Another great content Timmy buying guide iem for vocals, the Oracle is still in my radar hoping to get it down the road, and have a great, wonderful, blessed, positive, productive and safe week.
It would be awsome if you could do a buying guide for IEMs that are beside music suited for gaming - more or less neutral, good soundstage, great to very good imaging and seperation. I really enjoy your videos. Because of you I got the Kato and I'm not disapointed :D
Been in the audiophile game for about a year. Agreed on the take of collecting budget IEM, it won't be relevent when you got upgrade from there. Sure you could just grab it and gave it a listen for a while but at what satisfaction does it give. Selling them sure would help beginners try out some of the IEM but most would prefer buying new ones with that price range. I'm currently at the Moondrop KXXS level, came from owning SSP. Then sold it and bought another budget IEM
I own the Aria and trying to upgrade from it is a "nightmare". It's so good for it's price that I feel unimpressed even by iems in the $300. I feel like the jump from the Aria to $300-$400 iems doesn't feel like much. Which made me not want to spend those few hundred $$$ on soemthing that doesn't sound that much different from the Aria. I decided that if I have to increase my budget abit to find a pair I'll love I'd do it. So I opted for the Variations. It's going to be my end game iem. To me it makes sense. It's similar enough to the Aria but performs so much better and is competitive even against iems in the $1000 range. I don't want an end game that's $1k. It's not necessary. Even $800 still can sound like $1000 ones. The Variations is a steal for It's price. Moondrop does a good job proving value for money products. I don't intend on being loyal to Moondrop but coincidentally they make the iems that I love most. If I ever drop $1k or over on an iem then it shall be a ciem. Just my perspective.
Can't agree more. I got Aria. I tried Thieaudio Oracle, Moondrop Variations, DUNU SA6......still can't decide which to upgrade from Aria. Seems like I already found the personal diminishing return..... xD
I would still argue that the Starfield is slightly better than the Aria for mids and vocals😄. As an idea for a video how about a list of IEMs to take to college? As in you're away from home and you want an IEM to travel on the bus or train, to use in school, or even to use at leisure. Although, I feel you might have covered that one to some degree.🤔
Surprising how the Moondrop SSR costs a bit less than the Ola here. I think I might get it and do some EQ. The Ola looks fine but there's just too little bass (I'm not a basshead, I just prefer a mild V) and the fit looks weird. I already have the T3+ as my all rounder.
@@LaVey1999 They're like in the middle of the instruments but still okay separation. You can still hear them but they're not very forward. Female vocals do sound more forward than male vocals.
Just got my Yume midnights a couple days ago. So far happy with the purchase. It was my replacement for my Drop Pandas, but still limited experience with hifi
Hey just saw your video on gaming IEMs and it me wonder if for Valorant and Rainbow6 (fps shooters) the better option keeps being the Blessing2 (the one you reccomended) instead of the Blessing2 dusk? Or if you got another recommendation since I read the B2 are uncomfortable for long sesions, As always, great video!
I have the Timeless and I love them some say that the shuoer s12 is better but for me Timeless is something so good so my question is which one you think that is the real upgrade and probably the end game for the Timeless something that you really think that gives a difference that you can notice in all aspects and not more than 1000 dollars and you can say this upgrade really worth it ? Thank you for the great guide that you always give to us you are amazing 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽🙏🏽
been meaning to ask this for a while, where do i go from dunu titan S? not that i will upgrade any times soon, but if i do, i'm eying something at the 7hz timeless range i love neutral/bright ish sound signature honestly, i don't mind low bass at all, in fact, if there is no bass at all i wouldn't mind haha
The shell of the Blessing 2, and the Dunu SA6 are so beautiful. Same with the Z1R. I can't stand the look of most of the other iems. They make your desk look like you are in a shopping mall. in 10 years, all IEM sound quality will be exceeded. But we will keep beautiful objects in the house. This is why build quality and aesthetics matter
The aria is truly a unicorn with its price. The only problem i have with it is the paint chipping and maybe I'm just unlucky that my left piece died. Ordering a Dunu Titan S just to try something new. I hope it wont disappoint me.
