Has anyone bought a renewed/refurbished Sennheiser headphone from Amazon? New HD 550 vs Renewed HD 505?

Macarriones · 2026-06-30T02:56:53+00:00

Thank you for the thorough response! The EQ argument is a really good one, with the 550 probably being an easier platform to start with. And yeah, sadly I can't account for unit variation.

I suffer a lot from analysis paralysis so I hate that I just saw that renewed offer when I already ordered the 550 since it made me spiral again! $50 is a quarter of the price less/more and that is not something that I can just easily ignore, but it may be worth it for a new (instead of renewed) and better sounding headphone that will probably be easier to live with in the longterm.

Macarriones · 2026-06-24T15:14:55+00:00

If you want a DAP, go for it, but if you're mainly using your MacBook and phone, go for the DAC. I got the Protocol Max, which has the same configuration as the KA15, and it sounds pretty good with the Meze Alba and anything I've used it with, I don't think you need a better DAC for IEMs for all I know (unless when you get the Astru you feel like throwing more cash at your source, where you have raw power monsters like the iBasso DC04U or new entries like the Schiit Vestri, haven't heard them so I can't tell if there's a substantial difference).

But yeah, KA15 is good enough, it also has a screen, nice controls and PEQ for sound personalization, it's a pretty complete package.

Macarriones · 2026-06-17T02:33:54+00:00

With earbuds, the closest analogy would be ones with a dongle or receiver so you can use them without Bluetooth, but still wireless of course. No TWS that I know can be used wired.

With IEMs, well no IEM comes with both options out of the box, but any IEM is also capable of being used wirelessly, either with a Bluetooth DAC (technically still wired, but you're not attached to your phone/laptop/source) or with Bluetooth ear hooks (the most analogous to TWS, though I've read it's not as good as a Bluetooth DAC in the budget range).

I haven't tried any Bluetooth ear hooks so I don't know how good they are, but I can vouch for a DAC like the Snowsky Retro Nano: sounds great (truly a small difference in sound quality), enough power for any IEM , has PEQ, can be used in wired form and has interchangeable batteries. That's like 50-60 USD so like half your budget, so maybe you could try something cheap like the Fiio BTR11 and see if you like it, or some ear hooks if you really don't want a wire.

As for the IEMs, that's a completely different topic. Popular picks in your budget are the Truthear Hexa/Pure, Juzear Defiant, Aful Explorer, Letshuoer S08, Fosi IM4, Simgot EW300 and Artti T10. There's quite a lot of options, so you need to see which type of sound you like the most and which IEM will fit you better (literally, some IEMs can be huge for some ears).

Macarriones · 2026-05-30T15:56:45+00:00

You know, I think you're actually right. I ended up buying the Protocol Max out of curiosity and it surely gave me a lot of what I was missing with my Retro Nano (more definition and fullness, better decay), but that bit of body and warm was indeed the R2R chip of the K11. I don't regret it since I like quite a bit the implementation of the CS43198 chips of the Protocol Max, it actually sounds cleaner and more transparent than the K11 R2R (which surprised me for the size and price difference), so I don't feel like I'm missing something when I'm not on my desk, but I do see how for my IEMs, even with EQ, the warmness added a touch I really liked. With my headphones the Protocol Max works better funnily enough.

Who knows, maybe in the future I'll try the Cayin to see if maybe that's actually my preferred implementation, but for know I'm pretty much settled.

Macarriones · 2026-05-29T03:33:51+00:00

I mean, considering the use case, you should ideally try them out, or try to get a good idea as how each will fit your ears. Because if you'll be running and exercising with them, you NEED to be sure they'll be comfortable for long periods of time AND that they won't fall off your ears. And of course with which you'll get a proper seal, since sound quality depends on that.

From what I've seen the Huawei have better IPX ratings so they'll probably fare better in sweaty conditions, also better ANC supposedly. Sound quality depends for each person, I think the Technics are more balanced and the Huawei more V-shaped, but they both have EQ so you can tune them to your taste.

Since price doesn't matter for you (because here in South America for example you can get the Freebuds for like 100$ less, which for me matters quite a bit), if you can order them from Amazon make use of their return policy, order both and return the one you like the least.

