Really happy you’re enjoying the Dorado 2020! I think the acoustic properties of the ceramic and the quality of the DD give the sound a muscular precision and clarity that is rather addictive…and it scales like mad (as you’ve observed). Cheers!
2 Likes
1a. QDC Anole VX
1b. Sony IER Z1R (have almost cycled through 10 pairs lol)
2. UM Mest 2
3a. Sony IER M9
3b. 64A U12t
4. CA Andromeda Gold
5. 64A Tia Trio
I no longer own any of the above. Sole IEM right now is Moondrop Chu.
3 Likes
- U12T ( the best All-a-rounded on the Market”. How many times does everyone have to quote this before we finally understand there hasn’t been a more unified IEM opinion and label given in this hobby?)
- Thieaudio Monarch MK2
- Thieaudio Oracle mk2
- Dunu Sa6 MK 2
- Blessing 2
3 Likes
- Goldplanar GL-AMT16 - On foams, the most resolving IEM I’ve heard to date with ridiculous imaging, separation, and perceived stage. Whatever shortcomings it has from a tuning perspective are overshadowed by its technical prowess.
- QDC 8SL - Fun, bass-boosted signature multi-BA set that’s still very technical. Best for isolating instrument lines.
- Thieaudio Monarch MKII - Favorite tribrid I’ve heard with center-stage vocals. Results in slightly off imaging, though. A bit of a squeezed in effect. Could be more detailed.
- Softears Twilight - Clear-sounding with good vocal body. Was missing some bass quantity and the vertical fit drove me nuts. When things get busy, it doesn’t handle separation as well as the multi-driver sets.
- Thieaudio Prestige (not LTD) - Very reliant on deep insertion depth. Better imaging than MKII, but treble was too much with my usual fitment, and the bass was too boosted/bumped.
- Hidiz MP145 - Favorite planar to date with a warmer signature. With the red filter, excellent for rock & metal.
- Fiio x Crinacle FHE: Eclipse - This one reminds me a lot of the Fostex Biocellulose headphones. Clean and bassy. A part of me regrets selling this.
- Mangird XENNS UP - Smooth and unobtrusive sounding with a good bass. Ultimately not enough air to justify keeping it. (I like controlling smoothness/darkness at the amp/dac level)
- Moondrop Variations - Very technical and hit the treble quantity sweet-spot, but that bass tuning is just not for me, even for the part of my library that it’s good for.
- 7HZ Crinacle Zero: 2 - First IEM out of the box that I wasn’t temped to tip-swap/experiment with. Treble and bass are perfect for good and bad recordings alike.
- Simgot EA500 - Favorite sub-$100 IEM for good recordings, but the Zero:2 has usurped it last-minute. Both clear sounding with body-thump bass that I don’t usually get with non-bass-boosted sets.
- Kiwi Ears Cadenza - What I find is now a less dialed-in Zero:2 with not as good of a value
- 7HZ Salnotes Zero - Excellent, but slightly missed the mark in tuning, for my preferences.
- LZ A7 - On the right gear with the red nozzle, it’s a sublime listening experience. It does have shortfalls in the air frequencies with the piezos, hence the gear argument.
- 7hz Timeless - Really technical, but the stage width sounded very intimate, and the coin-shape did NOT work with my ears for long sessions. Had to jerry-rig tip extensions. MP145 is how you do a big planar.
- LetShuoer Z12 - Technical planar with good fit. Too much treble for my liking.
- LZ A6 - Sibilant in most configurations, but more detailed than the below on this list (minus the Ace 2 in the treble)
- Etymotic ER2SE - Hated the fit and perceived stage width with these, but undeniably a resolving and cohesive set.
- Tin Hifi T2 - At the time of release, with the blue foams, this was my favorite set. Very clean sounding.
- 7hz Legato - Not very resolving, but it’s got a ton of bass quantity. Fun for older electronic subgenres. If the FHE:Eclipse is a TH900, then this is a Campfire Cascade (for better or worse, lol)
- Creative Aurvana Ace 2 - Favorite wireless set I’ve tried, but mainly due to the mid to (especially) treble party trick with XMEMS that somehow outresolves the rest of my collection. The bass is unresolved and boomy without the app. After EQ it’s warm with the same bass quality. One of the most obvious hybrids you’ll listen to.
- Moondrop Stellaris - It’s like a better PR2, but the treble is a bit much without foams. The GL-AMT16 is like the TOTL version of this lean signature with less bass and the upper-treble doesn’t actually hurt (still requires foams though.)
- Tin Hifi P1 MAX - Warm and pleasant signature, but doesn’t stack up to the newer planars.
- BLON BL-MAX - More v-shaped and better bass quantity and quality over the BL03. Lost BL03’s magic, but ultimately the better of the two.
- BLON BL03 - Smooth and warm, but the detail doesn’t stack up to newer IEMs on the market.
- KZ PR2 - Detailed for the price-point, but lean and quite sibilant without modding. Wouldn’t grab it over the DD sets in the same price-range.
- Jaybird X2 - My favorite of the wireless buds at the time of release with one of the app EQ presets.
- ZERO AUDIO Carbo Tenore - Bassy bullet-style. I liked this one a lot for casual use.
- Sennheiser CX 200 Street II - I really liked this one, but it’s been over a decade since I’ve listened to it. Probably wouldn’t fare well with the newer sets.
- Klipsch S4 - While a bit more technical than other sets at the time, I didn’t love the tuning compared to my cheaper IEMs for some reason.
- LG Tone Platinum - Improvement upon the 730, but not by much.
- LG Tone 730 - Commercial v-shaped signature.
- Tri i3 - Really wonky with how the bass transitions to the mids and sounded like a YouTube video on 240p. Potentially a defective unit.
□ - Current Rotation
I think this ranking is right around where I want it. Noticable bias here since it’s an aggregate of subjective, objective, and value proposition.
*Sorry, it seems like I’m bumping this, but I have a habit of sussing out typos in my posts 
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6 Likes
Not sure this is a ranking, as my previously my only pair of ‘in-ear’ headphones were the Bose Sport with the bypass to allow traffic noise, used on the bike.
Through the Kickstarter got a pair of Hidiz MP145, planar IEMs. Which I am enjoying, both mobile using Roon ARC on iPhone, and into to my Bakoon HPA-12, instead of the DCA A2N.
Initially used with a Zorloo Ztella DAC until it broke (2nd version to have the same issue) has been replaced by a ZuperDAC Pro.
Also tried a Hidiz S3 Pro, which is a great size, but cannot match the Zorloo DAC for dynamics and overall SQ.
6 Likes
Absolutely, the CAYIN N6 ii is indeed a fantastic DAP!
1 Like
Haha, it sounds like it’s keeping things pretty chill for me. 
I spent 3 weeks testing budget IEMs so you don’t have to. The results might surprise you… 
- Unique Melody Maven II·Crescent (my daily use at home)
- Hisenior Audio Mega5-EST
- DUNU SA6
- Shure SE846 wireless at work (tired of having earbuds ripped-out of my head by machinary)