You should make a video explaining your technicalities rating scale, a lot of the iems on it haven't gotten attention on in a long time so newer hobbyists might not know
@@destiny_xd9126 I don't think this is the case with Effect/Elysian, they are very small scale. Elysian (who produce the Gaea for Effect) my understanding they are all hand-made in Malaysia. I have a Symphonium Helios, which came labelled "Made in Singapore".
KZ is the brand that pulled so many normies into audiphile community including me. Thier zst, zstx, zsn, zsn pro x were some of the highest sold iems. Though they messed up (which was later proved to be just a mistake), they are indeed making some good iems now. I just hope they get back the name they deserve.
It would be interesting if KZ eventually ends up on the Solid tier lmao. Although, yeah, this tier list does align quite well with what I see online. Now, the next tier list should probably be for Japanese brands, although selection is likely limited, and I expect them all to be at mixed bag or lower lol
I think kz could earn the Solid ranking but they have over 60 iems in their catalog and a majority of them are just barely ok - some are just bad. They are getting better but they need more of that before being moved up. Right now, I think Cult is perfect.
Hey Timmy, how come you rarely review DAPs, DACs, and amps? It would be good to hear your opinions on new gear other than IEMs. Would also be useful to know what sources you use to make your IEM reviews with.
I have a few reasons for not reviewing more sources. 1. I think most of them are very expensive in comparison for the sonic "improvements" you might get out of them. I just find spending $1000 on a great IEM is more worth in sound quality than $1000 in a source. 2. I don't use many of the features on any given source, I just plug my IEMs or headphones in and play. I don't use a lot of the features that most other in the community uses. This is a problem if I have to review a source, cause I'd be force to use and care about those features that I normally would ignore completely. 3. I care more about DAP and far far less about desktop DAC/AMPs (I bought A90/ D90 for the power meme and would never buy another stack ever again as I feel I don't need anything else). And for DAP, I only care about user-friendliness (battery life, UI, size, input options) Even so, I have the M11S and I don't forsee switching or upgrading ever again too. Because of these reasons, I would be a pretty boring and useless source reviewer lol
@@Gizaudio Thanks for answering. I asked because you said you were running out of content and things to review. 😆 Sources are very important because IEMs and headphones sound quality can change pretty substantially depending on the source it's plugged into. Some sources synergize well with certain IEMs or headphones, while others can make them sound meh or even sound bad.
Currently sporting the Dunu Kima, equalized on a Schiit Loki, and it sounds fantastic! Comfortable in the ears, I can game with them for hours. One of my favorite features is the cable, you can ball it up, wind it up, twist it up, and it never tangles. You just pick it up by the plug and let it drop and it unravels perfectly every time. Amazing IEM.
I got this TRN MT1 as my first IEM way back 2020. And it was the worst decision ive made. Ive got this trust issues with Budget IEMs and considering TWS. I need to to trust your videos timmy as my happy moments of my life for Budget IEMs. Haha! TRN S**ks
Aria sounds very cheap quality though. But numbers are legendary only for businessmen, not audiophiles. Apple AirPods and Beats by Dre had legendary numbers, but their headgears are pretty bad.
I have never owned a FiiO IEM, but the FiiO EM5 earbud has surprised me for how good an open earbud can sound. It has the right amount of boosted bass (possibly the most an earbud can achieve without messing up the rest of the frequency response), providing a good amount of warmth and impact without becoming overpowering or bloated. Its sound signature is suited for various music genres and it has a natural tonality. The only cons is that there are multiple ways to wear it, which affects the sound, but there is only 1 way to wear it correctly for the most accurate sound. Basically, after putting it in my ear, I have to pull the stem down while pushing the earbud inward so it lodges in place. Pushing the stem up doesn't give as accurate sound.
It's interesting that the two companies I'm most interested in are both Legendary. I'm super curious about the Softears Studio 4 and the new Blessing 3. Considering that I like a more lively sound, the Blessing may be the one but I’m soooooooo curious about the Studio 4. 😕
@@Gizaudio I’ve also come to realize that Softears is a sister company of Moondrop and when you compare the tunings of the B3 and the S4, they’re virtually identical from 20Hz to about 1K. However, I’m sure similarities end there.
What is the qualifying end game,what makes these the guys experts,based on what they say,everyone is an expert,based on what,all I can say is EQ your product,YIKES.
Much respect, your videos are fun, and I give your take on iem’s quite a bit of weight. I know you’re a fan ~ of the Aful Performer mer 5… Have you reviewed any other of their line up? I checked out reviews on Amazon and it was not as joyous as yours and their quality control has been mentioned, I think by you too? Just wondering how a promising ~ iffy start landed in solid??
Moondrop sound is good, but the quality sucks.. Not durable at all esp. for someone who carrying them around.. Based on some fans reaction, it should belongs to cult..