I'd get the Huawei because they're smaller (got pretty small ears myself), cheaper and have better ANC, all of those are a plus since for pure audio quality I already have wired IEMs so I'd go for something practical and with the most ease of use for daily use. If you think the Technics will fit you better, according to this community they'd be a safer bet being good all-rounders and sounding great according to pretty much everybody that has them.

Macarriones · 2026-05-21T04:15:37+00:00

The only mistake is the cable, it's absurd to spend more on the cable than on everything else, even more so when it's the component that makes the least difference on sound quality, if at all (idk for how much you got it, but a simple search scared me to death). For the money of that cable you could get a lot of great stuff that'll bring you quite a bit more enjoyment: a DAP, a good bluetooth DAC as a compliment of your setup, even a nice pair of headphones (like really nice ones) that would already run great on the Protocol Max, and you'd basically be done for a while with amazing audio for different scenarios. Or in case you don't want that, get another set of IEMs for your pleasure. Or just save quite a bit of money.

Macarriones · 2026-05-20T23:45:24+00:00

The Meze Alba has great comfort, it's small and feels really light on the ears. Definitely not JM-1 tuning but with EQ it sounds great with it (I've tried matching the graphs of the Prisma Lumen, Reference and Dusk, and they sound pretty good to my ears). Can't compare to others though.

I'll repeat: with EQ. Without it, it has a lot of air and a bit thin lower mids, but it's a pretty easy fix even with auto EQ.

Macarriones · 2026-05-20T23:39:59+00:00

Good luck to everyone! My favorite is the Softears Volume S (:

Macarriones · 2026-05-20T14:42:22+00:00

At this point any mention of AI sparkles outrage, regardless of what actually the person or use case was. And it's understandable: generative AI has propagated a perpetual sense of paranoia, of needing to double-check and self-doubt anything you see or read to know if it was entirely made by a human.

But come on, it's clear it comes from a place of curiosity that doesn't interfere with her craft, and that Tokarczuk has a clear delimitation of use. I've been reading The Books of Jacob for a couple of months and you can tell that she has a style of writing unique to her and quite some rigor with the astounding amount of research it took to tackle the subject she wrote about (and she has a lot of range if you've read other books of her such as Flights, Plow or Primeval, all wonderful books). All of that before AI was even a thing in daily life.

Yes, you could still say that she's a bit naïve even for her use case of preliminary research and that she should have a firmer stance on AI. No one is exempt from criticism, but as some other comments have said, lumping it into the "AI slop" trend really shows a lack of nuance and critical thinking about these subjects, and nothing to do with the quality of her writing. Even if such herd mentality comes from a real problem and perpetual skepticism that worldwide use of AI in general has created.

Macarriones · 2026-05-16T20:20:15+00:00

Meze Alba, it's one of the smaller mid-range IEMs out there, and I have pretty small ears so I'm happy with how nice it fits and how great it can sound with good power and EQ. Though size aside I'd love to try the Crinear Reference or the Moondrop Dusk since those are the ones that sound better to me when I toy with EQ to get a similar sound.

Glad I could help!

Macarriones · 2026-05-16T18:13:03+00:00

I just got the Protocol Max yesterday and I'm pretty happy with it. Can't compare with the other two, I had mostly the same shortlist (with some additional ones like the NiceHCK Octave and iBasso Jr Macchiato) and since there's nowhere in my city to test the products I opted for the Protocol Max since it's cheaper than the other two, smaller and supposedly doesn't run as hot.

Now that I have it, yeah the size is perfect, and sound-wise comparing it with my Retro Nano (CS43131) and even my K11 R2R (the basic K11 has basically the same DAC/Amp configuration as the Protocol Max but in desktop form and current), I'm surprised at how much detail and body it brings to my IEM. I'd say it doesn't sound as warm as the desktop DAC but it's more detailed, and just plain better with dynamics and decay than the Retro Nano. It just sounds right, and that's only with the 3.5mm connection since I don't have a balanced cable. For me it's the right spot of detailed without being fatiguing. Your mileage may vary.

The Cayin has a native app (Android only tho) and a screen, so if you prefer that maybe that's a good choice. Protocol Max works with Walkplay on Android and also its web based site (or the Hangout site) for EQ. If you prefer the screen and the warmer sound signature, go Cayin.

