IEMs Reviewed by Audionotions

AFUL Dawn-X

• Audionotions: Slightly warm tilted neutral. Very well balanced with a tasteful bass boost. Bass is surprisingly very weighty and textured with quick decay so bass notes don't linger and overstay their welcome....

64 Audio Tia Trio

• Audionotions: Phenomenal bass texture and quality. Mids are good if not great - I don't have much to nitpick about them - good note weight and excellent clarity. Treble is very sparkly and airy though some may...

64 Audio U12T

• Audionotions: Amazing separation and presentation, amazing bass that extends down low and hits pretty authoritavely (not just in the context of BA sets - very good quantity and quality). Pretty interesting tuning...

Elysian Acoustic Lab x Effect Audio Gaea

• Audionotions: Gaea is bright, and at first, it might seem to be dry, but not in a bad way. I initially thought it could use more meat on the bones, but this tuning works very well after listening. Sinfully...

Effect Audio x Elysian Gaea

• Audionotions: Gaea is bright, and at first, it might seem to be dry, but not in a bad way. I initially thought it could use more meat on the bones, but this tuning works very well after listening. Sinfully...

Elysian Diva

• Audionotions: Fantastic, vocal foward signature. Excellent bass that has the speed of a BA with the impact of a DD. Incredibly clean mids and well extended treble. Imaging is fantastic on this set. Incredibly...

Elysian Acoustic Lab Diva

• Audionotions: Fantastic, vocal foward signature. Excellent bass that has the speed of a BA with the impact of a DD. Incredibly clean mids and well extended treble. Imaging is fantastic on this set. Incredibly...

64 Audio U6T

• Audionotions: It's a step down from U12T in techs, yes, but it's still competitive in the price range. In exchange, tonality and timbre are much improved, which, IMO, is much more important. Imaging, separation,...

64 Audio U4S

• Audionotions: A step down in techs from U12T (possibly a half step down from U6T). But very well tuned and adds in a dynamic driver punch. Timbre is slightly improved compared to U12T due to the increase in...

Unique Melody MEST mkII

• Audionotions: Very engaging. I usually prefer something more balanced and neutral, but this IEM has some special sauce. Very well-tuned from bass to treble - with a little bit of spice on top. Great tonality and...

Sennheiser IE900

• Audionotions: I usually don't like things that aren't all rounders but this might be the exception. Bass is incredible - best in class - great texture, fantastic physicality. Treble response is great too - pretty...

Nicehck Rockies

• Audionotions: My favorite take on the JM1 meta so far. Bass tuning is well done with adequate weight and punch - it's not standout but it will do the job. Silky smoooooth and rich mids with very good clarity....

Ziigaat Horizon

• Audionotions: 329

Penon Archangel

• Audionotions: Missed opportunity to name this the Fallen Angel - this is no angelic set - it's an unabashed guilty pleasure set that actually is surprisingly versatile. V shaped IEM which many hobbyists will pass...

Softears RSV MK II

Softears Volume S

• Audionotions: Natural, rich sounding. Substantial low end that doesn't muddy up the mix and a bass shelf that isn't completely isolated to the subbass (when an IEM has a lot of subbass but no midbass, this can...

Letshuore EJ07M Kinda Lava

• Audionotions: One of the most solid all-rounders I've tried. Great bass, great mids, good treble extension. Very natural sounding. The only con I can think of is the bright red shells (my KL has the black shells)?...

LetShuoer EJ07M

• Audionotions: Nearly the same as the Kinda Lava with very slight differences in the bass. More subbass at the cost of a tiny bit of midbass. Same great mids and treble. Possibly a tad less thick note weight than...

Yu9 Que

• Audionotions: Balanced, contrasty, highly resolving. Very good transients. Tight bass, clean mids, very well extended treble. The only glaring flaw is the one-dimensional imaging - there is very little layering,...

Xenns Top Pro

• Audionotions: Excellent tuning. Jack of all trades. One of my favorite IEM releases of 2025. Great vocals, bright leaning treble that adds a bit more sparkle. Bass that extends deep and doesn't bleed. Could use a...

