Sennheiser - IE 600

I bought the IE600 because as you said people liked it more and it was mid forward (with a bass boost) which I wanted for my tuning rather than hyper analytical like the IE900. But If my IE600 died and at the current discount I could get it for a change, you can always try and return it or sell it at some point if you don’t like it and get the IE600 again.

You should definitely check out the Sennheiser IE line. From their cheapest IE200 , their midrange IE600 and to the most expansive IE900 they are all amazing iems, with incredibly small shells. Small enough to actually sleep with, as they do not stick outside of the ear.

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.

Yeah me too, I have some very expensive sets, like the IE600, and I prefer the EW300 over the IE600... I still prefer my Ziigaat Odyssey, or my Mangird Xenns Top, but damn the Simgot is indeed very very good for the asked price

IE600 if you can find one in that budget but you will absolutely need to change the cable cause the default one absolutely will not allow for a proper fit and stay there. Outside of that, Dusk is pretty good.

That’s sadly a common issue for the IE600 because of condensed water in the shell. If you put them in a small box with a bunch of silica gel packs, they should become normal again.

You certainly can! I love those and got them for cheap last Sennheiser sale.

IEMs:- Campfire Andro 2020 > Shure se846 > Sennheiser ie800 > Dunu sa6 > Sony mdr ex800 > Sony xba N3 > final a4000 > Sennheiser ie200 > etymotic er2xr > Sennheiser ie600 > Kiwiears Cadenza > Shure se215 > blon bl03 > Moondrop Space travel Headphones:- Audeze LCD2C > AKG K701 > hd600 > hd660s > hd6xx > hd650 > Meze 109 > Koss porta pro > Grado sr225 > Grado sr80

I pre-ordered them before they launched. Already went through 2 pairs of them because the extreme precision of German engineering (they always break the very day right after the warranty expires). But I’ll keep buying despite the QC problems since they are the best IEM I’ve ever owned.

DD can sound just as good as a hybrid DD, BA, EST set. It's all in the implementation. The Sennheiser IE600 is a great example of this, and shits on cheaper hybrid sets with poorer implementation.

i really can recommend my ie600 for this record, enjoying it with my Grados and Maxwell as well.

Sennheiser IE600 for me

Comfort is the best part of the iem since it’s so small. The only other iem I have near its price point is the moondrop dusk where the IE600 has slightly better technicalities and a more exciting tuning

Absolutly agree, personally they are better than ie600 or ie900.

The Cadenza is a really great all-rounder and an easy go-to first IEM recommendation. They’re wonderful and not just for the price. The Wa’ner I got for $5. They’re great…for the price. You mentioned bass so that’s why I mentioned the Rosefinch. My approach with IEM’s right now is I use my Sennheiser IE600 for detailed listening sessions. I used the wa’ner for watching video on my laptop. The Cadenza and Rosefinch are in my travel bag. The Sennheiser‘s don’t leave the house given the price tag.

I went to try out the IE 200 at my local hifi store and found that they fit my ear perfectly. However I found the audio to be bland, very flat, which can be a good thing for some I guess. Listening to techno I felt that they really excelled in the audio details, but for like rock and other non electronic genres not as much. Knowing that they fit good, I tried the IE 600 a week later as soon as they had them in store, and that's what I ended up getting. It's a whole other level of audio they put out. Goosebumps and smiles :) Did enjoy the cable that came with the 200 over the stiffer one(s) on the 600. Great review on your part, just what I was looking for before going to the store to try and buy.

Yes can even sleep with ie 200 ie600 in without it causing any discomfort or muffled sound when that side in pon the pillow unlike many IEMs other than the me600s that also fit well for me.