Guys buy SSR eq it and thank me later..Amazing with the eq , without is too bright.Even after eq the soundscapes are amazing for the money you can hear super details and i hear from the phone imagine with some dac amp!
Just got the 7hz Timeless yesterday......pretty darn impressive. I like planar sound as I have had Maggies for a decade. Pretty amazing performance for $180 that I paid. Wow.
I bought the Aria's for gaming since I don't want to wear heavy headsets anymore and the resulting "headset hair". I'm just waiting for it to arrive. Hope I made the right choice.
no question for tanchjim if you are looking for vocals, owned 7 tanchjims and no one of them suck at vocals Lea kinda flat, blon 03 is natural and full
Yup just like i expected, sound neutral and very lively vocal there. But the fit kinda miss & match. Use aftermarket tips and the bass roll off is fixed and the fit problem is gone. Great sound for little price
Great video! Although I found a little confusing how you seem to compare the Duak and Oracle as if they were in the same tier, but one costs $330 and the other $540! 😬 Would you say this huge difference pays itself?
Dusk is one of those rare IEMs that can compete way above its own price. I would say Dusk is comparable to IEMs around $500-700 making it one of the best value ever. The only downside being its shell shape that's on the larger side.
Aria is a bit harsh. Starfield is the a better starting point at 120$. In the 300$ mark there is the Oxygen arguably the best single dd out there. Then consider a good bunch of tips to find best balance. Finally the source is important as well. Android is not the way to go because can’t do bit perfect. A good dongle dac is welcome as well to power up iems decently like Cayin R2R. There you have a killer setup: An IPhone, even an old one. Cayin RU6 Tanchjim Oxygen Spinfit 145 Apple Music sub Enjoy 😉
Yuck on the Lea. It’s ok but I’d rather have the tin t2 any day of the week. Bass is weak on it and vocals are meh. If you turn it up it sounds like it’s straining and sound stage isn’t great. The t2 is still great for sound stage and vocal clarity, putting vocals out front. It also has very proficient instrumentation with a good way of putting it right behind the vocals.
For me, it should be balanced. If bass is too much, or the bass bleeds in the low mids, I perceive it having a congested sound, or that the bass overpowers everything else. And of course the treble shouldn't be too high either for sibilance reasons. This is why I don't use BL03 anymore for gaming. I use Moondrop Aria because it has clean bass (not flat bass, but just enough to have low end without being basshead territory), and therefore a more forward mids and treble.
I like balanced with small bass boost for gaming. But the most important thing for gaming is comfort, imaging and seperation. I recommend Moondrop kato
Had ER2XR, tiny 5.8mm drivers making tiny sounds from tiny holes with no vents to clear condensation and requires amping. Flat as it can be soundstage, clinically neutral, slightly better then average clarity. The most impressive thing about them is how comfortable they sit and not try to fall out while moving unlike other bullet style iem's.
@@lukabosnjak3829 Then what is it that you're critically listening to at low volumes because I stand by what I say that they need to be driven, regardless how deep you can show them in (and I'm a big fan of getting things as close as possible this is how I get the bang for the buck out of cheap gear).Anyways amping is least of its worries, solvable with $10 dongle, but something to be acknowledged. Most disclaimers are about the fit, I find it misdirectional painting half the picture. The elephant is, these were designed for niche purpose, essentially hearing aids. While some can adopt them for general, for their analytic with isolation attributes ..but. I find the tiny ungaging presentation uncompetitive and upstaged in overall wholesomeness enjoyment experience by even competent $20 basic apple earbuds / KSC75x / JBL TUNE 205. I wish I could say $20 e500 could be THE bullets style alternative that does have the expected presentation, ..but are tuned for reference and as resolving as ER? Not quite. For me TC-01 is a cheap full package end game IEMs if not for durability. They have the THX presentation and are sensitive to a point I was thinking of getting IEMatch to address the hiss. Right now ER3SE is going for $70 and I'm tempted to try them to compare the BA driver technology to previously owned ER2XR DD. But for $70 I'm asking myself, I know what to expect from micro nozzle - small form factor, but does it have clearer resolution to justify it over say Olina/Titan S/Heartmirror/SSR?
