Some stupidly short notes in no particular order because why not. I’ll go in-depth once I’m back in Australia and have some time to type all my feelings out.
- PEARS SH3: Wow, very impressive. I’d recommend these over the UERR as reference IEMs to be honest.
- 64 Audio U18Tzar re-listen: not very impressive now. It’s kind of has this “everything is okay” thing going on, but also nothing really special is sticking out. Not even its resolution.
- 64 Audio Tia Trio re-listen: huh, the other demo unit sounds less wonky. I’d daresay now it’s pretty much “right”. Now I really think there’s no reason to get a Fourte.
- Lark Studio LSX: nothing stands out. It’s a thing.
- Sony EX1000: So goddamned picky and so critical of source files. Too intense for daily listening but it’s extremely technical and competent.
- Sony EX800/MDR-7550: the slightly bassier, warmer, more forgiving EX1000.
- Symphonium Audio Mirage: mediocre.
- Symphonium Audio Aurora: not bad. For the price it’s a pretty great deal.
- FiiO F3: very nice U-shaped dynamic sound. Gets my vote for a cheap pick.
- FiiO F5: typical V-shaped dynamic sound.
- JVC FW-01: soooo heavy, so dense, so rich.
- HUM Pristine Reference (force fitted custom): sounds a lot different from the demo unit I tried ages ago. A lot more engaging, less congested and less dark sounding. Wouldn’t drop MSRP cash on it still though.
- JH Audio Billie Jean: it’s… a thing. Nothing really stands out neither particularly bad or good.
- Kinera IDUN: was expecting a lot of bad things considering the H3 and the SEED. Surprisingly, not bad. Pretty much what I expect for that asking price.
- Stealthsonics U2: veeery V-shaped, rather sharp. Not for me.
- Stealthsonics U4: A thing
- Stealthsonics U9: kinda meh in timbre, edging on congestion at times. Good bass though.
- Stealthsonics U9 JDM: fixes the congestion issue in the standard U9 and better at being natural. I like.
- Advanced GT3: treble daggers into my ears. No.
- RHA CL750: treble icepicks into my ears. Nooo.
- RHA CL1: NOOOOOOOOOOOO
- Unique Melody ME1: mushy, no definition, off timbre. This is not how to do an in-ear planar.
- Kumitate KL-Sirius: pretty much the definition of “Japanese neutral”. A very good IEM.
- Kumitate KL-REF Type S: amazing bass. Horrible timbre. Apparently it was specifically tuned for one singer; I can see that.
- Earsonics EM10: rather dead and oddly tuned. Actually, that kind of applies to the rest of Earsonics’ lineup. The French have weird taste.
- Lime Ears Model X: not bad. Well balanced and the two modes are decently different from one another, either as a “musical” or “reference” IEM.
- ARC Pollux: might impressive for a single BA. Would recommend if a cheap custom is a necessary purchase.
- VSonic (new) GR07: still holds up. It ain’t budging as my $100 benchmark.
- CTM CT6E (new edition?): decently neutral. Not going to turn any heads in today’s market.
- InEar SD5: warm, “natural” signature similar (but not equivalent) to the UE18+ with a little added treble sparkle.
- qdc Anole V3: bassy, forgiving and pretty good. I like the signature but the resolution can be a little lacking.
- qdc Anole V6: more uppermid-centric compared to the V3 with the interesting mids-boost switch.
- Acoustune HS1503: more treble, more texture, not for everyone.
- Campfire Comet: meh. Worth the price, I guess.
- Campfire Atlas: clearly inspired (or upgraded from) the Vega. A love-it-or-hate-it affair, I think it’s way too bassy to be competent.
- Hyla Nerva X: emotion vampire. Sucks out a lot of soul out of the music for some reason.
- iBasso IT04: a good improvement over the IT03 but retains some of its weaknesses. Like the weird hollowness in the midrange.
- JustEar Club Sound (custom forcefitted): veeeery pleasant to listen to. Timbre is just right.
- Ultimate Ears UE6 Pro: better than the Live. A very capable “midrange” hybrid.
- Warbler Prelude (custom forcefitted): good timbre reproduction. Horrible extension on both ends. Mediocre resolution. Too many compromises.
- Advanced M51D: a little rolled off and ultimately average sounding.
- Advanced M55D: painful to listen to. Geez, go easy on the high freqs.
- Dita Fidelity: good technicalities, decently neutral tone, intensely V-shaped.
- Dita Fealty: far more forgiving than the Fidelity, warmer and more “musical”, for lack of a better term.
- Empire Ears EVR: decently neutral, good detail. Not bad.
- Empire Ears ESR: ssssssharp…
- Empire Ears Bravdo: typical V-shaped hybrid signature, nothing much to say.
- Empire Ears Vantage: a logical step down from the Legend X in my opinion.
- Empire Ears Nemesis: really bright. Somewhat balanced by the thundering bass so I guess it’s fine.
