General purchase advice: Ask your questions/for advice here!

I need advice!
6169

the problem is that the 1% to 5% they screw up tends to include the treble. Think of a sawtooth. Broken glass. Ice. A good DAC and amp can transform many IEMs or headphones, and the DAC can make the same set of drivers listenable or unlistenable.

Hence I said “Treat this hobby as a journey to finding your perfect sound.”
You guys are making this hobby more complicated than it really should be…
It really wasn’t like this when I got in to audio 15 years ago…
I tend to explain to my peers that it’s like musicians searching for their right instruments and peripherals that satisfies their needs, and that got them going just fine. No explaining numbers, background info, blah blah blah.
In fact, getting numbers and measured data involved shooed people away even if they were a little interested…

Rikarudo_Rintarou stated they already have a dongle and considering something else later down the road.
Let them explore people…

6170

Thinking about low-cost ($50 USD or less) IEM, wired, needs to sound OK just driven by phone. Fine if it sounds better with better gear, but not a primary consideration.

Kiwi Ears Cadenza for $35 USD seems to have solid reviews, but I don’t know this segment of the market at all.

Other candidates?

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6171

Truthear Zero:Red is a solid option.

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6172

I agree with Nuance. Price on this has dropped a bit, I got it a few bucks higher. I compare to the Dunu Titan S. For overall listening I like the TRUTHEAR better. It may be a bit more v shaped, but it’s not bad, and it is both more relaxing and comfortable over time than the DUNU. The DUNU is more technical, has slightly better soundstage, and if I’m listening critically, just seems to reveal more. But I find myself reaching for the TRUTHEAR when I want to listen.

Neither has a microphone in the line, so if you use it with your phone for calls, you will be using the handset to speak.

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6173

CCA Trio is rocking the sub-$50 scene. I have it and the hype is real.

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6174
  • Final E1000 / E2000 / E3000
  • Simgot EW100
  • intime SORA light
  • KINERA Celest Wyvern Pro
  • NF AUDIO RG05
  • Maestraudio MA910S
  • iBasso Audio IT00
6175

There are plenty of different flavours out there, depending on personal tastes.

My preferred options have already been mentioned: Truthear Red & Kiwi Ears Cadenza.

Added to those, I personally like the Tangzu Wan’er, the 7Hz Zero (1&2).

However, as said, those are just things that I like personally, there are plenty of other decent options depending on your personal tastes.

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6176

Looks interesting – the Harman Curve is a decent target for me.

Do the switches work? That is, do they make useful changes to the sound profile? @Nimweth’s review in the Ultra Cheap IEM thread left all the switches off for all listening.

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6177

Yes, the switches work. Surprisingly well.

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6178

Yes, indeed. I’m on UUUD, and I’m quite happy.

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6179

Ordered the Trio. $45 for an adjustable IEM should be more than good enough for my use case (plane, car, boat, train probably in roughly that order).

Thanks again for all the thoughts / inputs.

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6180

Planes, trains, & automobiles?

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6181

Just ordered the FIIO FT5. Really looking forward to it. Being from Canada AliExpress had the fairest and best price on them.
Should arrive in a couple of weeks.
Happy to buy them.

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6182

You’ll like the Trio, Lou. A lot of fun with many genres, especially rock and metal. The tuning switches really work and provide versatility.

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6183

Something like that, only family will be with me, and as I said before, I’m also getting on a boat. :slight_smile:

So, non-quiet environments mostly, therefore non-critical listening. And that goes along with what @pk500 said about genres, mostly listening to older / classic pop and rock and (a little) metal. Never really been able to enjoy classical music or small-ensemble jazz under those conditions.

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6184

It’s funny … but I “accidentally”* wound up with a pair of the CCA Trio.

I really like them; they’re easy to listen to, quite engaging, and the switches give some on-the-go options that aren’t accessible with similarly priced IEMs.

Different to, but on a similar level with (maybe a more “fun” tuning depending on where you put the switches), the 7Hz Crinacle Zero:2 and Truthear x Crinacle Zero:RED. And it’s easy, compact enough, and “safe” to throw all three in a little box and keep them around when I travel to, shall we say, “less civilized” areas/countries.

No, they’re not on the same level as something like the MoonDrop Blessing 2 or 3, though they can be more “fun” (in UUUU or UUUD configurations), much less the Monarch MKIII or IE600, but they’re an easy option … especially at ~$40.

Now … the cables are really just serviceable. And I don’t care for the stock tips at all. But a $30 4.4mm/QDC cable upgrade (I can’t even buy the parts for that much, let alone do the build), some Azla SednaEarfit XELASTEC II tips, and it’s all good**.

Interestingly, I find them less fatiguing to listen to for long periods than some mega-buck pure BA IEMs …

*How was it “accidental”? I saw them mentioned somewhere, was intrigued by the 3x DD configuration, added them to my Amazon cart (there had been some lots of Scotch and cigars consumed earlier that evening) , and promptly forgot about them. Next order I placed, there they were.
**One irony, here, is that the combination of cable + tips is the same price as the IEMs themselves. And it’s still a good result for the price.

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6185

I listened to Sara K.'s “I Can’t Stand the Rain” in DDDD mode, and it was too, let’s say, “polite.” Switched to UDUD, and it was a totally different experience of that song. The throbbing bass line stepped forward without mucking up the vocals, a little sparkle in her sibilants, a lot more life overall. Sometimes you need some EQ just to do proper service to the music.

It will take me awhile to figure out cable and tips, though I pretty much already figured out the cable will need to be upgraded. The connectors especially just feel too flimsy for long-term use. Thanks for the suggestions.

Speaking of tips, how does one figure out sizing for tips for IEMs? Is there anything other than trial and error?

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6186

one of the many benefits of a physical store…
hey? headphones . com?? wink wink nudge nudge?
(below pic from e-earphone: eartips you can all TRY FOR YOURSELF before you kiss bubai to your hard-earned money. all kept sanitary by wiping them down with alcohol wipes after each use.)

768×432 47.1 KB

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6187

Once I saw advice that said if you lose the seal while eating, the tips are the wrong size.

I read this tip the other day, and I like it a lot: Put the IEM in your ear. Turn on music. Place your index finger on the faceplate and gently make a circular motion with your finger while pressing lightly on the faceplate. If the sound doesn’t change, the tip fits. If the sound varies as the IEM is moving ever so slightly in your ear, the tip probably is too small.

Good luck, Lou!

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6188

Pretty much. I have a problem with standard ear tip shapes. They find a way to slip out of my ear canal, ruining the seal. I discovered the Dunu S&S tips, and the large size seals and fits me very well and these tips never slip out, even when I’m on a 3 mile walk with my dog.

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