Let me answer, for me it's Twilight & Oriolus Isabellae. For my dad it's one set IE600. For my Grandpa it's Twilight. & For my Girlfriend kima2 baby

I use my IE600s in pits for musicals and occasionally live on stage (though I rarely wear IEMs for that scenario). I sometimes rotate IEMs to listen to a mix as well, just to get some different perspectives of what it could sound like with different tunings.

very hot take: ie600 One of the most expensive purchase for me, after all the hype. The cable was atrocious, fit wasn't good for my huge ears and it sounded sibilant. I spend some 3 months to justify the purchase, by rolling tips, changing cable and all that. In the end decided its not for me.

My IE600’s literally had a driver go out last night. Unfortunately, I got them back in 2022 so they’re not in warranty and they don’t service them out of warranty.

Great write up. I got the ie200 when it originally released, then I got the ie600 in between and had QC issues. I also found there wasn't much difference between them after EQ. I ended up selling the 600 and keeping the 200. I'm really happy with them, they're my only iems. I think I might try the Final E tips after reading your post.

Yeah I preferred the 600 a lot without EQ, but with EQ they were pretty similar. Have you got any other tips you'd recommend that do fit well? I don't use the tape mod anymore. Thanks for the advice!

Great writeup! I'm really interested in the ie900, but that price is crazy high for an iem. I recently sold my ie600 and stuck with the ie200, I didn't find a huge difference after EQ. There is a bigger difference between my HD600 and 800S, but I'm keen to see how the ie900 compares.

Yeah I'm now regretting selling the ie600, but I suppose now I can try out the ie900. I completely dismissed them to begin with because I listened to reviewers a bit too much. Keen to form my own opinion on them.

100-200 ones will mostly just have better tuning than 50-100 ones not be better quality, 230-550 msrp you get into some higher quality stuff, obviousyl 550+ but for that quality over 550 might not be a good value, like Sennheiser IE600, it's better than $50-200 IEMs but it's just not worth it $800 imo, my favourite $230-550 one is the OG Yanyin Canon, it's $350 I think edit:/ they will use higher quality drivers most of the time, but there are exceptions like IE600 which has Helmholtz resonator which sets it apart from IE200

no question, Sennheiser IE600 for me.

the quality and sound you will get from a ie200 will be better than chifi. senn is known for that and almost everyone agrees on it. I have chifi sets now, but I do intend to buy a pair of ieX00 someday. They're good and will be good for sometime until they release something new

My first ones were the KZ ZS 10 Pro and I had a similar experience. The sound wasn’t pleasant at all. I went to a friend and tried his FiiO something’s. And in the End I got Sennheiser IE 300s. Those were so muffled that I decided to get the IE600 which are absolutely everything I hoped them to be. More recently I have also gotten the IE200 which are much cheaper and sound 90% as good as the IE600. I recommend the IE200 to everyone in a heartbeat.

Same. I love them so it dosent bother me.

So I should just stick with my ie 600s. Got it. 🤣

Fun hobby - enjoy discovering IEMs man! I had a blast with using my first couple sets of IEMs (wan'er and zero red) and I hope it's an awesome experience for you too. After buying a few more I decided to grab a pair that was a decent jump up (went to ie600 ultimately) so that I wouldn't feel the urge to keep buying the new hyped set and it's been great. Always helpful for me at least to see the reminders on this sub to use my gear to listen to the music rather than the other way around.

Fun hobby - enjoy discovering IEMs man! I had a blast with using my first couple sets of IEMs (wan'er and zero red) and I hope it's an awesome experience for you too. After buying a few more I decided to grab a pair that was a decent jump up (went to ie600 ultimately) so that I wouldn't feel the urge to keep buying the new hyped set and it's been great. Always helpful for me at least to see the reminders on this sub to use my gear to listen to the music rather than the other way around.

