5 Flagship IEMs Compared! Rai Penta v Dream XLS v Z1R v A8000 v M5!
Вставка
- Опубліковано 15 вер 2024
- IER - Z1R - amzn.to/2z6O5Mo
Fir M5 - www.firaudio.c...
Dream XLS - ditaaudio.com/
Rai Penta - mezeaudio.com/...
A8000 - snext-final.co...
OPEN BACK HEADPHONES
🥇 Arya - amzn.to/3cDZ0vT
🥈 LCD X - amzn.to/3cB0AyV
🥉 DT1990Pro - amzn.to/38BN3DM
CLOSED BACK HEADPHONES
🥇 Sony Z1R - amzn.to/3cF6EWX
🥈 M1060C - amzn.to/39vDkQU
🥉 1More Triple Driver - amzn.to/2wGC2ni
BUDGET HEADPHONES
🥇 HD58X - massdrop.7eer....
🥈 SHP 9500 - amzn.to/32ZQJ0S
🥉 Porta Pro - amzn.to/2Is8dtu
AMPLIFIERS & DACS
🥇 THX AAA Dual 788 DACAMP - amzn.to/3cHHTJC
🥈 THX 789 / 887 - amzn.to/2TwsvZg / massdrop.7eer....
🥉 DX3 Pro - amzn.to/2wJGp0X
IEMS
🥇 A8000 - snext-final.co....
🥈 ZUES - massdrop.7eer....
🥉 Tin T2 - amzn.to/2xeGvxT
SPEAKERS
🥇 SVS ULTRA Towers - amzn.to/2v2Fto1
🥈 Vanatoo T1E - amzn.to/2TKEmSl
🥉 Micca RB42 - amzn.to/2wCCO53
ACCESSORIES
🥇 Soundrise Pro Stands - amzn.to/3aCpb4i
🥈 IEM TIP Storage - amzn.to/331xuUN
🥉 Headphone Case - amzn.to/39xOlkF
My Filming Equipment
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Sigma 18-35mm F/1.8 - amzn.to/2wI119R
Sigma 16mm F/1.4 - amzn.to/2wBRe5q
Sigma 30mm F/1.4 - amzn.to/39ym2m8
Ronin SC - amzn.to/39zDLcG
GVM Slider - amzn.to/2PWZDam
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#Flagship #IEM #Comparison
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Great video Josh and great comparisons. I just received my IER-Z1R's and man, they are some of the best IEM's I have ever experienced. It took some time to get the right fit and they sound amazing.
Yeah, not gonna lie, most of the people that I know who don't like the z1r are either they don't get it to fit right or don't give it enough power. Despite being an IEM they need a lot of power to truely shine, they are kinda like the Argon of the IEM world.
Hello, can I ask what you think about fit issue? I wanna buy it but I am scared if it doesnt fit my ear? Thank you
@@kaankucuk1612 you just need a big ear that can support a chunk of metal.
Man, you do incredible work. I trust what you say about audio, and I find inspiration in your cinematography for B roll of all things. You're one of the few audio reviewers who takes time and effort in the production and I appreciate that, even if it is "secondary". Beyond the visuals, I genuinely find your impressions of sounds to be honest and accurate. Greatly appreciated, thank you so much!
3 grand for the M5 is kind of scary... I would go for the Sonys at half The price izi...
@perl man 95% of Americans literally think the most expensive IEM out there are the airpods pro, they'll laugh if you say IEM's cost more than 350
@perl man lmao
@@ura2358 pretty sure those people dont even know whats an "IEM" is and laughing at us "boomers" still using audio jacks
@@samarthbhat7889 Then you laugh and tell them their Airpods use AAC at 320 kbps.
I’ve seen them go used recently for 850
Would love to see the Sony IER-M7 and M9 reviewed
the IER-M9 sounds extremely similar to the IER-Z1R. They are basically the same earphone. The only reason they sound different is because the M9 is an all BA Design and the Z1R is an Hybrid Design. This, of course, causes them to sound different but thats pretty much the difference.
The IER-M9 sound as close to the IER-Z1R as it is possible for an all BA Design. The highs on the M7 are not as good as on the M9 and the build quality is cheaper.
But the IER-Z1R can do things the IER-M9 can't do. So you get the same sound basically, but it wont sound the same. Hard to describe. The IER-Z1R sounds like an better version of the M9
Comparing 5 TOTL IEMs is not an easy task at all. Well done! It was a very fair comparison that I think will be helpful for a lot of people.