Aful Cantor

• Audionotions: Very well balanced with very good details and separation. Bass is punchy and fast, mids are clean with excellent instrument separation, treble is well extended and airy. Nothing stands out as...

Kiwi Ears Astral

• Audionotions: "Meta" tuned with subbass and air boost. Neutral/balanced with a bit of fun factor added back in. Phenomenally tuned mids. Bass can be a smidge too much on certain tracks for me but it's generally...

Hisenior Mega5-EST

• Audionotions: Incredibly well tuned IEM that sounds very natural across all frequencies. Nothing inoffensive with good technical chops. Stage is not vast - but it is natural and has depth. Bass is full but it is...

LetShuoer EJ07

• Audionotions: Very engaging and very natural sounding. Decent technicalities. Instruments sound correct. Staging and imaging very good for an IEM. Very enjoyable. Leans dark and maybe a bit lacking in treble...

Ziigaat Lush

• Audionotions: As of 4/21/25, these are my pick for best value in IEMs and also one of the best implementations of the JM21 meta. Everything sounds right. Bass quantity is just right with decent quality - there is...

ZiiGaat Crescent

• Audionotions: Warm but balanced. Bass is rich and fun - not incredibly controlled and punchy but it has satisfying weight that adds a nice richness to the mids. A bit shouty occasionally and the treble can...

Crinear Daybreak

• Audionotions: Slightly V-Shaped take on the JM-1 Meta. Some may find it a bit intense - especially in the upper treble, and perhaps the upper mids - it can sometimes border on being a tad shouty. Clean sounding...

7th Acoustics Supernova

• Audionotions: Some of the best timbre I've heard on an IEM to date with decent technicalities to match. Tonality is really good. Bass is neither too much nor too little - just enough to add the perfect amount of...

Moondrop x Crinacle Dusk

• Audionotions: I came close to writing this off because it relies on DSP to achieve the target tuning. Thankfully my curiosity got the best of me. Putting aside any issues pertaining to the DSP cable, this is a...

Dunu x Gizaudio Davinci

• Audionotions: close but no cigar. Sounded great for most genres but bass guitars and kick drums and instruments/vocals that lie the in mid-bass/lower-mids range sound too recessed. Noteweight leans thin and...

Sennheiser IE600

• Audionotions: Engaging sound signature with authoritative bass and very good treble. Mids are no slouch either. Can be spicy for some, but for what it's worth, I have no issues with the treble. Pretty impressive,...

Dunu SA6 Ultra

• Audionotions: SA6 but better - and SA6 was already a very good IEM to begin with. Retains the same smooth and relaxed tuning and great resolution. What sets this apart is the right amount of treble extension to...

Elysian Pilgrim

• Audionotions: Elysian signature for the masses in terms of price and intensity. Compared to the rest of the Elysian lineup, the Pilgrim loses a bit of dynamics, techs, and separation and imaging, but it does share...

Thieaudio Hype 4

• Audionotions: Very, very solid IEM. Excellent bass response and a well done warm neutral tuning. Great techs for the price. Large stage that is deep and wide. Great separation and imaging. Treble is a bit elevated...

Aful Performer 8

• Audionotions: Smooth and balanced with really great detail retrieval. Slightly warm which makes vocals sound rich and instruments sound full. Jack-of-all-trades. If you can swing $370 for this and aren't willing...

Nightjar Singularity

• Audionotions: I fully expected these to be an overwhelmingly bass heavy set but instead got something quite different. Singularity bass is boomy and somewhat pillowy, extending deep and with almost atmospheric...

Astell&Kern x Empire Ears NOVUS

• Audionotions: Very engaging IEM. Bass extends deep and hits hard and fast, mids are clear and lush with very good weight and tactility. Treble is clear without fatigue. It's a pretty warm IEM but has clarity that...

Mangird Xenns Top

• Audionotions: Variation's more fun, twin sibling. Similar technical capabilities to Vari - resolution, instrument separation and imaging are great. Thicker, meatier note weight than Variations and better vocal...

