Audeze - LCD-i4

this new wave of cheaper planars is worse than older ones in terms of technicalities, you best bet is getting a used pair of Audeze LCDi4 out of new ones Letshouer S15 is technically the best and costs $260

the new cheap ones aren't as good as higher end over ear planars but old ones which were also more expensive were, like Audeze LCDi4

I somehow enjoy Odin's bass more than the Z1R. It has that bouncy and loose feel that I enjoyed. I think the LCDi4 being that low is just due to not finding the right EQ but that is just me.

Long useless post, TL;DR reached endgame. MH334SR good. Started with the KZ ZS1 a long time ago, with many incremental upgrades until I landed on the 7Hz Timeless. Then, after moving to Japan, I replaced it with the Variations paired with a DT990 for gaming. Somewhere along the way, I became that guy who kept making a fuss about cables, claiming they made everything sound so much better. I turned into a file format snob, only wanting to listen to FLAC and DSD. I kept talking about it to my friends (damn, I must have been really annoying). Ultimately, I purchased a used LCD i4 as a reward for enduring all the hard work of labor and finally landing a much better job. It stopped me from wearing headphones entirely since the soundstage and sound quality were more than enough. The bass and soundstage were incredibly addicting. At this point, I started to realize that cables were just snake oil, Bluetooth was a godsend, and my ears didn’t even care when listening to 128kbps audio. Qudelix is life. Recently, I got myself a pair of Diamond 220 speakers. However, they ruined my i4 in a sense that listening to speakers became so enjoyable that I spent less and less time with the i4. It felt like the entire area in front of me was a sound field. It was quite wild to be able to "see" (or feel) sound moving in front of me. The speaker itself looks like "muted", I don't hear sound from the speaker itself. Idk how to describe it haha. I still needed an IEM for outdoor use, though. Demoed the Z1R, Monarch, and others. They were okay, but it was hard to justify their sound when my main IEM was the i4. So, instead of deciding based on sound, I thought, why not prioritize comfort? That’s when I started looking into custom IEMs and came across the MH334SR on sale for 200k yen. Checked the frequency response, Immediately pulled the trigger and went to their clinic the next day to get ear impressions. It took about a month from there until the IEM was completed and delivered to my apartment. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting great bass (I thought it might be bloated) since it’s just a BA. But damn, maybe it’s the seal. It’s definitely not on the same level as the i4’s airy bass, but it’s good enough to satisfy my ears. The mids, highs, and technicalities are fine. At this price point, they’re as resolving as expected, just tuned differently. I listen almost exclusively to Japanese songs. Specifically, those leaning more into vocaloid, UTAU, visual novel OSTs, etc. If I see weeb art, I play it. Artists like DAZBEE, Nanami Urara, and Isekaijoucho are my daily dose. Below is just me trying too hard to explain the sound of the MH334SR: The highs are slightly above my preference (not that the IEM is harsh, but I butchered 4kHz in my i4). However, I got used to it pretty quickly in few hours. All instruments have presence. I don’t have to try hard to distinguish them (which is different from being able to hear all instruments). I can clearly hear vocal harmonies, which is a big plus. Can’t hear the sub-bass (drum) sound in the Aster Lore song at 3:37 - 3:50 though, which is a bit of a bummer (though so far, I’ve only been able to hear it on the Timeless). The beats are satisfying, most likely due to a bump at 200Hz. It’s not bloated, just a nice, punchy drum sound. I love that I don’t have to use EQ at all. I might even replace the Qudelix with something that looks nicer and has a knob in the future. But damn, the comfort is just peak, and the isolation is awesome. It’s close to Etymotics-level isolation without violating my ears. I desire nothing more for IEMs now (more like I don't care that much anymore), but I’ll still visit the shop regularly to demo IEMs since friends often ask for recommendations, especially in the budget range. Hopefully this doesn't make me plunge into speaker rabbit hole which is many times scarier. But so far satisfied since I only listen in very-very low volume anyway.

Headphones: OG HE-6> Susvara=Utopia> Sr-009> HD580=He-500 I would say the Susvara is objectively my best headphone, but my heart still belongs to the He-6. The Sr-009 is a beast and can easily outperform any of my headphones; However, it's very recording/genre specific. IEM: EE Odin> IER-Z1R> Shure KSE-1500= Audeze LCD-i4 > 64audio u12t Fallen out from the IEM game a while ago after getting my Odin. It's still head and shoulders above anything I own and is still my go to to this day. The Z1R's bass does feel thicker than the Odin's, as well as the 1500 being more detailed than it; However as an entire package, nothing quite beats the Odin for me. P.S. I completely feel you on the LCD-4s man. Loved their sound but they were just not practical in the long run :(

They don't sound different.. I have full over the ears Audeze LCD -3 and in ear LCDi4, sound very similar overall, given that IEM have proper rubber tips. It is hugely important to use the right tips with IEMs.   I prefer LCDi4 in ear, lower distortion.   Price range is similar, full over ears  Audeze-3 were $2000, LCDi4 iem $2400. For meaningful comparison you have to compare similar price range headphones.