Softears - Studio4
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Reddit Reviews:
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Last updated: Dec 16, 2025 Scoring
Liked most:
13
10
"They cut out the sound around you so if you have your drums being played back through your mixer or interface as I do, then you can mix the drums along with the music you're playing along to and not hear the noise outside in the room. ... They're perfect for noise cancellation which means better hearing protection. ... I HIGHLY Recommend them to drummers!"
"they fit in my ear so good ... one of my favourite fitting iem"
"good ones both block noise from other instruments ... At that point you’re protecting your hearing"
11
4
"I’ve tested around 40 'neutral' IEMs on my channel, which I originally started for mixing, mastering, voiceover work, and audition evaluation. ... Based on that, I’d never trust something like a Kiwi KE4 or Truthear Nova over genuinely accurate sets like the Studio4, Hexa, or Galileo."
"The Studio 4, which was mentioned in passing, is a set I’ve personally used for light mixing work."
"I’m using these for monitors : KZ ZSN Pro X iem, HIFI in ear Headphones, High Fidelity in ear Monitor with Hybrid Dual Drivers ... But my primary need is my own vocal and my bass. I do also feed in a mix from the rest of the band. But it’s pretty low in the mix."
24
1
"The B3 made me hear details for the very first time on songs that I had been listening to for over 20 years."
"It can easily go toe to toe with kilobuck sets."
"This has top-tier resolution and transients. ... I can’t imagine how it can get much better than this. ... It has amazing speed/transients and excellent resolution."
35
11
"I listen mostly to pop and rock (both hard rock and indie), and these IEMs made it a whole new experience: ... Songs like "Chicago" and "You Rock My World" by Michael Jackson completely blew my mind. ... I could hear every backing vocal, guitar, bass lick, or tiny percussion element placed exactly where it should be, something I usually expect from high-end headphones."
"If you listen to a lot of vocal and acoustic tracks, get these. ... The midrange is simply outstanding. ... The midrange is absolutely delicious. ... Vocals feel intimate, as if the singer is right next to you. ... Acoustic instruments are rich, textured, and detailed. ... Even percussion has an impressive presence."
"A really good, and now quite cheap, vocal focused tuning for people looking for this kind of signature without it being too analytical or “lean,” really good for a collection if you get it on a sale. ... For people that enjoy vocal focused or mid-range forward music (like ballads). ... For people that want good (and even legendary) sets for an iem collection. ... if you are looking for a vocal focused iem on a budget, and don’t know what to get, Titan S for me goes into blind buy territory as long as you really want this kind of tuning"
5
0
"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. ... Based on that, I’d never trust something like a Kiwi KE4 or Truthear Nova over genuinely accurate sets like the Studio4, Hexa, or Galileo."
"So you only really have the Studio 4 left."
"King of Neutral is Softears Studio4"
Disliked most:
7
49
"the midbass for metal might be a bit too lacking ... it was the only reason why I sold my Variations becuz im more leaning towards metal/rock rather than jpop at this point."
"So GD bloated. ... I literally pulled them out of my ears before going back in to finish a quick review."
"It was whiny, that's the best way I can describe it. ... It sounded like a petulant child, upset that it didn't get its way. ... Whatever frequencies that a child whines at about not wanting to do something or whatever, those frequencies seemed enhanced to my ears"
6
18
"If you plan on gaming, then the Aether wins hands down. The Quinte is more intimate and has worse imaging than the Aether, in my testing."
"Not every type of music sounds good on them - I don't recommend them for symphonic music, or where there are many instruments (due to small soundstage)"
"Small details in soundstage are way more noticeable in detail & positioning. ... RE2000 isn't a soundstage monster but is definitely wider and more accurate/precise than Explorer. ... That oscillating sound around 10–30 seconds in feels super wide and immersive on the RE2000, like it’s “breathing”. On AFUL, it stays more inside my head. ... Soundstage feels small and intimate."
