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# July 2025

# Thoughts, delays, involvement, and more

01/09/2025

I'll be very honest: the amount of effort it takes to trudge through every thread is very taxing for what is supposed to be a fun project.
To go through a thread filled with the same topics I have seen repeated over the years and find nothing is disappointing.
To do so for 5 threads only to realize that only 3 days out of 31 have passed is despairing. There is so much empty traffic.
Each month takes roughly 3-4 hours of work, and while not intense, it is hard to afford such time when I'm quite busy with other stuff.
I am not giving up, and have never felt the urge to abandon. But because I haven't been following a strict schedule, I don't feel any motivation or urgency.
I don't really know where I am going with this. I don't have a solution, but I did want to share what I've been thinking about.
So that's that.

To those that read, pass by, and/or reply to me in the threads, I really do appreciate it, it means a lot (relative to /iemg/, I swear I have a life).

# What did /iemg/ listen to in 2025?

28-30/07/2025

Thank you to everyone who replied, I want to do more stuff like this!
I'll be adding this to the Music Editorial, if you want to share your thoughts do so and they'll end up there as well.

for me, a constant repeat has been animaru by mei semones, a playful and engaging listen all packaged in a surprisingly musically and acoustically polished first album.


Heil Hitler by Ye
https://untitled.stream/library/project/9zILU0IoU0yOIw5HWtfga
Biting lyrics, a hard hitting bassline, ethereal instrumentals and powerful vocal delivery make this track true masterpiece.


Pinback by Pinback
Rob Crow and Armistead make a solid duo. Interesting lyricism that I love to pick around and try to make sense of and the composition for each song, though not super difficult to chew through, are equally worth absorbing in. BUT their best song which isn't on this album, has to be Grey Machine.


Little Girls by Oingo Boingo
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8B_a0ZHNj8
It makes me feel so good when it plays
It makes me feel so bad when it's over
When I listen to it I feel like I'm the only anon around

LITTLE GIRLS LITTLE GIRLS LITTLE GIRLS LITTLE GIRLS LITTLE


The Heavy - Amen (2023)
They really leaned into gospel here, but the fun kind. Always enjoyed them (thanks, Randy P., you did at least one good thing here), but always defaulted to The House That Dirt Built, The Glorious Dead and Hurt & the Merciless, skipping the rest. But it's good, and still in their recognizable style.
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kFMGlo14Gl7tPYqrUuV2-g8zGYhOTid2w&si=d8xOXm3ATIPs8jAj


After 5 Crash / Tokyo Tower / Hatsukoi / I'll Do My Best by Toshiki Kadomatsu
From 2023 album Inherit The Life II made by an OG '80s City Pop legend
Great bassline throughout the entire 10 minutes that really ties this 4-songs-in-one-mashup together.


>Sade - Promise
Classiest of classics, it stands at the POS (pinnacle of singing) after decades. intimate, powerful, elegant, there is not much else that needs to be said.

There's so much stuff to listen I don't really repeat anything.
https://soundcloud.com/yaridubz/yari-junk-equation-12k-freebie

Émilie Simon - Émilie Simon
most replayed album so far for me. with all the shit i listen to and forget, this one stuck with me. I'm glad i listened to it.

# Mangird Xenns Top Pro Impressions

29/07/2025


I think I'm done for a while.
Flimsy build though, kinda shit desu.

yeah bit of a weird move to have Top Pro include what feels in hand / is perceived as a thinner, more fragile shell, and more generic plain cable versus the cheaper Tea Pro. any more impressions?

Very initial impressions. First thing that comes to my mind is separation. I'm gonna write like an audioph*le for a bit: it's like there is extra edge on each instrument making extra distinct from everything else and giving sounds additional 'depth'. Other stuff that I consider 'technical' blends in sound a bit more in comparison.
Small nitpicks: bass could have few more DBs and be more sharp with faster decay; also forget smoothing piercing vocals (I usually blame it on mix, here it's manageable level).
Fails May'n vocal test (eyes not wet, only 3 pos passed so far).

# Moondrop Psyche Pic

28/07/2025

Too lazy to include every post.


Whelp, I bought Moondrops flagship anime waifu IEMs and god damn... these things look great.

I still won't wear them in public, though.

# Real story btw

25-26/07/2025


>be me
>read the EQ GuideTM
>buy a coupler to verify channel matching
>buy anechoic flat speakers + subs
>buy a usb minidsp mic to fix resonances below the room transition
>sit in the sweet spot and dont tilt my head otherwise it messes up the phantom center
>go back and forth between speakers and iems trying to match the speaker's timbre perceptually
>rely on poor auditory memory
>treble sounds off
>sine sweep to find length modes
>try again
>gets ear fatigue
>tries again the next day
>it gets better
>compare it with my old JM-1 EQ
>JM-1 EQ sounds better
did i waste my time??

you got a speaker setup, that's the opposite of a waste of time


speakers are obsolete

you are not equalizing correctly
equalize tone loudness in 50 Hz increments

You forgot the part where you EQ speakers by preference, rookie mistake.

# More July Mass Impressions

25/07/2025

  1. Will. Not. Reorder. Anymore.


Azla Crystals as per usual.

>Alpha Omega Omega (Switch: up-up-up)
Uninspiring V-shape. There’s good sub-bass rumble, but on select tracks it can become an annoying droning hum in the background.
Messing around with the switches (online results weren’t helpful) resulted in a sound signature that is Diva/Syzygy-adjacent.

Listenable and enjoyable, but I didn’t feel the Omega was better than the Hype 10s. 6/10.

