Letshuoer (Shuoer) - S12

ew200 is quite a bright signature. if you like that then i'd go for a more traditional planar like s12 which will give you some of the most detial and separation in the price s08 is great but could also sound way too mellow in the treble if you liked ew200

I compared a bunch of IEMs at audio shops. While I don't remember which IEMs sounded brighter to me, I can recommend the Letshuoer S8 for its clarity and balance of bass and treble. I listen to a lot of EDM and pop (US, K-pop, J-Pop, Eastern European, Latin/Spanish), and one of the things I compared was the, for lack of a better term, drop in Zedd's Spectrum ("we'll RUN where lights won't chase us"). The S08s had that IT factor in Spectrum, and the sounds did not bleed together. I found it was similar to the Simgot EW300, but I chose the S08 because it wasn't as bass heavy, felt more balanced, and I presumed I wouldn't be as fatigued listening to them. That being said, I do not like my music too bright. I think the S12 might have been brighter than the S08, but I felt the S08 had a crisp, clear sound that accentuated what I was looking for. I'm told my preference is V-shaped.

I've just listened to them for 10-20 hours, so below are just tentative comparisons. Both have great vocals as you know. The Diva vocal leans more on clarity and energy, while the mmk2 vocal is smoother and more intimate. I feel mmk2 has more forward vocals. But these might be due to the overall balance. Diva has a slight emphasis on female vocals and is overall brighter (particularly in the mid (bass) mode). Many ppl feel female vocals are better on IEMs with an elevated upper mid, bc then female vocals are more forward. Not me. In particular, Harman tuning is a bit dry and shouty for me. I prefer mmk2 vocals a bit. I guess the magic of mmk2 mids is that the vocals are forward yet neutral. But, overall, Diva has more wow points, particularly micro-dynamics in bass and treble. The soundstage on Diva is also a bit larger and more even-spaced. *Do try all the 3 modes of Diva*! They are different and all good for some ppl. I saw each of them was deemed best by different ppl respectively. For me, the max mode is so much better than the mid one; the mid mode sounds no better than sa6 mk2 or DUSK, while max mode might sound the best in my collection. I need mid-bass! (NOT the mid bass mode lol)

Truthear Zero red, non-flawed tuning, smooth vocal, and fun! S12 has more wow points (e.g. soundstage and treble) but is unnatural. Hexa is more Harman tuning, if u like Harman, get it. Harman is always lean and dry and a bit dead for me.

From a business standpoint of view, Letshuoer is pandering to the larger market. The original S12 was a unique release that pleased many trebleheads. But knowing that the market is filled with bass-heavy sets (as demanded by the market), Letshuoer must stay competitive by releasing their own sets to compete with the bass-hungry options, or die out. Which each iteration of the S12, the treble that made the S12 famous is continuously scaled back, with it's bass cranked up. I personally own the S12 Pro. At the time, I demo'd the S12 OG and 2024 edition. OG was too shrilling for my liking, and the 2024 edition was too expensive for a slightly warmer version of the S12 Pro. It seems that the Ultra is an even warmer version of the 2024. Will Letshuoer release a S12 Max next year that are planar bass cannons? I agree with u/The_Only_Egg, Letshuoer has definitely milked the shit out of the S12. I doubt the S12 Ultra will be able to relive the (short-lived) glory days of the S12 OG and S12 Pro. 2024 and Ultra are such far deviations of the S12 OG and Pro that Letshuoer should just come up with a completely different SKU for the Ultra.

Thanks for the clarification. Super helpful reviews - recently got a hexa since my S12's been having issues, but I find its imaging weird when distinguishing footsteps approaching from front compared to behind. Might return it and give one of your recs a shot. G1's out of stock on Amazon rn though, unfortunately.

Fair tbh. My least favorites have been the S12 and Waner and those are some of the most lauded sets out there. These definitely aren’t for everyone

I have both of these and they have basically complete opposite sound signatures. The MagicOne isn't bright. It's more midrange focused, slightly warm (but not bassy) and quite soft-sounding. It also has very good imaging despite not having fairly subdued treble. The S12 on the other hand is v-shaped with quite a lot of bass, which is very clean because of the planar driver, and a *lot* of treble. Overall it's very bright and highly resolving, but can get a bit fatiguing after a while. The MagicOne is very relaxing and neutral-sounding without being boring. The only reason it's not in my top 5 IEMs is that it's unvented, so can have some issues with air pressure in the ear canals. It's my 3rd unvented IEM and out of the 3, it's the least problematic. I find it generally comfortable, but I wouldn't use it walking around outside, as that would most likely cause issues with the seal leading to constant channel imbalances (which is what I've found with the other 2). On a graph, the MagicOne looks fairly similar to the Truthear Hexa, but the Hexa is simultaneously more of a boring-neutral sound, a bit peaky in the treble and lacking in bass incisiveness. The MagicOne is much smoother sounding, but it has a very noticeable "softness" to its timbre that isn't unpleasant, but does make it sound more coloured. The Hexa isn't a bright IEM either, but it's more incisive in the treble than the MagicOne is. If you're specifically looking for bright, the Moondrop Stellaris is like the S12 with flat bass, and sounds a bit more resolving. This is the one to get if you want a resolution beast and don't care about anything else. But it's far too bright for most people. Another good bright IEM is the Simgot EA500 (the original, not the LM), but again it's a bit too bright for most people, though more balanced than the Stellaris. It's also doesn't have any planar timbre, so it sounds a bit more organic and correct for acoustic music, but it's still a very fast and resolving driver for a dynamic. It has excellent soundstage and imaging. The Moondrop LAN is perhaps a more sensible all-rounder bright-neutral option that's bright without pushing it into fatiguing territory, although it doesn't get close to the technicalities of the Stellaris or EA500.

