Softears - Studio4

My right side lost 90% volume in 2 months. Really disappointed now waiting to get them replaced or repaired. I like them, didn't find them outstanding. Maybe 7/10. I paid about 400 usd including tax. I had the option of buying kiwi x hbb but for the music i listen to, I was asked to look at flat signature sounding iem. Next time I plan to try out more before buying an iem. Thing is its really hard to sample stuff before buying here in india

Huge fan of the Studio 4, but what is a step up from the Hexa EQed to the Mystic 8? Blessing 3?

Thank you! Since they’re different it’s hard to pick a favorite but the ones I find myself using the most are (not in order): Horizon, Top Pro, P7, Astral, Volume S, Dusk and Studio 4

Thank you! I don’t have a set rotation, i go by what I feel like (Chill, excitement, critical listening… etc) and by the genre I’m listening too. Currently the IEMs I feel I’m using more often, at least once or twice weekly are (not in order) the Horizon, Top Pro, Astral, Volume S, Dusk, P7 and Studio 4. The IEMs I use the least, probably once a month or less, are defiant, the explorer, cincotres, Hexa, Arete and the orchestra lite. The Chopin, the Pure and Pilgram are somewhere in between.

They bloated it too much. Studio 4 is better

There aren't that many once you've ruled out Etymotic. Honestly at that 'lower than Studio 4' price range you might as well go for the Studio 4. Aful Performer 5+2 / 8: Relaxed pinna gain at 2-4kHz means reduced vocal bite; speech and 'breathiness' is sacrificed slightly for a more relaxed, pleasant presentation. Not neutral. Anecdotally, I've heard the Performer 8, the soundstage is wide but centre image is weak. Moondrop Dusk: crinacle's house sound = big bass shelf. No go for neutrality. Moondrop Blessing 3: Upper-mids/lower treble emphasized (4-6kHz) beyond neutral. Supermix 4: Harman, i.e not neutral (bass and upper-mids emphasized) Thieaudio: U-shaped is their house sound from the Hype 2 all the way to the Valhalla. Extra bass and spicy treble. Not neutral. I would add that the Hexas aren't neutral either, they have too much bass for it, it's simply masked by the fact that its bass is sloped, not a shelf. All the 'Meta' IEMs out so far also fail in the neutral bass department by having too much of it. This includes the KE4, Volume S, Mega5EST and even CrinEar's 'Reference', if his chart is to go by. Graphs are worth looking at for reference. So you only really have the Studio 4 left. That, or an IER-M7 if you could get it for cheap.

You are likely looking for sets that people may consider "boring" coz that's what uncolored sounds like. I've just checked that Reference list on Linsoul. I'd pick the Softears Studio 4 if budget allowed (or get it used). I've heard some call the Studio 4 "boring", which is a very good thing. Look at the Studio 4's graph. It's almost spot on neutral. I went ahead and overlayed the Volume S and Crinear Daybreak onto the Studio 4 and you can see that they too almost track neutral. Both are cheaper too and within your budget. The Volume S is the one for me, I'm sure you'll find the one for you Edit: typos https://preview.redd.it/n81xxbzysq2g1.jpeg?width=2160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e038346710e3fc5de44a3da161ac7932e52af5cb

I can’t help but shake my head watching that video — or anyone who quotes it, honestly. There’s a part where he says he disagrees with websites that list JM-1 targets as one category and neutral as another. I don’t know… but I just don’t like the sound of the newer Meta-tuned IEMs at all. To me, they don’t sound neutral — for example, the Truthear Nova and Kiwi KE4 both sound pretty bleh. They’re definitely not neutral in my book. That said, I do love the Studio4 — and it doesn’t follow any of the “rules” mentioned in that video. But is undoubtedly more neutral than any hogwash from those other IEMs.

I mean this respectfully, but to me, the new Meta just sounds a bit blubbery — not really my thing. It doesn’t sound neutral to me, though if you believe it is, I won’t argue. But let me turn the question on you: what’s your one pick for the IEM that best demonstrates neutrality — basically answering the OP’s original question? I mentioned the Studio4, since to my ears it sounds more neutral than any of the Meta IEMs. What would you choose?

I've been buying a lot lately and for me the Softears Studio4 blew me away. It sounds amazing on pop and female vocals.