Not even remotely a KZ follower and I only own one; being their newest: D-Fi. I will absolutely say without a shadow of a doubt that I enjoy the D-Fi more than the Chu, QKZ x HBB, S12, EA500 and Olina SE; all of which are part of my personal collection and are rotated on a daily basis so that I get the most use out of what I paid for. The D-Fi only loses out to the Aful Performer5 because of the sheer enjoyment that I get out of the clarity and detail retrieval. For $27, it has such a smooth and easy listening experience with almost no hint of sibilance for the volume that I listen to (low to mid because I'm in an office environment). I would highly recommend that people check this IEM out if you're in the sub $50 or even sub $100 market. Easily a high recommendation
D-Fi is "new" KZ with "mature" tuning, less bloated bass and less peaky treble. Very good for $27 although I wouldn't be putting it above the S12 or EA500 personally.
I've been leaning toward QKZ x HBB based on the sound demos on RU-vid and Dan's endorsement. I've never heard of the KZ D-FI though. Can you give some comparisons below? 1. Micro dynamics (subtle changes in volume within a singer's/instrument's voice/sound) 2. Macro dynamics (volume difference between quiet and loud parts in a song) 3. Separation 4. Midrange (recessed/forward, engaging/dull, vibrant/lifeless, etc.) 5. Treble (sparkle/dull, airy/closed in, well-extended/rolled-off, smooth/grainy) 6. Which reproduces subtle overtones and harmonics better, or reveal nuances in a singer's voice more? 7. Which has better detail retrieval? 8. Balanced, warm, bright, bassy, etc.? 9. Which has more natural/realistic tone and timbre? 10. Imaging capabilities? 11. Which has better attack and decay of notes? Or, any comparison that I left out. Thanks for the help.
@blorg8206 I can absolutely see how some people would prefer the s12 and EA500. I think for me, it comes down to the listening experience that an IEM gives. I love when an IEM grabs my attention with a little bit more sparkle, but at the same time, I want to be able to relax and enjoy the music passively. Thanks for the input! ❤️
@tla5503 Absolutely! I will say that Dan has an amazing setup that let's you objectively compare IEMs, but it isn't true to life. The QKZ x HBB is an amazing buy for $20, and is one of my all-time favorites because of its warm, laid back sound signature. For Micro and Macro dynamics, I would personally put these a little bit higher than most others would, and the reason being is (like the previous commenter mentioned) it's MUCH less peaky than some of the other IEMs mentioned. I haven't found myself thinking "Wow, that was really shrill." as I do with most of my IEMs. Comparing something like the S12, I dont have to compensate on the listening experience because I know that the D-Fi won't have high treble peaks. I would say the Midrange is done very well. I absolutely LOVE when I can hear the details of a vocalist's mouth changing shape to enunciate a word because this provides more realism for my listening experience. I don't believe that this beats the details on something like the S12, Olina, or EA500, but what it does to is sit perfectly well with the rest of the tuning so that it all feels relaxing and easy to listen to. I never found myself thinking that the vocals or slides on a guitar were recessed. Everything sat just right in the mix. Treble on this IEM is actually the reason that I reach for this over my S12, EA500, Olina, and sometimes even the Performer 5. I wouldnt say that I'm treble sensitive by any means, but I don't necessarily like an overly spicy treble. The D-Fi offers a very smooth and well extended experience. The details in the upper range are also quite good. I would say that it has just the right amount of air to give a sense of space, but not nearly as wide as the Olina or Performer 5. I believe that the D-Fi is overall neutral to maybe a little warm with a VERY natural sound. I noticed an ever so slight metallic sound, but you have to be listening for it to notice. Now for the comparison of the two: Bass: The QKZ x HBB wins in this department, but not in the way you would expect. I think that the D-Fi is much cleaner and more mature sounding and hits much faster, as where the QKZ x HBB has more of a punch and is MUCH more fun, but tends to bleed into the mids a bit. I do not notice this bleed with the D-Fi. For overall bass quantity, the QKZ wins. For overall bass quality, I'd say it's a tie and mostly up to preference on how much or how detailed you want your bass. Mids: The D-Fi wins hands down because of the aforementioned statement of the QKZ bleeding into the mids. The D-Fi also gives that effect of hearing when the artist's mouth is moving. I do not feel this with the QKZ. Treble: neither are overbearing in the treble section, but I think that the D-Fi had cleaner and better extended treble. I will say that both IEMs are extremely easy to listen to and won't fatigue you after an hour, but the D-Fi retains that easy listening experience while still providing more detail and a cleaner sound. Detail retrieval: This one again goes to the D-Fi. The QKZ is much more fun, and engaging, but the D-Fi does produce much clearer and more precise details than the QKZ. I would even go as far to say that the D-Fi is ever so slightly below or even on the level of the Olina Se. The D-Fi is by far more realistic in it's representation of reproduction. The QKZ has this sort of "veil" effect that makes the it seem like the notes aren't necessarily present, but when you put the D-Fi in, that veil is lifted and everything becomes much more clear and delivered in a more appealing way. For attack and decay, this again goes to the D-Fi, and by a decent margin for my ears. I sometimes felt that the QKZ seemed slightly bloated when compared to the D-Fi. The D-Fi even has much better attack and decay compared to something like the EA500 as well. Summary: I MUST say that the QKZ x HBB is easily one of my favorites in my collection and it's the IEM that I reach for when I want to have fun with my music. Even though it has its shortcomings when compared to others, it is a fantastic IEM that I've even personally purchased for other people and will continue to do because of the sheer fun listening experience. With that being said, I personally believe that the D-Fi deserves to be among the hype train IEMs like Olina Se, EA500, S12, Hexa, Zero. KZ may have had issues in the past, but the D-Fi was clearly their way of delivering on something that is meant to get them back into the market and be highly competitive. What would I recommend? If you want the most bang for your buck and your interests are in detail, neutral sound signature, and overall easy listening experience, go for the D-Fi. If you want something that is fun, energetic, and has an incredible amount of bass; go with the QKZ x HBB. You genuinely cannot go wrong with either of these, it will just fall into which side of the tonality spectrum you prefer. I really hope this helped, and I'm sorry if it was too long! Let me know if you have any other questions!