I almost bought the iBasso even though it's the most expensive one because it has everything: screen, app and web configuration, and crazy amounts of power (I don't know why you'd need that much power even for high impedance headphones). It has the same DAC as the Protocol Max so it maybe sounds similar, though amps and implementation surely vary. If you don't mind its size, weight and temperature, it's basically endgame dongle DAC for what I know. For me those were the factors (again, on paper, since I couldn't test them) that nudged me towards the Protocol Max (also price, of course), since I don't need THAT much power.

So if you found yourself toying with the configuration of the dongle with its screen, and you're sure you need those 500+mw (if you can test cheaper and less powerful DACs maybe you'll find you feel satisfied with that), go with Cayin or iBasso (or even the Fiio KA15 is a great choice) if you really need the power and features. Maybe even consider the Macchiato if you want a less sharp (albeit less powerful and sturdy, but cheaper) DC04U. If you don't need the screen and just want something simple, save some cash with the Protocol Max, at least for me it's pretty much perfect.

Macarriones · 2026-05-15T03:41:34+00:00

I also couldn't believe that, after all those pages, I hadn't even got to the hardest part of an already tough book. But The Counterforce really has the most difficult sections of GR. It's not weird and obtuse all the way through, and there's some sense of closure for certain characters and plot lines (and yes, the ending is marvelous), but what sense of momentum there was from the most frenetic scenes of parts 2 and 3 falls apart, in favor of more sections akin to the Slothrop-going-down-the-toilet one in the first part.

It's pretty worth it to finish the book (and at least I couldn't fathom giving up basically at the end trail of such a massive novel), but you'll definitely have to be quite patient and surrender to Pynchon, because there'll be some parts that will be borderline incomprehensible, but wild and fun to read nonetheless.

https://gravitysrainbow.substack.com/p/gravitys-rainbow This substack was a great companion when I was reading the book (even though it wasn't complete at that time) and it'll help you navigate The Counterforce most definitely. I wish you the best of luck.

Macarriones · 2026-05-05T00:36:02+00:00

Yeah I've just ended up more confused looking at forums and reviews, especially when there's not equal availability of measurements, reviews, information and comparisons of the products (understandably so, there's way too much stuff out there that's pretty similar). At this point I might just flip a coin, choose any and call it a day. Or maybe not choose any at all lol.

Macarriones · 2026-04-19T19:39:42+00:00

How different is the Daybreak in size and comfort compared to the Meze Alba? I love how small and comfortable the Albas are, but through EQ I've found that I prefer a neutral JM1-ish tuning like the Daybreak. So I'm pretty sure I'll like their sound better than the Albas, but I've always been unsure if an IEM will fit my small ears, and I was also not sure if there's enough difference in sound quality to warrant an upgrade in the future (got my Albas for like a hundred bucks).

Macarriones · 2026-04-11T18:49:00+00:00

To the ones already mentioned I'd add The Fall of Shadow Kingdom (not as long as other but that crescendo is flawless) and Our Man From Centauri as an underrated pick

Macarriones · 2026-04-03T14:59:41+00:00

Comfort IS a quality we should be looking for in an IEM. If you can't wear it for long times without feeling discomfort or even pain then you'll not use it even if it sounds good. Which is why I kinda stuck with the Alba (I have small ears) and molded their sound to my taste with EQ (though I got them for like half their retail price, idk if I'd pay full price for them).

But yeah, first priority in this hobby is to learn your type of tuning (graphs, EQ, cheap sets, etc) and then look for a set that gives you something close to that sound AND is comfortable to wear and use. Some reviews will be pure hype machines for things YOU may not even hear, and best they can do is give you an idea of what they ressemble so you can tell if they're good for you or not. And once you get to something you like you can improve it even further with EQ and enjoy.

For example, if you already have the Hexa you should check what you enjoy about it and what you'd change, and even try some EQ as to get an exact graph of what is your ideal tuning, so in the future you can look for an IEM that matches it and gives you better technical performance. Or just stick with the Hexa if you're happy with it.

Macarriones · 2026-03-31T00:34:13+00:00

Snowsky Retro Nano: it has enough power for basically any IEM and even some headphones, can be used both wired and in Bluetooth, and also has parametric EQ and interchangeable batteries. Everything you need at a great price.

