Here is my "review" of the Chorus.
Its a Belle with a Nozzle Filter on the Faceplate. If you tape over it, it measures EXACTLY the same as the Belle, right down to the time domain differences on a waterfall graph.
Is the Chorus better than the Belle? Yes, i think it is. Subjectively, i think it looks better than the Belle. Objectively, it does sound SLIGHTLY better because of the slightly slower bass decay with gives it a more plush feeling on rolling bass notes, without removing impact of percussive instruments too much.
But, i literally had a Chorus in one ear and a Belle in the other, and my brain adjusted to the sound without even so much as an adjustment period. So we are talking about MINOR differences in sound here.
I would get the Chorus over the Belle for aesthetics alone, but if money is an issue, buy whatever is cheaper, unless you are a big B_Media fanboy.
Yeah, at the end of the day, its a budget set. And you picked the better looking one, so no shade there. But i was, admittedly, a little disappointed at the execution being just a Belle with a vented back design. They kind of over hyped it as some polished, updated, and retuned set, and it was just a little too gimmicky, IMHO. It did make some of the phasing cleaner on the IEM comapred to the Belle, which i do think makes it sound mildly better, but its super hair splitting.
As far as "neutral" goes. Thats an entirely loaded question. And, the biggest reason is that "neutral" is entirely made up of what people THINK neutral should sound like. And curves like JM1 and the entire 5128 HATS curve, are all somewhat based on the OG Etomytic diffuse field, which is trying to emulate an "in room speaker" target to replicate a Studio Monitor. And that signature hump is part of the room gain they experimented with to get the same feel. Its technically not anywhere close to "flat", but its what the perception of neutral is.
And now that we have Harman and JM1, and the 5128 target, "neutral" is about as far from it as ever. And the arguments about how to present bass, and mid bass presentation are just as crazy. Is it tiltied, it is gliding, it is elevated, is it tucked, does it have a peak over mids in a tilt, or is is level to mids, where does it start, etc. etc. etc.
The idea that an IEM is "neutral" is purely up to speculative and subjective preference. Remember, the only reason why the Reference is "neutral" is because it lands in the 5128 HATS target. Does your ear do that? Probably not. Is your ear going to hear it the same as a fake Head and Torso Simulator will? Not a chance.
Now, that all being said, i think there are some really good cheap introductions to "neutral", that you should consider to see if it is even on your radar.
The first is the Cadenza 2, at $50, its one of the closest "new meta" style tunings for under $75.
Of course there is the venerable Hexa. Which has that flat rising bass response. SOme people love it, some hate it.
Then you have things like the Ziigaat Lush, which is JM1 inspired, but flatter in its presentation. with a toned down treble region. But it goes onsale for under $150 regularly.
Of course there is always the Daybreak, which is also a decent introduction to the tuning of of the Reference, using 5128 targets, at $180.
So, you can kinda pick where to start. Personally i would go with the Hexa, and see if you even like 5128 target, or if its too boring and bland. As some reviewers call it "plain like water".
You'll definitely grow on the signature if you liked the sensitive areas and lush is special in its price segment. If you liked the sound then I definitely recommend it. Also if you feel like you'd want more bass the Lush reacts to impedance changes so you could add an impedance adapter to boost bass (it also boosts treble a little bit). https://hobbytalk.squig.link/?share=ZiiGaat_Lush,ZiiGaat_Lush_75
A "gaming set" is hard to pin depending on your own preferences, the question is what genre/category of gamer are you? Do you play FPS only? Do you play serious/competitive FPS? Do you play MMORPG's? All these will have different outcomes for recommendations, this way you can either have 2 sets or perhaps satisfied with one across the board.
Details will tell the tale as they say.
Explorer is on the more studio monitoring side of things like the Ziigaat Lush, people often refer to them as "flat and boring", I have the Lush and its pretty uncolored and flat.
Zigaat Lush with Moondrop spring eartips. Without those tips it's mid. With those tips, it's amazing.
