The discovery thread!

[Inserthouse]

I have been hearing good thoughts on both of them, but my wallet is waiting for the new AFUL flagship set.

What should be the expected price for the AFUL flagship?

 

[Redcarmoose]

EarAcoustic Audio SPA-Limited Edition
EarAcoustic Audio STA-Pro
EarAcoustic Audio SPA-Hi End Ultra
EarAcoustic Audio STA-Hi End
EarAcoustic Audio STA-Pro Ultra
EarAcoustic Audio STA-Pro Max

EarAcoustic Audio has me confused with their naming scheme but I have to admit thst their set of accessories are fantastic ( It would have been awesome to have a modular cable though )and SPA HI END has one of the biggest stage under $200. I can feel the influence of TFZ here, especially with staging and imaging.
This single DD is not tuned to be bassy and that's a very good thing in my opinion. I was tired of hearing bassy IEMs in this price range. It still has very good thump and definition but faster with the decay. It goes toe to toe with the Falcon Ultra but has a less dry feeling to it. Early opinion though, let it burn!!
Here is my unboxing and initial impression:

Can you believe it I’m up to 5th, 6th reviews of the series as we speak? Probably the SPA Ultra and STA Hi-End were good for me as an introduction? I mean I found a home with the STA Hi-End, though little did I know I would keep receiving them, I mean they said I was getting all 12 in the series, I thought they were joking? Lol..... Jeez!

I will be totally surprised if I get 6 more for review?

 

[jbfps116]

Juzear Defiant is a warmly tuned IEM with nice punchy bass, recessed but lush vocals intended for relaxed music listening without letting go of the necessary details of the music.

At this price point, it is always about trade-offs -- with Juzear Defiant, you get a balanced, smooth tonality that works for most genres, at the same time is not the most resolving with details getting highlighted.

Sound:

Bass: Meaty and punchy bass, with good sub bass extension. Bass attack and decay are rendered very nicely -- nothing lacking on this front.

Vocals: Mids are great, reproducing lush vocals -- both male and female vocals are well presented.

Treble, Details, & Resolution: Treble levels are properly balanced, no sibilance whatsoever. There is enough details to not miss any critical detail of the music. But, this is not the most resolving set in this price range, and it does not need to be as well.

"Warm", "recessed," "smooth," "not the most resolving."... the combination of those in one IEM have me a bit concerned... if WELL-DONE, it might sound okay, but I already have smooth IEMs... the Phoenixia is smooth, a little warm, but still resolving and the vocals aren't recessed. The Tiandirenhe TD20 might be the closest to those 4 descriptors... it's quite musical, and very bassy, but again, the vocals aren't recessed. [popped these in for a short refresher... dang I forgot how good they sound!] Compared to the VP-07, the midbass is way less thick, but with a lot more treble detail without sounding too overboard and sibilant like the ZS10 Pro 2. But if you want SLAMMING midbass and great if not completely naturally toned vocals, the TD20 is a swell listen.

EarAcoustic Audio SPA-Limited Edition
EarAcoustic Audio STA-Pro
EarAcoustic Audio SPA-Hi End Ultra
EarAcoustic Audio STA-Hi End
EarAcoustic Audio STA-Pro Ultra
EarAcoustic Audio STA-Pro Max

Can you believe it I’m up to 5th, 6th reviews of the series as we speak? Probably the SPA Ultra and STA Hi-End were good for me as an introduction? I mean I found a home with the STA Hi-End, though little did I know I would keep receiving them, I mean they said I was getting all 12 in the series, I thought they were joking? Lol..... Jeez!

I will be totally surprised if I get 6 more for review?

Wow. I'd get completely mixed up if I had all those haha. Someday I'd like to own one... preferably the one that is the most dynamic and immersive with great treble and bass, but even the thought of having to read all 12 reviews to figure this out is daunting lol. I mean I could assume the most expensive one is the best, but I'd be looking for around 200$ or less. Are the cheaper sets "almost as good?"

 

[Redcarmoose]

I like Kiwi Ears too but no doubts about it's mid bass bloat and lack of sub-bass doesn't matter the power you put into it. It's mid bass too isn't that textured or defined enough. Airoso is better there.
Nothing saves Aether's sub-bass, I tried the AxC cable, different tips too.
What tips and cables you used to have the best possible sub-bass.

