Moondrop - Aria 2

the paint of the aria 2's especially like to chip and bubble over time and look horrendous so keep that in mind if aesthetics are important to you producing + listening can be tough cause you typically want a flatter more neutral set for that purpose. the friction happens if you prefer to have a funner signature over something neutral. truthear hexa are nice and neutral but ppl blind buying them for the glowing reviews to end up dissapointe they sound boring due to their flatter curve

I’ve gone from using my iPhone with Moondrop Dawn to Chord Mojo 2 then to an A&K KANN MAX and now using an SP3000T. My iem’s are Truthear Hexa, Moondrop Aria 2 Red, Sennheiser IE 600.

When I moved up to the KANN MAX, that was the real game-changer for me. Suddenly I could hear all the little details in the track — way better separation — and it just sounded like a higher-quality recording. For me, music’s all about the emotional connection, and when your setup really clicks, whether it’s a proper hi-fi or headphones, you just want to listen more, rediscover forgotten albums, and actually play them all the way through. That’s exactly what happened when I improved the source. The Hexa and Aria are amazing for the money — they easily hold their own against the IE600s. I’m sure I’ll try some higher-end IEMs at some point, but honestly, I’m happy where I’m at right now.

Aria 2 is not warm tuning, they graphed pretty bright. I think in today’s market planars are doing decent job, letshuoer s12/08 would match his preference and will have great technicality

OP asked balanced and slightly warm tuning, so Aria 2 is not the best. Not saying these are bad, but there are much better options. I would pick the S08 since it gives much more value for the money over the Aria 2, and also will have all the planar’s benefits

Usually, iems are pretty sensitive to eq, so you could always try that before jumping into a new pair. That said, ARTTI T10 or the Simgot EW300’s in a similar price range are both pretty good. I prefer a v-shape signature for rock in general, and these two hit above their price point. There’s also the Kiwi Ears KE4 which I’ve read are tuned to be like listening to speakers, but I’ve never heard them and they’re more than twice the price of the others. I currently run Moondrop Aria 2’s and Moondrop Robin’s (tws) as my daily driver iem’s and love them both, but they’re also a step up in price a little bit (~$100). The Aria 2’s I’m not convinced are upgrades to the T10 or EW300, but I already have them and think they sound great so I’m not worried about it. The Robins as wireless iems are so dope though. Super happy with them. I’ve also found that tips can make a pretty big impact on iems, and both comply foam tips and spring fit tips have made a huge impact in sound quality by improving the seal. All that said, sound is pretty subjective. Sometimes you just have to find something that you like more than you dislike, and be happy with it. It’s an expensive rabbit hole. I’m lucky that I grabbed a pair of Fostex TH-X00’s about 10 years ago that ended my search for headphones by being everything I wanted at a price I was ok with. Even after listening to $1000 Focal cans nothing I heard I thought justified a $600 price increase. They were a little bit better, but not $600 better. To me. Hopefully you can find a pair you’re happy with sooner than later! It’s fun, but as seen on the iem and headphone subreddits, you can end up buying an awful lot of pairs searching for what you want and iems in particular are near impossible to test before buying. Just read reviews, learn what sound signature you prefer (v-shape, neutral, etc) and hope for the best.

Fosi DS2 is one of the cleanest and most neutral DAC/Amps you can get, and at $50, its a steal. If you HAVE to get something off of that list, then i would go witht he Fiio KA13, just for the Fiio App, and ease of support and firmware updates through Fiio. If you want something without overpowering bass. You can basically write off the Lagato, Fudu, EM6L, Hexa, and DZ4. They all have a rumbly sub bass texture to them, the Legato is basically a bass canon, and a bad one at that. The DZ4 and the Hexa do have a slightly leaner lower mid bass region, but that just makes the sub bass more pronounced sounding. The only really vocal forward, low bass IEM in that list is the Aria2. But it is kinda older now, and i think there are some better tuned IEM's out there with a similar sound signature. The Titan S2 is a good IEM, very balanced, vocals are a little less prominent than the Aria2, but the upper mids have more authority, so female vocals are a little stronger. The mid bass of the Titan S2 is also strong, which can make it feel bassy on some rock or traditional jazz tracks. But it balances nicely with the upper treble. If you want something that has less lower mid kick, the original Titan S, or the Sivga Que, might be a better fit.

The bro put up a project manager level presentation to ask for advice. I like it. Hexa is really good also Aria 2 in that price range :) I think you’ll be better off with the Arias, as they have a bit more bass.

Moondrop Aria 2 if it's there. If not, KZ Zenith. Far above hybrid sets for coherency cause single DD

The Truthear Pure the rest are talking about won’t be in Singapore until next week at the earliest. You can head over to the Hangout by Crinacle to try it out. I personally am using the Aria 2 Red (there’s a diff between the Red and non-red), bought from Taobao for $100SGD. I like it quite a lot as it is quite vocal forward and overall great for music with lots of emphasis on vocals.

I really, really like the Dunu Titan S. Here are my quick notes about it: "Treble is very nice and present without being harsh. Vocals are perhaps a hair recessed (particularly female vocals), but clear and with nice timbre. Bass is strong and present but not splattery or fuzzy (maybe the best reproduction of "Limit To Your Love" I've heard from an IEM). Soundstage is good but not great; better front-to-back than most. Solidly built metal body, nicer cable than I expected at this price point (slender, minimal memory, minimal tangles). Comes with probably the nicest case of any IEM I own outside of Campfire (velvet lined pleather)." I'm digging the Moondrop Aria 2 so far: "Bass is emphasized but not overly so/splattery. Treble is clear and forward but not harsh or sharp. Vocals are average plus; not exceptional but nicely reproduced. Surprisingly good at quiet tracks; lower sensitivity so gives you more headroom for volume control (especially with headroom management). Heavy IEMs with a solid cable; feels like a premium product and is very satisfying to use. Appreciate that it comes with both a 3.5 mm and 4.4mm pentaconn connector, though the way the cable connects to the IEM will make using non-OEM cables a challenge." I also mostly like the Artti T10 but it can be a little bit thumpy at times without EQ (and of those three, the build quality is the cheapest). Oh, and the Hexa is good, just ... a bit boring?

The Hexa are nicely technical but (to my ear at least) boring with music. I'm a big fan of the Aria 2; well built, good sound, 4/5 soundstaging, nice, easy to use cable.

What sounds "good" to you might well be very different than "good" to me, which is the reason for my comment. If you blind buy, you might pick something bassy that turns out to give you a headache after fifteen minutes, or a v-shape that is so bright as to set your teeth on edge, or a neutral pair that sounds boring to you. People here recommend some real weird shit! Seriously, $20 each: Tangzu Wan'er 2, Moondrop Chu II, and 7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2. Each is a good headphone that might end up meeting your long-term needs, but they each also have a clear upgrade path once you know that you like/can tolerate a sound signature. \[or if you're determined to just buy once, get the Moondrop Aria 2 for $99. A nice headphone with a very inoffensive but fun tuning, well-built, nice accessories and cable, etc.\]

I love my Aria 2's, but the infamous Moondrop metal shell paint coat chipping makes them look so ugly and I live in a cold humid climate (UK) so the left monitor dies after a couple hours of use and I have to let them dry for a day.

Does S08 has that good sub-bass rumble & weight behind the note?? I want something for rock & metal genre. I have Aria 2 & Nova in my collection, which are excellent for female vocal & sounds angelic. I love them both, but they feel light / thin when it comes to rock / indie rock kind of tracks. And how is S08 compared to Aful explorer?? I like that IEM's bass presentation but vocal feels like it's coming behind of a blanket.

yup, Aria 2 is kinda warm neutral with smooth treble & on the other hand, Nova is harman with smooth treble. Generally, when I want to relax, I just put on Aria 2 & when I want to hear J-pop or any female vocal stuff, I put on Nova.

I'm using Moondrop Aria 2, I would recommend that 😊😊 Solid build, good modular cable with both 3.5 mm & 4.4 mm termination. And it sounds beautiful. Balanced sound with slight warmth & good bass thumps (not overwhelming, but pleasant). And Aria 2 is also my favourite IEM in my small collection 😏

As someone who's only used the Moondrop Aria 2 from the list you gave...... I recommend the SuperMix 4

Nope, it's just that I haven't tried anything else you have on that list aside from the Aria 2s. I have the Dunu ear tips on them and they've been serving me great

Moondrop is good but it dosent have bass and it's fell overpriced

would be best if you have a way to sound demo them because everyone likes something different. I heared that the ew 300 is one of the best Iem under 100€ then I testet it and many other Iems and found out that the Aria2 for me sounds like 2x better than anything else I heard under 100€

I mean ofc a more expensive IEM is gonna be better but I'd say for the budget op has, the aria 2 are good enough.