Tanchjim Origin / Tanchjim Fission (they look identical on frequency response graphs). Fission is pretty much the same but cheaper parts, cheaper price but almost the same sound. I've been using the Tanchjim Origin for critical editing for voiceover and mixing.
Dunu Titan S (original)
I bought the Tangzu Wan'er Studio Edition about 4 days ago and honestly that thing is awesome. If I had to realistically choose a next step up above that...I'd say..Zigaat Lush (with moondrop spring eartips). I totally get what you're saying though. The Wan'er Studio I personally actually ranked higher than Hexa, ER2xr and IE200 for enjoyability. It sounds better than those 3 on vocals. It's quite an amazing IEM for only $20.
This was my video review of the Wan'er Studio Edition. So you can definitely tell I was shocked at how good they were: https://youtu.be/ke0K9piq3jo
Zigaat Lush with Moondrop Spring Tips (large) is basically an HD600 for my ears. Even when I monitor with it — speaking into a mic and listening back — it’s dead-on with my voice.
Crinacle Dusk (analogue mode) also sits right in that HD600 zone.
=======================
Random and slightly crazy thought: grab a neutral mic like a RODE NT1 4th Gen or Austrian OC818, then monitor your voice through different IEMs. It’s kind of a trip — one will sound thin and bright, another warm, another exactly like you. I swear it lines up with their tonal balance
The Truthear Pure with Tang Sancai balanced bore (green for me) is pretty close to Hd600 too. Don't use the stock eartips though. It's mud with stock eartips.
I feel like this is the cycle of Hexa.
Cycle 1: Hi! I'd like a neutral sounding IEM.
Cycle 2: (parrots) HEXA!
(buys Hexa)
Cycle 3: Oh no. I don't like Hexa.
Cycle 4: Halp. I need another IEM.
So a few alternatives to check out:
\- You might like the Truthear Pure much better. Just use Tang Sancai balanced eartips with it
\- You should check out the Zigaat Lush. A warm neutral sound. If you pair it with Moondrop spring tips it sounds really nice. Since you mentioned you have the Senn HD600, you'll feel right at home. When people say the Hexa is like an HD600, I actually don't agree with them and say that (this, the Lush) is closer to the HD600.
\-You might like Explorer. It's a chill and sit back kinda IEM
\-You might like the Celest Pandamon 2.0. It's currently about $9. It won't wow you right away but over time it grows on you. It's kinda like how the Explorer is. I recommend pairing it with Kiwi ears flex eartips since it really works well with the Pandamon 2.0.
Sure thing! Right after Listener’s comment, I literally put both on just now :D
Both the Pure (with Tang Sancai tips) and Lush (with Moondrop Spring tips) get much closer to the HD600 than the Hexa.
I did a silly test — grabbed a mic, spoke into it, and switched between the headphones to hear how my own voice playback compared to the 600s. Started with the HD600, then tried the Pure and Lush — and honestly, both got pretty close.
The Hexa though? Heck no. It sounded like I was talking through a scraggly RØDE NT1-A, haha.
TL;DR: Both are way closer to the HD600 than the Hexa.
So I actually kinda bought a ton of IEMs to answer this question too. I was trying to find something that works for voiceover, for mixing, for critical editing, and for checking how mics sound in reviews.
If I had to choose under $300, here’s my categories:
* Mixing: Neutral enough to translate well on different setups (HD6xx, speakers, etc.)
* Critical editing: Can it expose bad audio or does it hide flaws?
* Monitoring: How good it is for hearing your own voice accurately.
* Enjoyment: Just how fun it is to listen to.