Dear Op, save enough money and buy Sennheiser IE600 iem or Open back Sennheiser HD600 Maybe pricey, i do understand, but you don’t need to buy anything else again ( Requires lots of patience and money saving and keep an eye out on Sennheiser hearing website as they often list it at flat 50 percent off during end of November and other festive seasons )

No , i cant recommend the ie200, but the ie600 and ie900 is out of the world And never buy from any other outlet other than Sennheiser hearing website as lots of counterfeits are being sold Or go with open back , the best option, if you aren’t so stuck with iems

[IE200 vs 600 vs 900 Blind Test](https://youtu.be/KediAGrbLt8?si=sa2_btgj_am1EiVv)

Go for either one, its the most comfortable iem in the market. There is no debate in that Regarding sound, other brands may underperform pr overperform this

IE600 and Turii Ti, haven’t heard that many though. 

Welcome to the chi-fi trap spear headed by Linsoul Etc who now bring out an IEM every week with cosmetic changes. Just AB Sennheiser IE 900/600 and close the chapter than falling for hybrid, tribid/quadbrid bull shit propoganda that most reviewers and new kids on the block preach.

**Introduction** I attended an audio show and had the chance to listen to over 30 IEMs. Rather than going too deep on every single one, I wanted to highlight the 3 IEMs that truly impressed me and share some rapid-fire thoughts on the rest. Do note that these are my subjective impressions, and the rapid-fire takes might not convey everything. **64 Audio U12t** 64 Audio was the brand I had looked forward to the most at the show. And U12t was easily the best IEM I heard there. The first thing that caught my attention was its imaging and soundstaging, it was one of the few IEMs that gave me a true sense of holographic staging. I really liked the treble tuning, it was extended, crisp, and avoided being sibilant. The midrange was on the warmer, lusher side, with upper mids slightly recessed for my taste. I hadn’t expected the bass to sound this good coming from BAs. It was detailed, hit hard, but decayed a tad faster than typical DDs. **Softears Enigma** At first, I thought it was just another ridiculously overpriced IEM that would sound mediocre. But I was wrong, the bass quality was pretty good, better than U12t. I didn’t feel anything special about the mids, they were neither shouty nor recessed. I sensed a dip around 5-6 kHz, as I am quite sensitive to peaks there. This made vocals much smoother to listen to, but there was a lack of excitement, so vocals weren’t the strong suit of this IEM. But it was the treble that hooked me and made me want to keep listening. The treble had an 'ethereal' quality. It felt lighter, extended, refined, and more importantly, exciting. Because of this, I just kept listening and ended up staying longer than I had planned, it was that good. **64 Audio U4s** This is basically a 'baby U12t', with a dynamic driver for the bass, giving it a proper bass thump. It had all the qualities I mentioned in U12t, but the overall technical prowess was slightly lower. I am still confused whether I preferred U12t’s faster bass response or U4s meatier bass response, nevertheless it was good. The midrange had similar qualities to what I described in U12t impressions. But the treble performance was a slight downgrade compared to U12t, it was on the splashier side with touch less refinement. **Top Performers in:** **Bass** * 64 Audio Volur * Sennheiser IE 900 **Mid-range** * 64 Audio U12t/U4s * Mega5EST **Treble** * Softears Enigma * 64 Audio U12t **Rapid-fire impressions** **64 Audio Fourte** * Emphasized bass * Recessed vocals * Non-offensive treble * No wow factor * Overpriced **64 Audio Trio** * Recessed mids, but not as much as Fourte * Non-offensive treble * Third best 64 Audio IEM for me **64 Audio U18t** * Treble presentation didn’t work for me * Not as good as U12t **64 Audio Volur** * Best bass I’ve ever heard in an IEM * Treble is quite peaky **64 Audio Nio** * Darkest among the 64 Audio lineup I’ve tried * Not my preferred sound signature **64 Audio Solo** * Best planar IEM I heard at the show * Bass quality wasn’t the best compared to others * Technical performance not up to the price **ThieAudio Monarch MK3** * Chonky shell, but still comfortable to wear * Emphasized yet controlled bass * Treble was slightly peaky * No wow factor **Sony IER Z1R** * Uncomfortable to wear, lacks proper seal * Because of that, bass suffered, I had to hold it with my hands to get the best seal * Bass quality is great (not the best I’ve heard, can’t say much due to poor fit) **Sennheiser IE 900** * Vocals sounded stuffy, weird, and recessed * One of the best bass I heard at the show after 64 Audio Volur * Lacking in detail and imaging for the price **Sennheiser IE 600** * Better tonality than IE 900, especially in the upper mids * Again, not the best in technical performance **Mega5EST** * Most normal-sounding IEM I heard at the show * Quite bassy for this type of mid-range * Not the best in subjective qualities **Dunu Da Vinci** * Similar impression to Mega5EST * This type of sound signature doesn’t work well with such a bass boost **Letshuoer Cadenza 12** * Fairly neutral with a bass boost * Lacks the wow factor * Treble was slightly on the harsher side **Elysian Pilgrim** * Non-offensive sound signature * Treble is a bit forward and spicy * Lacks excitement **Softears RSV** * Bass quality was good * Vocals sounded strained * Nothing special about the treble **Softears Volume S** * Non-offensive, but somewhat shouty on some songs * Slightly peaky treble (in some songs) **Softears Studio 4** * Sounded okay (but in a good way) * Nothing particularly special **FATfreq Maestro Mini** * Driver flex * Too much bass (works well with engaging songs) * Treble not refined **FATfreq Scarlet Mini** * Driver flex * Even more bass (too much on top of the already excessive bass of Maestro Mini) **FATfreq Grand Maestro** * Didn’t felt as bassy as compared to others * Faced similar fit issues like the IER Z1R **Campfire Audio Andromeda Emerald Sea** * Warm sounding with non-offensive treble * Didn’t felt anything special about the rest **Campfire Audio Trifecta** * Very weird sounding (that’s what I wrote in the notes:) * Overpriced for what it is * But looks stunning though **Campfire Audio Astrolith** * Too much treble * Again, overpriced **Campfire Audio Solaris Stellar Horizon** * Best sounding Campfire Audio IEM in my opinion * Bass quality was good * Mids sounded recessed * Energetic treble response

