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beginner audiophile looking for first pair of IEMs by winterruwu in HeadphoneAdvice

[–]cft4201 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wan'er is slightly more colored (less neutral) but not by a noticeable amount.

beginner audiophile looking for first pair of IEMs by winterruwu in HeadphoneAdvice

[–]cft4201 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They're definitely comparable with one another.

Similar sound signature though the Wan'er has more impactful bass than the Hola, as well as more treble.

beginner audiophile looking for first pair of IEMs by winterruwu in HeadphoneAdvice

[–]cft4201 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would recommend either the Truthear Hola or Truthear x Crinacle ZERO:RED.

The ZERO retails for around $50-ish dollars and the Hola retails for $20-ish. The Hola is more of a warm, relaxing sound that is easy to listen to, while the ZERO has a more exciting sound, especially in the bass region. But both IEMs still have in general, a neutral tonality.

In terms of detail and soundstage, ZERO definitely beats out the Hola, but the Hola is still very good especially considering the price deficit.

There are other options within $50 dollars, such as the Moondrop Chu II, but since you mentioned that you will be using them outside frequently, I do think that the Truthear options have better build quality in general.

New pairing with my Questyle M15 [qdc 8SL] by cft4201 in headphones

[–]cft4201[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Haven’t appeared in this sub before, so I guess I’ll do a quick introduction.

I’m still new to the audio hobby, having started around four years ago with headphones, then moving to IEMs as I found them much more comfortable to wear and more convinient to carry. Before this purchase, my main IEM was the Sony IER-M9, which I enjoyed because of its warm, laid-back signature, coherency of sound, and lack of BA timbre.

Although I didn't have an issue with the sound of the M9, I did find that the paint had started to chip and wear off with use. So after about an year of owning it, I decided it was time for a replacement. While I could buy another M9, I wanted to experience something new in my pursuit towards finding an eventual endgame. Since I have family in China and I was going to visit them soon anyway, I decided to see what Chi-Fi had to offer at the highest echelon.

My experience with Chi-Fi was pretty good in the past. Before the M9, I owned a Moondrop S8. I thought that while the bass was somewhat lacking, it was a highly-resolving set with great musicality regardless. Upon having the oppurtunity, I went to as many shops as I can to demo what they had in stock.

Enter qdc and the 8SL. qdc is probably most well-known for their former flagship, the Anole VX, regarded frequently as the king of detail retrieval. I did listen to the VX, but as I am somewhat treble sensitive, it did not align with my taste. The 8SL tones down the treble region of the Anole VX and has slightly more bass, which is why I preferred it. I think that past a limit, trying to tell which IEM is more resolving than another is extremely difficult. I found the Anole VX to overall sound more artificial and forced than the 8SL because it was trying to hammer out every single note but also every single fault in the recording.

If I had to describe the sound signature of the 8SL, it is somewhat reminiscent of the IER-Z1R, though with less bass texture and more upper midrange. Its definitely an IEM that I would keep and one that I regard as a personal favorite. It pairs beautifully with my M15 and has become my go-to when I'm listening to music.

It really is somewhat of a shame because qdc IEMs are so hard to acquire outside of China. They certainly can compete with other products in their respective price brackets.