>Elysian x Effect Audio Gaea
Female vocals-centric set: an upgrade over the Supernova, but a Diva-sidegrade. Acceptable bass presence with minimal bleed into the mids. But mids aren’t the focus here, what you get on the Gaea is: bass – female vocals – elevated lower treble. My mate complained of the harsh/bright treble but I had no issues. 7/10.

>Empire Ears Legend Evo
Squigs are kinda misleading, the Evo sounds clean, neutral and detailed to my ears. Bass is fast and clinical-sounding without the punch – kinda like the Orchestra Lite. Wide and spacious sounding. BCDs add a weird “reverb” to the midrange which impacted female vocals, creating a rather unique experience where voices linger on longer than usual. Imagine the Truthear Gate but female voices have an echo. Weird. 6/10.

>Symphonium Crimson (Canjam London edition)
Sounds different from the OG Crimson. More mid-bassy, and less treble spice. Could also be described as a warmer Europa. Only 4 sets of these were made: 2 were sold during Canjam and other 2 were kept by Symphonium staff. Shame. 8.5/10.

>Rossi&Wing LUA: Celestian
Mud-fi kino. Very elevated lower-mids just like the First Light, which makes for an incredibly muddy signature. Better vocal presence than their previous pos. Sub-bass and mid-bass texture is pretty good despite the bloat. Reminds me of a budget Nostalgia Pendragon.

As usual, 10/10 for classical. 1/10 for everything else.

# No thanks, I'm good

24/07/2025

man, threads have been so trash since the 4chinz resurrection and little-to-no-moderation.
genuine questions for the few people i fuck with: totlzo, sheetzo, eqzo, etc. do you guys want to make a discord? at least that way we can moderate and ban outright trolling retards, bad faith users, etc.
this is even coming from someone who hates almost everything about the nu age of shitcord splintering, predators, powertripping fags, etc. and i am not a part of any other online audiotard community. but i don't really see much better alternatives. thread quality has been absolute garbage, and there are bad faith users constantly replying to advice requests with trollposts.

and while i kinda implied it, to say it explicitly, it would be focused on audio. i don't even want a remote possibility of gooners and degenerate shit with alternate channels for "random," or other shit. audio or fuck off. and i'm someone who doesn't have any particular beef with headpos or other stuff either even if i prefer iems so we can include hpg refugees

if you want to sure but i'm warning you now, as soon as you make one it'll be inactive, dogshit, and you'll lose the illusion of grandeur that 4chin provided.
there are maybe 15 active posters max

yeah i hear you. it unfortunately is a kind of last ditch effort to leave behind the shitposters who have constantly occupied iemg for a while now.
again, it's the type of shit i personally do not like at all (spamming a discord link saying come here instead of the thread!) but i don't see many alternatives. jannies aren't giving a fuck about blatantly off-topic posts, let alone the nuances of the bad faith users making troll posts, thinly veiled shilling, etc.

I prefer telegram

go back

I'm not joining it for sure

# Tanchjim Origin Fit

21/07/2025


The fit on the new pos is crazy bad, what the hell where they thinking?

Nozzle is too wide and hurts, plus the 0.78 pin socket is so recessed, some of my cables bump it before making full contact.

To not blogpost any further I'll capitulate by saying that they sound nice, improved treble over oxygen, but the bass quality is lacking, I tried to eq it but I really do feel like the bass on the oxygen was very tight and potent.

# July Mass Impressions

18-20/07/2025

I was getting scared for a second.


Monarch MK4 demo unit died so unfortunately I didn't get a chance to listen to it. But here's some recent pos impressions part 1:

>Nicehck Rockies
Tested on Azla Crystals – Decent JM-1 timbre, sounds like a less muddy Mega5est. Subbass and midbass are adequate, but it sounded less bassy than stock Harman sets. Compared to the EPZ P50, the Rockies have a smoother treble presentation, but it’s a minor difference.

All in all, no glaring issues. Low-end is thinner than what I’d have liked, but not suffering from bass bleed is a huge plus. Rockies’ pricing is out of touch with the market tho, it’s at best 5% better than the P50 but costs double the EPZ. 9/10.

Personal JM-1 ranking: Rockies => EPZ P50 > CrinEar Daybreak > CrinEar Meta > Mega5Est > DaVinci > Dusk

>Truthear Pure
Tested on Azla Crystals – Nice warm tonality but also incredibly muddy, even more so than the Zero:Red+10ohm. Lower-mids are barely coherent and on select tracks female vocals can sound a tad drown out. I’m a big fan of the warm tonality, but having heard better warmfi sets like the Artpical Lucifer, Alter Ego, Prismatica Gold, the aforementioned sets just completely mog the Pure in sound quality.

A/B’d to Hexa: My issues with the Hexa is the lacklustre bass and treble presentation, and fortunately the Pure has slightly improved on both areas. But it’s a very marginal change, and not enough for me to call it good. 5/10.

>Ocharaku Donguri Kaede
Old Japanese bullet pos, very tip dependent. When using the Azla Crystals, the Kaede sounded really lean and congested – like you could tell the sound is being played through a small nozzle.

Swapping to Lepic Nuon tips helped the Kaede to sound kinda like a less midbassy Tanch Origin. I don’t have triple flange tips, but using my deeper insertion EBT Earrbond tips helped a lot in smoothing out the treble and improving the sound. I can see the potential but I can’t be bothered to tip-roll further. 7/10.

Part 2:
>Tanchjim Force
Already posted my impressions of the Force during Canjam. This is my demo of the final retail unit.

