Usually I find it more tolerable if the pricing was lower. The Kinera Tyr for example was quite decent imo.
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lol - i just happen to be getting the prototype unit sent to me soon for feedback. hopefully by end of weekend.
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Thanks to some good friends and fortunate circumstances I get to spend a few days with some great IEMs
Some ‘first few hours’ impressions:
Of the 3, based on my immediate first impressions, the Nio and Z1R are the clear favorites. The Z1R is really impressing me on this second round (I owned one for about a month a couple summers ago). Holy Mary Mother of Balls does Z1R’s bass sound good through the M8. Shanling’s stated intent to provide a signature as smooth, powerful and alluring as carved jade is really coming to fruition here…Z1R + M8 is possibly the nicest standalone bass I’ve heard in a portable setup. Any fears that the M8 and Z1R wouldn’t compliment each other well are entirely unfounded to my ears. Could the Z1R be the more v-shaped compliment to Ely I’m seeking…time will tell. The treble on the Z1R is also really nice though having gotten used to Elysium’s treble it’s not quite as impressive as it was the first time I heard it. The Z1R’s treble can be a touch metallic at times and I often wonder if DD treble has a tendency towards this because all the times I’ve really noticed it have been in DD IEMs. The treble on the VE Elysium has pretty much entirely converted me to the school of e-stat treble…it’s detail, speed, clarity and if done well lack of harshness and bite…is unbeatable.
I’ve got a newfound love and respect for the Z1R right now. It helps that the longer stemmed Sedna tips (that I didn’t have before) seem to be entirely mitigating any fit issues I had when I owned it. Further, my source at the time of owning Z1R was the n6ii + A01-- that particular board tended to bump the mid-bass slghtly and that may have exaggerated the slightly veiled mids on Z1R. I still notice this to some extent but it’s not bothering me as much now.
Really liking the bass on the Nio…it’s a bit more technical/detailed than I was expecting on the whole and altogether it’s a fun and engaging listen. That said if I were to own one I’d probably EQ down 2 and 4K by a couple DB each.
The M9 has failed to connect with me so far, but I will try again. Initial impressions are that the M9 is like a u12t with thicker bass and a dash more personality-- though neither the u12t or M9 IEMs seem like they will take down Andro and VE8 as my favorite BA IEMs. More impressions to come.
Mini shootout:
+Nio => Decent Mid-range presence and instrumental timbre, vocals nicely placed in the mix, great balance, decently detailed, layered and technical, impactful slightly elevated controlled bass.
-Nio => Not quite as technical (layering, staging, imaging etc.) as some other hybrids I’ve heard (Z1R, Solaris, Legend X, MEST), can be a little shouty in the 3-5K region at times though this can be remedied for the most part with EQ.
+Z1R => Peerless bass texture & extension, which the M8 absolutely milks for everything it’s worth (seriously this is a heavenly pairing), fantastic staging and technicalities, great mid-range texture, if a little too tucked behind a veil of bass at times (though admittedly this is nowhere near as noticable on my M8 as it was on my n6ii+a01), a really fun and engaging sound overall.
-Z1R => A little too v-shaped for me to be my only IEM (ie., as with the MEST often I find myself zoning out on the amazing bass whereas in my ideal setup my attention is drawn to the whole of the sound), highs can be a touch metallic-- though I wouldn’t go so far as to say “harsh–” at times.
In summary: My overall preference is for a balanced, open, natural and accessible midrange-- which is why I tend to gravitate primarily to “bass lite” IEMs like Elysium, Solaris SE and Andro. If I had to pick one of the Z1R, Nio or M9 to be my only IEM it would be the Nio due to its more balanced and accessible mid-range. The Z1R is shaping up to be my ideal choice as a secondary more “fun sounding” IEM to complement Ely. I didn’t mention the M9 as much as I’ve only had a bit of time with it and haven’t really connected with it-- it honestly sounds like someone took an Andro 2020, thickened the bass and sucked the heart and soul out of the sound.
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Fantastic comparison piece @jrockwell. You certainly have tried most TOTL iem’s now. How are you finding the overall fit of the Z1R?
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The fit is fine. When I had the Z1R previously the best tips I had were spiral dots and I found it impossible to keep the Z1R in my ears for long stretches-- they were always sliding out of my ears. This time around I have OG Sednas on hand which are made of a much firmer material than spirals and have a longer stem-- these two factors work brilliantly for me with the Z1R as I am able to now get a deeper more secure fit and keep them locked in place in my ears comfortably for longer sessions.
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Funny story: at CanJam NY last year I tried the Z1R with whichever tips - Sony ones? - they were using at the exhibit desk. I removed the IEMs and both tips remained stuck in my ears. Sony didn’t have any tweezers. I then spent 20 minutes going from booth to booth asking if anyone had any tweezers. I was rescued by a kind rep for Westone.
