[ChrisOc]

What a year it has been!

To counter the year of the dreaded COVID, we have had the benefit of a hobby, admittedly by its very nature, a selfish hobby, to which we can escape and enjoy our music.

Whichever way we choose to remember 2020, by any measure it has been a very busy year for earphones.

Whether you bought one pair of earphones or 20 pairs of earphones, whether you bought Chifi, Ukrainian or Japanese IEMs, it is time to rank the earphones you bought and even those you have yet to buy in the order that you believe they deserve to be ranked. It is time for you to give accolades where the earphones are worthy of praise and have your say where they did not quite live up to your expectations.
Yes, this may not be the first poll of its kind, but we certainly hope you will make it the best poll.

Your Members' Poll Team is made up of:

@baskingshark
@IEMusic
@Slater
@ChrisOc

We will be available to answer your questions. No private messages relating to the Poll to Poll Team Members please. We want everything out in the open and we have decided that to be fair, Poll Team members will not vote.

Let's make it fun, be polite and friendly.

 

[ChrisOc]

Rules for 2020 Members’ Poll for IEM

EDIT: The Poll has been opened early. You may start voting for your favourite IEMs.

You may enter a vote by posting your vote in the categories set out below.

By entering your vote, you agree to be bound by these rules. If you do not agree to the terms and conditions below, do not vote.

1.ELIGIBILITY: Voting is open only to all members of Headfi on the basis of, one member one post listing your votes in the various categories.

2. SPECIFIC RULES FOR VOTING: The following rules apply to Voting on this thread:

2 1. Voting on this year’s Annual awards is limited to voting for In Ear Monitors (IEMs).

2.2. This, our initial award event, permits all IEM as eligible to enter this competition regardless of the year in which the IEM was launched. The cut off point is any IEM on the market as at the 31st December 2020. Any IEM which comes to market after that date will be considered a 2021 IEM. Prices referred to in this poll are MSRP prices at the date the IEM concerned was launched.

2.3.This year’s voting will be a two stage process. As you are aware, we are inundated with IEMs, there is a new set of IEMs for everyday of the year, so we chose to whittle down to the top 5 IEMs in the first stage and the final votes for the top 5 will be in the Second stage. The First stage is on this thread and Second stage will be announced on the 7th of January 2021.

2.4 The Poll Team members will not cast a vote at any stage while they remain members of the Poll Team.

2.5 Any volunteers invited to assist the Poll Team may cast their votes like any other member.

2.6 You may enter any IEM of your choice in the Driver Configuration/ Price category set out on the thread. Please state the name of the IEM clearly as the manufacturer has named the IEMs, otherwise your vote may not count.

2.7 Voting will begin on the 1st January 2021 and will cease at 11.59 GMT on the 7th of January 2021.

2.8 Votes registered outside of the designated voting dates and times will not be counted.

2.9 Final votes will be cast at the second stage to be announced. Your vote may be disqualified if it does not comply with these rules, which means your vote will not count.

2.10 Your vote cannot be at the request of a manufacturer of IEMs or any other external influence, it is simply what you like.

2.11 You may not vote for any financial benefit or benefit of any kind.

2.12 You will be disqualified if you enter or attempt to enter multiple votes.

2.13 You may change any part of your post up to 11.59 GMT on the 7th of January 2021. At 0.00 on the 8th of January 2021, the votes as they stand will be recorded and no votes cast after that time will be counted, if they do not appear as recorded.

2.14 You may be disqualified if, in the view of the Poll Team, you have acted in a manner which will bring the voting process into disrepute.

2.15 Prohibited acts, may include, cheating, hacking, deception, an attempt to undermine a fair voting process, whether that is obstructive, abusive, annoying, threatening behaviour or harassment of an entrant to this process.

2.16 Where there is a dispute, disagreement or other questions to determine in the interest of fairness or efficacy of this process, the Poll Team’s decision will be final.

2.17 Voting in Stage 2 requires a Member's post showing their selection of one of the IEMs listed in each category. Categories have been posted separately simply for clarity.

2.18 The categories remain the same as stage 1, the only alteration is that multiple Dynamic Drivers (DD) are included in the "Single DD" Category.

2.19 Stage 2 will remain open for 10 days beginning 21st January 2021 until 11.59 on the 30th January 2021.

3.ADDITIONAL RULES:

3 1 This process does not award a prize, it is a process by which members make vote for which IEM members of Headfi collectively decide is the best for the year.

3.2 Headfi and Poll Team members are not responsible for typographical or other errors in the process of voting, including but not limited to errors in the Rules, selection and announcement of the IEMs which have won each category.

3.3 The Poll Team reserves the right to terminate or amend the process, in whole or in part, at any time without notice, if any factor, including, and without limitation, virus, bugs, or non-authorized human intervention, interferes with its conduct or fairness, as contemplated by these rules.

 

[ChrisOc]

This is the poll format:

Prices are based on MSRP at time the IEM is launch.

