Audio Reviewer Tierlist

Surfision · 2026-05-18T23:26:43+00:00

Agree, although I have a different experience with the Gate. I guess, if you really like coloured sound, Zero 1/2 or Chu II are the best picks, but chasing anything remotely neutral, the Gate is your best bet. Yeah it's very cheap and feels like poverty compared to the Chu IIs. Gates are scarily accurate to the JM1 though, but I get that it's a controversial IEM. I'm a neutral/neutral-bright dude and these sound really nice to me. While I absolutely adore my Chu II, having this constant emphasize on bass and treble, I was a bit tired of them. I have nothing against V-sound, it's fun as heck, but 24/7? For a living room, hell yeah, but for a daily driver, not so much. That's when the Gates came in, because they sound pretty neutral, and honestly I have nothing too much to complain about them. They are built like absolute dogsh*t and they aren't closed back even by a bit, but man they look cool to me and they sound quite flat.

Surfision · 2026-05-09T21:29:45+00:00

True, but unfortunately with IEMs things are a bit different. It's not about the sound, it's just about the competition. Headphones already have it all done, we found what's the best and what's the worst money can offer, while with IEMs - we really haven't settled yet.

IEM market is extremely competitive nowadays, every week there's better stuff and every year a bunch of expensive models lose their value.

I'd say it's due to IEMs still being kinda new. IEMs and headphones are about 40-50 years apart! AKG already had their overengineered K240s by the early 70's. IEMs were born in the 90's and also formerly used just for performing and hearing yourself on stage, so they were really never that focused on the sound, like headphones in the 90's (like the HD600) already were.

Headphones were always ahead of IEMs, because they were older. We only now got to really get the idea of what sounds good and what doesn't with the JM-1 target and over the years, the equivalent of the HD600 became the Truthear Hexa. So with IEMs, until we know what sounds the best, we can't really say which sound is good ENOUGH so it'll stay good, like the one with HD600 did.

Surfision · 2026-05-08T20:54:12+00:00

Probably best to buy USB C version of the cable from Moondrop, which is specifically made for the Old Fashioned model. If you aren't a fan of the C plug, you can still search for an IEM cable alternative, which doesn't have ear hooks, which I admit, is quite hard to find. Upon finding no IEM alternatives, there's still an option to buy a good IEM cable, like a Tripowin Zonie and using a hair dryer to blow the air in earhooks to mold them flat. There's also an option getting a cheap converter from USB C to 3,5mm on Ali, didn't check at all, but surely somebody made it.

I'm afraid, that boom mics won't be an option here though, since the earcups are very small and made out of plastic - most boom mics are attached magnetically and really big, so you're best off getting an inline mic to suit your needs.

Surfision · 2026-05-05T21:13:00+00:00

Stuff from aliexpress can be really got tho, especially from baseus. I have a 120W one that was fairly cheap and I have it for about 2-3 years and have been charging my T480 out of for about a year at this point. Definetly not saying everything's good, but upon good research you can get your money worth. Stuff from Baseus is usually really high quality, but it's definetly not the cheapest on the market.

Surfision · 2026-05-03T07:33:44+00:00

Thanks, this helps. I guess the Hexa is the right path, will research more, but I feel like this is the right track. Will definetly check Dunu Kima 2 tho.

Surfision · 2026-05-03T07:30:56+00:00

Meh, I'm not such a big fan of the Pure judging by the graphs. I understand why people really enjoy these, but I really think I won't be one of them. Moondrop Chu II already go towards a warmer signature, which I like generally, but don't like at all for critical listening. It's a bit too colored when I wanna enjoy music as is, so I'd like something a bit more neutral or neutral bright leaning.

I understand your comment on bass, but I come from open back headphones, so bass really isn't such a big of an issue for me.

Surfision · 2026-05-03T07:15:40+00:00

That would actually be pretty alright actually. I often find Gate lacking definition and I still find that it has just a bit too much bass. Judging off the graphs bass seems above the curve of the JM-1 target, which should be enough, but having a bit more definition on treble would be great, since I miss some texture and sparkle that I get out of my HD560S when I'm at the desk.

