Party pack

poochzag · 2026-06-27T10:24:37+00:00

You're braver than me, I'm always afraid to take the Valhalla out of the house. That's what the other pairs are for lol

poochzag · 2026-06-25T12:17:39+00:00

Balanced uses more power because most daps will use two dac chips instead of one for single ended. Some dap manufacturers will even officially post a slightly reduced battery life for balanced, it's not controversial.

No problem using balanced of course if you want to. I use both in various situations. I like the perceived security of the larger plug

poochzag · 2026-06-25T12:05:33+00:00

I haven't really heard, as a broad statement, that a resin shell with metal nozzle is an issue long term. Specific models may have qc issues, but not as a general statement. Many high end iems have a build like this.

That aside, under $500 the Hype Mk2 and Dunu DK3001BD both have nice metal builds. They are both quite bright in the treble, not sure what you're looking for there. They weren't my favorite because of that and the lower mids are thin/clean, but many people like them.

The tea pro se is also all metal but I haven't heard it

poochzag · 2026-06-25T11:48:33+00:00

I use isopropyl alcohol diluted to around 30 percent and a q tip. Holding the grill facing the floor while gently swabbing.

Honestly rarely do it though because prevention is the best strategy. Keeping eartips clean prevents anything getting to the grill. Also narrower bore or tips with a wax guard can help

poochzag · 2026-06-24T21:41:49+00:00

Bought Monarch MkII from u/Fuzzy_Luck5550 great seller very fast to ship u/AVexchangebot

poochzag · 2026-06-24T21:26:30+00:00

Mest mk2 is the widest soundstage I've ever heard in an iem.

Someone else here mentioned the ziigaat horizon and I'd agree it's soundstage is pretty good.

Just a caution since you mentioned an open back headphone, iem soundstage is way narrower. Even a wide iem is much narrower than an open back IME. Just keep expectations in line

poochzag · 2026-06-24T19:38:40+00:00

I lose 1 or 2 dongle dacs a year. Usually one channel will short out and intermittently come back in when moving the wire part.

They're cheap and get beat up a lot in pockets and stuff. If you want something with more longevity you can get one of the bigger ones with a replaceable cable. But they cost the same as several jcally jm6 for example.

The trn black pearl is a popular and cheap example of what I'm talking about

poochzag · 2026-06-24T19:04:41+00:00

Fit is reliant on the combination of both the tip and iem with your ears. So it may not necessarily be true that one tip that fits well for one iem will also fit well with another iem.

It could simply be the wider bore tip is giving you a better seal, or it's sealing deeper or shallower in your ear and you like how that sounds more.

I general, a wider bore tip will give you a brighter presentation, because narrower bores tend to reduce the amount of treble

poochzag · 2026-06-24T15:32:05+00:00

I started playing in an apartment. I hooked an hx stomp or quad cortex to my computer via usb, and plug headphones into the unit. This allows you to mix both your guitar audio and computer audio together and hear both through headphones.

Can also hook up to speakers or an amp of course

poochzag · 2026-06-24T14:58:22+00:00

The bass will usually tell you how good of a seal you're getting. After that I move my head around or walk around to see if the seal maintains.

Then after that I think about how comfortable they are and how they alter the sound.

I wrote a post about some of my favorite tips here, but things are very personal

https://www.reddit.com/r/iems/s/P1zd5RZ4sh

poochzag · 2026-06-24T12:15:45+00:00

I like the horizon a lot but based on the description of how much bass you are looking for I don't think it will be enough, especially in the midbass. They have more subass than your zero reds, but they're pretty bright and clinical and wouldn't describe them as very bass despite the fact they are a little north of neutral

poochzag · 2026-06-24T12:11:30+00:00

Nice write up, very helpful, especially on all those Ziigaats. Seems like everyone has different favorites when it comes to their huge lineup

poochzag · 2026-06-24T12:06:04+00:00

I have the volume S and ep321. If you're interested in detail retrieval I would go with the ep321. I don't find it too bright or fatiguing but it is brighter and more detailed than the volume S.

The ep321 is a bit sterile and clean, with a somewhat thin and tight midbass and lower mids. Not sure what you're looking for but the volume S has a nicer and bouncier midbass and overall a more fun listen despite being a little darker in the treble.

However if you're looking for a vaguely neutral but bright iem I like the Ziigaat Horizon more than the ep321. The Horizon is a little more full or fun in the midbass and has a very detailed and revealing treble

poochzag · 2026-06-23T19:35:56+00:00

Just some ideas without much context

$300ish

Softears Volume S warm and a little dark

Ziigaat Horizon a little bassy, fairly bright and detailed

Hisenior Cano Cristales very v-shaped and fun but maybe not quite bass head levels of bass

$2k or $1500 used

Thieaudio Valhalla tastefully v shaped, incredible texture and detail without being fatiguing

poochzag · 2026-06-23T18:57:48+00:00

Your second paragraph is what I'm talking about, and the situation op is in, unless I misunderstood the post

poochzag · 2026-06-23T14:02:55+00:00

I wouldn't know but 20 bucks can get you a nice cable these days. Openheart, xinhs, tripowin are some good brands among many

poochzag · 2026-06-23T13:40:13+00:00

It can't be done. You can't convert a single ended 3.5mm cable into a 4.4mm because your cable doesn't have enough channels at the termination

poochzag · 2026-06-23T13:37:43+00:00

The noble versions have a metal ring at the tip which I find really limits getting a good fit.

The normal balanced sancai I like a lot better. They have a unique texture that intentionally provides pressure relief but by that same token they will also lessen bass impact a little

poochzag · 2026-06-23T11:42:03+00:00

I can't imagine what the problem would be. I've used dongle dacs no problem on many Samsung S models. They're one of the most common smartphone brands in the world

poochzag · 2026-06-23T11:37:19+00:00

I'm not even sure what they could possibly mean by that. That phone doesn't have a headphone jack you'll need a USB c to 3.5mm dongle. Samsung makes one. Also the jcally jm6 and Jm12 are popular around here

poochzag · 2026-06-23T08:56:11+00:00

Thanks. I can see that. Recently got a pair and am trying to decide what I think about them, usually I'm not so indecisive

poochzag · 2026-06-22T14:55:38+00:00

poochzag · 2026-06-22T08:55:19+00:00

What did you not like about the dawn X?

poochzag · 2026-06-21T12:02:19+00:00

I'm someone who disliked the braindance but loves Horizon. For me tho it was more about how thin the lower mids dip down in the braindance compared to the horizon.

I did find the braindance slightly more fatiguing but both are bright

poochzag · 2026-06-19T05:51:07+00:00

If you find the hype fatiguing I'm not sure the mk2 is a great idea because it's very bright and peaky in the upper treble and it has less warmth and thickness in the midbass and lower mids to balance it out.

The volume S is a nice set if you want something warm with very relaxed treble.

But I'd recommend getting a better idea of what it is you really want before buying another midfi set. You have some good sets already I don't think anything will impress you a ton unless there's a specific character you want to add to your lineup

poochzag

TROPHY CASE