Penon Fan 3 was goated, one of the best midrange I've heard in terms of musicality/enjoyment. Maybe less correct sounding than Tanchjim but it's a nice colouration.
I like my headphones more than my IEMs. But that's just me. I eq all of them. My Edition XS and Focal Hadenys have just as much detail as my IEMs, but sound way more spacious because they are bigger and open back. For IEMs I use Flipears Aegis, Hidizs mk12 and previously had Hype 4 and Penon Fan 3's.
Yeah, thought as much.
Its a shame though, as others may not even be aware that these brands exist.
ISN H60, EBC80, EST80.
Penon Archangel, Voltage, Fan 3
Sound Rhyme DTE900, DTE264, SR10.
Earacoustic vsa pm crown.
All the above are fantastic iems from those brands, it's a shame that a of people aren't aware of them - as Penon and its sister companies probably give the best bang for buck out of most iem manufacturers (as a whole) excluding the likes of bgvp perhaps.
I used to follow Jay a lot, until I saw one Facebook post where he said thst the Unique Melody Maven II wasn't an alrounder... I've personally owned the Maven II in the past, and couldn't understand this at all - every other single review regarding those iems also praised them for their versatility. You got one person saying they're not an alrounder vs at least 30 who say they are 😅 it's going to raise some doubts..
The other was his take on the Annihilator, where he talked down to someone for being a "serious audiophile" basically just wasting their money. Funnily though, I also own the anni 23, and have yet to become across an iem that can deliver treble in such a smooth way as the anni can 😅 I'd love a cheaper iem, but no one to this day has recommended me a cheaper iem that can do what the anni does (yet it being ancient in the iem world)
Anyways, enough ranting - I hope people stumble across those brands that aren't talked about as much big the big reviewers.
Many of the sub-$100 recommendations in this sub-Reddit are older models that have been superseded by newer stuff. Still plenty of Harman-tuned models being recommended, and that tuning -- while OK -- is as old as grandpa's buckskin rubber.
As for improvements being minute over $500, I sort of believed in that line of thinking until I bought the BGVP Astrum, which costs $679 new. It is SIGNIFICANTLY better than my three $350ish benchmarks, the Softears Volume S, Penon Fan 3 and ISN H60.
I've been avidly in the audiophile headphone and IEM game -- not Beats and Sony wireless shit -- for a decade. I know what sounds good and doesn't, and I can tell you the Astrum is SIGNIFICANTLY better than most of my $150-200 sets.
I have patiently climbed all the price rungs of the audio ladder with both headphones and IEMs so I can discern the differences in sonic quality at each step. I climb because I want better sound, not so I can show off. Nobody in my family and friends circle gives a fuck about audio, anyways.
And if you think the sound quality of an elite set at $679 isn't significantly better than an average set at $200, then you're just practicing reverse placebo psychology to justify your choice not to spend more or mollify your sadness that you can't afford better.
That's not a blanket statement. There are some kilobuck sets that sound like ass, especially in a hobby as subjective as this.
But I have not found diminishing returns yet with IEMs at $650ish. I'm sure that threshold will come soon. But not yet.
$400 budget for EACH:
Softears Volume S: Fantastic meta-tuned all-arounder hybrid. $329.
Hisenior Cano Cristales: Excellent bass tone and texture without it killing the mids. $399.
Kiwi Ears Aether: Best planar under $200. $169.
Penon Fan 3: Everyone needs some of that bone conduction special sauce and smooth Penon mids. $349.
$400 budget TOTAL:
AFUL Explorer: Great mid-bass and mids. Not enough treble extension but a killer chill listen. $99.
Artti T10: Best IEM I’ve heard at sub-$100, regardless of driver type. $51.
AFUL MagicOne: A single-BA with bass! Yes, it’s possible. Sublime mids. Treble can be a bit metallic. $89.
DITA Prelude: Insanely good budget single DD that punches well above its price. Comes with a cool dongle, too. $159.
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7Hz
7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2
76% positive of 495 users
Budget gaming pick, but poor cables and polarizing bass.
mayonaka_00