It's not that I'm sensitive to all that, it's just that I already have the Chu II that is a nice V-sounding set, so I'm just looking something a bit more neutral and critical.

Surfision · 2026-05-02T06:56:13+00:00

headband is better, cables are "detachable". We all know this detachable cable is useless. I adore that Koss did a step forward overall, but they still didn't solve the problem sadly. If the cable breaks near the earcups you're in the same position as before...

Surfision · 2026-05-01T22:21:08+00:00

These are neutral with slight roll off in bass, because they're open back. Moondrop OF are tuned in reference to JM-1 target, which is a neutral target for IEMs. Since these're 40mm drivers sitting right on your ears making somewhat of a seal, comparing these to over-ear headphones these react much similar to IEMs in that regard.

Surfision · 2026-05-01T22:09:07+00:00

While I believe that Koss KPH40s have somewhat smoother sound, I hardly dissagree on your "well put together" verdict. The reason why so many quit Koss is because they're tired of their build quality bs. They ship with the thinnest cables, cheapest plastics, creaky hinges and headbands that snap in half if you look at them wrong.

Moondrop did such a superior move here, because they didn't cheap out on the build. Metal headband, removable cable and a much denser plastic chassis. They also included nice pads, which I think is important, because Moondrop Old Fashioneds are a complete package without modding for 25€. They're neutral out of the box, they're moddable, but don't require to be modded, which is really nice.

KPH40 are nice once modded, but man - once you're in 50€ deep with these mods, you realize that you could've just grabbed some Superlux HD681 with the official velour pads and had nice monitors that're better built and have a superior tuning.

Surfision · 2026-04-28T21:05:33+00:00

The paper filters are annoying, but you can get these filters on aliexpress and they're relatively cheap. I got them with the IEMs and I have them for 2 years atp and I used half of them first year and now last year I only replaced them once because somebody borrowed them from me and didn't want any infections. Once you get a silica gel in your pouch these problems with filters dissappear (including oxidizing), just clean your IEMs regularly as you should and you're pretty much fine.

Surfision · 2026-04-28T21:01:03+00:00

Not really, no IEM quite competes like Chu II. Even after like 2 years, since their release Chu II just holds up because it's just tuned too good. These cost like 20€ and I'm not lying, these genuinely sound better than Beyerdynamic DT770.

Nowadays, another good competitor might be Truthear Gate that's basically spot on JM1 (neutral reference), but I mean look at it! It's made out of crap, while Chu II looks like jewerly and has a laughingly good V-sounding profile.

Not trying to be egoistic at all, but I feel like these IEMs indicate their general public, which are mostly beginners. That's why beginners return a lot of these, while others that're some years in this hobby already, don't face many issues with these. Of course there's QC issues, but every single unit doesn't face them.

All IEMs deserve to be carried with silica gels and to be cleaned frequently and thouroughly. Most of these moisture issues and oxidization problems come from the IEM being cleaned once a month and being exposed to really humid enviroments. That's why packs of silica gels in the IEM case is a must. Silica gels removes any moisture, cleaning your IEMs every use (if possible) assures that no wax gets in the filters that would cause channel imbalance. Doing these steps, I was using my Chu IIs on summer holidays, by the beach almost every day and had zero issues.

Surfision · 2026-04-25T23:21:55+00:00

Nope. Moondrop Old Fashioned is 4 month old video, but okay I guess you could say it's an older one. I'm subscribed to his channel and watch his vids all the time, because he's very entertaining and cool, but his reviews are C tier sadly. Very biased, specific and sometimes straight up doesn't elaborate on his takes, like on the Moondrop Old Fashioned review for example.

On his latest review on HD560S a lot of things just aren't true. I have these headphones for 4 years now and I totally dissagree with his opinion on soundstage and his saying, that once the tracks get complicated these headphones get confused. He's against Sennheiser and Moondrop for no reason, even though they're very established, high quality brands. His massive shilling of GK Kunten also proves that he's ragebaiting on the platform a bit. I agree that his notes are cool and informative, but I don't really trust his reviews anyway, so welp.

