The discovery thread!

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

When I first started listening with iem's I thought these were amazing and ended up with about 5 pairs,

That's because for ear buds, they do sound really good. They are also highly bootlegs for a reason. Verified good sound.

 

[Ineras]

STOP!! This is why dialogue had a spazz post. Though his delivery was a bit "Godzilla killin'", the intent was what I've already said enough times to give me nausea.

$6.00 vs triple digits, and they will sound NOTHING alike. Just because the graphs are somewhat similar, DOES NOT mean they sound similar. AT ALL. Graphs are a baseline for tonality, and NOT for actual technicalities, overall tone, air, and resolution. Those two graphs could line up absolutely perfectly, and still be miles apart in how they present the music in reality, and i'm 100% certain, the VENUS do not come close to sounding as good as the SR9, regardless of graphs.

Now kill Godzilla, and this penchant for whackin' to the graphs, like they mean anything.

Btw, I compared the Venus with SP01, both single DDs. Venus does sound pretty good regardless of price imo, which is why I did the graph comparison.

 

[mathi8vadhanan]

At the moment it's SM4 and Bridge. At first I also thought SM4 was a bit thin and lacked some mid bass, but it really grows on you. Now it gets the most ear time by far, I need my daily SM4 fix lol.
But I will give the rest more ear time this autumn. I try to stack up when there's a sale and enjoy what I've got til next sale. (Plan is to wait for the big sale at 11.11, except If I can get a good price on I3 mk3 I will PTT on that one.)

SM4 is my favorite in this crowded <$300 category, so far.
61Ts sounded too bassy and flabby when going from SM4.
And SM4 sounded too lean and thin, when after using the 61t for a couple of days.
Its like going from outdoors to outdoors (and vice versa) on a bright sunny day and the eyes needing time to readjust to the lighting. My ears need a bit of time to re-calibrate to the signature.
What was not acceptable was the off kilter highs and mid highs of 61T. SM4 is much better and sounds like kilo-buck iems in this region.
In the end, kept the SM4 and let the 61T go.

My wallet is cowering the catch and release at the $300 bracket. It was all fun and games at <$100.
I really wish there was a Discovery Tour program for this bracket.

 

[Ineras]

Speaking of single DDs, got another gem inc! This Anunachi better be damn good, after @bassdad8 crapped all over my TD20!

 

[krafty]

Penon OCC849 cable - got one to try out. I see the red / blue for RH / LH but since these don't have a preformed bend how do you know which way to plug them in. I would think these would be marked outside / inside to make sure they are not plugged in backwards. Is there such a thing as positive / negative?

 

[jazzzy]

Lately I was comparing overhyped ISN H60 with underhyped Shanling ME600

so now I can share my subjective point of view and opinions

I wanted H60 to convince me that it is so much better than ME600 (all tests done with black oring nozzle) so I have tried both with different tips/cables/sources

I know their graphs differ but don't care much about them because by the end of the day pleasure of listening is what matters
and in my humble tests I couldn't say that H60 is clear winner;

it is not my goal to hype or recommend one or another, make your own conclusions

additional comparison was done to find out if you can buy same or better cable under 100 USD that will perform as good as recommended OCC849
so my purchase choice is XINHS K01 cable that goes now for 74 USD on Aliexpress https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001873444371.html

I listened to different tracks but this one is best to highlight differences

Falling Out - Otzeki

https://tidal.com/browse/track/156027445?u

A. 0:30-0:35 bass/midbass
B. 1:00-1:15 clapping sounds
C. 4:03-4:17 crunching sounds

H60

A. noticeable
B. pronounced
C. clear, detailed and more in front

ME600

A. you can feel how it slams (deeper reproduction than H60)
B. little bit subdued
C. noticeable but with less clarity and details than H60


yes, there are differences between them but IMHO slight and both play in the same league that switching between them doesn't tell you that one is clearly better than the other but for your ears it might be other story

I gave H60 best conditions and recommended cable but it didn't show me that they are so much better than ME600


Now let's talk about cables

OCC849

• 6n single crystal copper cable
• 8 strands, single strand is 49 cores, a total of 8 × 49

