or maybe a tribrid. Starting to be some time since SHIO and HOLA launched.

The HOLA is still getting weekly use when playing PlayStation.

Hola is a nice little set. All three of their sets are pretty solid for me. I hear project red from Crinacle is supposed to be in the 50-100 dollar range coming soon. If I had to guess they will release that around maybe August or so, my guess is about when the Truthear Zero was originally released last year. But that's all speculation by me. XD

 

[Jaytiss]

1 hour into this Z300, and i've been listening to old school hip hop, and I just switched to classic rock (Van Halen). HBB really did some magic tuning with the budget driver Blon gave him. This is what I expected the 7HZ SALNOTES ZERO to sound like from all the damned hype they got. Or the Cadenza! I paid $30 with the discount code for these things. Gorgeous metal shells. The fit is 1000X better than the Blon 03. They are fairly small and fit quite comfy in the ears. The cable is kinda crappy, but I'm gonna keep it for now, unless I decide to switch it with the Linsoul Crystalline copper cable I have on the Vsonics? So 5 years ago, this kind of shell and fit would cost you $200 minimum. The kind of sound i'm hearing from this driver? $200-$400. The level of bass resolution and speed, along with the spacing and transparency mixed with the resolution of the mids and natural timbre in the highs? Budget has come a long long loooooong way, especially in regards to single DD. What do they sound like? What's the signature it reminds me of? Like what if the KZ Ling long and the Cadenza met on a drunken evening and made a baby, it would be the Z300. Now is this like a Legato basshead IEM? Nope. The bass is mature as heck, fast, punchy, and can go deep, but it's not a rattle your head bass. It's a hear every detail of a bass drum strike no matter how fast the drummer's feet are. It's excellent imaging. If I would say it's the biggest surprise? It would be the imaging as well as the creamy cohesiveness of the sound. Holographic on a budget? Yes! Now is it a detail monster? Not really. It presents most details in a very natural and cohesive way, but if I A/B against the Aure's, then you realize there are details missing, but A/B against the Ling Long or the Cadenza, and well, you realize yours getting a higher level sound than both, with better extension on both ends and mids that are not recessed or lightweight. They have enough weight to be presented with resolution and bite, without being overly weighty or thick like the Cadenza, or lacking weight like the Lings.

Still too early to make a definitive call, but if things keep improving and keep trending in the direction I think they will, the HBB Z300 will become my favorite budget set. HOLY MOLEY!! Van Halen's Spanish Fly is crazy! The resolving power and timbre of these things is nuts! They remind me of the JVC FW01 in timbre.

So far I've tested them on the DX170, Sony A55, and Sony A17. The A306 is charging. Thru the Sony? Budgetly blissful. I'm gonna personally reach out to HBB and congratulate him. Now I'm thinking...do I really need those Kiwi Ears? Hmmm...

Glad to hear you are enjoying them. I'm getting one of each color cause why not lol. I sold my legato and figured it would be a fun set to get.