Just got them yesterday, these are my first planar and €100+ headphones (IEMs, in this case) and I'm loving them! They have all the technicalities I missed from my chifi IEMs. The tuning is a tad bright but I can handle it. A complaint I have is that acoustic instruments don't sound like they have as much "soul" as on dynamic drivers, but it isn't too bad. Their response to EQ though... unbelievable. They can transform into bass monsters. So glad I bought them!
@@aqryllic so awesome you’re enjoying your first experience branching into your journey with music and the passionate folks you’ll keep meeting and encountering as you linger and engage with the community more and more. So glad you are enjoying your setup bud. What are you currently using to drive them btw?
Own this IEM for several weeks now, it has very low distortion, hence a very clean sound. And it takes EQ like crazy. It's very fast, in fact, sometimes I thought there's electrostatic driver inside. During busy tracks, the drivers don't break a sweat, every note is very well separated. It's one of the no brainers that pops up in the market from time to time.
it is clear that you are someone who definitely knows what they are talking about. I am a novice but these IEMs have blown me away. thanks for the recommendation!
Good review friend. I've had these from early on and you are 100% right. Fantastic bass, drum skins and wound strings have great texture and resonance and sound live, mids are just right and yes the higher end of the treble loses a little on timbre. I have both the 4.4mm and 2.5mm stock cables. Great, detailed review.
I subscribe to every word of this review! How many watched the video on these headphones - but everything is somewhere nearby, you have a complete hit in the top ten, on all counts. BRAVO !!!
100% agree with everything you said about these im owner of the lcd x and xc these are mind-blowing for a IEM thanks for the review and I went out and bought very very happy my planar line up is complete for now lol
@@cdotwu I emailed Letshuoer directly. It expired last month but even though the promo was over by two weeks when I was ready to order they let me use it any way. I had to share their ad for the S12 on Facebook and was then provided a $20 promo code. If you're interested in placing an order I'd give them a holler. When a company is looking at you placing an order for $130 but skipping out at $150, they'll usually throw you the code. I would not have followed through at $150 and would have just stuck with the Tripowin Olina at $100; but $130 was close enough to the Olina that I was willing to give both a shot. Based on early reviews and buzz it really seems like the S12 is going to be something special so to get it for $130 seems like an excellent deal. Gonna be interested to see how it compares to the Olina which I got yesterday and I'm really enjoying.
@@cdotwu So, I've spent a few hours comparing the Olina and the S12 now and I don't think I've found a single instance in which I prefer the Olina. As has been pointed out, most especially by dharmasteve, these things do drums so much justice it's hard to even explain. Every hit is distinct and the cymbals have a shine and crispness that I haven't experienced since my Audio Technica ATH-AD900s back when I had a vinyl collection and tube amps. But then, they do the low end as much if not more justice then my Sennheiser HD-25 1 Mk. IIs. Like, the kick drum really kicks and the bass evokes a resonance that I can feel in my body. It's glorious. I was just doing a bunch of A to B comparisons, playing sections of a song over and over and then switching to the other IEM and comparing. I listened to Deftones, Porcupine Tree, Big Thief, **** Buttons, Nine Inch Nails, Bon Iver, Tool and a fair bit more and in every instance the S12 won out. The last two comparisons were where I finally decided to call it quits and accept the fact that I'm probably not going to find a song in which I prefer the Olina: the beginning of "UFOF" by Big Thief and the beginning of "Flume" by Bon Iver.I had heard the Olina were good with acoustic stuff so I figured I'd it was time to put them in their wheel house. In the first instance I paid particular attention to the drums as played in the first 15 seconds. On the Olina they kind of melded together and were a little lost in the rest of the song. On the S12 they were distinct and clear, but in no way overpowering anything around them. For "Flume" the acoustic guitar was just so much more clear and resonant on the S12 it really wasn't even fair to continue. To me it felt like a knock out blow so that's where I stopped the comparison. There was one song, "Piggy" by Nine Inch Nails, where I felt the snare hits had more oomph on the Olina but then the S12 revealed so much depth to each hit -- you could hear the damn chains rattle like your head was next to the drummer! -- that I instantly forgot that it didn't have quite as much punch. This was one of the only instances in which I felt I could give a slight edge to the Olina. There were moments during comparisons where I thought I heard a detail I hadn't noticed on the S12 while listening to the Olina, but switching back over instantly proved that I was wrong: I just hadn't been paying attention to that particular sound because the S12 was blowing my mind with other things. That's kind of the story over all though: the S12 is just fun as hell to listen. There were moments where I caught myself continuing to listen to a song because I was just so into it, something I realized wasn't happening with the Olina. To get less technical, what I noticed every time upon the immediate switch was that the Olina felt darker and colder to me while the S12 was brighter and warmer. I don't know if I'm using those terms correctly, but those were the sensations that came to mind. The S12 had an appreciably bigger sound stage and gave the impression of being in a room with analog instruments, something I just didn't feel with the Olina. I feel really weird bad mouthing the Olina because they are a really nice set of IEMs. I love their case and their look and for $100 they sound really, really good. I had a week with the Olinas before the S12s arrived and I was digging them so much I considered not opening the S12s. I thought I was totally satisfied. I'm glad my curiosity won out, though. I got the S12 for one $130, and to be honest for only $30 more it's not really a fair comparison. Now, it looks like Letshuoer is upping the MSRP on the S12 to $170 and that's where you might be able to start to make a value judgment concerning price to performance but honestly, even then, if you can afford the extra $70 it's not really a contest. Let me say this to finish off: I am just a laymen and I would hardly call myself an audiophile. I'm at best audiophile adjacent, lol. I'm listening to FLAC files and 320 kbps mp3s through a lower end DAP, the FiiO X1 (to be replaced by the Sony NW-A55 tomorrow). Take my opinion with a grain of salt, and of course everyone's ears are different. But I just spent a few hours of my life shoving foam ear tips (the same Comply tips were used on both the Olina and the S12) into my ears over and over again like I was trying to achieve some kind of audio climax through half inch penetration, and I figured I might as well share my viewpoint if it helps someone out. I'm a guy who can't afford the latest and greatest and I had to choose between the S12 and the Olina for the IEM that will be with me for at least the next few years. The S12 won out handily, and I'm even more excited than I thought I would be because it's exactly the type of audio device that makes you want to re-listen to your entire collection, I don't think there is any higher praise than that.