If you want something very neutral then the Truthear Hexa needs consideration. The main downside with it are that the nozzles are quite largev. It's not as massive as the Zero Red/Blue but if you have smaller ears I'd avoid it. Also t has a very narrow soundstage. Another IEM with a similarly neutral tuning but a bit more sub-bass is the Thieaudio Legacy 2. I prefer that one to the Hexa and it's a lot more comfortable. It's slightly more expensive, but not much. Also the L2 has a bit more high treble roll-off although I don't find that sacrifices any detail, it just makes them a bit smoother sounding than the Hexa. These also have much better soundstage than the Hexa. Also sprach Zarathustra sounds very good on these btw; I don't listen to a lot of classical but that's one of my test tracks. I haven't heard the Aria 2 but I do have the Kato which it supposedly sounds nearly identical to, and it's another warm-leaning, mild-v. I think this will tend to sound a bit muddy with classical, compared to some of the brighter or more neutral sets. I wouldn't recommend the S08 either, because it's very tip-sensitive and even if you get good tip match, it's quite a dark tuning. It's great for certain music, but I don't think it will do classical very well at all. The S12 is a better option. Just make sure you have a reasonably good DAC/amp as planars don't always sound at their best when under-powered. Another potential alternative to the S12 is the Moondrop Stellaris. I would advise some caution here, because as it comes out of the box it's really bright and fatiguing. I personally find it becomes less fatiguing than the S12 Pro with Dunu Candy tips, but I can't guarantee those will work the same in anyone else's ears. Still [at least one reviewer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdLqjwXG7CA) recommends them for classical specifically. They do have a much flatter tuning than the S12. At least with the right tips they are a bright-neutral rather than an intense v-shape like the S12. Another non-planar option worth considering is the Simgot EA500. The original, not the LM. The LM is quite v-shaped and also sounds quite closed-in compared to the original. The downside of the EA500 again is, like several of these options can be so bright that it gets fatiguing. In fact it's probably the most fatiguing of these. It has a certain realism though and is nearly as resolving as the planars despite being a 1DD. It has a good sense of dynamics as well the largest soundstage I've heard on an IEM, with pin-sharp imaging. A much safer option is the Moondrop LAN. It's a bright-neutral tuning but regardless of eartips used it doesn't have so much treble energy for anyone to really find it fatiguing. It's also got quite a smooth treble response, and pretty decent soundstage. Short version: Moondrop LAN probably the safest option, but slightly less resolving than some of the others; Stellaris + Dunu Candy tips is a big upgrade iff your ears react to the tips the way mine do. Thieaudio Legacy 2 is another good & safe option.

But that's not to say you won't notice a difference!! It just isn't overly dramatic imo and it seems like you have high expectations. I recently purchased the letshouer s12 and grabbed the chu2 shortly thereafter to sort of compare the two but also to have a decent set of buds for on the go. The planar s12's definitely have some very nice clarity and sharpness, the crisp bass response is definitely interesting - but it's not some revelation of newfound sounds I've never experienced before 🤷‍♂️ maybe I had my initial expectations a little bit high as well

I also have a pair of S12 (non pro) If you're wanting to pay a bit more and try out a planar, I'd say they're a good pickup if you really wanting something different and they'd be a great "one and done" purchase for a budget but very high quality planar. AFAIK there really isn't a better planar IEM ***for the price*** I have no plans to buy anything fancier than these S12. You can throw all kind of EQ at planars and make it sound exactly how you prefer. It's interesting to see/hear the ranges that these iem's can reproduce. I've ordered a pair of Chu 2's for a more on-the-go set (grabbed a 2m cable for my S12 for PC use), and I don't see myself buying anything similar for a while. It's quite unnecessary to buy multiple IEM's within the same categories/price tier 

Hi Jay! Great review(s) Looks like I won the Letshuoer game by sticking to the OG S12, I wouldn’t really want smoother or bassier.

Consistently enjoying the og S12 makes me feel like an old ear-worn elder at the age of 28 I never even listen to music past 70dB but this subreddit makes me feel like my hearing is aged by 30 years

I didn’t really have IEMs that could play auditory subbass until these crappy Sony buds over 5 years ago. I do listen to a *tiny* bit of EDM and rap and pop, so it was nice to be able to hear those songs how they were meant to be. Now I didn’t get high quality subbass-capable IEMs until my Airpods Pro 2, then the S12. And yeah it’s still quite nice to have. But when I go back to my HiFiMan RE-600, rock and metal and real instruments sound so crisp and clean. Basically I just like having multiple IEMs for different purposes.

I went from the Timeless to the S12 to the Artti T10 and I honestly prefer the T10 for metal. They're all very similar, but luckily I like the cheapest one the best.

Depende de que jeito você gosta de ouvir metal. Tem quem prefira focar na parte rítmica e goste de fones mais escurinhos, onde a bateira e baixo têm mais destaque, e os pratos não tem muito ataque. Tem quem goste de um som um pouco mais brilhante, pra pegar mais detalhes e ouvir melhor os pratos. Essa é a minha preferência. Escuto muito metal, principalmente metal extremo, e os meus fones favoritos pra isso são em V. Se o seu gosto se alinhar com o meu, recomendo pegar um planarzinho em V, tipo T10, S12, Timeless etc.

EQing the S12 treble well is pretty tricky and the bass isn't the most tactile no matter how you EQ it so I'd say for as a platform to EQ there benefits to be had at around $200-300. Past that not so much.

Of this list, my pick would be the S12 Pros. They can do the ethereal and detailed sound for things like small ensemble jazz or classical and then crank it up to 10 for harder metal and rock styles with equal aplomb. The S12 series have been my favorite ever since the introduction of the OG S12s which quickly replaced my OG Timeless. In the years since I've owned or tried most of the major players in the planar market and they have remained my favorite single planar until you get to the CFA Supermoons.

