AFUL - Performer 5+2 / Performer 7

That would also be a good pick, I have the Aful P5+2 and it is a great set! I would say the P5+2 and CK2V are on the same level of details and they even use a very similar driver set up. The CK2V may edge the P5+2 out in detail by a smidge, but that is primarily because it has a cleaner bass separation. If you want a more dynamic and analytical sound, where there is a much bigger contrast between bass and treble go with the CK2V. If you want a bit more of a musical set, go with the P5+2. Also if you get the P5+2, do yourself a favor and get some kiwi ear flex eartips with them. The P5+2 doesn't have any filter on the nozzle and these tips will help keep wax from getting on/in the acoustic tubing.

Honestly, I can't really give you a definitive reference as I don't have much in terms of iems with exorbitant amounts of contrast or dynamics. That is why I am selling pretty much all my iems, as I have played it very safe and gone for more neutral-ish or safe tuned sets. Probably the most dynamic sets I have are the Kinera Relentless, BGVP NS10 Pro, and Aful P5+2, but I would even consider those on the safer side of dynamic tunings. I just gotta watch some reviews the same way I figured out all these more neutral/safe tuned sets. Right now my two top contenders are the Myer Audio SLIIVO SLA3 and Myer Audio CKLVX CK2V. Both are under $200, so not too big of a risk to try what are supposedly more dynamic sets. I'm sure there are more out there, so I'm doing research while I post my iems for sale. I'll prob go with the SLA3 as it is basically the CK2V at half the price with extremely minor EQing. It's just missing the micro planars for the most part for that extra treble air past the 13/14k region. So if I really love that contrast I could upgrade from the SLA3 to the CK2V later.

Ya, I love my Aful P5+2, but I also might sell it and replace it with the Myer Audio CK2V. As much as I want to try another planar, I'm really leaning towards the Explorer and Odyssey for this one. From what I've heard, the Odyssey is basically just a higher end Explorer, so will just depend on if I feel like shelling out the extra cash for it!

I jumped on the P5+2. I love it. I don't see myself upgrading for a long time.

bought the Aful P7 and i think i should have gone for the Tea pro.

amazingly, i use them with the tips that came with my AZ80, sound amazing.

I hate KZ, but i was told to try the PRX, and they synergize amazingly well with my Retro Nano So i have the cheapo setup which is the retro nano with KZ PRX and the expensive setup which is the Aful P7 with the BTR17. really amazing what you can get for 50 bucks today.

i got the Aful 5+2 and now im wondering if i should have gotten the dusk or the Elysian. they are a bit too neutral for me.

I currently have my Aful P5+2 on my AZ20, works great after the circumcision mod.

Ive owned a Moondrop Blessing 2, the EM6L has toyota build quality next to that piece of junk. Also the reason i picked up the Aful P7 instead of the dusk. moondrop sounds great, they just dont last long.

I WHOLE HEARTEDLY AGREE WITH YOUR POINTS: https://preview.redd.it/vwxf7i53neye1.jpeg?width=2377&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9aafdf70e38f01e9e6e88692e4c7f79caca103d8 This is MY collection...and I'm very early in the journey. I don't have the budget, knowledge or experience to blind buy a 500USD+ set of in ears that may or may not fit my ears or my preferences. While my journey doesn't completely fit OP's blueprint...I have/had the same thought process regarding purchasing IEMs. Not pictured are the Moondrop Chu 2 and 7Hz Sonus. I started with the Chu 2, 7Hz Zero 2 and Kiwi Ears Cadenza. From listening, watching and reading reviews...I was able to learn about all the terms, labels, and vocabulary to describe what I like or don't like. I threw money at the Wyvern Abyss...I mean...LOOK AT THEM😂. The Kz Castor Bass was a curiosity buy...want to hear if a set touting bass response was really that bassy. My next steps were the NiceHCK F1 Pros, Kiwi Ears Canta and the 7Hz Sonus. The F1 Pros and the Sonu were on sale at the time of purchase...good value and able to narrow things down more for myself. I knew I liked the planar sound...I have a set of open ear planar cans. The F1s felt disappointing (until I tip rolled) The Sonus was about much for my taste (in the mids) The Cantas were quite nice for me. By this point...I had a good grasp of what I was looking for and the direction (s) I want to go in. AFUL Performer 5+2 is currently my go-to...for all around listening. Sourced from R2R DAC lined out into a desktop tube amp. It's like a warm blanket on crisp bright and snowy winter day. I picked up the Hexa because I wanted to hear the hype...and yes...they definitely fulfill the hype and then some. I've EQed my IEMs... especially the planar. They can mimic the sound...but it's only a part of the equation. I now rotate through 3-4 sets at my desktop listening station. The cheapo ones all have 3.5mm out for around the house or for bed. If they break...ill decide if I want to replace. Tip rolling is a journey of itself. Some tips can dramatically change an IEM and rescue it from the bottom of the pile. My Planars now sport foam tips...easing off the treble was huge. Anyway...long post...if you got this far thanks for sticking with my diarrhea of words. TLDR: I agree with the OP

