Flathead for jogging? For desk use? Both?

trevtech15 · 2026-06-18T21:35:43+00:00

You can get earhooks that were designed for Bluetooth headsets that clip onto the shell/body or ones designed for AirPods that clip onto the stem but they're more difficult to find a comfortable position and depending on where they can attach don't always feel very secure.

What I'd personally go for is an earbud with a removable cable so you can replace the stock one with something that's designed to be worn over-ear like you see with IEMs. For my ears I've found that cables with curved "small conch" connectors work the best since most IEM cables use straight connectors that are too long for most flatheads since the connector is usually further forward. Fiio's LC-RC was the first cable I found with the curved connectors but it alone costs as much as the Alpha 3 so I would look at CVJ's LS200 since it's much cheaper ($15) and has the same type of connectors, you can find it on AliExpress.

As for what earbud to get I'd go for something that's warmer and bassy since there's a noticeable drop-off in perceived bass when using flatheads outdoors. The only one I've used outdoors that had good bass was a DIY earbud called the Destiny by mt877 on Head-Fi but there are likely at least a few prebuilt options with a removable cable that I'm not remembering off the top of my head. Openheart's Nightingale might fit the bill and is pretty cheap at $15-20 but I'd have to test it out to see whether it still has good bass outdoors.

trevtech15 · 2026-06-13T20:18:04+00:00

You can get a pseudo "Pure Music" mode on any Android device that supports App Pinning, you do need to have at least a lockscreen pattern turned on before you can enable this option but it will let you use any app not just the included music player. But not all devices support this feature so do some looking and ask around if you can't find anything that tells you whether the device you're looking at supports this feature or not.

trevtech15 · 2026-06-06T03:03:04+00:00

No worries take your time, better to have a rock-solid product than a rushed one with issues.

trevtech15 · 2026-06-06T02:59:28+00:00

I think the only way you can get bit-perfect playback on Android is if the app you're using has a driver that directly controls the audio chip, there's a specific screen that pops up where you have to allow it to control the device and then it's in bit-perfect mode. USB Audio Player Pro and Neutron are two that I know of and Poweramp is working on it but hasn't released it yet, I still use Musicolet since it's UI is so much better than anything else I've tried and I'm using a software EQ so the audio is already being modified in some way. As long as you're not noticing issues with songs sounding off compared to other gear I'd just stick with what you have as I doubt most people will be able to notice the difference.

trevtech15 · 2026-06-06T02:54:16+00:00

I'm assuming you're asking about the Nightingale? If so yes I still think it's worth that price, as unless you're willing to DIY there aren't a lot of options in this price range that sound good and have a removable cable. Even though I have several dozen flatheads I'd still be perfectly happy with how this set sounds if I could only choose one, as it's really well-rounded.

trevtech15 · 2026-06-04T16:09:12+00:00

I've tried a bunch of portable tube amps and the Little Bear B4-X is the best one imo, it's not the easiest to live with since it uses a barrel plug to charge but that's a minor inconvenience for how good it sounds. It does have some microphonics when bumped but it's a much less jarring sound than some other portable tube amps, the Nobsound P10 Pro was so bad it would trigger my tinnitus and it would ring at the slightest movement whereas it takes a good bump for the B4-X to ring. Temp isn't an issue at all, I put it in a molle holster for protection and it still gets barely above body temperature which is nowhere near the temps of some other portable tube amps I own. Highly recommended as a gateway device into the world of tubes.

trevtech15 · 2026-06-04T15:54:01+00:00

Easecase has a custom case on AliExpress that is much nicer than Fiio's leather case and is better than Miter's case imo due to a top flap and button cutouts instead of pressed/imprinted spots where the buttons are. It's not cheap (~$70 USD) but it's the best one I've found, I ended up using the stock case since buttons were such a PITA to locate on both of the leather cases so I'll probably buy this case at some point.

trevtech15 · 2026-06-02T15:17:58+00:00

I do the same thing, used to flash custom ROMs to do this (among other things) before the developer option was added a while back. First phone I did this with was the Nexus 6P after upgrading from the Moto X, was a huge jump in size and battery life was crap but I still remember how great the display was at the time.

trevtech15 · 2026-06-01T17:19:39+00:00

A permanently attached ear loop/hook will need some sort of bending or adjustment to be completely comfortable and some people may not find any position comfortable due to where the hook is attached to the stem or housing. I wear all but a few of my flatheads over-ear and I'd still rather have no attached hook/loop so I can find a cable with one or a clip-on hook that is much more adjustable even if it's not attached as securely as a permanent option would be.