I hope you won’t find offence in me referring to your age, but I’ve noticed that quite a lot of the ‘older’ IEM reviewers like a bright sound, and many of them also like the planars, likely due to natural hearing degradation in the upper frequencies. So I’d look at the S12 or the T10 to start. For higher end stuff, maybe the Dita Project M would be a good fit, but honestly I’d recommend starting with a $100 set, as there’s so many variable to preferences in IEM that it’s risky getting an expensive one from the get go. I can’t suggest many bright IEMs as I prefer the complete opposite tonality :) My personal favourite is the Yanyin Mahina at the moment. But anyway, I’d definitely learn to use Auto-EQ to learn what your tastes are exactly, and try try out the signature of different IEMs. Also, investing in decent tips (stock ones are usually mediocre) is essential, my vote goes to Spinfits

I’ve tried the s12, Melody, and Aether. Aether was the best and most balanced of the three. It’s got the most current planar driver tech. There should be more sets coming out that use that particular driver. No idea when the s16 is coming out, but I’m looking forward to it

A cheaper IEM being my most favorite? No. No cheap IEM cam come close to the expensive sets I have, but I do rotate through most of my collection over time. There is no comparison between listening to music on my Diva or my Glacier to any of my cheaper sets though, the gap is pretty significant. But, if you would ask me to choose a single cheap set and get rid of everything else, it would be the Letshuoer S12.

The whole S12 line is excellent. I've been in the hobby for more than 15 years and own quite a few very expensive IEMs and after I bought the OG S12 I was obsessed with it for a couple of months. It's that good. Now, personally I like the S12 more than the pro because I tend to favor brighter sets but that's not how most people feel, especially younger people because the treble can be harsh. The S12 Pro on the other hand is has a milder treble profile so it's more friendly to a lot more ears. So, my advice is to not buy the hype cause its always overpriced, the Aether is just not worth the asking price, should be around $100 max.

I have the OG Letshuoer S12 and also the MP143. They have a very similar sound signature. I think perhaps a tad more bass with the MP143. I think the S12 is a tad more comfortable to wear. Andy (the Dongle king) seems to like the Letshuoer S12 2024 limited a lot. He also liked the MP145 and this year named the MP143 the successor to the 145 in the under $100 category. Never owned a Tinhifi but they have a good reputation.

Yeah, I’ve tried them both. When I bought my current IEMs (Moondrop Kato) a couple of years ago, I tried the Aria, the IE200, CCA CRA+, and the S12. The IE200 were the most comfortable, but they come with an awful cable and sounded worse than everything else I tried besides the CRA+. The Aria were more comfortable than anything else I tried besides the IE200, including the Kato that I ended up keeping and sounded better than everything except the Kato.

So I have owned the s12, currently own MP145 & MP143, S12 is super duper bright and might be confused for being overly technical but I found it can be overly fatiguing and the bass response does not even compare. Meanwhile mP145, you can get it much bassier on the red nozzle but the quality of the bass is not quite as weighty and objectively can't compete as the Tri uses a Dynamic driver for the bass despite measuring bass light and the treble on 145 can come across metallic and tinny whereas it's super smooth on the Tri i3 MK3, MP143 on the other hand is the closest in terms of cohesiveness with solid bass response, not as fatiguing upper treble as 145 and quite solid, and the nozzle options are solid too. I would say the Tri i3 takes the cake with treble and overall tonality, amazing accessories and tips but the mp143 does offer 3 different sound profiles with the nozzle system despite having worse accessories.

I have S08 , and they are pretty amazing. Warm tuning, easy to listen to. S12 I tried but was bit harsh to my ears given the treble. S15 is supposed to be good, though haven’t heard them yet. Their price have also dropped recently so you can check them out.

i just go the explorers and they are nothing speicial the s12 is still the best sub 100 iem

Simgot ew300 is definitely spacious in sound and very accurate and can give some solid bass rumble for explosions and gunfire also wicked comfy, theres also the letshour s12 old version like the original grey model, the newer sets seem to be a little peaky in the treble, theyd both be a solid option for gaming and daily use like, would/could be end game iems for some people tbh🤷‍♂️

Dude, I really couldn't agree more. I feel like you get good value but objectively compromising performance on the super low budget below $50. Then the 50-250 is just a huge mixed bag of roughly equal performers that all do different things but sound like a complete product with little to no drawbacks (especially because in that tier you can usually fix them really easily with just a small EQ effort or something) and then the $250+ tier you just start getting a higher quality version of the sub 50 market again where the IEMs usually do one thing exceptionally well for the price but the rest of their performance is mediocre but now you're not even talking about great value because "you're only spending 20 bucks, what do you have to lose?" anymore. I do think there's stuff in the $2k and beyond tier that can, under very specific circumstances, be worth its price. I am a big fan of the Maestro line for example. Would I spend the monthly paycheck it would cost me to buy them? No, I still need to pay rent 😃 but are they technically a good deal for someone who has that money "lying around"? Probably. I just don't see the value proposition as working out in my favor here. Me personally, I think while certain IEMs will always have that "aspirational" quality about them, that "one day, maybe if I work hard" kind of thing, my endgame model will be around $200 bucks. Because like you said, the increase beyond that is just so marginal and you're paying so, so, so much more that in my world, for my listening habits, it just doesn't make sense to get anything beyond something like the MP145, the S12 or maybe the Tea Pro if I want to go really apeshit or have a Christmas bonus I want to blow on something fun. Like right now I just want to get my hands on my own pair of Tangzu FUDUs and not gonna lie, if they are as good in my daily life as they have been when I had them on loan from someone, then I might just leave it at that.

I have supermix4 and quintet, can't say about others but for me I pick quintet from those two.. Edit: I forgot to add I also have s12 old/ori ones not the new pro one.

Beats my tsmr armor and mest mk2. I LOVE my s12.