Thank you for the detailed comparison. I have the IE300 and 600 myself and am more than satisfied (except for the cables :(, I have sent you a PM). I'm also considering buying the IE200. More out of curiosity, it doesn't make sense (but a lot of things don't make sense in our hobby). Happy New Year to all and enjoy your music... 🎵

Probably the most comfortable iems for the most people. It's very small.

IE600, Trance. That's what i have and what I'm listening to 90% of the time.

I would highly recommend honestly I’ve had mine for a year and a half . In that time I’ve bought 10 different iems and only the ie600 beat them on quality but I hated the fit.

I have ie200 too, put on the stock cable from ie600 and use it for gaming haha, it’s so far the best I used for gaming and casual level entry level music. Ie600 still rocks the main tunes. I also got the solstice cable for ie600, it makes the fit much better and snap on without any fiddling like the stock cables, and results better sound quality.

I love mine. People complain about QC but I've had no issues with mine and I use them almost daily over the past 2 years. I haven't found great tip replacements though and have swapped between the foam and silicone tips. The foam ones sound better to me but get gross and are hard to clean while the silicone ones are fine. I got essentially a price error (sub $300 directly from Sennheiser) on the ones I have and am dreading the day I'd have to replace them. The cable is a bit annoying and semi-proprietary with a somewhat precarious mechanism which I'm not incredibly fond of. I would love to get a pair of IEMs that are on the level of these but that price sort of skewed my perception. I don't know if I'd say they're worth $700 even though I love them.

