[thaslaya]

Simgot EA500LM (I just returned it, sounded really harsh in the upper mids)

Just saved me from purchasing these lol. Thanks buddy!

 

[superuser1]

Just saved me from purchasing these lol. Thanks buddy!

I thought they had interchangeable nozzles?

 

[XERO1]

I thought they had interchangeable nozzles?

They do. They range from Harsh, Harsher and Harshest.

 

[thaslaya]

I thought they had interchangeable nozzles?

I think you're right. I'd probably just save up and try the Oriveti OD200 anyways. They seem more interesting to me personally.

 

[Rambone]

I suppose Zero could be a good measure if you gonna like Origin tuning or not?

If there is anything that I could remember with my time with the Zero was there wasn't much fun factor to the bass and a little bit of trouble here and there in the upper mids. Seemed like an OK product for $16.

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

I go back and forth between the OD200 and EA500LM and both are really nice, good for different times. I can’t be bothered to keep both as I generally just hop between genres every song so I wouldn’t change IEM’s constantly.

So I’ll have to give more listening time and see whether I want to keep the exciting, airier and thump of the EA500LM (silver nozzle with red ring for the additional bass and toned down treble). Or the easygoing, smooth, works-with-everything (but a touch more treble would be nice) OD200’s (silver nozzle, the blacks give TOO much treble and it gets painful).

Both really are superb.

I use the silver filter too.

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

$48 a month? for a $9,000 item? LOL 180 months? HAHA!

Almost $800 a month? Just don't pay your rent?

 

[bixby]

For me. All-rounder set is about the naturalness and a life-like timbre of instruments and vocals. Instruments have its own distinctive colouration of its tonal quality. I also noticed that the supposedly all-rounder sets have more focus on musicality and a slight warmth on their tuning.

Interesting take and a bit different from what others describe as an all rounder. From your description an all rounder sounds pretty natural to you and from your def. sounds like it would be pretty natural to me as well. But I would call it neutral, (flame suit on)

I suppose from your definition then a non all rounder would be unnatural, have a less life like timbre and with instruments having a less distinctive tonal quality. That seems to be the problem with catch all names, some folks have way different opinions of how they sound.

One that I don't like using is neutral, since it seems to connotate something altogether different for many folks. To me neutral sounds a lot like your description of an all rounder.

Lots of times when one describes an IEM as neutral, I often hear a tucked bass response, leaner mids, pushed pinna gain and sometimes extra brightness in the treble. Yet, I can see the appeal to folks who like lean midbass as well as plankton and air chasers, but it will not transport me to a jazz club . At least not one on this planet, haha.

 

[o0genesis0o]

Lots of times when one describes an IEM as neutral, I often hear a tucked bass response, leaner mids, pushed pinna gain and sometimes extra brightness in the treble. Yet, I can see the appeal to folks who like lean midbass as well as plankton and air chasers, but it will not transport me to a jazz club . At least one on this planet, haha.

To me, “neutral” is something like the 7th acoustic supernova, or Magic One (aka the 10dB target). Everything is right, bass is good but not overwhelming, and there is a slightly warm hue covering the midrange. I can never see etymotic IEMs as “neutral”, though many seem to believe so. Harman is also not neutral, because cellos do not sound right.

“Neutral” is not an excuse for sounding harsh or plain, IMHO.

 

[nikbr]

Not updated on new releases from the past three months or so. Any iem that stood out? Or worth buying?

Just save yourself all the hassle and go buy the FX15. Best bass, awesome mids, very amazing wow treble. Lots of soundstage. All the details ever.

Please don't, this is a running joke you missed out on too in the past 3 months.

i accidentally drifted off to sleep listening to music last night and my RU7 got caught under the blankets... won't do that again, it was quite hot when i woke up 15 minutes later!

That music was ! Quite literally, almost. Yikes.

Of course it's expensive, it took them hours upon hours of research and meetings just to come up with that name. Sounds like an expensive toilet.

 

[Zerstorer_GOhren]

Interesting take and a bit different from what others describe as an all rounder. From your description an all rounder sounds pretty natural to you and from your def. sounds like it would be pretty natural to me as well. But I would call it neutral, (flame suit on)

I suppose from your definition then a non all rounder would be unnatural, have a less life like timbre and with instruments having a less distinctive tonal quality. That seems to be the problem with catch all names, some folks have way different opinions of how they sound.

