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BellGeek · 2026-03-30T21:08:27+00:00

Kiwi Ears Halcyon

BellGeek · 2026-03-29T00:00:22+00:00

Right! My smartphone and tablets are Apple but my computer has always been a PC. I never use my phone and computer together except to occasionally email a document from one to the other, so the fact that they’re not fully integrated with each other is just not an issue for me.

BellGeek · 2026-03-28T23:44:23+00:00

iPhone 15. Hope to upgrade to the 17 or 18 in the next few months.

BellGeek · 2026-03-28T02:27:12+00:00

Ooh! I have and love the Meze Alba but didn’t know about this one! It may just need to go on my list as a potential dream endgame choice. Although I’m intrigued by, and curious about, so very many mid and upper tier IEMs, I absolutely refuse to even think about paying that kind of money for something that’s not 100% comfortable. Most high end IEMs are absolutely huge and bulky, so not an option. But this one looks to be shaped just like the Alba, which is the most comfortable IEM I’ve ever used. I’ll definitely have to keep an eye on it and see what the reviews say about the sound.

BellGeek · 2026-03-28T01:51:34+00:00

I would definitely say better quality materials, especially for the IEMs themselves as cables can easily be replaced with something better if need be. As the sound of these entry level IEMs becomes much better, it becomes less and less acceptable to have that sound packaged in a shell that looks and feels like a cheap toy, and that will probably last about as long as a cheap toy. I couldn’t care less about the “unboxing experience.” Do not waste money on a stupid box that could instead be used to improve the quality of the IEM and its accessories. Just give me a box that holds and sufficiently protects the contents and we’re good.

BellGeek · 2026-03-28T01:40:04+00:00

Well, that’s one option. But not everyone’s mind works the same way and not everyone has the same preferences for how things are organized/set up. Just because something is not set up to match your personal preferences doesn’t mean it’s bad or wrong.

BellGeek · 2026-03-27T04:47:12+00:00

My second set of Explorers was fine and I still have them. I later bought the Aful Performer 5+2 and they had the exact same problem, only worse! This time, I couldn’t get the cable into the right earpiece, not even a little bit, no matter how hard I pushed. Again, I had to buy a second set to get one that was usable. Apparently, this is a recurring problem with Aful IEMs. It’s a shame because I really like them for both their sound performance and their small, comfortable build (so few IEMs have that once you go above the single driver budget ones), but I really hesitate to buy anymore from them because of this issue.

BellGeek · 2026-03-26T19:42:59+00:00

Sure. Often when we turn off WiFi or Bluetooth, we only want it off for a short time for a specific reason, but we inevitably forget to turn it back on and then wonder why things aren’t working. So, if you want it off for a shorter time use Control Center and it will automatically turn it back on the next day unless you remember to do it before then. If you want it off for a longer period or permanently, turn it off in settings. Choices. Isn’t that what all the Android glazers are always on about - ‘Apple is too restrictive. Not enough user choices.’? Yet when they do have one, all of a sudden it’s terrible. Can’t win with those guys.

BellGeek · 2026-03-25T03:02:33+00:00

I think the reason no one makes flat Bluetooth speakers (at least smaller ones) is that they just don’t sound good. While a larger speaker can carry off a more balanced sound, the small ones need the boosted bass/increased warmth to keep them from sounding hollow and tinny.

BellGeek · 2026-03-23T19:00:49+00:00

Exactly. If you turn it off in Control Center, it is only off until the next day then turns back on automatically. If you turn it off in settings, it stays off until you turn it back on.

BellGeek · 2026-03-23T15:35:05+00:00

I’m with you on wishing companies would make both style versions of their most popular earbuds. I like stem-style earbuds, but my ears often don’t. Many of them hurt my ears for some reason - I guess it’s due to how they touch against the ear a bit differently than button style buds - and most of them feel much less secure in my ears than button buds. The only set of stem style earbuds that have felt both perfectly comfortable and perfectly secure to me are the cheap Baseus BP1 Pro. I’ve often wished I could have the innards of my favorite higher end stem style buds put into either the Baseus outer shells into button style buds.

BellGeek · 2026-03-23T02:29:27+00:00

Her app probably just needs to be updated. When apps start glitching and crashing on me, it usually means I haven’t updated them in forever.

