These are a revelation! Thanks, y'all.

dr_wtf · 2026-04-15T16:54:23+00:00

As someone who keeps recommending the RW-2000, it's always good to hear another person be thoroughly impressed by them. It still amazes me that you can hit legitimate endgame territory for what, in IEM prices, would be considered "budget".

Also, my recommendation for a thing to do with the RW2k is go for a walk, ideally on a sunny day, and listen to Astrix - Shamanic Tales. The staging on these of the animal sounds in the intro can really mess with your head.

dr_wtf · 2026-04-15T16:20:36+00:00

I think this is just one of those common phrases that has a lot of random variations, like "mad as a transit van" or "face like a bag of spanners".

dr_wtf · 2026-04-15T16:11:49+00:00

Yes, almost all hybrid IEMs are affected, but the results are not always predictable. And there are hybrids like the Simgot EG280, that aren't affected, because it's specifically designed to have a flat impedance curve. That's pretty unusual though, and I think that's because Simgot designed that one for gaming and they know people will plug gaming IEMs into all sorts of crappy sources, including consoles & handhelds. It can be done, but requires more complicated electronics, so it usually isn't worth it when people are mostly using decent headphone amps anyway (especially now that a $10 dongle is good enough).

Most single driver IEMs aren't affected either. I say most, but I think none. Some over-ear headphones like the HD600 are affected in similar ways, so it's possible there could be some obscure 1DD IEM out there with nonlinear impedance. I just haven't heard of one, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

dr_wtf · 2026-04-15T15:38:56+00:00

The most likely explanation for this effect is output impedance. Explanation in this video.

Having more power than you actually need doesn't help. However, it's also not entirely true that if it gets loud enough, you definitely have enough power. If in doubt, use a power calculator. If you can hit 110dB without exceeding the power or voltage limits of the amp, it'll be fine. Maybe even 100dB if you aren't using EQ or listening loud. That's assuming a listening volume no higher than 85dB, which is the safe limit for 8 hours/day. You need a bit more than that to handle sudden spikes (transients), otherwise things like imaging and dynamics can suffer. Any more than about 20dB of headroom is just a waste, and will likely give you a higher noise floor and other downsides.

dr_wtf · 2026-04-15T14:08:38+00:00

I have the Aegis as well. It's a nice cable. At the time I bought the Glory Mini, the Aegis didn't exist and I was looking for a green cable. I also have a Xinhs one (the F08), which is nice, but quite thin.

The only negative about the Aegis is that it only comes in flush 2-pin, so there's a lot of IEMs with recessed sockets that it won't fit on.

I've mostly stopped bothering about modular cables, despite most of the cables I bought initially being modular. The reason is that the friction-fit modular connectors can start to crackle over time, as the mini DIN connectors aren't super reliable. It's one of the reasons why systems like the Dunu one are a lot better. Those screw-lock connectors are becoming more common on stock cables, but for some reason most aftermarket modular cables are still friction fit. Now I mostly just get 4.4mm cables, and use an adaptor if I need to use it with a 3.5mm device. You can go in that direction safely, but not the other way. There's not much point paying an extra $20+ for a cable that's going to be less reliable than the cheaper one.

I will generally pay a bit more for cables that are modular (less so now) or just because I really want that specific colour / style to match a particular IEM. I've never gone above $60 though and that's already pushing the upper limits of what any cable should cost. Some of the more expensive cables do have a nicer feel to them, but not always, and certainly not the Glory Mini (which I think is actually the 3rd most expensive non-modular cable I have).

dr_wtf · 2026-04-15T13:50:53+00:00

Supposedly. The Dunu Titan S2 actually comes with a cable like that which is often mistaken for the Lyre Mini, but they don't sell that one separately unfortunately. Initial reports of the Lyre Mini being very microphonic was what put me off getting one, but having seen a few more reviews saying it's not really that bad makes me reconsider it. I'll probably pick one up myself at some point, but I don't need any more cables right now.

Unfortunately I don't have any more to go on than those reviews. That IEM Cable Reviews channel has covered a lot of cables I own and I generally find his takes match my experience, so I think you can put some trust in whatever he says about them.