I also have S12 and APP2 (and also some other stuff, since I am gear-junkie audiophile) and I like the APP2 more. Sound signature is a matter of taste, but the S12 is heavily v-shaped with elevated treble, whereas the APP2 is a warm-neutral with a tasteful little bass boost. It sounds way better than the S12 And the S12 has not a good fit, the APP2 is the most comfortable and secure fit I have experienced in an IEM (and I have tried a lot). And that does not even factor in the amazing ANC and portability of the APP2. My Thieaudio Oracle sounds better than the APP2, but costs twice the price (and definitely does not sound double as good) and is not wireless and does not have ANC

The S12 (non-pro) was down at $89 so I went with that, since there didn't seem to be too much difference between the versions. Also considered the IE200s, Kiwi Ears Aether's, and Juzear Defiant. S12 seemed like the best option for the price for a metalhead, hopefully won't be a disappointment like most of the IEMs I've tried below this price

I have had the S12 OG since release and its such a legendary IEM. Introduced me to planar IEMs

I've tried Cadenza, Pure, S12, EM6L, Kiwi Ears Astral and ZiiGaat Arete. The jump from cadenza to em6l is larger than em6l to astral/arete. So something in that 125-175 will be good. I use fresh reviews tier list as a rough guide. Everytime I have put more money in and gone higher up tier list I generally find meaningful improvements and I've settled now on the Aretes. The highest scoring one in your budget is the ZiiGaat Lush. (I can't link the spreadsheet but its in his youtube description)

I've tried Letshuoer S12, Simgot EM6L, Kiwi Ears Astral, Ziigaat Arete and briefly the Softears Volume S. In terms of ability to pinpoint enemies the Astral, Arete and Volume S are the best but EM6L is close. So any of those will generally do you well. Imo the S12 and Volume S are too treble leaning and just makes it generally unpleasant to listen to most the time. The Astral is very V-shaped and has a tonne of bass which can be fun for some games but in competitive ones gets annoying (I had to EQ them to bring the bass down). For me the Arete and EM6L is more subtle and simple and I have no desire to EQ it. Also the tea pro is probably just not worth that amount of money, from my testing after £200 you really hit diminishing returns fast. I personally use the Aretes.

I had Explorer and i really dont like it, mostly because its not a real laid back but fake (it has diffuse field treble). Nova is overpriced and S12 og is imo better deal than Pro version. I would go with SM4 or even better Kiwi Ears Quintet

In your position i would pick either Tangzu Heyday or 7hz Timeless (og) rather than Aether. However, if you want buget planar S12 (non pro) might be the best option as well as Artti T10 (non pro)

Depends on tuning, S12 are IMO, leaps and bounds ahead of the APP2 (I have both and some others) while being cheaper. Even the S12 2024 which I also own is cheaper and the fancier limited version of the S12, tho I had to EQ the non-2024 S12s to a tuning of my liking. The APP2 have a safe, easy to like tuning. Cheaper planars can likely beat them at 120ish USD, other hybrid configurations with Dynamic Drivers (such as on the APP2) will be a kinda substantial upgrade past 200-250ish USD

Same here. I have the s12 24 and mp145, pilgrim isn't better by a long shot. I guess a big part of our brains processing of sound is based on perception. If enough people say the pilgrim or other iems have the best in-class clarity, everyone else will also hear it for themselves because they are committed to believing it. Same goes for ridiculously priced dacs and cables. 

Lets gooo! Bravery AE Twinnies, glad you're enjoying it as much as I do! And that's interesting, radius deep mount was it? I'll give it a try. But I've actually noticed how easy or comfortable Deep Insertion is with Bravery AE, and any Tips I throw at it just works compared to my S12 24 which has a shorter nozzle.

Mhm, was a bit annoyed since I can't use one of my "quirky" tips since it has a short stem to begin with.

Only you can answer that question. Because to some people especially ones that prefer Headphone, the answer can simply be never. They're two completely different experiences. Especially if you're someone that prefer headphone for that wide Soundstage or that Airy feeling, because you will not find that in IEM whatsoever due to its inherent design of being in-Ear and having smaller Drivers. But if we're purely talking about micro details, that's where IEM shine. At 200$ there's already fantastic options like the S12 24, but starting at 300 and above I'd say is where wow factor would start. Since at that price point you start to get IEMs that uses Hybrid Driver that uses like 2 Bone Conduction and so on. Or just a purely well done Tuning like the Etymotics, which is probably the closest thing to a HD600.

I like how people just started recommending away without even knowing what exactly you didn't like about the SM4 and what are you trying to look for? Like Best in what? Best at being Harman Tuned? Best at being Neutral? Best at having wide sound stage? Best Bass? Or maybe best implementation of Bone Conduction drivers in an IEM under 600 dollars? Then there's Pula Anvil 114 and BGVP DMA, latter having dual Bone conduction driver though 50$ higher than your budget. Because my favorite IEM atm is the S12 24. It's a bit Bright and took me a bit to get used to, but Vocals are really fantastic with it. Separation and Micro Details are phenomenal. Bass isn't it's strong point but it is impressively good for a Planar.

Ive only just recently dipped my toes in IEM's I started with Chu 2 then Wan'er SE to see what type of sound I would lean to Then upgraded straight to S12 2024, here is how I realize just how much I love excellent Technicalities and Vocals. Everything just sounds so incredibly Clean. I dont think Im that big on Bass, but whatever Bass the S12 has is just the right amount to me. That said ive never tried any Bass cannon so i dont know how much bass is too much bass. From there I Side-grade or maybe rather still in the same level as S12 24 to the Bravery AE. I would say the S12 has more Oomph to it or body as some say and better Technicalities, but I just cant describe or pinpoint what it is about the Bravery AE that make it sounds a lot more Fun. Vocals are fantastic on this thing too.

If your goal is to spend a lot of time EQing an IEM, you don’t want a neutral IEM. You want an IEM that’s flexible enough to handle EQ manipulation, especially if you’re trying to make large changes. A single planar driver is the easiest to EQ a significant amount. This is especially true if you’re trying your approximate the sound signature of other IEMs (you will approximate the sound, you can never precisely reproduce the sound of a different IEM). You can go from the ~$50 USD with an Artii T10, higher around $100-120 the Letshuoer S12 or S12 pro. You can go a bit more expensive to an Aether for $160. But if you’ll be EQing these IEMs significantly there’s not much of a benefit to spending that much.

It’s funny, I bought a ZS12 Pro X when it first came out just to give KZ a chance, figuring their “higher end” might be worth a listen. I buy from Amazon in the US where you have 30 days to return policy. Even if it’s a bit more expensive than say Aliexpress, I like knowing I can demo an IEM for a week or two to see if it’s really good for me. It’s the only IEM I’ve ever returned the same day I received it.