Lesson learned: always take a pair of tweezers with you when you go audition IEMs!
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Thanks for a great insight into the synergy between the M8 and the Z1R’s…being a Z1R owner and lover 
and looking to get a new mid-tier source in the next few weeks have you by chance had a chance to listen to the DX300 as these two are in my sights right now 
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My missus has done many such extractions bless her lol
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No I have not but from a purely SQ perspective everyone I know who has tried both prefers the M8. What are your priorities in a DAP (sonic and otherwise)?
Edit: Oh woe unto this hobby of ours that the M8 and DX300 are considered “mid tier” lol.
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Happy to use either as usb Dac or stream, at the moment I use an iFi iDSD Micro og silver, I like the overall warm sound sig of the Burr brown chips but would like a slightly more detailed response without going too THX if you know what I mean lol.
You can blame LP and their P6Pro for that lol.
Edit…It would be also good to have a low noise threshold/black ground as my second go to is a pair of loved original Andro’s
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The butt end of a 2.5 (ideally) or 3.5 cable will work too in a real pinch-- you just have to get the connector through the hole in the tip.
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I have the Nios and have hardly used them because I don’t use IEMs at home.
But I took them on my recent vacation, using an iPod Touch connected to an Oppo HA-2SE, and I was shocked at how “gorgeous” they sounded. They reminded me of the ZMF Aeolus, very smooth, with a warm, lush sound, perfect for sitting on the balcony staring at the sunset, listening to music, without caring about timbre, resolution, highs, lows etc.
I’d only brought the M20 (big bass) filter with me, and they were probably a touch too warm for me, so I need to play with the filters to see what happens if I lower the bass a bit. But I agree, those mids are to die for.
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Samsung Galaxy Buds Overview - Which Is For You?
Introduction
There has always been a divide between wired IEMs and their truly wireless (TWS) counterparts; the latter generally understood to be more so an exercise in convenience. But every once in a while, something comes along that is a challenge of preconceived notions and expectations: the Samsung Galaxy Buds are a prime example.
Believe it or not, but the Samsung Galaxy Buds are ubiquitous amongst audiophiles for their surprisingly good sound quality and price-to-performance ratio. In fact, they play ball with many of their best wired counterparts! But perhaps it shouldn’t have come as surprising. Samsung owns Harman International which, under researcher Sean Olive, developed the Harman target curve, an aggregate preference curve for sound.
So this review will attempt to answer what the other guys normally leave out: How do the Galaxy Buds actually sound? And furthermore, between the original Buds (henceforth referred to as “OG Buds”), the Buds+, and the Buds Pro, which is the one for you?
Source & Drivability
All critical listening was done off of an Apple iPhone X. This decision was made for a couple of reasons: 1) To assess the Galaxy Buds’ raw performance, devoid of features that would favor certain demographics of buyers, and 2) because I simply don’t own an Android phone. Ideally, I would assess the Galaxy Buds off of both an iPhone and Android phone. But on the bright side this is a worst-case scenario, so you would expect the Galaxy Buds to perform better than what I’m describing.
The Tangibles
As I alluded to earlier, I’m going to keep this section brief. In terms of fit and comfort, my preferences lie with the OG Bud’s design. The notch makes for a secure fit and the way the buds contour to the concha of the ear is very comfortable. If I was sleeping with earbuds (not recommended, by the way!) or working out, I’d gravitate towards the OG Buds or the Buds+. The more bulbous design of the Buds Pro make them a tad uncomfortable; they seem to disengage more easily with sudden movements.
In terms of feature-set, go with the Buds+ if you want the best battery life (a class-leading 10+ hours), and go for the Buds Pro if you want IPX7 water-resistance. I don’t really consider the ANC on the Pros to be much of an advantage, as it’s decidedly poor even by TWS standards. The OG Buds remain the best value, as you can regularly find them for ~$50 on the secondary market.
Sound Analysis
Not sure how to read graphs? A frequency response graph depicts relative SPL (sound pressure level, or how loud the IEM is) at each part of the audible frequency range. In this case, at least for humans, that’s from about 20hZ to 20kHz. These measurements were taken off of an IEC-711 coupler and there is a resonance peak at around 8kHz. The coupler is only certified up until around 10kHz and, because of this resonance peak, measurements after this point should not be considered entirely accurate.
Both the OG Buds and the Buds+ largely adhere to the aforementioned Harman target. The Harman target is characterized by a clean, sub-200hZ bass shelf which tends to emphasize rumble over punch. By most accounts, both Buds have bass tunings that are within the realm of the “ideal” - even by audiophile standards - with the Buds+ sporting a more incisive shelf, dedicating more energy to this rumble. Really, if all you’re after is bass, the Buds+ have one of the best bass tunings available of any TWS IEM.