My Sennheiser IE600 died recently, and before purchasing a replacement pair, I figured it'd best to ask if there are any recommended alternatives to it. I have a max budget of $2k. I suppose I'd be looking for a neutral IEM that's small like the IE600 and looks minimalistic. Most of the IEMs I see have bulky resin shells, so maybe that's not avoidable and isn't as big of a deal as I'm thinking it is, but I did enjoy the fit of the IE600. I also enjoyed the simplicity of the dynamic driver of the IE600, especially since it doesn't sacrifice on bass like some BA do. Essentially, is there any IEM that would be worth my time over the IE600? Some of the options I'm floating in my mind are the Mega5-EST, Monarch MKIV, and U12T. Whatever would be a clearly better choice over what I knew and loved about my IE600.

I suppose I liked the IE 600 because they looked sleek, were small and comfortable, and they took an Oratory EQ well. I didn't like the stock treble, so I always listened with the EQ. The Aful Dawn-X is reviewed very well, but it looks bulky and garish to me, compared to the IE series. The Yu9 Que is reviewed well, but finding it could be hard. If the Thieaudios have big shells and might have contentious comfort, then I might put those off to the side. They're obviously reviewed well, which is why I thought of the MKIII and MKIV. Right now, I'm thinking of getting either the U12T or Tia Trio. They're constructed radically different from each other, yet they're both up in the review charts. Super\* Review says they're both neutral with bass boosts, but the Tia Trio is supposed to have the better bass. Any thoughts between these two? Also, on the topic of the U12T, I see there's the A12T too. If I'm able to get impressions of my ears, would it make sense to go for the A12T? Alternatively, I could try custom eartips.

Meze Alba, Sennheiser IEX00, Moondrop Chu/Chu2, etc. There are also plenty of hybrid/tribrid IEMs that are not tiny, but still very appropriately sized. I find DUSK to be pretty comfortable despite being a 6-driver tribrid.

I second this. I prefer it over the Hype 4 for your music selection. I own both.

I have the dusk, hype 4, ie600, Aful 5+2 and I can EQ any one of these to sound like the other. Fit is most important. EQ really can do the rest. As for me, dusk is more comfortable than hype 4 as well.

Well… as the owner of the IE600, little drivers (7mm) can and do produce amazing bass when designed properly. EQ a single DD is a little tricker and I feel there is less you can get out of it compared to a multi driver unit. I suggest you look on the used market. You can absolutely find an iem that represents the full spectrum faithfully. Now I’m not too experienced with the budget segment but from all the reviews and comments I read, they have made SIGNIFICANT improvements in FR and technicalities. Hopefully someone can chime in on a budget set that suits your needs. Don’t be discouraged by your choice, and if you like the comfort of the IE series, the 200 is a mini 600 and with the tape mod you can get one hell of a iem for a very reasonable price. Especially if you buy used.

Throwing in the Sennheiser ie600 into the hat. Natural sounding timbre, nuanced details with good instrument separation, good sound stage - things that would be great for soundtracks!

I use my IE600 while sleeping and Top pro for everything else.

‘Break the bank’ is relative. But the IE600 is an excellent all rounder and you’ll struggle to find anything more comfortable. It has dropped in price recently here in the UK.

Hmmm, if you buy a pair online then your covered by a 14 day return policy even if unwanted. I normally pick stuff up from CEX for great used prices and a 5 year warranty (just never use the tips if they supply for hygiene reasons). Honestly the IE 600 / 900 are just so comfortable because they are small and light. If you do want an in-store demo then maybe richer sounds can help? 🤷

They're great and you will get a kind of tuning you won't get from chifi. Also with the tape mod or using the Dunu S&S tips, it will sound very identical to an ie600. The only significant difference i personally hear is that the ie600 has a bit more treble.

My right ear got dimm after 4 months, it's been a month and I'm still waiting for Sennheiser to send them back :(

I wore them quite a bit while cycling, I won't now. Worst case I'll get a pair of ie200's so that I won't worry as much, and being plastic they might be less susceptible to these problems. Sennheiser did end up sending a new pair otherwise, just took 3 weeks 🤷‍♀️

No, I tried loads of IEMs at Canjam London. I’ve got a pair of IE600 and others including Rock Lobster - both are my favourite. I guess trying others was a cynical awakening.