Tested on Azla Crystals – my initial impressions haven’t changed. Force is a vocal centric set, but still very muddy. Also suffers from splashy treble like all Tanchjim pos (although it’s not as bad as the Origin’s). Bass bleed on the Force is very noticeable – if you’re a graph sniffer, the Rockies looks to have more low-end than the Force, yet in actuality the Rockies’ mids sounded vastly cleaner with zero bass bleed. 4/10.

>Tanchjim Fission (Switch: Monitor + Brass Nozzle)
Tested on Azla Crystals – Bright neutral, better treble presentation/extension than the Force. With a bit of brain burn-in, the treble sparkle is kinda nice and enjoyable, but it is still splashy.
Doesn’t sound as midbassy as the Origin and treble timbre isn’t as gritty. Listenable. 6/10.

>Kiwi Ears Astral
Tested on Azla Crystals – Astral sounded like the Rockies but with a more V-shape coloration: more bassy + pinna gain.

Unfortunately the coloration also changes the tonality of the set, I’d struggle to call this a real JM-1 tuning. The Astral also has treble peaks which makes female vocals extra shouty and shimmery. Cymbals and hi-hats sounded really nice tho.

When listening to classical, I get ear-raped by piano keys because of the treble peak. But the Astral is really fun-sounding when listening to the ACG genre (like fripSide). 8/10.

>EPZ P50 > CrinEar Daybreak
why did you think p50 is better than daybreak?

The P50 and Daybreak sounded really similar and honestly you could go either way. The only reason I ranked the P50 higher is because I perceived the treble on the Daybreak to be more aggressive.

Everytime I think I'm done with this part, there's always another post a few days later and then I have to reorder this article.


Productive weekend impressions part 1:
For the sake of brevity I used Azla Crystals for every set.

>Thieaudio Hype 10
Classic Thieaudio V-shape house sound. Surprisingly it is not as bassy as the Hype 4 – both pos graph similarly – but I didn’t get that distinct “Hype 4 bass slam” with the Hype 10, which resulted in a more tonally neutral timbre. Treble extension is also surprisingly good, to my ears it is smoother and more extended than the Hype 4’s.

There’s nothing to nitpick: Mids are tonally correct, there’s no weird resonance peaks, and it is perfectly resolving. Very underrated set, I’d pick this over the Monarchs, Prestiges, Divinity, Valhalla etc. 10/10.

But I’m retroactively lowering my rating of the Hype 4 to a 9/10. The Hype 10 is an audible improvement and a more balanced take on the V-shape sound signature.

>Thieaudio Hype 2
Relatively “flatter” and more neutral than the Hype 4 & 10. Female vocals sounds a little laid-back, and its treble air isn’t as extended. The Hype 2 is also the thinnest-sounding of the bunch, and its bass quality/texture suffers as a result.

As a standalone set the Hype 2 is decent, but having A/B’d all three Hype pos back-to-back, the compromises are quite audible. 7/10.

>Artpical Blue Planet
Bright V like a planar. Very enjoyable sub and mid-bass: it’s “fast”, punchy, and controlled. The Blue Planet is allegedly some custom double-sided planar driver (that’s what I was told but Artpical’s site claims a 12mm ribbon driver?), but it doesn’t have the typical chifi planar zing like the S12, Timeless etc. I still get some of that 7.5kHz peak and sibilance in the “S” and “SH” of female vocals but I’m willing to tolerate it because the treble presentation of the Blue Planet is to die for: shimmery and detailed, from the initial transient to the decay. Imo it’s even better than the likes of the Annihilator/Traillii/Volk Etoile. Truly summit-fi resolution. 11/10.

Part 2:

>Moritz Enzo (Switch: down-down config)
Harman adjacent. Quite the bassy set: bass quantity and texture are handled well and reminds me of more expensive sets like the AK Novus and Hercules Moses. However, the treble is egregious – the initial transient sounds “crispy” whilst masking the finer details in the decay. I blame the elevated lower treble which causes snare drums to sound like maracas.

The 8kHz~9kHz region is unnatural-sounding which hurts detail retrieval and resolution.
While the low-end and mids are good, the distinct lack of air is a dealbreaker and should not happen with a set costing $1370. 6/10.

>Dita Audio Prelude
Neutral. But very thin-sounding. Treble also sounds artificial. But somehow this $160 set manages to have more treble air than the Enzo.

Unfortunately, the Prelude has some of the shittiest bass I’ve ever heard – maybe even worse than the Hexa. This 1DD has nothing going for it, I’d pick the Salnotes Zero 1, Gate, Wan’er 2 over it. 3/10.

>Nostalgia Audio Pendragon
Super warm-poo set just like the Rossi&Wing First Light. Though the Pendragon has a tasteful pinna bump so female vocals don’t get drown out.

Impressions are similar to that of the Nostalgia Tesseract, desu the Pendragon just sounds like a refresh of Nostalgia’s previous flagship. Though I do like the BCD implementation on the Pendragon more, instrumental texture is godlike and brings physicality to classical tracks.

As usual, this lower-mid centric tuning is incredibly muddy for modern pop/rock but it’s a 10/10 for classical and orchestral.

# Truthear Pure Measurements

20/07/2025


She's here!


Truthear Pure graphs. No smoothing because something fucked up is happening at 8-9K and I think I hear it too. I've never seen anything like this before. You can see it in some of the graphs on squiglink as well if you turn down smoothing to 0.

is it still there when you change insertion depth?