Studio4 is amazing on female vocals.

Studio4. It's so good with vocals

This is my jam! :D Here's my recommendations for pop and female vocals: Kiwi Ears Astral (go one size larger than usual on eartips) (I used stock) Softears Studio4 (Hard to explain but super magical how it sounds) (I literally cannot explain in words how it sounds. But it's magical. It's almost like they're singing right next to you is the best way I can describe it) Letshouer Cadenza 4 (a sleeper pick that wowed me. Definitely recommend)

Softears Studio4s That's where things don't get better, even when you throw hundreds or thousands of dollars on top. I legit went to Canjam and walked away thinking the Studio4s were better than even the Mystic 8 ($1000). And while an entirely different sound entirely, I'd take the Studio4 over the Andromeda 10 (demoed at Canjam, $2000 set). I also personally like Studio4s over ALL Meta tuning (ie Dusk, Mega5Est etc) and all Harman tuning (Ie Variations etc). That said I'm a bit of a neutral-head. It really works wonders for the type of music I listen to.

The $400 range is where it really maxes out. It doesn’t get better at $500 or more. I swear I’ve seen this exact discussion before. I basically have $400 sets that perform better, or about the same, as $500, $600, even $1,000 sets. That’s where the improvements stop. Dusk is $400 and Tea Pros are around $340. Softears Studio4 is currently around $350. We’ll use that as a reference. Dunu SA6 Mark 2 is $600. One of the most overrated and overpriced IEMs I own. Sounds like flat coke. I’d take Studio4, Tea Pro, or Dusk over it — all around $350–$400. Xenn Top Pro, even at $500+, isn’t “better.” It’s just different. I have cheaper sets I like more, like Kiwi Ears Astral, Cadenza4, Studio4. I extensively tested the oh-so-hyped Mystic 8. My Studio4 still beats it (for me). Mystic 8 is $1,000. Studio4 is $300–$400. I like the IE600 and IE900, but they weren’t better than what I own now. And those things are stupid expensive. Mega5EST a few months ago was $500+. It was eh. Murky. I like Dusk and Tea Pros better. Again: things don’t really get better past $500. I also have zero interest in the Mega7. Would not be shocked if Kiwi Ears Astral or Xenn Top Pro kicks its ass. And while unrelated, this is exactly why I don’t bother with 99% of Thieaudio. They make it SO easy for me. Stupid expensive, stupid huge. If your idea of “premium” is building IEMs the size of BOULDERS that don’t even fit smaller ears, then thanks — you just removed yourself from consideration. I demo them, I try them, and I literally can’t wear them for long. So you never get my money, and you never will. You’re basically the GORUCK of IEMs: stupid expensive, stupid big. Easiest pass in the entire hobby.

Cadenza 4, Studio 4, Kiwi astral, Tea Pros/Dusk Things don't get better after these 4. They just get "different".

From experimenting with a ton of IEMs, I’ve found there are three real “value peaks” where performance jumps make sense: **$80–$100 tier:** Defiant, Explorer, Xuan NV, Dunu Kima 2, Truthear Pure — this is where good sound starts. **$200 tier:** Performer 5+2, Kiwi Ears Astral, Letshuoer Cadenza 4 **$400 tier:** Dusk, Softears Studio 4, Tea Pro — this is where things get *really* good. **Beyond $400, returns drop off hard.** For my preferences: * Mega5EST didn’t beat Tea Pro or Dusk. * Dunu SA6 Mk2 fell behind Studio 4, Zigaat Lush, and Dusk. * Top Pro is good, even great, but not $550-good — Astral and Studio 4 gave me more. * Mystic 8 at $1000 disappointed; Studio 4 still sounded better to me.

I'd take Studio4 over Top Pro any day of the year. Studio4 imho are the GOAT when it comes to vocals, especially for pop, kpop, and female vocals.

I'd say the Defiant. It's $80. It sounds incredibly good for the price. And from what I've seen I don't think it'll go cheaper than that on the used market. But I could see it, time and time again, beating IEMs that cost much more. I also think the Studio4 will continue to be good even years down the line. But I really love the Studio4. While unrelated yet still related, your comment reminds me of when I recently (last week) got the Truthear Hola. Damn, it genuinely makes me sad we can't get this sort of sound and IEM. It's a truly unique sound and it was insane this was once $20.

