64 Audio - U12t (Gen 1)

Easily the 64Audio U12T There's something about them that are just right for a wide genre of music. I've demo'd a bunch of IEMs back to back lately and I kept going back to the U12T.

The issue I have with the claim that frequency response is the end all be all, is that it should mean that eq can make everything sound the same. >I've EQed the AirPods Pro 2 to have significantly better "technicalities" than any IEM I've heard. In that case shouldn't you only rank post-eq and comfort scores? Why do any of the pre-eq sound scores matter? Why try iems? Why own anything but a $20 dollar pair of apple earpods that you dont have to be afraid of getting stolen or broken, when eq can make it sound like the Prisma Lumen that tops your list? Why does the Prisma Lumen top your list, if you can eq the Shure KSE1500 (that you rank 1.85 in sound) to equal that? After your eq, wouldn't the top-notch comfort of the Shure make it a better iem? I really do appreciate the quantity of iems with low sound scores, which many others arent willing to do. As for the list: fulgrim, alter ego, uerr, 622b, volur, camelot. 6/10 (might be missing some): u12t, trio, ve7, se5r, mest ii, moondrop solis, eminent ears emrald, inear pmx

In a nutshell, Tia Trio's wow factor lies in its bass response while U12t's wow factor lies in its imaging. I found the upper treble peak on the U12t its biggest weakness and likely its most controversial aspect, but it's no worse than the IE600's upper treble exaggeration. Truth is, the 'reference-adjacent flagship' sound the U12t targeted has mostly been done better by newer IEMs such as Symphonium Helios or Subtonic Storm. Meanwhile, the Tia Trio's bass is only rivalled by (IMO) the IER-Z1R and the astronomically-priced Brise Audio Fugaku, but both have an even more coloured overall tuning. The common reviewer consensus is that 64audio's A line tends to have excessive bass that makes it sound unbalanced compared to the U line; this makes sense in a loud live session, less so in casual listening. Not exactly an issue if you plan to EQ though. If you've been EQing anyway, may I recommend the dark horse (and my own daily) that is the 7th Acoustics Supernova. Bang-on neutral bass and treble with a relaxed (some would say honky) midrange that could easily be EQed to whatever you want thanks to its smooth frequency response. Resin shell is on the medium-large side but it sits in my ear comfortably, good isolation because of the fit, but even aside from the midrange, its other weaknesses are possible 8k glariness (you need to experiment with tips) and the fact that neutral bass and treble isn't for everyone (Precog mentioned lacking resolution, I'd say it's because he's used to heaps of upper treble in most other flagships. My opinion is if that's the price to pay for balanced tonality, so be it; the resolution isn't that bad anyway). Also, while it's a sturdy resin build, it's also a very small company, so it may be difficult if something does go wrong with it.

Hi OP, they're all in the same range, more or less. The most popular ones mentioned in the comments are the most "Safe" options. ie. Harman/Meta tuned. I live near my local IEM store and I personally did not like anything in this list except the S12 Pro. Not because of the sound signature but because they all lacked detail retrieval and clarity. While the S12 Pro is pure planar, it is a bit "sharper", but being planar-driven means it will be very receptive to EQ. Everything else will not be as receptive. I have the S12 Pro and I daily the 64Audio U12T so I place immense emphasis on detail retrieval and clarity more so than quantity of bass. Quality > Quality in my case. If you're an analytical listener, the S12 Pro is your top pick. If you need more bass or less treble, jus EQ it away. I have a written a piece on the S12 Pro here [https://www.reddit.com/r/inearfidelity/comments/1h1w33s/100\_vs\_2000\_iem\_shoot\_out\_letshuoer\_s12\_pro\_vs/](https://www.reddit.com/r/inearfidelity/comments/1h1w33s/100_vs_2000_iem_shoot_out_letshuoer_s12_pro_vs/) and [https://www.reddit.com/r/iems/comments/1g7bxsi/letshuoer\_s12\_pro\_qdc\_anole\_v14\_64\_audio\_u12t/](https://www.reddit.com/r/iems/comments/1g7bxsi/letshuoer_s12_pro_qdc_anole_v14_64_audio_u12t/)

Well, you asked about the the best IEM in our personal opinions. But, a serious answer: If I were you I'd steer away from the IEMS in the 5-6k INR range. They're mostly just meta/harman tuned and sound more or less identical. If you want something that lasts really long, has impeccable sound and build quality, easy to drive, and will play just about any genre really well, go for the Letshuoer S12 Pro. It's about 13k INR, more than twice your budget but packs more than twice the quality of IEMs in the 5-6k INR range. I daily the 64A U12T, and despite the S12 Pro being more than 10x cheaper, it's about 90% of the U12T. I have both, and in many instances I would reach for the S12 Pro. I use it for gaming and various listening.

Extreme Metal only sounds great on BA/Planar IEMs. The problem with EM is that that it doesn’t have the V-shape sound that most budget sets are tuned for. Niche genres need niche IEMs. For EM, the IEM needs to have exceptional treble. Hence BA/Planar sets. Anything with DD for bass = muddy since transient response of DD is simply not enough for the kind of speed you need. That is a limitation of DD. For budget I recommend S12 Pro, kilobuck Andromeda 2020, or multikilo U12T. I’ve tested all sorts from all budgets in accordance with the hype, these are the only three sets that sound good for Metal.