The pricing on the P5+2 is RIDICULOUSLY good!!! I got mine a few months back and I love them. Don't regret spending close to MSRP for them at all. They are my go-to all rounder. My current "end-game" set 😂😂

Kiwi Ears Canta (around 100usd) Punch Audio Martilo (300ish usd) AFUL P5+2...have a mini planar in there...(a little over 200usd) Simgot ET142 .... planar with pzt driver (around 200) I have all those...and I love em. That's my regular rotation

I’m also a bit of a newbie to the hobby. I got the AFUL performer P7s recently and they’re really great

I just got the AFUL performer 5+2 and can’t recommend them enough. Upgraded from simgot em6l if that helps you

The mids are really nice on the Performer 5+2. I also really like the detailed upper midrange and treble, and the textured bass.

I can not stand the Harman tuning even though this tuning is very popular with many people. My tuning preference is very similar to the HBB tuning. I prefer the HBB tuning's 8 dB rise for the simulated pinna gain in the upper midrange since the Harman tuning's 10 to 11 dB rise for the simulated pinna gain in the upper midrange is too sibilant for me. I also don't like how the Harman tuning decreases the lower midrange. Right now my two favorite IEMs under $300 are the Aful Performer 7 and the Dunu DaVinci. The Performer 7 simply is an improved version of the Performer 5 across the board. I still love my Performer 5 IEMs. At first I didn't like the DaVinci's powerful sub bass relative to the mid bass, but I found some eartips which fixed this issue such that the sub bass is in balance with the mid bass. I have some other favorite IEMs at lower price points. I was very surprised by how much I like the Kima 2 which Dunu sent to me. I knew that the Kima 2 uses single dynamic drivers, yet when I listened to the Kima 2 I could have sworn that there must also be BA drivers in the mix since the macro and micro details are very well defined. For example, the Kima 2 performs much better than the Thieaudio Legacy 2. It also dawned on me that the Kima 2 is tuned very similarly to the original Moondrop Starfield which was my first IEM, yet the Kima 2's technical performance is so much nicer to listen to in comparison to the OG Starfield. There always a very slight veil to the sound when I listened to the OG Starfield, and the Kima 2 totally rips any veil away. On the budget side, I really like the Simgot EW200 after I easily added some self adhesive mesh filters to shift the overall tuning from Harman to HBB. The transition after adding the mesh filters was splendid. The thing is that after adding the mesh filters to adjust the tuning, I was able to really appreciate the quality of the EW200's dynamic drivers. I hope that the above helps you with your research.

I think that the Performer 5+2 (the P7) is very worth it for $185. The P7 is one of my two favorite IEMs. I mostly listen to classic rock and EDM, jazz, and bossa nova. The P7 is quite good in terms of the things which you desire. I particularly enjoy female focals. I also really enjoy the clean bass and the very clean macro and micro details throughout the midrange and the treble. Aful managed to achieve these things while making sure that the P7 has a natural overall sound signature.

My two favorite IEMs are the Aful Performer 5+2 and the Dunu DaVinci. Perhaps ask if either of these IEMs work well for metal.

I am glad that you offered your suggestions since you listen to metal. I don't listen to metal. I do really like the Performer 7's clean and clear macro and micro details. I also like the Kiwi Ears Quintet for the same reason. Thank you for suggesting some IEMs which I have not listened to.

The May is a single DD IEM. Planar IEMs provide the most resolution and technical performance, but this is at the expense of having a more natural overall sound signature. I suggest that you upgrade path, at this point, would be to consider multi-driver IEMs which improve the technical performance throughout the entire midrange and treble regions, and which also have a more natural overall sound signature. Single DD IEMs have the most natural overall sound signatures. This is what you presently are used to hearing with the May. Jumping to any planar IEMs which have a very technical sound signature might not float your boat since you may be losing too much of an overall natural sound signature. This is why I suggest that your next step up might be a multi-driver IEM. Metal music is not my thing even though I am impressed with the sheer speed and complexity in really busy portions of metal tracks. One of my favorite multi-driver IEM is the Aful Performer 5+2 since this IEM provides very nice technical performance and clean technical details throughout the entire midrange and the treble, while still retaining a rather natural overall sound signature. This is merely a suggestion for you. I hope that others here who love metal music will jump in to ask you questions and to offer suggestions. I really like your photo of your audio gear!

You are welcome. You might want to consider the Aful Performer 5+2 which has very detailed mids and treble yet with less pinna gain, and the sub bass is not boosted relative to the mid bass.