Softears Studio 4 (better for female vocals, ie kpop) Xuan NV (great for male and female vocals. Imo better than Truthear Nova. But soundstage is lacking on Xuan NV). But it's a hell of a deal for $67. Great artwork box. Great eartips (usually 20 bucks). Great cable. Great sound. Kiwi Ears Astral (better for female vocals. But no penalty for male vocals) Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite (better for female vocals) Cadenza 4 (great all-rounder) Juzear Defiant (at least the unit I have; mine works fine. Vocals are spot on for male and female vocals.) YMMV but I feel like Zigaat Lush has good vocals too.

Update: Something new added. Softears Studio4. Subjective opinion: HD600 - Neutral HD650/6xx - Warm neutral Truth Hexa - Bright neutral (thin sounding imo) Blessing 2 - Bright neutral like Hexa but better soundstage. More detail. I do recommend adding a bit of acoustic foam in the tips to vastly improve the audio though. Simple mod here--> [https://youtu.be/gsQIODnxmVQ](https://youtu.be/gsQIODnxmVQ) I do feel the Blessing 2 and Hexa were both a bit anemic with bass. ER2XR - Dead-on neutral. I strongly recommend getting the red adapter from the Final Audio tips as it allows you to use it with all tips. This has a bit more bass than Hexa. But I much prefer it and think it sounds more accurate or "neutral"

Going to use a grading system: A, B, C, D, F like in school A means excellent B is good C is average D is bad F is absolute fail **Mixing:** Going to avoid using the word "neutral" because then every mofo comes in the thread saying, what's neutral. Let's use the word "even-keeled'. Good iems for mixing are generally more even-keeled. If it has way too much bass you'll thin out your mix. If it's way too trebly and bright and shouty you're going to overcompensate. Ideally you want something more even-keeled. **Enjoyability:** Subjective. But how enjoyable it is **Critical Editing:** This isn't the same as mixing. But it means will it let you know if you have shit audio. If I listen to Kanye's sibilant ass tracks does he sound sibilant on them? If I listen to Lana White Dress is she sibilant on it? She better be. If I watch a DMS video from 6 years ago, does he sound sibilant on it? He better. Because he does. This is important because you need to evaluate your audio and the iem lets you know your audio is shit before thousands of people hear it. Etymotic ERXR Enjoyability: C to B to A. Pretty good, depending on who you ask Critical editing: A+. Very good at letting you know areas of trouble in your audio Mixing: D. Poor soundstage Truthear Hexa Enjoyability: D. I hate it Critical editing: A+ with wide bore tips Mixing: C. Imo actually a bit thin on lowend. You'll overcompensate. Also the soundstage on Hexa is kinda eh ngl. Salnotes Zero Original Enjoyability: C. I think it's ok. Or mid. Critical editing: B. Honestly pretty good at letting you know egregious areas. The version 1 is less forgiving with sibilance than 2, so it's better for critical editing. Zero 2 blunts the sibilance out (better for enjoyers; bad for audio engineers) Mixing: A. pretty neutral imo Softears Studio 4 Enjoyability: A to A+. Very enjoyable IEM Critical editing: D. Ironically. It smooths out all sibilance so you won't know sibilance is there. This is why it's so beautiful sounding. Mixing: A+. Very neutral. I'd even say probably my closest definition of neutral Moondrop Blessing 2 Enjoyability: D (harsh, shouty, bright, sibilant). Same with Blessing 3. Critical Editing: A. These are very picky with harshness in vocals. I genuinely think these are the Sony MDR 7506 in iem form. Mixing: A Zigaat Lush Enjoyability: B to A Critical Editing: C You won't really find problem areas of sibilance. You really really really have to crank it to hear it. Mixing: A. Pretty even-keeled. Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite: Enjoyability: B to C Critical Editing: A. Excellent at picking out flaws. Mixing: A+. Excellent at telling you the whole picture. Excellent for mixing. Very very even-keeled.

