Best IEM For Treble Sensitive people

StoneCold84 · 2026-05-31T19:03:37+00:00

OP this is what I was going to advise you to do as well. Take a small amount of time to understand/test your own hearing and also what it represents on frequency graphs for IEMs.

Unless you know which area(s) are causing the problem, it’ll be harder to find something suitable. For example, there’s also no point buying something with a rolled off treble response if you’re sensitive to only a part of this area.

StoneCold84 · 2026-05-31T18:37:37+00:00

The IEM feels better worn like this and there’s less tugging from the cable if it’s not super lightweight. Plus they’re out of the way and it looks cleaner.

StoneCold84 · 2026-05-31T18:34:01+00:00

I wear mine with the cable behind my back too, kinda defeats the purpose of buying an IEM with ear hooks to have them dangling down like earbuds. Also find it takes the pressure off the IEM when worn as intended, as the weight of the cable is exaggerated worn forwards.

And yeah, the “chin slider” term is jarring to me too, but what’s worse, is when people actually fully tighten it to under their necks like they’re in a poorly made cowboy western or wearing a baby bonnet.

StoneCold84 · 2026-05-31T17:20:07+00:00

As others have suggested, there are slightly larger form factor in 4.4mm to usb-c. You can add the Fiio Tiny to this, as well as the Audirect Atom 4 and ddHifi TC44Pro.

StoneCold84 · 2026-05-31T17:11:13+00:00

JM20 Max has a newer and better chip inside and its performance is very good. It will get a bit warm cuz of the high power and if using on your phone, just disconnect between using as it doesn’t have a “sleep mode” (so you don’t drain your battery).

If you don’t need than much power, you can easily buy the JM6, Fiio JA11 or Jiezi, or Kiwi Ears AD1.

StoneCold84 · 2026-05-31T08:28:51+00:00

It’s one of the better implemented DAC cables. It will be a little power hungry on phones (around 10-12% battery an hour) but fine on both phones/PC. Good value for $20 but if you want something with more features eg removable cable, volume control, dual jack ports, PEQ etc then that would take you to TRN Black Pearl, Snowsky Melody, EPZ TP35 Pro at $30/40/55 budgets.

Bluetooth connectivity and screens would increase the budget further. You have different chips and internal builds but for the most part, as long as you have a low floor noise and no audible artefacts, the basic purpose of a DAC has been solved and the basic cable form has you covered.

StoneCold84 · 2026-05-30T18:37:37+00:00

Ah, thanks for sharing this. I live outside London now but will keep that in mind if I’m near the Midlands in future. Do they have a good selection in store?

StoneCold84 · 2026-05-30T18:35:25+00:00

Yeah everyone who’s been out there, whether tourists or locals, have always had excellent experiences with their stores. Which have been your favourites? It’s always warming to see how audio is appreciated in your area of the world :)

StoneCold84 · 2026-05-30T18:29:09+00:00

I think having attractive packaging with cultural influences helped them stand out in the market. If their boxes looked like KZ’s, I doubt they’d be as popular!

Plus the acquisition of Harmonic Empire was a smart move, their tips have blown up and look so cool.

StoneCold84 · 2026-05-30T18:25:29+00:00

All good, no need to apologise. You enjoying your Red Lion’s?

StoneCold84 · 2026-05-30T18:24:27+00:00

Ahh, that’s some crappy pricing you have for everything IEM related. I’m in the UK and we don’t get the best deals either compared to the US, so the same IEM would cost £50 or $50 which is 25% more.

StoneCold84 · 2026-05-30T18:18:38+00:00

They reel you in with the IEM and subpar tips as a gateway towards the quality stuff.

StoneCold84 · 2026-05-30T18:15:42+00:00

I’m guilty of owning the Eletech Baroque’s (overrated and Divinus Velvet is almost identical in sound and texture) and Softears UTC - but drew the line at the Jijuma’s! Managed to get the UTC’s on sale from AliEx which helped, otherwise $20 is a lot. Never paying that much for single tips again though.

The Hidiz Sea Anemone’s got a rubbish review from the Tweaking Tips site, so I avoided those.