The fact that the fir audio website is security blocked is kinda big oof
big oof
Their Cert for HTTPS expired 3 days ago lul
Just went to their site and their https seems to be working again so their site should be secure now.
@@CockatooDude yup, it's working again
Loved that beat at the beginning! So detailed, makes me appreciate my speakers among the regular youtube vids.
Tried the Dream, Z1R, and Penta. Out of the three the Z1R is the best sounding for me
z1rs treble is literally the best treble ive ever heard in an iem and I heard lots of the expensive flagship iems. But it requires a deep insert and will sound like shit if u cant get a good fit
They thicc... In every way...
@@mattialemboluscari8774 except the midrange XD
@@dante19890 depends on what you plug them into
@@darthmandude ye I suppose but it wont change their tuning
Very good comparison, Josh. I agree with your general assessment of these IEMs. For my tastes (dance music), the Z1R is the perfect IEM.
Z1r has only been sibilant to me when i couldnt find a good fit when i first got them. Use the smallest triple comforts that seal and the sibilance was gone.
Stuck between Z1R and A8000. Having all of them good on strings makes it extremely difficult... A lot of my music has violin or cello with violin being the most pleasing instrument to listen to(for me). Both being a "jack of all trades" is nice as I would listen to different music here and there. I really appreciate these breakdowns because it pushes one to think deeper/harder on what is truly wanted from their experience.
I got the A4000's they're amazing! I'd love to get the Sony's as well.
Hard to got for something else once you've listened to Mac Miller on the Z1Rs. On the other hand, Koss Porta Pros can replicate surprisingly much of their voluminous and juicy magic.
Really, a porta pro?
My only criticism for how you did the format is it would be nice to have a chart at the end showing all the IEMs, point totals, and categories they won. Or have a link in the description to said chart. It can be hard to keep track with so many IEMs and categories. Having a visual would be great.
Campfire, qdc, 64 audio, Tralucent, JVC, Astell&Kern will be some nice additions to this lineup.
This categorizing in genres best suited for and the overall ranking based on points... idk It was very easy to follow and helpful at the same time.
Excellent review, in depth VERY in depth, well explained and i actually feel like I know what these headphones would sound like. any review without comparing the actual competition is pointless. Thank you Josh i wish every reviewer would adopt your format, seriously.
Just upgraded to Fir M5 from 64 audio nio.
Go fot M5! Never regrets!
Can't wait for your full review of the z1r!
The Meze Rai Penta is an re-branded cheap ChiFi from 2016 lol
I personally can only use the IER-Z1R with Memory Foam. Its comfortable then (because it doesn move and so doesn't touch my ear) and the sound is much more balanced.
Very detailed comparisons Josh! Great video
If u think z1r is siblent u are not getting a good fit. Z1r needs a deep insertion, if that is achieved its really smooth
True but good luck in achieving THAT consistently and even more so in getting that fit to actually LAST throughout a listening session longer than 30 minutes aderfe 😉; they're SO big and heavy that it's either very difficult/rare or they'll simply end up gradually slipping out of the lucky person's ear anyway
@@dbekia it fits better on people with large ears.. so if u have small ears dont consider z1r. I get a perfect fit with mine
@@dante19890 you can actually get a very good fits by using thr smallest tips or Spinfit extra small, that's how I got my fits. They also quite tip depending, i usually prefer medium bore size. They also needs quite a bit of power to power properly too.
@@protato911 🤔 the more I hear about them the more it sounds like one needs to build THE ABSOLUTE PERFECT scenario for them to truly shine otherwise you're not going to be able to enjoy them as intended and get your moneys' worth. I was and still am quite interested in them but since I most probably won't have a chance to audition them prior to placing an order and since they're so fit dependent and finicky I might be better off staying on the safe side and skipping them entirely. I can see that Sony has designed them with a function-over-form philosophy and I can appreciate why their shape is the way it is BUT how can Sony even aspire to position them in the universal IEM TOTL league without doing SOMETHING to improve/fix the size-weight-fit issues? To the very least they could have used a less heavier outer shell material. It's truly sad and such a missed opportunity. It's an IEM after all, it's supposed to be first and foremost portable, if one needs to fiddle around soooooo much to get AND MORE IMPORTANTLY MAINTAIN an ideal seal on the go WHILE MOVING AROUND then what's the point in the 1st place anyway? I am not going to use IEMs while I am seated at my comfy home sofa, I am going to use over ears or speakers in that scenario.
Agreed. Sibilance was only appearant when i didnt get a proper fit. Gotta use the smallest triple comforts that seal for you.
