ISN Audio - EBC80

Check out my full review of the ISN Audio EBC80, here: https://mobileaudiophile.com/in-ear-earphones-iem-iems-reviews/isn-audio-ebc80-review/ ISN Audio EBC80 Review -Quad-brid (2DD, 2BA, 2EST, 2 BC) -$699 I hope everyone is doing well. At the link above is my full review of the ISN Audio EBC80 from ISN Audio. The EBC80 is an 8-driver quad-brid iem which employs two dynamic drivers, two balanced armature drivers, two electrostatic drivers, and two full-range bone conduction drivers. All drivers are of very high quality. Friends, I could not be more impressed with this iem. It's truly a complete package which will likely be an end game purchase for many (I know there's no such thing as “End Game”). The EBC80 offers none of the most immersive and grandiose holographic sound fields that I've heard with a wonderfully balanced and very dynamic sound. The bass hits hard, deep, fast, defined, and totally authoritative. The midrange is absolutely spellbinding. Vocals are so wonderful folks. I won’t get into much detail here as I've already stated it all in my review, but the midrange is wonderfully forward, beautifully textured, with organic timbre and very high resolution. The treble is non-fatiguing but carrying great treble bite, as it's a clean and defined treble with very good extension up top. Technically the EBC80 is at the top in its class for many attributes. It has wonderful detail retrieval, fantastic pin-point imaging, transient tight, it's very well layered and the EBC80 honestly has a 3D stage that is very vast, full, and out of my head. I really feel like I'm downplaying this set right now friends. It truly is that nice. I couldn't be more impressed. If you are in the market for an under $1k set or if you simply like reading about what's on the market then I do hope you'll click the link and learn a bit more about the EBC80. This was a very fun review and one that I greatly enjoyed. Thank you to Penon Audio and to Audio Geeks for making this possible. Also, thank you for reading. Take good care everyone. 🔥🔥 EBC80 Pros 🔥🔥 -Build Quality is the usual Penon resin, very nice, durable in hand -Extremely comfortable (will they fit you as well?) -The design is striking in appearance -Great dynamic balance with boisterous macro-dynamics -Wonderfully holographic sound field, great layering abilities -Bass is very well textured, deep, palpable, visceral, clean for its emphasis -Midrange is absolutely delectable, creamy, full bodied, vocals are truly awesome -Non-fatiguing treble, nice bite, great clarity, nice extension, textured -Highly detailed (w/some obvious small caveats) -Imaging is spot-on -Very high resolution across the board, even with a richer sound -Soundstage is a vast, chasmic, multi-layered experience 👎 EBC80 Cons 👎 -The cable is somewhat puzzling. It’s very nice but the earhook situation? -Could use a hair more lift throughout the treble (I’m really stretching) -Fans of an analytical tuning may not want to pick this set up -May be too bass heavy for some (again, stretching) Check out my full review of the ISN Audio EBC80, here: https://mobileaudiophile.com/in-ear-earphones-iem-iems-reviews/isn-audio-ebc80-review/

To be as honest as I can be, I haven't heard any iem under $1k that's better than the EBC80. I adore this set. Good for you! I cannot say enough good things about this set. The EBC80's imaging and layering are fantastic and so for gaming it should be a no brainer. Enjoy!

