Fission

tanchjim is known for their vocal centric tuning. Origin is a great bet, tanchjim fission is there as well for something cheaper but still very capable

pretty much, get very close but much cheaper

So what's ur use scenario? My suggestion in general for whoever enter this hobby (it they care about gaming) is getting the Tripowin Vivace+ Azla asmr max tips (obbligatory with this iem) cus i think even up to 500 there is nothing (in game) that outperform by a huge margin this. So if u care about gaming u can choose this combo first and then also buy an iem where u can focus only on ur music preferences (+ having the Asmr max automatically open u the doors for every harsh treble iem, cus this can tame anything). And with 120 u can do something like: Vivace combo+ Kz Am16 bass (best Kz with Ba rn and pretty cheap on Ali, meanwhile the best DD from Kz is in their Kz Zenith that i put way above the Zero Red if the qc is good). Anyway my favorite iem under 50 are the Cadenza, i read someone above saying that the Zero red is overall better, but for me the Cadenza is way better than the Zero red (not in game) the timbre is of the Cadenza is better (Cadenza Berillium timbre is my favorite timbre even up to 300) and the bass hit more satisfing and that bump in the high give u an impression of high technicality and is pretty berable + they are way more comfortable (worst than the Red in gaming if u use the adapter and obv they have a worst final extension in the trebble as u can see in graphs) some people prefer the Kefine klean in this price range and overall can do more things (especially in gaming) but music wise i prefer Cadenza. So i covered the combos...now let's talk about the best all rounder/sets under 120 (sometimes with discount) Kiwi ears Airoso (incredible iem for music,for me the best, a direct upgrade from Cadenza, not the best in game but still usable) Kefine Delci Ae (great valuable iem) Simgot Ew300 (not great in game, but 🔥 music) Juzear Defiant (if the qc is good, pretty close level wise to the Airoso if not better for someone) Arti t10/t10 pro if u want to try planar Truthears Hexa (neutral and all rounder, exquisite, better than the Red, but can be boring) Simgot Em6L (great allrounder) Aful explorer (if u want to raise the volume, this is great, in game they kinda 🙃😅) Tanchjim Fission (best 1DD at this price) Idk if i forgot something but this should be pretty 😏. This is kinda it i think.

Oh! So, for music production u want something as flat as possible, this are not bad, but maybe slightly bassy (for music production obv, cus this are not bassy at all) probably something like the Fission if u still want some sparkiness in the treble, but buying something studio focussed and not this type of iem is way better in that sense...(And u can get overear studio for really cheap, im not really into this Sector,but i have friends that works professionally and rarely they use iem). So don't count the music production in ur buy for iems, cus audiophile and music production are 2 separate things. My raccomandation rn are: U want bassy (not basshead obv) and warm (like a Jbl speaker): Kiwi ears Airoso U want basshead (don't start with a pure basshead set like the Legato,the Martilo..., never) U want best neutral (with great trebble so not completely flat): Tanchjim fission U want "neutral" with boosted bass (like the red...): if Qc work, Defiant? (But slightly more get u a lot more) Like the Ziigaat (Ziigoat) odissey and sincerely 99% of iem are tuned like this...so pick ur favorite Budget (under 50 and even 40/30) Warm (my goat) and comfy af(important, cus the Red are massive...):Kiwi ears Cadenza Bass: Qkz x Hbb Cheaper: Kz edx pro 2 (try this mf) My main: Kiwi ears Airoso (music), Ziigaat arete (gaming)

Tanchjim Fission Use the included USB Dongle with the Modular Cable, with the Tanchjim App (Android Only), and that will give you access to their PEQ, and you can dial in as much or as little vocals as you want.

Tanchjim Fission would be a great option. It also has a USB DSP adapter for the cable, and you can adjust the EQ with the Tanchjim App (Android only). Lots of tunability with the Fission, and really good detail. Same driver as the Origin.

I went with the tanchjim fission to mix a livestream. Have been happy so far. $130 USD The tanchjim Nora are marketed as a set of “professional” IEM to mix with. No personal knowledge there. $110 USD The tanchjim bunny are said to be much like the fission while only being $20 USD. No personal knowledge there. I own etymotic er2se and find them too uncomfortable to bounce in and out of, I have to work the live room then get away from stage volume throughout my shows….. I may or may not have a predilection for single driver dynamic sets! If you need a dac amp for this use, consider a Qudelix 5k. It can be Bluetooth for convenience and also USB for critical listening.