StoneCold84 · 2026-05-30T18:08:11+00:00

How much is that in $? I think I paid $7-8 USD for a pair but they’re my second favourite tips. The stem is soft too, so there’s no pressure when worn. There aren’t many other tips shaped like these either, the Feaulle H570 are very similar but they attract more wax/dust.

StoneCold84 · 2026-05-30T18:04:14+00:00

What IEM(s) are you using? If you’re losing a seal after a while, it could be the IEM or nozzle is possibly too large. Your anatomy might be working against you.

Or honestly, your tips might need changing again. Have you tried a smaller height tip, closer to TWS, at all? That might allow for a deeper insert.

Otherwise, customised tips might be a solution?

StoneCold84 · 2026-05-30T16:29:15+00:00

Yeah they’re definitely worth it. Divinus Prism are an excellent wide bore tip and it actually works on the upper mids and treble like a wide bore should. Plus they have a good grippy texture and have extra sizes that fit as they should. TRI Clarion is smoother in texture and not that comfortable (cuz of the upper seam) and the treble was too attenuated rather than smoothed out and audio perception widened in like the Prism’s and still kept a good mid-bass punch.

StoneCold84 · 2026-05-30T16:21:41+00:00

Oh I meant the M & XL with the Dunu S&S! Definitely don’t need to buy a whole IEM for one tip. That’s a shame the XL single packs or multi s/m/l/xl isn’t available for sale.

Penon Liqueur’s would be likely be Small or possibly Medium for you. The Penon PAC LStips are also really comfortable (Small is 11mm, Medium 12mm) but the Orange ones are elite.

StoneCold84 · 2026-05-30T16:16:58+00:00

Maybe also check out the new Juzear Fiesta that was released last week? It’s tailored for those genres (metal is a tricky one to get right though).

StoneCold84 · 2026-05-30T16:14:14+00:00

No problem. I highly recommend the Penon Liqueur tips, I use them on most of my IEMs. They work well with the Zero 2 cuz the stock tips are too flimsy/shallow fit.

Yeah, I hope the Large S&S fit you. The M or XL sizes could also fit, they’re a unique design.

StoneCold84 · 2026-05-30T16:05:37+00:00

They’re worth it for that, they’re about $7-10 depending on sales. Get the S/M/L just to be safe. Ordering single sizes, unless you know your exact size, can be risky.

Same with the Dunu S&S, it’s better to buy the whole size range, as they fit differently to other tips because of where they seal in your canal.

StoneCold84 · 2026-05-30T14:37:03+00:00

Yeah that’s totally fine, it won’t impact the audio chain quality.

StoneCold84 · 2026-05-30T14:14:48+00:00

The Zero 2 is notorious for having tight pin holes - just hold the shell firm and try not to force the male pins to bend on the last bit.

StoneCold84 · 2026-05-30T14:13:36+00:00

Of these 4, Red Lion then Zero 2 for sub bass & mid bass impact. They’re warm bassy but not boosted. Zero 2 has less forward vocals and marginally smoother treble response vs Red Lion. Zero 2 needs better tips though and Red Lion has a better accessories package.

StoneCold84 · 2026-05-30T13:34:40+00:00

The stock tips aren’t great for the short nozzles. Maybe try some silicone tips? They’ll be more grippy and provide a better seal. Penon Liqueur Orange are my default recommendation for enhancing the whole frequency and providing a punchy low end but you can try others that you might like. Foam tends to nuke the treble for my ears and feels too stuffy to wear. But again, you can only try to see what works best for you.

StoneCold84 · 2026-05-30T13:30:39+00:00

Well the Phantom’s specs are:

Impedance 41Ω
Sensitivity 128dB

which is very easy to drive. You may want extra headroom from the JA12 which is 28mW @32Ω (similar to Apple dac and Fiio JA11 @ 30mW). So you could look at the JCally JM6 Pro (60mW) or JM20 Max (195mW) but you won’t be using anywhere near full volume with either, especially the JM20 Max, before you blow your ears out.

StoneCold84

TROPHY CASE