I'm on a similar boat, but I'd dare to say that they sound lifeless to me. I do own the wu heyday and other half a dozen non planar iems and, honestly, I need to sell the s12s. The source doesn't matter, being it a desk amp or a usb dongle, they sound thin, weak and way too bright.

I got these a few months back and they are my new daily. Love them

Truthear Hexa might be good but I personally recommend the Letshuoer S12

Under 50$: Tanchjim Zero Ultima DSP, KZ Saga Under 100$: Sliivo SLA3, Letshuoer S12/Artti T10, Kiwi Ears Airoso, Under 200$: Kiwi Ears Aether It is really hard not to love these!!

Letshuoer S12 but it is a little bright, but it is very fun! Letshuoer S08 for warmer tuning

I got my S12 from letshouer and i really like em. An aluminum build, good planer driver, natural sound. Or other wise maybe the nick ick ft1pro?

Hifigo on aliexpress is currently doing a clearance sale [here](https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006856772123.html). consider finding another 10$ and buy one of the 8 remaining s12s. i guess if you *really* love bass you can get the 7hz Legato. absolutely no clue on the other offerings. Actually now that i think of it. You might as well get a artti t10 if you are interested in the s12s. basically the same expect cheaper.

Yeah, that's what it is for me, too. I listen to the Letshour S12 a lot, and it has a metallic timbre, especially on acoustic guitars. Great iem other than that, though. I like planars because I listen to a lot of busy, progressive rock, and they are fast enough to handle it with alacrity. I'll try this new one and see if it can replace the S12, but I run mainly with the iFi Go Blu. Hopefully, that will be enough power. It drives the S12, but that's a smaller diaphragm. I have desktop amps that will surely drive it, but I listen to headphones at the desktop, where the Edition XS is my go-to planar.

Moondrop Chu, and no. The Kato is the only Moondrop iem I still have and use. I liked the Aria but gave it to a friend to try to get him into iems (I failed). The Chu was good enough to get me into iems, but not good enough to keep me listening. I don't even know where they are now, lol. Of the early iems that I bought, I only have and listen to the Truthear Hexa (lifeless but decent, with wonderful imaging) and that Truthear Harmon-tuned one that Crinacle did with the subwoofer (I forget the name). It is fatiguing, but it is exciting until it wears me down. Good for techno. I listen mostly to the Aful P5, the Chopin, the Letshour S12, and the Kato now. Sometimes at home, I listen to the P8 and the Xenn Mangrid Top (they are too expensive to lug around with me--I have a $200 limit on iems that I'm willing to take in my backpack).

Letshueor s12 is what I would get for around 100$

Since I eqed my s12's midrange to elysian tuning, I struggle to tell a difference.

I used stock silicone before. Now I use fiio hs20. Eq still the same. https://imgur.com/a/mDmjjM3 Might be too much midrange, because this eq is inspired from elysian gaea.

Happy it helped! I think pro gamers double up to block out crowd noise haha. I'm just thinking of CS pros, so my knowledge on that is limited. >Drivers, what are the pros and cons of single, dual, hybrid, etc.? I'll give the **pros** for each first. So the most common driver for IEMs out there is the balanced armature (BA) driver. It was the first major alternative to dynamic driver (DD), and allowed makers to put multiple drivers into a small form factor like the IEM. Each driver than concentrate on a specific frequency range instead, given the manufactured cared enough to put enough crossovers and tune them. Otherwise you have a bunch of drivers doing the exact same thing, defeating the purpose of having a multi-driver setup. These days it's hard to find an IEM without BA involved. Hybrids typically refer to a combination of BA and DD. One *seemingly* weakness of the BA design is its bass. Actual "weakness" is interesting and not an actual auditory weakness: [/u/oratory1990 made a great post about it](https://www.reddit.com/r/oratory1990/comments/nk243a/comment/gzdlw80/). DD is far more forgiving, so you can have it handle the bass while the BAs handle the rest. Tribrids are usually DD, BA, and electrostatic (EST) drivers. EST on paper is very accurate which translates to great detail retrieval. DD for bass, BA for mids, and EST for highs. More recently we have quadbrids. Uncommon so multiple flavors. Usually begins with the tribrid, then adds bone conduction (BC), piezo (PZT), etc. All have their quirks in terms of sound, but I wonder if that's inherent to the drivers themselves or not. The outlier is planar magnetic drivers. On paper planars are extremely fast, can reproduce the entire spectrum very well. These days they're typically packaged in tribrid and quadbrid flavors. Of course there are other driver combos, but these are the most common. Now, the **cons** of each. In terms of sound? Nothing. There are fantastic IEMs for every driver configuration out there. 64Audio U12T is all-BA, Sony IER-Z1R is a hybrid, ThieAudio Monarch Mk. II is a tribrid, and ThieAudio Origin is a quadbrid. I think it has less to do with what kind of drivers and more to do with how the manufacture designed/tuned it. Also it depends on your preference of sound. In terms of fit? All BA tend to have few fit issues because the drivers are tiny. Hybrid/tribrid/quadbrids can have fitment issues due to the large DD--some of the most uncomfortable IEMs feature the DD (IER-Z1R, Monarch Series, etc.) Planars are large, too. Single DD IEMs tend not to have fitment issues, either. Price is an issue. EST and planar drivers are more expensive, and it reflects in the price. **Original post category examples:** Not a comprehensive list, just rattling off the top of my head. - neutral tuning: Etymotic ER4XR/ER4SR, Hidition NT6 - mild-V/U+V/U tuning: Sony IER-Z1R, ThieAudio Monarch Mk. III, Symphonium Crimson, UM MEST Mk. II - bassheads: Sony IER-Z1R, FatFreq Maestro SE, FatFreq Grand Maestro - trebleheads: Letshuoer S12 (I think people don't like "spicy" sounds...)

I’m not you but I fucking love my S12s. The gold standard for me. Listening to my new headphone amp: FT1s, HE400se’s, Lunas…this is geometrically better. My never sell pair.