I'd say go with Tanchjim stuff — Nora, Fission, Bunny, Origin, Force... they all have a fairly neutral-ish tonality. In my opinion, they’re a safer recommendation than the Hexa. The Hexa is really divisive — people don’t seem to agree on how it sounds. Maybe it’s the odd hexagonal shell shape, but there’s a lot of variation in impressions. Nobody agrees on the sound. You got like 75% of people saying it has no bass and 25% saying it has the perfect amount of bass. Quite a number of people (myself included) just don’t like it. Go for Tanchjim instead. You really can’t go wrong with Fission. It's very very close to the Tanchjim Origin which is an awesome IEM.

DX1. Gives me Hexa vibes. It's just as soulless as the Hexa and with no toe-tapping but quite accurate. It's like the Hexa with a smidge more soundstage, just a smidge. I returned it that very day. Aside from that go for the Tanchjim Fission which is pretty much (apparently) the same as the Tanchjim Origin. I have the Origin and legitimately view it as an upgrade over the Hexa in every single way.

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.

PART 2: (CONTINUED) Thieoaudio Legacy 2 are good at all 3. Excellent for monitoring. Though when I hear through with my microphone it's my voice but with about 10-15% of the lowend removed from my voice. These imo are the true "Baby Blessing 2" and imo are far more effective and reliable than the Hexa. These also are fantastic for pointing at flaws in your audio, ie issues like sibilance, clipping, plosives, boxiness, phasing, muffled audio, etc. Zigaat Lush (recently bought) is fine for monitoring. But I'm not entirely sure how it would translate to mixing and critical editing. It tends to relax a bit of the highs a bit too much imo. However, the Lush sounds substantially better when paired with the Moondrop Spring tips. Truthear Hexa - I'm going to list these as unreliable (for me). They've steered me so wrong so many times. Not that it won't for you. But I can't recommend them. Also the Hexa is the most divisive IEM. Just read this thread. No one agrees on how it sounds. Watch and read everywhere. No one knows what it sounds like. You got people saying it has a ton of bass. No bass. Little bass. Peaky. Harsh. Smooth. No one knows. You have me saying it's anemic in bass. Who's right? Who's wrong. Imo these are fine for monitoring and mixing. Not for critical editing. Purely anecdotal. But they have steered me wrong.