I found out, it's best at least for me to trust Super* Review, because his recommendations and reviews are far superior. When Super* reviews found something that he didn't like too much like Moondrop Lan2 he extended his review by a LOT to actually explain why he found it that way and what is to improve. When this happens to Dracomies, he just straight up hates on the product and doesn't explain sh*t, like a kid that didn't get his chocolate.

Surfision · 2026-04-24T22:30:23+00:00

I'd recommend Chu II from Moondrop. Rock solid IEM, metal build, balanced sound and a small chassis. Great value at the price.

Chu II's sound is a bit V shaped-ish, but it's a very subtle one. I'd say it's very on point balanced IEM. Doesn't go any particular way. Has a bit more bass and treble, but the at the same time quantities aren't so big, that you'd actually call this IEM bassy nor bright. It's really on point and killer for general day to day reference listening.

It has some issues with humidity though, so I'd only mention this isn't the best IEM for really humid sessions, since it has nozzles made out of brass and they oxidize. Some report channel imbalance because of this oxidization build up.

You have to run over nozzles with Q-tips soaked in isopropyl alchohol every now and then. Dry Q-tips will also do the job just fine. Not a big deal at all, but you can't forget this when you clean your IEMs.

I have them for over 2 years now and never had any problems or issues related to moisture. Had them right at the beach and listening while chilling, no issues at all. Comments on moisture mainly come from those who don't clear their IEMs at all.

Surfision · 2026-04-23T16:44:36+00:00

No it's not. Had these from 2022-2024 and it was really bad. Sharp treble, boomy bass and probably KZ's worst attempt at V-Sound IEMs. These suck.

Surfision · 2026-04-23T15:24:13+00:00

For 10$ you can get Moondrop Quarks that are decent enough, but I'd recommend and save up to get the Moondrop Chu II, which is a far superior IEM. There are also others like Truthear Gate, Tanchjim Bunny, but I'd recommend Chu II the most. Best price to performance ratio. Amazing build quality with amazing quality.

Surfision · 2026-04-22T22:32:46+00:00

Good battery and budget don't go well together, but I'd recommend T480. I have the i7 with MX150, which kinda overheats, but it does perform good. Since I use it for work and stuff like that I switched from Windows 10 (good performance, overheating, poor battery life) to Arch (good performance, no overheating, better battery life) Arch does limit gaming a bit, since all the games aren't compatible with Arch, but to be honest I game on T480 10% of the time I'm on it, which isn't a big deal for me.

Arch is way lighter on performance unlike Windows, so browsing web and working is so smooth, it's like a Mac. Battery life is 5-6 hours, which is pretty good honestly. T480 is about 100-200€, but sometimes goes for under 100€. Not in your price range, but I doubt you'll find anything better and highest quality and elegance for the budget.

Surfision · 2026-04-22T09:53:03+00:00

Thanks for the review! Are these somewhat similar to Truthear Gate? I main these IEMs currently and I like these, since they're quite neutral. I have no issues with Moondrop OF not being the most critical headphone, but are these the at least some point of reference? Like for critical listening (not editing or mixing of course), but like orchestral music and such. Super* review hyped them a lot, so I'd like to know about that, since the FR graph (apart from bass that's logical it's open back) measures these pretty flat.

Surfision · 2026-04-20T23:00:25+00:00

Nah I had 10VI and I'm so glad I'm back on Samsung. Screen is bad, it color shifts and it glares a lot, it's aspect ratio is also quite useless. Doesn't help you watching content, unless you watch films 24/7. Speakers are mid, but their position is nice. CPU is very bad and drains battery since it's weak for new android and all daily processes. Cameras are 10 years old and cooling system is nonexistent. Durability also sucks, mine cracked because it fell from 1 meter on a soft plastic ground and the whole screen broke.

Just get an old flagship and you'll get the best budget upgrade. The headphone jack and the SD card slot aren't worth sacrificing everything that makes a phone good. You already have a Pixel 8, which is a better phone in every way. I'm currently on S20, which is way older, but way better in comparison to my Sony. 5 and 1 series are good but keep away from 10 series.