@@Erithonyoutube well tyvm. i am definitely looking into the D-FI now thanks to you. And then I notice it has a version with a tuning switch for $16 more, which mainly affects the bass and a bit of treble. Have you tried the different tunings? Anywho, I noticed the D-FI seems to adhere more to the diffuse field tuning even more so than my pricier IEMs, so I am definitely leaning toward trying out the D-FI, especially with the tuning switch version.
Timmy, when you're bored you may have to be like Zeos and expirement with different kinds of beast portable setups and the wonderful world of Frankenstacks and more
Hope you look at some Penon stuff, Timmy. Also my own 2 cents: never had a bad experience with a FiiO product, they have a certain level of build and quality that is reliable. Maybe not all of their IEMs or sources are the absolute best at any one time, but they are never bad. They have unique tuning, and offer consistent technical abilities that hit above the price. Especially their side brand Jade Audio delivers crazy value.
Timmy, what's your view on the KZ ZVX since you mentioned it here? It really got my eye and I got Hola as my first iem but the upper treble area feels problematic for me with the lack of it and because of this, the rest feel so forward. How does the bass and treble sections compare? Anyone who has tried bothcan help me out as well.
As the owner of Mahina and Mangird Tea2, I am happy because Yanyin and Xenns are in tier cult. Because that means my ears don't follow the mainstream path. I feel that tier cult is quite special.. 😎
The Li Yuan and the Li Shimin you think are njae, have almost the same graph as the Kato you like so much. I haven't listened to the Kato but I really enjoy taking the Li Yuan to bed on a very low volume. The 5.5g iem is hardly noticeable in my ears and I can get to sleep really comfortable with them. They are supposed to be a bit boring. How do you think the Kato would be? How heavy are they and if they are too sparkly with the 7.5kHz peak, they would be too annoying for my ears when trying to sleep. Should I get the Kato to compare? Is it really worth it?
@@Gizaudio The main difference starts at 5 kHz and is what probably makes the Kato a little more detailed and gives it more life. Seems like your graph is also a little different from HBB. It makes it hard for me to tell how much better the Kato can be. My question as an outsider will always be if the difference is $100 worth.
@@destiny_xd9126 Which driver has the Kato? And which drivers do the Yuanli and Shimin Li have? Why do these have the same sound profile if they are different?
@@oijans as I said they both have single DD driver but Kato's one is just better in terms of performance, so even tho they share "similar" graphs Kato has better technical performance.
i know my question maybe classic, but i want to use iem for games especially fps games, what should i buy? or what type of iem's that i should look at? *sorry for bad english
Hello Timmy, from the kz brand you should try the Kz Zs10 Pro X, the Pla13 and the Pr1 Pro. According to the reviews, these last 3 models are good representatives of the brand.
Im tired of chifi, nothing that i get from this market can satisfies me. Just waste of money for average or trash products and bad tuning. My next headphone or IEM has to be a non-chifi one.
I haven't watched the video yet (it's 3 am and I have to sleep but I want to add some opinions; If we are looking for a king of Chi-fi it needs to meet these 3 criterias; Reachability; it needs to be reachable in order to have a solid place on the market. Reliability; it has to offer solid options consistently period! No blunders, no setbacks or deliberate mistakes (goodbye kz 😂 ) Vision; they need to understand the niches that their products are occupying and refresh their products accordingly. By looking at these 3 criteria we can determine our candidates; and 3 young startups caught attention; kiwi ears Truthear and Aful Acustics. Yes I know Moondrop, 7hz and Thieaudio are already very popular and successful but their past performance has not been the smoothest and they made some mistakes. But this doesn't prevent them to be a king either: they just have to make up for some of the consistent mistakes that they've made: Moondrop needs to adress some of the consistency issues (qc and filter failures) thieaudio needs to offer some budget options and 7hz needs to release more consistent products (I'm looking at you legato) And there's dunu topsound, yanyin, mangrid etc. List goes on but my points still remain the same: a king needs to form a reputation and for reputation they need to meet these 3 criteria. Only 3 options can hold up to this task. I have high hopes for Kiwi ears, Truthear and Aful Acustics. And the rest of the industry needs to take examples from them. Btw: by "the rest of the industry " I mean the manufacturers that make new releases frequently. Brands like proxima audio and Elysian acustics are focusing on more tight niches and local markets and cannot be compared with the rest of the industry.