To the first part of your post, that price range will vary greatly with your musical experience/exposure, expectations about what you identify as mind-blowing, and your personal exposure to listening gear. Currently, IEM tech is changing at an accelerating pace- you can find mind-blowing products at several price ranges from the $100s to the $1000s. There is no potential endgame with IEMs in my experience. Specific designs will excel with certain genres of music and certain models are designed for very specific types of listening, including studio production- in my case, the Thieaudio Oracle is one of the only iems I can use for recording. For listening pleasure and study, I currently keep a handful of IEMs that can rival my headphones. In particular, I love my ISN EBC 80s for their astounding depth, immersion and dynamic breadth during active listening. I enjoy my Soundrhyme Sr7s during the day for their enveloping richness and soundstage experience. When I take the dog for a walk, I use my audiosense T800s and often take the 7Hz Auroras in my pocket. The warmer bass tuning make these a fun combo on the move. When I listen to live orchestra and chamber music I reach for the BGVP-DMA and the new NiceHCK Himalayas- they are astounding IEMs for the price. All these IEMs are in the $190 to $800 range, if you shop wisely. For professional work, I edit in a sound-treated room using Genelec and KEF monitors- they are both outstanding. I’ll move to HD 800 and Arya Organics at night to keep my neighbors happy. I have worked with far more expensive gear for years now, and cannot tell you that I’ve been blown away by more expensive hardware, specifically IEMs. I think this will change going forward, and we will probably hear breakthroughs that will indeed rival the likes of HD 800s and HE1000se. Lastly, IEMs cannot really compete with Supra-aural headphones imo. The physical design and anatomical challenges are pretty complex. There are other variables that will definitely affect your experience- your health, your ears and physiology, your eartips/fit solutions, your audio chain from power source-pre amp, to DAC and amp choice. The question remains, at what price point do you personally find the mind-blowing threshold ? IMO, the more you spend, the less you will experience that threshold. Late in life, I continue to have mind-blowing moments with my IEMs when I listen to new music every single night. Fundamentally, it’s bout the music in your head and heart. We live in an awesome tech moment that can afford us superlative listening for a relatively small investment.

ISN EBC80 — brilliant IEMs. $699 USD is more than I typically spend on IEMs, but don’t regret it for a second.

I ended up blind buying it since I'm assuming tariffs will drive up the cost of iems like this. The soundstaging and imaging is what really sold me, since I'll be using it for gaming. How would you say this iem competes with similar iems such as the thieaudio origin and TSMR shock?

EBC80 is really impressive in technical aspects. Tuning wise, the bass is just the right amount, BC driver doing it's stuff of making the sound fuller, and EST drivers making the treble extension better. Personally I really like my Mega5EST Bass. The tuning is just right for my preference. If you are looking for super resolving sets, then DUNU DK3001 BD might be a better choice.. Tea Pro is the best meta tuned set you can get under 400USD, period. Don't expect it to punch above it's price tier though. EST and BC drivers are there for a reason lol.

Yes. There is no debate about this.

I had Sennheiser HD 660s and now Focal Azurys, went into iems early last year. Man I have a 70$ Sivga Que that has a beryllium coated driver and is all metal/wood built iem that is better tuned than the Focal… and imho 90% of it’s technical ability. I also have other sets but my flagship is ISN EBC80 with 2 Dynamic drivers for bass, 2 balanced armatures for mids, 2 electrostatic drivers for highs and 2 full range bone conduction drivers. It is 699$ though, but it smokes all other headphones I have tried in my life. To be honest though, the best price/performance in lies in the 250-350$ range. To get a noticeable improvement you have to spend more and more and the improvement gets less and less. I currently ordered Ziigaat odyssey and that may be the nee ~200$ benchmark. On the 350$ I swear by ISN H60. As for planar iem try the new Artti t10 pro.

Well the nature of est iems is that they are pricier than the „usual” BA hybrids, as the drivers themselves are more expensive. When thinking new we are talking 450-550$ at least. Well they may exist a decent set I’m not aware of as I don’t know all iems or even half that are out there, but it is what it is. The EST in it’s character though is worth ot imho, as it sounds way more natural than BA treble or Planar treble. Think DD naturalness yet with way more extension. Then the implementation must be good, as when the iem is not tuned in a way to fully utilise the est potential then there is not really a point to spend extra for them is there. On the cheaper side You have something like: 450$ Sound Rhyme DTE500, a fantatic, warm set with good sparkle. Kiwi EarsxHBB Punch, 400-450$ ( depends if you can get linsoul discount ) latest basscanon from Kiwi and HBB it uses est. Hisenior mega5EST/Mega5est bass+ ( bass+ has nicer treble as welll ). This is a gret choice for most, 550-589 $ I/O VOLARE is at around 600$ has 4 est, very nice set There was also Penon 10th anniversary, but it is no longer being made. 450$ Penon also owns ISN audio and they have ISN EST50, their previous flagship around 420$, but DTE500 is a better choice. I currently own their new flagship the ISN EBC80 2DD 2BA 2EST 2 Bone Conduction drivers set. It’s a fantastic set with a bit large nozzles though, so is not for everyone. And is 699$