S12 Ultra

For me it’s a mix of the feel of the build quality along with generally higher resolution and better separation of instruments as you go up in price (to a point). Other than that tuning is largely the difference and you could easily prefer a $300 IEM with your tuning style to a $1000 one with a different signature. I just got the s12 ultra used for $120 and compared it to my $1000 monarch mk4 and honestly it’s tough to justify keeping the monarch. The resolution and separation on the s12 are pretty impressive, the bass hits more to my liking as well… then I compared to my old apple ear buds and there is a clear difference in resolution even though to me the apple buds still sound pretty dang good. Other ppl will have better explanations I’m sure and it’s debatable what resolution means to people in this hobby. Either way In today’s market, $50-300 can get you some incredible sounding IEMs

I love them, it’s about perfect tuning for me, I add a bass shelf to all planar IEMs and headphones I’ve had and I don’t need to with this one. Kick drums hit really nice as well and I’m not wanting for any details in the mids or treble, it’s really quite great IMO. I like it better than the astral and s12 ultra I have in right now

SoundRhyme SR5S (newest model), KE4, S12 Ultra. And I’ll throw in the KB08 Mirage for good measure. All comfy in fit and tuning.

For EDM. Letsheour s12 ultra for sub $200. If you want to spend more than $200, there's probably some better options.

NO! They're not "flat" at all (I have the T10 and S12 Ultra).

You should go for something smooth yet technically detailed like the S12 Ultra.

I recently picked up the S12U and while it seems to have a lot of bass detail, and good bass in general, the treble was slightly lacking. Especially on the detail side. So what IEM would you recommend under 200 USD with really good treble detail?

The S12 Ultra has recessed vocals. I wouldn’t. Buy the S12 Pro or S12 2024 instead. The supermix 4 is harman. It makes thing sound thin for me but you’ll like it if you like harman.  I just picked up the orchestra lite myself

S12's are one of my favorites.. but once you get the S15's its all over.

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.