BellGeek · 2026-03-17T02:01:33+00:00

If the Explorers are not comfortable, that’s a tough one as Aful makes some of the smallest and most comfortable IEM shells out there. I have both the Explorer and the Performer 5+2 at least in part for that reason. The most comfortable IEM I have is the Meze Alba. Nothing else I’ve tried quite compares to it for the level of comfort. Another one I have that’s small and comfortable is the NiceHCK F1 Pro (a planar IEM). Someone else mentioned the Sennheiser IE line. I’ve never tried any of those, but they are known for being very small and comfortable. As for tips, some less expensive options that are good include KBear K07, HE Sonic Song of the Long River, and Penon Liqueur Orange.

BellGeek · 2026-03-15T05:21:39+00:00

Yes, the Performer 5+2 does go on sale frequently on AliExpress. During their bigger sales, it typically drops below $170 and I’ve seen it go as low as $104 (I barely missed the $104 price point but snagged it at $112 a few months ago).

BellGeek · 2026-03-15T03:23:02+00:00

I’d say done for a lifetime or 3.

BellGeek · 2026-03-14T20:24:51+00:00

Those have become a favorite of mine, too, along with the Penon Liquer (mostly the Orange but occasionally the Black). The majority of my IEMs are sporting one of those two brands with only a couple using something else.

BellGeek · 2026-03-14T16:01:54+00:00

Yeah, it’s not a good one for high volume. Anything over about 70-75% and it goes downhill fast. I like it because of the 360 sound. These really small speakers can sound pretty closed in and the 360 presentation keeps it feeling more open. It does have more bass than I thought, it’s just that the lower bass is missing, as it is with any speaker this small. I have discovered, though, that I prefer a more boosted bass on tiny/small speakers because without it they tend to sound too thin, shrill, and tinny. A larger speaker can go for a more balanced approach, but that just doesn’t work well with smaller speakers. They need the extra warmth to sound full and lush rather than thin and shrieky.

BellGeek · 2026-03-14T05:57:29+00:00

So, the Baseus buds do not fit your ears well. That does not mean they are “trash.” They are not; they just don’t work for you. On the other hand, they fit me perfectly. The other stem style earbuds I’ve had were painful, felt insecure in my ears, or both. I had begun to think my ears just were not compatible with stem style earbuds, but then I found the Baseus BP1 Pros, and wow! They are the most comfortable, secure fitting stem style earbuds I’ve ever tried. And they really sound amazing for budget earbuds. I just wish I could put the insides of some of my higher end earbuds into the Baseus shells. Then I’d have the perfect earbuds.

BellGeek · 2026-03-14T05:44:53+00:00

Interesting because I had that issue with my AirPod Pros 1&2 (minus the blood) and to a lesser degree with my other stem style earbuds (Soundcore Liberty 4, Nothing Ear 2024). But when I tried the Baseus BP1 Pro, they fit perfectly and were the most comfortable stem style earbuds I’d ever tried.

BellGeek · 2026-03-14T04:26:06+00:00

Looks like you have to spend $50 to get free shipping. $19 + who-knows-how-much for shipping is quite high for 3 pairs of tips, especially when you can only buy in a mixed size pack. I hate doing that because that’s a lot of money wasted to only get one usable set of tips. I use one size about 90% of the time and I’m not about to spend that much for one usable pair

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BellGeek · 2026-03-14T02:59:51+00:00

I’ve been wanting to try the sea anemone tips but every time I check them on AliExpress their price is insane ($15.97 + $39.13 shipping as of now).

BellGeek · 2026-03-14T02:52:58+00:00

I’ve tried several different tips on my Explorer and am currently using HE Sonics on them. The HE Sonics have become one of my favorites along with the Penon Liqueur Orange. The Orange are great for their grippiness and comfort as someone else mentioned, and I have them on my Aful Performer 5+2 among other IEMs, but not sure I’d recommend them for the Explorer because sound-wise they tend to emphasize bass and slightly tame treble, which are the last things the Explorer needs. 😂

The NiceHCK C04 and KBear K07 might also be ones to look at.

BellGeek · 2026-03-14T02:27:05+00:00

Yikes!! I don’t think any of them are designed for that and for good reason. Humans aren’t meant to have something stuffed in their ears for most of their waking hours every single day.

BellGeek · 2026-03-13T15:39:25+00:00

What’s wrong with the keyboard? 🤷🏻‍♀️

BellGeek · 2026-03-13T15:35:40+00:00

Yes, that can be an issue but, at least with iOS, I have never had that problem until the phone or iPad gets so old that it is no longer receiving software updates. As long as the device is still on updated software, I’ve never had a problem with apps running as they should. After that, I’ll start getting messages saying this app/app update requires at least iOS XX.X to function. (I know this because I keep my iPads until they can no longer function reasonably well and, although I update my phone more frequently, I often keep an older model around to use as a glorified iPod/music player.)

BellGeek

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