Well that's the thing, and I have responded a few times when folks criticize the Aether. Really it is OK to critique my Wife........here. Lol

I simply figure that is.........up to personal preference. And yes Kiwi ears has a careful style bass at times. Look at the Kiwi ears Atheia there it has sub but very much flat in sub bass energy compared to the mid-bass crazed hump. To tell you the truth if the Aether has flat and not pushed sub, I may not even notice it as an issue? But that is just me?


In a perfect world maybe we will all like the same IEM? Maybe even then not? Hehe..........................

To answer your question here I'm fine with the SIMGOT AUDIO LC7 modular cable in 4.4mm. I use most of the time the leanest wide-bore donuts, which means I'm trying to actually clarify bass tone and pace? I use the SIMGOT AUDIO wide-bore donuts which are also low profile in length?

 

[Argha]

Well that's the thing, and I have responded a few times when folks criticize the Aether. Really it is OK to critique my Wife........here. Lol

I simply figure that is.........up to personal preference. And yes Kiwi ears has a careful style bass at times. Look at the Kiwi ears Aethis, there it has sub but very much flat in sub bass energy compared to the mid-bass crazed hump. To tell you the truth if the Aether has flat and not pushed sub, I may not even notice it as an issue? But that is just me?


In a perfect world maybe we will all like the same IEM? Maybe even then not? Hehe..........................


To answer your question here I'm fine with the SIMGOT AUDIO LC7 modular cable in 4.4mm. I use most of the time the leanest wide-bore donuts, which means I'm trying to actually clarify bass tone and pace? I use the SIMGOT AUDIO wide-bore donuts which are also low profile in length?

I really want to try a Koss, can you recommend something ? There are almost ~5 budget models here

 

[avishifi]

I have been playing back and forth with the Kiwi Ears Etude and other IEMs, the effect of the Vibration Transducer is noticable, and reminds me a lot from the Pula Anvil114. It is just better in every term: better fit, smoother tuning, much better price.

I have written my first impressions here for anyone interested, and will measure and write a full review soon

In addition, I have the Twistura WoodNote & STA Pro Max to review too.

My first impressions of the WoodNote are positive, it is a well packaged single DD iem with a lot of good eartips, tuning nozzles, large carrying case, modular cable. It is great for anyone who is looking for the best unboxing experience under 200$. In terms of sound, it sounds pretty neutral to me. There is not a lot of sub-bass, good amount of mid-bass, and the rest sounds balanced. I need to measure them too to see for sure.
But I must admit, it is not the best sound for money. While they do sound good, in their price range there are a lot of competitive options such as Kiwi Ears Aether, ZiiGaat Lush, etc... But these won't come with the same luxury accesories and unboxing experience of the WoodNote, and I know some folks prefer the coherence of a single DD much more than hybrid IEMS.

the STA Pro Max is a bass-heads dual DD iems
They have big amoung of mid-bass, with satisfying amound of sub-bass, but the midrange is a bit recessed in my opinion. After giving it a while I get used to it, it is a fun set, that I can strongly recommend for anyone who is into bass.

 

[Kordonrules]

Good Sunday everyone! I've spent the weekend so far revisiting some of my cheaper IEMs. The KE Aethers have been so good to me that I've frankly overused it a bit, so felt the need for a refresher (btw, I think it works perfectly fine from my phone, a crusty motorola g41). Currently using my Delcis, which although not a value king by any means, is such a clean little bassy V-shape set. Also been using the Tangzu Xuan NV a lot as they're just so god damn comfortable both tuning-wise and fit-wise with the Sancai Balanced tips.

I'm saving money currently after having splurged on my home office setup, but I'd like to pick up a few more under-100 dollar IEMs to add to my little fun stash. Does anyone have any recommendations? Preferable something new-ish that haven't gotten too many reviews yet as I'm looking to write a few more reviews as well.


Speaking of Hibys, I think my worst buy in this hobby so far has gotta be the Hiby R4 Evangelion edition. It's so big and chunky, which would be if it didn't have all these sotftware and hardware issue that makes it even more inconvenient to use. My Tidal crashes often, the download function doesn't work properly half of the time, weak wi-fi, it turns itself off if it gets bumped slightly, turns itself off if it gets too cold, sub-par battery life, oversensitive buttons etc. etc. makes it a nightmare to carry around. It's fiddly to get to work as a DAC too as it often has a choppiness/stutter problem. The only good thing I have to say about it is that it looks cool and sounds good when it actually works.

