Right now there are a few spaces because I have sent some on loan to another reviewer. However, in no particular order…
Moondrop Starfield
Moondrop Blessing 2: Dusk
CCA CRA
Dunu Titan S
Dunu Vulkan
Seek Real Audio Airship
The Letshuoer S12 live in a case in my bag, so they don’t need a space in the case.
I’m thinking the S12 may be my next purchase. I’ve had the Moondrop Chu for a couple of days now and am really impressed in the sound quality for $20. Interested in seeing what a step up is like, and I’ve seen nothing but great comments on the S12.
The Raptgo Hook-X is an in-ear monitor (IEM) which uses a 14.2mm planar-magnetic driver and a piezoelectric driver. The Hook-X retails for $239 at Linsoul.
The Hook-X is a very good-sounding IEM, but if your sole use-case for an IEM is listening to music, the Hook-X is not the best value for your dollar. I suspect that the inclusion of a modular cable is responsible for a large part of the higher sticker price relative to contemporary planar-magnetic IEMs. This cable system is nice to have but not strictly necessary given that the Hook-X is easy enough to drive off of a single-ended connection. Further, QC issues with the cable are evidently not uncommon. The Hook-X has additional value for use cases where the semi-open design gives unique benefits, such as gaming.
My full review, with measurements and additional images, is available on my blog:
Letshuoer D13
The Letshuoer D13 have been sent to me by Letshuoer in exchange for the publication of this review, they have not made any specific requests, although I will leave a non-affiliate link to the official page of the D13 below.
This means that, as always, I will do my best to be as unbiased as possible in the review of these IEMs, always reminding you that these IEMs have not actually cost me anything.
The Letshuoer D13 official page is here: LETSHUOER D13 DLC diaphragm dynamic driver IEM moving coil headphones – letshuoer
Intro…
Letshuoer, previously known as Shuoer, are a company that have been around for quite a while, at least as far as the world of IEMs time frame is concerned, with a few models that have gained a lot of popularity. One of my favourite daily drivers is the Letshuoer S12, a planar magnetic set of IEMs that I am very fond of.
The D13 is a dynamic driver set, featuring a 13mm DLC diaphragm, which comes with two sets of nozzles featuring two filter types that create slight changes to the overall tuning of the IEMs.
At the time of this review, the IEMs cost around 115€, although there is a sale that drops them to around 105€.
That means that, while they are not in the ultra-cheap budget category, they are still reasonably priced IEMs.
Presentation…
Presented in a nice modern box, the contents are similar to those included with the S12 that I have received previously.
Other than the IEMs, we get a nice cable which is available either as a 3.5mm unbalanced or a 4.4mm balanced (the latter being the one I have received), 6 sets of silicone tips (in two types), a storage/transport case which is the same as the one included with the S12 but with a different text on top, the additional set of nozzles, the usual warranty card and a Letshuoer product manual.
There is nothing included that is extraordinary but at the same time, the contents are plenty for a set of IEMs in this price range, at least in my opinion.
Build and aesthetics…
Starting with the IEMs, the build quality looks to be of very good quality and the aestheitcs are something that I find very pleasurable (of course, this is a totally personal opinion).
The shape of the IEMs is a break from the norm, using a round shell with the connection point located on top. The shape is not unique, as there are other manufacturers that have used similar shapes in the past, but the overall design and aesthetics give it a very original look. Available in black or blue, I have the black version which is actually a very dark gunmetal grey, something that I am quite fond of, making the red highlights stand out without looking out of place.
As far as comfort, I personally find them very comfortable, with the shells fitting nicely inside my ear and no hot spots developing even after long listening sessions.
The included cable is thinner than the one included with the S12, something that I also prefer, in a dark brown colour sporting hardware that matches the finish of the IEMs.
I have absolutely no complaints with regards to build, aesthetics or comfort, although two of these three will vary from one person to the next.
Sound…
NOTE: as always, all tracks are clickable links to reference the mentioned track in the streaming service of your choice.
