Tier lists, demo set-up, caveats

The first post is always awkward but necessary. Below summarizes what I usually use for IEM demos and also what my music preferences lean towards. This should give a better idea, or more specifically, realistic reference since the gear is easily accessible.

Affiliation

None. You can expect me to be honest in my reviews. If I get review units sent by companies, I will mention it. If I purchased a unit for myself, I will mention it. Basically, nothing to conceal since I am not tied down to any brand.

Demo set-up

FiiO BTR3K to phone (LG V60 ThinQ)

LDAC 990kbps

Azla Silicon Long/Short OR Spiraldots if stock tips do not provide a good seal

3.5mm termination where possible

IEM stock cable

Music preferences

Jpop, jrock, instrumentals, orchestrals, acapellas, country, electronic, choral, and the occasional jazz. As you can tell, I steer away from rap and metal as they're not what I enjoy.

Tuning preferences

In between IEF-neutral and harman, and particular about steep subbass tucks due to many lower frequencies sounding thin despite some clarity improvements. I am a sucker for midrange, and do not require steep pinna gains to enjoy my music. Treble should be extended, but not boosted to oblivion due to being sensitive to 6khz and anything above 15khz. That said, even if an IEM is tuned differently, I try my best to appreciate the quirks and not shut it down just because it isn't my preference. However, if it truly does sound broken, I will be honest.

Tier list

It's a love-hate relationship with tier lists. Tuning preferences can change, which also means tiers or entries can get shuffled around. Updating the tier list is an extremely painstaking process due to nuances considered when trying to rank an IEM relative to others. I seek your understanding if the tier list is not constantly updated when new products enter the market (I have to buy and try, and that's money spent right there). Link to tier list here.

Squiggly lines

This is an ongoing process as well, each review/first impressions may or may not have a frequency response curve attached. In which case, there are many other reviewers doing the good work of graphing IEMs.

Comments

End of 2022 thoughts and buying guide for IEMs released this year

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

Moondrop Blessing 3 - A redemption arc?

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

Review: Tangzu Wan'er S.G - $20 Budget Win'er

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

shuwaudio

Search This Blog