Bought this with the 4.4mm plug for $115 just the other day and currently am waiting for delivery. Also bought a 3.5mm plug cable and can't wait to get it and put it through the ringer. Great and heartfelt review BTW.
Great review, engaging, thanks! I bought the S12 Pro recently and don't regret it! Sound is incredible. Just finished watching Mad Max Fury Road with these and the music was mind blowing and explosive. Just so good.. Wow
Letshuoer has a Black Friday sale and 15% off coupon for first purchase for S12 pro. Shipping and all I paid $121. I absolutely cannot wait to put them on.
Great great review my friend. I’ve watched many others reviews just out of curiosity but yours was the bug that bit and is gonna make me purchase a set to try out. For that price, they’re surely a tremendous deal. Whether or not I’ll subjectively enjoy thei4 tuning I guess remains to be seen but knowing they take well to EQ I’m totally comfortable trying them out. My only other planar IEMs I own or have even heard are my Timeless which I bought blind (no pun intended, truly) and absolutely love. You have a set in rn or coming in at some point for review or are you interested in borrowing a set to try for a couple weeks or so? Also curious if you have Olina..they’re just on another level for me as far as price-to-performance ratio and value..truly worth the blind buy actually IMO. Btw, not that this is significant to anyone other than myself surely but my father lost his sight entirely shortly after I was born and I just absolutely enjoy your perspective and unique points of view you have to offer as it’s honestly quite insightful coming from someone who has such a passion (and undeniably a great ear) for audio and specifically music, but also as an individual who relies on it SO much more heavily and undoubtedly appreciates and cherishes that gift. Anyway, it always makes your videos and your approach just even more especially appealing to me. Thanks for the always-fantastic reviews and content!
First and foremost, thank you for the kind words, and welcome to the fam. Thank you for the kind offer, yes they are coming in for review with the Kato and I will put the head-to-head in a shootout I had a quick listen to the kato, those superb I subjectively prefer the S 12 but we will get into that in the review 😎 and thanks again for the offer it’s very much appreciated
I was in doubt between Variations, Kato, 7hz timeless, blessing2 dusk, Eclipse and those S12. Now I think I made my mind. The price was a strong factor.
what did u get nd up getting? cuz I'm looking at th same set of iems. I sadly broke my variations but if I'm being honestly it didn't amaze me as much as I thought it would compared to even the dusk.
I was considering this along with the Ikko OH10. Your comment about the vocals is making me lean towards the S12. I listen to a lot of Indian music, which are vocals centric. When it comes to English music, I am all over the place. I like Roy Orbison, Norah Jones, Eagles, Pink Floyd, Rush, some EDM etc. Wondering if I the Cayin RU6 or the newly launched Hidizs XO are a good match?
I shouldn’t think there will be a problem, but I’ve not reviewed those two I would highly recommend considering Questyle m15 the review is about to be shot and it’s insanely good
I'm sure these would have cost more if it weren't for Timeless setting the bar lower, albeit perhaps haphazardly or accidentally. You also have to wonder what it really cost to manufacture, perhaps a single planar driver is perhaps the cheapest possible configuration parts and materials-wise. I suppose that's what makes the IEM market so exciting, who really can say what's next and for what price.