Depends on what you consider "worth". For me a jump from an 80 dollar Moondrop Aria to the Moondrop DUSK was worth it, if i made a smaller upgrade like to a 200 dollar one i'd have been disappointed. People have made smaller jumps, like from 50 dollar to 80 dollar iems and called it "worth it", all a personal thing honestly. If you're able to return your Tea Pro and get the Top Pro, then yeah go for it. But if you have to sell your Tea Pro to get the Top Pro, meaning you're having to pay more, then i wouldn't really suggest it. Imo not worth the hassle. Maybe also think about other iems unless you're super duper careful as the Xenns Pro iems seem to be quite frail from what i've seen. They break easily.

i dont really know what my first iems were, assuming you're counting stuff like earphones/in earphones. But something i can talk is the samsung S series freebie bud. I really liked them. And then the akg freebies were exceptional. Thick juicy sound, looked great, was comfy. My first actual iems were the Moondrop Aria. And i would not change anything. Inoffensive? Yes. Did i love it to bits? Absolutely. I don't like too much excited sounds, perhaps a little if the whole region is slightly excited like 1k-3k region but if there are random spikes in loudness in the high frequencies or upper mids i find em uncomfy. So i really prefer inoffensive "neutral" type stuff with bass boosts. I'll never be able to listen to true neutral. I need muh bass. If i would start again, i'd still choose the moondrop aria. And since now you can get the better, Moondrop May, with a usb-c dsp cable, i'd absolutely go for that. But the 20 dollar stuff like the Moondrop Chu 2 is looking really nice as well. I'd go with moondrop cus i love their sound, huge fan. But you can also look at the Tangzu waner or 7hz zero 2.

Nice collection lol looks so cute and nice 🔥 I dont really have any good suggestions for you apart from the Aria 2, but based on measurements and stuff it seems that the 3.5 mm May has an extremely similar sound to the Aria 2, so if you're looking for something like that, that'd be my bet lol I dont really know too much about other stuff but im hearing good stuff about the Juzears Defiant and the Letshuor S08. Some Simgot stuff is doing the rounds as well I personally would have chosen from 3, the Truthear Pure, Juzears Defiant or the Aful Explorer. The Pure graphs in a cool way and i'd have been interested in trying it out, the Defiant is basically what i'd say the "best" overall, cant really go wrong with it whereas the Explorer is what i'd have wanted if i wanted something mellow. Each with their strengths and weaknesses and stuff but since im quite open to eq, i'd just get the Pure or the Defiant and EQ em down. I personally am the kind of guy to save up for a little while and then use some ONE thing for a long time, for example my Aria which i used for 2-3 years. So if i were looking for things in different price points it'd go like this : Zero:2>Moondrop May>Truthear Pure/Juzear Defiant>Aful P7/Ziigaat Odyssey>Kiwi Ears Astral/DUSK (what i have rn)>Mega5EST So if i were in your situation i'd have saved up for a P7 and just eq'd stuff. I'm curious tho, how do the ARTTI sound? How is the treble/timbre? And how are the technicalities? I think they'll be more technical than most iems under 150 dollars but others will give better timbre. Not too sure tho.

go for a \~50 dollar IEM if you want to upgrade and ideally an 80-90 dollar one like the Truthear Hexa. For most people's use cases this is good enough and if you want an upgrade path after that i'd say you can choose whatever but stop at \~450 dollars. Imo it goes like this : You pay triple to quadruple the money for a game changing difference or at least an easily noticeable difference in quality I went from freebie Samsung AKG earphones to Moondrop Aria to Moondrop DUSK and i dont really want anything else. The Aria, for me, was exceptional and for the money i paid at the time there just wasnt much like it. And i had to pay SO much more for the DUSK to get the same difference in sound quality as found between the Moondrop Space Travel and the Aria. So that's how i came up with this pricing thing lol.

The Aria is a v-shape, just not an extreme v-shape, it's not neutral but it's just a nice all rounder. Exciting yet not extreme enough to not be used in certain genres. what you're looking for is some super v-shaped iem like Harman tuned stuff

moondrop iems have been very relaxed/balanced/nice to listen to for me. If you want something that just does its job, the Moondrop May is for you. Not gonna wow you but is gonna sound great due to its good tuning. I had the Moondrop Aria and my friends and family all liked those, myself included. If you don't want dsp/usb-c functionality (cus you have a pc and only need 3.5mm) get the truthear zero red, cheaper.

exactly what im saying my friend. I had the Moondrop Aria and I had to spend 4.5x more to get the Moondrop x Crinacle DUSK. It was an absolutely monumental upgrade, just like the upgrade from my Space Travel 2 to the Aria was, but that's what im saying. IEMs see changes really fast and prices of good iems drop fast and all that, but it's really tough finding a proper upgrade. Like, the price difference is massive and it feels bad but the sound is so good I can kind of justify the move to the DUSK. But if i had spent 300 dollars and gotten a far less technical IEM, I'd have been felt like I was ripped off. That's why I'm saying try to either enjoy your set, look for different styles of tunings with similar technicalities or make sure to have a big jump. Your set is already an excellent one. That's the problem with buying great products, they're so good it's hard to replace them with a decent upgrade. I mean my Aria was hard to replace and your Hexa replaced my Aria for most people, it's more technical! And since you weren't wow'd by the Origin, just hold off my friend.

yap session incoming : yeah the DUSK has really good amounts of bass and so did the moondrop aria! Crin's recommendations were great for me! I also got the M40x based on his ranking and was absolutely friggin happy haha! And i DID use the Samsung x akg freebies, which were my main before the m40x and crin talked good about them as well! So yeah safe to say i trust crin's judgement haha, and super reviews praised the HECK out of the DUSK, even though it was only the analog tuning! Everyone dunked on this, saying the analog tuning sucks and stuff and i was concerned but i personally love both because the tech is great. And the one thing super review mentioned that stuck with me was bass quality, he said the bass of this is exceptional and he compares everything up to 500 dollars to this and this nearly always came out on top for him and no kidding, the bass on this, even in the analog mode with low quantity, is super high quality (for me) and quite addicting! And although he's bass shy, he's a proponent of good quality bass AND has similar tastes to me as well in terms of timbre ig, it's just that i like more bass and he likes more mids. The DUSK has been called analytical and a little sibilant by some, i didnt even think about it till i read about it lol, it's absolutely amazing for me. Whatever the case, these 2 guys just go over things in a nice manner and i trust em cus after buying their recs im thoroughly satisfied! And like, super reviews does his reviews after using them for a long time, that's quite an important factor for me, apart from crin, i dont really trust anyone who "tries" an iem out with some tests. It took me 5 days to properly get the fit down and to get used to the sound of my iems. Anyways sorry for the yap session lol And dang, wish i coulda helped you mess around with eq or something but admittedly, i hate eq'ing audio gear cus it's super hard compared to eq'ing when mixing for example, which i absolutely adore. Basically, i hate the eq process on audio gear but LOVE the end result, thanks for the duc recommendation, seems like a cool guy! hmm im talking about bass quality, yk speed/texture, those seem like they're good bass but LOTS of bass, i was also looking at the Europa but at that price i'd rather go for the Z1R, saving up for that one rn ahah, cant wait to experience dat bass yeah, it's just me, i just dont feel like spending that much money on used iems, different philosophies. Nope, the Maestro SE is at the price class of the Z1R and i'd rather go for the Sony, the complaints about fatfreq are also quite concerning to say the least but i think the sony is gonna be either more balanced or would have better staging, everyone comments on that and dang it im so interested now lol

Idk if the sound will be waaayyy better to your ears, but Aria 2s sound to me like they fit perfectly what you are asking for. If you want something more fun or v-shaped and you can afford it, then I highly recommend QoA Adonis. I haven’t gotten the Adonis 2, but the original Adonis was amazing for R&B and Pop music. It is my absolute favourite way to listen to J-pop and hip-hoppy type of music.

I would absolutely go for the Blue2 amidst those. The Moondrop Aria 2s have often gone down to 80$ these days and id recommend those in a heartbeat, but I don’t know how available they are in Italy.

Amidst these, I’ve only heard the Arias, but I can assure you Aria 2 are amazing and will not disappoint you. My top pick under 200$ are the kinera Idun 2.0. It’s a bit of an unpopular opinion apparently and they’ve been out for a couple years already, but gosh I adore these iems.

Howdy folks! As the title says, I am wondering if there are factors to an IEM that make it better or worse for EQing or if EQ is always going to be worse than mechanical tuning of the IEM by a **FAR** margin and I shouldn't pursue EQ any further I ask because it seems the mix that works best per song and even entire mediums like games or videos vary wildly from each other and so EQ seems like the best way to just have one set of IEMs for my PC and have them be able to sound great in all situations by just having EQ profiles, but I don't know much about audio haha I know that the Kiwi Ears Cadenzas were far less reciprocal to my EQ attempts than my Aria 2 REDs are, so I am confident that there's something that differentiates them but I don't know enough to guess confidently Thank you for any info or suggestions! EDIT: I discovered what a DAC is, got the Moondrop Dawn Pro (cost the same as the FiiO due to sale) and that already has had an incredible impact on my EQ ability due to not needing to mush other frequencies due to volume limitations. Like just doing that sounds like an EQ now that I can actually hear the bass out the box haha and I can make it uncomfortable while the vocals and such are literally unchanged in quality and volume, next is looking into Planar as many suggest or just going over-ear even though I fear the comfort haha

Tried them both and I preferred Aria 2. It was my first IEM. The market is constantly evolving though. Good luck

Slow down 😄😄😄 Aria 2 is my favorite right now, great choice!

Neutral warm: Aful explorer Balanced sound: Moodrop aria 2 v shaped: EW300 I think for blind buy, never buy too expensive iem because there is always a chance that you dont like the sound.

Truthear Pure just released. From what I heard, it's warmer and has more bass than Hexa, and have tamer treble. I never tried it though so I am not sure. I really like Aria 2, i really like the tonality and very safe treble. But it can have problem with paint chiping. My Aria 2 already have some paint chip after 7 months of usage.

Aria 2 is my fave single DD that I own. The sound is very balance. If I want to upgrade I probably gonna aim for Tanchjim Oxygen.