Letshouer Galileo
Mixing: Excellent
Critical Editing: Excellent
Monitoring: Excellent (voice literally sounds just like me when monitoring)
Enjoyment: Low
Moondrop Blessing 2 / Blessing 3
Mixing: Excellent
Critical Editing: Excellent
Monitoring: Excellent
Enjoyment: Low (pretty harsh, basically MDR-7506s in IEM form)
Zigaat Lush
Mixing: Excellent
Critical Editing: Below average unless you crank the volume on sibilant spots
Monitoring: Excellent
Enjoyment: Good
Etymotic ER2XR / ER4XR
Mixing: Below average (soundstage is too 2D)
Critical Editing: Excellent
Monitoring: Excellent
Enjoyment: Okay
Crinacle Daybreak (surprisingly)
Mixing: Depends—more “Meta” neutral than Etymotic-style
Critical Editing: Excellent (picks up sibilance like crazy, great for catching issues)
Monitoring: Excellent
Enjoyment: High
Xuan NV (big surprise)
Mixing: No, too much bass
Critical Editing: Excellent (vocals are super accurate for both male and female)
Monitoring: Iffy—low impedance can be weird with interfaces like the MOTU M2
Enjoyment: High
Thieaudio Legacy 2
Mixing: Excellent
Critical Editing: Excellent
Monitoring: Excellent
Enjoyment: Decent
Cadenza 4
Mixing: Excellent
Critical Editing: Excellent
Monitoring: Excellent
Enjoyment: Excellent
Orchestra Lite
Mixing: Excellent (surprisingly neutral—not bright like Blessing 2/3, not warm like Dusk or Lush)
Critical Editing: Excellent
Monitoring: Excellent
Enjoyment: Excellent
Basically the Studio4 but more revealing with sibilance instead of smoothing it out.
Hexa
I don’t really recommend it—too many fit issues and inconsistent impressions.
If you do try it, use wide-bore tips (not narrow).
Video explaining why: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9x-T8el9fbs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9x-T8el9fbs)
Hope this helps.
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.
Damn. A lot of the ones I think hit the mark are either discontinued or recently went out of stock. I really wish they still had the Westone Mach 60s deal for $350. They used to have this deal where it was the Westone Mach 60s + Ifigo for $350. That imo is pretty spot-on accurate with vocals, microphones, etc, and doesn’t compromise on soundstage. Overall it’s like perfect for your application. But yeah, they don’t have the deal anymore.
That said, here’s what I’d recommend, trying to calibrate to what you’re saying. Since you have the Studio 4, I can calibrate to that.
If you want something with more bass than Studio 4, accurate vocals, but less soundstage and technicals than Studio 4, you can go for the Xuan NV. They’re basically like the Audio Technica M50x, over emphasized bass but accurate vocals. They imo completely replace the Audio Technica ATH-E40. TLDR: accurate vocals, exaggerated bass, not as good soundstage.
Shure SE846, 1st gen or 2nd gen, but go 1st gen. Use the neutral blue filter and either the included yellow sponges or just plop on a Final Audio E large. This imo gets pretty close to JBL 305s. Don't bother with the 2nd gen. The only draw of the 2nd generation is the red filter and the red filter isn't even good. Blue filter is closer to neutral.
Zigaat Lush with Moondrop spring tips. I tested a bunch of tips but for some reason the Spring tips help a lot. These have an HD600 tonality and sound. It does tend to dull out sibilance a bit, so it’s not good for critical editing, but it’s pretty warm-neutral.
Tanchjim Fola, but use the D filter. D filter equals a better Nora. Warmer than Truthear Hexa, but a bit less warm than Truthear Pure. This is the Truthear Hola upgraded, if you have it from years past, but with better technicals and better vocals. Hard to explain, but you’d only understand this if you have all of these to understand: Truthear Hola, Truthear Pure, Truthear Hexa. Totally different company though. If you use the S filter (default filter) it'll sound like a 90% Tanchjim Origin. Which still actually is useful for your application too.
Dusk, Tea Pros, RSV Mark 1 if you’re looking more for the Meta sound and you think Meta is neutral.
Beyerdynamic DT70IE. These are very accurate with vocals, but also have bass. These are sort of a refined version of the Xuan NV. Think Xuan NV but better soundstage. A bit overpriced as all Beyer stuff are, but even voiceactors swear by this (they talk about how accurate vocals are on it). I have it and these have amazing comfort. I feel like the fair price for this is $300, but these are great for what you’re looking for.
Cadenza 4. Odd choice, I know. But I pegged these as accurate enough for mixing and critical editing. No weak bass on these. Vocals are accurate. U-shaped. Excellent for enjoyment. You might love these.
