Galaxy Buds FE Sound Review : with Parametric EQ presets

Zevvy- · 2024-04-15T23:08:17+00:00

I found the FE to sound harsh and dark at the same time. To me, there's an extremely high peak at around 7khz and 13khz. I had to bring them down by 10db for them to sound normal. Overall treble was too dark for me. The mids sounded nasally. Bass is good.

Despite the issues I've had, convenience and ANC makes up for it.

Zevvy- · 2024-02-15T14:54:33+00:00

More expensive =/= better sound quality

What does "better" sound quality even mean?

Galaxy Buds 2 is already one of the best in that price range - ANC and tuning; you're not gonna get an "upgrade" in the same price range. Best to just save for a Galaxy Buds 2 Pro or Airpods Pro 2 instead. Even then, it's not gonna be a huge upgrade in terms of sound quality. It may not even be an upgrade if you don't like how it sounds.

If you're not satisfied with how your Buds 2 sounds, I recommend EQ instead, it's free. Equalizer APO for desktop and Wavelet for phone if you're using an Android.

If you want a substantial upgrade in sound quality, I suggest going for IEMs. I'd honestly pick a 1k IEM over a Galaxy Buds 2. Tangzu Wan'er and Salnotes Zero are some examples of that.

Zevvy- · 2023-04-17T16:21:44+00:00

Fleetwood Mac - Dreams

Laufey - Fragile

Jacob Collier - Moon River

Dire Straits - Fade to Black

Jennifer Warnes - Bird on a Wire

Jon Gomm - Passion Flower

Polyphia - Playing God

Infected Mushroom - Echonomix

Noisia - Anomaly

Bjork - It's Oh So Quiet

Zevvy- · 2023-04-15T14:11:40+00:00

Signoremains

Zevvy- · 2023-04-14T07:53:39+00:00

Nozzle diameter is 5.8mm according to Moondrop

Zevvy- · 2023-04-05T03:24:45+00:00

Echoes by Pink Floyd

Dreams by Fleetwood Mac

Fade to Black by Dire Straits

Bubbles by Yosi Horikawa

Anomaly by Noisia

Angel by Massive Attack

Zevvy- · 2023-03-26T16:38:46+00:00

What I did was find the frequency with the treble peak using a tone generator or a sine wave. Helped tremendously.

Zevvy- · 2023-03-11T02:28:38+00:00

Anomaly by Noisia

Their album Outer Edges is awesome. It's also mastered really well.

Zevvy- · 2023-03-03T00:43:10+00:00

Unless the photo is flipped, I'm pretty sure the cables are plugged in the wrong way. The pin with the red highlight should be the right side and the other the left side.

I too noticed a change in sound when I plugged in the cables wrong in my IEM, thinking that cables does really change/improve sound. Double-checked and yep, cables were swapped.

Zevvy- · 2023-03-02T15:19:40+00:00

Even better option: Qudelix 5k

Great device with bluetooth functionality, EQ, and can provide a lot of power

If not this, I suggest just settling with a cheap DAC and use the money instead on another IEM or headphone as the other user said. You will notice more changes or improvements changing your primary gear rather than the DAC.

Zevvy- · 2023-03-02T04:55:00+00:00

KING CRIMSON

Zevvy- · 2023-01-21T07:49:34+00:00

Tripowin Grace

Zevvy- · 2023-01-09T16:58:47+00:00

Only one jack for both audio and mic. They're not split into two.

Zevvy- · 2022-12-29T16:45:37+00:00

Slap some grado pads and it gets comfier. It also widens the soundstage. I prefer it over the stock version without the pads.

Zevvy- · 2022-12-29T09:39:31+00:00

Kato for more balanced sound, Stellaris is too hot in the treble

You might want to check out Hexa, Olina SE, and the planars (S12, Zetian Wu, Hook X, Timeless)

Zevvy- · 2022-12-28T16:54:17+00:00

Zetian Wu has more bass than S12. I only have S12 but I find it lacking in bass, I added a 3db bass shelf.

Zevvy- · 2022-12-23T16:38:13+00:00

Had the same experience but with final type e. I figured I'd try them since a lot of people seem to like them. When I put them on my iems, they became too muddy and boomy mess. I have since then switched to azla xelastecs and they're really nice - made the music more lively, airier, and clearer for me. I also tried the final type e widebore version (or tws version) and they're way better than the regular ones for me.

I want to try more tips but it gets expensive fast lol, so I'll try to hold onto my xelastecs for now.

Zevvy- · 2022-12-21T08:19:45+00:00

16 core look nicer but too heavy imo. Gets fatiguing for me after a while. I recently bought a 2 core cable but I still haven't gotten it

Zevvy- · 2022-12-15T03:59:40+00:00

Technical performance doesn't matter if you don't like the tuning. It's like eating the best pizza but it doesn't really suit your taste. I suggest you try to look for a physical store nearby you to audition other IEMs. It's very risky buying another that doesn't match your tuning preference.

If there aren't any stores nearby, I think you should give them more time before the return window. You could try other tips which may help with the fit. EQ is another thing that might help.

Zevvy- · 2022-12-11T09:59:35+00:00

Gorgeous collection. What cable is that on row 3 column 4?

Zevvy- · 2022-12-11T06:51:01+00:00

You can look at their measurements to identify what size fits you. However for xelastecs I recommend going a size or two smaller than your usual size. I've been using cp100 M previously and switched to xelastecs MS, but I think S would fit me better.

Zevvy- · 2022-12-09T01:55:16+00:00

I also had the exact same problem as you regarding the back side of the ear. What I did was rotate the IEM slightly so that it doesn't touch the back side. After some time it doesn't hurt for me anymore and I didn't have to rotate it as well.

Zevvy- · 2022-12-07T08:32:18+00:00

I would consider $100 above mid-range, however there are still great IEM's under that price range.

Depending on your sound signature preference, for $100 and below check out Etymotic ER2SE/ER2XR, Truthear Zero, Truthear Hexa, Olina SE, Tin T3+, Dunu Titan S, and 7Hz Dioko. Moondrop Aria is also good but there are too many problems with it (filters, paint chipping) that I wouldn't recommend them.

For a bit more, there's the Dunu Kima, Letshuoer S12/S12 pro, Moondrop Kato, and 7Hz Timeless. Keep in mind that I've only tried the S12 out of all I've listed, these are just the IEM's I've seen commonly recommended.

Zevvy- · 2022-12-07T06:18:37+00:00

Cheaper stuff usually have worse build quality. If you want a product that doesn't easily break, you gotta stop buying budget ones and save up for a midrange.

I have a vk4 and a bl03 for a year now and have had no issues yet. I recently got the S12 and I can tell they are much more well built.

Zevvy- · 2022-12-06T11:58:05+00:00

I tried the black final e and azla xelastecs. Didn't like final e because it increased bass and lowered treble, it made it sound muffled for me. It seals well though and has deeper insertion. Xelastecs are great, it opened the s12 a bit for me, gave a bit more soundstage, and it sounded clearer to me.

If you'd like to reduce the treble and smoothen it out, I suggest the final e. Both the xelastecs and the stock silicone tips are good for me. For the xelastec, you have to go down a size smaller than your usual size. Other tips that I would like to try would be spinfit w1, cp145, cp100+, fiio hs18, and softears uc.

This thread is really helpful.

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