[cobrabucket]

Man I'd be pissed if I paid $300 lol

ALWAYS look for NiceHCK coupons!

 

[Ichos]

Are you aware of the BGVP DMA?

Here is my BGVP DMA Review.



Also here

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/bgvp-dma-hybrid-bone-conduction-iem.26975/review/33310/

 

[Neweymatt]

I recently had the opportunity to spend a few weeks with 5 well-known “ChiFi” IEMs, the KiwiEars Orchestra Lite, FiiO FH15, 7Hz Legato, Hidizds MP145, and YanYin Canon 2, herewith my impressions. While I’ve gravitated to the more expensive end of the IEM pool recently, I still think there’s plenty of interesting things to be heard at pretty much every price point, including a few here.

Many thanks to Linsoul, FiiO, Hidizs and YanYin for the kit and as ever to @Damz87 for organising these tours in Australia!

KiwiEars Orchestra Lite
$249
8x Balance Armature Drivers



Fit & Ergonomics
Orchestra Lite are simple standard-sized acrylic shells that are easy to fit well. These have a nice finish that feels about right for the price.

Tuning
These are bass-absent, upper-mid forward, and shouty. The HiBy R8 II is the best source I had available with this IEM, and it is passable with tracks that are inherently bass-heavy to start with; anything that isn’t feels thin and shouty, especially female vocals. Not good.

Technical
Orchestra Lite have a wide-ish stage that is rather shallow and not particularly tall; a wide, rather flat oval shape. Detail retrieval is mediocre, with pushed upper mids trying to eke out what the rather average drivers are capable of. The problem with this IEM is with all that extra energy, I’m found myself often turning the volume down which defeats the purpose of being able to hear what details this IEM does extract.

Summary
This is really not a good IEM at all. I can handle bass-lite, for example the Campfire Andromeda 2020 has been a favourite of mine for several years now; but at least the way bass is implemented on Andro, is with a nice a shelf of mid-bass that provides needed warmth. Andro’s resolution & detail are also so much better than this. Yes Andro is/was much more expensive, but I think you are much better off saving the $250 and looking elsewhere.


FiiO FH15
$229
1x Dynamic Driver, 3x Balanced Armature Drivers



Fit & Ergonomics
The FH15 shells are average size metal, I believe machined aluminium, that feel nice in the hand and fit very easily. The design is a pleasing dark blue ‘dragon-scale’ motif with a gold surround that looks pretty good.

Tuning
FH15 has moderate amount of sub-bass, if lacking somewhat in mid-bass and lower midrange warmth. Upper mids are pushed forward quite a bit, and sometimes female vocals borderline on shout. Treble feels fairly natural, but ever so slightly clipped off up top. This tuning is ok, and if I’m being generous very “safe”, but nothing particularly special really.

Technical
Stage here is reasonably wide and has some decent height to it. Depth is fairly shallow, so dynamics suffer a bit. There’s a good amount of detail there to be heard, likely on account of the pushed upper midrange. Timbre feels a bit disjointed between the smooth lower mids & bass vs the kind of plastic-y BA upper frequencies.

Summary
This is not a bad IEM at all, but there isn’t much very special or interesting about it. Pass.


7Hz Legato
$109
2x Dynamic Drivers



Fit & Ergonomics
The 7Hz Legato shells are just a bit larger than average, but I think they should fit the vast majority of ears easily. The simple, smooth metal shells are rather nice aesthetically; while not up to the high standards of 64 Audio, the Legato are somewhat reminiscent of their universals.

Tuning
Legato have excellent sub-bass extension that is very satisfying with good rumble. Mid-bass is also nicely elevated to create a warm and engaging overall presentation. Mids are rather neutral, nothing jumps out at you, and treble extends well without any sharpness or sibilance. The bass-head in me likes this tuning quite a lot.

Technical
First of all, the all-DD timbre is great, you get a lovely coherent presentation across the entire frequency response spectrum. Legato has good stage size in all 3 dimensions, with remarkable depth for an IEM at this price, and gives this IEM above average dynamics. Detail and resolution is good, but not quite as sharp or incisive as something like the an all-BA SA6 MkII, or the hybrid Yanyin Cannon II. That said, you get the lovely timbre as a tradeoff.

Summary
This is a fun IEM that had me wanting to hear more of my library with it, and at times I completely lost track of time, such was the level of engagement I got with the 7Hz Legato. That’s about the best praise I can give any IEM. I would definitely buy this.


Hidizs MP145
$159
1x Planar Magnetic Driver



Fit & Ergonomics
The MP145 are quite large metal shells, with huge nozzles. I tried a few of my own favourite tips such as Final E and Azla Sedna EarFit, but settled on the stock ones. I found on longer listening, these need to be inserted “just so”, and with the cable tugging on them a bit often moved them out of the “sweet spot” for fit. Best I could do on longer listening with these was to just hold them in place so that I could hear them correctly.

