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Reddit Reviews
I really like the Diablos but also the Tangzu Zetian Wu Legend.
7hz diablo if you have access to them of the list ea500lm
The bar is dropping lower and lower so it’s hard to say, the new $120 (on sale) 7hz crinicle diablo is getting more ear time than my monarch mk4 ($950). It’s wild what you can get now for under $200
I love them, it’s about perfect tuning for me, I add a bass shelf to all planar IEMs and headphones I’ve had and I don’t need to with this one. Kick drums hit really nice as well and I’m not wanting for any details in the mids or treble, it’s really quite great IMO. I like it better than the astral and s12 ultra I have in right now
I do love planar with bass boost :-) , the metal shell helps make diablo feel more premium too as well as sounding great….monarchs are stellar too though just definitely past the the spending point to sound ratio for me OP is asking about
If you’re looking for contrast, get the Explorer. Its warm signature is quite unique. Certainly different than the Defiant. You can’t go brighter with something like a Kiwi Ears Canta. Dual planar and plays well with EQ. OR…go full bass head (within the Defiant price range) with the Legato. You can also jump up slightly for 7Hz Diablo as well. Bottom line is that you have a wealth of options. Don’t understand why you’d dip back down to the Cadenza.
I like BOTH the Divine and Diablo tuning. They are DIFFERENT. Those cables are certainly not my cup of tea. They were immediately replaced as soon as I unboxed the sets. I also have the ET142...the versatility (nozzle tuning) of that set puts it in a different spot compared to ALL the others. I have others "older" planar and planar hybrids. The only one that doesn't hold up (to me) is the F1Pro.... especially when compared to the Divine. The issues (for me) of the F1 Pro can be managed with EQ and tip rolling.
better bass than the Wyvern Abyss... Quality or just want MORE bass? KBears Rosefinch (under 30usd) KZ Castor Bass Edition (under 30usd?) 7Hz Legato (about 100usd) QKZ HBB Hades (a little over 100usd) Punch Audio Portazo (under 200usd) Dunu Koto x Ito (under 200usd) 7Hz x Crinacle Diablo (under 200usd) I own the Wyvern Celeste AND the following: Rosefinch, KZ Castor Bass Edition, Legato and the Diablo. The Diablo is a CLEAR upgrade that will give you a lot more bass than the Wyvern Abyss. Can't comment on any of others because I don't own them nor have heard the set personally. The Diablo has a crap cable...so you may want to budget for a replacement cable.
This won’t help you rn, but in your IEM journey, I find the 7hz x Crinacle Diablo at about $150 had the perfect amount of bass and was as comfy as the AirPod Pro 2s
For music listening? Way better But I sometimes miss being wireless or having my phone functions. Those are a minor sacrifice and I got my Diablos for nearly 100 bucks less than my APP2 which were like 250 at the time
I've eq'd to them back to back They're absolutely brilliant. Not too "compressed" like a harman, bass is on the lighter side but it hits just right and the treble reveals details whilst not being too harsh (i think it has the least treble you can find in a planar beside maybe the letshuoer s08)
Listed from cheapest to most expensive: CVJ Luki KB Ears Rosefinch 7hz Legato 7hz Diablo Fatfreq Deuce TSMR Armor TLDR winner: TSMR Armour So I've been on the hunt for an IEM that works well for metal with thunderous bass that clearly defines kick drum from bass guitar. I'm treble sensitive and what would probably be considered an extreme bass-head in this community, so my opinions will probably only be valid for a small selection of you but hopefully this helps someone. Impressions (favourite to least favourite) without any EQ: Armor: does everything right for my ears. The only IEM that I haven't felt the need to touch EQ. Kick and bass guitar are balanced wonderfully and a really pleasant warm sound signature without fatiguing highs yet still sounds clear and transparent. Is an absolute monster if you plug in to the deuces impedance adaptor. Diablo: Similar thoughts to the Armor. Less sub bass than the armour but has fantastic midbass punch thanks to the planar. Also a pleasant warm signature though the slightly boosted uppermid/high presentation makes me slightly prefer the Armor. Close contest though! Deuce: lots of sub bass but in stock form without EQ the lack of midbass makes it sound thinner and more brittle than the other two above when listening to rock and metal. Highs are a bit harsh for my ears without the midbass to smooth it out. This pair sounds fantastic for genres I don't really listen to much though - think any music that's sub bass heavy - R&B, hip-hop etc. With EQ the deuce can be made to work well for rock and has the largest quantity of sub bass of the others, so its still a set I enjoy using depending on my mood. This pair made me decide to not try Martilos as they seem to have a similar tuning looking at graphs and reviews. Legato: plenty of sub and mid bass but lacking some definition between kick and bass guitar. Upper frequencies are a mixed bag: a little muffled/veiled yet also has some sibilance. Probably the one set I wouldn't recommend as it sits in an odd price bracket where it's just outside of 'cheap' where you get the value for money recommendation yet just a little below the midrange bracket which are a significant step up. Rosefinch: similar to legato - less veiled but has a very irritating fatiguing spike at around 8k that kills this pair for me. With EQ these turn in to quite a good value for money bass-head pair though. These are my knock around pair for travel, workout etc. This pair with a cheap peq dongle like the JA11 would be my budget conscious recommendation. Luki: just a super cheap $10 set to test out bone conduction. Not enough sub bass and wonky tuning. EQing helps a little but still sounds cheap. However I love the way it made bass guitar sound in some tracks - assuming that's the BCD. Makes me want to try something like the Penon Archangel but for now I'm satisfied with the Armor and not sure I want to push this hobby in to the high price bracket when I have nowhere in my hometown to 'try before you buy' (Brisbane).
Rankings by Use Case
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