Yes its always present, I tried changing tips and insertion depth.

if possible show it with the shallowest/deepest insertion, i want to see how the feature is alone
also are your measurements usually this noisy? i know it's not smoothed but that seems like a lot of noise in the midrange


Depends on the measurement volume, I bumped measurement volume by around 10dB for these ones and there's less noise. I don't usually measure too far above my regular listening volume.
I also have AC and sometimes a fan running which probably doesn't help.

yeah just an observation
the small blip at 8-9 khz really does look strange. does anyone have the crossover points for the hexa? maybe it's the same one used here and we can figure out something

Conspiracy theory: Truthear got tips on tuning from some random dude, as mentioned in previous threads, but they didn't have time to totally rework the IEM. Whatever bandaid fix they came up with produced a FR anomaly and they specifically moved that blip to 8K because that's where most people put the insertion depth peak on squig so smoothing would hide the issue.

This looks like drivers have very different distances to the nozzle and don't add up properly, but I find it hard to believe something like this can exist inside an IEM since they're so small.

please show us the GD tab on REW


Not seeing much.


>that scaling
adjust it my friend


Sure but its still lower than the noise in the midrange.

# Kefine Quatio Review

18-19/07/2025


Kefine Quatio Impressions
>Accessories and Shells
Good faux leather zip case that isn't too small. Decent ear tip variety, but run-of-the-mill quality. The thicker core dark grey tips work fine. Cable checks most boxes: threaded screw lock for modular end (3.5 and 4.4 plugs), good gauge 4-core weave, lightweight hardware bits, and functional chin slider (tight but stays in place). Main nitpick is that it holds some memory kinks, but otherwise a solid stock cable. Shells are above average size and modest weight. There is no attempt at pseudocustom molding, they've gone with a featureless smoothed oblong shape. I can find comfortable fit and seal, but I consider it far from ideal shell ergonomics and shape.
>Listening Specs
Impressions done with stock tips, stock cable, and Black nozzle.
Average sensitivity. Easy to drive, but not hyper revealing of source noise floor. Average scalability, upper midrange tonal issues are more prominent at higher volumes.
>Overall Sound
Cohesive, enveloping, and musical jack of all trades. Kefine generally doesn't shy away from low-end body and warmth, nor do they cross into "basshead," territory. Robust low frequencies lay a solid foundation for crisp midrange and treble. There are no significant peaks, but there are clear deviations from DF from 1.5kHz-6kHz. Instruments and vocals in this range step forward in the mix, and can present as a bit too frontal at times. This area is also where the main differences between nozzles are, and why I prefer the Black nozzles.

>Bass
Good quantity and quality. Good texture. Proper balance between sub bass and mid bass for adequate rumble and thump without droning or excessive bloat. Modestly fast bass without undue decay.
>Mids
Hit-or-miss. It is listenable with decent tonality, but as aforementioned there are tuning choices and coloration which differ from current meta. With the stock Silver nozzles, the elevated presence and overly forward female vocals can be a bit distracting. Less so with the Black nozzles. There is no significant recess or muffling with the Black nozzles, still plenty of midrange clarity.
>Treble
There is significant roll-off after 10kHz, so this is mainly discussing low and mid treble, handled by dual nozzle BAs. Tuning colorations and implementation come across as cohesive and pleasant, enhancing perception of imaging and details without harsh timbre. There is missing air and ultra high frequencies, so upper harmonic extension is lacking, and more nuanced UHF micro details are not emphasized.
>Perceived Technicalities
Admirable imaging, layering, and micro details within 10kHz range. Middling separation, macro details, and micro details >10kHz due to upper treble roll-off.
>Conclusion
Pretty good. Nothing spectacular, but if you find common Chi-Fi offerings lacking low-end oomph, then Quatio is a solid contender. The main warnings are that it does not have meta-tuned upper mids, and I do not think the shell design is good. It remains comfortable for long sessions, no hot spots or outright discomfort, but there is not a lot of leeway for me to achieve proper seal (read as: unforgiving fit, need to find the one correct spot and keep it there). Bland design and mediocre shell ergonomics really diminish the curb appeal and "beginner recommendation factor," but overall accessories and sound are well done to score above average in context of market and price.

Maybe tomorrow I will do some measurements, particularly to check for wideband midrange distortion and validate that they have used the 2DDs to cover most of the frequency response, with the BAs take over beyond 5kHz as they claim.

And as a note for editorzo, I've done this and ddHiFi Surface impressions. Not much else recently. Lots of shit to sift through.

Thanks for the reminder, appreciate the posts!


Kefine Quatio L/R Measurements


THD. Keep in mind you should not trust the % as a high quality measurement. I am only looking for the general characteristic 1kHz hump of mid-range balanced armatures, and it does not appear to be present in Quatio.

# Tanchjim Force Impressions

13-16/07/2025

Pretty sure this is all the same person, correct me if I'm wrong.


She's here


Force graphs. No real opinions on sound yet, they seem alright but I'm not immediately noticing the claims of huge soundstage. I don't know what the point of the Effect Audio collab was, the cable is nothing special apart from Tanchjim's modular plug system which is the best out there.
RE: Channel matching, I'll let the shitposters decide on the final verdict. I can hear it but I can't quite decide if it bothers me just yet.

how thick is it compared to origin and kara


Way bigger but I like the comfort more.
I actually got a postcard for the first time ever, it's nice.

wtf it's fucking HUUGE

never been so over, that is massive for a tanchjim pos
does anyone know if they are releasing any other completely new iem (so no lost manor)? if not then i'm redeeming the fission next
also
tribute when?