Hey y’all! The Tanchjim Origin is Tanchjim’s flagship single dynamic driver set, and Tanch is causing a bit of a reaction by taking its proprietary DMT-5 driver and putting it into the Fission, a new single dynamic driver set retailing for $129.99. That’s certainly a bold strategy, and we’re gonna see how it pays off. To top it off, the Fission comes with a few bells and whistles even the Origin can’t match. Tuning switches, swappable terminations, wtf? Please join me and my confused smile as I take a peak at Tanchjim’s attempt to split the atom. Many thanks to Tanchjim for the review copy. (Quick note, no vid on this one yet, been a little under the weather this week) # Look and Feel Upon opening the box, we’re greeted by a packet of goodies including some paperwork, two sets of silicone eartips (bass and treble), a soft pouch, and one of the greatest included accessories of all time: a tiny stainless steel screwdriver with “Tanchjim” proudly written on it’s side. Its a flathead, just like me! Might just put it on a chain and start rocking it around town. The Origin didn't come with a pendant! Digging deeper into the box we’ll find our champagne colored earphones sporting a glass inlay on the faceplate (I think the copy called it “mirrored sapphire”) and two extra interchangeable nozzles. The set comes with stainless steel nozzles attached to it, with brass and titanium nozzles affixed to a tiny aluminum stand. The earphones take on a familiar look and shape to others in the Tanchjim family like the Bunny and the 4U. The fit feels a lot like the Bunny’s to me, a very compact package. This should prove to make for an accessable fit, even for the smallest eared folks out there. Even more accessable than a certain other set. Arriving at the third and deepest layer of the box we’ll find our cable. And SURPRISE SURPRISE, I like it better than the Origin cable. The “long 2 pin” cable has a hearty double helix cable that seems to be braided in fabric and encased in plastic. I’ve always been a fan of that particular cable aesthetic so I was happy to see that here. Not only that, it has an interchangeable termination, including 3.5 single ended, 4.4 balanced, and USB-C options. Now it seems to to me the only accessory advantage the Origin really has here is the purse, er, pretty white case it comes with. Surely there must be an acoustic advantage. # Sound Inpressions From first listen, the similarities to the Origin were undeniable and I couldn’t keep from comparing the two in my head. That’s great news for anyone looking for a highly capable single dynamic driver set in this price range. Owning both the Bunny and the Origin, it was almost surreal to hear a sound so close to the Origin in what is essentially an aluminum Bunny shell with a switch. Speaking of switches, all of my sound impressions are taken in the sets stock position. Each of the other switches reduce the bass to some extent, and I preferred the balanced presentation of the stock setting. I felt the low end was well represented in the his position without detracting from the rest of the presentation or introducing any muddiness. The switch settings may be a boon for those that want a more treble or upper midrange centered set. The stock setting is the one that’s substantially similar to the sound signature of the Origin. Furthermore, I found the brass nozzles gave the set a slightly warmer sound, while the titanium nozzles made it a bit brighter. I found the differences subtle but certainly noticeable. I settled on the stock stainless steel for sound impressions, the most balanced of the three. **Bass** The Fission is honestly pretty close to my ideal sound signature, and all of the bass is in exactly the right place. Even on its bassiest setting, I wouldn't call the Fission a set for bassheads. The midbass has a quick, satisfing kick to complement the soft rumble of the subbass. The subtle accentuation of the midbass texture ensures an engaging and dynamic sound across various genres, making the set a great all-rounder. The stock setting has a natural-sounding low end that never detracts from the rest of the sonic presentation. Not does it get lost in the mix. The full and natural midbass does wonders to enhance the presence of male vocals, lending the midrange a little hand. **Mids** I feel like I'm writing my Origin review all over again to be honest. The midrange is warm and natural. It sounds organic, with exquisite detail for the price range. The resolution of the midrange really shines, resulting in a more emotionally engaging sound to many tracks. I wouldn't say this is a vocal forward set, but it can be depending on how the track is mixed. I’d say the midrange is perfectly in line with the bass and treble, with female vocals hovering just slightly above the sound of most tracks. Just like the Origin, the set strives for a realistic presentation that gives equal weight to all frequencies, as they would sound in nature. **Treble** Best single dynamic treble since, you guessed it, the Origin! The treble extends well into the highest frequencies without becoming fatiguing or uncomfortable to my ear. Its incisive and exacting, with a quick attack and natural decay. The treble is extremely well controlled, with no real sibilance to be found on any of the tracks I tested. No tuning quirks or dips here, just well tuned, extremely linear, neutral, textured treble. **Techs** Finally, a bit of a difference from the Origin. While the sound signatures of the two sets are very similar, the soundstage is a bit more spread out and open on the Origin than the Fission. The drivers in the Fission are fit into a smaller package and placed closer to the ear, the larger stainless steel body of the Origin sets them back a bit farther. Fission still has precise imaging and an organic tonality/timbre. Its transient response time far outpaces the majority of single dynamic driver IEMs I’ve tested. It’s big brother Origin wins out just slightly in its presentation with its ability to project that technical prowess across a wider stage. # Final Thoughts The Fission is an amazing value at $129.99. The Dunu Kima 2 is the closest competitor I can think of, but it’s tuned a touch brighter and doesn't come with all the extra touches the Fission does. (nozzles and switches and terminations, oh my!) Its technical performance rivals more expensive single dynamic driver IEMs like the Moondrop Kato and, of course, the Origin. It feels like the Fission is setting a new bar on what one can expect from a single dynamic driver set under $150, and ensuring the mid to high end of the market are going to have to innovate to stay competitive. I love that. Its the exact same thing they did to the super-budget market by releasing the Bunny for around $20. In short, I highly recommend. Tanchjim has successfully split the atom, and Fission has been achieved. I’m staring at the mushroom cloud now, but I’m not afraid. It looks like a bright future to me, I think I’m gonna grab some shades. Thanks for reading.

I just tried it, it seems like the profile saves to the termination. I set the EQ on my DAP and it played on my phone, same setting played back. Between the two, I prefer the Fission. Its more neutral with better treble extension, just more to my tuning preference. If I was a basshead, I’d go Quatio. Thank you bro, feeling better already thankfully.

I prefer fission, the new-meta tuning of the pure is just less compliant to my tuning preference. I like the excitement of a little upper mid spike I guess

Demoed Origin... yeah I'm sticking with the Fission. Not that much better and not very comfortable to me. They have outdone themselves lol.

Nice writeup, I just disagree with "sole objective winner", since at the end of the day these are your subjective impressions. I had the Kima 2 which I sold for the Fission, which was sold to get Pure, then sold cuz of BA timbre to get the Nora, and now I'm selling the Nora to get another Kima 2 cuz none could beat it's musicality. I had **the one** right from the start... Give it a shot if you want something warm but brighter than Pure, not dry like the Fission, and natural timbre.

Tanchjim Fission is my other recommendation for smaller shell, but I'm worried that it might also be fatiguing in the treble.