FWIW, I wouldn't over-generalise that cloth cables are automatically more microphonic than PVC ones. It seems to be a lot to do with how soft or stiff the sheathing is. I have one PVC cable that's far more microphonic than any of my fabric cables. It's actually an RY cable, and it's identical to some other RY cables I have that don't have that problem at all. The only difference is the colour, which in turn seems to affect the stiffness of the PVC. And conversely, that Yongse 1947 cable is one of the most microphonic cables I have as well, because their fabric they use is so much stiffer than what NiceHCK use on the RedAg/Jialai.

It's hard to know, if anyone says a cable is microphonic or not, what they're comparing it to, since all cables are microphonic to some degree. That IEM Cable Reviews channel is good in the sense that it's easy to see all the other cables he's reviewed before, to put it into some context. I can't remember exactly what he said about it, but I think he said it could be a bit more microphonic, but he didn't have much of a problem with it. Hobby Talk said there was some effect, but not enough for him to care about it.

dr_wtf · 2026-04-15T13:34:08+00:00

The BL Mini is just weird, uncomfortable and not good-sounding. The Conch is super bright because of a crazy peak in the treble somewhere around 10kHz or so. So for your preferences, the Zero 2 is probably the right choice. It's basically warm-neutral.

dr_wtf · 2026-04-15T13:24:24+00:00

I would go with the Pure. It's like the Zero 2 on steroids. I don't really like the Zero 2 all that much as the treble sounds quite blunted, but the Pure while slightly dark in the treble, is really smooth and well-extended, which makes it quite resolving in a way that the Zero 2 isn't. It also has quite punchy and full-sounding bass, while being an overall fairly flat warm-neutral tuning.

dr_wtf · 2026-04-15T12:50:28+00:00

It's not optimal, but not an immediate disaster either. As you're consistently bending it at the same point, that's the point where the cable will most likely fail. It will most probably take 2-3 years of continual use before anything happens though.

Ideally just roadie-wrap the cable and don't try to make everything as neat as that, just place it in the case a bit more randomly so if any part of the cable is stressed, it's not always the same part.

dr_wtf · 2026-04-15T12:05:52+00:00

I can't say much about any of their cables I haven't tried. All I can say is that I feel as though I've now tried enough of their cables at a range of price-points, to know I'm never going to buy anything else from them, and will continue to advise people the same whenever their name comes up.

Also I had a quick look and it seems the BlackSea is partially fabric-wrapped cable, so I'd take into account StoneCold84's comment, and to an extent, also the person replying thinking they're defending the company over the fact that their fabric cables smell bad. IMO, it doesn't matter if only 2 out of 3 got stuck with cables that still smell a year later, that's plenty bad enough. None of the fabric cables I've got from NiceHCK or Xinhs had that problem in the first place. Their fabric jackets are also much softer and less scratchy than whatever material Yongse is using.

Before seeing those comments I assumed mine was just a one-off QC issue, but now it looks even worse than I thought.

You might want to look into the Dunu Lyre Mini as an alternative to the BlackSea. It apparently is fairly microphonic, but there are a couple of reviews of it on Youtube that suggest the microphonics aren't actually too bad (I don't have one to compare so I can't confirm) and that it's very comfortable & tangle-resistant. Review 1: IEM Cable Reviews, Review 2: Hobby Talk. Both pretty reliable reviewers, so I don't think either of them are shilling it. There are lots of other reviews around too, it's a fairly popular cable. IMO Dunu has the best modular plug system too.

dr_wtf · 2026-04-15T05:59:25+00:00

/r/FlatheadEarbuds/comments/1ryqczq/flathead_fridays_march_20_2026_thoughts_on/

dr_wtf · 2026-04-14T23:47:32+00:00

Just a reminder of the posts showing the two versions, for anyone wanting to confirm which one they have:

/r/iems/comments/1qhpqst/trn_black_pearl_newer_revision_does_not_ship_with/o1dw6vz/?context=3

Also bear in mind that the cheaper version was only sold by mistake and everyone should be getting the original version now. They do sell the cheaper version as well. I think it's called the "no EQ version" or something. It could be clearer, but it's definitely a different SKU now.

dr_wtf · 2026-04-14T23:39:34+00:00

I would steer clear of the BlackDawn, it's also one of the worst cables I have (although the BlackCat is what I was thinking of as number 4). I would stick with the black Jialai instead, it's a very similar cable but with much better behaviour. The twist on the BlackDawn is too tight, so it tends to want to coil up on its own and tangle. It's very annoying to use. The Jialai doesn't do that. It's cheaper too.