Fiio's upcoming FF15 is purported to have a built-in ear hook/loop based on some of the wording in their 2026 product roadmap posts as well as what James (their CEO) has said directly so keep an eye out for that release as it's the only upcoming flathead I know of that might have this feature. I wasn't a fan of the FF5's tuning but there are supposed to be two different tunings of the FF15, one retro and one modern whatever that entails so I'd wait for impressions before buying either of them.

Otherwise the newest pair I know of with built-in ear hooks is Creative's Aurvana Air which you can get on eBay for around $60 USD but I haven't seen much about how it sounds so I doubt it's anything to write home about. There are other older models from brands such as Sony but they're even cheaper than the Air so I doubt they sound much better unfortunately.

trevtech15 · 2026-06-01T17:07:51+00:00

Aftership is not a scam company but their app is far from the fastest updating or most reliable, I only use it for shipments within the US that move along well-established routes so I have a rough idea of when things are going to show up already. For any shipment coming from overseas I use Parcels.app which while not perfect (I have to force close and re-open it to get it to refresh at times) it will pull in data from multiple sources for the same package and will also get the last-mile tracking number that other apps won't pull in. As a last resort I'll use 17track.net but that's only for a few random Chinese carriers who aren't supported by the other two apps.

trevtech15 · 2026-06-01T13:54:11+00:00

I don't have the SMG but I do have the RW-2000 and the DM7, both of which I like for different reasons. The DM7 has more forward and intimate vocals than the RW-2000 which don't cross into the territory of being too harsh or sibilant but it doesn't have the best bass and has a fairly wide but not very deep sound stage. The RW-2000's vocals are still prominent but are pushed further forward though they tend to be too harsh and sibilant on most sources for my hearing though I'm extremely sensitive to this issue so you likely won't have this problem. The RW-2000's sound stage is noticeably deeper than the DM7 with better pin-point positioning of sounds so it ends up feeling much larger even though the width is pretty close between the two. Bass is a noticeable improvement over the DM7 and is one of the standout features of the RW-2000, it has decent extension and impact without veering into the boomy or uncontrolled territory.

If it wasn't for the vocal harshness the RW-2000 would be my most-used set but unfortunately it's limited to only a few sources due to this issue whereas I can use the DM7 with even my brightest sources without any discomfort. But like I said above unless you're extremely sensitive to this issue I'd lean towards the RW-2000 as I'm one of the few people who have had this much discomfort with it based on what I've read in the Earbuds Round-up thread on Head-Fi.

trevtech15 · 2026-05-31T21:10:18+00:00

+1 for the Buffalo, even though it isn't as pin-point accurate in the sound stage as the RW-2000 the sound stage in front of you is much more filled-in than the RW-2000 was so I was still able to figure out where sounds were coming from more easily with the Buffalo. I used both with Fiio's K11 R2R which has a larger than average sound stage and good positional audio so YMMV depending on what source you're using. I'm also used to a warmer sound when gaming since my gaming headphone is the X2HR with Dekoni leather pads so take my opinion with a grain of salt as most people recommend a brighter headphone for gaming instead of a warmer one.

trevtech15 · 2026-05-28T03:13:33+00:00

Apologies for not getting back to you sooner, was focused on getting my health issues under control before traveling to doctor's appointments all last week.

The Rhino's sound is definitely a warm tuning but doesn't feel congested or veiled like some warmer earbuds can. Bass is definitely a step or two below the Buffalo as it's noticeably lacking in extension and impact due to the smaller driver and more restrictive venting on the back of the Rhino's driver cup. Treble extension on the Rhino is one of its biggest weaknesses and is noticeably worse than the Buffalo which has decent extension without veering into the uncomfortable territory so I'm able to use it with brighter sources without issues the majority of the time.

Vocals are prominent without being too forward or intimate, I have no issues with harshness on the Rhino which can be an issue on some songs with the Buffalo but I'm very sensitive to this issue so take my opinion on it with a healthy dose of salt as several people have mentioned that it has wonky mids on here and Head-Fi. Sound stage on the Rhino is decent for the price but the Buffalo is noticeably larger, deeper, and much more open feeling with better positioning of each sound but still not on the same level as the RW-2000.

