Best IEMs from $2000 - $4000

Elysian Annihilator 2023

• Powerful, impactful bass, the best treble I’ve experienced in an IEM, endgame-level detail. The bass might be too much for some people. Hands down, my favorite IEM.
• Treble extension is insane, I always think I'm over it, but I may never be over it.
• More of an all-rounder with better bass compared to the 2021 version, sacrifices some soundstage.
• Pros: More defined bass than 2021 version. Cons: 2021 is cleaner and more open sounding.
• Top-tier resolution with world-class treble. Great dynamics. Could use better bass texturing. An exciting listen.

Thieaudio Valhalla

• TOTL all-rounder with "endgame" tech across the board, a better tuned U12T with better bass texture
• Big fan, but lack fantastic air like some other sets.

Elysian Annihilator 2021

• Agressive listen with excellent resolution and, currently, the only true implementation of the EST drivers.
• Pros: Speediest Treble, well extended, high details. Cons: Midbass a bit too much for me.

64 Audio Volur

• 64 Audio's finest.
• If you are a lover of bass, this is a good option. Does not sacrify the rest of the sound signature

FATFreq Grand Maestro

• The best basshead set. That is all. EXPENSIVE. If you just want bass HBB Punch way better value.
• Is one of those sets that can do it all. Very impressive.

Nightjar Duality

• Bass thunder, with impedance adapter fun and switches.
• Massive yet controlled bass. Lush timbre and well-extended, non-pesky treble. Bassy mode may be too bassy for some. Mids can be a touch forward on balanced mode.

Canpur CP622B

• A good set, but lacks magic for me to justify keeping.
• Highly technical with great tuning and vocals. Punchy mid-bass with great sub-bass extension. Can sound somewhat unexciting and dry on some sources. Cons: Poor quality stock cable.

Craft Ears Omnium

• Dark Rich, fun beautiful.

FiR Audio Radon 6

• Solid set, enjoyable, fun.
• Engaging bass, decent mids, and vibrant highs. Suffers from coherency issues. Mids are a touch veiled. Decent staging except for depth.

64 Audio U12t

• TOTL tech. Mid-scoop can affect mids/vocal texture and placement, recessed midrange, treble is harsh at high volumes. Great bass detail, but could be punchier.
• Amazing bass (for a BA), top-tier resolution and detail-oriented signature.
• Just Smooth and nice, great all arounder with smooth technicals, but too boring.
• Terrific dynamic range and soundstage depth; the closest I have heard to a two-channel system in an IEM for these qualities.
• Pros: Extremely versatile signature, great bass and details. Cons: Potentially too safe tuning wise.
• Good resolution and dynamics with great imaging. Smooth, slightly recessed upper-mids with an upper treble peak.

64 Audio Tia Trio

• A more correct sounding version of the Fourte with slight cutbacks in staging and sheer resolution.
• Rich bass and out-of-head imaging.

Unique Melody MEST Jet Black

• Safe, clean iem.

Empire Ears Raven

• V/W Shaped. Energetic treble. Great tech. Fun bass and engaging signature. Overpriced?
• Sounds quite hi-fi and grand sounding, but coherency could use work - bass is distinct from the EST tweeters.

Kinera Imperial Loki

• Super clean and clear sound. Beautiful vocals. Everyhting is extremely well balanced. No special sauce tho.
• Packaged well but feels like an Alien is in your ear.

Campfire Audio Trifecta

• It's a tubed iem, very unique. Very hit or miss on music, love it or hate it.

Letshuoer Cadenza 12

• Pre-Production Unit with a different tuning. A better version of the U12T vocal/tuning wise, no mid scoop and wonkiness. (#1 or #2 vocals for me). Vocals are sweet, extended, open, airy, but also...
• Great timbre good on classical. Detailed and analytical, but too Safe.
• More 'musical' tonality with a touch of spice in the treble. Technicalities could use work for the price.
• Pros: One of the best treble-head set. Lots of micro details. Cons: Treble will be too

qdc Anole VX

• Endgame-level detail. BA bass and timbre. A highly detailed IEM.
• Very well-rounded, but sounds overly plasticky and artificial.
• Pros: Unrivaled Resolution. Cons: Can be fatiguing.