I've been listening to it over the past few days, what actually started sticking out to me the most is the midbass and low mids. Bass drum hits, bass guitar and low notes on regular guitar are oddly punchy and tactile but the graphs don't show any phase weirdness or distortion. I usually add a sub-bass boost to my pos with EQ but this effect is present even without EQ. I get one peak in the upper treble, and the upper mids are about 3dB too forward for my tastes which makes female vocals slightly shouty/thin. Detail/soundstage/whatever other meme techs are fine, sounds like a good DD which is no surprise. There's no trace of 3H BA distortion. I never got the huge soundstage claims but it has decent stage for a more isolating pos.
The cable or rather the modular plug Transjim has cooked up is still the best. The USB C termination is excellent - no hissing/popping/odd behavior - and it has 5 PEQ bands which should be enough for most people. Comfort is top tier despite the size, I don't get any hotspots but I prefer more venting.
Overall, I don't think it's an upgrade over the origin. If you don't have either, I'd go with the Force because the accessories are superior and I'd imagine the comfort should also be better for most people, but I still prefer the Origin's regular bass over the weird tactility of the Force.
EQ:
Device: all Channel: all Preamp: -8 dB Filter 1: ON PK Fc 20 Hz Gain 5 dB Q 1 Filter 2: ON PK Fc 50 Hz Gain 1 dB Q 0.5 Filter 3: ON PK Fc 250 Hz Gain 0.4 dB Q 1.5 Filter 4: ON PK Fc 2700 Hz Gain -3 dB Q 2 Filter 5: ON PK Fc 3050 Hz Gain -1 dB Q 2 Filter 6: ON PK Fc 3300 Hz Gain 1.5 dB Q 1.5 Filter 7: ON PK Fc 6200 Hz Gain -3 dB Q 4 Filter 8: ON PK Fc 8000 Hz Gain 3 dB Q 1.5 Filter 9: ON PK Fc 12500 Hz Gain -4 dB Q 7

As usual ignore the treble filters on the slim chance anyone actually decides to buy the force and wants to use my EQ preset.

it's so fucking thick and they decided to use a long nozzle too
guess i'll wait for the next product release cycle, seems like they're done for now

thx.
upper mids forwardness is the main boner killer. more than a few obvious corrections needed ootb for analog listening makes it hard to justify price.
frankly they should refresh the models above fission (kara and origin) to include nicer cables and modular system too, because it is so good but that's wishful thinking.

The day Tanchjim makes a semi custom pos is the day they will become the GOAT of POS

# Moondrop Echo-B Impressions

16/07/2025


Received Moondrop Echo-B a few weeks ago, it's OK. The DSP function is very wonky. Changing EQ causes the device to restart, pausing playback and interrupting the connection with the Moondrop app. I sometimes have to re-seat the usb-c connector to make sure the app is actually reading from the currently connected device and not just changing phantom settings like it constantly wants to. Also seems like you have to register a Moondrop account to set custom EQ.
Sound quality is fine and it drives my Harmonicdyne Eris headphones adequately. Build quality is fine, cable is fine. Looks nice.
If you want DSP function, look elsewhere. Though I'm not sure why you'd buy this thing over all the alternatives if not for the DSP function..

moon...DROPPED!

# Tanchjim One DSP Impressions

16/07/2025


Tanchjim One arrived today, and I can honestly say they're one of the worst pairs I've ever bought that cost more than $10 dollarydoos
Mids and vocals are muddy as fuck, and their app isn't even on the play store, you have to download the APK from their site and hope it isn't as pozzed as the hardware.
Cable is complete shit, unless you enjoy un-twisting it every time you put them in, or move your head more than an inch
I don't browse this general much, is Tanchjim just shilling in here around the clock? I've never had such a bad recommendation from /iemg/.

# Aful Explorer after a month

15/07/2025


After about a month of using the AFUL Explorer, I can say that I like them and will be keeping them. My initial impressions were that I was missing some detail while listening on them, but then switching back to more detailed sets made me miss the full and rich sound of the explorer. They are also very nice to listen to for a long time, or to turn up to medium-high volumes. I find on a lot of sets that I want to turn them up for more fullness and impact, but then the treble and upper mids are overbearing, you get sub bass thump, but it’s not satisfying. The explorer, for me, doesn’t have that problem

# Two anons at peace

15/07/2025


The Sony Anon Formerly known Tanchjim anon. Was going down memory lane and looking at one of my first set ups. Crazy how much has changed in this space since 2020. Tin Hifi has basically disappeared and moondrop has been chasing the same target for 5 years. I now daily an android DAP when back in the day that would have been a massive meme. I do somewhat miss the form factor of the r3pro saber, but it is much easier to manage my library when I can just sync it to my music server. I used to buy and try all the flavor of the months back then, but just too much stuff coming out now to really make that worth it.


I trimmed my IEM collection down a bunch and try and really only keep 4 on hand at any given time. As then I feel I can appreciate them more. Just traded my Monarch mk3 for a pair of ie900s. Been liking them much more. The mk3 has good bass, but it was a bit bloated too my ears and affect the rest of the signature. The ie900's bass is amazing and comparing it to the z1r I had for a while, I'd say its honestly better. That anon hating on the z1r I have to say I agree at this point. I tried to cope for a while, but the tuning was so weird and the fit while actually fine for my ears, when all my other iems were 10/10 comfort I never used it.