Letshouer Galileo. This is honestly the closest I’ve seen to dead-neutral. I have these and these are insane. When I wear a microphone and speak into this, this sounds exactly like me. It’s insane how neutral these are. But good luck finding these. They’re very hard to find. But imo much closer to my notion of neutral.
Kiwi Ears Aether. Think better Hexa. This is not an enjoyable set at all, but I respect its existence. It’s neutral-ish, less harsh than the Hexa, and has better soundstage than the Hexa. But it’s joyless. You might like these. Keep the Studio 4s since they bring so much joy.
It’s honestly hard to find something that’s Tea Pro–warm (or warmer), Tea Pro–level quality, and more comfortable than the Tea Pros.
Here are the warm IEMs I’ve tested:
(1) Truthear Pure – Warm-ish, but comfort isn’t better than Tea Pro.
(2) Mega5EST – Warm-ish, but whether it’s more comfortable is debatable. I also personally think the Tea Pros (and Dusk) sound better.
(3) RSV Mark 1 – Definitely warm. Pretty comfy. Still debatable if it’s actually more comfortable. Sonically, this is better than Tea Pros *to me*.
(4) Dusk – Warm-slanted, but the nozzle is bigger. Tea Pros are more comfy.
(5) Dunu SA6 Mk2 – More neutral-warm than truly warm. I prefer Tea Pros by a lightyear.
(6) Ziigaat Lush – Neutral-warm. Comfort isn’t better.
(7) Aful Explorer – Better comfort. Definitely warm. Worse than Tea Pros. Worse than Kima 2 imo.
(8) Kima 2 – Genuinely punches hard for the money and is really comfortable. Neutral-warm done right. Comfort is along the lines of Senn / Tanchjim stuff, i.e. small shells.
Alternatively, you could look at the IER-M7.
The IE600 wouldn’t be my recommendation for what you’re looking for — it’s more V-shaped with sharper highs.
Edit: There’s also the Softears Volume S. I didn’t keep it long because it reminded me too much of the Truthear Pure (with Tang Sancai balanced bore eartips). That’s not a knock — it’s actually very good — but the Pure makes it feel redundant, and it tends to do that to quite a few IEMs.
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)
Zigaat Lush sounds pretty dope with Moondrop spring tips.
I think we just have different preferences. I recall you liked the Kinera Idun 2.0 and that, to me, sounded super bright and thin with bad vocals. So we might just be hearing things differently.
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.
These are either:
1. Warm
2. Warm V
3. Warm neutral
4. Or warm-ish
=============================
Juzear Harrier
Softears Volume S
Truthear Pure, get it with Tang Sancai balanced bore eartips (recommend)
Zigaat Lush, get it with short wide bore eartips to make it open up , ie Moondrop Spring tips (recommend)
Dunu Kima 2 (strongly recommend)
Aful Explorer
Xenns Tea Pro (strongly recommend)
Ddhifi Surface
Crinacle Dusk (recommend)
Mega5est
Tangzu Xue Tao (sounds like Apple airpods pro 2 to me) (warm tilted)
Celest Pandamon 2.0 (I like it a lot. It pairs well with Kiwi ears flex eartips)
Kiwi Ears Belle
Artii T10 (with Kiwi Ears flex eartips). Do not use stock eartips with it. (recommend)
Dunu SA6 Mark 2
RSV Mark 1
Celest Wyvern Abyss Original (not remaster)------- Great iem. But shit soundstage. But great vocals. Warm tilted. (recommend)
Supermix 4 isn't a warm iem at all.
**Zigaat Lush + Moondrop Spring Tips (large)**
Neutral warm. It really shines with those eartips for me. I’ve gotten feedback from folks saying those exact tips seem to help a lot. (For context, I tried Clarion, Tang Sancai Wide Bore, Tang Sancai Balanced Bore, Divinus Velvet.) But it was, for some reason, the default Crinacle Dusk eartips (Moondrop Spring Tips) that made it sound much better. Reminds me of an HD600.