One that I don't like using is neutral, since it seems to connotate something altogether different for many folks. To me neutral sounds a lot like your description of an all rounder.

Lots of times when one describes an IEM as neutral, I often hear a tucked bass response, leaner mids, pushed pinna gain and sometimes extra brightness in the treble. Yet, I can see the appeal to folks who like lean midbass as well as plankton and air chasers, but it will not transport me to a jazz club . At least one on this planet, haha.

Well, there some people perceived Harman-ish type of tuning as neutral which I don't think in my humble opinion. Most sets that align with that kind of tuning doesn't give me that organic timbre on male vocals, some percussive like bass kick drum and brass instruments.. For sure it gives more definitions on female vocals like sopranos or some digital process ones in modern pop genres.

I usually watches live gigs from metal to jazz, I did watch some philharmonic orchestra performance here before twice. That's why I'm keen on determining tonal adjectives.

To think that the closest reviewers here that can discerningly determined specific tonal colour of an instrument is @o0genesis0o and @RemedyMusic (well he is a professional musician after all..)

 

[Mr.HiAudio]

A few words about the Pula PA02. If you have a decent source that has a weighty, warm sound, then these headphones will sound great, but if you connect them to an neutral source, then you will hear how Pula sounds bad.
A&K SA700 - sounds very good: wide and neutral;
QLS QA361, Tempotec V3 - very bad, very synthetic sound;
QLS MUB1, F.Audio T3 - ok sound.

My opinion is this: they sound exactly for their money, practically (maybe a little short). The second point is that if you have an expensive player, then it will pull out the headphones.

Before looking at the reviews, pay attention to the DAP source from which these headphones were listened to.

 

[Zerstorer_GOhren]

So many good IEMs nowadays. Worst thing to say as a “reviewer” is to provide definite recommendation for price/performance of any IEM. A few week later, something would come and explode the statement right in your face

It’s a good time to be IEM fans. I wonder how the super $$$$$$$ end of the market is moving, but the lower end is finally getting better at technical performance that puts more and more pressure on the value of the $1000 gatekeeper from a few year back.

Finally, you have tested both the R3II and the Yvain.

 

[Zerstorer_GOhren]

To me, “neutral” is something like the 7th acoustic supernova, or Magic One (aka the 10dB target). Everything is right, bass is good but not overwhelming, and there is a slightly warm hue covering the midrange. I can never see etymotic IEMs as “neutral”, though many seem to believe so. Harman is also not neutral, because cellos do not sound right.

“Neutral” is not an excuse for sounding harsh or plain, IMHO.

I agree on cellos that they sound too light and hollow that they should supposedly to sound either warm, sonorous or even muffled sounding that Harman tuned sets are struggling to project that tonal quality..same as with with bass trumpets and trombones which make Ska and 2-tone sounds less engaging too in that particular tuning curve.

 

[o0genesis0o]

A few words about the Pula PA02. If you have a decent source that has a weighty, warm sound, then these headphones will sound great, but if you connect them to an neutral source, then you will hear how Pula sounds bad.
A&K SA700 - sounds very good: wide and neutral;
QLS QA361, Tempotec V3 - very bad, very synthetic sound;
QLS MUB1, F.Audio T3 - ok sound.

My opinion is this: they sound exactly for their money, practically (maybe a little short). The second point is that if you have an expensive player, then it will pull out the headphones.

Before looking at the reviews, pay attention to the DAP source from which these headphones were listened to.

I tried these (and everything else) with iBasso DX300, btw. It’s a kickass DAP with only one noticeable “weakness”: the transients, especially in the bass, are not super snappy, especially in direct comparison against dynamic sources like FiiO M17.

I think there are two patterns for tuning the 20Hz to 1kHz. One is to have a gentle slope from the bass all the way to 1kHz, maybe with a slight cut at 250Hz. Most Harman-like IEMs recently are actually like this, as is most 10dB and even some old school multi BA sets are tuned like this. To my ears, this tuning is quite good.

The other approach is having a steep dive from 20Hz to 250Hz, and then gradually rise all the way to the ear gain peak. This is the “true” Harman tuning. If the ear gain peak is reduced, you have something like Symphonium Helios and even AFUL P8 (somewhat). To my ears, this tuning does not do lower midrange instruments well. The Pula 02 to my ears falls within this group.

Tuning aside, I find the imaging and staging to be way above the price tag. Quite happy with how easy it is to dissect orchestra with this IEM.