Nice review, but id like to know what Amps and DACs hes using, like theres so many variables that may change the sound signature on different IEMs.
And i guess he doesn’t like bass so much. Literally 5 seconds for bass :( maybe he’s not a basshead. But i wish to hear insights about the low end spectrum of those devices.
Awesome video! Curious if you've had any experience with Campfire Audio IEMs? Would love to hear your thoughts.
was waiting for this!
Would love to see you do some true wireless buds, exceptional reviews 👍
This is another league of audio equipment, at this stage Spotify is considered pleabian , we everyday commoners are worthless XD XD
TWS are mostly for maximum convenience only like for calls, watching media and stuff like that, in matters of sound quality and other stuff, they get thrashed
Nice vid! Love the included genre picks.
What! No Campfire?
Josh you need to put the titles of the songs you use during B-roll, I want to listen to more!
Z1R is the warmest and not the widest soundstage?
I don't know whats true anymore...
Interesting video. Although I have the feelings that you can't get a proper fits for the z1r, which is fine cause they are designed for the Asia Market which generally have bigger ears. I am lucky got the perfect fits for it and it's not sibilances at all, in fact they are some of the most details and pleasing IEM out there, on par with flagship from 64audio like u12t or tia forte but with a mich more enjoyable signature. They are not as bassy as most people think but to my ear they are quite balances with the treble beingsome of thr best out there, but you need a proper fits for it, if not it can become very sibilancy and harsh.
Ahh wotta nice video! I wish could have loaned you the Legend X in time for this.
My chinese made KZ ZS10 Pro sound very good for $50. Paired with a balanced cable and Fiio Q1Mark 2 dac/amp, the sound is even better.
Back at it again with watching a comparison review of stuff that i neither have nor ever gonna buy
Really great comparison and review, lucky you also show the boxes because at times with your American accent I thought you were saying Zoo1R, Deeda3, and Fur audio, the latter I liked the sound of but they are not available in Australia and would cost a fortune if they did given the Penta costs $2,100 AUD
Josh seriously when are you going to include the name of the songs in the description please.
Just a suggestion/recommendation - When you're doing comparisons, you could put up charts/graphs with write-ups highlighting the points. I.e. when talking about weaknesses of the iems, you could have a one-worder or brief sentence identifying the weakness(es).
iirc dms did it for his comparison video on the HD660s vs DT1990 pro.
I think Joshua mentioned in the past that he doesn't really believe in charts, but yeah I do agree that they would come in helpful in such a rapid fire multi-way comparison.
@@tanzhonghui just to clarify, I don't mean charts with numerical data or statistics. Kinda like a pros and cons list
Hey Josh love your audio device reviews. Will love to see your take on JH audio IEMs.
Roxanne 2 and Layla 2 owner, Rox is great for vocals and overall very good, Layla although marketed as the pinnacle is a bit too weird frequency response wise for me at least and misses the point
@@dbekia I own Angie II and JH16v2, I freaking love them to death for detail I hear when I pair them to digital music player from Astell & Kern. Wanted to go for Roxanne but settled for JH16v2.
@@harsha1908 Never had the chance to audition the 16v2, I liked the Angie and my wife too (we're both musicians) but liked the Roxanne even more. My wife went for the Layla solely to give US TWO more choices but just ended up fighting for the Roxanne every time 😂
@@dbekia not a musical here, but just love listening to music. I would say as musician you must be able to make the difference between different kind of IEMs. You should have bought 2 pairs of Roxanne hahaha. Its good to see ppl out there who like JH like me. I have not see that many ppl talk about JH tbh.
@@harsha1908 The Roxanne is the standard for most arena or stadium performing musicians (just to name a few: Lady Gaga, Slash, Bruce Springsteen, Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban). Audiophiles always chase the next big thing hence many times miss the whole point altogether, newest is not necessarily always better 😉
According to Jerry himself Layla's primary envelope was studio monitoring hence why I believe is less musical than Roxanne and for me is a bit of a miss
A fellow roadie! Nice bike bud. Love the video as usual.
what do they mean when they say it doesn't have enough dynamics?
I assume that he is talking about slam, the engaging factor.
Sony is doing an incredible job with their highend audio devices
The machined design on the Sony Z1R is called "Perlage", this method of decoration is commonly done on mechanical watch movements.
