Simgot - EA500

Pretty much anything in the 200+ market is going to have a significant bass boost. I think the most bass light of the mid fi hybrids is the Cadenza4. It is very bass light, and presents with lighter bass than the graph suggests. I wouldnt pay full price for it. Wait for it to go on sale, and use a 20% coupon on the official Amazon store, and you can get it for under $150. Going a lot cheaper, the EA500 (non LM) is also very bass light, but treble heavy. The DUNu Kima2 might be a better alternative, with slightly less treble energy. The Rosetechnics/Rose Elsa Star City5 is a very neutral IEM, but some have said they did a silent re-tune to it, and added, you guessed it, more sub-bass shelf. Thankfully they are not bank breaking. The AFUL MagicOne is also fairly bass lean. But its a single BA set, and its also non-vented, so it may be a bit uncomfortable to some. Also they regularly go on sale for about half off. Wait for that. As a collectors set they are SUPER unique. Also the AFUL Performer 8...its almost a flat line. Its also nearly $400. LOL! The BQEYZ Frost is another great bass light set that doesnt over emphasize the treble in an absurd way. Also most of the Softears IEM's are generally not overly bass emphasized. But I cant recall which model i listened to. OH! And i almost forgot, all things Etymotic. For a long long time they were the "studio meta". But the fit is...unique.

well you haven't specified your tastes but I am gonna probably buy the simgot ew300 dsp(or the simgot ea500 dsp) so probably look between them. Simgot are a really trusted brand with a good image so simgot should be safe. I have bought 2 iems before the tangzu waner and the yu xuan ji they both kinda sucked since they don't have bass. These simgots are an all rounder. If you can increase your budget even a little buy the aful explorer. Here are some lists you can use if you want some more info [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zeby9PqsTmHMRQ3D3n5W\_1Gx9aNPPK67yoBl\_FXdaF4/edit?gid=0#gid=0](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zeby9PqsTmHMRQ3D3n5W_1Gx9aNPPK67yoBl_FXdaF4/edit?gid=0#gid=0) [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1XQtSH90BGK99Vij3dXcSylfwcut5XerPbkkEksFwATA/edit?gid=0#gid=0](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1XQtSH90BGK99Vij3dXcSylfwcut5XerPbkkEksFwATA/edit?gid=0#gid=0) [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZHVib50XFQW4up3SwOZUTbI-hZB6Ir5LX6XnZblIM6o/edit?gid=0#gid=0](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZHVib50XFQW4up3SwOZUTbI-hZB6Ir5LX6XnZblIM6o/edit?gid=0#gid=0) hope this helps

I've settled on Aimbot EA500s after buying 5 or 5 sets from the 50-150$ range. The tuning with the red nozzles is just perfect for me. They are also small and comfy.

Yes if you like its treble. They are also insanely comfortable for me. Not sure there is an alternative at that price with similar treble.

Kinera Celest Relentless is what I’m using right now for gaming and honestly; I’m adoring them compared to my tin hifi t4’s. They are very comfortable despite being on the larger side, I’m enjoying the crunchy sounds from guns reloading in games right now. From marvel rivals to darktide. Good tones. Will say if you’re a bass junky I’d not go for them. In gaming you shouldn’t rly put bass too high for competitive games. I’d say my top worth investment wise for gaming is these, simgot ea500, & EM6L.

Firstly, soundstage and imaging are two related, but different things. Soundstage is about how far away from you things sound. Imaging is about how precisely you can locate the position of things in 3D space. People also confuse imaging with separation, because imaging can make separation easier. But separation is about how easily you can tell if a sound is coming from one instrument or another one and that isn't a stereo effect at all, it exists even if you are listening in mono. So anyway, imaging is affected by a few things but the most important factors are channel matching and treble response. Bass below about 120Hz is completely non-directional. Higher frequencies can be more accurate about positioning because the wavelength is shorter. Soundstage on the other hand is an entirely psychoacoustic effect that comes down to tuning only and has nothing to do with driver capabilities. It seems to be that the most important factors are the ratio between the > 2kHz region and the 1-2kHz region. Sub-bass seems to be a factor as well, though more bass tends to make things sound closer, less bass makes them sound further away. In general a dip around the 1-2kHz region makes things sound bigger. You can do that with EQ. There are no physical differences between IEMs at different prices that will lead to better soundstage, and as long as you have good enough channel matching there isn't going to be much change in imaging ability either. The best IEM I've heard for both imaging and soundstage is the Simgot EA500, which frequently goes on sale for around $50. YMMV a bit, because all IEMs are affected by anatomical factors that mean everyone hears them differently. But these do follow all the general rules of thumb for having a large soundstage and sharp imaging. So if that's your priority, I'd start there, then try experimenting a bit with EQ to see how you can change your own perception of the effect.

The EW200 has a lot of treble energy but also a lot of bass (although this is very dependent on getting a good seal with the eartips), so it's more of a v-shape than a bright set per se. It's a slightly more aggressive v than the Chu 2, but still the same general tuning concept. Probably the best bright-neutral set is the Moondrop LAN. There isn't really anything better than the LAN with that style of tuning until you get up to the level of the Blessing 3, which is quite a big jump. If you want to spend a bit less, the 7Hz Zero is also bright-neutral, but it doesn't sound as smooth & refined as the LAN. If you want something that has tons of treble energy and resolving ability, while also being a mild v-shape so there's a bit more kick to drums etc. (but very much a bright IEM) then consider the Simgot EA500. The original silver version, not the LM or the new black one. This one comes with a health warning though, because it is *very* bright and potentially quite fatiguing. Definitely one to avoid if you're at all treble-sensitive. This is an incredible IEM in short bursts, but I can't listen to mine for more than an hour or so at a time. It sometimes goes on sale for as low as $50 since the LM got released. It's by far the most technical IEM at that price other than maybe the Artti T10.