I’ve got an HD800S and HDV820 for serious listening. Money is nothing to do with it, so I have no need to justify myself. Much of the copium in various forums like Head-fi, etc, is driven by choice-supportive bias or confirmation bias rather than an honest assessment of individual preferences. Please ignore what a person on YouTube with a one word name has to say about an earphone. Honestly, I may get a more expensive pair of earphones at Canjam after testing to make sure that they offer actual value, not a dopamine rush. I have Hexa (hate) and Flipears Aegis (disappointed), so I prefer the three year old IE600. For actual musical enjoyment rather than trying to understand reviewer-speak, price has little to do with it. The technology of earphones hasn’t radically improved for years and many of the BA drivers are forty years old - used in hearing aids back in 1982. The FA19 sounded sibilant to me, but I’m not moved by the herd.

(I like U-Shape) I had an HE1000 Stealth and it was great. Got an IE 600 and i found it better cause of the very strong sub bass, and then I got an Elysian Annihilator, and I seriously doubt ANYTHING has better sound than it, for my tastes. I don't know if it's even possible for a headphone to have the kind of bass the Annihilator has. Also, Annihilator has better mids and treble FR than every HiFiman. HE1000 Stealth was peaky and sharp in comparison. I've never seen a headphone with an FR graph nearly as good as Annihilator. There's no recession anywhere, and the treble boost has an intentional gap in the 6kHz area, where the HE1000 Stealth has a peak. Annihilator has very good stage width and imaging. With headphones, you have to deal with limited bass response, more external noise, replacing expensive pads, having long and ugly stock cables, heavy weight, sweaty ears, hair getting on the driver, higher cost, larger size and lack of portability, and worrying about things poking the driver. With headphones, they will get very dirty and be hard to clean, whereas with an earphone, you just wipe some little white bits of ear wax off the tips. Only downsides to earphones are that I guess they tend to have worse staging, can be unusable for people with ear deformities, block your voice wheb talking, and sounds weird when eating (im used to it) and there's ear wax but thats barely an issue.

Elysian Annihilator 2023. The only other stuff I own is KSC75 and Salnotes Zero 2 but thise are $20. I used to have an IE 600 that was pretty nice.

I was fine with my IE 600 not having a waifu on the box but WHY THE FUCK DOESN'T MY ANNIHILATOR HAVE A TOMBOY WAIFU ON THE FUCKING BOX, LEE? WHERE IS MY BLESSING 2-STYLE ENGRAVED WAIFU ON THE FACEPLATE? (not enough budget i guess)

Growing up in a hot climate, I'm used to having an IEM in my ears. Headphones are ok for a period of time, but nothing beats a IE600.