K01
1. Product name: 8-core 7N bright copper+dark copper HIFI headphone cable
2. Brand: XINHS
3. Core parameters: 4-core bright copper * 68+4-core dark copper * 68
Material parameters: outer diameter about 5MM, single diameter 1.2MM
4. Cable characteristics: pleasant low-frequency rebound, better configuration of bass earphones


OCC849 6N vs K01 7N
OCC849 392 cores vs K01 544 cores
OCC849 crystal copper vs K01 bright copper+dark copper
OCC849 62 USD vs K01 74 USD right now on Aliexpress however prices can differ

I can fully confirm that K01 is better for bass and enhance low-frequency and switching from OCC849 to K01 on H60 will give you extra punch

for me K01 is no worse than OCC849 and can match it and even outperform if you like bass

I love K01 for the looks as well, it is the best looking cable in my possession - it is thick, glossy and shining beauty that attract attention; OCC849 next to it looks like an industrial cable to ground your equipment

OCC849 has only one length 1.2m and no earhooks and K01 comes with earhooks but you can ask seller to customize and get one without earhooks or different lenght if you need


Let's see how H60 and ME600 differs in other categories

price : H60 - 349 USD but can be bought for 300 USD, ME600 329 USD but can be bought for 263 USD
shell : H60 regular/typical shell - bigger in size; ME600 fancy metal one - smaller in size and will not stick much out of your ears
comfort : H60 less, ME600 more

he was not mentioning ME600 but ME600 also has smaller, sleeker metal shell


color : H60 blue only, ME600 black&gold or silver
technology : H60 regular tube design, ME600 tubeless advanced design & helmholtz resonators with driver sticking into nozzle
drivers : H60 2DD 8mm liquid silicone gel diaphragm + 4BA, ME600 2DD 6mm Bio-Diaphragm + 3BA
nozzle : H60 regular not protected by a mesh - slippery so some tips jump off by themselves, interchangeable (you can buy other brands and use) and easy to clean - metal with lip that holds any tip however oring is easy to loose when taking off the tip
accessories : H60 regular cartoon box, nothing fancy and crappy stock cable, ME600 crazy tons of eartips and stock cable with 3.5&4.4 termination, nice pouch
connectors : H60 2pin, ME600 MMCX so you will need adapter for your 2pin cables
sound : H60 details oriented, ME600 bass/midbass oriented - both perform very well in these areas, differences are slight and you can alter the sound with nozzles/tips/cables


judge by yourself what IEM with what cable you really want - both choices are great


here are some photos


H60 + OCC849

H60 + blue cable (just for looks)

ME600 + K01

ME600 with Penon adapters

P.S. For those wondering if cable can change anything this is very nice article about some other Xinhs cable

https://armandstudio-reviews.blogspot.com/2024/08/del-cable-de-actualizacion-mixto-de.html

 

[Okcerg]

SM4 is my favorite in this crowded <$300 category, so far.
61Ts sounded too bassy and flabby when going from SM4.
And SM4 sounded too lean and thin, when after using the 61t for a couple of days.
Its like going from outdoors to outdoors (and vice versa) on a bright sunny day and the eyes needing time to readjust to the lighting. My ears need a bit of time to re-calibrate to the signature.
What was not acceptable was the off kilter highs and mid highs of 61T. SM4 is much better and sounds like kilo-buck iems in this region.
In the end, kept the SM4 and let the 61T go.

My wallet is cowering the catch and release at the $300 bracket. It was all fun and games at <$100.
I really wish there was a Discovery Tour program for this bracket.

Brain burn in is powerful. When I've been using my 6XX for some time it's like sticking needles in my ears when going back to a bright IEM. Til my ears readjust.

 

[Erkil]

Penon OCC849 cable - got one to try out. I see the red / blue for RH / LH but since these don't have a preformed bend how do you know which way to plug them in. I would think these would be marked outside / inside to make sure they are not plugged in backwards. Is there such a thing as positive / negative?

The notch on the 2-pins should point outwards away from your head.

 

[-rowan-]

Look what showed up just in time for the weekend!

Of course I had to grab a listen before leaving it on the burner.

Fan 3 first impressions

Without bone: more direct, more matter of fact, cleaner. Classic Penon mids.