Moondrop Aria 2. The sound is very balanced. It may has problem with paint chipping after extensive use in few months though. My favorite for this sound signature in this price range is Juzear 41T. Its sound is pretty neutral for me, no high boost in bass, mids or treble.

Because pure is warm & bass boosted iem. Perhaps iem with more clarity is suitable, like dunu kima 2, tanchjim nora, moondrop aria 2. But if using eq you can fix your issue with its vocal, no need to buy a new iem.

recommending the aria 2 and ew300 in the same sentence is kinda wild tbh

they sound wildly different, not comparable at all, the ew300 are way harsher, are a lot more airy and hard raise at 10k while the aria 2 have a hard dip at that range

# After a few months of my first mega list of options under $50 dollars...  \---------- ***Click here for the sub $50 list:*** [https://www.reddit.com/r/iems/s/WfhfLLl0np](https://www.reddit.com/r/iems/s/WfhfLLl0np)  \---------- ... Finally, after so much corrections and problems, I can post my next list, I’m sorry for coming this late though, I hope people still finds it useful, this time, I came with options ranging from around $110 dollars (counting in discounts) down to $60 for those looking for a little more advanced options, either to make an upgrade to your cheaper IEMs, or to get started in the hobby, in any case, you are welcome.   Unlike the first list, this time I won't detail so many things before listing options, if you want to know about where to possibly buy IEMs safely, which reviewers to check on YouTube for second opinions, and even understand a bit more of the terminologies used in the “audiophile lingo”, please check out the Sub $50 list, this one has two parts and explains a lot of this already.   \---------- # PLEASE DO TAKE IN MIND: That I’m just a single person doing this compilation of information, this list is based off the general impressions of various trustworthy reviewers on these iems. This is **NOT** a ranking list, this **NOT** my personal best picks, and I do **NOT** own all of the iems on the list. This IS just a list for you to have alternatives to pick of fairly recent, good, safe-ish iems to pick from.   There is so much a single person can do, so, **if you see any glaring error** with the description of any iem, or if you think there is any model left out that should be on this list, **please do let me know**, remember that this list only goes up to $110 because it will drop down to under $100 often on discounts, please do not mention iems over $110 or under $60.   Here, before I start, I'm just going to make some specific clarifications that people should keep in mind when looking to buy any IEM in this price range. Do consider that **I’m being very superficial here**, this is **not** full audio engineer knowledge being explained in a simplistic way, rather, this is more like **summarized general concepts** to help people grasp basic ideas that they could need to know when entering the hobby. \---------- ***Over-reach Update:*** Per request of various people in the post, I will be adding iems around $120-$130 to consider grabbing if you see it below $100. # Gaming Update: As quite a lot of people have been asking for gaming options, ill make this update marking iems with performance rakings from the "WALLHACK CERTIFIED IEM TIER LIST" of Reviwer Fresh Reviews, who is pretty well known for recomending iems for gaming use, just be aware that this does not reflect my opinion about each IEM nor does it ensure that you will have an excellent video game experience just because its listed. The Fresh Reviews system gives letter grades where “S” is the best grade, going down from S-A to C+, where C+ means that they are the minimum sufficient to be able to play video games with. The way I will mark it would be putting the score besides the name "(with FRS: “Mark obtained”)" (FRS = Fresh Reviews Score), example: Truthear Zero Red (FRS: C+), if you don't see this mark, it means that either Fresh Reviews did not consider it good for gaming, or did not review the product. \---------- # Relevant clarifications:  **---** * **“Hybrid IEMs = Better?”** A constant question you see these days is “are more drivers better than one?” and the answer is always: in budget price ranges? absolutely not, especially under $100. What mostly dictates the sound quality and technicality of a headphone is the quality of the driver(s) used, it doesn't matter if an earphone has 20 drivers per side at this price range, if another company is selling you one with only 1 driver, and people say it's good, that's because it usually is, the amount of drivers in lower price ranges means almost nothing, there may be extra benefits of having more drivers, but those benefits are not a “game changer” in this price range, pick based on performance, use case and sound preference, not on driver config…UNLESS you dislike the way that one specific type of driver produces sound..  \--- * **“What’s a Planar?”** IEMs that only use planar drivers are a special thing because usually drivers of this type offer very good and balanced technicalities in general at this price range, you know: separation, detail, resolution, soundstage, and all those terms you have heard. What happens is that most of these drivers also have some disadvantages that pay in return for the techs, among them the most common ones are: * That some people consider that the noise they produce in vocals and treble sounds somewhat “metallic”, which can be annoying or distracting. * \- * The second problem is that usually planar drivers, at least in this price range, do not have the most textured or impactful bass, they may have good bass presence and rumble, but they usually do not get to be as intense and feel as physical as a good dynamic driver can. * \- * And finally, planar drivers usually require a decent amount of amplification from a DAC to perform to the best of their capabilities, if you plan on choosing a full planar IEM, you really, ideally, should be running them with a DAC, unlike other driver types or even hybrid configurations at this price range, a planar IEM can exhibit noticeable changes in sound and performance when not properly amplified, especially reducing their overall technicalities and sounding less clean than they should. IF YOU CAN, hook them to a good dongle DAC with a 4.4mm cable for the best amplification possible. That's why, when I say that a planar will need “good application”, I mean that you'll probably want to use something more than the typical apple dongle recommendation to move a planar earphone, mostly just to make sure you are powering them correctly.  \--- * **“Should I get a dongle DAC?”** And the last point, although speaking of amplification again, above $50 you really should start considering getting a dongle DAC for your IEMs, because, while even at this price point, most iems could work pretty fine without it, you could likely end up leaving some performance “on the table” if they are underpowered. It is not obligatory for you to get one, specially if you dont get a planar, but also don’t be surprised if your iems doesn’t give you enough volume or if your new iems doesn’t seem to perform as great as most people say, you don’t need anything too fancy, just try a basic dongle dac in the $15-$40 price range, the normal cheap rec is the Apple dongle (US version), but you can always get something a bit more durable, and then judge your experience based on it. And if it’s possible to you, specially with planars, using a 4.4mm cable (on a compatible DAC) to get the most energy out of your dac will ensure that your iems aren’t under-amplified in most cases, is not a must in any way, shape of form, but you could try it if you can (but please, just dont use 3.5mm to 4.4mm adapters as those could damage some of your equipment if they are made improperly). By the way, the reason why i recommend a 4.4mm is because you can easily get more energy out of your same dac (if it has both conections, of course) using a 4.4mm vs the 3.5mm on the same DAC, you can always, get a very decent 3.5mm DAC too.   \---------- # SUB $100 IEM MEGA PICK LIST: (This list now cover iems mostly\* down from $60 up to $100, with some extra options that could be around $120, but that could be picked below $100 if on sale, please take that in mind. The prices listed are just the stock price, often lower on sales). ***Purchase links disclaimer:*** The links included are affiliate links, but make sure to check vendor reviews when you make any AliExpress purchases. The links have no influence on which IEMs are recommended or picked for the list.   \----- # BASSY IEMs. The option for people looking for a bassy, rumbly, thumpy or just warm and relaxed experience, if you want good bass, check here. **NOT EVERYTHING HERE IS BASS HEAVY.**  \----- * ***($109) 7hz Legato (FRS: C+):*** The bass canon pick under $100, plenty of quality bass for your basshead needs, with just enough of upper half energy on the sound to not be unusable. It’s recommended to be used with things like wide bore eartips for extra clarity. Technicalities are a bit below average since the heavy bass isn’t the best for detail, but still very competitive, the basshead upgrade path from the QKZxHBB. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mqJdKzH)  \----- * ***($90) Tangzu Fudu (FRS: B-):*** A relaxed, bassy and smooth experience, most people say they are pretty comfortable, but the nozzle is slightly on the large size. It has an overall clean-ish sound, nice and warm-ish well-done vocals, and smooth treble. Average good technicalities despite the extra bass and the smooth presentation. Should Work for gaming, although bass could be a bit too distracting for competitive. Also, the bass is not super powerful, as it is more of a relaxed set, so don’t get it just for the amount of bass it has, but also for the style of sound. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mqvuzOT)  \----- * ***($75) Kefine Delci/AE (AE FRS: B):*** A pretty good bass leaning iem, some consider it the step up from the BLON BL03, as it manages to have great bass qualities while still presenting nice enough vocals and detailed treble. There is some warmness in vocals, not the cleanest sound from the price range, but it makes for a more relaxed and bassy listening experience, that manages to be engaging when it needs to be, especially with the pretty thumpy and rumbly bass. Vocals are natural enough despite the extra warmness, just not the main focus of the iem. The treble is on the energetic side, but not too intense that it makes it a V-shape. Technicalities are fine for the price range, but the bassy sound just makes it a not so “clear” sounding iem, a better if you are into bassy stuff. If you would like the performance of the Delci for bass, but also would like to be able to use it for gaming, check the Delci AE with the interchangable nozzles for 2 tunings and more versatile usage. Not a common recommendation for gaming, at least not for competitive gaming. But the usual bassy recommendation under $100. Check it out here (Regular): [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mKaEwxD) Check it out here (AE): [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mKT5q5H)  \----- * ***($70) TRN White Tiger:*** Funny and energetic, yet not aggressive, bassy V-shaped iem, nice bass quality for the price, with good balance between sub-bass and mid-bass, the bass does have a bit of muddiness (bleed) to it, but doesn’t drown the vocals at all, is tastefully done and vocals are fine enough, the treble is a bit forward, but nothing too intense, nice technicalities for the price, an alternative to the Titan S2 if you feel like lacking bass and too much vocal energy. It comes with 3 different tuning nozzles, so check each one, but most people likes the green or red ones. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mMYoBHt)  \----- * ***($99) Letshuoer S08 (FRS: B-):*** Bassy focused approach to a planar iem, nice rumbly bass, although not the most physical or hard hitting one since it’s a planar, but it definitely does a better job with the bass than other planars around this price point, it still shares all those great technicalities of planars under $100, but also still requires good amplification, that said, it is slightly less "power hungry" than other planars in the list, so an “apple dongle” type of dongle might be just enough, but if you can get something better, could be the better option. Should work for gaming. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mL3X5zv)  \----- * ***($120) Aful Explorer:*** Warm-bassy, Inmersive IEM. The bass is rumbly, thick, with body, but its not on the intense/super punchy side, sub-bass over mid-bass approach. Vocals are on the clean side, with some Energy, but not pushed as foward as on balanced sets, not that natural in the upper vocals though. The treble is enough, smooth and detailed, but is not that detailed or open feeling, safer relaxed treble over detailed and clear sound. Technicalities overall are good for the elevated price. Should work for gaming. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mNhhRI3) \----- * ***($126) CCA Hydro:*** V-shaped, clean-cut Harman style bass, energetic IEM. The direct step-up all the way down from the Castor Bass and the CCA Rhapsody. The bass sacrificies a little bit the amount for extra quality: control, tactile thumpy punch and clean deep rumble, still giving good body to deep male vocals with minimal "bload", you can always boost it up a bit with the tuning switches though. Vocals mamage to be correct and Somewhat natural and detailed, they pop out enough and dont get as thin as other V-shaped iems. Treble is on the energetic side, maybe could be borderline too intense for some, but it also manages to give nice detail while not being too aggressive with it, be aware if you are sensitive to treble tho, this time, the bass cant be boosted too much with the switches to balance things out, also, the sound of the treble could come as a bit "metallic" for some thanks to the driver config. Technicalities are decent but stock price is a bit too high. Should work for gaming. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mPV3RvZ)   \---------- # BALANCED/NEUTRAL IEMs. Here you will find anything with just enough of both bass and treble for your music needs, some might lean a bit into the bass, others might have some extra treble, but the lean is not big enough to call it bassy or bright. **NOT VERYTHING IN HERE IS “NEUTRAL"**.  \----- * ***($80)*** [***Dunu Titan S2***](https://www.reddit.com/r/iems/comments/1h8nzjb/the_rekindled_spark_dunu_titan_s2_review/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) ***(FRS: C+):*** A mild V-Shaped balanced iem with an edge on vocals, specially female vocals, pretty engaging energy, it uses some extra bass and treble to balance things out compared to the original Titan. The bass is pretty rich and clean, but it also loses a bit of body on male vocals vs the OG Titan, still warm, just not the same focus, it has good punch to it and decent rumble, with focus on the mid-bass but not too boosted over sub-bass, and has decent texture, overall great bass quality. The vocals, because of the V-shaped style, do sound slightly less natural than on the OG, but they aren’t as recessed as other V-shape sets. The treble quality is good but could come as a bit too forward in some cases, so it can be a bit fatiguing for some, especially for people sensitive to treble. Technical performance is great overall, above average, good detail retrieval, some say that it could almost compete with planars. but the soundstage is not as big as other options, in resolution is competing with benchmark iems like hexa. Should work for gaming. It also should work well for Rock music genres, even with busy tracks. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mOdiyY7)  \----- * ***($70-$80) Simgot EW300 (Comes with Type-C/DSP option) (FRS: C+):*** A balanced yet energetic iem that breaks with the “Simgot has peaky treble” tradition. Nice allrounder sound, punchy bass, good decently natural vocals, enough treble presence, and good technicalities for the price. A warning is that the iem could feel a bit heavy resting on the ears for some. Should work for gaming. This one comes in 3 versions: Normal, HBB and DSP - They are all almost the same, just pick based on connection necessities, price and looks (sound is just barely different that it could be just unit variance as well – in the words of some reviewers). Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mskLcPh)  \----- * ***($90) Simgot EA500LM (FRS: C+):*** Balanced, Neutral leaning, yet V-shaped sound, still the treble could be a bit too much for some, but it’s very well controlled compared to other options from Simgot. Bass has good texture and quality, and it’s more boosted than in the EA500 so it balances the sound more, it is not too boosted still, so with presence but not the main focus. Vocals are good, correct and natural, but also forward and energetic. The treble has also presence, but not too much; in reference to vocals and bass, is not as extra boosted for the V-shaped kind of sound. Some people consider it detailed and smooth, but others still can find them a bit too intense, so, again, a warning for treble sensitive people. All in all, works like a more energetic Titan S2, with also great technical performance, slightly above average, it favors a nice and natural kind of performance rather than ultra-wide soundstage and very obvious detail retrieval, still resolution is pretty good for the price, fighting above its price range with the Hexa and the S2. It comes with interchangeable nozzles, try them all, but most people seem to like the gold and red nozzles better. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mqBqcnt)  \----- * ***($90) Moondrop Aria 2:*** A pretty balanced, natural, good performing IEM that remembers a bit the sound of the Tangzu Waner, just overall cleaner, and with very upgraded technicalities according to its price range, very safe sound with just enough of everything in punchy bass, natural vocals and detailed treble, plus an average overall technical performance for the price. Should work for gaming. If you don’t know what to pick, this is your best starting point. Several people, however, do not like that the build quality is not that excellent, especially the paint scratches easily and moondrop as a brand sometimes does not have the best quality control. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mOIoiwJ)  \----- * ***($80) Truthear Hexa:*** A balanced, neutral leaning iem with a sub-bass boost. Is a set that focuses ln detail and performance, a somewhat clinical sound that might not be too engaging for some, but excellent technicalities for the price. Bass is decent and detailed, but the small amount of mid-bass could be too little for a fair amount of people. The vocals are nice and natural, but also not that energetic, and the treble is mostly detailed and controlled, with maybe some slightly too boosted areas in the lower treble, so, because of the small amount of warmness in the bass, some people can find the Hexa a bit bright sounding (sound leaning into the treble), with some female vocal energy being also pushed forward, if you are sensitive to treble is not the safest pick. Be aware that the nozzle is quite large, so comfort might not be that great for some, Woks pretty well for gaming, as this is usually the technical benchmark to beat under $100. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mt0zJjz)  \----- * ***($80) Tangzu XuanNV (FRS: B-):*** A vocal forward, slightly warm sounding iem, good bass dynamics but not the main focus, a bit extra boosted on the upper mids (female vocals lean), but most people consider them smooth and not fatiguing. Treble is there and has enough detail but is nothing too impressive. Just a very nice, pretty safe sound. Average technicalities for the price. Be aware that they need some good amplification to work the best. Nozzle leans to the large side but doesn’t seem to have much fit problems for people. It’s a pretty safe pick if you don’t know what to pick, but you know you like vocals. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_m0DwmLZ)  \----- * ***($110) Kefine Klanar:*** Pretty detailed balanced (borderline U-shaped) iem that leans a bit to the bass, so plenty Energy on bass and treble too but nothing too much, although vocals could feel slightly on the background for some people, it has just enough energy there, so vocals don’t thin out. It’s a planar so great technicalities, plenty detail and clean bass, but will need some extra energy to perform to the best of its capabilities, and bass probably is not going to be the punchiest, since it’s a planar iem; I should also mention that the treble could be borderline too energetic for very sensitive people. This one is considered a cheaper Letshuoer Z12/S12 pro. Should work for gaming. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mMIgDej)  \----- * ***($100) NiceHCK F1 Pro:*** Pretty similar to the Klanar, kinda balanced, but this planar leans some more into the vocals and treble over bass, with a good but controlled amount of bass, plus some crisp highs, not recommended for people sensitive to treble. It might be the closest one to the sound of the Letshuoer S12 tuning, with even slightly less bass. Being a planar, will have great overall technical performance, clean sound, and should work for gaming. Will need good amplification as most planars do. And the bass on planar, like this one, will not be the strongest or physical one. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mP9caUx)  \----- * ***($70) Artti T10:*** A very affordable balanced planar, it has a decent boost on the sub-bass for some rumble, clean mid-range and nuanced enough treble that is sparkly but can be a bit too intense for some people (similar to simgot models). It’s supposed to have the same driver tech as more expensive iems like the Letshuoer S12, so, if you don’t mind the basic build quality, it’s a very good, technically competent, cheap alternative, although it might just had some more Sub-bass and less treble than the S12. It does also need some good amplification as with the other planars, ideally a 4.4mm power output. Should work for gaming. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mOJiup9)  \----- * ***($110) Simgot EM6L (FRS: B/B-):*** V-shaped Neutral, somewhat bright leaning iem. Bass is there, it warms the sound, but for the price is nothing impressive, not as clean as other options and it could feel like somewhat soft or not that texturized/punchy, under $100 other picks have some better quality, it’s just decent enough. The vocals are forward, clear but not as clean, not that natural, even a bit on the warm side of sound, so with body, especially male vocals, but that can play against female vocals. The treble is forward in the sound, with maybe a bit too much energy, but that manages to not be super aggressive, some consider it pretty smooth actually, so you will hear it, but you might not “feel” it as much, it do adds a lot of detail and helps with the openness of the sound. Technical performance is where this iem is notorious, while the soundstage is not the best, the tuning paired with the overall good-for-the-price technicalities, helps a lot for uses like gaming, usually considered the default best budget gaming pick around this price range. For music is just not going to be the most technical or detailed listening, just be aware that people very sensitive to treble could still find it a bit too much. **Some people have had the nozzle or filters of the iem falling off, usually fixed by glueing them back on, but you should know this info.** Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mqM2p3z)  \----- * ***($65) Moondrop May (Comes with Type-C/DSP only):*** A soft V-shaped iem, with good technicalities for the price. The whole point of them is to be used with the DSP cable and the Moondrop app to personalize the tuning with sound pre-sets or a bit of EQ. Also works fine with a 3.5mm Jack with the stock soft V-shape sound, but you will have to provide the cable. Should work for gaming. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mP5XKDz)  \----- * ***($80)*** [***Dunu Titan S***](https://www.reddit.com/r/iems/s/wxjSiXSolr)***:*** Neutral, vocal focused iem so it could feel a bit shouty for very sensitive people. Bass is decent in quality, but the quantity is around what most balanced neutral iems have, maybe even a bit extra boosted on top, and it focuses on mid-bass over sub-bass. The treble is quite well controlled and not that pushed foward, its smooth and precise but could lack some sparkle for some, vocals are very nice, very clean and natural, being the main focus as said earlier. Resolution and overall technicalities are good, resolution is the strongest part since it was above average when first launched, but somewhat average nowadays, the rest of the techs are just fine for the price, the S2 does present an overall decent technical upgrade over the original Titan. As a warning, the nozzle fits a bit deeper than other iems, so do expect the extra reach inside your ear. Should work for gaming, but I wouldn’t recommend it because of mid-range focus, ir could be a good vocal upgrade from Waner. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mM6hN4B)  \----- * ***($89) Kiwi Ears Canta:*** Energetic and balanced Vocal focused iem with some bright leaning to it. The bass is a kind of a V-shape approach, where the focus is more on a nice bass punch rather than sub-bass rumble, however, because of the treble, the nice bass qualities would not be as apparent, it is not the focus of the sound but is there and does a very good job. The vocals are very clear, detailed, clean, but also very forward, it could even get a bit sibilant or shouty for some tracks, so this is an energetic kind of tuning, more of a “W” shape than a “V”. The treble has presence, clarity and detail, but it can get unnatural thanks to the extra emphasis, although is not that aggressive. The tuning does make for a wide soundstage, but overall technical performance is just slightly above average, with an edge on separation and detail, at the cost of the intense sound. The EW300 is a more relaxed, balanced version of this one. Despite the technical performance though, doesn’t seem like the best pick for gaming. Check it out here: [Linsoul.](https://www.linsoul.com/products/kiwi-ears-canta?srsltid=AfmBOor8SGQG1NeTFgA-LY3I0SSdC_HvyTyZtY4bdj_CMLzKrCOqHwyc)  \----- * ***($77) Sivga Que:*** Balanced U-shape-Ish IEM that has an interesting balance between nice bass and crips treble. Bass is impactful, has a decent amount of rumble but it’s a clear mid-bass over sub-bass kind of sound, gets the job done but is not the most texturized or detailed bass. The vocals are a bit warm, mostly the male ones, so it has nice body to it, while managing some cleanness with the bass, is not the most natural, but is also not as thin, muddy or as unnatural as other similar sets can get, the area of female vocals is pretty forward, most people didn’t find it shouty, but it has the potential to be, at least for very sensitive people. The treble has presence, it brings good detail to the sound, but it manages to not be too intense or sibilant, just energetic enough. Technicalities are pretty good for the price, with some extra detail on top thanks to the mentioned treble style. It should be able to manage rock music even with busy tracks. Should work for gaming. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mtfpmTh)  \----- * ***($70) Tanchjim 4U:*** A balanced/Neutral iem with a switch system that lets you go from a warm iem, a sound style that reminds of the (R.I.P.) Truthear Hola, to a neutral balanced set, to a neutral bright-ish set, to a full neutral, vocal focused, set. The overall sound and technical performance is fine, but it is nothing impressive for the price, maybe even a bit outdated thanks to recent releases around the same price, safe in the treble too, not too intense. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mNYKbZ1)  \----- * ***($99) Ziigaat Cinno:*** Slightly warm, very correct sounding iem that is great for people both sensitive to treble and shoutiness, a bit of a "flat-liner" in the sound but maintains some musicality to it, with a natural enough sound. Technicalities are fine for the price, nothing too impressive. Should work pretty good for more detailed music genres like classical music. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mNDingn)  \----- * ***($140) Aful MagicOne:*** Balanced-warm leaning IEM. Technicalities are somewhat below average for the price\* but it works well in this (sub $100) price range. Bass is not the most Detail, punchy or rumbly, is overall a bit too smooth, but also pretty relaxed. The vocals are nice and natural-ish, but there is warmness from the bass, not the cleanest typw of sound, but it plays into the relaxed balanced sound. Trebel is smooth but detailed, not underboosted, foward enough to balance things out. An interesting, relaxed pick if you dont want going for bassy stuff like the Fudu. It doesnt seem to work well for gaming. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mtDTpsR) \---------- # BRIGHT IEMs. Here you will find the focus on vocals and treble: reduced bass amounts, very natural vocals and even sparkly trebles, anything for that high-pitched clarity and detail. **THERE IS GOOD QUALITY BASS IN HERE TOO**.  \----- * ***($120)*** [***Dunu Kima 2***](https://www.reddit.com/r/iems/comments/1gk0xcm/i_challenged_they_delivered_dunu_kima_2_review/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)***:*** Balanced (a bit bright leaning) Neutral IEM With an excellent performance for natural vocals. Bass has very good replay, but its not the most Detailed, punchy or rumbly, it works more as a complementary approach to the tuning, the focus is on mid-bass over sub-bass, and its not too boosted, sub bass is also fairly reduced. The mids are natural, clear, clean but with body, transparent-like, excellent timbre, nothing shouty. Treble is clear, foward thanks to the reduced bass, detailed but very well controlled, pretty smooth. Overall technicalities are just fine for the price, it has great detail retrieval although is not too obvious about it, Soundstage is just fine and instrument separation is not the best out here, but all in all is fairly competent. Could work for gaming, but wouldnt recomend it. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mO6feEP)  \----- * ***($60) 7hz Sonus (FRS: B-):*** A very affordable Neutral-bright leaning IEM, a step up from the Salnotes Zero OG, great technical performance, above its price tag. A clean, neutral and natural sound, with a lean into the vocals and treble. Good but controlled bass, with decent quality in the hit and a boosted sub-bass rumble. Treble is nice and detailed, but not that bright, not that boosted. The biggest downside is the hybrid driver configuration which some people say is not totally cohesive, like there is a small separation between bass and the rest of the sound, but not a deal breaker for most people. Just watch out that for some it could some a bit Shouty on the vocals. Considering the cheaper price on the list, the overall technicalities are above average for the price, or on average with some more expensive iems in this list. This one is considered kind of a “Mini-Hexa”. Nozzle leans to the larger side. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mOUBJJ5)  \----- * ***($80) Simgot EA500:*** A bright V-shape-ish iem that also has some warmness to the vocals, so, not the most neutral because it has some sound coloration. Pretty good bass quality, over quantity, has good but somewhat forward vocals, specially energetic female vocals, the treble is quite forward but can get fatiguing or even harsh for some. Technicalities are just decent for the price. This iem is for people that like bright sound without overlooking the bass, a possible upgrade path from the Ziigaat Nuo. Not recommended for people with sensitivity to Shoutiness and harsh treble. It comes with 2 tuning nozzles that don’t show much difference but try both just to make sure. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mtyc6Bh)  \-----   \---------- # Final comments. Thanks again for the good feedback for this post, remember again that im just one person and can make mistakes, so please mention me if you see anything wrong.   If you are looking for more overall information on IEMs, or the sub $50, look here:    ***Click here for the sub $50 list:*** [https://www.reddit.com/r/iems/s/WfhfLLl0np](https://www.reddit.com/r/iems/s/WfhfLLl0np)   I hope this list is of some help, and if you need to know more, don’t be afraid to ask… although this is honestly mostly how high in price my knowledge goes, and I don’t know much about dongle DACs, so, I will do my best to help as I can.   ***I hope you like what you pick from here, all feedback is well appreciated, good luck, the Budget Knight bids farewell, good luck... O.E. :)***

