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Top Pros
Top Cons
Reddit Reviews
abc133769simgot et142 is certainly up there, known to be a beast for resolution + techs a brighter signature (like et142) tends to have the effect of pushing up the perceived detail and resolution. whether or not you can handle or prefer that brightness though is a different story but it does have a more engaging sound while still being able to keep vocals present for resolution though you won't be disappointed with any of the planers you listed, those are all excellent choices. t10's are pretty much clones of s12 in a plastic shell so if you want something like what you had then those are there
AltrebelleKiwi Ears Canta (around 100usd) Punch Audio Martilo (300ish usd) AFUL P5+2...have a mini planar in there...(a little over 200usd) Simgot ET142 .... planar with pzt driver (around 200) I have all those...and I love em. That's my regular rotation
I like BOTH the Divine and Diablo tuning. They are DIFFERENT. Those cables are certainly not my cup of tea. They were immediately replaced as soon as I unboxed the sets. I also have the ET142...the versatility (nozzle tuning) of that set puts it in a different spot compared to ALL the others. I have others "older" planar and planar hybrids. The only one that doesn't hold up (to me) is the F1Pro.... especially when compared to the Divine. The issues (for me) of the F1 Pro can be managed with EQ and tip rolling.
I think some folks (me included) get surprised with the quality and amount of bass a planar IEM can bring. Typically people hear planar and they associate the shimmery almost metallic treble. Add-in the fact that most planars are often associated with open back cans...which steers people toward open and bright (thank you HiFiMAN) Truth is planar drivers are EXTREMELY versatile. They take EQ like a champ! I have one planar only set and several planar hybrids. The F1 Pro (NiceNCK) can give me the rumble if I put on a nice bass shelf. The ET142 (Simgot) is a hybrid planar that can get plenty warm with a nozzle change AND a attenuation foam insert. Not quite Explorer level warmth...but warm nonetheless. Am excited to get my hands on the pair of 7Hz x Crinacle collabs that just came out. They both seem right in my sweet spot for the music I listen to
BMWupgradeCHGod no. If you want simgot you need to spend more to get to the level of Aether. Et142 will be on par but they cost more
Bobjonez98It's a game changing planar. It's a real shame that so many reviews of the non-final version went up. I think it took a lot of wind out of the sails. Technically it might not be a massive step up from the other $100-$200 planars. But the *Versatility* that it offers is something no other planar can really offer. It competes with the kilobuck planars at a fraction of the price, and the only real downsides as you mentioned are the weight of the IEMs and the cable, and the fact that most people don't wanna swap nozzles. Happy you're loving it. I love mine.
exoticsclerosisI recently tried the S12 Pro, S12 Anniversary, Timeless II, Timeless AE, Simgot ET142, Artti T10, Hidisz MP145, and Zetian Wu Legend. It's tough to pick a personal favorite since they all have their pros and cons, but if I had to choose, my top picks would probably be: * Timeless II or Timeless AE (whichever is cheaper). I like the Timeless II, but it can be prone to sibilance. The Timeless AE isn't as sibilant, but its upper treble is definitely a bit too much for me. * Simgot ET142. These are actually really good. The bass reminds me of the Timeless II/AE and the treble isn't as harsh as, say the S12 Pro. My only issue is the apparent peak in the upper-mids. * S12 Pro. Mostly because they're one of the cheapest options and the fit is easy as hell. They don't lack in technicalities compared to the rest either but yeah, the treble can be a bit too much for me. * Lastly, the MP145. The fit can be tricky, but when I get a good seal, they're good. Plus in my country they can be cheaper than the S12 Pro. As for the Artti T10, I had a hard time getting a good fit so I'll probably pass on that one. Still haven't tried the Zetian Wu Heyday or the Kiwi Ears Aether tho.
Sorry for the late reply bro, things were kinda hectic irl. >how is ET142 compared to others? Compared to other Simgots? Or other planars? I think they’re pretty comparable to something like the Timeless II and they’re super easy to fit in my ears. I was actually surprised I could enjoy the ET142 even though they have a lot of energy in the treble. They’re a lil bit harsher than the other Simgots (kinda comparable to the EA1000 in terms of harshness) but you can sort of tune it because of the nozzle options (they give you 4 nozzles). For the price they’re pretty detailed. Compared to the SM4, I feel like I get “better” bass in ET142 since they are kinda a planar set. I get faster transients and all that so the ET142s are nicer for metal song. The downside is ET142s have more energy in the upper mid and treble compared to SM4. Vocals can sound more shouty in ET142 and ET142s are more prone to sibilant due to that extra energy in the treble.