I might've gotten a bad unit, but their customer support didn't respond to me and their returns process sounds like such a hassle, so I probably won't buy another product from them. I heard others have similar problems too. Until I can get hold of a repairs guy, I'll probably just buy a lighter, cheaper Fiio or save up for a DAP from a more reputable brand like Sony and count the Hiby as a loss.

Dang. I have the same unit with zero issues. You must have a lemon. Sucks about there lack of support. I really have come to like the sound of this unit and it looks weirdly cool. I was entertaining even maybe trying out the R Pro 2 or the Pro Max but after your experience with poor customer support maybe not.

 

[Redcarmoose]

"Warm", "recessed," "smooth," "not the most resolving."... the combination of those in one IEM have me a bit concerned... if WELL-DONE, it might sound okay, but I already have smooth IEMs... the Phoenixia is smooth, a little warm, but still resolving and the vocals aren't recessed. The Tiandirenhe TD20 might be the closest to those 4 descriptors... it's quite musical, and very bassy, but again, the vocals aren't recessed. [popped these in for a short refresher... dang I forgot how good they sound!] Compared to the VP-07, the midbass is way less thick, but with a lot more treble detail without sounding too overboard and sibilant like the ZS10 Pro 2. But if you want SLAMMING midbass and great if not completely naturally toned vocals, the TD20 is a swell listen.

Wow. I'd get completely mixed up if I had all those haha. Someday I'd like to own one... preferably the one that is the most dynamic and immersive with great treble and bass, but even the thought of having to read all 12 reviews to figure this out is daunting lol. I mean I could assume the most expensive one is the best, but I'd be looking for around 200$ or less. Are the cheaper sets "almost as good?"

It's wild as in the reviews my explanations are long and almost indecipherable. Lol

But on the forums I get the chance to simplify matters. Where truly at this point I'm familiar with 4 not 6, in the series. Yet the two SPA creations are single DD and the STA creations are 6mm and 10mm DDs. To sum them up is to say that so far the STA series is not as bottom heavy, then the one more expensive STA has a slightly brighter treble with a tad more detail. Of the SPA series (11.4mm DD) one, the Ultra is a whopping 14 grams grams each at $189.90 and the TOTL (Limited Edition) Flagship is only 8 grams at $429.90. Though again the top-of-the line gets you more treble details and comes off more crisp. Still with the way the Zinc Alloy SPA Ultra is made (depending who you are) it really gets you about 90% there as far as being like the Limited Edition? Sure you can concentrate on the extra level of what the Limited Edition does..........but the way that 14 grams of the Ultra fits way inside your ear, there is nothing bad about the weight. It is just the Limited Edition Aluminum is lower weight, plus comes with 2 editions......one with crinkles and one with flowing lines.

If you just wanted to experience the STA level, I'm going to see what the upper levels are like as I just got the more pricy STA Pro MAX. Yet my other 2 STA reviews are up to read. Really for the money their 10mm and 6mm DDs do pretty good, from the two I have heard so far.

I really want to try a Koss, can you recommend something ? There are almost ~5 budget models here

Sorry I do have the original like in the picture, but I haven't listened to it for years. Though in 1975 I did a side-by-side with some Koss full-size against the Sennheiser HD414 and for hearing TDSotM by Floyd or Iron Man by Black Sabbath.......the Koss won in flying colors! Simply more smooth bass!

My main headphone in 1982 was a rebranded Koss open-back made by Koss sold by Radio Shack. Koss rules.........but I have not heard the newer ones!

 

[superuser1]

I open-source my templates for building and deploying dockerised server recently: https://github.com/nguyentran0212/personal-server

If you are still working on this, you can have a try. I welcome any code contribution or bug fix.

Mighty impressive project!!

 

[ICYGENIUS]

I agree with everything. Moreover, the SR5 are sensitive to changing the cable, which can quite noticeably change the accents of the sound.

Of course i will try to listen to it with another cable the other day, and i have two serious audiophile cables right now and i need to check what result i get with them, it won't be easy but that makes it more interesting as i will have to literally dive into it soon haha, i can also say for sure this set scales very much with different sources, yesterday i listened to it with a Tempotec V3 Blaze player but now i'm listening to it with my SMSL C200 PRO stationary amp and it's even better, so much more detail and control, and oh it's not often you find a set that literally impresses you so much after a couple minutes of first listen but this is exactly the case, i'm still impressed.