Letshouer Cadenza 4 Enjoyability: A to A+ Critical Editing: B to A Mixing: A. While a bit U-shaped it's not egregious. It's enough to make decisions. Sennheiser IE200 Enjoyability: B to A Critical Editing: D to F (rounds out a lot of sibilance imo, which is actually a good thing for enjoyers). Mixing: B. Kind of shocking but while people call this v-shaped this is actually not as v-shaped imo. If you monitor yourself using these iems it'll sound exactly like you down to the microphone. Most other v-shaped iems don't do that. Crinacle Daybreak Enjoyability: B to A- Critical Editing: A (rofl. It's funny because it genuinely is good at picking out bad audio. If it sounds harsh it's because the original track is harsh) Mixing: B (This is more of a "Meta" tuned iem. But imo just enough where it sounds true) Crinacle Dusk Enjoyability: B to A+ (depending on who you ask) Critical Editing: C on Analogue. F on DSP. It rolls out sibilance by quite a large margin. Mixing: A on analogue mode. Honestly pretty neutral. almost HD600ish. But about a C on DSP mode. Tanchjim Origin Enjoyability: C to A (depending on who you ask) Critical editing: A (it'll definitely let you know spicy regions Mixing: A. A bit bright-slanted but definitely capable for mixing. Theioaudio Legacy 2: Enjoyability: C Critical editing: A+ Mixing: A+ Xuan NV (honorable mention) Enjoyability: A Critical editing: B Mixing: D (too bassy imo) I mention these because imo these are the Audio Technica M50x of iems but the size of 2 quarters. They basically give you accurate vocals down to the tee but thumpy bass. The vocals are very accurate on these. Not good for mixing though. Dunu Titan S (original) Enjoyability: C Critical editing: D (the treble is rounded out quite a bit) mixing: A (these are my imo pretty close to neutral)

PART 2 That said, a quick clarification on the Hexa. While it's not the "truth," it's not useless for mixing. If you can get your mix to sound clean and well-balanced on the Hexa, you're probably in good shape for how your track will sound on most consumer gear. It's not a tool for finding problems, but for making sure your fixes sound right to the average person. But then that raises another question: Does that mean the Etymotic ER series is great for mixing? Imo it's great for editing. Not good for mixing. Etys reveal flaws really well, but they don’t give the most trustworthy picture of a full mix. Why? They have no soundstage. From my experience editing voiceover, I’d notice they couldn’t detect issues with people's booths, specifically the acoustics around the microphone. This also means they aren’t very good for things like gaming because they lack soundstage. What about the Truthear Pure? No. The Pure isn’t accurate at all. It has a very warm tilt that will make you think your tracks have more low-end than they really have. What about all the IEMs that are the 'new Meta'? No. These aren't accurate either. They are conformed to a frequency response where most people find music enjoyable—a new Harman target. Ironically, not only is this target not 'neutral' for critical listening, but it also doesn't even sound good. Sounds bleh. Let's get back to the playbook. What would I recommend? I'd actually say the Moondrop Blessing 2. Not the Dusk version. I have the Blessing 2 Dusk and the Crinacle Dusk. Neither of these two are accurate. A quick point on the Blessing 2. While I recommended them, they aren't perfectly accurate. They're intentionally a little harsh. They aren't the "truth" but rather a tool for finding problems—a "bug-finder," if you will. The original Blessing 2 reminds me of the Sony MDR-7506 with a lot more soundstage. Why is the 7506 so common in studios despite sounding like crap? Because it reveals every flaw in your recording. Studios don’t use the Sony MDR-7506 because it sounds “nice” — they use it because it’s brutally revealing. The joke among audio engineers is if you make it sound good on a 7506 it'll sound good on everything. The Blessing 2, with the default tips, will make you hear sibilance in soundtracks. You need something to tell you where the problems are. The issue with the Crinacle Dusk is that it rolls off the highs and hides flaws. That's great for musicality, but not for critical listening. For me, personally I'd use something like the Blessing 2 or the Studio4. I also want to add something that throws a wrench into all of this, but it's a crucial point. Mixing with something like AirPods Pro is not a bad idea at all, even though they sound nothing like the tools I just mentioned. Many people use them, and they are arguably the most common listening device for a massive audience. So while a truthful "bug-finder" like the Blessing 2 or a neutral headphone like the HD6xx is for doing the work, a consumer-grade device is an essential tool for cross-checking. Ultimately, your mix needs to sound good on your target audience's playback system. So, getting it right on your professional gear and then checking it on something common like AirPods Pro, a car stereo, or a laptop speaker is a non-negotiable step.