Current IEMs:
Unique Melody Mest mk2 (Probably my favorite rn.)
Sony ier-m9 (First foray into "kilobuck" IEMs and still a very comfy set)
Tanchjim Origin (I just like having a tanchjim set always. The midrange on this though makes it actually compelling to keep)
Sennheiser ie900 (Not worth it at MSRP but as I got it from a trade+ the dude paid some cash on top I have been loving them. My mest mk2 are getting their free refurbishment currently so these have been getting a lot of ear time).

Dap:
Ibasso Dx180. Replaceable battery. That's really it. I had the hiby r4 before this and love that thing, but user replaceable battery is amazing for a device you don't really need to upgrade as its literally just playing music/running the occasional music streaming app.

# CMF Buds 2a Impressions

12/07/2025


So..I these normie buds finally came in (cmf buds 2a) and they sound…alright
Not bad for the $28 I paid for them. The presets are all pretty terrible except for DIRAC but I found custom to be the best. Unfortunately it’s only “bass, mids and treble” which is weak but I found that just a downslope is the best with +2 bass, 0 mids, -2 treble. Turn off the ultra bass.
Then it sounds pretty decent tonally. Treble-wise it’s somewhat even but with a 7-ish khz peak. It’s ok. I’m not upset for what I paid for it.
>transparency mode
not great. It has a slight hiss and accentuates atmospheric highs. It does work but meh
>ANC
actually surprisingly good. I think they might sound better music-wise with this turned on than without ANC.
Maybe skip this pair and go for space travel 2 but i doubt the software and ANC are on par with these so if you’re a normie these will suffice and sound good enough….wish I had a coupler to graph these things

# Channel Matching Viability Tests

12/07/2025


Ran some tests on if correcting channel balance using measurements is actually viable.
Process was as follows:
>Measure right channel
>Measure left channel (match insertion peak)
>Measure left channel with EQ turned on
>Export right channel measurement as text, use that file as the mic/meter cal file for all three of the above measurements
This gives a graph where 0 is the baseline (right channel) and any deviations above or below are the difference in SPL between the left and right channels.
I created the EQ profile using measurements of the EP-FX10 tips which is what I normally use with an insertion peak at 9K, so we can see if the EQ created for those tips is applicable to other tips and insertion depths. The results here are promising but inconclusive because the channel balance of my Q1Pro isn't totally horrible so a lot of the changes especially in the air region come down to my ability to match insertion peaks down to the Hz. Also, I was only able to measure insertion peaks between 8K-9K (medium stock tips shallow insert and deep insert graphs, all other tips were in between the two) because I don't have a jig to fix the IEM in place. Conclusions might change for insertion depths that deviate from I was able to measure.
What we can see is that up until around 8K, using EQ to correct channel balance pretty much works as expected across all insertion depths and tips. You can see in the last graph that all traces stay within 0.5dB up until that 8K point. Another thing I was curious about was confirming the effect on phase but there were no surprises here - using EQ to match the channels also helped with phase matching.
I'll probably try this again later with something that has really bad channel matching and requires high Q filters like my ND Audio Planet, that may provide more clarity. Even better would be taking measurements on couplers with different acoustic impedances but I don't have any way to do that at the moment.

# Shanling H2 Impressions

12/07/2025


My Shanling H2 came in yesterday and I'm really happy with it, but with adding music, it's not smart to just dump in anything and everything onto it. You can't see the title of what song is currently playing on the screen so you can sometimes catch yourself off guard if you listen to noisier artists like Xiu Xiu or NIN. The device's default behavior when playing off a MicroSD is alphabetical, folder by folder. If you want to use shuffle, you'd need all your files to be in one BIG folder. I think the smart thing is to use the onboard MicroSD support for albums you absolutely love and a regular DAP for exploring new music. It also pairs well with my A306 since 1.) It's volume-capped, and 2.) Goes by some stupid Europoo regulations in which it needs to prompt a volume warning and automatically go to a whisper every few hours of playback.

Also, I'm not sure it there was fix to the issue on the latest firmware, but I haven't come across it cutting off a second of my music.

I'm still absolutely stumped by your choice. Especially given you have a real DAP already. Do you miss ipod shuffle that much?

Idk I just found it more appealing than any of the other daps on the market at the moment.

# Noteworthy Releases

09-11/07/2025

I'M BACK, LET'S GET THE SHOW ON THE ROAD!
No cooler pos included, I'm not doing all that work for one anon.
Price in ($USD with sales), [driver configuration]
IEMs:
>Tanchjim Fission ($130) [1DD]
It's out, two versions, 12 tuning options, same old shell.
Comes in two colors, different tunings
>Tanchjim x Effect Audio Force ($280) [2DD]
Graphs available. It looks cool.
>Moondrop Space Travel 2 ($30) [1DD]
New successor to the widely acclaimed Space Travel
>Shanling Regal ($780) [2DD + 4BA + 2mPL]
Really dig the bezel/contour of the faceplate. Small difference but it looks striking.
>Kinera Celest Wyvern Black Remaster ($32) [1DD]
Another day, another Wyvern.
>Xenns Mangird Top Pro ($500) [2DD + 8BA]
It's out, and you've seen it.
>Truthear Pure ($90) [1DD + 3BA]
SO UGLY, they could've just made the logo smaller and it would be ok.
>Dunu Vulkan 2 ($360) [2DD + 6BA]
Some of the promo pics show the Vulkan lettering upside down lol. Also, weird tuning.
>Colorfly Silver Reference ($150) [3DD]
Looks weird.
>Sivga Que UTG ($100) [1DD]
Looks nice but that tuning will fry your hearing instantly.
>Moondrop Harmon ($350) [3DD]
Meh.
>Softears Studio 2 ($170) [2BA]
Somehow, the SE215 are better.
>Twistura Woodnote ($170) [1DD]
Not bad.
>Punch Audio Martilo ($330) [2DD + 2BA + 1PL
Another Linsoul brand.
>Rumaudio Blues ($200) [4BA]
Tuned decently well, but be careful as this is a new brand.
>NiceHCK Rockies ($500) [1DD + 2BA + 2EST]
Their flagship that actually has a good tuning for once.
>Roseselsa Photon Pro ($18) [1DD]
Another budget bullet option with removable cable.
>Myer-Audio Sliivo SL224 ($270) [2DD + 2BA + 4mPL]
Graphs available, looks decent.
>Dunu DN 142/242 ($?) [?]
Deez nuts lmao. Demos, no clue about anything else.
>Juzear x Z Reviews Defiant ($100) [1DD]
People really like this one, seems generic tho.
>Kefine Quatio ($130) [2DD + 2BA]
Definition of meh.

