[Auricon]

1. EVO
2. Eletech Illiad and next 8-wire
3. EXT
4. X
5. Next iBasso Max
6. Traillii

 

[endless402]

1. Luxman da-250
2. Hugo TT
3. Reborn

I’m quite different

 

[Rockwell75]

1. Luxman da-250
2. Hugo TT
3. Reborn

I’m quite different

Do you want to demo my Reborn?

Edit. Should have PMd but it’s too late I guess…sorry for not asking sooner.

 

[Rockwell75]

Should add the Intime Sora 2 Ti3 to my list thanks to @ranfan’s suggestion earlier.

 

[ranfan]

FD3 is tempting, I've considered the FD5 many a time - have you tried that? I felt Dunu Zen sort of ticked that box... now the Zen Pro is of course appealing too.

I still have to pick up the Blon 03. Any other must-have lower priced earphones I should be considering?

Trying EM5 with some more complex and energetic electronic music, not suited - feels congested and harsh at times.

No, I haven't. Will try the FD5 later at the store along with EM5. The Zen Pro looks interesting as well. The previous Zen has some thinness in the mids which came off to me as slightly less natural. Wonder how their newer Pro model would sound.

BL-03 is a cost-to-performance gem. It won't hurt keeping it I think. Or at least to wow some of your saner non-Head-Fi friends with its bass. Speaking of cost-to-performance, the ~$20 Quarks sounded surprisingly good They have a rather neutral tuning, with an impressive soundstage and bass for their tiny size. They're among the tiniest IEMs I've tried. But they fit rather well. Definitely worth checking if you're curious. Hard to find many better for ~$20

Spoiler

Just curious-- to anyone who reads this, what's the number 1 thing on your radar right now?

Relating to IEMs, definitely the EXT and Phonix. Empire Ears EVO too, kudos to them for sending their demo units quicker than VE to dealers here. 64 Audio Duo, curious to compare them with the open-back planar LCD-i4. Mellianus JP also look interesting. And of course, how can we forget the EVE21. Super busy times for VE right now

For DAPs, the Shanling M9. And for headphones, the entire ZMF lineup. I'm contemplating collecting them, as I love their wood build & design. Will get the first taste of their sound when my Auteur arrive

 

[Mehran]

Just curious-- to anyone who reads this, what's the number 1 thing on your radar right now?

1.EXT
2.Hiby RS6
3.IE900 (I bought the IE300 , it surprised me a lot for the price)

I was interested in EVO, but it seems it's in the shouty territory for me.

 

[Scubadevils]

Just curious-- to anyone who reads this, what's the number 1 thing on your radar right now?

A new DAP - not sure which one but N6ii Ti high on the list.

In terms of IEMs, I really need to pause and enjoy what I have but on the radar...

1. Faudio Dark Sky
2. EVO
3. Turii
4. EXT
5. Zen Pro
6. Fiio FD3 Pro now tempting following @ranfan post earlier and subsequent reading of reviews

I'll probably explore buds a bit more for now.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

1. EXT
2. EVO
3. Elysian X

Agree. I think those might be the GOATS for Mids, Bass and Treble, respectively.

 

[feverfive]

Just curious-- to anyone who reads this, what's the number 1 thing on your radar right now?

I am curious to see the crop of R2R DAPs coming the next few months, though not certain I'll be buying.

I'm still technically "in the game" for the EVO, but I just don't think I'll wind up willing to pay that price. I have too many other things going on. I was never going to be an early adopter anyway; I'll probably ride it out and see the lay of the IEM land after the New Year.

 

[Neweymatt]

Just curious-- to anyone who reads this, what's the number 1 thing on your radar right now?

1.

Otherwise divorce papers would be number 2.

Really, though, i'm happy to take a bit of a break and enjoy the dozens of combinations of gear I've accumulated in short order.

Actually, one thing I did add today was a subscription to 3TripleR Radio.
https://www.rrr.org.au
Not that you have to pay to listen to them anywhere in the world, but I'm quite happy to support community radio like this who also happen to play the diverse variety of music I enjoy most.

 

[Rockwell75]

how can we forget the EVE21. Super busy times for VE right now

Is that a thing yet? It's almost time to start anticipating EVE22.

For DAPs, the Shanling M9. And for headphones, the entire ZMF lineup. I'm contemplating collecting them, as I love their wood build & design. Will get the first taste of their sound when my Auteur arrive

I forgot about the M9. Definitely curious to see what Shanling can do at the flagship level with a Sabre board.

 

[Rockwell75]

I'm still technically "in the game" for the EVO

I'm sure it's amazing but on paper it doesn't seem like it fits the niche I'm looking to fill right now...and absent a demo, which for the foreseeable future seems impossible, pretty much takes it out of realistic consideration for me for the time being. I got a decent raise at work recently and can see myself plunging on either the EXT or the Phoenix if either moves me sufficiently.

 

[Pooplow]

Had to look that one up...that price tag! lol

My radar, for reference:

1) EXT
2) Phoenix
3) EVO
4) IE900
5) n6ii TI

Also, Cowon Plenue L--- I've wanted to hear this for years.

I've had a Plenue L for a bit, sounds great but you blink and the battery dies. Tradeoff for having a desktop chip haha.

 

[Wildcatsare1]

Added SE12. My next big project with this will be to go through all my notes and impressions and added a section on "Mid-range body" as I've realized lately how big a deal it is to me. It's a testament to the power of these communities that I've managed to seek out & come across IEMs that are various shades of great, as this list testifies.

1. EVO - loving what I'm hearing, everything else sounds small.
2. EXT - very excited to hear the best mids in the business, with moar bass!
3. PHöNIX - I've never heard the Earkönig, ss here's to hearing it's successor!
4. Hiby R6 r2r, Cayin’s R2R dongle, and any new R2R products in development.

 

[ranfan]

Is black friday going to be a thing for newer model IEMs and dealers in the US? Might wait and get a good price then

I'll probably explore buds a bit more for now.

The use case I find best suited for earbuds I think is when I'm listening and watching movies or some clips. I feel that earbuds fit the bill quite well in that area, partly because of its size and soundstage. Immersion is a high priority when watching in my opinion, the suspension of belief, and to me wearing headphones felt too heavy and some have strong clamps and poor ventilation. IEMs too can feel a bit closed in in terms of stage. Not to mention the heat from the silicone tips when wearing long period. Ideally you'd want to get a theatre, or dedicated decent-sized room witu high quality speakers. But for those who can't afford, the earbuds to me seem like a good alternative. You can attach them lightly to your ears, and if they're light enough you might forget about wearing them. Plus they usually have larger soundstage and DD rumbling bass than IEMs, suitable for some sound effects and increasing immersion. The downside would probably be earbuds having poorer isolation, and relatively lower detail retrievals

I got a decent raise at work recently and can see myself plunging on either the EXT or the Phoenix if either moves me sufficiently.

Congrats! Can't wait to hear your impressions on them. I can see the EXT filling the lower-mids specialist in your collection, with that DD and HALC