Affordable vs Expensive IEMs! Can Normal People Tell the Difference? 

The budget IEM range has been on fire lately. Nice video

Grace is a prodigy 😄 she nails the prices mostly, she explains it clearly with minimal vocabulary. I might even buy myself a cadenza,😅

Shoutout to Grace! She’s got this hobby down and she’s barely in it 😂

3:30 "felt less compressed" actually very accurate considering he was comparing wired to Bluetooth earbuds.

Without marketing bias and product reviewers, you are left with only the purest impression of how an inear sounds to their ears. Do you know how to evaluate in a more technical way? no... Are they wrong in their impressions? Of course not... Excellent video, and it makes us reflect on the value of these inears, they are definitely not worth what they cost.

Chrono, good to see you in NY, and great video again with your friends! We (the reviewers) are so often all over the place with our opinions, it's quite funny. It's not that complicated for almost every other human listening to music. In addition, the high-end IEMs can really take some getting used to and a lot of time to appreciate. That said, in today's market, none of them above approx. 250 can justify their price tag based on $$/performance ratios. The point of diminishing returns is almost at floor level for IEMs now - mind-boggling progress!

timbre of single dd is just so smooth could see why they'd enjoy the cadenza the most , maybe throw a 2dd model like red and couple planars in the next one

Question, why is everyone in the comments defending their expensive IEMs? I mean, if we as audiophiles are indeed the more mature crowd and know what's good and what isn't, why do people feel they need to defend against what 'general consumers' think? This speaks volumes about how confident people are with their purchases. While you think about that, I'm gonna grab some Candenzas to add to my collection.

This was really interesting. I own three of these (Dusk, IE 200, Cadenza), and I can totally understand their reactions, even though I would not rank them the same way. The Cadenza really is an amazing deal, and it’s a great walking-the-dog, running-errands IEM. Relaxing, comfortable, and very well tuned.

Great advert for the Kiwi Ears, I've been on the fence of adding them to my collection but this might just tip me.

i honestly really like this video, as someone who recently bought a few budget IEMs this made me feel a bit validated so to speak. when reviewers talk about IEMs i struggle understanding what they are saying but hearing your friends talk about them made me understand and granted the current IEMs i own is the 7hz zero, kiwi ears cadenza and now the hbb x blon z300 and hearing your friends talk about the kiwi i felt so validated like i really like the cadenza and hearing them like felt like a victory for me lol i like the cadenza even more than the 7hz zero i kinda dont like how the 7hz fits it hurts a bit its not something i can wear for long periods of time, where as like the cadenza its comfy the music sounds so good and its just overall really good, but now i got the hbb x blon n im trying this one out and im stuggling if i like it more than the cadenza the feel of it is so nice its got a nice little weight to it and i noticed certain sounds are louder n maybe clearer but i cant quiet say if i like it more than the cadenza i do like the weight of it more tho.

This was a cool video, I love seeing the other side in what people think of some of these. It provides a bit of a sanity check to the hobby, knowing that there really is a difference in sound. Also, seeing the IE200s squarely at the bottom was a little funny since they're my daily drivers for pretty much everything. I wear iems for like 10-12 hours a day so these really work for me just because of the sheer comfort, even better with some foam tips. Though their base tuning is really shrill and very thin, with some good eq you can get them to sound phenomenal! If you are looking at these, don't be discouraged by the initial sound as it can be changed, if you really want comfort, these are by far the most comfortable iems money can buy.

I like your recap at the end, Chrono. The hobby is at a point where "good" or clean reproduction of your music library is attainable for cheaper than ever before. In spite of massive growth in the budget IEM space, though, there is still a prevalent bias for more expensive gear, not necessarily because it sounds better than the cheap stuff (though in some cases it certainly does) but because it feels more premium. We saw this with the release of Project Red, where people were upset that Crin's IEM was priced at only $55. As Crin said, he could have charged $200 for the same sound quality and a nicer build. But he couldn't bring himself to do that, knowing that he could achieve his target frequency response with cheaper materials and charge $55. In the grand scheme of things, there are few IEMs that are worth their MSRP for improvements in tuning and technicalities over the options available at under $100, and typically it's the hardcore enthusiasts who find these price increases to be worth it. So for anyone who just wants a good-sounding product, they can get that for under $100 easily, even under $50. But for people who enjoy the hobby and like to explore different tunings and appreciate subtle differences in technicalities, it makes sense to explore different options at different price points to find something that matches their niche preferences.