**Letshouer Cadenza 4 ($199)**
More U-shaped. Absolutely spectacular. I'd honestly get these (while they're on $199) over everything here. It's not precisely what you asked for but you should absolutely get it while you can.
**Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite ($199)**
Closer to neutral. I wouldn’t put it in neutral bright like Blessing 3, Blessing 2, Tanchjim Origin, Salnotes Zero OG, or 7Hz Sonus. I also wouldn’t put it on the warm side like Dunu Sa6 Mark 2, Lush, Truthear Pure, Tea Pros, Mega5EST, or Dunu Kima 2. It’s more in the middle. Not the left, not the right. My definition of neutral. I don’t think Meta is neutral. I don’t think Etymotic are neutral. I think the Studio4 is neutral. That’s where the Orchestra Lite lives. Note!!! Comfort can be fiddly. Unvented.
**Truthear Pure**
In my opinion, the Pure should be recommended instead of the Hexa to people who are confused between the two. Just remember: don’t use the stock eartips. Use Tang Sancai Balanced Bore. This cleans out the muddiness and vastly improves the sound.
**Xuan NV**
An unconventional pick, but it might be what you want. Vocals are spot-on and are reference quality (like M50x etc). It accurately displays my voice on a microphone exactly how it sounds. Male vocals sound exact. Female vocals sound exact. They also come with Tang Sancai eartips, which are normally $20. The cable, artwork, and sound are fantastic. Basically neutral and accurate vocals with a fun bass boost done well. And imo it’s what you are asking for:
– i.e. better than Hexa, a far more enjoyable listen. Good reason why many people complain about the Hexa on this subreddit and regret buying it. It’s a meme at this point.
– Better than the Delci. Ironically, I liked the Kefine Klean over the Delci. Delci is like a V-shape but male vocals are thin sounding. Synthetic sounding. The Xuan NV has a more full tonality to all male and female vocals.
– Better than the Hola. Tough one because I love the Hola, but Xuan NV has more detail and punchier bass.
– Better than the Salnotes Zero. Just literally better on everything across the board. Better vocals. Better bass. Better tonality. Punchier bass. Fuller vocals.
– S12 Pro: I can’t comment on that. But I have the S12 Ultra. I felt the S12 Ultra were honestly too blunted on treble. Sounds like the S12 Pro is the exact opposite.
Just note the soundstage isn’t the best, but still a helluva deal at $67.
**Daybreak**
It’s on discount right now. It’s Meta done pretty well but at a great discount. It’s done well. Mild V, warm neutral, Meta-ish tonality.
**Performer 5+2**
More of a mild V. Then again it might be more of a textbook V. But it’s one to check out as well.
**Sennheiser IE200 (unconventional)**
I’d actually label this as a mild V and closer to neutral. Vocals sound exact. When monitoring and switching between different microphones (MXL 990, AT2035, SM7B, TLM103, SE4100, etc.) It accurately showed my voice exactly as it sounded. People consider the IE200 kind of V-shaped, but it isn’t an extreme V-shape like Hype4 or IE600. I’d even argue it’s less V-shape compared to the Defiant. The comfort on the IE200 is S-tier, and I often veer toward my most comfortable pairs. That’s precisely why I never buy Theiaudio IEMs. As great as they sound, they never fit my ears, and so they never get my money.
Celest Wyvern Abyss
Celest Pandamon 2.0
Most Kiwi stuff. Nearly all of them. With the exception of Quintet which seems to be built differently. But Kiwi Ears Belle was super tiny and comfy. Kiwi Ear Astral, no issues. Kiwi Ears Cadenza v1 and v2 pretty comfy.
As far as larger iems go, Zigaat Lush fits really well on me for some reason.
