From someone whose owned mk4 and currently owns Valhalla I would say Valhalla would be my pick out of all the options you listed jet black has weird vocals, not sure about myth but I’ve heard that it’s better than mk4 but not better than Valhalla and has a “different” vocal presentation. But imma keep it real in terms of separation and imaging u12t is better than both thie sets but the vocals are dead neutral and not fun or colored other than the 3khz dip. Haven’t researched/tried dawn x so I won’t comment on it other than it looks warm.
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.
My small but curated collection of iems. I recently acquired my dream iem, U12t, which feels like a full circle moment because it’s the one to start me on the journey of trying high-end gear. This is it for me for a while. I have had the opportunities to try many different iems and tunings but these are the ones that have stayed (and taught me plenty about my preferences). Even though the U12t is my dream iem, my favorite is the Softears Twilights (🌟), they are spot on for what I what in a tuning and vocals are just…🤌🏼
\*If anyone owns the Monarch Mk3, please suggest me some iem tips that would work well with them. I like the tuning on them but man the fit…gets rough after about 30 minutes.
iems from left to right, top to bottom:
* Thieaudio Monarch Mk3
* Symphonium Audio Meteors
* Softears Twilight
* 64 Audio U12t (2025 rev)
* Symphonium Audio Helios
U12t is more laidback compared to the monarchs, which sounds more exciting because of the way the treble and mids are tuned. U12t vocals are neutral and don't sound as intimate compared to the monarchs, which I do find a touch more intimate. Both have really good bass but bass nuance and quality is better on the U12t, the bass on the monarchs sound more natural. Both are detailed iems but...U12t is effortlessly resolving and more "holographic" in staging (like the music is wrapping around my head).
However, I think if someone is trying to choose between the two, I would recommend the Monarch Mk3. Mainly because the U12T is something you can appreciate more after trying everything else. They don't 'WOW' you immediately, and you know what you're looking for, especially in terms of personal preference on sound and tuning.
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
Right now im sitting with two. OK realistically 3 expensive IEMS.
Traillii TI.
Viking Prestige
And paling to the rest in comparrison the ier-z1r.
Sold my u12t last week for a delicious £700 and it was a tough choice.But im not going hoard.
Im struggling to decide between viking and trailli and which one to flip.
Are they worth it?
The U12T - without a doubt its worth it, the market today you pick them up for 800-1000 GBP and they are perfect, they wont wow you everyday, they arent tuned to the meta, they simply have no flaw in anything they do. IMHO its the best totl bang for buck you can get... although its not totl anymore.
After a few years I wanted something more comfortable, and decided and extra grand or two to spend on something i love is fine. So I flipped them.
IER-Z1R - these are great and also great value. Huge sound stage, they are my most comfortable iem (i'm an edge case) and a solid bass tuning. I simply dont love them for everything, I prefer brighter.
Viking - I could not stomach the RRP and they are pretty niche but fuck me they are amazing in what they do. Worth it? As a daily? Im trying to figure this out but likely not for most people... but i have yet to experience another IEM that can do what the viking can do, its remarkable. So this is depending on your finances and how many pairs you want to oen. I could have them plus one but want to keep the collection small. Yes they are worth it for what they are, and at used price. Ha most people sell the cable for a grand once they have it so its got that little bonus.
Trailli TI. I bought it for a great price, using some of my crypto, still eye watering but I save some tax And they are easy to sell. Worth the RRP? Hell no lol, thats insane. Worth it to keep? Hmmm. They sound better than all of the above. Noticeably and meaningfully. Very different to the viking so it cant do everything the viking can do but its more enjoyable. Does it blow me away? no. but it does everything perfect, yes better than the u12t. I guess the only reason I might keep it is because the market for them is still hot, i can sell it for a zero net loss, maybe even grab a small profit if I dont love them.
EDIT: OK one more because they are on my desk but I arranged a return. Light Harmonics Oscar xxi - these sound spectacular but its such a weird outlier brand that I'll be married to them if I keep them. They dont fit my practical needs so even at the price you find them for today if you find them... they are not worth it for me, but if someone wanted summit-fi for under 2k (used) to never sell it is actually not a bad buy. Would I reccomend them over a u12t? no.
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.
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7Hz
7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2
76% positive of 495 users
Budget gaming pick, but poor cables and polarizing bass.
Acethe7th_