Truthear Pure

• Audionotions: The new warm neutral benchmark. Masterclass in a slightly warm tilted neutral. I always thought the Hexa would be an amazing IEM if the bass wasn't so bloomy and uncontrolled. The Pure fixes that and...

Sony IER-M9

• Audionotions: Nice note weight, very balanced, shockingly good at imaging held back by finicky fit and vacuum seal - fit issues can be resolved by changing tips though (for me the stock silicone LL tips eliminated...

Ziigaat Arcanis

• Audionotions: Vocal centric with good bass performance and smooth but well extended treble. Excellent techs. I think they mixed up the names for their recent releases - this is less "neutral" and more "lush" than...

Thieaudio Oracle

• Audionotions: Love the tuning. Very neutral set with sparkly treble but never unpleasant. Techs are decent but not standout. Timbre and tonality on this set are really great. Mids are great, and vocals are lush....

Ar Audio Aurora

• Audionotions: Balanced (with some warmth) with good timbre. Nicely textured and punchy bass. Rich mids and lush vocals, both male and female. Resolution is decent. Imaging and stage are good. Treble is smooth and...

Symphonium Audio Meteor

• Audionotions: Warm U-shaped IEM. Very pleasant to listen to. Bass is pretty good for a BA set with a focus on decay which makes it rumble nicely - perhaps lacks a bit of tactility. Very solid choice for those who...

Dunu SA6

• Audionotions: Great all-rounder - does everything very well. I wish the bass was a bit more impactful and perhaps that it had a bit more sparkle up top.

Moondrop S8

• Audionotions: Very resolving and well tuned. Note weight leans thin. First IEM that I can say I definitely hear the BA timbre. Could use more down low. Pressure build is uncomfortable.

Aful Performer 5+2

• Audionotions: Slightly warm leaning balanced signature - Very engaging, decent clarity. Slight metallic/digital sheen but it's not too bad.

Ziigaat Odyssey 2

• Audionotions: Top notch build quality - I love the metal shell. Linsoul should adopt this shell across the board. U-Shaped take on JM1 with bass lift contained to subbass region and some lower treble spice. Very,...

JUZEAR x Z Reviews Defiant

• Audionotions: Nicely balanced IEM with a tough of warmth. Very pleasantly tuned throughout. Relaxed and lush sounding. Good job Zeos!

Xenns Tea Pro

• Audionotions: U-shaped tuned IEM with a lot of energy at both ends. Very visceral bass punch and very exciting treble/upper mids. I can see why this IEM is liked so much. But the bass and treble can both be very...

FatFreq x HBB Deuce

• Audionotions: Easy reccomendation for somoene looking for a basshead IEM that still retains some resemblence of neutrality through the mids and treble.

Moondrop Variations

• Audionotions: Very resolving with good sub-bass and good treble. A bit thin and clinical sounding and lacks a bit of note weight. Could use a bit more mid-bass. Otherwise, the resolution is top-notch. Treble...

Dunu SA6 mkII

• Audionotions: Like the Ultra, but slightly improved in all technicalities categories except for timbre where the Ultra takes the win because upper-mids/lower-treble are too dialed down for my tastes on the MK2. If...

Crinear Meta

• Audionotions: Similar to Moondrop Dusk (the non-Dusk collab with Crin) but a step down overall sonically (tonality and techs) but a step up in ergonomics and build quality. Unboxing experience is excellent and...

FatFreq Scarlet Mini

• Audionotions: Holy Bass! Unabashedly colored listen with heathenistic amounts of bass elevation and physicality. Man does this thing punch. Vocals and instruments can sound subdued a little bit unless you turn the...

Myer Audio CKLVX D41

• Audionotions: Warm and bright. Thick bass that is sufficiently tactile for the price. Decent mids. Treble elevation is a bit above neutral so cymbals and snaps and clicks can sound a bit prominent. Soundstage and...

Oriolus Isabellae

• Audionotions: Beautifully sweet mids, good fun bass - maybe not the most resolving but sinfully enjoyable. Slight weirdness for some female vocals but other than that, it sounds great

Audio Lokahi

• Audionotions: Very energetic tuning with excellent bass. Vaguely reminiscent of Hekili but better, in my opinion. Shares the same Foster DD as Gaea - very quick and snappy and impactful.