I choose planars and DDs. With EQ they can be great! DDs are super cheap, as for planars, I've owned the s12, and KZs PRX, as a platform for EQ, is super close, if not the same, just way cheaper. I could be outta the game with a cheap huaynxin DD, or a KZ pr2 I got for 8 bucks, and EQ.

S12 may seems not wide enough for be, if you ask for more rounded details with space, the kbear Kb16 is a better choice. i have both, S12 very V share for vocal, KBear has all characteristic of S12 but the local a bit far aways so you can hear more details

I'm just a budget guy, but empathizing with the basshead stuff. I add a +15 ( or more) shelf to my S12s and still not satisfied. Never heard the deuce, but use it as a baseline target on various sets. For $15 you can pick up an 80 ohm, which should make a big difference. I'm assuming you prefer avoiding eq for convenience. 15 ohms doesn't do it for me. Personally I add a couple DB of sub bass over the Deuce target together with a 75+ resistance adapter (eq and plugs are sonically different and not interchangeable). W/ this setup, bass on the E20 and Castor Pro is absolutely ridiculous, leaving the Legato w/ shelf and Rosefinch w/shelf in the dust. Both sub and mid.

if you stretch they will be better, but there are decent options in that range. the s12 is a very good planar for the price (slightly over $100 typically), extremely good value especially with an eq. I own the simgot ew300 and it sounds quite similar to the s12 with some tonal differences. imaging is about the same, sound stage a little better on the s12.

haven’t tried it but I’ve heard great things about it. on the ew300 the treble is quite loud and same with the s12 and most other planars in general but the ew300 comes with different rubber rings / gold nozzle that makes it noticeably tamer. with the s12 you’d just have to eq it probably, but it wasn’t super harsh just a bit much for me personally.

I was going to mention that, planars do have a sort of tone difference. sometimes a nice DD is what you need lol. the ew300 has 3 drivers including a planar but it should be mainly for the mids while the dd does the bass and pzt for higher treble (\*\*\* I am assuming \*\*\*) so I don’t hear a metallic sound like the s12 but it didn’t bother me personally, I liked them both a lot.

thanks! though, might i ask if theres a sub 100usd set that has good details and bass? im looking for a different flavor from my usual s12. or should i probably wait for future releases(?)

i wonder how good will the Letshuoers s12 be, which i got for 95eur & still waiting for the delivery in few days.

I just got my second iems. Letshuoer s12, which i got for 95€ on sale. i expected them to have more bass, sometimes it is just not present, at other times it is decent. Overall i'm happy with their quality so far, they are great addition to my KZ's & ATH-MSR7b's, both on the bassy side. It's the first head/earphones that i own to not tire my ears in busy songs, especially with more trebbles. They sound fine with cx31993 dac, but there is no problem with driving them by phone alone. No hiss, no noise from the normal source. I used EQ by oratory1990, in some songs it helps a lot, in other i prefer the natural tuning. At some point i will change the tips & maybe cable. I'm looking for more EQ presets for powerAMP 10 band. If someone has good personal presets, let me know.

UPDATE : next day they started playing even better. I lowered the preamp in EQ and now instead of 30% of volume i'm running it on 65-70%. More power helps a lot. Listening to more bassy songs and it's a lot better than it was yesterday. My guess is that the foamtips get more adjusted to my shape. Cables & speakers warming up is bordering on audio-voodoo, but let's say they settled in better. They are definitely my favourite go-to earphones now and i barely feel them in my ears even eith largest foamtips. İ may actually prefer them over my ath-msr7b's at the moment. At some point i will try to find a dac/amp i could use for both. Maybe a dap. But i'm happy with them and excited for morr potential in the future.

ofc, but imho it's not worth 35Eur difference. i can always mod them later for that money.

Yeah, s08 & z12 were my go-to's but s08 were the same price & z12 are twice as expensive for whatever reason. 200€ before sales on ali, none available locally. And i heard s12 (especially pro's, which just have a foam filter over s12) can be tuned to s08, so i decided to go the cheapest route.

Me and my mate got into iems around the same time. I got CCA hydro, he got s12, we were both disappointed with the s12. I don't understand how they are so often reccomended.

I like the S08 a lot, but there are some things going in to a purchase to be aware of. 1: As a planar, they have a particular sound signature, aside from the tuning, that I would describe as 'responsive attack'. The driver just has this timbre and responsiveness that is immediate. It contributes to both the 'fatiguing treble' and 'weak bass' that some people complain about when discussing planars. Notes that would decay, bloom, or bleed into other regions just don't do that as much. They pop and disappear and leave space for the next note, in my opinion. I personally love the responsiveness - it's great for music with quick bass lines, or if you like a 'bump', rather than a 'boooooooom'. Now, you can tune some of these things in or out of planars and other drivers (DD's specifically, for that loose and thumpy bass), but it's just how planars start as a default. Speaking of the tuning.... 2: The tuning on the S08 tries to avoid some of the 'planar negatives' while leaning into the note attack. Specifically, the treble harshness is tuned down a little (when compared to something like the 7hz Timeless, or Tangzu Zetian Wu, or the Shuoer S12), but that mostly lends to an easier listening experience by reducing fatigue, imo. The treble is still crisp and lively because of the driver, but slightly reduced in overall db (like 2db when compare to the S12). This does leave some people to just say 'just get a DD' when comparing graphs, but that take completely discounts the timbre of a planar. 3: ...and despite the reduced treble, you can still open it up a little if you're willing to spend a couple bucks on top of the iems for tips. The S08 take REALLY well to short-barrel, wide-bore ear tips that raise and open up the treble a little, specifically tips like the Moondrop Spring Tips or Tri Clarion. It's not much, maybe a couple db max, but that's the difference between the S08 and the S12 in tuning across most of the treble range. The thought of 'well if you have to buy tips on top of the S08 to make it sound more balanced, just get the S12' is fair and valid, but there are some peaks on the S12 that the S08 doesn't have; if you don't like those peaks specifically, the S08 and a set of Spring Tips is a better option. I decided to put my S08 in as a wrote this up - they really are a stellar set of iems, specifically for the price. I personally love that responsiveness of a planar, without some of the harsher peaks that others might have. The S12 is also a good option - it's treble really isn't that much more intense overall than the S08, but it does have some real peaky spots that stick out that I personally see as a negative. The S08 aren't really all that 'dark' in the treble, just much more 'flat' when compared to a Harman curve.