Softears RS10

• Great tuning with forward vocals and excellent detail. Unvented design, BA bass, and can be slightly shouty on some tracks. I prefer more bass.
• A little shouty and intense but very resolving and well-defined. A somewhat refined Moondrop S8.
• Nice iem, clean clear out of the box
• A slightly more resolving S8 at the expense of added grittiness and more upper-midrange.
• Cons: BA timbre.

Empire Ears Odin

• A Legend X with the bass properly controlled and the resolution one step higher.
• High-clarity signature that invokes a sense of stateliness.
• Pros: Well textured bass, good control, pleasing tones.

Empire Ears EVO

• Great bass texture. BC driver actually works. Very well controlled but still impactful. Great resolution. Doesn't scale well because of spicy uppermids. Vocals often gets shouty on certain tracks,...
• An improvment over the LX SE's bass, but still lacking in the Odin's control. BC is no gimmick at least.

Vision Ears EXT

• Tasteful W-shape tuning that delivers in the technical department. Mid-treble can be sharp, though.

Empire Ears Legend X SE

• A more upper-mid-forward variation of the original Legend X, which could come off as slightly more mid-recessed.
• Lacks control in the bass, but it's so fun. Excellent imaging performance that belies its tuning.

Oriolus Monachaa

• Poor Value, I can't recomend it.
• Very nice bass and decent treble. Midrange timbre and decay sound off. Technicalities are average for its price range. Cons: Poor techs/price, vocal timbre off.

Hidition Violet

• Strong sub-bass presence, slightly cut-back upper mids. A fun IEM through and through.
• The best BA bass that I have heard, otherwise marred by poor imaging and slight congestion issues.

Empire Ears Legend X

• High resolution hybrid flawed only by lack of control in the bass regions.
• Bass lacks texture, but a fairly holographic, "grand" presentation that is unique for a V-shaped response.

qdc Anole V14

• Rather bassy even in stock form; fun and engaging, though at the expense of sheer technical performance.
• Fixes Anole VX's bass texture and plastickyness, but comes with its own quirks in the metallic treble.

Moondrop Solis 2

• Great bass quality, vocal clarity, and detail. I prefer more bass.
• Very mediocre sounding overall and build quality is reminiscent of a $20 IEM.

Vision Ears Elysium

• First decent implementation of Sonion's EST tweeters.
• The first "passable" implementation of the Sonion ESTs. Not particularly coherent, unfortunately.

Vision Ears VE8

• Extremely coherent signature with a pleasing tuning and high technicalities.
• The warm IEM of warm IEMs. Carried by its excellent midrange.

64 Audio Tia Fourte

• Unique sound; high clarity and bass response with immensely wide staging, held back by a wonky tonality.
• Tia Trio's older brother that takes things too far off the beaten path for tonality.

64 Audio U18S

• A worse U12t. Lacks U12t's dynamic range and layering chops.

64 Audio Fourte Blanc

• Quite detailed, but lots of uncanny valley in the midrange (sounds like singers are singing into a cup) and treble is contentiously bright.

SoftEars Cerberus

• Darkish treble.
• Lacking definition in the treble, otherwise a decently balanced tribrid IEM.
• Dissapointing lack of treble extension and very weak bass (literally sounds more BA than it does DD).

Audeze LCDi4

• Low distortion, high resolution and excellent clarity marred by poor tuning which destroys timbre.
• Top-tier imaging and layering, DSP is mandated for proper tonal balance.

Empire Ears Legend Evo

Final Audio A8000

• Technically strong but going too far with the treble emphasis.
• Ear piercing upper-midrange and treble response. Decent technicalities, but a far cry from the Dunu Luna.

Simphonio VR1

• Lack of air and mostly sounds like a generic single-DD that's been dampened.

64 Audio U18T

• Bloated BA bass and overly compressed dynamic range. The least "64 Audio" sounding IEM that fails to bridge mainstream tuning and Hi-Fi.

Empire Ears Wraith

• A Zeus with almost nonexistent treble and clarity.
• This IEM's name about sums it up.

JH Audio Layla Aion

• Muddy with no upper-midrange or treble extension to speak of. You wouldn't know this IEM had 12BAs.