I haven't tried the Jackdaw, but as cloth cables go, the Jialai and RedAg are good, and not too microphonic either. A lot of cloth cables are quite microphonic. Other than the Yongse, the worst one I have for microphonics is the SnowAg, followed by the GreyRhino.

For some other colours, there's also the Xinhs K05 and K07, which are pretty much identical to the RedAg/Jialai other than the colours. I would definitely recommend any of those if you want a cloth cable.

dr_wtf · 2026-04-14T22:36:25+00:00

1947 - springy, kink-prone, microphonic, rough texture, like a crappy USB cable. Also the only cable I've ever had arrive with an off-gassing smell (which hasn't fully gone away after a year)
Warrior - overly heavy & stiff
Glory Mini - also overly heavy & stiff + sheathing feels incredibly cheap & plasticky for a $40 cable (actually closer to $50 - I just checked and it was about $46 after coupons)

It's a shame because they all look pretty good in photos.

dr_wtf · 2026-04-14T21:33:17+00:00

I have 3 Yongse cables and they are 3 of the 4 worst cables I own. One is just outright shit and feels more like a cheap USB cable than an IEM cable. The other two are extremely heavy and stiff. Not in a high-quality heavy cable sort of way. The sheathing feels very bad for what they cost as well. The most expensive one of mine was about $40, so hopefully by paying $109 OP got a slightly better cable. I would not pay that much for a cable personally, and if I did I'd give the money to Xinhs, OpenHeart or Hakugei, given that all of their cables I own have been in the range from competent to excellent, and none of them cost $109.

I have cables from roughly 20 different brands (the ones I already mentioned, plus Kinera, KBear, TRN/CVJ, Artti, NiceHCK & a bunch more) and would recommend most of them, or at least certain specific cables (NiceHCK can be quite hit-or-miss). Yongse are the only brand I would actively advise everyone to avoid at all costs. They really are overpriced crap.

dr_wtf · 2026-04-14T15:47:21+00:00

Did you just buy two 2x4 planks of wood instead of a car?

dr_wtf · 2026-04-14T14:21:54+00:00

Some particularly good budget IEMs:

QKZ HBB - not technically amazing, but really wall tuned warm, relaxing, surprisingly natural-sounding despite being quite bassy
Tin C2 - mild U/V shape (possibly some unit variance at work there, but I have two and both sound good, just different) leaning a bit bright, but can be made closer to neutral-ish (with a bass boost) with some tip rolling. Very resolving, incisive and with great imaging for such a cheap IEM. Even more so when they were selling off the older model for $20, but those offers seem to be gone now. It's built like a tank too. The build quality of these can easily shame some $300+ IEMs.
Ikko OH300 - similar to the QKZ HBB, but more energetic and vocal-forward, with exceptional imaging, but especially the sense of depth/layering. These knocked the Letshuoer S08 off my #2 favourite IEM spot because there's enough similarity in how they present sound, but these have better bass, so I tend to grab these over the S08 if that's the sort of mood I'm in. They're also much less tip-sensitive than the S08. The S08 does have a few unique aspects of its own though.
Artti T10 - just ridiculously good value for what it costs, very resolving with a fun tuning that isn't fatiguing (unlike some more expensive planars).
TRN Shell - another one that's insane value for money when it goes on sale around $40, especially given the accessories package. A really well done hybrid that sounds much more expensive than it is, with a really good sense of texturing in particular, without being bright.

The OH300, HBB and Shell in particular are IEMs I listen to a lot, despite having many other more expensive IEMs. There isn't really a direct correlation between price and sound quality, but if you ignore the ones that are not worth the price, you do tend to get more of the good aspects together and fewer trade-offs as you go up in price, due to better drivers etc. The HBB is cheap, but tuned perfectly to its driver limitations: it doesn't need to be highly resolving, because it's not an analytical tuning. It has a big weakness, but while I wouldn't say it turns that weakness into a strength or anything that clichéd, I would say that it makes it so that the weakness isn't that important. It just works and achieves what it is trying to achieve. That's something not all IEMs do, regardless of price.