I have considered planar IEMs. Planars are harder to drive. I also prefer IEMs which have a more natural overall sound signature. Right now my favorite IEM is the Performer 5+2. A musician stated that the Performer 8 is more tonally correct for classical instruments, yet of course the Performer 8 has noticeably different overall tuning in comparison to the Performer 5+2. Tuning also means a lot to me. I guess I am curious about overall tunings which make some IEMs noticeably more suitable for classical music.

I like the same genres that you like, but I don't listen to quite as much classical as you do. I am hoping to enjoy listening to more classical music. I can't imagine listening to classical music with no bass since I do enjoy listening to Anna Lapwood performing on concert hall organs. The only fairly moderately priced single DD IEMs which I like when listening to classical and to Hans Zimmer stage performances is the Kima 2. I also am really enjoying listening to my Aful Performer 7 IEMs while listening to classical music even though I would like a touch of more natural overall tuning. The Tea Pro and the Orchestra Lite are outside of my budget. I have so wanted to try both of these IEMs. The Orchestra Lite are supposed to be very nice for classical and orchestral music. I suppose that it is since it is an all-BA IEM which very slightly relaxes the bass and very slightly relaxes the upper treble or air region. I think that it would be interesting for the OP to do some tip rolling in order to see if the OP lands on an ideal set of eartips for use on the Tea Pro.

I think that the same acoustic resonance technology is used in the Aful P7. I noted that Mark was using medium bore eartips on his Explorers. The stock medium bore eartips which came with the P7 made the P7's bass sound slightly less tactile than when I switched to wide bore eartips. I think that the acoustic resonance system couples better to the inner ears if you use wider bore eartips.

The Dunu DaVinci is tuned very similarly to the Tea Pro. Both have a 6 kHz dip in the upper midrange to remove harshness in female vocals and to make the upper midrange sound a bit more relaxing. I have the DaVinci and the Performer 7 and both of these IEMs are endgame IEMs for me. The DaVinci has more bass than the P7. The P7 has a slightly early rise for the simulated pinna gain. I listen to the DaVinci when I want more bass and a more relaxing upper midrange. I listen to the P7 when I want a somewhat more energetic upper midrange. I pick one or the other to listen to depending on my mood and the genres which I want to listen to. So for me, the DaVinci and the P7 are somewhat yin and yang IEMs to each other. I like being able to pick up a pair of IEMs to listen to depending mostly on my mood. I have never looked at the iemrankings website until hearing about this website from your post, so I don't know what to make of this website. I can say that the P7 and the DaVinci are on a similar level but with differences. The Tea Pro is potentially the third endgame that I want since I think that its tuning will fit between the DaVinci and the P7. Although the P7 is really good and punches above its price, I find it hard to believe that the P7 is better than the Tea Pro.

I love my Aful P5. I love my Aful P7 even more. The P7's bass is tighter and punchier (in the sense of having a cleaner initial attack). The P7 also improves everything else. The P7 is just as comfortable as the P5 since the shells are the same yet do extend slightly more upwards. Or in other words, Aful didn't mess with the shape and fit of the P5's shells other than somewhat extending the height of the shells. I never sleep with IEMs. Even so, I realize that comfort and fit would be a priority. I really like the Kefine Klean since I really like its overall sound signature and since I also really like its technical performance which exceeds many other IEMs in its price range. The Klean does have pretty thin shells. I can see the Klean as being very comfortable IEMs to listen to while falling asleep, yet this is not my thing.

The P7 is on the market.

Aful p5+2, myer audio ck2v, kiwi ears ke4, epz p50, ziigaat odyssey. The 200$ish range has a lot of hidden gems based on my experience, so check them out. For EDM I think you need a good textured bass, great instrument separation, and good treble extension, but that's my preference, so I can hear the details from what the producer intended.

before 10 days there was on sale the Aful performer 5+2 at 202$ . Super great iem.

I really enjoy my Aful performer 5+2 for gaming, super comfortable, and the sounds are very accurate.. I just use a beyerdyamic USB mic tucked behind my monitor for multiplayer, setup works perfectly.. I have a dac/headphones amp aswell, the topping mx3s to run the iems. Also use my beyerdyamic dt 770 prox a fair bit

I have an Aful Explorer purchased from AliExpress for $78 a few months ago and have the Performer 5+2 on the way now, purchased for $154 in the most recent Ali sale. The Amazon prices aren’t quite that good, so I’m glad I got them when and where I did. I’m looking for a good deal on the MagicOne but $111 is not it. It’s been as low as $58 in AliExpress sales in the past, so gonna wait and see if that price comes around again.

Right? I got it for less than its predecessor, the Performer 5, is currently selling for.