Where we start seeing deviations is in the midrange. The Buds+ are slightly leaner throughout the lower-midrange and sport a more aggressive upper-midrange tilt. This is an oft-cited criticism of Harman tuned IEMs which lends to clarity at the expense of overly thin and shouty notes. Treble, likewise, is more pronounced on the Buds+ which lends to some brightness and timbral issues. The OG Buds tone these qualities back a notch, suffering from these issues to a lesser degree. So although the Buds+ might hit the Harman target more closely? Admittedly, I think the OG Buds are tuned better.
As for the Buds Pro, it would be appropriate to treat them as a separate IEM entirely sonic-wise, as they deviate most from the Harman target. They’re a good deal more V-shaped, bassy, and warm. Bass is a tad overly emphasized in the mid-bass lending to slight bloat, and I think the emphasis at 4kHz could have been dialed back a notch. Still, recall that the Harman target is an aggregate curve; it stands that it’s not the ideal curve for many listeners, and it has its flaws. I’d argue the Buds Pro address a number of said flaws for the better. By all accounts this is a very well-tuned IEM - for me, the most pleasing of the Galaxy Buds to listen to - and it certainly doesn’t hurt that it sports the best treble extension too.
Technical Performance
Technical performance, or intangible performance, is a reference to characteristics of sound outside of measurable frequency response. In other words, we don’t know how to measure (or interpret from existing measurements) these traits yet. Here’s where more traditional, fancy-schmancy buzzwords like speed, dynamics, and detail retrieval, begin cropping up.
In general, I would rank the various Galaxy Buds at around the same level of technical performance. They’re not going to match their wired counterparts - particularly the higher-end stuff by a long shot - but they’re competent technical performers within the scope of their price bracket.
That said, I do find the Buds Pro to have the poorest imaging out of the bunch. This is a term that’s slung around wildly, but in general, I am most closely referencing an IEM’s ability to shape the “walls” of the stage around the listener. For example, if you have two speakers side-by-side, there should be the illusion of a third speaker in the “center” which is most often referred to as the center image; this is where the Buds Pro stumble hard. Sounds that would generally token the center image, such as vocals and drums, have a very in-head quality to them. This is not to suggest that the Buds+ or OG Buds are significantly better, but rather that the Buds Pro are exceptionally poor in this metric.
For layering - the quantity of space and distinction between instruments - the Buds Pro are also fairly average. I would stipulate that this is largely a product of its tonality more than anything, which lends to more smearing of notes thanks to its warmer nature. To corroborate this, the Buds Pro actually appear to have the best resolution, or clarity with which notes are articulated. But by contrast, the OG Buds and Buds+ sound cleaner, more spacious in their presentation due to their inherently “colder,” more “segmented” tunings, if you will.
Perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising, then, that for timbre, the Buds Pro are the most pleasant of the three to listen to. Note decay is fairly natural, and the treble extension is a breath of fresh air relative to most TWS IEMs that I’ve heard. Unfortunately, the Buds+ has an unnatural, tinny quality to the decay of notes; I believe some have described this as “bitcrushed” which I think is equally apt. Either way, it sticks out like a sore thumb every time I swap between the Buds; neither the OG Buds nor the Buds Pro exhibit this quality as closely.
The Verdict
If I’ve lost you (sorry!) then here’s a cheat sheet for your convenience:
| TL;DR | #1 | #2 | #3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bass | Buds+ | OG Buds = Pro | N/A |
| Midrange | Pro | OG Buds | Buds+ |
| Treble | Pro | OG Buds | Buds+ |
| Technicalities | OG Buds = Buds+ = Buds Pro |
In terms of overall sonic preference, mine would go Buds Pro > OG Buds > Buds+.
If you already own one or the other, then I don’t think there’s really any point in “upgrading,” as they’re all very solid IEMs in their own right when it comes to pure sonic performance! Of course, don’t let me dissuade you otherwise if there’s a specific feature that you’re looking for. And hopefully, at least when it comes to sound, this guide has helped breakdown which one might be for you.
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Excellent Review/Comparison @Precogvision. As an owner of the OG Galaxy Buds I agree that they sound great for TWS iem’s. They really surprised me and as a result I’m very happy to keep these in my collection. We’ll worth the discounted price you can pick them up for now.
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Well done sir! I’ve never been tempted to “upgrade” to any of the new buds from my OG Galaxy Buds, and this reinforces that decision. Thank you for the thorough comparison!
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Might be to hard to find.
Is there a wireless iem with good sound, very subjective, prefer on the dark or warm side more than neutral.
Also that got small nozzles like the Etymotics or
Shure?
Looked at the Fiio FD5 since it can be used with the small nozzle in the box. Together with Fiio RC-BT or maybe another alternative. Just wanna enjoy music more on the go while on the construction site. 
Any got any experience with the Fiio?