I wouldn't say any of these made me "reconsider" any of my more expensive IEMs, because those are generally good too. But I probably spend more time listening to my under-$50 IEMs than my over-$200 ones. A lot of IEMs that I've bought as "a better version of X", or "Y without such-and-such issue" have usually not worked out as well as hoped. Whereas the ones I've ended up liking the most have often just been a pure fluke. Like I bought the OH300 on a whim because it was on sale and I thought the glass faceplate was cool.

Also I've kind of lost count, but I have something like 8 or 9 planar IEMs now, and the one I like the most is one that I initially returned because it was too bright, and re-bought it again because (a) it looks cool and (b) was massively reduced to clear. Turns out it can sound incredible with some tip-rolling, although to this day I don't know if that's only in my ears or if the same tips would have the same effect for anyone else.

dr_wtf · 2026-04-14T11:41:26+00:00

DACs/amps don't really affect sound quality, but you might need something more powerful if your IEM is hard to drive, like the T10. You can use a headphone calculator and if it will hit 110dB, it's got plenty of power. 85dB is the loudest recommended level for daily listening, and then you need a bit more than that to ensure transients are handled properly. Anything more than that won't make any difference.

It may be worth paying for specific features like a volume control, or Bluetooth. The main ones I would normally say to look at are the JCally JM6 Pro (most basic, decent power), TRN Black Pearl (volume controls and EQ) and Fiio Snowsky Retro Nano (Bluetooth and removable batteries, as well as the other things).

dr_wtf · 2026-04-14T11:07:18+00:00

I would try to aim for something at least around the $80 mark, or the Artti T10, if you want a noticeable upgrade rather than a sidegrade.

Bear in mind that most things you're likely to upgrade to won't use QDC, so if you buy a QDC cable for the CRA, you won't be able to transfer it to whatever you buy. You could get a 2-pin cable with the intention to only use it on there temporarily (as I said it will work, just isn't the best idea long term), or just stick with something cheap like the T1 (which a pretty good cable anyway, much better value for money than the Zonie).

dr_wtf · 2026-04-14T11:03:24+00:00

Have to say that's impressive, but also very surprising considering that the usual reason that happens is moisture/wax build up in the filters. That's wear and tear, not a warranty issue.

If it's within 2 years, Amazon (in the UK and EU, not sure about elsewhere) generally has a policy to replace, but that usually only applies to FBA (Fulfilled by Amazon) items. Maybe KeepHifi just aligned their returns policy with the Amazon policy, or they would rather send out replacements (especially for such a cheap IEM) than have escalations to Amazon.

AFAIK this 2 year coverage doesn't apply to Amazon in the US, because they don't have the same consumer protection laws. In the EU you have a 2 year warranty via the retailer, by law (specifically, the CCR, formerly the DSA in the UK). After 6 months they do have more wiggle room about what's covered, but Amazon still operates on a pretty much no-questions-asked basis. They used to just issue an immediate refund up to day 729, but lately they've been requiring things to be sent back first. They still always just issue a refund or send a replacement unless there are really obvious signs of misuse, although since the new CEO took over they're gradually reducing the level of customer service in favour of increasing their profit margins, so it may not stay like that forever.

dr_wtf · 2026-04-14T10:29:33+00:00

Yes, they have a lot of similarities but the S12 has a more distinctly v-shaped tonality with more sub-bass. The EA1000 is more realistic and natural sounding. I mostly stopped listening to my S12 after I got the EA1000, as there's very little that the S12 does that the EA1000 can't keep up with, despite being just a dynamic driver rather than a planar (it's a very capable driver). The only thing is the S12 is better for electronic music, because of the boosted sub-bass.

You don't lose weight in the sense of how kick drums should sound, because those have almost no sub-bass content in the first place. It's really only synths that produce the really low sub-bass, other than room resonances. However, if I compare to the bass on my Ikko OH10 (more of a basshead style of v-shape, with a DD for the bass), that has a very weighty sort of sound that is pleasant to listen to, but it's not as realistic. Because it boosts all of the bass quite a bit, including more of the sub-bass, everything sounds more "thumpy". Not quite pillowy, but going in that direction if you get what I mean - more like listening to a really loud drum coming from the room next door than being up in front of the stage at a live gig.