So Dunu recently released the dk3001bd ($499) and it has been a outstanding iem for me. I have had this iem for a week now and I can seriously recommend it despite its rather high price atm (may be discounted in the future). It's been extremely hard to put down this iem and really sounds better the more you listen to it as your brain readjust to the treble. Item was also purchased with my own money for this review so thoughts are all my own. Starting with the design, this is clearly a IEM that was designed with a both thought and intent. Whether you like it or not is another topic, but dunu nailed it when it comes to how the iem's execution and the memorability of it. Before even diving into the sound aspect of this iem, dunu manages to captivate a design idea and presentation so well with a cyperpunk look, and a intriguing brain dance naming scheme that perfectly matches its sound. The driver configuration is also on the more innovative side with 1 DD for bass, 4 BA for midrange, and 4 micro-planer for treble per side. The accessories are also up to high standards such as the cable considering dunu started out as a equipment manufacturer in 1994. The drivers are all vented properly in heaps with its design which you see at least three venting sites that relieves pressure buildup and preventing any signs of driver flex. \*\*Driver Configuration\*\* \* Dual-System, Four-Way Precision Crossover \* Flagship “Glacier” Low-Frequency Dynamic Driver \* Custom Mid-High Balanced Armature Drivers \* High-Performance Planar Ultra-High Drivers \*\*Specifications\*\* \* NET WEIGHT: Approx. 8.1 g (per side) \* FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 5 Hz - 40 kHz \* IMPEDANCE : 26 Ω \* SENSITIVITY : 108 dB/mW @ 1 kHz, 122 dB/Vrms @ 1 kHz \* TOTAL HARMONIC DISTORTION: < 0.5% at 1 kHz \* DYNAMIC DRIVER CONFIGURATION: \* 1 Dynamic 4 Balanced Armature 4 Planar \* HOUSING MATERIAL: \* Aerospace-Grade Aluminum Alloy \* WIRE MATERIAL: \* 4-Core Secondary Refined High-Purity Furukawa OCC Copper \* CABLE LENGTH: 1.2 ‡ 0.1 m \* CABLE CONNECTOR: MMCX \* PLUG CONNECTOR: \* Patented Q-Lock Mini Interchangeable Plug System \* INCLUDED ACCESSORIES : \* 4.4 mm TRRRS Balanced, 3.5 mm TRS Single-Ended, 6.3mm \* Cable, 5x eartip styles, nozzle brush, cleaner cloth, cable clip, iem pouch, and IEM carrying case Vocals have very natural energy. The treble while prominent, is effortlessly tuned to avoid sibilance while still providing air. It is one of the few iems on the market that delivers elevated treble without the harshness. It has a style that pays off which is competing with the TOTL IEM in terms detail retrieval. Eartip selection does make a difference so you can subtly alter the treble based on the supplied eartips or your own which is a testament to the finely tuned treble (long stem eartips works the best like spinfit w1, azla sednaearfit series, pentacon coreir al alloy, or a more narrow bore for a better soundstage and treble refinement). At the same time, it manages to make songs you heard before sound new but maintaining neutrality to not be too bass or treble heavy which can overshadow other nuances. No frequency feels like it's left behind, and the bass is textured and controlled with a crunchy sub-bass presence that contrasts excellently with the extended treble. Vocals are well placed in the mix, not too forward or too recessed. They are slightly pulled backed a little so it doesn't sound shouty and allows treble to have more attention. The treble doesn’t seem to overwhelm the entire frequency as it becomes the only thing you hear (unique melody mest 2 is a culprit of this with too much boost of a treble and sharp electrostatic thinness). Personally I find the sound characteristic of planar for the treble to be more satisfying due to their weight and immediacy compared to the softer, quick-decay of electrostatic drivers. It does sound a little less realistic, but also trades balance with not standing out with the other drivers (better coherency). Mid-bass is de-emphasized, but it works in favor with the tuning since every frequency has its place to shine and you hear the extension from both ends. Sub-bass is apparent and the transient speed is fast and dyanmic contributing to the coherence of the sound signature. Vocals are incredibly clear and undistorted, the trade-off in the mid-bass I think allows the vocals to have its own focus and feels clean. Overall, I think dunu has done a fantastic job with tuning these and utilizing the different driver configurations. At no point did I get the feeling the treble was overly separated from the rest of the frequencies like in electrostatics). Main source used was ifi go link MAX dongle which brought out more warmth in the overall mix and helped with powering the micro-planars which I found to be smoother. Treble was pleasant to listen to and I didn’t have to squint hard to hear the details which is a standout of this set, enjoyable enough sound from a