 

[jbfps116]

I have been playing back and forth with the Kiwi Ears Etude and other IEMs, the effect of the Vibration Transducer is noticable, and reminds me a lot from the Pula Anvil114. It is just better in every term: better fit, smoother tuning, much better price.

I have written my first impressions here for anyone interested, and will measure and write a full review soon

I'm still a bit interested, but I have the KB02, Fan 3, and Nautilus for BC goodness... what would the Etude add besides that dope pretty faceplate? I saw the Redcarmoose review saying they're not the best for vocals, which is important to me. "There comes this character…….a slight blurriness, the sound of both the Beryllium 10mm DD and BCD adding up to drama. This slight fog is still romantic and fun, though just remember it is not everything, as proven today by the sound of more expensive IEM side-by-sides in comparison."
yea... I'm not sure that REALLY appeals to me...

the STA Pro Max is a bass-heads dual DD iems
They have big amoung of mid-bass, with satisfying amound of sub-bass, but the midrange is a bit recessed in my opinion. After giving it a while I get used to it, it is a fun set, that I can strongly recommend for anyone who is into bass.

If I want big bass and good treble but am not worried about recessed mids, the Tiandirenhe TD-08 pro is my jam... CK2V is another, better option. [the mids aren't exactly recessed as much as the vocals are just not as forward as other IEMs I enjoy.]

It's wild as in the reviews my explanations are long and almost indecipherable. Lol

But on the forums I get the chance to simplify matters. Where truly at this point I'm familiar with 4 not 6, in the series. Yet the two SPA creations are single DD and the STA creations are 6mm and 10mm DDs. To sum them up is to say that so far the STA series is not as bottom heavy, then the one more expensive STA has a slightly brighter treble with a tad more detail. Of the SPA series (11.4mm DD) one, the Ultra is a whopping 14 grams grams each at $189.90 and the TOTL (Limited Edition) Flagship is only 8 grams at $429.90. Though again the top-of-the line gets you more treble details and comes off more crisp. Still with the way the Zinc Alloy SPA Ultra is made (depending who you are) it really gets you about 90% there as far as being like the Limited Edition? Sure you can concentrate on the extra level of what the Limited Edition does..........but the way that 14 grams of the Ultra fits way inside your ear, there is nothing bad about the weight. It is just the Limited Edition Aluminum is lower weight, plus comes with 2 editions......one with crinkles and one with flowing lines.

If you just wanted to experience the STA level, I'm going to see what the upper levels are like as I just got the more pricy STA Pro MAX. Yet my other 2 STA reviews are up to read. Really for the money their 10mm and 6mm DDs do pretty good, from the two I have heard so far.

Yea I'd probably be more interested in the dual DD sets...

Sorry I do have the original like in the picture, but I haven't listened to it for years. Though in 1975 I did a side-by-side with some Koss full-size against the Sennheiser HD414 and for hearing TDSotM by Floyd or Iron Man by Black Sabbath the Koss won in flying colors! Simply more smooth bass!

My main headphone in 1982 was a rebranded Koss open-back made by Radio Shack. Koss rules.........but I have not heard the newer ones!

I have a pair of Koss portapros with the mandatory Yaxi pads [limited ed. gold/black. a truly stunning color combo!] Listening to them after the crisp, clean VP-07 [from the DC-Elite] was... interesting. It's been a while since I listened to the Koss. The bass definitely bleeds into the mids, making them warmer and less defined. Bass IS punchy and pleasing, but not too clean. [the Yaxi pads help the mids a LOT.. they sounded absolutely atrocious with the stock thin pads.]
Treble is crisp enough... but the warmness of the mids really colors the entire sound.
I mean, for on-ears with sketchy build/cable quality, they DO sound a lot better than you'd expect, but the mids are just not up to my audiophile standards anymore... [maybe I need to try different/stronger sources...?] I can see how they would IMPRESS someone not into audio quality as much, but I'm wondering if there's any reason to keep them around anymore... [although once brain-burn-in hits, the PortaPros can indeed sound pleasing. Plus, with the Yaxi pads, and set to light tension mode, they are quite comfortable for longer listening sessions.]