Thanks for the review. I'd like to know your opinion on the new Campfire IEMs (Solaris - Andromeda - Ara)
Maybe I am just a scrub but it would be nice if every single time you said one of the models there would be a photo of that IEM in the corner of the video. Maybe unnecessary if only comparing two or three products, but when jumping back and forth between five I often found myself unable to remember which one you are talking about at that given moment.
Hlo. Sir
Which is the best sounding Earphone you have ever heard ?
Are you intersted in covering the more expensive audeze iem's (i3 and the i4)? Also, where is the isine 20 review?
Its funny, he says the A8000 is the best overall, but when he breaks down every category, it really seems like the Sony is the best.
Sony IER-M7 and M9 reviewed please
Sick bike Josh!! Could you do a vid on it or provide a link to it if most of your kit is stock?
I wonder what a good or more affordable version of the Sonys would be. I’m a lover of many genres of music but definitely heavy metal and rap.
I'd love to see you review the kse1200/1500, considering the similar pricing and the lack of coverage it has
Should mention the proprietary connectors from FiR - it matters for some folks.
Living the dream.
Great vid man
Problem I find about reviews in iem is people that want energy ,but then the music does not sound real. I am a musician and what I do is ,I close my eyes and start messing with the eq. I touch the levels,not until I like. But what I find real in a recording studio. Then if all frequency are flat on 0. Then its perfect. I find that people love to boost the 1k and 6 k. But when in fact the 500k and 3 kid the only ones that should be flat and not in a v shape. Maybe one day someone will do that. Voices should sound thin. And guitars they not thin. They start on e tuning kinda fat and then moves to a thinner sound.
LoL,
my definition of flagship is different,
EJ07, V14, MEST, Nanna, Volt, Elysium, Oriolus Traillii
😎😎😎😎😎😎
EJ07 is the best! TOTL sound for a "small" price. Love it!
All sold sets those 👍 could also add in the Andro's to round off the circa $1k group.
I was a chi-fi-head like you but after I bought The EX1000, sony just won me over...
What about QDC anole vx?
@Josh, which music/sounds you listen to when testing for the soundstage and imaging?
Still would prefer the A8000 and the IER Z1R and the IE900
Which one would you suggest best amongst these for gaming? I feel your review inclines towards the M5, but please do tell.
I heard Z1R's fit can change the sound. When I tried it, it sounded like it had 7db at 5.5-6k, far from warm.
I my self own the z1r and i must say the sound on them change alot depend on your source
@@phatlam1477 Hello, what you think about fit issue of IER-Z1R? I am scared of that doesnt fit on my ears? Thank you
@@kaankucuk1612 very much present I would say, of course it definitely change the sound (in the treble) and the comfort of the thing but may I suggest a smaller than usual tip will help. Other than that, go to your local audiophile store and try it on.
Just note that FiR is known to have a lot of variance between models, so your M5 might not sound like another M5!
what?? how???
@@ozunkeskin6919 What do you mean how? Their QC is bad
@@titienne1937 you said there are varience of m5 model. And im asking how, cuz when i go in the website i just see the one option and the option is m5 itself
@@ozunkeskin6919 Unit variance is what I mean. They are known to have multiple "silent revisions" and also poor QC, so there is little constance between units.
@@titienne1937 english please
As always, dope intro.
This brings tears to my eyes 😭, thanks Joshua for the quality content as always! 👌
Glad someone is actually delving into iem, but......efff me...i dont want to take out a loan lol. Can you do a under 100 dollar one lol? The chinese iems on amazon have making huge waves, people blown away by sound quality for price
How soon will you check out the new 2020 campfire lineup?!?
SOLARIS?
IMHO the Solaris is the closest competitor to the Z1R in that they're both TOTL hybrids essentially going for a balanced type of sound. Despite what devotees of each will tell you they both perform at the same level with each having its characteristic strengths and one's preference for one or the other will depend on their own tastes, sensitivities, listening preferences etc.
Why does Shure not get any love in reviews?
Saw this review and got the Sony!
What other equipment did you use for listening; music source, player, dac, amp?
Can you do an updated video of this with the new Sennheiser ie900 and akg n5005 please
The Meze Rai Penta's case always catches my eye lol
If I can get the Meze Rai Penta for 300 dollars, is that a good deal?
Thats a too good to be true deal (1/4 price!).
Can you please tell me which one of these is best for classical music?
U12t vs fir m5 vs Empire ears Odin which one do you recommend
would love to see Shure SE 848 reviewed
Good review!
It's interesting how the most expensive pair in the lot isn't the be all end all IEM that outclasses the cheaper ones.