I really like the Letshouer S08 myself for that range, even over the S12. Pair with some Spinfit W1(more bass) or Moondrop Spring Tips (open them up a little, more treble) and they really compete. They have all the best attributes of a Planar (immediate punchy feeling responsiveness) while avoiding a lot of the bad parts (none of the peaks that can be fatiguing for some people, like the S12 has). There is a lot of personal preference to this though. S12 are also really good, but people tend to recommend the S12 pro or 2024 editions, which break the price boundary by a bit.

I am in love with the Letshuor S12

Is fairly good, a technical planar, but the treble is somehow foward, so, as long as you like that, is s nice, well build set, and thats a nice price too.

I have both Kiwiears Aether and Letshuoer S12. Both are great but i prefer Aether by far, sounds so good. Both take eq really well. The Aether is weirdly also more comfy even if the shell is huge, the contours on it probably helps alot.

Letshuoer S12. They made like no fun at all.

I have a pair of £80 iems Lestshoer s12s I’ve had AirPods and even some high end TWS and the sound doesn’t compare. However I’ve also owned £450 sets of iems and to me the difference in sound quality isn’t worth the price. I went down a rabbit hole and wasted months of my life doing research. I ended up with a DAP Hiby m300 and my s12s and I’m happy with that . I do also love plannar open backs like the hifiman Sundaras they are quality for such a reasonable price.  But every single person on this planet has different hearing, different expectations and different sound preferences. Most people who have Bluetooth headphones probably love the bass. But audiophiles love little details , I also love hearing noises or instruments that I’ve never heard before and you just don’t get that with most Bluetooth headphones. 

Letshouer S12 Are absolutely amazing sound and very small think you can you get them for around $80 .

I've tried the KZ PR2's, Letshuoer S12 and Kiwi Ears Aether. Of the three, I enjoyed the sound of the Aether the most and the comfort of the S12 the most. The PR2s are an absolute banger at their price.

Letshouer S12 is still my favourite and hard to find better for the price

You should give the Letshuoer S12 a go, good punchy bass and a balanced treble. I love mine.

I brought the S12's first. They were too screechy for me. Then I got the MP145, and thought they sounded really, really good. I then got some Crinacle Zero 2's as a travelling set, they are okay, but, you know, budget, so for me weren't in the same league, but I'd have gotten over it if they went missing or got damaged. Can't really remember what I went for after, but did realise the £200ish area is where the action is for me. It's all about the tunings now. I generally like a "warmer" profile, so the Septet were a bit of a risk, but I love them, in the right circumstances (they're not an out and about set). I'm not sure what advice to give really, graphs don't mean that much to me, they give a clue to the sound, but aren't going to tell you whether you'll like it. I have different sets for different moods, where I am, type of music etc. One and done? That's tough. More than likely the Martilo for it's versatility, but I'm on holiday at the moment and grabbed the KE4. Guess I'm lucky I can return home to the rest of the kit! For the record I use a BTR15 Bluetooth dac or M21 dap when I'm out, and a FIIO K7 as my desktop.

I have letshuoer s12 and if it is for competitive use and the treble damages your eardrum, I would not recommend it. However, you have the FiiO fh3 for around $90-$95 on aliepxress. They are IEMs whose normal price is $150. Its soundstage is a little above average. Treble well detailed and informative but not tiring or damaging. Bass present and full-bodied, sub bass accurate and the mids somewhat retracted. What I like about the FH3 is that they perform well in any video game just by changing the tips. However, for competitive purposes, the balanced ones work very well.

Letshuoer S08 are excellent but if you liked the brightness of the EW200 then you might prefer the Letshuoer S12 instead.

I'd argue with a bit of eq and a higher listening volume the s12 can be pretty fun. I have the s12 pro which is supposed to have slightly more bass and smoother treble, and they're my favorite V-shaped iems, but when I made my friend try them he said he heard just treble, until I raised the volume up a bit. Sure they're not for everybody, but I guess it's easy to look past them before discovering their actual potential

used to spend thousands on audio gear. Not worth it ultimately. Yes, I absolutely loved my Focal Utopia, but I enjoy my HD660S and cheaper IEMs just as much. My recommendation is to buy a selection of cheaper IEMs, it will help you discover sound signatures, as well as what fits you best. The LetShuoer S12 and other planar IEMs like NiceHCK F1, Artti T10 are crazy value for the level of sound quality. Refer to [https://squig.link/](https://squig.link/) for frequency curves.

I dont have many but listening to metal feels great with letshuoer s12 by my experience

Currently enjoying the Punch Martilo. Managed to get a good discount. Very comfy too. My favourite pure planar was the S12 with eq.

I love the Letshuoer S12s for metal and rock. Super clean sound even without EQ. Love love love, I was hunting for a while too. These are the last IEMs I’ll buy lol

Not a lot to be completely fair. 7hz zero ($20 iem), dunu titan s, letshuoer s12, moondrop chu. Either way I just feel like they don’t do what headphones do.