 

[Redcarmoose]

I'm still a bit interested, but I have the KB02, Fan 3, and Nautilus for BC goodness... what would the Etude add besides that dope pretty faceplate? I saw the Redcarmoose review saying they're not the best for vocals, which is important to me. "There comes this character…….a slight blurriness, the sound of both the Beryllium 10mm DD and BCD adding up to drama. This slight fog is still romantic and fun, though just remember it is not everything, as proven today by the sound of more expensive IEM side-by-sides in comparison."
yea... I'm not sure that REALLY appeals to me...

If I want big bass and good treble but am not worried about recessed mids, the Tiandirenhe TD-08 pro is my jam... CK2V is another, better option. [the mids aren't exactly recessed as much as the vocals are just not as forward as other IEMs I enjoy.]

Yea I'd probably be more interested in the dual DD sets...

I have a pair of Koss portapros with the mandatory Yaxi pads [limited ed. gold/black. a truly stunning color combo!] Listening to them after the crisp, clean VP-07 [from the DC-Elite] was... interesting. It's been a while since I listened to the Koss. The bass definitely bleeds into the mids, making them warmer and less defined. Bass IS punchy and pleasing, but not too clean. [the Yaxi pads help the mids a LOT.. they sounded absolutely atrocious with the stock thin pads.]
Treble is crisp enough... but the warmness of the mids really colors the entire sound.
I mean, for on-ears with sketchy build/cable quality, they DO sound a lot better than you'd expect, but the mids are just not up to my audiophile standards anymore... [maybe I need to try different/stronger sources...?] I can see how they would IMPRESS someone not into audio quality as much, but I'm wondering if there's any reason to keep them around anymore... [although once brain-burn-in hits, the PortaPros can indeed sound pleasing. Plus, with the Yaxi pads, and set to light tension mode, they are quite comfortable for longer listening sessions.]

Yes, the PortaPros actually I purchased them in Tokyo while visiting of all places. I had just visited Sony headquarters and spent most of my money, so the Koss was just a way to get one more headphone on the trip, plus I had seen a bunch of people walking around with them so I was curious!

As far as the Etude, I mean I wrote the first review for them. And yes, you copied and pasted the wild aspect of them, and we probably need one more opinion of their vocal ability. But yes, the resonance that is really inside the lower midrange as documented by both HBB and I think Kiwi ears is there. How much it causes a mess is probably subjective. Still it’s a fun IEM, it is really Kiwi ears making something that possibly emulates the Fan 3? Maybe, just going by memory here? Lol........but it has that warmth thing going and the ability to gain long listening runs. The thing is that the Etude is quite the reactive IEM to source changes, ear-tips and cables. I mean I could have done more playing with the sound, but you get to a place where it starts to get confusing what the IEM is, if you modify and report and then modify the sound again!

What I wrote about the lower realm pace sounds worse maybe than it is. It is just unique in the IEM world to have this resonance there, as a peak. And the fact that it echoes when the music is paused!

As far as the STA series I have reviewed two under $50.00. So this new STA takes and comes showing what they can do with over $50.00.

 

[mikaik]

I think everybody knows the Tri I3 mk3 by now, but if you're interested, here's a little write-up I put together: https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/tri-i3-mk3.27318/reviews. Despite not being my favourite tuning, I ended up liking them and listening much more than I would've thought.

 

[sistoz]

Yea I'd probably be more interested in the dual DD sets...

While searching for a good successor to my WG T-ONE, I read various reviews suggesting that the Sta Hi-End Max might be the best model in the series.

 

[avishifi]

I'm still a bit interested, but I have the KB02, Fan 3, and Nautilus for BC goodness... what would the Etude add besides that dope pretty faceplate? I saw the Redcarmoose review saying they're not the best for vocals, which is important to me. "There comes this character…….a slight blurriness, the sound of both the Beryllium 10mm DD and BCD adding up to drama. This slight fog is still romantic and fun, though just remember it is not everything, as proven today by the sound of more expensive IEM side-by-sides in comparison."

To be honest, the reason I like them is because of the vocals. The vocals reverb/echos are well spread in the stage, makes it very immersive. Basically, the Pula Anvil114, but better, in my opinion. BUT, if you are looking for a true audiophile set, the Etude isn't it. It is a fun set for fun listening, or even relaxed listening. If you already own a BCD set, maybe it won't add a lot to your collection.