Best single-DD IEM
<$50
$50-$110
$110-$350
$350-$1000
>$1000

Best all-BA IEM
<$50
$50-$110
$110-$350
$350-$1000
>$1000

Best Hybrid IEM (2 driver types only, including DD+BA, DD+magnetostat, BA+EST, etc.)
<$50
$50-$110
$110-$350
$350-$1000
>$1000

Best Tribrid or more IEM (any combination of 3 or more driver types)
$50-$110
$110-$350
$350-$1000
>$1000

Copy and paste onto your post and insert your votes accordingly.

 

[ChrisOc]

STAGE 1

Closed

 

[dharmasteve]

Just seen this Chris.It's a great idea. Not sure how to vote cause I am a silly billy. Over $1000....Sultan of Brunei level....to me?? Very good idea, maybe as I'm less bright...do I just write $50-$110 and the IEM etc..... for each price group? Where do I post it also? I need baby instructions. Is this the thread? Show a sample for us?

Be well
Steve

 

[ChrisOc]

Just seen this Chris.It's a great idea. Not sure how to vote cause I am a silly billy. Over $1000....Sultan of Brunei level....to me?? Very good idea, maybe as I'm less bright...do I just write $50-$110 and the IEM etc..... for each price group? Where do I post it also? I need baby instructions. Is this the thread? Show a sample for us?

Be well
Steve

I will show a sample Steve. Worry not.

 

[IEMusic]

Just to clarify. You don’t NEED to vote in every category if you don’t feel comfortable or qualified to. For instance, I’ve never listened to a tribrid in the $50-110 range, so I wouldn’t nominate anything in that category.

 

[ChrisOc]

SAMPLE
Here is the voting format copied from above. I now enter the (sample) names of my chosen IEMs in the appropriate sections.

Best single-DD IEM
<$50 - Cheapfi Audio
$50-$110 - Strangeford Hifi
$110-$350 -
$350-$1000 - Getting Seriously Expensive
>$1000

Best all-BA IEM
<$50 - Pretty Shells Audio
$50-$110
$110-$350 - El Loco Hifi
$350-$1000 -
>$1000 - Now This Ain't Cheap Tech

Best Hybrid IEM (2 driver types only, including DD+BA, DD+magnetostat, BA+EST, etc.)
<$50
$50-$110 - Seriously Good Value Hifi
$110-$350
$350-$1000 - El Loco Expensive II
>$1000 -

Best Tribrid or more IEM (any combination of 3 or more driver types)
$50-$110
$110-$350 - EarAche Audio
$350-$1000
>$1000 - No BS Top End

 

[CopperFox]

What about single driver planars? I like my M350s

 

[ChrisOc]

What about single driver planars? I like my M350s

We will bear that in mind for next year!

Place it in the nearest alternative and it will be taken into account.

 

[slex]

I like to see which are the top pricebreaker in term of value in those caterory too?

 

[IEMusic]

Let the voting/nominating begin!!

Since this thread is already up, and we have a set deadline of 11:59 GMT on the 7th of January 2021, there is really no point in delaying the voting any longer. After agreement of the Members' Poll Team, we have decided to officially open the thread up to voting.

Have fun, and Happy New Year!!!

 

[Rockwell75]

Best single-DD IEM

$110-$350 -> JVC FDX1

Best all-BA IEM

>$1000 => Andromeda 2020/MW10
>$2000 => VE8
>$3000 => Erlkonig (Haven't heard it but, you know, safe bet.)

Best Hybrid IEM (2 driver types only, including DD+BA, DD+magnetostat, BA+EST, etc.)

>$1000 => Solaris OG/SE
>$2000 => Legend X

Best Tribrid or more IEM (any combination of 3 or more driver types)

>$1000 => MEST
>$2000 => Elysium

 

[Redcarmoose]

 

[slex]

SAMPLE
Here is the voting format copied from above. I now enter the (sample) names of my chosen IEMs in the appropriate sections.

Best single-DD IEM
<$50 - Cheapfi /Blon BL-03?
$50-$110 - Strangeford Hifi/ Tin T2+
$110-$350 - NM2+ & BElieve
$350-$1000 - DUNU ZEN? Fiio D5?
>$1000/ Final A8000

Best all-BA IEM
<$50 - Etymotics?
$50-$110
$110-$350 - El Loco Hifi
$350-$1000 -iBasso it07?
>$1000 - Now This Ain't Cheap Tech

Best Hybrid IEM (2 driver types only, including DD+BA, DD+magnetostat, BA+EST, etc.)
<$50
$50-$110 - Seriously Good Value Hifi
$110-$350
$350-$1000 - El Loco Expensive II
>$1000 -

Best Tribrid or more IEM (any combination of 3 or more driver types)
$50-$110
$110-$350 - EarAche Audio
$350-$1000
>$1000 - No BS Top End

Are you joining too?