Is their a good reason to spend over 2k on IEMs? I feel the returns after 2k are so small that it isn't worth it unless your budget doesn't care spending and extra few hundred or even 1 grand extra.
Probably not, given that audio quality is limited by our capacity to hear; and that there are diminishing returns on audio quality. I own a pair of HE1000V1 which I found much better then anything else I've listened to; I've only delved into IEM's so I can take things to work without being too obnoxious.
very nice kind of a review. plz more
How do these compare to the Empire Ears Odin and 64 Audio U12t?
Any one of them good for gaming?
So sony is better for my ears and my wallet☺️
Intro beats ❤️
Used to own the Z1R and found it to be really comfortable. I thought it was pretty good overall, the mid-bass was a bit too much though. Now own the Solaris and love it, had to go through a shit load of tips to find something comfortable but.
I own the OG Solaris and I've been intrigued by the Z1R but will never have the chance to audition it, what did you think of the Z1R's male vocals and midrange overall compared to Solaris'? I would greatly appreciate it if you were able to elaborate a bit more on the differences between these two TOTL IEMs and each one's strong and weak points. I trust users' (that bought both with their own money) experiences much more than reviewers' etc. Thank you in advance
@@dbekia Mids and vocals have much more presence with the Solaris, I prefer this but some people find them shouty. The low end of the z1r is its strength, but I still prefer the booming low end of the Solaris with the right tips and a bit of eq, I thought the z1r's bass bled into the mids too much. I remember listening to both of these out of a dragonfly cobalt and remember thinking that they're both on a similar level, both very detailed, but the Solaris was more fun and interesting to me, I was especially missing the sparkle that the Solaris has when I was using the z1r. I prefer the Solaris for every genre except maybe EDM, the Solaris kills it on anything acoustic, jazz, and modern pop
Indika Gunaratne your report is void as you have not driven these properly
@@indikagunaratne8360 I dont think Dragonfly Cobalt will give enough juice for the Z1R. You should try the Sony with other solid source with decent power of amplification to hear its capability
Hello, can I ask what you think about fit issue of Z1R-IER? I wanna buy it but I am scared if it doesnt fit my ear? Thank you
what is the difference in detail retrieval and layering :) I want all 5 key characteristics of all 5 in one IEM :) I guess I think Blon-03 wins for 35 EUR :)
How come no one in the audiophile UA-cam world gives a damn about AKG N5005? It really baffles me.
1.Not that popular 2.Hard to find 3.After Samsung bought AKG their "boutique" offerings were kind-of killed 4.Maybe their tuning isn't that interesting/good (?)
@@dbekia It is very easy to find in the US. It's always for sale on Amazon, and Harman as well. Probably lack of PR in UA-cam(not sending out review units to reviewers). I actually like it's sounding, super natrual, and I compared it to various IEMs in Canjam, and I think it is at least on par with anything around its price range.
Would love to see you review AK T9ie
You're missing the new Dunu Luna.
Any Audeze IEM better than these 5?
The audeze lcd i4 with dsp or eq probably could only the kse 1200 by shure sounded better to me but your mileage may vary 😉
What is that track at the beginning ? What is that song ???
Came to watch a video on IEMs thinking they'd be cheaper
*oh boy was I mistaken*
Uh...
what about the Piano Forte X?
when is the razer opus review coming out?
You must like seeing the world burn
Bro review tin t2 plus
This is the best iem in 60 dollars
Plz go n review
What is Fir Audio? Their website seems extremely shady.
They're an off-shoot started by one of the guys from 64 Audio.
can you review the audio technica ath-ad700x
What's the ideal use case for high quality IEMs? Like when would you use those, rather than over ears?
When you're out and about.
When lying down listening to music.
@@BryanWu91 Still would use my over ears...
@@mcbrite not as comfortable. I'm speaking from experience
@@BryanWu91 I don't have tons of experience with great IEM, but can they really hold a candle to, say, a Sennheiser 660S? It must be close to impossible to get the same sound quality from something so small?
Also still typo in description, it’s ZEUS not ZUES
Please review the AKG k361 🙏🏻
at this price point, I would personally look at a pair of custom IEM rather than buying these.
And u can keep it until it broke
josh i love your stuff, your opinion comes across honest and sincere, can you please start the music in your vids though :D
*listing
Please review shure kse1200
What about the u12t ?
Because they are the best of the best and those others look up to them. Sound great no matter what you plug them into. A real workman’s TOTL iem..
...and technically not the flagship for 64 Audio as that is the Forte position. Most people prefer the U12t because they are more well rounded for all types of music. 🎶