They are bright. Very bright. So if you're at all treble sensitive, avoid. OTOH, if you're not treble sensitive or don't mind the risk of treble-fatigue, they're absolutely one of the best IEMs under $200. Absolutely insane performance for the price. They're basically a mini-EA1000 (my favourite IEM btw) but the EA1000 has slightly more realistic-sounding bass and smoother, less harsh treble. It's still bright-leaning but it's not outright bright like the EA500 and I don't find it fatiguing at all. Because of the extra treble, the EA500 actually has very slightly sharper imaging and a bigger soundstage than even the EA1000, which is known for it's very expansive soundstage by IEM standards. Most reviewers seem to agree on this, despite soundstage in IEMs being a very subjective psychoacoustic effect. You'll be hard-pressed to find a more open-sounding IEM than the EA500, especially not at the price. Keep an eye out for sales on Aliexpress. When the LM came out (not as good IMO but it's a *safer* choice, because the extra bass makes it sound less harsh to most people), there were some pretty big discounts on the OG. I thought they were planning to discontinue it, but it looks like they decided to just keep on selling it. I wouldn't be surprised if it's more popular than the LM in Asian markets, where they tend to prefer a brighter signature. Last couple of times I looked it wasn't as heavily discounted as it was just after the LM came out, but you should still expect to see some decent offers in the many & frequent Aliexpress sales.

If you want to try something underrated, the Ikko OH300 is one of my favourite IEMs that seems to have flown completely under the radar. It's very warm/bassy, with exceptional imaging/layering. I won't say it's without tuning flaws as it has a couple of minor issues, but it's incredibly addictive to listen to, and great value for around $40. I listen to it more often than most of my more expensive IEMs. Another great value one (but maybe not as underrated) is the QKZ HBB. The HBB and OH300 actually sound very similar, except that the HBB has very pushed-back vocals, while the OH300 has them slightly forward. The HBB doesn't have the same sort of imaging/layering as the OH300. But it is only $15 and also one of my all-time favourite IEMs at any price. If you want soundstage then the original Simgot EA500 (the silver one, not the LM) is a bit underrated as well (although it did have a brief period of mega-hype). It is *bright* though, and can get a bit fatiguing. It's basically a mini EA1000, which is my overall favourite IEM. The EA1000 improves the bass and smooths out the treble so it's no longer fatiguing, but still very resolving. The EA500 is actually a tiny bit ahead on soundstage & imaging just because of the extra treble. These are both great soundstage IEMs in different ways. The EA500/1000 sound very open and spacious (at least by IEM standards). The OH300 sounds a bit more intimate, but the extra bass gives a "sound blanket" effect and it excels at depth/layering rather than width & overall sense of space. Of course it's important to bear in mind that imaging and soundstage aren't the same thing, and how people perceive soundstage is related to their own HRTF. So especially with IEMs, it can vary a lot from person to person. Reviews of the EA500/1000 do seem to mostly agree about them sounding more open than most IEMs though. I haven't seen many reviews of the OH300 and most have been very surface-level. TBH, I almost put it in a drawer and forgot about it after giving them a quick listen on the stock tips (I bought a few IEMs in the sale and 3 turned up at once, so the one that caught my attention at the time was the Aful MagicOne). It was only a month later when I decided to try some other tips that, perhaps by sheer luck, the first ones I happened to try sounded amazing. I've never bothered trying other tips on them. I should probably check at some point in case it turns out that they only sound that good with perfect tip-matching (something I find to be the case with the Letshuoer S08, which is the only IEM I've heard with better layering than the OH300).

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

I have used Sennheiser IE 300, Moondrop Blessing 2 Dusk, Phoenix Call, Chu 2, Tanchjim Origin, Tanchjim kara, Dunu Da Vinci, Mega5est, Simgot EA500, Kinera Skuld, Tin T2, Tanchjim One.and softears volume s on the way soon.

Great choice! Too little bass for me personally. But acoustics and voices were fire on these. Sold them and got the Simgot EA500. Also already had the Raptgo Hook x HBB's (planar bangers). Was looking for a (beater) set... Enjoy your Hexas though! They do have something special.

Thank you for your help, sir. I just bought a Simgot EA500 and am waiting for it to arrive. I don't think treble is a problem for me, as I've had headphones that are almost as bright (KZ ZVX).

Hexa may be the beauty you are looking for but I might prefer EA500, Aria, or even Vivace if you can get your hands on it, depending on if you like the bass, mids, or treble best on Chu2

Imo it wasn't even worth it on release. Now, hell no. The treble is way too sharp and the bass is muddy. Just get the ew300 or save for em6l if u want simgot sound. Jaysaudio is the only one who shills these and the LM's.

Simgot EA500 + Fosi SK02 + DUNU S&S (+ autoeq setting) Pretty happy with it.

EA500 only if detail and imaging is at the top of your list. If you're treble sensitive in the slightest, EW300.

I like the KZ ZS10 Pro X, Moondrop May, Letshuoer D13 and simgot EA500 for fps gaming. The zero Red has Very poor performance on FPS games for me, too much bloated Bass and bad Sense of directions.

Simgot EA500 (the OG one, not LM version).