Some background: I currently mainly use the Moondrop KATO (previously Aria), and I find it to be the most comfortable for me. I also have the Timeless 7hz, but it doesnt fit well into my ears, so I ended up benching it because my ears start to hurt after an hour or two.
I listen to a lot of R&B, Rock/alternative rock, New Age, Classical, Ballad, J-pop, and more recently, K-pop. That said, I also really like vocals, with Ado being a good example.
Budget: \~$200-300. I'm willing to spend a bit more if it is worth it.
I also want to use it with my phone since I can't really do that with the KATOS, as they're quite heavy, so I can't walk around with them. This isn't a hard requirement, but is something I would like.
I've been eyeing the Tanchjim FOLAs, but I'm not sure if there's something else I should be looking at, like the Origin or Force instead.
The Timeless is okay, but I honestly prefer the KATOs in every way, just that the treble/highs can peak a little high sometimes, causing it to be a little harsh on my ears, and it's why I'm using the brass nozzles. For the most part, I'm just looking for something similar but with a more controlled treble. So like imagine the KATOs but the peaks are less harsh. I currently have them EQ'd to where the top (~20 kHz) is gently brought down because of this, but the upper mids and high do have a decent boost.
I value vocal clarity and presence, and I don't care too much about the bass "hitting" strongly. I was mainly looking for something clean, kind of bright, and has good details.
From what I read up, the FOLAs and Force were the most similar, but it seems like I can't quite find a good comparison of the two. From the charts, Force seemed the most similar to the KATOs, but the FOLAs have a smooth fall off for the highs I believe, which is what I think I'm looking for, but I'm not sure.
I honestly don't know what exactly I like, especially since I EQ'd my KATOs, so it's not exactly "stock." I actually really like my KATOs post EQ, just that the treble can peak a little high sometimes, causing it to be a little harsh on my ears, but that's also why I'm using the brass nozzles. I'm also not a "basshead."
With my EQ, I have it as this:
(Bass & sub bass) 20-200 Hz: Almost flat with a slight cut.
(Low mids) 200-500 Hz: Noticeable dip to reduce "mud" and thickness, making mixes sound cleaner and less boxy.
(Midrange) 500 Hz - 2kHz: Close to flat with tiny tweaks (short incline, then flattens).
(Upper mids and highs) 5-10 kHz: There's a clear boost, but it's not insanely high.
(Very top) ~20 kHz: It is gently brought down to lessen that harshness I was talking about earlier.
For the most part, I would say I'm just looking for something similar to the KATOs but with a more controlled treble. So like imagine the KATOs but the peaks are less harsh.
I value vocal clarity and presence, and I don't care too much about the bass "hitting" strongly. I was mainly looking for something clean, kind of bright, and has good details.
From what I read up, the FOLAs and Force were the most similar, but it seems like I can't quite find a good comparison the two. From the charts, Force seemed the most similar to the KATOs, but the FOLAs have a smooth fall off for the highs I believe, which is what I think I'm looking for, but I'm not sure.
I'll read the post you linked, but I'm honestly not sure what I should be looking for in terms of describing these IEMs.
My first pair was some Fiio pair (o think the F3?) that everyone raved about for gaming and sound quality compared to how cheap it was....was one of THE WORST sounding hollow tin pieces of shit ive ever heard lol.
I swore off all IEMs after that thinking they could never compete with "real headphones" but then I got pretty damn lucky; there was a pricing error on Amazon and I bought 2 pairs of EW300 DSP for me and my ex for $8 each (was supposed to be $80) and damn were they actually pretty fucking close, just had weird highs that I started hearing and didnt like them after 5 months, so I gave them to my niece and bought myself a used pair of 7Hz timeless and just cleaned them, absolutely my favorites so far.
I fear this new hobby of mine is going to cost me more than my ex ever did, which she made off with $1000s worth of shit. Oh well I got better headphones/earbuds now 1 point for me; 3450 for her
It'll be a tie between blon bl03 and Timeless. Blon because it scales well, takes EQ like a champ and has a soft, "glowy" mids. And Timeless because it sounds detailed and effortless.
My 7hz Timeless for example does in my opinion sound better than my Sennheiser Momentum 4 for example, so I can kinda agree.
The same Sennheiser Momentum 4 in my opinion does not sound as good as the Fiio FT1 Pro that is half price.
So it's swing and roundabouts
Knowing your recommendations here, do you have any experience with the 7hz Timeless. I have them and I like the bass on them (once I EQ a bass bump into them) but Ive read a lot of ppl saying they’re disappointed by the bass and Im wondering what something better would sound like. Im wondering how they compare to what youve mentioned above because I def like bass but Ive been underwhelmed by the Zero Blue 2s (rather fatigue-ing).
AllegedlyLuke