For starters you have the Aria 2 which is almost eveything you mentioned but the tuning is less energetic, more balanced. after that, i guess the EW300 is kinda like that but that would feel kinda heavy vs the Chu2, in the ear i mean. I guess you can check a bassy V-shape like the TRN white tiger? or maybe the Letshouer S08? wanting a metal shell only makes things harder to pick, and i honestly dont think most iems around $100 match what the Chu 2 is, nor jus a warm balanced sound, its just either bassy, or balanced or bright i think. This is a Sub $100-ish iem list i made: https://www.reddit.com/r/iems/s/uV3vBbSUNc If you want to serach more possible options.

As i said, Aria 2 is a balanced set, is not bright just because it has less bass that other iems, besides, thats exactly why i mentioned other options, since Aria 2 doesnt check all the boxes that OP has.

For technicalities, Aria should be somewhat above the May but may has pretty good technicalities for the price range nontheless. as for sound, the bassic May EQ is a balanced sound with a decebt but clean mid-bass (so a bit reduced vs aria 2) and a focus on the sub-bass, while the Aria 2 is balanced but it has a presentation of mid-bass over sub-bass, but not by much, is a more "balanced" bass approach, plus a bit more focus on correct natural vocals vs the more energetic approach of the May. Both are good, but Aria is a more "mature" balanced sound while May is a bit more V-shaped, but of course, the whole point on the may is to use the moondrop app to change the style of sound, from more bassy to more bright and clean (btw, the app doesnt seem to work well on apple devices)

I’ve used KZ in the past and a not a fan. They IEMs often have multiple drivers but they’ve been caught not actually wiring them in. The Moondrop Aria II are solid as are anything fr Truthear in that price range and lower. There’s also slews of others, just not KZ or their off brand.