Aful Explorer

• Audionotions: Relaxed and fun. Easy to listen to. A bit darker than my preferrd signature but I enjoyed this quite a bit.

Hidizs MP145

• Audionotions: One of the best IEMS under $300. Shells look large but fit is surprisingly good and very comfy. Tuning nozzles actually work - I like the balanced setting but all of them sound good. Great techs,...

Audio Hekili

• Audionotions: Probably among the most overlooked IEMs I have had the pleasure of listening to. Built by hand using a very high quality 3D-printed shell with excellent QC (channel matching on these is amazing), the...

Tanchjim Hana 2021

• Audionotions: Best single DD in this price tier - a step down in imaging and separation from Origin but it is a more fun to listen to given the bass shelf. Better fit than Origin too but YMMV.

Tanchjim Origin

• Audionotions: Yes, it's expensive for a single DD imaging and separation is top tier with very good layering - frankly, I haven't heard many sets near this price that have done the same. There is a bit of subbass...

Samsung Buds3 Pro

• Audionotions: Slight improvements over Buds2 Pro - slightly more engaging sound, better fit, better tech. Bass is a bit elevated and fairly hefty. Mids are clean. Treble is well extended. Can be a bit upper mid...

Letshuoer S12 Pro

• Audionotions: Improved S12.

Dunu Falcon Ultra

• Audionotions: Like Kato but better in all ways. Accessory kit is top tier, build top notch, cable is excellent, included tips are plentiful. Bass is punchy with great texture, good clarity, smooth vocals, treble...

Sony IER-M7

• Audionotions: Warm but not muddy. More dynamic than M9 but a slight step down in resolution and imaging. More fun to listen to than M9. Great build, great kit. Love it.

Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite

• Audionotions: Great tonality - very pleasant, slightly warm tonality, smooth and relaxed character, solid technical performance, and fantastic build quality. Imaging and separation quite good for the price as is...

Tangzu Zetian Wu Heyday

• Audionotions: Well-tuned, technical, does nothing wrong. Build quality is much better than OG Wu. Even the driver used is different. They should have renamed it instead of keeping the Wu Zetian name because it's...

Final A5000

• Audionotions: Much improved over the A4000, which actually gave me a headache. Bass is fun and decently textured. Good punch and slam with good tactility. Mids are decent - the delayed pinna gain or recessed mids...

Moondrop Space Travel 2

• Audionotions: Better out of the box than the Ultra.

Moondrop Space Travel 2 Ultra

• Audionotions: Packed with features, PEQ built in, cheap, sounds great. The biggest fault is the anime voice that can't be changed or turned off. Some may like this. If this had existed when I first looked into...

Moondrop Blessing 2

• Audionotions: Good resolution. Very well tuned from top to bottom, perhaps only lacking a bit of bass and treble.

BQEYZ Winter

• Audionotions: Just the right amount of warmth to have lush mids while retaining clarity. Treble is clear and sparkly but very smooth - not fatiguing at all for me - could be because the treble is handled by BC?....

Moondrop Blessing 2 Dusk

• Audionotions: Close but no cigar. Sounded great for most genres but bass guitars and kick drums and instruments/vocals that lie the in mid-bass/lower-mids range sound too recessed. Noteweight leans thin and...

Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro

• Audionotions: Very well-tuned frow lows to highs. Harman-ish but deviates from Harman in a good way. Very good textured bass, clear mids, and airy treble. It differs from Harman in the slightly toned-down upper...

Kinera Celest Phoenixcall

• Audionotions: Fun. Unique tuning that actually works. The FR looks like it would completely offend but to the ear, it actually never offends. Lots of bass impact, good transients. Worth it just to have something...

Thieaudio Elixir

• Audionotions: Great natural tuning. Great dynamics and transients. Very enjoyable listen. Not much else to be said, I like this a lot!

Letshuoer x Gizaudio Galileo

• Audionotions: Smooth and relaxing done well. Very, very pleasant, mid-focused tonality. The vocals are very good, as you'd expect of something that Timmy concocted. One can definitely hear the treble roll-off, and...