As I mentioned, the D13 includes two nozzles, one with a gold filter and the other with a silver filter. The differences in sound between the two are not huge but they are noticeable, here is what they look like in comparison to my personal preference target:
As you can see on the graph, the silver filter adds some more presence in the low end, while dropping the 2kHz presence a little, the rest is almost identical. Now, anyone who has followed my reviews will guess that I prefer the nozzles with the gold filters… and I do.
I find the gold filters to have a little more clarity to them, still with plenty of bass (maybe a little too much at times) for my tastes, making the overall sound more impressive in my opinion. I have spent time with both sets of nozzles, yet my overall feeling when using the silver nozzles was that things are just a little duller and not quite as defined.
So, my following thoughts are based on using the nozzles with gold filters, together with the dark grey silicone tips that come included.
In the low ranges, there is plenty of presence, with the bass being the main focus of this set, and in my opinion, what it does the best. Playing the usual test track, “Chameleon” by Trentemoller, when the main bass kicks in at 0:31, it is quite a “wow” moment, especially upon first listen. I do find that at 0:47, when bass increases even more, it can get a little overpowering for me but then again, the track itself is rather overpowering.
Testing the subbass with something a little more sane, like “Royals” by Lorde, there is a nice rumble that I don’t find overpowering. I have mentioned before that the subbass in “Royals” is a little “loose” (for lack of a better word) and the D13 certainly don’t make it any worse.
Focusing more on the midbass, listening to “Sun is Shining”, I find the bass to be clean and articulate, making a good job of this specific track and resulting in a pleasant listen. With another common test track of mine, “No Sanctuary Here”, I find that there is a little too much midbass for my taste but it is clean and articulate, making the track still enjoyable, even if a little overly boosted in these ranges.
With “Black Muse”, here I do find that the bass is not quite as detailed as it should be, yet I am coming to realize that this track seems to be a difficult one for IEMs to get right, at least as far as what I consider “right”. “New Life” is another track that I felt had too much in the low end but in general, for such a bass orientated set of IEMs, I must say that I found myself enjoying more often than not.
Moving into the lower mids, the presence drops quite a bit, through the center of the mids also, and this helps keep the low end clean and tidy. The mids can seem to be further back than I appreciate (even more so with the Silver filters), yet they are not absent, it is just the kind of V tuning that these IEMs are going for. An example of this would be “Back It Up”, where vocals could do with a little more presence.
When playing acapella tracks, such as “These Bones”, vocals are warm and articulate, in fact, “These Bones” sounds pretty good on the D13! With Nellie McKay in “I Concentrate On You”, I did find her voice to not be quite as lively as I would like it to be.
That brings us to the upper mids, where the 2kHz presence works hard to bring vocals and the likes further forwards, avoiding them being too far back in the mix. The D13 don’t do a terrible job in this regard but they don’t do an excellent job either.
In some tracks, such as “Back It Up” that I already mentioned, I get the feeling that vocals are not quite present enough, where on other tracks, such as “All Eyez On Me”, I find the opposite to be true, it is just a little too harsh in the upper mids.
I feel that this is due to the 2kHz rise being a little too much and rolling off a little too soon. If the presence wasn’t quite as boosted and was extended a little more towards the 3kHz mark before dropping, then it would maybe be a little more balanced.
One thing I will say is that, when a track is recorded in a way that matches the tuning of the D13, such as “Don’t Start Now” by Dua Lipa, it sounds pretty great. In fact, I would say that these IEMs are best suited to modern music recorded like “Don’t Start Now”, as they seem to work great for it. I would even venture to say that, for modern pop, I would need to think long and hard about choosing the Dusk over these (the Dusk being my default pick for modern pop).
Moving into the upper ranges, some harshness can again present itself on occasions but only sporadically. In general the upper treble is decent and sibilance is also avoided quite well. Listening to “Code Cool”, sibilance is tamed but is not dulled, which is a good thing.
Details are not spectacular, making smaller details in the background difficult to appreciate, although I don’t really think that these are IEMs that are designed for fixating on tiny details. For example, in the track “All You Love (Turned To Passion)”, the tonality of the guitar and vocals I find quite nice, along with the majority of what is happening in the foreground, yet those tiny details that depend on the reverb etc. during the intro, they are not quite there, even when focusing on them.