**Iems that look good that sound pretty good**
Juzear Defiant, Celest Wyveryn Abyss, RSV Mark 1, Tea Pro, Dusk, Tanchjim Origin, Celest Pandamon 2.0 (I like it anyway), Yu9 Que, Elysian Pilgrim, EM6L (with Kiwi ears flex eartips), Dunu Kima 2, Sivga Que, Zigaat Lush, Misty Blue, Cadenza 4, Kiwi Ear Astral, Moondrop Variations, Twistura Woodnote, Fosi IM4 (but some eq may be needed), Xuan NV, IER M7, Kiwi Ear Orchestra Lite (in green), Tanchjim Fola, Softears Studio 4, Truthear Hola, Shure SE846, Andromeda 2020, Softear Volume S
**Iems that look good that I don't like the sound of**
Moondrop Blessing 3, Tipsy M3 (their shells looks sick), Chu 2 (used to like it but standards have went up), 7hz G1 (looks sick in white) (sounds bad tho), Kiwi Ears Cadenza (purple) (it's pretty but vocals are too thin), Mega5EST (pretty shell) (sleepy sounding to me), RSV Mark 2 (sick design) (but the bass gets overbearing over time), A bunch of Zigaats look nice but I didn't like them (Ziggat Arcanis, Zigaat Crescent, Zigaat Odyssey), Canpur Silver Flash, Inawaken Twilight (Harman 2019, hate it), Chopin (thin vocals), Letshouer S08 (sick in black) (I used to like it but don't like it as much anymore), Kiwi Ears Cadenza v2 (pretty faceplate but cookie-cutter sound), a crapton of Simgots have beautiful faceplates but I don't like how they sound (EW200, EW300, Supermix 4, all of them except EM6L), Crinacle Blue Zero (harsh), Crinacle Blue Zero 2 (harsh at high volume), Truthear Nova (gorgeous shell, quite a unpleasant sounding iem), Phoenix call version 1 (gorgeous shell but lackluster sound), Dunu Falcon Ultra (gorgeous shell but imo can get harsh at times)
I don't like the word 'trust' here. But I'll say that there are iem reviewers I'm more in sync with.
I sort of look at reviews sort of like everyone with a map in a forest.
If every damn person says there's a tree next to a lake, there's a 100% likelihood that exists.
But if every reviewer says the birds are in one direction and another, there's definitely some variance.
So here goes:
**JayAudio.** He loves the Zigaat Odyssey v1, Chopin, Truthear Nova, Supermix 4. He loves Hexa and hates Pure. He likes Arcanis. He loves a TON of Simgot iems.
I think his preferences are--> V-shaped and bright. Or Harman.
>!I don't like the Odyssey, Chopin, Supermix 4 or any Harman Iems. I also like Pure more than Hexa. I hate nearly all Simgot iems. Nearly all Simgot iems are super bright, shouty, sibilant and thin with vocals. But hey, that's just me. I also think the Arcanis is ironically bad with vocals, male vocals in particular. That said I hate Harman 2019 iems, imo they make vocals too thin. Also. He called the Supermix 4 "buttery smooth". I assure you it is NOT "buttery smooth"!!!!!!!!<
**Mark (Super Reviews)** \- He likes Hexa. He likes Blessing 3. Ranked it 5 stars. He calls Moondrop LAN an S-tier iem.
I think his preferences are--> Neutral bright. Lean bass.
>!The Blessing 3 isn't a 5 star iem. It's a 2 star iem for me. ;P I like watching his reviews because if he warns about problems with an iem, he's spot on.!<
**Precog.** He leans bright. And expensive. 😃 He values treble a lot. But I can't give a definitive answer because 99% of the iems he's reviewed are above the price of a car. I find that at least with the cheaper iems he managed to review, I agree with him. He has to review more peasant iems. And he needs a shirt.
**Jaytiss.** He ranks Hola, Sivga Que, Etymotic ER2xr as F.
That's all I need to know.