Tuning
The MP145 has rather nice bouncy bass that I enjoyed well when I had a decent fit. Midrange is very neutral with perhaps a bit of recession in the lower mids. Treble is pleasing and inoffensive, if rolled off a bit up top.

Technical
I had to hold these just right to hear them correctly, otherwise their technicals were very lacking, with a compressed stage, and an odd lack of any air or separation around the notes. With a proper seal, the planar timbre was still a little odd and ‘metallic’ compared to other planar headphones I own, but at least the stage had a reasonable 3-D shape to it.

Summary
I think Hidizs could be on to something pretty good with this IEM if only the shells had better ergonomics. For the price, the MP145 could be worth a spin, but I think for many they may not fit properly.


YanYin Cannon2
$379
1x Dynamic Driver, 4x Balanced Armature Drivers



Fit & Ergonomics
The Canyon Cannon II are slightly larger than average acrylic shells with deep-fitting nozzles, and I had no issues getting a comfortable seal with them. The faceplate design is quite attractive, that I think gives these IEMs a deserved bling factor.

Tuning
The Cannon II tuning switches are handy to tweak the sound if you like, I listened mostly in what I believe is the default “Off-On” position. Cannon II sounds like the classic “neutral with bass boost” sort of tuning, with perhaps a bit more upper mids to bring out detail. It’s done quite well, although my own preference would be a few more db in the mid bass and lower mids for just a bit more warmth.

Technical
Cannon II have decent technicals with good stage width, although perhaps lacking a bit of depth and punch. Detail retrieval is the best of any of these 5 IEMs, which is as it should be as Cannon II is the most expensive. For a hybrid IEM, Cannon II is a lot more coherent than the FiiO FH15, but the difference between the DD bass and the BA-mids/treble is still noticeable when comparing to an all-BA IEM like the SA6 MkII or an all-DD like the 7Hz Legato.

Summary
The Cannon II is the most expensive of these 5 ChiFi’s, but I think it’s the overall best of them. It’s a pretty fun listen that had my head bobbing along with plenty of tracks. I’d buy this, it’s one of the better sub-$500 IEMs I’ve heard, and competes well at around $500 or even a bit more.



It was a lot of fun to sample these IEMs, thanks much for reading!!

 

[thaslaya]

I recently had the opportunity to spend a few weeks with 5 well-known “ChiFi” IEMs, the KiwiEars Orchestra Lite, FiiO FH15, 7Hz Legato, Hidizds MP145, and YanYin Canon 2, herewith my impressions. While I’ve gravitated to the more expensive end of the IEM pool recently, I still think there’s plenty of interesting things to be heard at pretty much every price point, including a few here.

Many thanks to Linsoul, FiiO, Hidizs and YanYin for the kit and as ever to @Damz87 for organising these tours in Australia!

KiwiEars Orchestra Lite
$249
8x Balance Armature Drivers



Fit & Ergonomics
Orchestra Lite are simple standard-sized acrylic shells that are easy to fit well. These have a nice finish that feels about right for the price.

Tuning
These are bass-absent, upper-mid forward, and shouty. The HiBy R8 II is the best source I had available with this IEM, and it is passable with tracks that are inherently bass-heavy to start with; anything that isn’t feels thin and shouty, especially female vocals. Not good.

Technical
Orchestra Lite have a wide-ish stage that is rather shallow and not particularly tall; a wide, rather flat oval shape. Detail retrieval is mediocre, with pushed upper mids trying to eke out what the rather average drivers are capable of. The problem with this IEM is with all that extra energy, I’m found myself often turning the volume down which defeats the purpose of being able to hear what details this IEM does extract.

Summary
This is really not a good IEM at all. I can handle bass-lite, for example the Campfire Andromeda 2020 has been a favourite of mine for several years now; but at least the way bass is implemented on Andro, is with a nice a shelf of mid-bass that provides needed warmth. Andro’s resolution & detail are also so much better than this. Yes Andro is/was much more expensive, but I think you are much better off saving the $250 and looking elsewhere.


FiiO FH15
$229
1x Dynamic Driver, 3x Balanced Armature Drivers



Fit & Ergonomics
The FH15 shells are average size metal, I believe machined aluminium, that feel nice in the hand and fit very easily. The design is a pleasing dark blue ‘dragon-scale’ motif with a gold surround that looks pretty good.

Tuning
FH15 has moderate amount of sub-bass, if lacking somewhat in mid-bass and lower midrange warmth. Upper mids are pushed forward quite a bit, and sometimes female vocals borderline on shout. Treble feels fairly natural, but ever so slightly clipped off up top. This tuning is ok, and if I’m being generous very “safe”, but nothing particularly special really.