Note for the editor, there are far to many instances in this video where the reviewer is handling something and talking about it in a demonstrative manner and yet you've chosen to show b-roll or still shots completely ignoring the reviewer. I see this time and time again and it's so annoying. When a reviewer is handling anything and talking about it show them so we can see what they are describing and handling. Otherwise why are they doing it because we know they're manipulating, handling something so we can see exactly what they're both doing and describing. Which is not b-roll or stills. So damned annoying when this is done and basically defeats the purpose of the reviewers points they are making. That all being said some of the stills and b-roll were well placed and welcomed. Just remember when the reviewer is actually manipulating, handling something and describing what they're doing please show that instead. Bah enough. To the young man doing this review I have to say excellent job and you hit everything I was wondering about with this set of IEMs. I'm happily subscribing to see what the future brings. You truly have a gift in how you brought me in to experience what you hear without actually hearing the IEMs for myself. Your review was excellent and on the same level as those reviewers I hold in high regard and so far have not let me down when I purchase something they recommend. Now that being said get your editor under control and I can see myself enjoying and valuing your reviews for many years to come...
Koji! I love your content! very informative and detailed!! Which brings me to my question.. I'm looking for detailed, Closed-back wired or Wireless headphones with great separation, bass and detail. Or should I just buy the UM MK2 and be done? I've heard apple, bose QC 35 and Sony WX1000 4. which seems too veiled. Budget is $500
Genuinely at this price point, I would not really consider closed back headphones I don’t care for the mutch, their performance is mediocre Iems especially on the Used market will get you so much more for your money Moon,drop variations, um mk ii Monarch, Mark, two. Any of these on the used market
You can also say these are giant killers. I retired my 2016 Campfire Vega after getting these. Sure the Vega may have a tad more bass, but the S12 have so much more over the Vega, that I almost feel ripped off I paid all that money all those years ago. Granted, I had the Vega for 7 years now but the S12 just showed me how much I was missing. I had two full sized planar headphones before. The LCD 2 and the Sendy Aiva, but I was not pleased with either of them. In my own opinion IEM is a better implementation for planar magnetic drivers.
Against the timeless I have not measured yet, but I will be doing a ShootOut review of all of these including the KATO Isolation is good for a normal environment I would not recommend using these onstage because the best tips for them are the open bore grey ones and they do not isolate for stage environments The staging is very good actually not too bad at all Imogen is nice it’s mid range and Bass that these truly excel at KAT oh has better stage
It would be awesome to hear your thoughts of the s12 vs the new raptgo hook x . I got this s12 on the way but tempted to send it back and go with raptgo x but I may just sit tight and enjoy the heck out of the s12 with my qudelix 5k
There is going to be a massive shoot out come in, soon, I will try and get as many of these offerings as possible in this category to make it really in-depth
@@ConvinceMeAudio your review of s12 convinced me to order ahahahaha and got it for 139 so I'm super new to iem after having lots of tws and over ears bit this is a whole new game with iem so far my only pair is the olina and love those but I think the s12 will be phenomenal after watching your vid and bunch of others and reading comments from others like myself who have them!!!!! Take care man and really enjoy your channel!!!!
They will sound great with a dongle like this QUESTYLE M15. A nail in the coffin of all dongles under £500? ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-N4RKWDReyrs.html
If I wanted to step up from the S12s at some point, what would be a worthy upgrade but not overly expensive? I was thinking like the dunu sa6, variations, oracle, etc. Do u think I can expect to see a noticeable difference in this 500$ range or would I have to climb higher? Thx!
Variations is superb, I’ve got it here for review, that would be a nice upgrade, but it won’t be as exponential as you’re thinking, honestly, so I recommend either getting that, or saving up and getting a used monarch mark two, or unique, Melody, messed Mark, two
I bought S12 to replace my old KZ ZS5, they are great and fun, especialy lows, but Im not too stoke about trebles and high mids. There is something thats bothers me and no EQ on my Plenue D3 can help. ZS5 needed lots of EQ help, but they soud very good after no matter the music style. S12 sounds bit weird with folk style music especialy if there is bit of distorted guitars together with acoustic, same with percusion heavy music, weird.
better then 1k iems like mest OG monach mkii clairs ej07 xennx Up sa6 oracle ? also are those ej07m HBB kinda lava your talking about next to you in that box ? also what is your library consist of ?
I would say it’s technically better than MKI, but mine is the bone conduction you’ve got to take that away, unique melody imaging is tied to it and it’s nuts. Definitely beats the Kinera and campfire lineup Up to the lower treble. The problem with this is when you go into the killer buck IEM territory that’s where improvements happen Treble is expensive LOL My library consists of everything I listen to everything and across the world as well Classical, rock, metal, hip-hop, pop, dance, EDM, acoustic, live, film scores jazz
@@ConvinceMeAudio Thx, I'll investigate the Mad24... And so I guess the Susvara remains the best tool available in terms of a realistic sound reproduction(?)
@@MannyScoot it’s smooth, and it’s quite technical for the price point, but you can’t resolve that with the eq That’s a driver limitation thing, But we’ll see what can be dug upue
@@ConvinceMeAudio The cable makes a difference....I tried them all from the ThieAudio silver which made the treble pop but the voices were a bit on the thin side.... to the best sound I got is from the IMR 2021 OFC single crystal oxygen free copper cable......The cable cost as much as the S12 and came from England, but man .....It brings them to some serious levels of detail thicker Bass and warm vocals.....The treble became more extended and crystal clear details..... Cables make a difference I don't care what anyone says .....specially when you have a good set of IEM's !