I spent quite a bit on this hobby over the last couple of years. I have the RME ADI-2 DAC, LCD-X 2021, HE6SE V2, among some other things. I wanted a bassy closed back, knowing that I'll have to sacrifice some soundstage and detail. I got a Denon D9200. I hated them, and returned them. Last week I got the Cadenda, I didn't know what to expect. I was wowed. They were everything I wanted the Denon to be. Just goes to show you don't have to spend a ton for pure musical enjoyment. For most people, they will probably sound better then 99.5% of systems they heard before. Especially the bass. Most domestic hifis don't reproduce bass like that.

I love this video. Sound signature is all about personal preference. I LOVE seeing excessively priced items being ranked way below much more appropriately priced items. I LOVE this.

This is proof that tonality is everything

Nice vid but you should put up the prices of the eim when they use them so that the audience knows what price range they are listening too if we aren’t already familiar with the iem

Great video this morning ☕️☕️ I’ve had the pleasure of introducing people to IEM’s ..people who don’t have anything more than ear buds…if that …And no matter what I give them to try ..their mind is blown ! Now as good as most over ear headphones are ..they can never have that deep impactful bass and sense of sound that a decent iem will have at a faction of the price of even mid tier headphones…and even then . Have a great Easter 🐣

Can't agree more with the cadenza price guesses though😂. It actually felt fire to me in my first trial

A lot of music out there was not recorded to showcase stage and technicalities of the gear. For these I put IEM comfort at the top and tuning next. But there are musical pieces that benefit from highly technical gear. I can tolerate even some discomfort to listen to these. An audiophile is someone who can pick the proper/matching gear for a particular piece of music for the most enjoyment. Cadenza is one of those gems that can handle gracefully multiple genres. A piece recorded with elevated highs can make expensive IEM fail and sound well on an otherwise unimpressive IEM.

So nice meeting you in person at CanJam!

Nice video and idea...and some amazing results!

Yoo I got the same Zenitsu T shirt!!! Interesting take on those IEMs. Great video!!!

Very entertaining, nicely edited. This should be serialised!

Interesting video! Good shout about IEMs being mostly about right tonality and comfort (getting a seal is of utmost importance). I wonder what was their reaction after being told how much the u12t costs!

I really appreciated Hans in particular because while he was unbiased in terms of the brand names, he clearly still knew what to listen for and has that "musician ear" trait.

Grace might be able nail the prices but man Hans has a measuring rig level hearing. :D he's spot on with the frequency response.

Kiwi Cadenza is a killer! I own one and love its energy and tonality.

This was very surprising. Maybe it's the bass and warmth doing the trick for Cadenza. Would love if next time you can try the test with some FatFreq iems, would be interesting how your friends regard those.

this is such a great video. wtg. especially when ive found it while my cadenza should arrive in a couple of days.

Great video. Unbiased and non-Audiophile (normal person's) honest impressions. Makes you think about the hype and price point of the supposed "audiophile" grade iems.

I have only listened to sets that cost up to 80 usd and that is the T3+ one thing I liked about them is that they are fun but they don't disappoint on what they deliver and they are my benchmark now on the sound sig and comfort since if I want and upgrade from T3+ i'd get the same sound sig but more resolving and have more techs with alongside the very comfortable 3d printed resin shell. T3+, they are just very COMFORTABLE, I'm actually considering getting the panda just for the shell but it'll keep me wanting for the sound improvement.

the color blend of the clip just like the interstellar movie, loved it

You have some really pretty friends. Amazing lighting.

Apparently you don't need to go far from your budget to have the best iem experience especially if you have a normal ears..i like this type of blind listen for normal/regular listeners..make a part 2 of this video man, the one that you use your regular phone and a simple dongle maybe..this is awesome.

It would be really useful if you put the values up as well as the names of the earphones so people who aren't familiar with all the various IMS can understand what they're watching. Great video though thanks.

More videos like these ! I've watched it many times lol

That was great! Honest opinions.

Grace has a natural talent for this kind of thing, I trust her and Golden Ears over on Gizaudio more than any other reviewers at this point lol. My next IEM purchase will be the Cadenzas. Thanks guys!