Technical
Stage here is reasonably wide and has some decent height to it. Depth is fairly shallow, so dynamics suffer a bit. There’s a good amount of detail there to be heard, likely on account of the pushed upper midrange. Timbre feels a bit disjointed between the smooth lower mids & bass vs the kind of plastic-y BA upper frequencies.

Summary
This is not a bad IEM at all, but there isn’t much very special or interesting about it. Pass.


7Hz Legato
$109
2x Dynamic Drivers



Fit & Ergonomics
The 7Hz Legato shells are just a bit larger than average, but I think they should fit the vast majority of ears easily. The simple, smooth metal shells are rather nice aesthetically; while not up to the high standards of 64 Audio, the Legato are somewhat reminiscent of their universals.

Tuning
Legato have excellent sub-bass extension that is very satisfying with good rumble. Mid-bass is also nicely elevated to create a warm and engaging overall presentation. Mids are rather neutral, nothing jumps out at you, and treble extends well without any sharpness or sibilance. The bass-head in me likes this tuning quite a lot.

Technical
First of all, the all-DD timbre is great, you get a lovely coherent presentation across the entire frequency response spectrum. Legato has good stage size in all 3 dimensions, with remarkable depth for an IEM at this price, and gives this IEM above average dynamics. Detail and resolution is good, but not quite as sharp or incisive as something like the an all-BA SA6 MkII, or the hybrid Yanyin Cannon II. That said, you get the lovely timbre as a tradeoff.

Summary
This is a fun IEM that had me wanting to hear more of my library with it, and at times I completely lost track of time, such was the level of engagement I got with the 7Hz Legato. That’s about the best praise I can give any IEM. I would definitely buy this.


Hidizs MP145
$159
1x Planar Magnetic Driver



Fit & Ergonomics
The MP145 are quite large metal shells, with huge nozzles. I tried a few of my own favourite tips such as Final E and Azla Sedna EarFit, but settled on the stock ones. I found on longer listening, these need to be inserted “just so”, and with the cable tugging on them a bit often moved them out of the “sweet spot” for fit. Best I could do on longer listening with these was to just hold them in place so that I could hear them correctly.

Tuning
The MP145 has rather nice bouncy bass that I enjoyed well when I had a decent fit. Midrange is very neutral with perhaps a bit of recession in the lower mids. Treble is pleasing and inoffensive, if rolled off a bit up top.

Technical
I had to hold these just right to hear them correctly, otherwise their technicals were very lacking, with a compressed stage, and an odd lack of any air or separation around the notes. With a proper seal, the planar timbre was still a little odd and ‘metallic’ compared to other planar headphones I own, but at least the stage had a reasonable 3-D shape to it.

Summary
I think Hidizs could be on to something pretty good with this IEM if only the shells had better ergonomics. For the price, the MP145 could be worth a spin, but I think for many they may not fit properly.


YanYin Cannon2
$379
1x Dynamic Driver, 4x Balanced Armature Drivers



Fit & Ergonomics
The Canyon Cannon II are slightly larger than average acrylic shells with deep-fitting nozzles, and I had no issues getting a comfortable seal with them. The faceplate design is quite attractive, that I think gives these IEMs a deserved bling factor.

Tuning
The Cannon II tuning switches are handy to tweak the sound if you like, I listened mostly in what I believe is the default “Off-On” position. Cannon II sounds like the classic “neutral with bass boost” sort of tuning, with perhaps a bit more upper mids to bring out detail. It’s done quite well, although my own preference would be a few more db in the mid bass and lower mids for just a bit more warmth.

Technical
Cannon II have decent technicals with good stage width, although perhaps lacking a bit of depth and punch. Detail retrieval is the best of any of these 5 IEMs, which is as it should be as Cannon II is the most expensive. For a hybrid IEM, Cannon II is a lot more coherent than the FiiO FH15, but the difference between the DD bass and the BA-mids/treble is still noticeable when comparing to an all-BA IEM like the SA6 MkII or an all-DD like the 7Hz Legato.

Summary
The Cannon II is the most expensive of these 5 ChiFi’s, but I think it’s the overall best of them. It’s a pretty fun listen that had my head bobbing along with plenty of tracks. I’d buy this, it’s one of the better sub-$500 IEMs I’ve heard, and competes well at around $500 or even a bit more.



It was a lot of fun to sample these IEMs, thanks much for reading!!