With bone: like a shot of air to the mids - more space for notes to expand and overtones to bounce around in. Bit like reverb? I’ve yet to decide. At any rate, a much more spatial, immersive presentation. Bass gets greater extension, impact and rumble.

Got it with the Space cable because I somehow already have 3 OS133 cables and didn’t need another.

Space cable has better bass extension, lusher notes and more resolution than OS133. OS133 conveys more overt detail but notes are thinner.

And yes, I can now confirm that these don’t have the weird Fan 2 nozzle. Feels closer to the Serial/Quattro shell but slightly more contoured.

The only measurebating imma do:

 

[Ineras]

Lately I was comparing overhyped ISN H60 with underhyped Shanling ME600

ME600

A. you can feel how it slams (deeper reproduction than H60)
B. little bit subdued
C. noticeable but with less clarity and details than H60

I've been experimenting a lot with the ME600 nozzles, trying to bring out a bit more clarity and resolution and reducing bass smear. Finally I decided to give it a listen raw, without any nozzles. It was pretty surprising how controlled it still sounded, no sibilance, no BA timbre. So of course I go and graph it after;

Seems like all the clear nozzle was doing was just muffling the resolution with foam, causing some bass smear and not much else. I think I'll just use a plain Simgot nozzle with a metal grill. No tuning mesh, no foam.

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

SM4 is my favorite in this crowded <$300 category, so far.
61Ts sounded too bassy and flabby when going from SM4.
And SM4 sounded too lean and thin, when after using the 61t for a couple of days.
Its like going from outdoors to outdoors (and vice versa) on a bright sunny day and the eyes needing time to readjust to the lighting. My ears need a bit of time to re-calibrate to the signature.
What was not acceptable was the off kilter highs and mid highs of 61T. SM4 is much better and sounds like kilo-buck iems in this region.
In the end, kept the SM4 and let the 61T go.

My wallet is cowering the catch and release at the $300 bracket. It was all fun and games at <$100.
I really wish there was a Discovery Tour program for this bracket.

I don't mean to sound course, but if the Supermix 4 sounds kilobuck, then I will presume that the H60 sounds like the SUBTONIC STORM, because at least to my ears, the Supermix 4 doesn't sound as good as it's price bracket brother, the Tri i3 III, let alone anything in the kilobuck territory. Simgot must include crack in some of their units? OR...more accurately...there's no accounting for ta---ears?

 

[jazzzy]

Seems like all the clear nozzle was doing was just muffling the resolution with foam, causing some bass smear and not much else. I think I'll just use a plain Simgot nozzle with a metal grill. No tuning mesh, no foam.

can you post some photos of this Simgot nozzle and second one showing SP01 nozzle inside ?

 

[Okcerg]

Simgot must include crack in some of their units?

I bought my set from Walter White.

 

[jbfps116]

the ZS12 PRO X just arrived... I agree with others that the build and finish is top notch! It sounds very smooth and warm on initial listening... [reminds me a bit of the delci] and quite unlike the ZS10 PRO 2. comparing them to the Wan'er SE that's had about 2 days burn in, the Wan'er has more treble emphasis and less bass. The stock tips work find. NOTE: If anyone here uses the KZ foam tips, note that the past several KZ sets I've got had them preinstalled and they show up melted out of shape due to being wedged into the plastic insert.

For some reason, the Libra [ordered at the same time] apparently has not even left China yet!! just a lot of "warehouse processing" alerts :/

oh and yes, I "know" that the Venus won't sound as good as that Sound Rhyme, but similar tuning does mean it matches frequency emphasis in a similar manner, and even on a poor-quality set, if tuned the way of a master set, will improve the sound.