neutral set with a nice bass boost and separation by the 9 different drivers. Sound signature can be described as neutral with sub-bass and treble boost. Before buying these, you should be aware of the more neutral presentation of the music and that the treble might not work for every genre if you want it be more forgiving, but serves as a fantastic flavor IEM for hearing all sound in the mix. TLDR; pros: \\- easy to pick out treble detailed trailed by the vocals, space for everything to breathe \\- manages to be extremely resolving without sacrificing midrange quality \\-non fatiguing treble despite being boosted and remains neutral for vocals in any mix cons: \\-fit dependent since the treble is so fine tuned, any adjustment is easily noticeable from tip rolling \\-planar timbre, sometimes the treble can sound too clean and analytical. \\-emphasis on sub-bass rumble rather than mid-bass warmth can also give a more analytical feel, but is still musical nonetheless because it manages to bring out treble excitement without the expense of piercing your brains out I will do a quick comparison between 2 other IEM that I am very fond of which are the sennheiser ie600 and ie900. Whenever I listen to these two iem, I hear a tuning with a purpose and thats the same energy I get with the dunu brain dance. Sometimes you can just tell the sound presentation of a certain IEM and if something is missing by how well they control peaks in the frequencies. IE600 definitely has a bit of sibilance to it despite the use of their resonator chambers, but you can tell sennheiser didn't go all out in evening out its frequencies and only used 2x resonator + a dampener near the nozzle, because it would kinda defeat the purpose of the 3xr resonators in the IE900. Treble overall sounds less refined and detailed than the DUNU but has more bass for a warmer and musical sound. A common theme between IE900 and dunu bk3001bd is their treble extension. The single dynamic driver IE900 has been praised for its unreal feeling in the treble and being being a bass extension rumble monster. Both of these iem have its cons and pro. Ie900 is a single driver iem and has coherency that helps with its naturalness, but is then counteracted by its wonky tuning (recessed upper midrange- vocal details gets lost and become nasally). Dunu is also recessed slightly, but that's honestly how your suppose to tune IEMs to prevent sibilance given how close iems are to your eardrums (without getting shouty and give a more wide separated soundstage.) On the Dunu bk3001bd it may be easier to tell the drivers apart (incoherency and timbre differences), but the more naturalness of the tuning help with it detail retreival (a lot more neutral with breathier vocals presence). Ie900 is on par and beats brain dance for musicality (expected because ie900 is like endgame u/v shape dynamic tuning which kinda makes every song a little bit too energetic; and emulate headphone/speakers by taking aways crucial vocal elements). Best way I can describe the treble in dunu bk3001bd is imaging the overall technical performance of planar drivers in general and now focusing all that on just the treble. It's definitely a detailed and dynamic listen that all BA sets simply just haven't inherently matched, and comes close to my ie900. Overall, I can recommend this IEM and its easily in my top 5 so far. Haven't been impressed with some IEMs I've purchased recently, but the dunu bk3001bd manages to scratch a section of my brain associated with clean audio precision and a purposeful tonality, vocals are centered in the mix despite a treble emphasis. Its kinda funny how sennheiser pours their heart and soul into tuning the treble with a tiny DD for naturalness and have to compromise with ie900 while dunu just places some micro-planars and it retrieve much more details at 1/3 of the cost of ie900 while maintaining natural driver coherency that works with its the sound signature. Not just on these two IEMs, but I have tried sony z1r, mest 2, anole vx, u4s, andromeda, monarch mk2, and have long stopped going above 1k for either worse performance in value or sound. If these ever go on discount, the decision is made easier.

DC ELITE + IE600 , end. ...... ok... maybe Monarch 3... end....

Lined up as my last and only upgrade from my lovely ie600s which I levelled up with ibasso DC Elite into their 3rd year.

I’m currently trying to downsize - if you’re interested in trying Moondrop variations vs thieaudio hype 4 vs sennheiser ie600, I’m down to send them to you as long as you buy one of the three and send the other two back!

Tried them. Returned the IE600, kept the dusk and variations from Moondrop. Those two I wasn't expecting the size of them, the tube seems to help making the sound a bit more airy. Dusk is quite neutral, a bit more airy than variations, and less fatique on long run. But tuning I preper variations a bit more. Both are very nice. Quite a step up from my old SE846. Thanks.