>Tanchjim Zero Ultima ($15) [1DD]
Successor to the Zero.
>Dunu DK-3001 BD ($500) [1DD + 4BA + 4PL]
Massive.
>QoA Martini ($600) [1DD + 4BA + 1BC]
It's an IEM.
>INTUAURA Uniqueness ($300) [1DD + 4BA]
Uniquely tuned, and by that I mean like shit.
>Thieaudio Monarch MKIV ($1150) [2DD + 6BA + 2EST]
Another one. I'm betting that they will do a MKV, then pivot to the Monarch [something] line.
>HeartField CU8 ($280) [4BA]
The shell looks really nice, and the tuning is not half bad.
>Letshuoer DX1 ($160) [1DD]
No.
>Tripowin Ruta10 ($20) [1DD]
It's in the OP.
>EPZ K9 ($300) [1DD + 8BA]
I love the design, and tuning looks good.
>Kinera Celest Yaksha ($140) [2DD + 1BA + 1mPL]
Looks pretty decent.
>Hisenior Cano Cristales ($400) [2DD + 8BA]
Now this is a V-shape.
>Moondrop Pill ($50) [1DD]
Which pill are you taking anon?
>Astrotec Archimedes ($130) [1PL]
It's weird.
>ddHifi x Moondrop Surface ($280) [1DD + 4BA]
Finally out.
>Kiwi Ears Astral ($300) [1DD + 6BA]
New meta.
>Kiwi Ears Aether ($170) [1PL]
Another planar.
>Kiwi Ears Étude ($120) [1DD + 3BA + 1VT]
Vibration transducer like with the Konoka. Looks so ugly holy shit.
>Ziigaat Lush/Luna/Odyssey/Arete/Arcadia/Arcanis/Crescent
Fuck this shit I'm not doing it for every single one.
>"Obscure" brands (INTUAURA, CKLVX, XINHS, QoA, Tiandirenhe, LUN SHENG, FLOAUDIO, etc)
I can't do it for all of them, sorry :(
>TRN, KZ, CCA, CVJ, ND, HiBy, etc
You know the drill, not posting any of these. As always, beware of KZ/CCA stealth revisions.

DAC/Amps/Accessories
>DSP Dongles
So many DSP dongles and sources, and they are also mostly rocking the CS43131/43198 chips so that's very nice.
>Liquid Silicone, Metal bits, and more
A lot of affordable liquid silicone tips were released, same thing with weird metal containing tips whether it be in the bore, on an inverted tip, or a small nipple

News and events:
>Sound Reproduction 4th Edition
Pre-orders already out! Hopefully someone can scan this one.
>EQ guide completion?
Seems like EQ guide anon is finished with the bulk of it, congratulations to them!
>YU9 5128 clone coupler?
YU9 audio is currently working on replicating the 5128 system.
>BA Driver expansion measurements by anons
Loved that thread, very insightful and cool.
>PEQdB target shootout
Not much to say.

# TRI Draco Measurements

09/07/2025


TRI Draco came in. Holy fuck what happened?


The channel matching isnt concerning as thats just leakage, but that FR is. Post more?


>leakage
I don't think so, I measured it with other tips and its still bad. That being said my unit is absolutely honkmaxxed with retarded 2K response unlike yours, maybe it got KZ'd.

# INFiter IE45 Pro Tip Impressions

08/07/2025

No pic because I'm too lazy.

Bought those INFiter IE45 Pro tips from Aliexpress. Got both the clears and blacks.

Some quick notes:

  • Performs similarly enough to the Spiral Dot Pro FX-12. A successful cheaper clone in my books.
  • No sonic differences between the clear and black. But there are textural differences: the black is smoother (like a Baroque tip), the clear is more grippy.
  • With wide-bores you naturally lose some bass presence, but the INfiter's not as bad as the Divinus Prisms.
  • Low-end warmth in descending order: Nostalgia XWB > INfiter IE45 Pro >= Spiral Dot FX12 > Divinus Prisms

I can recommend the INfiter IE45 Pros.

# Aful Explorer Impressions

03/07/2025


Just got these for 80 eurobux instead of the usual 120. I gotta say, I'm loving them so far. The stock cable feels pretty damn good. The case that comes with the IEMs is a bit on the smaller side for me personally, but still usable. The IEMs come with plenty eartips and are good enough.

As for the sound, I'm really loving the tuning of these. They're warm and definitely have bass, so people were not lying about that, but luckily it's clean and well defined. They have great imaging and solid soundstage. Good instrument separation as well. They're very comfortable too.

They're different enough from my other IEMs that I'm keeping these.