Monarch MKii seems nice and all but the design is a failure. such failure can easily be seen on the cable connector, which is obviously made for recessed 2 pin females. the cable also easily gets tangled with the paracord sleeve other than being heavy. I prefer the texture of shiny-silver plated OCC EST cable. it doesn't get tangled (minus the silly plug system). after the release of Monarch MKii, suddenly many other brands opt for the exact lava faceplate pattern, which shows how cheaply and widely available it is. yeah, it's taste-related but it's a worse-looking IEM even compared to Oracle or OG Monarch. the plastic shell looks mediocre as usual. even the name is also a failure. why not just give it a new name instead? for $1000, I find the included package is very underwhelming. so, the whole thing about Monarch MKii is just the sound performance, the sonic fidelity, and the price. labelled as a flagship, but it doesn't scream "flagship" at all. I don't know how they finalized with all these poor decisions. who made those calls? yeah, it's a cheap flagship, TOTL, end-game IEM, but OG Monarch is $730 with the same driver config and an even better-looking faceplate. near $300 cheaper. talking about cost. ThieAudio need to improve.
This couldn't have come at a better time. I was planning on getting myself the Dusk and my little bro a vocal focused iem!
TRN V90, KZ ZEX, BQEYZ Spring2, 7hz Dioko, Shuoer Z12, 7hz Timeless, 7hz i99, Shuoer EJ07M
so glad the aria is here again i bought one the other day on sale for 55 usd and i cant wait to test it out
That's a STEAL
Which store?
I bought it on shoppee here in ph
Another great content Timmy buying guide iem for vocals, the Oracle is still in my radar hoping to get it down the road, and have a great, wonderful, blessed, positive, productive and safe week.
1 iem as the end game as I’m more to my headphones. Blessing 2 dusk. Love it . Great video as always man .
It would be awsome if you could do a buying guide for IEMs that are beside music suited for gaming - more or less neutral, good soundstage, great to very good imaging and seperation.
I really enjoy your videos. Because of you I got the Kato and I'm not disapointed :D
Check out "Fresh Reviews" channel he covers some iems for competitive gaming, kato scores well.
At this stage I can almost predict the iems in this list haha. Engaging video as always!
I would switch it up, but good IEMs stay good until something better comes up lol.
Been in the audiophile game for about a year. Agreed on the take of collecting budget IEM, it won't be relevent when you got upgrade from there. Sure you could just grab it and gave it a listen for a while but at what satisfaction does it give. Selling them sure would help beginners try out some of the IEM but most would prefer buying new ones with that price range.
I'm currently at the Moondrop KXXS level, came from owning SSP. Then sold it and bought another budget IEM
I own the Aria and trying to upgrade from it is a "nightmare". It's so good for it's price that I feel unimpressed even by iems in the $300. I feel like the jump from the Aria to $300-$400 iems doesn't feel like much. Which made me not want to spend those few hundred $$$ on soemthing that doesn't sound that much different from the Aria. I decided that if I have to increase my budget abit to find a pair I'll love I'd do it. So I opted for the Variations. It's going to be my end game iem.
To me it makes sense. It's similar enough to the Aria but performs so much better and is competitive even against iems in the $1000 range. I don't want an end game that's $1k. It's not necessary. Even $800 still can sound like $1000 ones. The Variations is a steal for It's price.
Moondrop does a good job proving value for money products. I don't intend on being loyal to Moondrop but coincidentally they make the iems that I love most.
If I ever drop $1k or over on an iem then it shall be a ciem. Just my perspective.
The Starfield is a good upgrade.