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

Lately I was comparing overhyped ISN H60 with underhyped Shanling ME600

so now I can share my subjective point of view and opinions

I wanted H60 to convince me that it is so much better than ME600 (all tests done with black oring nozzle) so I have tried both with different tips/cables/sources

I know their graphs differ but don't care much about them because by the end of the day pleasure of listening is what matters
and in my humble tests I couldn't say that H60 is clear winner;

it is not my goal to hype or recommend one or another, make your own conclusions

additional comparison was done to find out if you can buy same or better cable under 100 USD that will perform as good as recommended OCC849
so my purchase choice is XINHS K01 cable that goes now for 74 USD on Aliexpress https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001873444371.html

I listened to different tracks but this one is best to highlight differences

Falling Out - Otzeki

https://tidal.com/browse/track/156027445?u

A. 0:30-0:35 bass/midbass
B. 1:00-1:15 clapping sounds
C. 4:03-4:17 crunching sounds

H60

A. noticeable
B. pronounced
C. clear, detailed and more in front

ME600

A. you can feel how it slams (deeper reproduction than H60)
B. little bit subdued
C. noticeable but with less clarity and details than H60


yes, there are differences between them but IMHO slight and both play in the same league that switching between them doesn't tell you that one is clearly better than the other but for your ears it might be other story

I gave H60 best conditions and recommended cable but it didn't show me that they are so much better than ME600


Now let's talk about cables

OCC849

• 6n single crystal copper cable
• 8 strands, single strand is 49 cores, a total of 8 × 49

K01
1. Product name: 8-core 7N bright copper+dark copper HIFI headphone cable
2. Brand: XINHS
3. Core parameters: 4-core bright copper * 68+4-core dark copper * 68
Material parameters: outer diameter about 5MM, single diameter 1.2MM
4. Cable characteristics: pleasant low-frequency rebound, better configuration of bass earphones


OCC849 6N vs K01 7N
OCC849 392 cores vs K01 544 cores
OCC849 crystal copper vs K01 bright copper+dark copper
OCC849 62 USD vs K01 74 USD right now on Aliexpress however prices can differ

I can fully confirm that K01 is better for bass and enhance low-frequency and switching from OCC849 to K01 on H60 will give you extra punch

for me K01 is no worse than OCC849 and can match it and even outperform if you like bass

I love K01 for the looks as well, it is the best looking cable in my possession - it is thick, glossy and shining beauty that attract attention; OCC849 next to it looks like an industrial cable to ground your equipment

OCC849 has only one length 1.2m and no earhooks and K01 comes with earhooks but you can ask seller to customize and get one without earhooks or different lenght if you need


Let's see how H60 and ME600 differs in other categories

price : H60 - 349 USD but can be bought for 300 USD, ME600 329 USD but can be bought for 263 USD
shell : H60 regular/typical shell - bigger in size; ME600 fancy metal one - smaller in size and will not stick much out of your ears
comfort : H60 less, ME600 more



he was not mentioning ME600 but ME600 also has smaller, sleeker metal shell


color : H60 blue only, ME600 black&gold or silver
technology : H60 regular tube design, ME600 tubeless advanced design & helmholtz resonators with driver sticking into nozzle
drivers : H60 2DD 8mm liquid silicone gel diaphragm + 4BA, ME600 2DD 6mm Bio-Diaphragm + 3BA
nozzle : H60 regular not protected by a mesh - slippery so some tips jump off by themselves, interchangeable (you can buy other brands and use) and easy to clean - metal with lip that holds any tip however oring is easy to loose when taking off the tip
accessories : H60 regular cartoon box, nothing fancy and crappy stock cable, ME600 crazy tons of eartips and stock cable with 3.5&4.4 termination, nice pouch
connectors : H60 2pin, ME600 MMCX so you will need adapter for your 2pin cables
sound : H60 details oriented, ME600 bass/midbass oriented - both perform very well in these areas, differences are slight and you can alter the sound with nozzles/tips/cables


judge by yourself what IEM with what cable you really want - both choices are great


here are some photos


H60 + OCC849





H60 + blue cable (just for looks)



ME600 + K01





ME600 with Penon adapters





P.S. For those wondering if cable can change anything this is very nice article about some other Xinhs cable

https://armandstudio-reviews.blogspot.com/2024/08/del-cable-de-actualizacion-mixto-de.html

I love the ISN H60, and I stand by everything I've said about them. They are the best value in audio in that price bracket in 2024. It's the most addictive sound signature(mmm..maybe the i3 mk III is sneaking up on the H60 in ear time???), but comfort wise, they are big shells, wide nozzles, and they stick out quite a bit, so if they have a weakness, the ergonomics are it. Our buddy @GroovyAudio learned this first hand, unfortunately. Now can I handle it? Yeah. I got massive caverns for ears.