Melodic_Farmer_9022Planars for me are like cheaper equivalent of good multi-driver IEMs. What I like though about most cheap but good planars S12 series. Timeless series Hidizs MP145, 143 Simgot ET142 etc IEMs is that they sound 'transparent' like even when there is a lot of sounds playing at once I can still clearly hear everything like for example I was listening to a podcast while this orchestral rock music with so many instruments playing yet I can still clearly understand what is being talked about on the podcast.
Minute-Structure-111Shoutout to Aful P7 and Davinci as well and among the most impressive Planar for me has been the Simgot ET142
-nom-de-guerre-How *I* Rank My IEMs (and Headphones): Best-in-Class by Price and Use Case ## My **Personal** IEM Tier List (with reasoning, specs & use cases) Figured I’d share how I’ve ranked the IEMs (and a few headphones) in my collection. These are **not** ranked by raw technical performance. Instead, I ranked them by **best-in-class for their price and use case** — what I reach for in real-world listening; these are just *my* opinions. > **Note**: Specs have been corrected after third-party review. A few values are estimates where official data was missing (especially for DSP-based IEMs). Feedback welcome. --- ### **Rank 1a – Hifiman HE1000 Stealth** - **Price**: $1,399 - **Drivers**: Planar Magnetic - **Impedance**: 32Ω *(unverified)* - **Sensitivity**: 93 dB/mW *(unverified)*, 108 dB/Vrms *(estimated)* - **Freq Response**: 8Hz–65kHz *(unverified)* - **Why**: My overall best headphone. Expansive stage, technical mastery, and refinement. - [Link](https://store.hifiman.com/index.php/he1000-stealth-magnet-version.html) --- ### **Rank 1b – Thieaudio Valhalla (CIEM)** - **Price**: $2,200 - **Drivers**: 19BA - **Impedance**: 9Ω *(unverified)* - **Sensitivity**: 103 dB/mW *(unverified)*, ~112.5 dB/Vrms *(estimated)* - **Freq Response**: 10Hz–44kHz - **Why**: Overall best IEM. Forensic detail, expansive stage, CIEM fit. Endgame for analytic listening. - [Link](https://www.thieaudio.com/products/thieaudio-valhalla) --- ### **Rank 2 – Thieaudio Prestige LTD** - **Price**: $1,299 - **Drivers**: 1DD + 4BA + 4EST - **Impedance**: 22Ω - **Sensitivity**: 99 dB/mW, **115.6 dB/Vrms** *(recalculated)* - **Freq Response**: 20Hz–20kHz *(unverified)* - **Why**: Refined tribrid with excellent resolution and smooth tuning. - [Link](https://www.thieaudio.com/products/thieaudio-prestige-ltd) --- ### **Rank 3 – Hisenior Mega5EST** - **Price**: $549 - **Drivers**: 1DD + 2BA + 2EST - **Impedance**: 25Ω - **Sensitivity**: **100 dB/mW** *(corrected)*, **116.0 dB/Vrms** *(recalculated)* - **Freq Response**: 10Hz–50kHz - **Why**: Smooth and airy with that EST treble sheen. - [Link](https://www.hisenior-iem.com/products/mega5est-hybrid-iem) --- ### **Rank 4 – Dunu DK3001BD** - **Price**: $499 - **Drivers**: 1DD + 4BA + 4 Planar - **Impedance**: 26Ω - **Sensitivity**: 108 dB/mW, **122.0 dB/Vrms** *(official)* - **Freq Response**: 5Hz–40kHz - **Why**: Crisp and detailed. Unique tribrid stack with strong technicals. - [Link](https://www.dunu-topsound.com/product-page/dk3001bd) --- ### **Rank 5a – Aune SR7000 (Closed-Back Headphone)** - **Price**: $599 - **Drivers**: Dynamic (MLD) - **Impedance**: 55Ω - **Sensitivity**: 106 dB/mW *(unverified)*, ~123.4 dB/Vrms *(estimated)* - **Freq Response**: 5Hz–44.5kHz - **Why**: Best closed-back I own. Balanced and natural. - [Link](https://www.aune-store.com/en/aune-sr-7000-high-res-headphone_110211_1252/) --- ### **Rank 5b – Hifiman Edition XS (Open-Back Headphone)** - **Price**: $380 - **Drivers**: Planar Magnetic - **Impedance**: 18Ω *(unverified)* - **Sensitivity**: 92 dB/mW *(unverified)*, 104.6 dB/Vrms *(estimated)* - **Freq Response**: 8Hz–50kHz *(unverified)* - **Why**: Massive soundstage, excellent