Tripowin x HBB Olina

• Audionotions: Pretty good for the price but a little bright/shouty stock. Slap a second stock filter on top, and it's much improved! Good vocals-focused set with decently sparkly treble and good bass punch....

Fiio JD7

• Audionotions: Really dynamic. Bass can be a bit much in quantity sometimes (for me) and upper mids can be a bit intense (at that line where things could be shouty but never crosses into that territory). Good note...

Tin Hifi T4+

• Audionotions: Like C3 with slightly better technicalities. Fit on C3 is better. Can't really justify the price increase over C3.

Truthear x Crinacle Zero:Red

• Audionotions: IMHO no one really needs anything more than this. Impecable tuning. Techs are competitive with anything under $100. Only true knock I have against this is that the nozzle is pretty bad - long and...

SeeAudio x Crinacle Yume:Midnight

• Audionotions: Well tuned but overly smooth. Hard to fit right. Vacuum seal seized the DD driver and killed off bass.

Sennheiser IE200

• Audionotions: Energetic, great quality bass. Mids are not the best but also not bad. Fun to listen to. Fit is amazing. Unfortunately, plagued by QC issues and I cannot reccomend this.

Simgot EA500

• Audionotions: Olina/Oxygen like tuning, which I generally like. Bass is midbass focused with sub-bass roll off. Very punchy and energetic sound with oodles of impact. Very close to the Olina with the mods applied....

Letshuoer S12

• Audionotions: Very energetic. Very detailed. Very bright. Noticeable recession in mids - it is V-shaped after all. Planar timbre is quite noticeable and can sometimes make this sound unnatural.

Dunu Kima Classic

• Audionotions: Like a bassier Olina with more air. Does a lot of things pretty well, but nothing too spectacular. Slightly bright, and a mid-treble dip messes with timbre on some instruments (like violin). Build...

HBB KZ PR2

• Audionotions: Solid technical performance. Imaging and resolution much better than the price would suggest. Stage is average to intimate. Well-tuned planar - decently balanced. Treble can be very spicy and zingy -...

Truthear Hexa

• Audionotions: Like the B2 but a step down in resolution and separation - very well-tuned - could use a tad more bass quantity and tighter bass (it sounds a bit fuzzy and loose - I guess they aren't using a very...

Etymotic ER4XR

• Audionotions: Three words. Detail. Boring. Intrusive.

Tangzu Wu Zetian

• Audionotions: V-signature. Not really hearing much of a planar timbre here - could have told me it was DD and I might have believed it. A bit fuzzy and recessed through the mids. Bass is boomy but not well...

TinHifi C3

• Audionotions: Nicely balanced with slightly forward upper mids. Surprising that I liked this given what I felt for the T3+. This is better for me by a ton. Makes me wonder if I received a bad T3+. Bass extends...

Moondrop Kato

• Audionotions: Decent bass, decent mids, vocals presented nicely (tastefully forward), treble is non-fatiguing but a little darker but maybe a bit weird. Sounds a little blunted to my ears. Fit may be an issue for...

SeeAudio Yume Ultra

• Audionotions: Most technical Yume at the cost of tonality. Crisper and more punchy than Midnight but tonally flawed.

Kinera Celest Wyvern Abyss

• Audionotions: Decent V-shaped IEM that is reminiscent of an Aria or TinHifi IEM. Very punchy bass with decent clarity. The molded shell feels like it belongs on a more expensive IEM and the faceplate is among the...

Truthear Gato

• Audionotions: Replaces Hola, and sounds much better to boot. Feels about as cheap in hand but the sound is quite a bit cleaner and more exciting. Same cable as with Hola and given that it's the same price, this is...

QKZ x HBB

• Audionotions: Fun, cheap, well-tuned. And the kicker - the treble extension is absurd for the price! However, aesthetically they are a tragedy. In this price range, value prop is often increased in the form of...

Moondrop Aria

• Audionotions: Used to be a great intro into IEMs. Safe recc but there are betters at this price point these days

Moondrop Starfield

• Audionotions: Like Aria but less fun and slightly improved stage.