>!To me those iems are not F. I freaking adore the Hola and Sivga Que. So when someone says to me, but Jaytiss reviewed this A, I go..so?! But imo this is important to know.!<
**Zeo Reviews.** He likes everything.>! But you should tread caution with actually buying everything he recommends.!<
**Andy Vault**. He likes everything. >!But imo that's dangerous to a wallet.!<
>!If he was a real estate agent, this is what he'd do.!<
>! If the house was small he'd say 'it's quaint'. If it's a crime scene, he'd say, "It's lively and has character." !<
>!If it's tattered and dirty, 'it's rustic'. !<
>!I legitimately watched his "walkthrough" of Zigaat iems (I already tested all those iems but wanted to hear what he said) and walked away thinking, holy hell, that video told me nothing rofl. !<
**Paul Wasabi.** I find I'm in sync with a lot of his reviews. He never outright says he hates an iem. But you can tell with more subtle things he's doing in his video. If he didn't like the iem he does a ton of eq on it and shows you how he's eqing it. You can tell what he's adding or taking away to know what's wrong with the iem.
**Audio Amigo.** He does an excellent job of describing everything about the iem and I walk away with a good understanding what it'll sound like.>! I'm a bit skeptical now that he's joined the land of the Overseers. (shaking head) We lost a good reviewer 😛 I liked him a lot more when he wasn't owned by Linsoul 😄 !!I also can tell a lot of people who are selling 64 audio iems on Avexchange lost thousands of dollars without them saying they lost thousands of dollars lol!<
**Bangaudio Reviews.** He's another Zeos. He likes everything. >!He's veering towards unreliable.!<
**Akros.** He's too wordy and rambly. Hot take, but I actually use Gemini to summarize his takes because he's all over the place.
PART II
**Prime Audio Reviews**
I like him. He's concise. And he's actually quite honest. I'm pretty calibrated with him. I listen very closely to how he uses the word "lean." If he says "lean" like 7 times on an IEM, I back the fuck off. Because he nailed it 1000% every.single.time. Ie., lean bass, lean mids, lean here. Every single time he calls an iem "lean", he nailed it. I buy it. I hear it. And I think, "Damn. He was right."
There's a certain way he says it. Almost like if you wanted to know about someone and you ask, "Is she cute? or "Is he cute?" and he says, "Well.....(cough)....she's uh....(coughs)...I mean....She's tall."
It's the saying without the saying. And it's VALUABLE!
He's also extremely descriptive and to-the-dot in his reviews. He's, imo, one of the most indispensable reviewers for me. Very few times do I disagree with him on an IEM. He never says it's bad. He says it in a way...where you have to know his lingo.
"Um, well the bass...lacks....authority. Lean. Quite lean......" --> translation: It's bad.
**Passion for Sound**
He's good at telling you about things that are new. He's not the best at telling you what he hates or dislikes. I look at him more like a paper catalog.
**HBB Reviews**
My overall take is that if I were a hip-hop and rap guy, I'd love his channel. Every time I click on one of his videos, I see his gloves and hear some hip-hop song. Problem is, I don't listen to hip-hop. And I don't picture HBB as the kind of guy who listens to Matt Prasty K-pop remixes lol. That said, I love Xuan NV IEM and he tuned that iem.
**Fresh Reviews**
I don't know enough to form an opinion. But he's gaming-focused. So anyone who wants to know about gaming IEMs, I just say go to his channel.
**Practiphile**
I actually like his reviews a lot. Cool cat!
He's entertaining to watch, but he's also pretty clear about what he likes and is good at describing an IEM. I do find his grading confusing at times, ROFL.
He ranks the Cadenza 2 the same grade as the Yu9 Que. And I'm literally bashing my head on the monitor!
But preferences are preferences.
He liked the Celest Pandamon. I liked that.
He liked the Kima 2 and the Pure. I liked those.
He likes the Defiant. I liked that too.
He loved the Misty Blue. I adore that IEM.
He liked the Divine. I liked that too.
He loved the Studio 4, Pilgrim, Astral, Reference, and Volume S (though I returned it because it sounds too much like Pure). I loved those too.
But he also has some outliers. Ie., he loved the Chopin and EA1000, and I didn't like those.
So with him, I view it as maybe 70/30. About 70% of the IEMs he likes, I like. About 30% of the IEMs he likes, I don't.
Top IEMs on Reddit
1
7Hz
7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2
76% positive of 493 users
Budget gaming pick, but poor cables and polarizing bass.
Aciadon