value in open-backs. - [Link](https://store.hifiman.com/index.php/edition-xs.html) --- ### **Rank 5c – Xenns Tea Pro** - **Price**: $339 - **Drivers**: **2DD + 6BA** *(corrected)* - **Impedance**: 13Ω - **Sensitivity**: 104 dB/mW, **122.9 dB/Vrms** *(recalculated)* - **Freq Response**: 20Hz–22kHz - **Why**: Smooth and musical. Despite spec confusion, still enjoyable. - [Link](https://shenzhenaudio.com/products/xenns-mangird-tea-pro) --- ### **Rank 6 – Simgot ET142** - **Price**: $220 - **Drivers**: 12.5mm Planar + PZT - **Impedance**: 14Ω - **Sensitivity**: 106.5 dB/mW *(derived)*, **118 dB/Vrms** *(official)* - **Freq Response**: 8Hz–40kHz - **Why**: Unique design with tuning nozzle system and solid tech. - [Link](https://www.linsoul.com/products/simgot-et142) --- ### **Rank 7–17 – Budget & Specialty Picks** **Niche roles, convenience use, or just plain fun:** - **Letshuoer S12 Pro** ($169) 14.8mm Planar — 16Ω *(assumed)*, 102 dB/mW *(assumed)*, **120.0 dB/Vrms** *(recalculated)* [Link](https://letshuoer.net/products/letshuoer-s12-pro-magnetic-planar-earphones-hi-fi-planar-in-ear-monitors-for-audiopiles-and-music-lovers) - **FiiO FT1** ($149) 60mm Dynamic — 32Ω, 105 dB/mW, **120.0 dB/Vrms** *(recalculated)* [Link](https://headphones.com/products/fiio-ft1-headphones) - **AFUL Explorer** ($120) 1DD + 2BA — 26Ω, 108 dB/mW, **123.9 dB/Vrms** [Link](https://afulaudio.com/products/aful-explorer) - **Letshuoer S08** ($119) Planar Magnetic — 26Ω, 105 dB/mW, **120.9 dB/Vrms** [Link](https://letshuoer.net/products/letshuoer-s08-fourth-generation-in-ear-monitor-earphone-for-audiophiles-musicians-studio) - **Artti T10** ($79) Planar Magnetic — 16.5Ω, 84.8 dB/mW, **102.6 dB/Vrms** [Link](https://artti.cn/products/artti-t10-huge-planar-headphones-wired-in-ear-monitors-hifi-earphones) - **Kiwi Ears Cadenza** ($35) 10mm Beryllium DD — 32Ω, 110 dB/mW, **125.0 dB/Vrms** [Link](https://kiwiears.com/products/kiwi-ears-cadenza) - **Moondrop Chu II DSP** ($25) DSP-only — 18Ω, 106.4 dB/mW *(assumed)*, **123.9 dB/Vrms** *(recalculated)* [Link](https://moondroplab.com/en/products/chu-ii) - **Truthear Gate** ($19) 10mm DD — 28Ω, 108 dB/mW, **123.5 dB/Vrms** *(user value was incorrect at 93.5)* [Link](https://shenzhenaudio.com/products/truthear-gate-dynamic-driver-hifi-in-ear-monitors) - **ND Planet** ($18) 12mm LCP DD — 32Ω, 97.9 dB/mW, **112.9 dB/Vrms** [Link](https://www.linsoul.com/products/nd-planet) - **Qudelix T71 IEM** ($229) 1DD + 3BA, DSP — ~12Ω *(assumed)*, ~105 dB/mW *(assumed)*, **124.2 dB/Vrms** *(recalculated)* [Link](https://www.qudelix.com/products/t71-iem) - **Koss Porta Pro** ($40) On-ear Dynamic — 60Ω, 101 dB/mW, **113.2 dB/Vrms** [Link](https://koss.com/products/porta-pro) - **Qudelix BalPods Open** ($29) 14.3mm Earbuds — 150Ω, 103 dB/mW, **111.2 dB/Vrms** [Link](https://www.qudelix.com/products/balpods-open-type) --- ## Final Notes - This list is **contextual**, not absolute. Rankings reflect real-world use, not just raw specs. - I’ve corrected spec errors and recalculated all dB/Vrms values using verified formulas and sources where possible. - Some models (especially DSP-based or low-profile budget sets) still rely on estimated or assumed specs. Corrections, additions, and debate welcome. Thanks to those who caught errors — this hobby’s better when we all help keep things accurate.
Rankings by Use Case
Top recommendations from others in the same boat
Best for Competitive FPS gaming
Top pick
Kiwi Ears - Astral
Best for Console controller gaming
Top pick
KEFINE - Klean
Best for High-noise environment isolation
Top pick
Shure - SE215 Pro
Best for Immersive cinematic gaming
Top pick
ARTTI - T10
Best for Live bass performance
Top pick
KZ - Castor Pro (Harman Target with Improved Bass Version)
Best for Live vocal performance
Top pick
Sennheiser - IE 200