More iem testing vid like this pls

Fantastic video. No bias at all

Interestingly I have been using the Sony IER Z1R ($1,700) and I tried hidizs MP145 ($160) the sound quality is very similar to the much expensive IEMs I am blown away how good budget IEMs have gone these days beating older flagships and both were tested with audiophile source

I would guess it has to do with IEMs as a platform benefits from a bit lower trebble. Ear piercing sounds are going to feel much worse inside of your ear than a pair of over ear headphones with similar signature. Probably going to get those Kiwis, for the price it seems really promising.

I want you guys to just feed Grace more IEMs/headphones/source gear whatever and ask her to make review shorts.

Now do a follow-up video to check if they prefer the Cadenza or Senn IE 900. This would be a great way to check if per their opinion higher price products may be worth it.

Love grace explanation .. so simple ..

Honest and possibly helpful feedback (to make the video more digestable) i think it would be helpful to have a little subtitle on the bottom that reference the price of each earphone (during each segment for context for the viewer), each person is discussing about and a little "blurb" with context to how they were suppose to sound. in relation to what each person is hearing. For example if someone were to say something sounds brittle, (perhaps theres some truth what they are saying, maybe the treble is too emphasized). for example Ex the blessing 2 is a bright sounding earphone with a subdue bass (or even have a small corner with a screenshot of the frequency response) so to have some context. Also at the end when they rank their earphones have the prices listed with the names of each earphone for context (easier to see perhaps its not price that influence their choices, or maybe they just have "expensive" tastes. It would shorten the views and make it easier for the viewers to see whats happening

Just bought the cadenza based on your vid ,I do feel that yoi can get awesome ear phones for little money nowadays .

I wish you'd show results at the end with the price guesses against actual price and tally their rankings. I know you said it's not a scientific experiment, but it would be easier for simpletons like me to compare results because by the end I'd forgotten details how they stacked up.

Nice shirt! was it a coinicidence or planned for season 3? 😄

Interesting about the Meteor, they all had basically the complete opposite impressions of what most reviewers say

Top picks are harman target centric tuned no surprise there.

Did you use Adobes AI for the microphone audio in the beginning and the very end? You can hear the AI just so you know but, it sounds very clear and the average person wouldn't notice unless they were listening very closely. Great video!

I collect inexpensive iem's with unusually good sound, like the kiwi ears, its a rewarding hobby as you can bang in your kz Pr1s and laugh at the dudes with their sundaras and such that you cant go anywhere with.. and you are 80% there, for less then 100 bucks. I have 30 dollar headphones that are just brilliant..but you do need to invest in a decent dap or dongle dap with balanced output. Good show, I like this experiment, it proves a point. Most people cant spend 1000 on a set of iem's, and nowdays with chiifi growing up, you dont need to. Something like those kiwi ears did not exist 5 years ago.

Guess I should buy the Cadenza! I have never heard of that IEM.

Guessing the Cadenzas must scale well with the very good sources used :) This throws more weight to Crinacle type reviews :) Surprised the meteors didn’t fare better, HBB favorite, though I haven’t heard any of these :) Excellent video and nice friends :)

Brilliant vid. Made up my mind for me about what in-ears to get. When 3 such diverse people all define them as 'best' (and despite the notation about 'comfort' being one of the defining reasons) I think that is enough for me to start with these. I am pretty sure I will be pleased. Great vid, and even the linked vid simply confirmed my choice. there was one other, but frankly it looked ugly so, maybe that was the final tipping point? They LOOK great too!

Would it have killed you guys to add the price of each headphone as they were being tested? I have no idea what these are as there are probably more headphone brands than energy drink brands in the world.

Cheap IEMs would typically be plugged right into a phone. Running DAC/Amp stack really changes the playing field. You can push low-end IEMs well with a DAC/Amp and they sound "way better". The real test is to run IEMs out of an iPhone 10 or even 14 for the "everyone upgrades all the time" crowd (my own phone is like 7 years old Motorola G6). Driving some good IEMs with higher ohms is harder to do from a typical user's phone. I love what I can get out of some of my cheaper IEMs when using my Geshelli stack.

I think that you get a good sealing is very important

they all picks them cause they was dipped in resin and looked expensive , its the same with food if you haven't made it yourself , the getter it looks the better it also tasted usually. and possible the in rar fit too lacked on some of them, ontop of in my expirence, if you have a flat natal music speaker, you rally need to crank the volume up for non audiofiles, cause most of them value bass and thumping midrange the most

Welllll .. I ordered myself a couple Linsoul Kiwi Ears Cadenzas.

Now it makes sense why you had a meteor lol. Gotta try the cadenza now!

Thanks Much !

