[bithalver]

Psychologists are taking your money...and then spending it on HI-FI!!!

lol ! They are welcome to our family !

I am a capitalist: if I got good service I gladly pay.

 

[theintention]

Totally with you. There are a surprising number of unusually tuned IEMs at all price ranges. I'm drawn to things that divide opinions.

For example, I'm starting to think about picking up the Sivga Nightingale. Haven't heard it, but I dig how it looks on a graph. And I like that it's aiming for a very specific niche. Though, for as unusual as it is, it sounds like it's pulling off a variation of the same tuning trick that the Symphonium Meteor does (you have to really crank up the volume to get to the sweet treble center).

Big fan of the weird/different as well.. it’s why I ultimately ended up with the Szalayi and its odd driver config and bass heavy tuning. More IEMs need to be tuned with mids by a planar! The sets I have tried that utilize it for treble with a DD don’t even come close to the natural tonality it brings when used for mids.

Same reason why I went with 634Ears for my all in one, single DD customized by a one man shop how I wanted it to look? Perfection.

---

Messing with the Rose Technics QT-X today, listening to it before I let it do some burn in over the weekend. Out of the box it’s got nice bass that digs deeper than I expected, really good treble extension and a punchy note weight, thought I do wish the mids were a bit more forward. The monitors are really small, I’m kind of amazed there are 7 drivers in here. Minimal BA tinge which is also impressive. Neutral / bright leaning tuning with a real bass boost.

Build quality is outstanding, nice metal faceplate with a resin body, but it actually fooled me at first. I thought it was metal. Quite a different feel from other resin sets. Nozzles are a little long but actually this is not an issue for me, it usually is. The ear tips it came with are like… a home made version of the baroque haha not bad for included tips. Using CP100 now though.

 

[OceanOfLight]

this is my stance as well. I like the exploration of new sets, and there are plenty of good sub $200 dollar IEMs but they just get overshadowed by the pricier stuff. No budget set is a “killer” to any nicely tuned, higher priced IEM.

I will admit, every time I see a post saying they are looking for an “upgrade” and listing gear not even a $100 dollars more than what they have, I roll my eyes. Save more for your upgrades. It’s worth it.

I think it’s all a question of how much people are willing to spend on an IEM and what their ultimate goal is.

For me, I’ve never considered buying anything over $200, simply because, nowadays, I’m more than satisfied (and often amazed) with products that cost way less. Additionally, purchasing cheaper sets allows me to experiment more frequently with different tuning and driver configurations. Ultimately, the purpose of this hobby (and any other, really) is to be engaged and satisfied with the experience your purchases offer you. So, since I am happy and completely pleased with IEMs in the $20-$200 range, what’s the purpose of stretching to buy a $500+ one? Furthermore, given the incredible advancements in the IEMs market recently, it wouldn’t surprise me if, in a few years, I could get the same level of “quality” that a $500+ IEM currently offers with just a $100 investment.

As a side note, I can’t already justify the price disparity between my $20 IEMs and my $150-$200 ones. Most of the IEMs I’ve purchased recently (even the $15 ones!) feel more like sidegrades than downgrades compared to my more expensive sets. The fact is that the more I listen to music and different gears, the more I lose track of what’s good and what’s bad—or, to put it better, what I like and what I dislike (aka like less). Is more resolution always better? If you’d asked me this question years ago, I would’ve immediately said yes. Now? Not so sure. Do I prefer faster transients or slower ones? I couldn’t say. Bigger soundstage or more intimate? Mmm… Now let's add to the equation that from one day to another my already unsteady preferences seems to shift...

Now another concept that I would like to integrate to this post is this: what’s considered objectively better doesn’t necessarily mean it’s effectively better for me. To take this concept to the extreme, even a dirt-cheap $2.99 IEM can offer me an experience that a $1000 IEM could never provide—and, obviously, vice versa. Now, let’s think about all that lies in between these two extremes...

As time passes, I find myself believing that price means very little in the world of IEMs, especially if we try to correlate it directly to personal enjoyment.

That’s my stance on the matter… now I’ll go take my medications.

 

[fidgeraldo]

I am a capitalist: if I got good service I gladly pay.

But the best therapy for you is to sit on a boat on Dunav, order a cold bear with a view of Budim, listen to some good music, and what else can you wish for?!!
The best therapy possible!!! Man, I was only once in Budapest...and I love the city!!

Cheers!

 

[InvisibleInk]

I am a capitalist: if I got good service I gladly pay

In my communist fantasy, all citizens get CCA Trio for free, and if there are any any QC problems then those responsible are sent to the gulag for "re-education."

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

You keep mentioning “no monies left for anything”, yet new gears keep coming.

Earmarked the video for viewing later.



Since you are such a sticker for value …

• Buy once, never feel the itch to upgrade again
• efficient use of natural resources (less e-waste, no unused gear)
• Easy resell and get most of the money back for upgrade
• Fantastic experience from the buying to the reselling time
• Edit: in my experience, diminishing return kicks in hard after hitting the benchmark IEMs like Monarch II/III, MEST, DIVA, Crimson, which, coincidentally, “entry level” kilobuck

Why get 10 mediocre ones rather than 1 excellent one.