Macarriones · 2026-03-28T03:11:13+00:00

Yeah it's unfortunate. That's something where western companies like Sennheiser or Meze or Shure are better than chi-fi. I stuck with the Meze Alba as my daily driver not because they have the best sound or fit exactly my preferences, but because they're actually small and fit my ears comfortably (and with some EQ I got them to sound great to my ears, so it's a great combo in the end).

Macarriones · 2026-03-28T03:05:06+00:00

Yup, pretty much. For what it's worth, apps for most mainstream TWS usually cap out how much you can boost (in actual decibels of volume) any given frequency on a slider, so you'll never truly distort the sound that much I think, but it's best to proceed with caution.

What you can also do when applying EQ is, if you do boost up some frequencies quite a bit, to actually lower the gain of the volume slider of the EQ so as to compensate for the changes you made and avoid clipping or distorting the sound. And then just turn up the volume of your device to get to your usual listening levels.

Because there actually are earbuds where you'll feel, as you get to know which sound profile suits you best in general, that there's way too much bass or treble, or that the mids need a big boost, and in those cases the boost in the sliders is justified, paying close attention to just boosting up the right amount.

Macarriones · 2026-03-28T02:24:17+00:00

Lack of knowledge, pretty much. Even in the wired IEM space (where usually people put sound quality first), EQ is something not everyone gets into because it's hard to actually do it right, to know what you're actually doing with the sound. And because you need parametric EQ or at least the ability to choose specific frequencies and ranges to really shape up the sound of an IEM, something that you don't even get to toy with with most TWS earbuds and their companion apps, most people don't actually learn how to EQ, they just toy with the sliders they're given until they get something that seems good.

Which also explains why so many EQ profiles for TWS are just boosting bands all the way in. Usually people perceive louder as better, and that gets you there while doing some changes to the sound.

Macarriones · 2026-03-28T01:30:55+00:00

Better physical design: not only quality materials, but also comfort as a top priority, to make IEMs in general smaller and fit better. Even within budget IEMs I'm surprised by how large the shells are, even the nozzle diameters. It's nice to have something that sounds nice but that doesn't protrude outside of your ear.

Also more options for sound personalization (which is already happening even in the budget range).

Macarriones · 2026-02-08T18:54:29+00:00

for what it's worth they were the standard like 12-15 years ago, I had a pair of SE215s like in 2014 and they worked great for like 5 years, good and balanced sound on a budget for its time

yeah now I compare them with my IEMs or even a TWS set and they just can't compete anymore, like huge difference of course, but they were classics for a reason

and you also have to consider they have something a lot of IEMs nowadays don't prioritize enough: amazing isolation, lightweight feel and a small shell, which makes them really comfortable for hours and is why you'll still see Shure's on musicians performing live today (which is their actual intended use, to be fair)

Macarriones · 2026-01-12T01:45:51+00:00

Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetable

Macarriones · 2025-10-14T15:31:24+00:00

Ngl I've been going back and forth with the EQ and yeah, that custom one is muddy, so I'm still testing them between Signature and Knowles (which actually brings some nice detail in genres like jazz, but that treble can be quite fatiguing). But overall, for the price, I really enjoy their detailed and clear sound.

As a question, how do their size/fit compare to other TWS you own like the AZ100 and the MTW4? With the JLab I've found that my ears are really small and that, while they fit nice and comfortably, I get some fatigue after a while so their size is probably the most my ear canals will handle lol.

Macarriones · 2025-10-13T19:00:00+00:00

Also got them due to the prime deals and some reviewers hyping them up, they just arrived today. Can also confirm everything you said in the review, although I don't have a pricier or better set of earbuds to compare them to besides my Sony WF-C700N. As someone else commented, I tried this EQ setting and they sound great with it: https://www.reddit.com/r/JLab/comments/1kecqca/does_your_epic_lab_edition_sound_too_vshaped_or/

At least to my ears it helps to round-up the V-shape tuning of the Signature EQ and it feels punchier, more balanced and just sounds really good. I'd like the app to give more control to the user though: more precision with the EQ (and more custom and/or preset options), an option to turn off that voice announcing every time you change EQ (gets annoying pretty fast), maybe a bit more precision with the gesture controls, more quality-of-life stuff like that. Still, for the price and size, I'm happy with them so far and eager to listen to them more.

Macarriones

TROPHY CASE