In-Ear Monitors (IEMs) shopping

Off-topic Chatter
1

I bought a new DAP recently, so I’ve been on a bit of an IEM shopping spree the past few weeks, trying to see if I can better my old cheap Panasonic HJE350 IEMs… here are some of them…

QKZ DM7 - $7 junk, muffled treble, poor bass

C610 - not bad for under $10, but a bit on the bright side

ADV S2000 - very mid-forward, not my sound preference, and poor fit for my ears. $25

UiiSii CM5 - very nice, especially considering the $20 price, v-shaped sound signature, decent amount of detail, good fit

TinAudio T2 - nice, clear, detailed sound, more toward neutral sound signature, good fit, $40

Pioneer CH9T - nice, clear, detailed sound, slightly V-shaped sound signature, decent fit, $80

iBasso IT01 - fantastic, V-shaped sound signature with plentiful and clean bass and good detail, great fit, $100

With that said, I still like my old inexpensive Panasonic HJE350… great v-shaped sound and great fit. Granted, we all have different tastes and ears.

2

Thanks for the survey/review.

3

Give the SoundMagic E80 a try for a flat ‘reference’ quality response. E50 if you’re fond of V-shaped response. I’ve had both, as well as their E10 predecessors. Best wired pairs I’ve ever owned! They work great directly connected to sources, though several reviewers noted how they performed even better with DAPs.

I currently listen to OontZ BudZ 2 by Cambridge SoundWorks, due to how restrictive wire connections can be in a fast paced workplace. They stand up surprisingly well to SoundMagic’s models, especially considering that they’re $34 bluetooth earbuds.