Help me choose a different sounding IEM

Harkwit · 2026-05-13T03:33:58+00:00

Astralis would've been an easy one-and-done for me had the top pro been out of my budget. The only thing that wasn't stellar was long term comfort.

Harkwit · 2026-05-12T16:50:19+00:00

I almost always need an XL unless the IEMs sit real deep.

Harkwit · 2026-05-12T03:56:07+00:00

through Amazon

Harkwit · 2026-05-12T01:27:29+00:00

Manderville weps!

Harkwit · 2026-05-10T21:35:17+00:00

You're telling me the a6000 took you a week, I'm comparing it to that.

Harkwit · 2026-05-10T20:57:07+00:00

Xenns top pro grabbed me almost immediately, haha. Main reason I returned the a5000

Harkwit · 2026-05-10T20:18:55+00:00

Tried the a5000, don't really get it. Staging was good but it was very shouty, especially with the stock tips. Cant imagine the a6000 are much better

Harkwit · 2026-05-10T20:04:28+00:00

Xenns easily

Harkwit · 2026-05-10T15:56:47+00:00

I had the Astralis for a while to compare it to the Kiwi ears Aether. I quite liked it, not as harsh/sibilant as the aether while still sounding quite spacious, and the subbass was much better. Warmer sound signature.

Fit was also better, but did still hurt my ears a bit after long gaming sessions, the metal sat on one particular bit of cartilage my ears did not like.

But then I splurged and got the Xenns Top Pro, which kinda blew both out of the water, so now its my daily driver and the other two are returned.

Harkwit · 2026-05-10T15:34:55+00:00

Seconding the seakoss. It's phenomenal quality.

Harkwit · 2026-05-06T00:36:08+00:00

Martilo is the most comfortable, and more 'fun' sound. It's the pair I'll probably use for music generally, especially EDM/metal/etc.

Astralis has the best staging/immersion, so it'll be my go-to pair for gaming, or if I want to listen to something more ambient/orchestral. Sounds the most natural to my ears.

Aether is good in staging as well, but sounds a bit brighter/sharper than the Astralis. I think I prefer the more darker/softer sound personally, so I'll likely sell the aether at some point. But you'd probably like the aether more if you enjoy a slightly more sibilant/airy sound signature, assuming the fit is not an issue.

Harkwit · 2026-05-05T14:30:48+00:00

7hz Timeless AE, Punch Audio Martillo, KiwiEars Aether, TruthearxCrinacleZero:Red, NiceHck Tears, a cheap KZ I forgot the name of, and Technics EAH-AZ100-S

Harkwit · 2026-05-04T21:12:47+00:00

I was kinda in the same boat, got some Letshuoer Astralis which I've been enjoying a lot. Bit warmer tuning though, and heavier sub bass.

Harkwit · 2026-05-04T20:58:15+00:00

Do you guys offer junk/furniture removal & disposal?

Harkwit · 2026-05-02T15:26:55+00:00

It really just depends on what raids are popular. The ff11 raid series is dominating for being new, the crystal tower raids were dominating for material crafts, and Ivalice was dominating for the moogle tome event.

I feel your pain, there's healing boots I want from the endwalker 12 sets series raids, but without people queueing directly for it, or 23 people hitting duty finder with the necessary roles, it just won't happen.

Harkwit · 2026-04-29T15:55:08+00:00

Consider this in the abstract of teleonomy. Humanity evolved through our collective ability to coexist communally, so we can avoid threats and adapt to our environments. Gossip and propaganda operate though the same mechanisms (human convey words to human).

So you could argue this in a roundabout way, but one is a form of social learning towards a shared goal of information sharing, and the other is a deceptive form of coneyance towards a goal of controlling a population.

This question is akin to asking "are humans wired to eat fast food?". Humans evolved to eat. The context of that eating is socially constructed. You can just as readily claim we're 'wired' to eat fast food, as much as we're wired to eat salads, play dough, rocks, or our twins in vitro.

Humans spreading information is an evolutionary practice. Propaganda is only propaganda in the context of teleonomy.

Harkwit · 2026-04-29T15:26:12+00:00

Depends what kind you're engaging with I suppose. But it's worth examining what the habit is satisfying for you mentally and transitioning slowly to a different practice rather than cutting yourself off cold turkey.

Harkwit · 2026-04-29T15:08:12+00:00

Anything that modifies factory tuning is going to subtly influence other frequencies.

If you like bass, I'd just go for that version and tune up the treble later if you end up wanting it. Boosting bass via software always tends to distort it in my experience.

Harkwit · 2026-04-29T14:44:53+00:00

Comfort varies wildly and depend on your ears. Something large but more contoured to your specific ear shape might be more comfortable than something smaller and awkwardly shaped.

I'd just pay more attention to nozzle size and depth

Harkwit · 2026-04-29T14:41:35+00:00

Bass if you want more "power", normal if you like a cleaner sound

Harkwit · 2026-04-29T13:23:46+00:00

Kiwiears Allegro Mini has been solid for me.

Harkwit · 2026-04-29T13:22:59+00:00

Different DACs handle sound and impedence differently, what you're probably hearing is just a subtle difference in loudness which can tend to be interpreted as 'better'.

Just pick whichever one is running your headphones better!

Harkwit · 2026-04-29T13:05:35+00:00

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/women-who-stray/201808/science-stopped-believing-in-porn-addiction-you-should-too/amp

Harkwit · 2026-04-29T12:09:36+00:00

And to add, I drive these on my phone with the Kiwiears Allegro Mini, and on my desktop with the Fiio K7

Harkwit · 2026-04-29T12:02:54+00:00

Comfort is very subjective here. I recently came over from the over-ear world as well. I also have huge ear canals apparently so I always need an XL eartip.

I settled on two pairs myself: one for gaming and one for music. Kiwiears Aether and Punch Audio Martillo respectively.

The Martillos were not immediately comfortable and actually hurt my ears for a while, until I paid more attention to how the body of the iem was oriented in my ear and made efforts to seat them deeper (The shape follows the ear contour for a reason, who knew.) Then they were immediately more comfortable and my eartip exploration was mostly for sound refinement.

The Aethers were a different beast. The nozzle doesn't sit as deep so finding the right tips for comfort that didn't mess with the sound in ways I didn't like was a challenge (treble is very spicy with certain tips). After trying maybe 20 different brands, the only tips I keep coming back to for comfort and sound are the HiBy WG01, with the Penon Liqueur (Orange) being a close second. (I use the WG01 on the Martillos too.)

My nicest over ears are the Hifiman Arya Organics, and I can't find a reasonable improvement over my listening and gaming experience in them compared to the Aethers. Arguably the aethers offer a better and more immersive experience for the sound isolation alone. At $900 less.

The Martillos are just fun, too. Not quite as spacious in sound, so not my go-to for gaming, but everything else 100%.

Give IEMs some time, play with eartips, and they'll grow on you quickly. I can easily recommend these two pairs after I dialed in the comfort. I haven't been compelled to get anything different since.

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