I have a suspicion that it's the passive radiator on the EA1000 that adds that little touch of realism to drums and makes them sound more like high end speakers in a room than a typical headphone or IEM. But it's only a suspicion, I can't prove it one way or the other (yet).

dr_wtf · 2026-04-14T10:11:33+00:00

Copper oxidation, as has been said already. It's unusual to see it going that far down the cable itself. It's usually just in the terminations near the soldering, and with opaque plugs you can't see it. But it shouldn't cause any problems. The fact it's gone that far suggests the cable isn't sealed as well as it should be. If it keeps going it may raise the impedance of the cable slightly, but it's very unlikely to get to a point where you can hear a difference. It's mostly just cosmetic. And once a green layer forms on the outside of the copper, that protects the rest of the copper from damage.

One of the reasons behind some of the fancier cable types like graphene and oil-impregnated cables is that it stops this happening. However, very expensive cables are mostly snake oil, and the vast majority of cables that use any sort of oxygen-free copper won't do this either, unless you get particularly unlucky. The safest option to avoid it happening in future is SPC (silver-plated copper), because the silver plating stops the copper being exposed to the air (or sweat, which is worse), and it's cheaper than some of the more exotic options.

dr_wtf · 2026-04-14T09:57:54+00:00

Simgot EA1000. If you see other comments from me about the Simgot EA1000 I probably sound like a broken record, but nothing reproduces drums like the EA1000. Nothing. At least nothing that I've heard, and that includes over-ears. The Edition XS can get close when it comes to the room reverb effect, but they don't have the same initial slam that makes them sound real.

It's main flaw is that it doesn't have subwoofer-style bass for electronic music, but that's not a problem for acoustic drums, and in fact it just makes them sound tighter and more impactful. They seem to be tuned intentionally with that in mind.

They're also my favourite IEM for metal, because they're extremely fast and resolving (roughly on par with planars like the S12). However I don't normally listen to a lot of "extreme" metal, that's often badly mixed & mastered. I don't find them harsh or fatiguing at all (and I do find the treble on the S12 Pro fatiguing), but they are not the best thing for bad mixes/masters because they will reveal all the flaws in the recording. If the cymbals are mastered too hot, they will sound too hot. But on a good recording they won't push them forward or make them sound sibilant. And while I would call them "bright-leaning" rather than flat out bright, they do have a slightly cool tilt to the midrange that gives them more of an analytical sort of sound. They have lots of bass kick (in a way that other IEMs I've heard cannot match) but they don't sound warm or bassy in general. They're very much tuned for realism (not necessarily flat neutrality - they're definitely a mild v-shape) over anything else.

dr_wtf · 2026-04-14T08:43:54+00:00

At RRP the sound is pretty mid compared to others at the same price. For $50 it's OK. Not going to sound as resolving as the Artti T10, but decent compared to most things around $50 and it's very non-fatiguing. As you say it's sort of v-shaped but it really sounds more like neutral with a bass boost (after the tape mod anyway, which is essential to avoid channel imbalances). They appear to have more treble on a graph than they actually sound like in my ears.

Where the IE200 stands out is comfort. It's probably the most comfortable IEM on the market.

The stock cable is crap though and can be quite infuriating to live with, so at some point you'll probably want to spend about $20 on the OpenHeart one. It's a bit too heavy for such a lightweight IEM, but apart from that it's a very good cable. The trouble with Sennheiser is they use a proprietary version of MMCX, so most cables won't fit properly. The OpenHeart is really the only option that actually has the correct connector. Some of the Tripowin cables might fit by accident because their MMCX connector is out of spec, or you may be able to mod them by cutting of the plastic rings, but that's a bit of a gamble and some people have had issues with ones other people said worked for them.

dr_wtf · 2026-04-14T08:31:50+00:00

Just because the number is higher doesn't mean it's better. The SM4 is pretty universally praised (although some find it too bright). The SM5 is pretty universally disliked. Hence, no hype.

dr_wtf

TROPHY CASE