@@villageroma bruh
Have you tried the Etymotic ER2
@@villageroma waste of money if u have the aria imo
Can't agree more. I got Aria. I tried Thieaudio Oracle, Moondrop Variations, DUNU SA6......still can't decide which to upgrade from Aria. Seems like I already found the personal diminishing return..... xD
Timmy out here trying to empty my wallet again.
LOL it's the hobby
Wonderful video idea. These kind of guides are very helpful. One of a kind in UA-cam.
I would still argue that the Starfield is slightly better than the Aria for mids and vocals😄. As an idea for a video how about a list of IEMs to take to college? As in you're away from home and you want an IEM to travel on the bus or train, to use in school, or even to use at leisure. Although, I feel you might have covered that one to some degree.🤔
Surprising how the Moondrop SSR costs a bit less than the Ola here. I think I might get it and do some EQ. The Ola looks fine but there's just too little bass (I'm not a basshead, I just prefer a mild V) and the fit looks weird. I already have the T3+ as my all rounder.
How are the Vocals on the T3+? I prefer slightly forward vocals despite I'm hearing Metal.
@@LaVey1999 They're like in the middle of the instruments but still okay separation. You can still hear them but they're not very forward. Female vocals do sound more forward than male vocals.
I love this format "Ultimate for ...". Thanks !
oracle is so well tuned and smooth but I actually prefer timeless for its speed and resolution.
Timeless is another great one lol
Fantastic Guide!
I'm always impressed at how the aria shows up in every list, it's really the perfect all-rounder!
It really is, I always state that it should be the starter IEM for most.
Just got my Yume midnights a couple days ago. So far happy with the purchase. It was my replacement for my Drop Pandas, but still limited experience with hifi
Hey just saw your video on gaming IEMs and it me wonder if for Valorant and Rainbow6 (fps shooters) the better option keeps being the Blessing2 (the one you reccomended) instead of the Blessing2 dusk? Or if you got another recommendation since I read the B2 are uncomfortable for long sesions, As always, great video!
Check out "Fresh Reviews" channel he covers some iems for competitive gaming, and goes into detail.
Which one is better in terms of vocal expression… the aria or starfield?? Love your vids btw!!!
Hey! Owned everything on this list except for Monarch MKII and I have to say that the Sony IER-M9 bests the Oracle even. Have you tried them yet?
Mangird tea 2, smooth vocal with a slam subbass and details retrieval
I have the Timeless and I love them some say that the shuoer s12 is better but for me Timeless is something so good so my question is which one you think that is the real upgrade and probably the end game for the Timeless something that you really think that gives a difference that you can notice in all aspects and not more than 1000 dollars and you can say this upgrade really worth it ? Thank you for the great guide that you always give to us you are amazing 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽🙏🏽
Which fiio m11 plus do you recommend.
Apparently there two models and can't really figure out the difference between the two, thanks in advance
How far away in vocals are the Aria from the Tin T3 plus? I want a IEM which has great bass, less fatiguing, and good vocals.
been meaning to ask this for a while, where do i go from dunu titan S? not that i will upgrade any times soon, but if i do, i'm eying something at the 7hz timeless range
i love neutral/bright ish sound signature
honestly, i don't mind low bass at all, in fact, if there is no bass at all i wouldn't mind haha
The shell of the Blessing 2, and the Dunu SA6 are so beautiful. Same with the Z1R. I can't stand the look of most of the other iems. They make your desk look like you are in a shopping mall. in 10 years, all IEM sound quality will be exceeded. But we will keep beautiful objects in the house. This is why build quality and aesthetics matter
Umm... Whut
The aria is truly a unicorn with its price. The only problem i have with it is the paint chipping and maybe I'm just unlucky that my left piece died.
Ordering a Dunu Titan S just to try something new. I hope it wont disappoint me.
Are Fearless audio products still competitive? cannot find ur comment on their brand and would like hear your word
Guys buy SSR eq it and thank me later..Amazing with the eq , without is too bright.Even after eq the soundscapes are amazing for the money you can hear super details and i hear from the phone imagine with some dac amp!