Soundstage is about average for a set of IEMs, nothing groundbreaking in this regard, with an image placement that is good but is also not excellent. I don’t really have any complaints here but I don’t really have any praise either.
As I have been mentioning lately, the above is a graph of the isolation of the D13 in comparison to Zero Isolation (grey dotted line). They are not the most isolating of IEMs but are not terrible either, sort of around average, which is to be expected with the rear vents. You can compare these to other IEMs by following the link at the end of this review.
Conclusion…
The D13 are another set of IEMs that bring some fun to the table for a reasonable price. The build is good, the aesthetics and comfort are great (both in my opinion of course) and the overall sound signature is something that works well for a lot of music.
They put plenty of emphasis on the bass region without overdoing it, at least not with the majority of music, and I find that they make for a very pleasant listen with EDM, modern pop and other similarly produced music.
They are not a set of IEMs that I would choose to focus on details and pick apart recordings, more something that I would pick for being on the move or while doing other things that involve focus elsewhere. Paired with a BT receiver, such as the Go Blu in my case, I find that they are a great pick for doing chores that involve moving around and enjoying music without dissecting it.
I also wouldn’t pick them for acoustic music, which a lot of my listening is, I think they are more of a “Friday afternoon” set 
I think Letshuoer are working hard to improve and bring quality with their latest releases and the D13 is another good effort that is around the 100€ mark. There are a couple of other models of theirs that I would like to get to try and I’ll be interested to see what else they bring forward in the near future.
(As always, this review is also available in Spanish on www.achoreviews.com and on www.youtube.com/achoreviews)
All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link
All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation
Nice to see LETSHUOZER getting some coverage here. Need to try out their lineup at CanJam.
Bought some AZLA SednaEarfit XELASTEC tips to try and I nearly ripped my ears off trying to get them out they are so tacky!
Yeah, they’re overkill IMO. I much prefer the SednaEarfitLight. They’re still grippy but not uncomfortably so.
I’ll let you know. They should be here this afternoon!
The Truthear Hexa is my new default recommendation at the sub-$100 price point. It is a nearly perfect purchase at its price, with my sole complaint being the relatively slow bass articulation.
My full review, with measurements and additional images, is available on my blog:
Hello, can you tell me if the Hexa and the Hola shares the same overall sound signature?
I like the Hola a lot, where I would like it improved is when bass goes lower, I feel it loses a lot of its quality (not presence). If the Hexa could improve on this keeping all other things the Hola does well, I will probably get one.
No, the Hola is a much warmer sounding IEM than the Hexa. I also would say that bass is not one of the Hexa’s stronger attributes. I don’t think it fits what you’re looking for.
Oh goodness me. This is great. Using a KANN MAX+ CYPHER LABS ALGORITHM TRIO (tube amp) with the CA ATLAS. I really couldn’t be happier. This is the best I have In Portable audio.
AÜR AUDIO NEON PRO
Hope this is appropriate to share here.
Short story
I started a road into IEMs 2 years ago, I hoped for something to give the same joy and quality as my ZMF Verite. I found it recently trough the Neon Pro. It has detail, speed, timbre, craftsmanship and just pure enjoyment.
My review on AüR Audio Neon Pro is on Head-Fi, I might have gone a little overboard so the review is fairly long. One of the best performing IEMs you can buy, competing with sets costing much more.
If interested in this gem of an IEM, please read it and enjoy.
Wanting to try some custom tips, in the hope they work well for me and maybe I can get some actual custom shell IEMs.
I once owned the U12T and Mest MK2 and Odin. Thoughts on how something like the IE600 or IE900 compare there? I liked the U12T and Mest, U12T be ideal with a big thumping DD in it, Mest be ideal if it has the coherency of the U12T. Odin was great too, just expensive.
The Theiaudio Monarch MK2 rates well too, but has more 3-4khz energy than I like, the U12T/Mest/IE600 etc seem to have a bit of a dip in that ear gain area which is preferred.
