[ian91]

I consider them both medium-impedance IEMs that need amping or a decently powerful source to sound their best. They can seem treble-heavy when not driven properly, but it just takes more power to push their bass and mids out - they are in fact very balanced across the spectrum.

Note: I had the Yu9 made with a 4.4 balanced plug (for an additional $10) but used a 3.5 adapter for the purpose of A/Bing with the Ety. Switching back to balanced, I can clearly hear better control and imaging compared to SE, so the option is worth considering if you’re thinking of getting this.

Of course you can also use it with your own balanced cables if you’re getting the detachable cable version. I am not a fan of QDC-style connectors in general but have to say their cable is one of the better (and most secure) implementations of it that I’ve seen.

Very much my experience too - you need some drive to bring out the bass and low mids.

- Cable is excellent ergonomically - soft, supple, light, no memory of its own and not much by way of microphonics… but it has that awful chemical smell I’ve only smelled in cheapie KZ “upgrade“ cables. I’m airing it in the hope it will go away.

This is interesting, both my fixed cable 4B and the interchangable model didn't have any issues with a chemical smell. I think this is because you went for the 4.4mm termination which meant they had to wire a new cable. They probably used new stock straight off the roll with no time for airing.

 

[-rowan-]

I consider them both medium-impedance IEMs that need amping or a decently powerful source to sound their best. They can seem treble-heavy when not driven properly, but it just takes more power to push their bass and mids out - they are in fact very balanced across the spectrum.

Very much my experience too - you need some drive to bring out the bass and low mids.

Trying them on my old Little Dot mkII with Voskhod and Novosibirsk gold grid tubes and they sound noticeably more spacious and the notes more 3D. The Dot is made for high-impedance headphones and interestingly the Ety 4B hisses just a little, enough to hear at quieter parts, but the Yu9 doesn’t…

This is interesting, both my fixed cable 4B and the interchangable models didn't have any issues with a chemical smell. I think this is because you went for the 4.4mm termination that meant they had to wire a new cable and probably used new stock. I reckon it will dissipate with time.

Most likely. Totally not regretting going 4.4 though!

 

[ian91]

Trying them on my old Little Dot mkII with Voskhod and Novosibirsk gold grid tubes and they sound noticeably more spacious and the notes more 3D. The Dot is made for high-impedance headphones and interestingly the Ety 4B hisses just a little, enough to hear at quieter parts, but the Yu9 doesn’t…

I get no audible hiss on low gain on the LD1+. Things get much better with the right amount of power for these...enjoy it!


I just want to say, and not to detract from your enjoyment....

Shanling M8 (LO mode, turbo gain) --> Little Dot 1+ (Voskhod 6J1P tubes & Burson V6 Vivid, low gain) --> U-554

This is still the most impressed I've been with a sub-$600 IEM / headphone. The imaging, layering and separation is just godly and tonally, despite being bright and midforward, they never shout or become sibilant. Absolute winning combo.

Most likely. Totally not regretting going 4.4 though!

Definitely! It's a must with all of their sets. The single BA really demands power to flex to the lowest Hz.

 

[-rowan-]

I get no audible hiss on low gain on the LD1+. Things get much better with the right amount of power for these...enjoy it!

Fortunately, the Yu9 is dead silent on the LD mkII even on moderate gain, so there must be some differences in terms of impedance or sensitivity compared to the Ety. Its mids really sing on the Dot.

I just want to say, and not to detract from your enjoyment....



This is still the most impressed I've been with a sub-$600 IEM / headphone. The imaging, layering and separation is just godly and tonally, despite being bright and midforward, they never shout or become sibilant. Absolute winning combo.

This combo isn’t half bad either:
Cayin N3 Pro - Little Dot mkII (Voskhod / Novosibirsk) - Yu9 4B

They really shine on tube amps, don’t they? It makes such a difference to the layering and separation, especially on well-recorded live tracks. They also benefit from warmer sources like the N3 Pro.

Definitely! It's a must with all of their sets. The single BA really demands power to flex to the lowest Hz.

Speaking of the lowest Hz… I tried some of my sub bass test tracks just for laughs and the Ety is able to allude to just a little more sub bass than the Yu9. I wouldn’t reach for either if I wanted any meaningful sub bass though - practically anything else would do a better job.

 

[Bloos]

Huh? Did they just just double their prices? $272USD now

 

[ian91]

Huh? Did they just just double their prices? $272USD now

The Huo Niu store looks like it has, but that store isn't run by Yu9. They were listed at a 50% discounted price to begin with. It's not unusual for sellers to price hike only to later offer an artificial sale to drive movement of products. While my advice would be to wait, both sets are still worth the current markup. The U-556 is my daily driver.

 

[counterclockwise]

Back to being $136 again for now (and the description now links to this thread ^^)
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003712875087.html
Meanwhile my u-554s appear to have gotten caught up in the Shanghai lockdown...

 

[ian91]

Meanwhile my u-554s appear to have gotten caught up in the Shanghai lockdown...

Oh man, sorry to hear that. It'll be worth the wait! Spent yesterday evening with the U-554 and electronic ambient stuff. It was such a good listening experience. Many sets at this price manage a wide soundstage but it's usually with a flat image compressed at the edge but this set does width and height but backed up with depth and layering - just what you need for complex tracks.