Edit: removed my unnecessarily aggressive statements

The problem is even at those levels, it's not one size fits all genres. If it was that way, the "hobby" would be over by now LOL I'm certainly not in the mix for a be-all-end-all IEM. I like rotating in and out, and never getting used to one signature. I did that early on when I went three years with the Sennheiser CX300ii and nothing else. Since then, I've got a box full of goodies, some never get touched again, and others I revisit from time to time, and then I have my 6-8 which I rotate in and out every couple days, to color my world. So I'm not sure spending $2,000 on an IEM is going to fix that yearn or end the quest? At least not for me.

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

But is the Vader better??? lol why buy the trio when the KZ version might be slight better haha

When in this world has KZ ever been better tuned than CCA? Sister companies with independent tuners?

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

Under $150 became my self-imposed limit from the moment one in this hobby. It worked, better and better IEMs (like Trio to most, and AS24 for me) and DACs nowadays.

This hobby can be a bit easy if to realize that ultimate/perfect sound reproduction is hardly possible, at least due to current limitations of recordings that are done or reduced to two channrls - just two points of a three-dimensional space. Then good transducers attempt to reconstruct 3-D out of the reduction of recordings, and there can be different renderings - not ultimare or perfect but very much enjoyable at the given moment - that what life is about

P. S. For the "kilobuck" debate - the enjoyment is the difference between desired and achieved, and it is a dangerous illusion of just getting "one good one", there will be always cravings for more hurting either wallet or mental state, causing rage, etc...
I can nominally afford kilobucks by disposable income, but I have learned previously: hobby is a hobby - know your safe limits and enjoy responsibly

AMEN to your last two statement. 100%.

 

[Redcarmoose]

That cable is ergonomically amazing, and built really well with locking modular plugs.

NiceHCK released another cable from their IEMs:
The BlueLuna from the Himalaya:



https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006968990569.html

Price: 50 USD - Code = 35 USD

-15 USD Coupon code in spoiler below:

Spoiler: Code

LUNAAA

Wow that is a very nice looking cable for $35 and modular too? I definitely don't need more cables but this is super tempting!

Modular cables... I don't need more cables, either...

 

[Kallbo]

That cable is ergonomically amazing, and built really well with locking modular plugs.

And the sound……?

 

[theintention]

I think it’s all a question of how much people are willing to spend on an IEM and what their ultimate goal is.

For me, I’ve never considered buying anything over $200, simply because, nowadays, I’m more than satisfied (and often amazed) with products that cost way less. Additionally, purchasing cheaper sets allows me to experiment more frequently with different tuning and driver configurations. Ultimately, the purpose of this hobby (and any other, really) is to be engaged and satisfied with the experience your purchases offer you. So, since I am happy and completely pleased with IEMs in the $20-$200 range, what’s the purpose of stretching to buy a $500+ one? Furthermore, given the incredible advancements in the IEMs market recently, it wouldn’t surprise me if, in a few years, I could get the same level of “quality” that a $500+ IEM currently offers with just a $100 investment.

As a side note, I can’t already justify the price disparity between my $20 IEMs and my $150-$200 ones. Most of the IEMs I’ve purchased recently (even the $15 ones!) feel more like sidegrades than actual upgrades to my more expensive sets. The fact is that the more I listen to music and different gears, the more I lose track of what’s good and what’s bad—or, to put it better, what I like and what I dislike (aka like less). Is more resolution always better? If you’d asked me this question years ago, I would’ve immediately said yes. Now? Not so sure. Do I prefer faster transients or slower ones? I couldn’t say. Bigger soundstage or more intimate? Mmm… Now let's add to the equation that from one day to another my already unsteady preferences seems to shift...

Now another concept that I would like to integrate to this post is this: what’s considered objectively better doesn’t necessarily mean it’s effectively better for me. To take this concept to the extreme, even a dirt-cheap $2.99 IEM can offer me an experience that a $1000 IEM could never provide—and, obviously, vice versa. Now, let’s think about all that lies in between these two extremes...

As time passes, I find myself believing that price means very little in the world of IEMs, especially if we try to correlate it directly to personal enjoyment.

That’s my stance on the matter… now I’ll go take my medications.

makes sense to me!

 

[Redcarmoose]

And the sound……?

Well, sound comes from the IEM, so it would depend what you joined it to. But with the Himalaya it’s great, as there is no-way NiceHCK would shortchange themselves there. It really feels and sounds like a flagship cable. To comment on sound, I guess I would place it in the warm but purely non-colored category? That’s the Himalaya in a nut-shell too!

The Himalaya is neutrally warm! Just ever so slightly warm and balanced! Cheers!

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

Speaking of rotating, today's IEM is the OG Wu Zetian by Tangzu. These things love Sony DAPS (currently using the A306, but the WM1A is it's perfect sonic mate) and amps. When synergized that way, these things really sing. Now they will always lack bass heft, and so I try to avoid bass heavy music with them, but for metal and hard rock, or classic rock, oh boy do they provide a smile. WILL NEVER SELL. Also they are discontinued.

 

[thaslaya]

I'm not sure if it's been posted before but I talked to a rep from Hifigo about the Dunu DaVinci and they said the targeted release date is around May 15th so hopefully we will see them debut next week.

 

[kaeswiss]

I'm not sure if it's been posted before but I talked to a rep from Hifigo about the Dunu DaVinci and they said the targeted release date is around May 15th so hopefully we will see them debut next week.

Yup, that aligns with what Timmy posted on YouTube and it'll be $299.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ...unity?lb=Ugkx-cBzKFNNtONcezO8_a7acy-1PAAQ03uT