Does anyone know also if 64 Audio are on the Otoscan network?
I usually prefer reference-tuned IEMs, but the HiBy Zeta’s stellar bass performance and excellent build quality have won me over. I can confidently recommend the Zeta to anyone looking for an endgame IEM with a V-shaped sound profile.
My full review is available at the link below:
Top five atm, no order.
Penon Serial
AüR Audio Aure
Venture Electronics SiE
AüR Audio Neon Pro
ISN EST50
I am leaving this here as it falls just outside the ultra cheap thread but I am not sure it needs its own thread…
7Hz Legato
TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - 7Hz Legato
The 7Hz Legato have been sent to me by Linsoul in exchange for the publication of this review. As usual, Linsoul have not requested anything specific and I will aim to be as honest and unbiased as humanly possible in this review, however, it is always good to consider the fact that these IEMs have not cost me anything.
You can find a link to the Legato via Linsoul by visiting the version of this review published on my blog (info at the end of this post).
As with all the links I share, it is a non-affiliate link.
To avoid being repetetive in my reviews, you can find all the info about how I create the reviews, equipment used, how I receive the products and how to interpret my reviews by visiting: About my reviews
Intro…
While I haven’t had a chance to try all of the IEMs by the brand, I have tried a few (I believe this is the 5th set from the brand that I have reviewed) and except for the Eternal, the remaining sets have all been good performers in their respective price ranges.
In the case of the Legato, we are looking at a dual dynamic driver which comes in, at the time of creating this review, at just over 100€ on Linsoul. This means that, while not an extreme budget IEM, we are at least looking at a set that is budget friendly.
The Legato uses a 12mm DD for the bass range, while opting for a 6mm DD for the mids and treble ranges. This is not the first time for this driver configuration but it is still a driver combination that interests me, as a fan of dynamic drivers, allowing some freedom between drivers to focus on their respective frequency ranges. So let’s see if 7Hz have made it worth the price.
Presentation…
The Legato arrives in a box showing the IEMs on the front and a breakdown of the internals on the back. Inside this box we find a large storage case, very similar to the one included with the 7Hz Dioko, a planar set of IEMs that come in at around the same price.
Inside the storage case (which could be called a transport case but there is no way you are fitting this in your pocket), we find the IEMs with the cable attached, a decent selection of silicone tips, a user manual and 4 sets of spare filters and grilles.
It is not extraordinary to receive spare filters with IEMs (although it is not really common) but I do think this is the first time I have received both spare filters and grilles.
The included tips are nothing extraordinary either but I found the transparent ones to work for me and that is what I have used throughout this review.
Build and aesthetics…
The Legato features CNC’d aluminium shells that look a lot heavier than they are. The nozzles protrude quite a bit from the shells, allowing a deeper fit with smaller tips in my case. Together with the rounded edges of the shells, I find them to be quite comfortable even for long listening sessions, without feeling any discomfort or them becoming tiring.
As far as aesthetics, these are the most “normal” looking 7Hz IEMs that I have seen to date. In a dark grey, almost gunmetal, colour and a textured faceplate, they look elegant and are not prone to showing every last fingerprint like some other smoother metal finishes. The are quite a bit smaller than models like the Timeless, Eternal or Dioko, and are far better looking (in my opinion of course) than the “toyish” like build of the Zero.
The included cable is also good, both in build quality and looks, matching the IEMs rather well. All in all, I find them to be well built, good looking and comfortable, so I can’t ask for more in the build and aesthetics category.
Sound…
All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)
Moving on to how the Legato sound, let’s start with the usual look at the graph comparing them to my personal preference target as a reference:
Now, starting off with the subbass, there is a lot. In fact, there is a lot of bass in general, boosted all the way to where we meet the lower mids. Although there is a lot of quantity, the Legato actually do a decent job of keeping the bass section under control, dealing well with fast moving lines and not becoming overly slow or sluggish in their response to bass heavy tracks.
However, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t too much bass for my personal tastes, I’m afraid that there is far too much for me. The subbass is actually ok and I find it enjoyable on tracks that have a lot going on in those lower ranges (I’m sure you can guess my reference track at this point) but when we move into the midbass, it is just too much for me to enjoy it regularly.
I did have a few sessions where I felt like some EDM and enjoyed the result in the lower ranges but these were not the usual occurrence. With music that I listen to more regularly, featuring instruments rather than electronic samples, I found the midbass to be overwhelming.
My usual test of “Crazy” was not as bad as on some other “less capable” sets but even the clarity and speed of the Legato driver was enough to stop me from getting that feeling of nausea from the excessive reverb in the low end of the guitar.
Moving into the mids, I feel that there is a distinct lack of presence. In the lower range of the mids this is due to the wall of bass that proceeds them, but even in the higher end of the mids, there is just not enough to bring vocals forwards and make them stand out. On tracks like “Shot Me Down” by David Guetta, I found it a struggle to appreciate the voice (although the bass rhythm was pretty impressive).
In general the mids are just not present enough, leaving the center of the frequencies to sound rather dull in my opinion.
Moving into the upper ranges, there is again not quite enough presence to add some light to what I feel is a rather dark and bass centric tuning. I feel there is a lack of air and brilliance that is needed to clean things up a little. Cymbals are too dull, pianos are lacking life and, although they do avoid any sibilance, I just feel that the driver that deals with the mids and upper ranges could use a few extra dB to compete with the lower driver.
This also makes for rather a small soundstage, with placement of images that is not really very good, mainly because of that lack of air and brightness. It’s not terrible as far as soundstage but it is below what I have come to expect as average for a set of IEMs.
Conclusion…
If you are looking for a set of IEMs that offer a rather dark and bass heavy presentation, then I think that the Legato could be something very interesting. They can be very impressive in the low ranges, depending on your music taste.
However, the lack of mids and upper ranges is something that makes them not fit well with my personal tastes or personal music preferences, meaning that they are not a set that I would reach for except on specific occasions.
With 7Hz I have found that I don’t have a middle ground with them, out of 5 sets I have tried, 3 I have found to be very good and the other 2, well, let’s just say that they are not my thing. But that doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy them, if your tastes fit the sound I described, then give them a try!
As always, this review is also available in Spanish, both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (Acho Reviews - YouTube)
All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link
All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation
Leo from Unique Melody sent me over the MEST MK III recently. Thanks brother. This is the CF edition (just fancier faceplate) and cost around $2,000. Here’s a quick pic of it, sorry for the low quality. High effort photos are reserved for reviews 
And of course, here is the graph.
First impressions: I quite like them. The tonality is definitely colored with substantial bass, softer mids, and a mildly spicy mid-treble. The graph shows the tuning quite well though I thought there would be more upper mids than this. I gotta say I’m a little disappointed by channel imbalance throughout. It’s not super noticeable in music but you can tell the center image isn’t very precise. Soundstage is quite wide horizontally but the height and depth isn’t anything too crazy. I think the yellow graph is a bit more representative of what I’m hearing.
The Good: The instrument and note separation is superb. “Speed” if you will. Like really really good, especially for drum fills. The minor nuances as singing strings subtly change their voice is brought to life. The tuning is right down my alley - weirdly, it reminds me quite a bit of the DUNU SA6 with its vocal performance. The spice in the mid-treble is very noticeable and does pull forward certain hats and cymbals but I’m of the opinion that it’s better to be bright than dead. This is an IEM I want to listen more and more with.
The Bad: The bass isn’t the hardest hitting, biggest blamming, craziest cracking thing out there. I think the way the shelf leads into the lower mids masks some of the definition, especially with how the upper mids are relatively recessed. For some faster alt-rock songs, it ain’t the best. But in better produced tracks it can really deliver. Also I really don’t like the new petal tips. Sorry UM.
I only just recently heard the OG MEST last week for the first time a friend. The MK III has a fairly different DNA altogether so I won’t really compare them (nor can I since I haven’t actually heard either long enough for that).