I've switched to Ety dual flange tips (my second attempt with these) and it seems they are the only tip that truly moves deep enough and seals well enough to reduce the natural resonance in my ear. I think it's down to the softer material that conforms to the odd curvature of my ear canal. The result = bliss.

 

[-rowan-]

Many sets at this price manage a wide soundstage but it's usually with a flat image compressed at the edge but this set does width and height but backed up with depth and layering - just what you need for complex tracks.

Pulled the trigger on the U-554s too, so this is awesome to know!

Meanwhile my u-554s appear to have gotten caught up in the Shanghai lockdown...

Genuinely curious while we wait… do you know if they’re based in Shanghai? Or how do you know where they’re stuck? The tracking information I get from AE doesn’t say as much.

 

[ian91]

Pulled the trigger on the U-554s too, so this is awesome to know!

Actually really pleased to see you went for it. They offer something tonally distinct from the 4B and with better ergonomics. I do think the U-554 is my sweet spot for tunings, the U-556 is great but theres definitely something to the revealing air about the U-554 that keeps me coming back. Wait until you get your head in them. The space they construct is a real pleasure and well ahead of their 4B and in many respects ahead of my multidriver sets I have to hand.

I don't recall them being based in Shanghai / return details saying anything but maybe...

 

[counterclockwise]

Genuinely curious while we wait… do you know if they’re based in Shanghai? Or how do you know where they’re stuck? The tracking information I get from AE doesn’t say as much.

The tracking function on the AE site generally doesn't tell you much.
Any of the following sites will give a lot more info:
www.chinapost-track.com
www.17track.net
www.4tracking.net

Most recent status update for mine is that it's being dispatched from the outward office of exchange in Shanghai, meaning it's supposed to be put on a plane next. Shipments to Japan usually show up at the inbound office of exchange in Kawasaki in 1 to 3 days after that. However, it has been crickets for about a week now, and going by the news there's very little air traffic in and out of Shanghai at the moment due to the lockdown (and what there is probably won't be loading any packages with a China Post tracking number starting with an L, cause that L stands for Low priority ^^). Meanwhile, Japan Post put up a notice on their site telling customers to expect massive delays for mail in and out of Shanghai due to the lockdown.

So, seems like Shanghai is their nearest international shipping hub, but whether they're actually located in Shanghai I don't know. If they are, I doubt they're in a position to get anything shipped out right now. If they're outside the city then hopefully their mail service will be smart enough to route yours through another hub. ^^

 

[-rowan-]

Actually really pleased to see you went for it. They offer something tonally distinct from the 4B and with better ergonomics. I do think the U-554 is my sweet spot for tunings, the U-556 is great but theres definitely something to the revealing air about the U-554 that keeps me coming back. Wait until you get your head in them. The space they construct is a real pleasure and well ahead of their 4B and in many respects ahead of my multidriver sets I have to hand.

I don't recall them being based in Shanghai / return details saying anything but maybe...

If I hadn’t already sprung for it, all this talk about imaging would have sealed the deal. And ergonomics are a pretty good bonus! I’m used to the ol’ ER4 sticks but it doesn’t mean I don’t want to be able to use them in bed without running the risk of accidentally impaling myself through my ear…

The tracking function on the AE site generally doesn't tell you much.
Any of the following sites will give a lot more info:
www.chinapost-track.com
www.17track.net
www.4tracking.net

Most recent status update for mine is that it's being dispatched from the outward office of exchange in Shanghai, meaning it's supposed to be put on a plane next. Shipments to Japan usually show up at the inbound office of exchange in Kawasaki in 1 to 3 days after that. However, it has been crickets for about a week now, and going by the news there's very little air traffic in and out of Shanghai at the moment due to the lockdown (and what there is probably won't be loading any packages with a China Post tracking number starting with an L, cause that L stands for Low priority ^^). Meanwhile, Japan Post put up a notice on their site telling customers to expect massive delays for mail in and out of Shanghai due to the lockdown.

So, seems like Shanghai is their nearest international shipping hub, but whether they're actually located in Shanghai I don't know. If they are, I doubt they're in a position to get anything shipped out right now. If they're outside the city then hopefully their mail service will be smart enough to route yours through another hub. ^^

Hmm, you may be right. They may have used a different service to try to get round the lockdown - I thought it was a bit odd that my U-554 was shipped with a tracking number beginning with the letters JNCN, which I don’t recall having seen before (they shipped my 4B with one of the usual L tracking numbers, which I hadn’t even realised meant low priority until you said so, but arrived in good time anyway). Anyway, it says on AE that it’s “at consolidation warehouse” and none of the third-party tracking sites have been able to identify the courier or offer any further information. I guess I’ll just have to sit tight and wait - at least it’s on its way, unlike two other orders I placed on AE more recently, which have been met with absolute crickets, even from the sellers…

 

[-rowan-]

https://parcelsapp.com/ answered my question - they’re in Fenggan, Dongguan, nearish Shenzhen.

(No, I’m not impatient for them to arrive, why do you ask? )

 

[DanTra]

I saw the U-556 on Facebook the other day, and and I've been really curious about them. I saw that there's 2 different colors for the option, blue and black. Are they the same U-556 model with different colors, or are they different models? Just want to make sure before I order these bad boys.

 

[Bloos]

I saw the U-556 on Facebook the other day, and and I've been really curious about them. I saw that there's 2 different colors for the option, blue and black. Are they the same U-556 model with different colors, or are they different models? Just want to make sure before I order these bad boys.

The blues are 554, blacks are 556