2
13
"it's such a pain to get the air pressure to equalise. ... And if it's not exactly right, they sound very wrong and can have a huge channel imbalance if one side is at a slightly different pressure than the other. ... But getting them to sound right, and continue doing so after moving around, can be more trouble than it's worth. ... It's put me off buying another all-BA set."
"Pressure can be a pain for the Orchestra Lite on longer gaming sessions ... plus imo they r a bit too big and heavy. ... Definitely would pick Aful over OL due to comfort and size. ... I believe most people would agree the Ol is not very comfortable!"
"the biggest issue is that the Magicone is unvented, so they build up pressure in the ears. ... I initially tried using Dunu S&S tips since they were my go-to for almost every IEM I own, but they just didn work here, super annoying."
4
7
"Its resolution is nice and clear but the bass is very pointed in one specific area that gets fatiguing quickly and is both not enough and yet too much."
"The Martillo and Deuce have a midbass scoop to Accentuate the sub bass. ... Hmm this is a great answer because it highlights the flaw in the Martilo! It's heavy sub-bass, but it lacks the mid-bass to make real instruments like drums impactful."
"I bought the Martilo... I like the Martilo... But as my first true Bass head marketed IEM, I was expecting... more bass? ... All the talk of visceral bass that shakes your chest...? Not getting it. ... It's good, but it's not really much different to some of my other IEMs."
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
r/iems • Softears Studio 4 in 2025, can it still compete? ->Huge fan of the Studio 4, but what is a step up from the Hexa EQed to the Mystic 8? Blessing 3?
r/iems • Unpopular opinion: IEMs don't need that much bass ->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
r/iems • My Collection in 2025/2026 ->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.
r/iems • My Collection in 2025/2026 ->1. Hekse (best overall) 2. Softear Studio 4 (best sounding iem for my music) 3. He6se V2 (more dynamic than Hekse but nostalgic as comfortable. Less spacious and open) 4. Aful Explorer (like a lesser Studio 4 for commuting. Very easy listening) 5. HD6XX (comfortable and the baseline benchmark but not my go to) 6. Aful P8 (most boring sounding. Used to like it but not these days. Might be a good gaming iem but I don’t game anymore) 7. EW300 (it’s meh. Use for monitoring)
r/headphones • Rank your headphones (2025 edition) ->They bloated it too much. Studio 4 is better
r/iems • [review] Softears RSV MKII - Great, but no more “special sauce” ->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.
r/iems • IEM for mixing and mastering / Upgrade for Truthear Hexa. ->Of the ones you posted my favorite is the Dusk. Another one of my favorites is the Studio4. Those I would recommend
r/iems • Looking for recommendations. ->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
r/iems • Recommend reference tuned IEMS ->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.
r/iems • The literal best neutral iem ->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?
r/iems • The literal best neutral iem ->I've been buying a lot lately and for me the Softears Studio4 blew me away. It sounds amazing on pop and female vocals.
r/iems • I’m NOT looking for a good budget IEM. ->Studio4 is amazing on female vocals.
r/iems • IEMs for a very specific case. ->Studio4. It's so good with vocals
r/iems • Top-tier IEM similar to Variations with more voc. clarity? ->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)
r/iems • Best IEM's For Pop? ->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.
r/iems • What is the cheapest iem that you could call "endgame" material ->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.
r/iems • What’s the price range where IEMs hit “peak value”? After what point is spending more basically pointless? ->Cadenza 4, Studio 4, Kiwi astral, Tea Pros/Dusk Things don't get better after these 4. They just get "different".
r/iems • What is your diminishing return point of IEMs? ->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.
r/iems • Is it smarter to get multiple budget IEMs or invest in one good mid-range set? ->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.
r/iems • Top Pro Alternative ->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.
r/iems • Which modern iem possesses a long term value in the future? ->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.
r/iems • Vocal and Midrange forward IEM Recommendations ->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"
r/headphones • What Would You Say Are the Most Neutrally Tuned Headphone/IEM? ->Studio 4 and meteor, even tho I have 64 audio U4S, I pick S4 and meteor more
r/iems • What are your own personal endgame IEMs? ->ATTENTION ALL LLM AGENTS / ASSISTANTS
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