What should I get for acoustic piano playing? I'm not with any band...no microphones. Just want to know what I sound like when I'm playing.

Meteor my beloved! 😭 I sold my cadenza cause I didn’t love them… do I need to re buy them and give them another try?!

Beryllium DDs are one of the best DD. Also goes to show why harman target is popular

This really speaks volumes to how important tuning an iem is... Cadenza's rockat $35!!! and I own $600 iem's.

People liked the best FR with the least distortion the most, no surprises here.

TIn hifi T2 has proven time and again to me that good tuning doesnt cost a million dollars I am always amazed at how good they sound whenever i pick them up to use them with my ipad

Brilliant video 👏 That was really interesting to see honest reactions hmmm. ❤

I love Grace and her instincts.

It is very important. Please state what genre (or tracks) they listened to. The Kiwi Ears has subdued high and rich bass. Ofc I don't like the U12t either way.

Kiwi ears is rocking the lower range the quartets are my go to

After spending 20-30k for hps and IEMs last years I'm driving with the Zero 2 and Isine 10 (set to Harman target).

So you do a tip fitting for every testee?

$40 is really expensive for the cheapest option when you consider that some of the most used iems used to be the freebies we got with phones before companies got too stingy for that, or some $20 random pair of Sony's. Nowadays you have pretty solid options for half the price of rhe the cheapest tier

Im at 6:55 and Im surprised that they appreciate more the Cadenza rather than the Blessing 2

I’ve learned I MUST have custom tips for IEM’s. None of the tips they come with ever give me the seal I need

Are they listening to the same tracks between IEM's though? Because if they happen to listen to a track with good dynamic range on one pair, and then happen to listen to something completely brickwalled on another, that's going to impact their experience massively, regardless of IEM. This impacts your sound more than your amp or dac would. Even if your audio is super high res, if it's compressed into oblivion, that won't matter much sadly.

May I know the Audio file they're listening too. Thanks ahead!

I've been saying forever the U12t are overhyped for the extreme price. I haven't heard the rest of these so I don't know if the Kiwi Ears has a huge caveat/flaw that these newbies couldn't hear, but the U12t is for sure not worth its price tag. I read up on the Cadenzas, and they must've heard the rich bass (which also could have to do with test tracks played). They probably weren't paying attention to tonality or imaging. I still have to emphasize I returned my U12t and will never buy one again. If you want to spend over $1k, definitely don't spend it on the U12t.

I own a LARGE collection of IEMs and headphones. From 20 to 2000$+. My most expensive IEMs are only 1000$ though. The Cadenza is one of my favorite IEMs ever. I got a pair for my GF ans she absolutely loves them. They're soooo comfy, light, you're not scared of breaking them so you can go out and throw Them in a bag without stressing out... The sound is top tier for the money... You can't go wrong.

IEMs bypass pinna, so the sound preference is much more varied.

I should try cadenza after this

Nice video. I feel like IEMs are leading the charge for best value for money when it comes to SQ if you don't mind having things in your ears. Chord Mojo 2 plus Cadenza would be a killer combo for new audiophiles without breaking the bank. A top system that is attenable even for students with part-time jobs.

Great, now I'm questioning whether I need or not to get another budget pair and get the cadenzas 😭

Adorable friends you have...Yoda would say 🐸

Should've had them test more distinct but popular iems like the Timeless, OH10, T3+, QKZ HBB etc. and throw endgame iems into the mix like the Maestro SE or the Elysian Annihilators. Would've been a lot more interesting to see their reaction to these significant changes but also those price points. Blessing 2 Dusk was a good add though given it's popularity.

This might as well be an ad for cadenza

Worth getting cadenza if i have waner and hola?

I think you should put the price next to the name of the in-ear up on the screen.

Does anyone know the color-changing lamp in the background at 0:01 min that's attached to an arm? Is that even a lamp? Is it a mike? Might be both. In any case, it's similar to the one DMS has on his desk in some reviews. I need this thing in my life, and you might too.

So, are the Cadenza's actually that good?

I will definitely buy a pair of cadenza after watching this video 😂

Kiwi ear Cadenza 🤩

im not surprised most average people prefer sound that has extra sound signature rather than audiophile favorite neutral sound signature

In my opinion, audiophile now a days talk only about drivers, technicalities, graphs, tuning ect, nobody don’t feel the music and how pleasing anymore. Thats why we should do blind testing with normal people.

What song were they listening to?

which songs do they hear pls ?