# Jutem Handmade DAP Leather Case Impressions

03/07/2025


Sharing my first-time experience ordering from Jutem:

There's a guy in China who makes custom leather cases for portable sources. Ordered from his Taobao shop, picked my color, and shit took 2 whole months to make and deliver. Paid approx $132 but it might be more expensive if you go through his Gmail.

It's delivered double-box'd so thank goodness, the case is pretty well-protected. Craftsmanship looks pretty legit, the stitching is clean and fits my dap perfectly.


Comparison between stock case and Jutem.

# Tip Measurements

01-02/07/2025

The conversations and posts surrounding these are not relevant, so only the measurements will be included.


# KZ Zenith Measurement

02/07/2025


Last gift to the rats, Zenith graphs with actually decent channel matching. If the rats could afford these they'd for sure be raving about them, its by far KZ's best pos they've ever made if it hasn't been stealth revised already.

# Kinera Celest Wyvern Black Remaster Impressions

01/07/2025


Speaking of this POS.
Been using them for almost a week now. Overall I'd say they sound FINE out of the box but very dark. Cymbals were much quieter than what I'd expect
Compared them to thread's favorite (lol) Q1 Pro via sine swipes. They sounded basically like they graph
<=
Not much difference until 3k (if it's there it's like 1 dB and I was too lazy to actually sit there and sine rape my ears to hear it). Around 4k everything shifted to Q1's side (not surprisingly)
Adding 4 dB treble shelf to wyverns immediately made them sound much better, less muffled and closed in. Added 2 dB bass too. I feel like Wyverns despite almost graphing the same have better bass? I can feel it more and not only just punch. It's weird.
The biggest con for me is their fit. I guess I discovered that my ear canals need that strong nozzle angle Q1s have. I need to put wyverns in at an angle to make them fit. Also I rolled literally ALL my tips and only decent ones were med sancai (still meh), large spring tips (actually decent but with caveats) and dunu s&s I just got (can reiterate what other people said about them - very good seal but comfort is not as good.)

But actually the biggest difference between the two is imaging and soundstage. I started hearing it in wyverns already with music, soundstage felt wider compared to what I've been used to. But it became very obvious when I launched apex. I didn't even play the game I just jumped into a shooting range. It has target bots running left and right for practice. In Q1 you can just hear steps either in right or left ear there's no real sense of where they are. In Wyverns I immediately could tell that bots are walking in front of me. I could hear where they are easily vs q1 where you can't hear position of the steps AT ALL. Funny enough something like EDC Pro also has a better imaging than Q1 Pro but I don't really use them because of the fit.

So yeah if there are any EQ enthusiasts who can tell me how to EQ soundstage into Q1 Pro feel free to (EQ manipulations I tried did nothing to imaging or soundstage)
Forgot to add - wyverns are very nice looking pos. Saw some concerns from people that they'll only look good on photos but no they look great irl too. (ai generated anime dragon waifu was pretty meh and low quality lol)

# EPZ Q1 Pro Measurement

01/07/2025


Its here!


Graphs

such a beautiful pure 1dd curve...

pretty mediocre channel matching ngl

Yeah I was expecting better. Not a problem for me because I have a coupler and per-channel PEQ on all my devices (Poweramp/APO/EasyEffects). 1DD + EQ more like 1DD + coupler + per-channel PEQ.

Please do more attempts, and even switch Left and Right side. If they actually have this channel matching its gonna be so embarassing for foxzo


Tried a different cable and tips, seems to have helped slightly.

Not great not terrible....

# ddHiFi x Moondrop Surface Impressions

01/07/2025


ddHifi Surface (Moondrop collab, aka E14D) Impressions
>Build
Attractive lightweight shells with nozzle lip. On the smaller side of average for 1+4. Adequate venting, no driver flex. Easy to get immediate comfortable fit with included Kiwi Ears Flex tips. Cable is surprisingly soft, light, and well-behaved versus comparable thick cables.
>Specs
Not overly sensitive, scales well with power and volume (default 4.4mm cable is not unwarranted). Channel balance is good (I can graph, but don't feel like it at the moment).
>Bass
Above average quantity and quality. Nice sub rumble along with weighty punch. There is bloat beyond neutral, and it takes a moment to acclimate. Good texture and distinction between low frequencies.
>Mids
Initially perceived vocals as cramped and intimate because of low-end emphasis. Once acclimated, characteristics of strong layering, accurate imaging, and natural timbre remain. Moondrop specializes in mids, and they deliver despite the bloat.
>Treble
Down tilted safe treble. Avoids sharpness and eschews large peaks. Bass and upper mids are dominant at all volumes. Detail retrieval is adequate, but softened. Layering and imaging remain strong as in the mids.

>Pros
Vocals and technicalities plus bass. Moondrop rarely does bigger bass.
Bespoke-feel build, cable, and aesthetics.
On average should not present problems with fit. Good comfort and stability.
>Cons
Thicker mid bass lift results in some bloat.
Subdued treble. Will not be airy and energetic, but rather grounded and silken.

# 7Hz Salnotes Dioko Impressions

01/07/2025

I've been using my Salnotes Dioko for a couple months now.
I love the hell out of them.
They're quite lean, pretty analytical and cold.
Cymbals are so clear omg
Sub bass is boosted but it doesn't bleed into the mids.
They remind me of my yamaha hs5 studio monitors that I had to leave behind when I moved.
I also own a pair of Hexa, Hola, Zero, Zero:Two, Starfield, Kz pr2.
I don't think I'm gonna try anything else for a while