I purchased Aria 2 just for its warm sounds. Previously I was using more balanced and natural IEMs

Bluetooth headphone suck .. I used to own bose qc2, airpod 2 ,samsung fe... But when bought 1st IEM tangzu warner sg..then I went mad and now own ew300, hexa, aria2 ...next I have eyes on aful explorer..

Both hexa and aria 2 are excellent. The most neutral one is the hexa you can find it on linsoul or amazon for around 80€, sometime for less.

hexa + apple dongle, don't waste your money on a more expensive DAC to start out with, it really only influences the sound minimally. I'd rather spend the cash on a better pair of IEMs. hexa are nice for a clean analytical sound but the EM6L are still balanced but a bit more rounded and warm compared to the hexa and they tend to have fewer issues with the fit (hexa nozzles very large and people tend to complain about that). the Titan S2 could be an option as well but a lot of people find them shouty. no experience with the dz4 so I can't say anything them but the aria are more v shaped and the fudu (while I do love them) are very warm and soft and you might miss out on some detail in the highs which makes them bad if your expectation is for something truly balanced. legato are just not priced well for how they perform imo but maybe someone else who has more experience with the set can speak to that.

Dioko are not very v-shaped, neither are the Hexa. Both lean very neutral. You probably find them either too harsh in the upper frequencies, lacking bass or generally not exciting enough. You can still go for the Aria 2 which have a nice V shape but the Kefine Klean are half the price and come with a thumpier bass response compared to the much more tame bass on the Aria 2. Not much reason to go any more expensive for V shape under $100 because they're that good, save the money for something else, maybe your next IEM.

Then the Simgot EW300 are probably a safer bet, similar price to the Aria 2 but more customizable. Simgot EM6L are also an option, thanks to Omencho for bringing both of those up. Personally not the biggest fan of Simgot for different reasons so I tend to forget about them, but those are both very good recommendations for what you want.

Moondrop aria 2 Moondrop kato Mega5est Thieaudio Oracle Thieaudio monarch mk2 Softear studio 4 Hidizs mp145 These are what I have... Pretty happy with these combo... I also have cheaper iem that works well... But has been mentioned above... Basically r4 is pretty versatile to me... And with the MSEB you can do magic basically with most of the IEM in market... My go to iem is aria 2 for any genre and mp145 for metal At work is studio 4, the rest, kept at for pure enjoyment and whatever else... Cuz to kinda expensive to me... With all being said... Please try out 1st before buying...

Moondrop Aria 2 great tuning

its very hard to explain but it gets better and price is not everything have tried a 600$ iem that sounded worse than my Moondrop aria 2.

Oh there are a few. Artti T10, SGOR Luna, Truthear Hexa, KBEAR KB02, moondrop Aria 2. Just got the 7hz G1 so testing those now. T10 is my primary go to at the moment.

Here you go, I'll go through your whole comment: >The story goes that someone put speakers in a room, went "Hehe I tuned these perfectly", recorded them through a fake head with silicon ears and said "This is exactly what the human ear hears. No... Speakers are (ideally) tuned to a flat frequency response in an anechoic chamber. I shouldn't have to explain why that's the ideal tuning. Also no one has ever said that in reference to a HATS. >And it was thus that all headphones were "tuned" to a "frequency response" to "account for the human ear" Headphones are (generally) tuned to a population average diffuse field. This is also what the most up to date HATS is made to reflect. The reason why is that the vast majority of people won't have ears that far off from the average, and thus a population average target will work for the most people. >Instead of just EQ'ing the sound output to correct for this when needed with regular point microphone recordings, and shifting towards fake head (HATS simulator) recordings. I'm not even really sure what you mean with this. Also the S in HATS stands for simulator. >As such, all audio science is null and void. Also probably doesnt help that these are multi drivers and have crossover frequency ranges that dont show on the graphs (They look smooth but.. lol. these lines are smoothed. Idk why tf they do that) and driver mismatching. Hows your ear supposed to know where sht is when bass and mids and highs dont match up at the very least? All audio science is not null and void. You can actually turn off smoothing on [squig.link](http://squig.link) (which is what I'm assuming you're referring to). Crossover between drivers is actually quite easy to compensate for. There's online calculators for it, even. Smoothing is on by default to iron out the tiny resonances and frequency changes that aren't audible. Driver mismatch doesn't really matter, because the sound that drivers produce is the same. The only difference between drivers (other than the frequency response, which is compensated for obviously) is the method they use to produce sound. IEMs and headphones with a completely flat frequency response would sound pretty awful, because they don't account for things like pinna gain. Having a neutral frequency response only works when you aren't bypassing parts of the ear. >Anyways, I'd grab a set of Moondrop Aria 2 and call it a day tbh. Any headphone, because it will have a different FR and driver coating and etc (gives a different image), will require your ear to learn its specific audio cues. Aria 2s are alright, if you like V shaped tuning. This might be the only correct thing you've said so far. >VR3000 suuuk. Just another tuning but I have no idea what data they're going off of lol VR3000 do seem like they would suck, they are very treble heavy. They probably aren't going off of data, but just tuned them incompetently.

no mention of staples like Wan’er, Gate, or maybe Zero 2 for the low budget end. Aria 2 is outclassed by newer releases and the cadenza isnt even 50, its 35 and should be in the higher end of the low budget end. No mention of other mid range staples like Crinnacle red/blue, artti t1, ew300, and especially the hexa which should be close to your pref. Even the Titan S is outdated with the Titan S2 and other competition stated High end is plagued with the same issue, lack of explanation and choice Honestly, the list is outdated and you would be better off just going to r/iems and looking at their list or doing your own research

Aful Explorer is good but other than that I’d suggest MOONDROP Aria 2. It’s massively underestimated. I’ve never touched my hexa since I got the aria. Bass is super satisfying and that spacy sound stage effect is really nice and cozy.

I use wired because wireless always introduce delay and the best ones like ROG Cetra cost a fortune(I have those). The chinese brand Moondrop makes some pretty solid TWS and IEM earbuds at affordable prices. For TWS I have Space Travel 1 & 2. Highly recommend Space Travel 2. It has gaming mode that reduce delay. Cetra has better sound and less latency in gaming mode though. As for IEM, the Chu II is the best money for your buck by far and is often listed as the best IEM at that low cost. I own ARIA SE, and Aria 2 came out last year at the same price range and is an upgrade. Though at that price range also consider Truthear Zero Red, Trurthear Hexa or Moondrop May depending on the type of music you listen to.

why not get the aria 2 then? esp if you like the aria for that long. the cvj aria is also similar and maybe better for a comparable price.

I own all mentioned but I only wowed a little bit moving from chu 1 and 2 to aria 2 and hexa. If op looking to be wowed by a mile then I think $200 market is the way. Kiwi Ears Quintet will be my recommendation.

Op has $100 plus budget and if you dig hard enough or be patient you can get those $200 iems for 30% or even 50% off. I never buy IEMs at full price lol considering it's an expensive hobby. I literally got Aria 2 for $55 just by waiting for a sale.

Whatever you pick between those you're good, but keep in mind that Hexa is neutral-ish tuned so it has less fun factor than others. I would pick either simgot supermix 4 or aria 2, mayber ea500lm

Well, EW300 has more sub bass but less mid bass than Aria 2 while EW300 DSP with red filter and EA500LM black filter has less bass overall but thin mids

I own em6l and aria 2. Pretty good for gaming because of the stage.

The biggest difference between my Shure/Klipsch IEMs and Moondrop/7hz (I own Chu2 and SSR and demoed Aria, Starfield and 7hz Eternal) is how bright the modern ones are. Shure (along with Westone) has a reputation for dark signatures and many people don't like them, however in their defense, the filters can be replaced (Knowles BA filters affect the sound) and they respond to EQ extremely well. Klipsch X7i is like a more "fun" Etymotic ER4 to me, it recesses the treble just about right to make it non-fatiguing while keeping the detail and relative neutrality, and does similarly with bass. Aria and Starfield sounded extremely similar (in being V-leaning) but Aria had a wider soundstage. They're basically all-rounders in my opinion, though Aria's soundstage was really outstanding, out of everything I heard it's only second to XBA-A3/Z5 (but these are hard to beat). Treble makes them sound more lively than old BA sets. 7Hz Eternal actually reminded me of Klipsch because it also seems to try and balance between neutrality and the more popular V-shape. SSR tries to achieve "true" diffuse field signature and can get fatiguing but ends up sounding very detailed, and it's impressively "fast" for a single DD. Overall they have different strengths (Shure has insane isolation and build quality and I love how drums sound on them thank to their "speed" and impact, Klipsch is a great all-rounder and smallest of them all, Moondrop SSR has amazing technicalities for how cheap it is) and I can't pick a favorite, though I mostly use Klipsch right now.