I got the regular Blessing 2. Vocals are amazing in those.
I agree!
Just got the 7hz Timeless yesterday......pretty darn impressive. I like planar sound as I have had Maggies for a decade. Pretty amazing performance for $180 that I paid. Wow.
that's a super good price!
Yeah got a coupon from Drop. Removed all self doubt even tho I am building a house. Enjoyed your review on them. Thx.
@@jasongibson3574 congrats! Didn't know people at house building age still used IEMS or anything!
@@LuisC7 😂 hey I enjoy music. Never too old for that! Thx.
Have you tried the KBear Neon? I find it great with vocals. A budget etymoticish experience with a not so bad fit.
Got monarch mk2, but which portable DAC would you recommend pairing with monarch.
How about best IEMs for piano and guitar music. Thanks.
I bought the Aria's for gaming since I don't want to wear heavy headsets anymore and the resulting "headset hair".
I'm just waiting for it to arrive. Hope I made the right choice.
No Titan S ?
nice video !
How does the OLA compares with the TKZK Wave?
4 am and I'm here for this review
..yeyahahahahahahahaha
Thanks man!!
Tripowin Lea vs Blon BL03 vs Tanchjim Tanya, which one is the best for vocal?
no question for tanchjim if you are looking for vocals, owned 7 tanchjims and no one of them suck at vocals
Lea kinda flat, blon 03 is natural and full
Gonna grab ola tomorrow, can't wait.
Let's me know what you think!
Yup just like i expected, sound neutral and very lively vocal there. But the fit kinda miss & match. Use aftermarket tips and the bass roll off is fixed and the fit problem is gone.
Great sound for little price
I was planning on ordering KATOs but how are they compared to the Yume Midnight?
Both are great, Kato is more mainstream fun with better bass while Midnight is more neutral with a vocal focus. Depends on what your taste is.
Oracle vs Excaliber vs B2 Dusk vs Mangird Tea mkII ?
Can I end game with 7 hertz timeless?
what’s that song in the outro
Great video! Although I found a little confusing how you seem to compare the Duak and Oracle as if they were in the same tier, but one costs $330 and the other $540! 😬 Would you say this huge difference pays itself?
Dusk is one of those rare IEMs that can compete way above its own price. I would say Dusk is comparable to IEMs around $500-700 making it one of the best value ever. The only downside being its shell shape that's on the larger side.
No HeartMirror in a vocal IEM guide *laser eyes*
Aria is a bit harsh. Starfield is the a better starting point at 120$.
In the 300$ mark there is the Oxygen arguably the best single dd out there. Then consider a good bunch of tips to find best balance.
Finally the source is important as well. Android is not the way to go because can’t do bit perfect. A good dongle dac is welcome as well to power up iems decently like Cayin R2R.
There you have a killer setup:
An IPhone, even an old one.
Cayin RU6
Tanchjim Oxygen
Spinfit 145
Apple Music sub
Enjoy 😉
Or Tripowin Oline
@@DCer0 the Olina is the most hyped iem lately and it doesn’t sound as good as an O2. Not even close. Are you a miracles believer?
@@villageroma it shouldn't sound as good as O2, it's priced a lot cheaper. But in terms of detail, it beats many of the ~100$ sets
@@DCer0 it doesn’t.. a t3+ does better.
@@villageroma t3+ is better tuned (unless you really like treble), but Olina is superior in detail definition. It can compete with s12 in that regard
I'm going to wait on the Sennheiser IE 600
Soon!!
Aaaghhh the timing man, moondrop chu just came out, and i heard its crazy good value for 20$
The endgame is any $200 iem with EQ.
Waiting for bass edition
- Sennheiser CX300 II
- Bose QuietComfort QC20 Noise Cancelling In-Ear
- dunu studio sa6
Which one is a best IEM for FPS gaming? Thk
Tanchjim darling Review please 😎
outro pls
Yuck on the Lea. It’s ok but I’d rather have the tin t2 any day of the week. Bass is weak on it and vocals are meh. If you turn it up it sounds like it’s straining and sound stage isn’t great. The t2 is still great for sound stage and vocal clarity, putting vocals out front. It also has very proficient instrumentation with a good way of putting it right behind the vocals.