PART 1: I'm coming back to your post now 22 days later. Because I wanted to answer this question. So think of this as a better update/answer than what I gave you. From a point of simplification, there's monitoring (this means when you use a microphone your voice sounds pretty close to you). There's critical voiceover editing (this means you wear headphones you can accurately detect problems with your audio, ie sibilance, plosives, phasing issues, etc) Then there's mixing. mixing means you are generally trying to make everything comprehensive and cohesive and sounds good on many mediums, ie iphones, speakers, car speakers, cans, openbacks, everything basically. Here's my thoughts: The Tanchjim Origin/Tanchim Fission are good at all 3. The Westone Mach60s (bought recently) excel at all 3. To elaborate, when I use any microphone it sounds exactly like me. When I watch microphone reviews by Podcastage, Boothjunkie, Curtis Judd, not only does it sounds like them to the dot but it sounds exactly individually how that mic sounds on them. When I listen to male singers, they sound correct. When I listen to female singers they sound correct. But it also does a great job of pointing out flaws in audio, ie I can hear everything. But also these have a ton of soundstage. The Beyerdynamic DT70IE (bought recently) excel at all 3. Though I'd give the edge to the Mach60s. Vocally it's pretty on point, with my voice and others. I noticed a voiceactor on Youtube mentioning the same thing. Just be sure to use the silicone eartips and toss the sponge ones (those suck). The Shure SE846 (bought recently) can do all 3. However I used the blue filters (neutral) along with the the black adapter from the AZLA SednaEarfit Crystal Standard which allows you to use all eartips, ie Dunu S&S. It veers warmer than the Mach60s but it's still pretty on point. It reminds me a lot of my JBL 305 speakers on my desk. The Moondrop Blessing 2/Blessing 3/Cadenza 4 excel at all 3. I map these all the same. While not exactly the same they're pretty much in the same camp. If you own 1, you don't need the other. The Softears Studio4 is good at only 2. Monitoring and mixing. But it isn't good for critical editing for voiceover. This is because it tends to round out sibilance and round out flaws in audio. So you need to cross-check it with something like a Moondrop Blessing 2 or a Thieoaudio Legacy 2. The Etymotic ER2XR is only good at voiceover editing and monitoring. But because of its poor soundstage it's not good for mixing. The Crinacle Dusk is good for monitoring. Good for mixing. But not suitable for critical voiceover editing. You won't know you have sibilance and problems in your audio. It even smooths out DMS's old sibilant headphone videos. ie I use his old videos as a reference for detecting horrible sibilance. The Dunu Titan S (original) are good for monitoring and mixing (it's relatively neutral). But not good for critical editing. It completely smooths out harsh sibilance on female vocals. Wouldn't count on these. The Salnotes Zero (original) are surprisingly good for $20. They are perfectly fine for monitoring. They also give you a general sense of the landscape and can be used for mixing. I thought it was a meme when I saw a ton of audio engineers mentioning the Salnotes Zero (original) for mixing. It also is good with critical editing (but nowhere near as reliable) as other options but it'll definitely point out egregious areas with your audio. Not bad for $20. I'd still strongly recommend going with the Fission (with S nozzle) which almost the same as the Tanchim Origin for a good price.

Funny that they sound boomy to me because now I'm more used to studio 4 which has that modest BA bass sound

Unless your ready to deal with the Studio 4’s pressure build up, I don’t recommend it. It’s a pain in the butt dealing with it

Could try something with EST and very smooth extension if you want minimal masking like HBB Punch which is basically a KE4 with ESTs, though you're going to want to eq the bass down on punch if you want technical. Or you can try something bright like the Braindance. Also harman tuning overall like Volare/Variations would be good as they have a midbass tuck which leaves a clean impression and wider stage, or a bass-light airy harman like Studio4. Lower mids and 3k scoop can also open up the stage a lot, make everything sound very wide and enveloping and leave a very technical impression/much more layering/better perceived detail retrieval like SA6 mk2 (or ultra if you can find one) which are tuned rly similarly to Anole VX. EPZ P50 could be a good more affordable choice it's still a tribrid, with microplanars handling the treble.