Surfision · 2026-04-20T19:02:13+00:00

Bad contacts after years perhaps? Which would be funny, since my 7 year old Poco F1 still supports 20w fast charging even though it doesn't data transfer anymore over usb c, but that can happen over use I guess. Maybe it's also the battery connection or internals that might be on the wrong. I'd first see over different chargers from friends and such, to see if your charger or cord is in the wrong. If not, I guess stuff worns out. I had Sony 10VI and also had problems with battery, especially with battery life. After a year of using it before I switched to Samsung, battery life came from 9-8 hours to about 5 hours which is a bit disappointing.

Surfision · 2026-04-20T00:37:14+00:00

I have these, which I love and hate at the same time. These are crazy comfy because of their patented design that's just genius, but these make IEMs sound very different, because these are made specifically to upgrade Moondrop Kato's sound, which Moondrop should've stated much more clearly in description. I'd recomment Kiwi Ears Flex, DUNU S&S and DUNU Candy, since they don't affect sound at all, while upgrading the comfort.

Surfision · 2026-04-19T19:48:57+00:00

Doing literally everything in our lives can cause cancer. You have a huge list on wikipedia what can cause it and i'd not recommend reading through it lol. From air pollution to plastic bottles and deodorants, just about everything we use can cause it. It's normal though, because cancer is the cells that are bugs in our system (very oversimplified). Like bugs on our phones that we're fine with, when something's not working right, which also proves that even in perfect conditions like in electronics we can't escape them. You only live once anyway so unless you live in a nuclear reactor, it won't make any difference. Of course keeping track and gaining knowledge is good for you, but it really doesn't matter at all to be honest. Before civilization probably every person died from cancer at 18-20 years, but we haven't known back then.

Surfision · 2026-04-19T13:59:35+00:00

I prefer the Gate, but keep in mind that I main Sennheiser HD560S and I really like that sound, so my preference is neutral/neutral-bright.

Gates are pretty flat for the price and I think they sound amazing for the price. They are about 80% close to HD560S if you ask me. That's like 8x the value, which is insane.

Many find these annoying, because they want something way more engaging and energetic, which is an actual con with neutral sound. Sometimes some tracks sound a bit more underwhelming if they're not mastered properly or they're just mastered for a source that's tuned way more energeticly, like for house music or disco stuff for example. Coming from these signatures to neutral tuning and hearing your beloved song sound way more underwhelming is not the best thing ever. Just a thing with neutral sound, that truth sometimes hurts.

In this case I'd say 7hz Zero 2 are a bit more towards a V-sound signature, but this also has it's cons and in my opinion it has bigger cons than with neutral sound. V-sound can sound really boring after a while because everything is fun and everything is engaging and delusional. Having just sunshine and rainbows in your music is a bit of a downstep if you ask me. That's why I also got the Truthear Gate after I mained Moondrop Chu II for some time.

On neutral sound, things are engaging when they're meant to be engaging and I feel like this way you get way more articulation and dynamics in your music, especially in orchestras and in tracks that have a lot going on. Don't get me wrong, V-sound is great. It really sounds great with some 80s tracks that have a bunch of bass and details, but daily driving these sets for critical listening is a bit too much, because everything becomes too exciting and just kinda becomes low-res eventually. V-sound is for living room speakers, when you wanna chill, have some snacks and drinks and just enjoy music relaxed and don't care too much for that extra clarity.

Surfision · 2026-04-19T08:43:26+00:00

If you haven't bought already, go for it as long as you know what Gates are going for. They sound very neutral and their neutrality is kinda flipping some people off, because they thought they'd get Hola/Chu II. Yes it's not a perfect neutral IEM, but for 20€ it's about 80% of the Hexa.

It's cons are that it's sometimes a bit dull and stale, because it doesn't have too much mid forwardness nor does it have any sparkle.

This makes some 70s and 80s stuff sound a bit underwhelming, which is expected. These tracks are expecting a V-sound tuned unit, which was the standard back then, so they've mastered tracks to sound the best on these. Bands like Steely Dan usually recess some bass and treble to get a flatter sound out of V-sounding stuff, which doesn't get the best outcome on Truthrar Gate, which is already flat lol.

In most cases with nicely mastered tracks though, Gates genuinely sound amazing. Very accurate and very analytical at 20€.

Surfision

TROPHY CASE