After 2 weeks of waiting, my Elysian Pilgrims from HiFiGo finally arrived. And BOY were they worth the wait. I am still relatively new to the IEM hobby, but I play a few instruments and had dabbled with many audiophile level speakers and file formats. Two years ago, I purchased my first serious IEM, the Letshouer S12 for about 150 USD. These Planar magnetic IEMs were frankly amazing, and they served me incredibly well for 2 years until i felt i was ready for the further step. I seeked more technical detail, more detailed and better bass and treble response. I don't know if its from constant use but my S12's would feel a bit "muddy" and lacking something. The black friday sale on hifigo had these at 343$. https://preview.redd.it/rhcavnocdq4e1.png?width=1893&format=png&auto=webp&s=a5dc1c6f4df8d7cb3bb0bb856ee74176586b9cb0 # Shipping Frankly, slightly disappointing but they handled it really well after contacting support. They get a solid 3.5/5 for this. It seems hifigo actually didnt happen to have the IEM in stock at first. I asked support to try their best and they managed to ship it a week after I ordered them. After that, shipping took no more than 6 days and was smooth with no issues. Maybe its just how the chi-fi industry works but I was shocked initially when they told me it could take up to 2 weeks to get the product in stock despite them having it on display in the website saying it was available for sale Moving on. # Build The Pilgrim comes with a very well made case, 3 pairs of spinfit tips of varying size and a very nice 1 year warranty card. The IEMs and cable themselves are very well built. The pilgrim has a well built Metal body (1DD+2BA drivers) with a fairly large nozzle. The body of the IEM has slightly sharp edges but nothing too much to worry about. The cable has these pentaconn ear connectors - I'm a fan of these. One irritating problem you will face if you get these is that the stock eartips provided with these IEM's are a little small for the big nozzle of the pilgrim. They took me SIGNIFICANT effort to actually install the spinfits on the pilgrim (a good 15 mins actually). 5/5 # Sound These frankly blew me me away with how good they are (using lossless audio). The tuning is a very balanced somewhat (?) of a V shape and is a little safe and warm. I thought I was hearing minute details on songs with my S12's - I WAS WRONG. I put these on and I can hear even more details on songs Ive listened to 100s of times. The small buzz from the recording mics, little nuances used in beats that now show up. Instrument seperation is fantastic. The technicality on this thing is A+. The bass is probably my favorite part about this IEM - and im NOT a basshead. Its done almost perfectly. Its not overimposing, tiring or too low. Its just at the level where you can enjoy it and not get tired at all. The bass compliments and doesnt impose itself where it isn't barging its way through other sound features. The mids and treble can both be described as somewhat "bright" and "well rounded" they both work well together and allow the bass to have a presence as well. The soundstage while above average, can be a little better imo. Overall, an incredible product at the 350$ range. This isn't my endgame, but i'm not moving to another one for atleast a year. Thanks for reading this review. Final score: 4.5 ⭐️ out of 5.

I got the s12s last week and the lack of bass surprised me coming from the Sgor Luna and Artti T10, but have now dialled them in to a level I absolutely love. I use the FIIO JA11, which I use to increase the bass, but found even then some songs lacked bass where I would have expected it. I only normally use medium tips, but tried large and this improved things considerably too. The great thing about these and planar drivers in general is that they'll respond really well to EQ to get the sound you want

I bought the s12s on sale and had slight buyers remorse not getting the pros or 2024/ultra on sale instead but now I'm good with it. S12s were a nice upgrade from 7hz zero:2s.

**Update**: today I received Letshuoer S12, I think this is my end game all things considered. It's like a HD 6xx, beyond that I probably cannot tell a difference. Sound and tonality wise S12 is exactly what I need -- at least I don't know what else I need. All the albums that I played today were awesome, not in the sense of "wow! it's so different with so much bass vocal so forward" but the feeling of immersive, and forgetting the existence of the earbuds. I've never tried "better" IEMs, my only reference device is HD 6xx as an amateur music lover, not an audiophile. I feel it's natural or neutral, not too much bass, but when it's there I can strongly feel it. Treble isn't suppressed or boosted artificially, and I don't feel ear-piecing or fatigue after a few hours. In the metaphor of drink, this is like a spring water, not a coffee or vodka or wine. I like it, not like just the device itself but I feel it's not getting in the way of enjoying music. It's quite comfortable. I picked the small black silicone eartips. I didn't try the foam ones -- supposedly it gives better bass but I don't need more bass. By the way, what's the difference between black and white set of tops? Only for cosmetic reason? The quality seems good to me. The connection from wire to buds are metal, all my previous devices are plastic. The 3.5mm plug is metal, the buds are also metal, I like all metal stuff. The shape of the buds are "traditional" and not weird, it's low profile. The wire is thick and sturdy and flexible enough. It even has a nice looking carry box. I don't feel I need anything extra, other than extra eartips it doesn't have anything extra either. Compared with Tanchjim Bunny, S12 is better. I cannot say it's 4-5 times objectively better, probably in 80-90% of scenarios Bunny is no worse, but in some "tricky"/challenging tracks I enjoy the music and don't notice anything else, that's the difference brought by extra $80 - which is less an hour of salary, totally worth it. On the other hand, Bunny is awesome too, I will not leave it behind. Thanks everyone for your precious opinions to guide me find this IEM. It's truly satisfying to find what I really like. Your guys rock!

Any Planar set along with mid range DAC. My all time favourite setup is"S12(planar)+AP7(DAC)" Also my main genres are Rock/Goth/Alternative and I'm more inclined towards and prefer songs with female vocals with the above said setup. Songs like these as example https://preview.redd.it/n3y2c2kuj0bf1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ea48e20336300772efe6137d9cdda01f031d83cf S12 kinda separate the vocals in a decent way but only issue is it's bit flooded with the high frequency section. So far the I can bare it up when S12 is using with Jcally AP7 DAC because AK4377CEB chip on the DAC cuts-off little range from high frequency section.

I won't recommend using in-line microphone with IEMs. Its still better to separate your microphone from the IEM. And for the IEM, I usually recommend going for Planar IEMs * SGOR Luna \* * Artti T10/T10 Pro \* * NiceHCK F1 Pro \* * Letshuoer S08/S12/S12 Pro \* * Kiwi Ears Aether \* * Kiwi Ears Melody \* * Shozy P10/P20 * Kefine Klanar * Moondrop Stellaris * TinHiFi P1 Max II * KZ PR1/PR1 Pro/PR2/PRX Or planar hybrids * Rose Technics/Roseselsa Aurora Ultra \* * Simgot EW300 \* * Simgot SuperMix 4 \* * Kinera Celest Plutus Beast \* * Kiwi Ears Canta * Moondrop May \* * Moondrop Rays \* * TRN White Tiger (\* recommended)