Dude i need the sauce for the anime music outro T_T
♻️
Hey ,, what sound signature of iem is preferred for competitive gaming (accuracy) ?? Balanced or v shaped???
For me, it should be balanced. If bass is too much, or the bass bleeds in the low mids, I perceive it having a congested sound, or that the bass overpowers everything else. And of course the treble shouldn't be too high either for sibilance reasons. This is why I don't use BL03 anymore for gaming. I use Moondrop Aria because it has clean bass (not flat bass, but just enough to have low end without being basshead territory), and therefore a more forward mids and treble.
I like balanced with small bass boost for gaming. But the most important thing for gaming is comfort, imaging and seperation. I recommend Moondrop kato
W+G T2 plzz
Sorry but Etymotic ER2SE outperforms all of these for everything in tearms of sound. And wireless EFP2 with Oluv's eq should do the same imo...
Had ER2XR, tiny 5.8mm drivers making tiny sounds from tiny holes with no vents to clear condensation and requires amping. Flat as it can be soundstage, clinically neutral, slightly better then average clarity. The most impressive thing about them is how comfortable they sit and not try to fall out while moving unlike other bullet style iem's.
@@elypeachy3296 Hahaha, amp for ER2SE... Sorry but they can be powered by a clock or something and you probably didn't even know how to put them in.
@@lukabosnjak3829 Then what is it that you're critically listening to at low volumes because I stand by what I say that they need to be driven, regardless how deep you can show them in (and I'm a big fan of getting things as close as possible this is how I get the bang for the buck out of cheap gear).Anyways amping is least of its worries, solvable with $10 dongle, but something to be acknowledged. Most disclaimers are about the fit, I find it misdirectional painting half the picture. The elephant is, these were designed for niche purpose, essentially hearing aids. While some can adopt them for general, for their analytic with isolation attributes ..but. I find the tiny ungaging presentation uncompetitive and upstaged in overall wholesomeness enjoyment experience by even competent $20 basic apple earbuds / KSC75x / JBL TUNE 205. I wish I could say $20 e500 could be THE bullets style alternative that does have the expected presentation, ..but are tuned for reference and as resolving as ER? Not quite. For me TC-01 is a cheap full package end game IEMs if not for durability. They have the THX presentation and are sensitive to a point I was thinking of getting IEMatch to address the hiss. Right now ER3SE is going for $70 and I'm tempted to try them to compare the BA driver technology to previously owned ER2XR DD. But for $70 I'm asking myself, I know what to expect from micro nozzle - small form factor, but does it have clearer resolution to justify it over say Olina/Titan S/Heartmirror/SSR?
Why
I see TWICE, I like
Monarch MKii seems nice and all but the design is a failure. such failure can easily be seen on the cable connector, which is obviously made for recessed 2 pin females. the cable also easily gets tangled with the paracord sleeve other than being heavy. I prefer the texture of shiny-silver plated OCC EST cable. it doesn't get tangled (minus the silly plug system).
after the release of Monarch MKii, suddenly many other brands opt for the exact lava faceplate pattern, which shows how cheaply and widely available it is. yeah, it's taste-related but it's a worse-looking IEM even compared to Oracle or OG Monarch. the plastic shell looks mediocre as usual. even the name is also a failure. why not just give it a new name instead?
for $1000, I find the included package is very underwhelming. so, the whole thing about Monarch MKii is just the sound performance, the sonic fidelity, and the price. labelled as a flagship, but it doesn't scream "flagship" at all. I don't know how they finalized with all these poor decisions. who made those calls? yeah, it's a cheap flagship, TOTL, end-game IEM, but OG Monarch is $730 with the same driver config and an even better-looking faceplate. near $300 cheaper. talking about cost.
ThieAudio need to improve.