I hate to be the "well acktooaally" guy, but not IEMs/headphones are the same. Yes, gamers get confused about the meaning of soundstage when imaging, layering and separation are more important. Yes, there are diminishing returns on more expensive IEMs. Yes, Aceu would wreck anyone without sound at all. Not all IEMs are good for gaming. The Moondrop Aria is great for music, but it can't image for shit. As I've gotten more competitive in games, the more I've valued audio for prefiring and prioritising threats. Most times I get called a cheater or wall hacker is basically knowing the direction AND DISTANCE of a player. But I'm a top % player. 95% of players could hardly tell the difference between a Crinnacle Zero and Monarch MK3 in game.

It's not a knock on IEMs. Just my personal experience. idk what it is but across my Moondrop Aria, Salnotes zero and 1 month of Artti T10s, I couldn't get much footsteps or real in game indicators of enemy whereabouts in ***Warzone***. Pulled out my 3 year old HyperX out of the dust and everything was more clear. But, my God , do i hate how hot these Headphones get (even with aftermarket pads) and I have to cool them down between games by holding it towards my fan Lol. still IEMs are my go to for everything else throughout the day, I just put up with the b/s headphones for Warzone. FWIW I believe they did design the audio of the game focused at the console market, i.e. 99.9% of them are using traditional headphones). side note: Fortnite is perfectly fine on IEMs fwiw. Played several years of tourneys on IEMs without worries. I think Warzone sound engine is just terrible.

KZ Castor Pro Bass - has bass but the other end of the spectrum was a hot mess. KBear KB02 - Having the BCD trigger at any frequency makes it only usable for music. Moondrop Chu - Not having earhooks made them constantly fall out. Moondrop Aria - Straight nozzle with no lip made it so the tips always came off in my ear.

Ah okey, is there any delay with adapters like that? I cant have any delay when i play because of the competitivness

I had moondrop aria before, do you know if moondrop star rail is any delay on the sound? I cant have any delay when i play

For years, my audio journey was anchored in the vibrant world of Chi-Fi IEMs—budget-friendly gems like the KZ ZS 10 pro, Moondrop Arias to Multi kilobuck killer - Monarch mk2/3, Mest, QDC VX. These in-ear monitors delivered thrilling soundscapes with their bold price to performance value, punchy bass, and sparkling treble. Yet, curiosity led me to the Westone Mach 80, a flagship renowned for its clinical precision and studio-grade neutrality. The transition wasn’t just an upgrade; it was a paradigm shift—a rediscovery of what music could be. Build and Comfort: From Plastic to PrecisionMy audio journey and experience, while impressive in sound, often felt utilitarian in build—oversized shells, hefty cables, and fit that demanded frequent adjustments. The Mach 80, by contrast, felt like a bespoke instrument. Its SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT (Yes in Caps), ergonomic design, molded from lightweight medical-grade resin, disappeared into my ears. The over-ear cabling and deep-seated fit provided a seal so secure and isolating like a Custom IEM that subway commutes became silent even without music playing. Westone’s decades of expertise in pro-audio ergonomics shone through; these were IEMs built for marathon listening sessions, not just casual use. Sound Signature: Chaos to ClarityThe first listen was… jarring. Gone was the bombastic bass slam or the polished midrange bloom. The Mach 80 greeted me with a stark, unapologetic neutrality. Bass was lean and taut, not thunderous. Treble was detailed but never sibilant. Mids? They weren’t “forward” or “recessed”—they just were, pristine and uncolored. It felt like swapping a neon-lit carnival for a sunlit art gallery. * Bass: The Mach 80’s 8 balanced armatures delivered bass with surgical control. Sub-bass rumble in electronic tracks like Jacques Greene’s “Feel Infinite” was textured and articulate, not bloated. Double kicks in metal tracks retained their speed but lacked the visceral “thump” I’d grown accustomed to. This wasn’t a deficiency—it was accuracy. The Mach 80 revealed how much of most of the iems was bass boosted. * Mids: Vocals and instruments emerged with startling realism. On Norah Jones’ “Don’t Know Why,” her voice floated with breathy intimacy, free of the midbass bleed that muddied my Chi-Fi sets. Acoustic guitars on John Mayer’s “Neon” showcased string plucks and finger slides I’d never noticed—a masterclass in microdetail, its surgically incredible! * Treble: Cymbals on TOOL’s “Pneuma” shimmered without piercing, and orchestral highs in Holst’s “The Planets” retained their airiness. The Mach 80’s treble wasn’t “exciting,” but it was ruthlessly honest, it’s very very smooth to listen. Soundstage and Imaging: From 2D to 3DThe Mach 80’s soundstage felt expansive and holographic, a stark contrast to the intimate, head-filling presentation of my Chi-Fi collection. Listening to Hans Zimmer’s “Blade Runner 2049” soundtrack, synths swirled around my head with pinpoint placement, while the decay of reverb tails in a jazz club recording felt almost tactile. Instruments weren’t layered—they occupied distinct spaces, like actors on a stage. The Adjustment Period: Learning to Listen AgainFor days, I mourned the loss of “fun.” Tracks that once felt anthemic now sounded restrained. But gradually, my ears acclimated. The Mach 80 didn’t impose its personality—it revealed the recording’s personality. Well-mixed tracks (think Daft Punk’s “Random Access Memories”) became transcendent, while poorly mastered songs laid bare their flaws. This wasn’t an IEM for mindless head-bobbing; it demanded engagement, rewarding critical listening with revelations. The Chi-Fi Rat raceNowadays everyone is chasing the best of the best while many companies are releasing new items week in and week out, and we often forget to slow down and appreciate music more. And often with massive waves of iems releasing we often overlooked some of the brands that do not come out new model very often. Conclusion: A New BenchmarkThe Westone Mach 80 isn’t for everyone. If you crave bass heft, WOW factor or euphonic coloration, it might underwhelm. But as a tool for understanding music—for dissecting mixes, savoring acoustic textures, or simply hearing your favorite albums anew—it’s peerless. The is the most resolving IEM I have ever heard in any price range and I have heard a lot; and it’s redefined what I expect from them—and from music itself.

Yeah, if it's good stuff it will stay good. But the price sure is outdated, unless they reduce the price. Especially with tight competition like iems. Like my old moondrop aria, can be beaten by newest stuff at the same price like EW300.

Still go back to my first pair, owned 3 over the years Shure SE215 Cheap \~$100, super comfy and great sounding HM : Moondrop aria as a first IEM

Call me simple, but I think there hasn't been a single iem that has been able to compete with the subtle sophistication and understated elegance of the original moondrop arias (paint chipping not withstanding)

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).

Moondrop Aria is small.

AirPods Pro for me, mainly for the convenience. The thing is that because I wear glasses, I don’t really like the feel of over-the-ear headphones pressing the frame of the spectacles against my ears. https://www.khadas.com/tea I did try using the Khadas Tea, together with a cheap pair of IEMs (aria moondrop), but honestly, I couldn’t really hear the difference in Apple Music, and the presence of the headphone cable annoyed me more than I thought it would. I found it amusing to pay for what was essentially a very expensive headphone dongle, but it is what it is. 🤣

First one was Moondrop Aria, still using it. Then got the Final Audio A3000, using that too.

Ah sorry, the topic said what the first one was. I would say the Final Audio. Much more clear and better soundstage, just lacking in bass compared to the Aria.

Bruh I've tried foam tips myself on various IEMs. The second I use them no matter how strong or weak the seal is my bass just completely dies off and all I get is peaky treble. Unless my ears just hate foam or something else is wrong. I've tried them on the Arias, the Dusk, the Monarch Mk 3s, and the Oracle Mk 2s.

Moondrop Aria is only good for Val and CS, HEXA is good for everything but there are better stuff for less money ye

internal structure plays a big role with resonance, for example Moondrop Moca(it's a TWS) uses same driver as Aria, Aria is good for some games like CS and Valorant, Moca even EQd to sound like Aria is crap for gaming(it has 20-30ms latency over LC3, so it's not the delay) edit:/ also when you EQ an IEM good for gaming originally it can become worse because it just doesn't work with it's shell and resonance and stuff

The only other IEM’s I really come back to are moondrop aria. That is more when I am working from home.

It would be, but the dawn pro was the last product, outright defective that I bought from moondrop. The previous 2 were the chu which the cable came apart at the iem (on both ends!) which ok, they were really cheap and then the first aria lost a lot of its paint though I only had for several months at that time. As such 3/3 for me with qc issues so a big no for me for any future products from this sham of a company.

Om the rare occasion I commute it's the Moondrop Aria, it bangs

Up to you. For me though, I personally think that the Moondrop Robin is solid but it's a collaboration product, so it's likely that Moondrop didn't cheap out for this particular product because been using it for a few months and it held up much much better than the Aria ever could.

Over ear, comfort being prio 1 over everything. Comfort physically on your head and a non fatiguing sound, slower sound is ok. When commuting its the same but in item form. Eq if you like, if you can make something sound better to you thats great, dont be a slave to any frequency response curve. I have analytical headphones but almost never use them. Use a pair of moondrop Arias on the go (cheap, comfortable to my ears and good enough sound quality) Use a pair of Sony mdr z7 for daily use on my pc, same reason but better higher end.

OG Moondrop Arias. Still daily drive them after 3+ years. Don't know if it's because I've just got used to them but they just sound right to me(especially for YT + Gaming). I don't have many other IEMs, only KIWI EARS Cadneza (Arias miles ahead for me), but I do have high end headphones that I use time to time when I want to focus on the music (HD 660s2) but always return to old faithful :) Will probably upgrade in the future but will likely have to spend a bit more for a noticeable difference.