Glad you like the Legato. It is a really fun but ultimately niche tuning. I might pick up another set one day

 

[kaeswiss]

Oriolus Szalayi is an iem I am still circling. It is in that Twilight price range. I asked for some comparison input from the folks at Musictek. Has anyone compared the Szalayi with the Twilight or any of the Thieaudio iems, or others for that matter?​

I haven't listened to the SZA, but I own the Twilight and it's the most unique IEM I have in my collection.

It's pretty much a warm-sounding "open-back" IEM as it has vents (circled in red) at the base of the nozzle that lets in ambient noise. Even if you have the perfect seal with your ear tips, you can forget about passive noise-cancelling. Definitely not to be used in a noisy environment. That being said, I really dig the vents. They give off a cage-free, pasture-raised, open-sounding soundstage. The Twilight also non-GMO and gluten-free if any of that matters to you.

The fit is also something to note. Since it's not shaped like your run-of-the-mill IEM, it probably won't sit flush in your concha. For me, the only parts that are touching my ears are the ear tips, the bottom, and the front (highlighted in magenta). The shape of the IEM is strange, but the shells are pretty light and there aren't any sharp edges so they feel weightless to me when they're in-ear.

 

[Neweymatt]

Glad you like the Legato. It is a really fun but ultimately niche tuning. I might pick up another set one day

Yeah, my first preference for bass skews heavily toward mid-bass, hence the Xe6, Annihilator et al in my collection.

I've been looking for a sub-bass specialist set, especially for out and around on my commute, as that is when that extra bass can help mask external ambient noise, and the Legato fits that bill very well.

 

[PHLHarmonic]

What's worth considering in the $1k bracket (with some flexibility) these days for bass and mid focused IEMs? Ideally with a DD and not losing much on the treble front. I kinda feel like I miss EST drivers, too, as I've enjoyed ones that have them. I know you won't get an Xe6 for that money, but think along those lines; a warm leaning w-ish shape that keeps its sense of separation without letting the bass dominate everything. Comfort is important, too. I know there are some obvious options, but figured I'd pick peoples' brains.

 

[theintention]

What's worth considering in the $1k bracket (with some flexibility) these days for bass and mid focused IEMs? Ideally with a DD and not losing much on the treble front. I kinda feel like I miss EST drivers, too, as I've enjoyed ones that have them. I know you won't get an Xe6 for that money, but think along those lines; a warm leaning w-ish shape that keeps its sense of separation without letting the bass dominate everything. Comfort is important, too. I know there are some obvious options, but figured I'd pick peoples' brains.

The Szalayi lol

 

[o0genesis0o]

What's worth considering in the $1k bracket (with some flexibility) these days for bass and mid focused IEMs? Ideally with a DD and not losing much on the treble front. I kinda feel like I miss EST drivers, too, as I've enjoyed ones that have them. I know you won't get an Xe6 for that money, but think along those lines; a warm leaning w-ish shape that keeps its sense of separation without letting the bass dominate everything. Comfort is important, too. I know there are some obvious options, but figured I'd pick peoples' brains.

I like Maestro Mini. Maybe one can get a normal Maestro at $1k? Idk, haven’t checked the price.

 

[theintention]

hifigo has some new new

falcon ultra recolor and avatar IEM

 

[domq422]

What's worth considering in the $1k bracket (with some flexibility) these days for bass and mid focused IEMs? Ideally with a DD and not losing much on the treble front. I kinda feel like I miss EST drivers, too, as I've enjoyed ones that have them. I know you won't get an Xe6 for that money, but think along those lines; a warm leaning w-ish shape that keeps its sense of separation without letting the bass dominate everything. Comfort is important, too. I know there are some obvious options, but figured I'd pick peoples' brains.

I recommend waiting a month or so for the Symphonium Titan. That’s going to be a bass tilted Kilobuck IEM. I heard it at CanJam, and I felt it was fantastic.

 

[PHLHarmonic]

I recommend waiting a month or so for the Symphonium Titan. That’s going to be a bass tilted Kilobuck IEM. I heard it at CanJam, and I felt it was fantastic.

That's one of the few I had on the short list. I wish I could try out the Crimson even if it's not what I'm looking for based on everything I've read, just to get a feel for shape. The other "obvious" choice is the Monarch Mk III but there would probably be fit issues. I've had my eye on the Singularity too, but I'm concerned that it could sound bloated. Wish I could have gone to CJ. Not really sure what else there might be that's worth the time.

 

[Redcarmoose]

Spoiler: Collaboration

just kidding

I’m finally doing a collaboration!

 

[Surf Monkey]

Glad you like the Legato. It is a really fun but ultimately niche tuning. I might pick up another set one day

I love the Legato. I bought two sets just so I had a backup.

 

[Redcarmoose]

I love the Legato. I bought two sets just so I had a backup.

I have also don’t that with two headphones, fearing of their mortality, the AKG k701 and the qdc Anole V3.