Mega5ests, monarch mk3/mk2, oracle mk3, u12t used. Really depends on what you want in a sound profile

I just got the 64 audio u12t. IEM for the win bro

Monarch MKIV came in last week and I've really been enjoying them. I've been in the iem game for quite a few years, starting with the KZ ZS3, Moondrop Starfield, Etymotic ER2s, etc. I think I've finally found something that checks all the boxes for me. Like many of you here, I initially struggled to find out what my preference for tuning was. I thought I liked a lot of bass until I tried Etymotics. I realized I liked a leaner sound, but felt something was missing. Tried the og Moondrop Blessing 2. Loved them and the DD bass, but overall still wanted more. Ran a pair of Dunu SA6 for a couple years. Loved the tuning there, but with all BA bass, found myself missing the physical oomph down low. Something else I want to mention other than sound is comfort. People talk about comfort here and there, but its always just a small part of a review. For me, and I think a lot of people, comfort can make or break and iem. The Etymotics fit were pretty much a dealbreaker right from the start. Any tug of that cable was instant pain. When I finally landed on the Dunu SA6, they were the most comfortable iems I ever wore, and might still be. Small, perfectly contoured, they disappeared into your ears. Yet, I wanted more sound wise. Eventually led me to the 64 audio U12Ts. Of course, they sound amazing. Maybe lacking in the treble range for me, but nothing an EQ profile couldn't fix. Bass even amazing. But comfort eventually was a big downside for me on the U12Ts. They offer no contour on the shell, and after a couple years trying different tips and whatnot, I still could never get them to fit. I thought about getting custom A12ts, but with the price and release of 4th Monarch, I decided to take the leap. I've been eyeing the Monarch ever since the original release. A lean signature with thicc DD subbass really appealed to me on paper, and thankfully, it also very much appeals to me for real. The MKIV feels like the true final evolution of the series. So to continue with the comfort feel, I was initially worried about the size of the shell, and yeah, they're freaking huge - BUT they are contoured well, and because I have fairly large ears, they fit me perfectly. I don't have to keep adjusting or pushing them back into my ears like I did with the U12Ts. Anyway, as for sound, well like the original Monarchs, they are indeed a somewhat lean, but the MK4 has the addition of the "rumble" switch that adds a +3db shelf to the subbass region. This versatility really makes this thing shine. As a metalhead, there are times where lots of bass can be overpowering and ruin the mix, so leaving the rumble switch off is perfect for certain styles or songs. But for those slow hard hitting drops the rumble switch adds a needed big physical impact. As for audio, I finally found the tuning that I really prefer, a slight V shape with thicc DD bass and the ability to raise or lower the shelf right on the iem itself. Technicalities more or less on par with the U12Ts - maybe not as fast with decay and transients, but its 90% of the way there. Timbre on some parts can be a bit unnatural/plasticky compared to the U12T, but it depends a lot how the song is produced. Got this paired with the Questyle M15i or the Qudelix 5k with Tidal via UAPP on my phone - about as good as it gets for mobile audio bliss. And as for comfort and everything else, these things disappear in my ears with the included M size tips. The main drawback for this iem is the included cable. It does have 4.4 and 3.5mm modular terminations, but it feels and looks like it was made in the 70s - brown, kinda sticky, and kink prone. Had to replace that with a nice blue Kinera Lara cable to match the faceplate. I'm not a fan of the flashy looking iems, so these look amazing to me. Anyway, thanks for reading this wall of text, I'm not much of a reviewer, but seeing as there aren't many posts about the MK4 yet, I just wanted to share how happy I am with the sound, fit, and looks of my current setup. Finally feels like I've solved every issue I've had portable audio wise.

I use mine* on stage and occasionally in the studio so, yes, definitely. I had IEMs for monitoring before I ever owned any for musical enjoyment since the early versions weren't much to my liking for listening to my favorite tunes. *To clarify, I own many pairs and only three of my 64Audio IEMs, A18t, A18s, and A12t, see use on stage or in the studio. I have a bunch of others that are strictly for listening to music and not for monitoring.

i was researching for my endgame stuff and this is what i think monarch mk4 ought to fit the bill, neutral with a slight treble and bass boost without the switch, bassy sound with the switch. Best of both worlds and you can just use an HSQ filter to turn down the treble if it is too spicy. I was thinking of getting em but the size scared me off. Not in the market for anything that won't fit my ears, even the Moondrop DUSK fits a little weird for me lol The best actual all rounder I think is the U12T. Inoffensive with loads of technicalities. The only con people i've seen people give is that the tonality is too neutral/boring and some others complain about ba timbre. Some say the ThieAudio Valhalla is either slightly better or worse than the U12T but mostly people talk about the shell size and its bassy signature, complaining about the treble lacking air but not detail. I love all rounders but I value bass quality the most which is why I was looking at the Z1R but fit issues scared me off so I'm just off the iem market entirely now. Using the Moondrop DUSK and anything bigger would just be a waste of money for me and my ears. I'm curious though what do you like about the Volare and how do the DUSK and Variations compare to it?

i'd genuinely take the airpods pro 2 over the u12t, overrated as fuck by people

I do have both Valhalla, and u12t, to include a12t. I would go with Valhalla all day