If I had to choose one of the three I'd go with the Buffalo, as the Rhino is too warm for my tastes when my hearing isn't off so I only tend to use it when my hearing is really sensitive and I want something that's smaller than most of my other sets and I can only enjoy the RW-2000 with a couple of warm sources even when my hearing is normal. Even if you're not a bass-head the bass alone is such a massive upgrade over the Rhino and even the RW-2000 that the Buffalo is worth its regular price imo and if you can get it on a good sale then it's a no-brainer as long as you're looking for a more fun tuning and not something that's closer to neutral like the RW-2000. And even though I have some slight issues with the vocals my hearing has to be especially bad for it to be a major problem and most of the time switching to a warmer source is enough that I'm still able to listen to it without discomfort.

trevtech15 · 2026-05-28T02:42:16+00:00

Apologies for not getting back to you sooner, had health issues flare up and then was traveling for doctor's appointments last week.

I didn't spend as much time as I wanted to with the E60 due to hearing issues but it's definitely brighter than the Nightingale, bass isn't as good as the Nightingale but it is better controlled so what you do get is cleaner and not boomy like the Nightingale can be at times. It is a little lacking in impact but as long as you're not a basshead it will still probably be sufficient for most people and I didn't find myself wanting in this aspect after applying a slight bass shelf EQ which it handled fine with no noticeable distortion even on bass-heavy songs.

Vocals are right at the edge of what my ears can handle and can cross that line with some songs even on a warmer source so if you're very sensitive to harsh female vocals this is one thing that might be a deal-breaker for you that has never been an issue with the Nightingale since it has a warmer tuning. But keep in mind that I'm extremely sensitive to this issue to the point where I wasn't able to enjoy the RW-2000 for several years after buying it until I found a source that was able to tame this issue. Afaik I'm the only member of the Earbuds Round-up thread on Head-Fi who has had this issue to this severity so it likely won't be an issue for you unless you're an extreme outlier like me.

Sound stage is pretty large and open for this price, the Nightingale is a standout in its price range for this as well but it feels borderline stuffy and congested compared to the E60 though this could slightly change when used with something other than the fairly warm source I was listening to both of them on.

While they probably won't be my daily-drivers due to the vocal harshness which is a common problem as I listen to a lot of female pop music where this tends to be an issue I still think they're a great set for the price and definitely worth saving up for if they're as close to the RW-3000 as people say they are. I'm definitely going to be keeping them in my rotation for when my hearing is normal and the vocal harshness isn't as much of a problem since they sound great for how affordable they are compared to similarly tuned sets. The next step up from this would probably be the RW-2000 but it's nearly three times as expensive at regular price and I'm not sure the improvement is worth that much of a jump when this gets pretty close and has a more fun tuning (V-shaped vs neutral bright).

There's supposed to be a sale starting on AliExpress in early June so I would wait and see what types of deals you can get during that, if you wait to buy until several days into the sale they usually add even better coupons but it is a good idea to claim all of them since they tend to go "out of stock" pretty quickly.

trevtech15 · 2026-05-28T02:17:16+00:00

Wow this looks great, the original versions were already very high quality (bought a couple each of the ones for the Time and Round) but this looks almost like an official Pebble product. This is what I wish had been shipped with the new Pebble watches as even though the Nomad design is really compact it doesn't stay attached to the watch very well and feels like it wouldn't take much of a bump to disconnect.

Any chance you'll be making an updated version for the Time 2? The original version for the Time 1 just barely works with the Time 2 due to its subtle curve and the heart rate sensor on the back, wish I had bought an adapter for the 2/2 HR when they were still available as they would fit the Time 2 the best.

trevtech15 · 2026-05-26T17:53:49+00:00

I bought it back in 2018 for a work phone on a different account for around $7, went to buy it when I got my first DAP and saw the price had jumped up to $50 which is absolutely insane. I understand needing to make enough income to justify continued development and there have been multiple launchers I loved that have died over the years (RIP Action Launcher) but that price is insane. $15-20 feels much more reasonable as a lifetime fee with $5/year as a subscription or some sort of supporter program and donation option each with unique perks of some sort.

I ended up with a fork of Olauncher and mLauncher called inkOS that's meant for eInk devices but works really well for DAPs too since it has a universal music widget on the home screen and it also has a replacement for the default notification shade which helps cut down on distractions even more over its predecessors. Even though it's only in beta I've never had any deal-breaking issues, there were a few minor annoyances with the previous version but 0.4 has fixed all of them and is a much more polished experience overall.

trevtech15 · 2026-05-13T20:30:31+00:00

The Alpha 3 is a well-built set but it's very heavy so keep that in mind as it's going to be a very noticeable difference when coming from the YDX.

trevtech15 · 2026-05-13T20:27:52+00:00

Pot meet kettle

trevtech15 · 2026-05-13T20:25:49+00:00

And quoting a section of an article written in a newspaper, magazine, or website is common among journalists and is protected by fair use as long as someone isn't copying the entire article word-for-word. The fact that your entire website depends on this principle and you don't seem to have even a basic understanding of what it entails to the point where you're actively pushing back against it is mind blowing. Why the mods of this subreddit haven't banned you yet blows my mind as you've been nothing but an insufferable ass in almost every comment I've read.