Only problem with them is I've had to replace the filters quite a few times which has been a known issue. I'm running out of filters :0

and also a bit of the coating coming off but I like my IEMs like I like my cars... If they do the job well, I don't care if they look rough around the edges

Yeah the Aria "Elven Maiden" Funnily enough a local store has some on stock

Odd diatribe. Are you some kind of mind reader who somehow knows that most IEM buyers are lying to themselves and are actually just getting hoodwinked into wasting money by spending more? And how can you possibly know that IEMs aren’t “worth” their price? Worth is subjective, in the eye of the beholder. I disagree with your central claim that IEM buyers are not “getting quality for what they are paying.” I’ve owned IEMs across a reasonably wide price range from $15 to $1,300. The list of them includes the KZ ATE, Moondrop Aria, 7Hz Timeless, Sony IER-M9, Thieaudio Monarch MK4 and Nightjar Singularity. I also listened to the Elysian Pilgrim and Pilgrim Noir for a week when they were sent around on a demo tour. My source has either been a dongle DAC/amp (L&P W2, Cayin RU7) connected to an iPad or the Chord Mojo 2 + Poly streaming Roon. Each of the IEMs I listed sounds different and the sound quality is strongly, positively correlated with the price of the IEM. So as an example, the $220 7Hz Timeless sounds good and most people would be happy with it, but it delivers wooly, somewhat bloated bass. It’s really noticeably inferior in sound quality when compared to the Monarch MK4 or Nightjar Singularity, both of which sound much better to me. When I consider whether to buy an IEM, I don’t care about aesthetics in the slightest. I use IEMs exclusively at home and neither I nor my wife cares how they look. What I do care about is whether an IEM will last, meaning I greatly prefer IEMs with recessed 2-pin cable receptacles or MMCX connectors and try to make sure that the IEM manufacturer offers good long-term customer support. I won’t spend more than $1,500 on an IEM and think the pricing of TOTL IEMs has become absurd. You can buy a really good 2-channel system that will last forever for the price of some IEMs. You’d have to be very gullible to be “tricked” into buying IEMs by YouTube reviewers or comments from internet randos. Most hobbyists do a fair amount of legwork before buying. Ideally, you attend meets to actually demo IEMs to narrow down to the ones you like. On top of that, it’s worth seeing whether a consensus forms around an IEM among people you personally know or at least trust from their post history on various forums, but only after a new IEM loses its flavor-of-the-month status. And it makes sense to talk to retailers to see if the brand offers good long-term customer support. Finally, headphones offer a different listening experience from IEMs. I own a high-end headphone rig to listen to a set of HD800s. Yes, it offers a more realistic soundstage and better dynamics than IEMs, but the downside is that good full-size open-back headphones (which almost always sound better than closed-backs) don’t block out external noise, they leak noise to people around you, and are heavy and uncomfortable to wear for long periods. IEMs are more “in your head” but I really like how comparatively weightless and comfortable they are and how well they isolate from external noise.

It’s crazy how fast the “under $100” meta moves. I wonder how my Moondrop Aria even compares to these

My 2 cents: First, get a decent headphone amp. Otherwise, the discussions about good or better headphones is not important. You won't plug in $200 phones into a Millennium MPS-850 or Alesis or Lemon $1 headphone amp. I don't know the Roland stuff. But they also won't sell modules with a way headphone amp, I guess. I use the Moondrop Aria IEM and Bayerdynamic DT 770 Pro 250 Ω.

I definitely think you are making a mistake getting these over ChiFi. The IE200 are a bit of a mess compared to something like the Moondrop Aria (and I assume the Aria 2, but I haven’t heard them)

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.

I got mine today. Have been using it with the apple USB C dongle. coming from Moondrop Aria, honestly I am not impressed. I feel like the Aria sounds more alive and enjoyable. I am going to give it some hours to "burn-in" and then see but so far, I feel like there is a lot of hype and everyone uses these vague words to explain/review an IEM but I at least havent felt like this has been an upgrade. idk if I am missing anything here.

I've had my aria for 3 years now and they still sound just as good as when I bought them

I prefer IEM and Earbuds. Comfort is inportant for long gaming session. I use the Samsung buds 3 pro( earbuds), sometimes change to Moondrop Aria( Iems) for no latency. They have wide soundstage and transparency, the midrange is smooth and the bass isn't stupidly bloated like many " gaming " headphones

This and (mostly) crin's sub has a lot of younger folks looking for sub $50 recs and I can't really blame them, if not for the fact that most game sound engines are not that good that you'd notice any real difference I can directly compare my Cantor, Doscinco, Ea1000 and Arias and all I can hear is "hmm yes the sound is slightly more sound-ier on the Cantor" but I barely play any competitive FPSes since cs2 playerbase is shrinking in Asia and valorant has a particularly bad sound engine You're not going to hear notable differences unless you're getting a soundstage monster like the HD800s or just speakers lads, but it'll probably be a great investment for any other use case

probably in the 50-70 bucks range like the Moondrop Aria's and the like if you never experienced good IEMs before. Y

Which one is considered the S tier of 2025 at price ranges? Last one I got before stopping was Moondrop Aria

New to the world of iems and daps. Watched some YouTube vids for recs and decided to try a few pairs out for my new dap. Really liking the hexas and the aria 2s reds are great as well they all sound nice. It's cool listening to the same song but different pair and hearing different stuff stand out. Think I got a problem though cuz I still have 4 more pairs coming in the mail lol 😆. Wanted to try a few lower end pairs and then maybe buy something more expensive.

My favorites out of the 4 are the hexa and aria. I got more pairs coming though. Listening to the hexas right now they sound great. Really like that the aria come with switchable jack to 4.4mm. damn wish I got into IEMs sooner. I'm blown away with how good they sound.

Out of those 4 pairs I really like the fit of the arias but all fit my ears fine. The arias are alot smaller than the hexas and zero reds and I find them the most comfortable. The zero twos are also 2nd smallest and fit very comfortably. At least out of these 4 the smaller ones seem to fit better / be more comfortable for me.

This is true, I have one, I believe Timmy from --gizaudio-- hangout has one too. It's based on the og moondrop arias.

Seconded, I started with Aria's and wished I started with IEMs sooner

Truthear HEXA is one of the best value IEMs for FPS gaming. The aria is not a good option for fps gaming in particular. The hexa will give you better imaging and soundstage.

Sounds like you've been on quite the journey! For that warm, lush sound you’re after, have you checked out the Moondrop Aria? It's got a nice balance of warmth and smoothness with good tonal richness—perfect for someone who likes a lush sound but doesn’t want to break the bank. Definitely a solid step up from the QKZ x HBB without going too far into the pricey zone. Plus, it’s fun and pretty versatile, so it could pair well with a lot of genres!

For me a used aria or 500lm

I have been eyeing this iem for the past month but I am hesitant buying it blindly. Sadly, in my country, there are no physical stores where I can sound test before buying. Are they good in terms of detail retrieval, layering, soundstage, and female vocals? My music preference are usually korean ballads, pop songs, soft rock, and classical. Lastly, does pairing it with CX31993 dongle enough to maximize its potential? If not, are there any budget dac alternatives you can recommend? I am also planning to pair it with spinfit W1 eartips. My past iems are: Moondrop Aria -> Truthear Zero Reds, if that helps. Thanks!!

I only had the first gen AirPods Pro before getting a set of moondrop Aria ($80 or so then) and it was night and day. Now I have the Kadenz and those are even better ($200 or so). So if sound quality is what you are after, get iems. If you want ease of use and portability, it’s hard to beat AirPods and I am sure the third gen won’t disappoint.

The in ear that made me fala in love with headphones in general was the Philips SHE 9000. I had an Xperia Phone back then and I had a blast with those. First pair of proper iems were the KZ ZSN pro with the meizu HiFi Dac, mindblowing for the time. A While later I got the Moondrop Aria that made the KZ sound like trash and Just a bit after I got the 7hz Dioko that made the Aria sound like a muffled boomy mess too. And that went on for a While until I got to the Tangzu Heyday and 7hz Timeless AE. Now I have my endgame but I still collect cheaper iems.

A lot of years ago I was recommended the Moondrop Aria and stuck with them. My son asked me for an iPod and I got him the chu II, those are a great option too. I've also tried others but I'm happy to recommend these as I didn't really notice any difference with more expensive IEMs and I moved from FLAC to MP3 320 after some blind tests and realized I couldn't hear a difference between them, even with much more expensive IEMs.

Nice I also have the Aria's. [The pinned list](https://old.reddit.com/r/iems/comments/1la65kr/top_5_iems_in_every_price_range_chosen_by_you/) is a good place to start. It's a popularity contest but they're all well regarded sets. Besides that, I'd suggest finding a tonality you're looking for or checking on some YouTube reviewers who have similar tastes. The market is basically at a point where you could throw a dart randomly at a board and most likely be happy with the IEM set you got.

Moondrop arias i got secondhand for 45 bucks. They survived two trips in the wash and still rock. No paint left, gives them a rugged look I like, I have to replace the filters once or twice a year, still my go to pair most times. Super comfy for my ear shape too, i wear them to sleep.

I believe Fresh Reviews does decent game oriented IEM reviews and will likely have various safe picks. I think the soundstage and 3D-ness of gaming headphones are over inflated anyway (long term HyperX Cloud II and Audeze Maxwell use) and good IEMs will be enough to the point where you just cant outhear what the game itself provides. Though not reccomending I have used Arias to relatively high ranks and of no performance deficit in CS so you might as well reap the other IEM benefits, the escape from hairdents, swampy ears and comming too loud is worth it alone.

I haven't branched out too much into IEM's but I've had a few of MoonDrops's and I absolutely LOVE how good the quality is.