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Ever since the release of the Chu which ruled the the budget market for a grand total of 2 months, Moondrop has not been in the spotlight since. The long standing issue of Moondrop only having the Blessing2 and Blessing2 Dusk (not tuned completely by the company) as the mid-tier price entries pretty much meant that these products were competing with newer products that could offer more or similar for less. Coupled with mediocre or even subpar releases, alongside the company's tendency to overmarket to the anime-loving community, it was really difficult to recommend any of their under $500 products. And then the Blessing 3 came about - a hybrid 2DD + 4BA promising to improve upon the already decent DNA of the Blessing 2. There was no question, it was time to see if Moondrop can keep up with the other audio releases in such a fast-moving market. I was glad to see that there was not really a price difference between the Blessing 2 and Blessing 3, which meant it was a serious product t

  2022 is about to draw to a close and the IEM scene isn't about to slow down any time soon. On the contrary, it seems like companies have picked up the pace on creating well-tuned, value for money products that are both wallet-friendly and attractive for people looking for quality, portable sound. That said, the number of collaboration units that have been released in 2022 is astonishing. If we just talk about major reviewers and their units, here's a non-exhaustive list: 1. QKZ x HBB Khan (BGGA) 2. Letshuoer EJ07M Kinda Lava (BGGA) 3. Seeaudio Yume Midnight (Crinacle) 4. Tripowin Olina (BGGA) 5. Tripowin Olina SE (BGGA) 6. TRI x HBB Kai (BGGA) 7. Yanyin Mahina (BGGA) 8. Truthear Zero (Crinacle) 9. Salnotes Zero (Crinacle without the branding) 10. Dunu SA6 Ultra (Zeos...?) 11. Letshuoer Z12 (Zeos) 12. Tangzu Heyday (BGGA) 13. 7Hz Dioko (Crinacle) 14. Raptgo Hook X HBB (BGGA) You get the idea. The collaboration fatigue is real when literally a new product gets announced every

  7th Acoustics Proxima: 1BA ($110) In the IEM scene today, it's pretty rare for new entries to the 'budget' market to be outside the Chinese mainland. Having learnt that 7th Acoustics had such an offering, it was only natural to jump at the chance to try a boutique's company product. Even more so, the company was already making small waves with their recent release of the more expensive Supernova. For these two reasons alone, out came the credit card. This quick impressions post will cover the main sound qualities of the Proxima, what genres it excels in (or not), and caveats for potential buyers. Clear shell with all the internals visible Proxima build It isn't exactly what you would consider premium, given how many full metal or resin IEMs appear at lowball price ranges. That said, it could probably handle a few rough knocks here and there, and has the advantage of not instant cracking unlike resin should you drop it on the ground. Cable is serviceable, feels a l

Borrowed a unit from a good friend for this after seeing that Xenns had a new model on the market. To be fair, Xenns had been making decent (not great by any means) IEMs ranging from the Tea, Tea 2, and Up, a staple for bassheads seeking out thick, high quality rumbly bass. When their flagship Top came out, I was honestly not excited given the amount of "so-called" flagships that have flopped or became obsolete too quickly. However, I am happy to share that the Xenns Mangird Top is indeed a fantastic IEM in its own right, and pretty much nails the shortcomings of Moondrop Variations. Of course, it is not devoid of quirks, and with a considerable price tag of $530, these may swing purchase decisions according to your listening preferences. Xenns Mangird Top It's a beauty that's for sure Lows If you've heard how the Variations sound like, you would immediately recognise the similar characteristic subbass focused rumble of the Top. Better still, there's no steep

As the year comes to an end, 2022 has been a remarkable year for people getting into the hobby - not so for collectors' wallets, however. In this year alone, much of the previous IEMs sitting within budget (<$50) territory have been replaced by newer releases. Gone are the days where the default recommendation is Blon BL-03 for newcomers, and gone are the days where tonally balanced budget IEMs were scarce. As the year comes to an end, I thought it would be good to give my thoughts on the Tangzu Wan'er S.G, the latest addition to my collection and compare it with other budget IEMs released this year in my possession. If you are just entering the hobby, perhaps this may be useful in luring you over the fence into choosing your entry IEM without breaking the bank. Below are my impressions on the sound and other practical aspects of the Wan'er, which do not include outward appearance nitpicks. For this review, comparisons will be made when describing the different ranges. T

AFUL Performer 5 first impressions: Purchased a pre-international release unit for myself to test the waters, and these are my thoughts on the Performer 5. Faceplate design should be in a different colour for the international release but the sound qualities remain the same according to AFUL. Lows - Subbass rumble is real, well extended - Full, impactful but never overpowering - Decay is fairly standard, nothing too special which means crowded tracks can make the P5 struggle in the subbass region (e.g. Gate OP 1) - Texture and detail are above average, with clear separation of sub-midbass, and with no midbass tuck - Overall, satisfying level of detail and rumble with minor flaws Mids - Nothing much to fault tonally - Neutral-warm, with midrange sounding much fuller than other sets that faithfully follow harman - No shoutiness in vocals, not vocal-forward - Well separated from bass region, with above average clarity - Equal representation of male and female vocals in the mix - Overall,