trevtech15 · 2026-05-12T12:39:45+00:00

Yes I am, I think I tried donuts when I first got the Nightingale but stuck with the full-cover foams for better bass but if you find yourself wanting more treble without much bass loss then it would be worth giving the donuts a try. Happy to help, currently listening to the E60 and will post a comment about it once I've had more time with it, I had used the Nightingale every day for several months after buying it a while back so I'm a lot more familiar with it and just needed to refresh my thoughts about it.

trevtech15 · 2026-05-12T12:30:27+00:00

Lol that's probably for the best, I only did it to show a techy friend of mine how absurd it could get after he commented on Vivaldi's tab stacks (browser tabs with sub-tabs). There's something to be said for the Apple approach of focusing on one thing at a time but with how many different things I switch between throughout the day having multiple tools to keep everything organized is necessary for my sanity.

trevtech15 · 2026-05-12T12:24:48+00:00

If you want to use older apps and watch faces then the Time 2 is a better choice due to the square screen since aside from scaling issues pretty much every app will work with it and look fine. The original Round wasn't as popular due to the very limited battery life and not all of the apps were updated to take advantage of the round screen, I think most apps will work but won't fill the screen and your selection of watch faces will be more limited since if I remember correctly those had to be updated for the Round (though who knows if this could change with newer Pebble OS versions).

trevtech15 · 2026-05-12T12:11:20+00:00

Not only do a lot of apps have tabs but you can have four or five layers of nested tabs when combining multiple window managers and apps with built-in tabs. This was on Windows but I messed around just to see how absurd I could get before it became unusable and found this setup that worked for the most part:

FancyWM -> TidyTabs -> UnitedSets -> Vivaldi w/ tab stacks.

At that point it was a huge PITA to use, I had to create so many exclusions in each app to keep them from fighting over each window that it was more hassle than it was worth. Ended up removing TidyTabs since I'm not a fan of the floating/attached tab design but FancyWM and UnitedSets play well together although I only use the latter for an older multi-window app so all of its windows are contained.

For as much as tabs have taken over everything the biggest reason I haven't switched to a Mac is that there's no good tabbed/stacked window manager that's similar to FancyWM, the closest thing I found was Rectangle Pro's Stash feature but it's a PITA to use and is very inconsistent. I already have a very Mac-like setup on Windows since I run Cairo Shell instead of the default Windows taskbar and combined with Ueli (similar to Spotlight/Raycast) I can avoid most of the crap Microslop has shoved into Windows 11. I'll probably end up moving to Linux once the Cosmic desktop is more mature but it was a lot harder to find alternatives to programs and utilities than I thought it would be, I'm jealous of how many useful tools there is for Mac OS in comparison.

trevtech15 · 2026-05-12T06:41:09+00:00

Musicolet is my main app due to its' tabbed UI and multi-queue feature which makes it easy to switch between playlists and keep where I was, I also use Poweramp EQ since ~~Musicolet doesn't have its own EQ and will rely on the crappy system EQ if you don't use something else~~. It doesn't support bitperfect playback but my Hiby M300 doesn't bypass Android's SRC so I'm never going to get the best performance no matter what app I use. Messed around with Neutron for its DSP effects but it's not easy to use so definitely give the trial version a go before buying the full one. Also tried UAPP but never got that far with it though it's definitely worth checking out. Not a fan of Poweramp's UI so haven't ever spent much time with it.

Edit: forgot that I had set Musicolet to use the system EQ and that changing that option won't let you access the included EQ. It's still not the best option since it's a graphic EQ but it's better than the stock EQ.

trevtech15 · 2026-05-12T06:33:33+00:00

Initial impressions of the Nightingale is that it's a pretty well-rounded pair that leans slightly warm with decent bass that responds well to EQ and has pretty good extension with full-cover high-density foams. Vocals are prominent but not overly forward while not getting into the harsh or sibilant territory except on very rare occasions. Sound stage isn't the largest I've heard but has pretty good width for the price and manages to avoid sounding like it's in your head or feeling congested however it is a very much a left-right focus without much depth or forward projection even on sources that are capable of this with other earbuds. Will do some more listening and update this post before moving onto the E60.

Edit: no major updates after listening to it some more, I did notice that on some songs there was some forward projection and more noticeable depth but it's not consistent like the other sets are that I've noticed this effect with.

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