IEMs Reviewed by Jays Audio

S-

$6500

Subtonic Storm

• The best IEM I've ever heard. Best timbre. Super natural. TOTL tech. It's just good. That's all.
• Exceptional resolution, neutral sound signature. Hard to drive. The most detailed IEM I’ve ever heard.
• Easily at the top for resolution and dynamic contrast, accompanied by rigid transients and pinpoint layering.
• Pros: The most extraodinary normal sounding IEM ever. Amazing all-around. Cons: big and heavy shell.
• World-class resolution and layering. Extreme, almost exaggerated dynamics. Staging is large but not class-leading.

Neutral 7BA+2EST

9.4

8.1

S-

$1800

Elysian Apostle

• Clean, neutral, and clear vocals. Reminds me of a cleaner Volume S or slightly better OG Oracle, but very expensive, maybe if you can find one around $1000 since it's more of a sidegrade to RSV,...
• Incredibly textured bass, forward vocals, top-tier EST treble, and insane detail. Exceptional in every way.
• Instrument separation is good, and is a nice darkness.

n/a 2EST+2DD BA

9.2

8

S-

$2000

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.

V-Shaped 19BA

9.1

7.7

S-

$1000

Letshuoer Mystic 8

• Vocal benchmark for female vocals under $2000. Clean, airy, sweet, ethereal. Better than Diva and direct upgrade to OG Oracle and OG Mangird Tea. What the Braindamage and Cantor wishes they could be....
• Lack Bass Richness, but is a beautiful set.
• Surprising in a lot of fronts. Maybe a little bit overpriced but I like it

Neutral 8BA

9

8.3

A+

$3000

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.

Neutral 4DD BA EST

8.9

7.4

A+

$1300

Thieaudio Prestige LTD

• Clean and natural signature with treble emphasis. LOTS of details with airy treble without going overboard (better treble extension vs MK2/MK3). Bass is not as impactful versus MK3 but has better...
• The unit I reviewed had wonky bass, expect this to change if I review a unit with proper bass.

n/a 1DD+4BA+4EST

8.6

7.8

A+

$500

Xenns Top Pro

• Very technical, amazing resolution and detail for the price, treble is slightly crispy and sparkly, clean but dynamic all-rounder. Mid-volume set for the most part as treble can get hot at higher...
• Early, might go up.
• Pros: New meta tuning with boosted bass and upper treble. Cons: BA timbre.

V-Shaped 2DD+8BA

8.6

8.9

A+

$1350

Dunu Glacier

• Clean, balanced sound, clear vocals, great midrange and tech, would rec if not for the unit variance in the tuning, the unit I got sounds different than the earlier ones which was bass-boosted...
• Exceptional bass, ethereal treble, remarkable clarity, and outstanding detail. The upper mid-range might be a bit too much for some people. Reveals every detail in your music, both the good and the...
• Upper mids kill it for me, but it's a fun set.
• Quite exciting and dynamic, possibly a bit bright in the treble.
• Pros: Less thin harman with amazing tech. Cons: Not very natural timbre.
• Convinces me that the harman target can sound excellent.

U-Shaped 1DD+4BA+4EST

8.6

7.9

9.5

A+

$2000

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.

U-Shaped 12BA

8.5

7.2

A+

$3600

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.

n/a 2DD+5BA+4EST+1BC

8.5

7.5

A+

$900

LETSHUOER EJ07

• TOTL mids. Most 3D and holographic staging yet. Imaging, separation, layering, and staging are all S level - only thing that's holding it back is the darker treble which can lead to softer notes vs,...

n/a n/a

8.5

7.8

A+

$1000

Thieaudio Monarch MK2

• Neutral tuning with one of the clearest mid-ranges. Natural and clean vocals. Great resolution, separation, and detail. Can be a little dry with its analytical presentation. Bass is well-seperated...
• Smooth, balanced tuning with natural vocals, beautiful timbre, and excellent tonality. Detail and could use more bass. Treble depends on ear tips. Outstanding tuning.
• Still a king, more neutral to my ears, than MK 3. Just wow.
• A solid improvement in imaging with slightly more palatable tonality than its predecessor.
• Pros: Cohesive, smooth, balanced, technical. Cons: slight treble wispiness.
• Good treble

Neutral 1DD+6BA+2EST

8.5

7.5

A

$899

Thieaudio Hype 10

• U-shaped, nice treble extention and dynamics, solid vocals, more low-end emphasis than MK3, dynamic and great all-rounder that doesn't specialize in anything.
• More detailed Hype 4. Too similar to the Hype 4.
• It leaves me lacking nothing, just a fantastic set.

Jm1 2DD+10BA

8.4

7.9

A

$3099

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.

n/a 1DD+6BA+4EST+1BC

8.4

7.2

A

$1500

Symphonium Crimson

• U-shaped/Slight V/W Shaped. Energetic treble. Great tech. Fun signature.
• Suffers from BA bass, but is exceptional outside of that.
• Colored tonality done correctly with incredible bass and dynamics. Upper-treble can be slightly too zingy depending on source.
• Excellent bass, dynamics, and resolution. Very large soundstage with great imaging. Mid/upper-treble may be too elevated for some.

U-Shaped 4BA

8.4

7.6

A

$1700

Sony IER-Z1R

• Best of the best in most areas, but vocals and mids can be thin due to fit issues. Insane bass texture/detail and HUGE soundstage. One of the best trebles I've heard.
• Extended yet natural treble, realistic sub-bass focus and spacious imaging capabilities.
• Top-tier bass, treble, and soundstage height and width. I don't approve of the midrange these days.
• Pros: Incredible extensions on both ends. Cons: Lower midrange.
• Visceral, hard-hitting bass, sparkly treble, and a large, spherical soundstage with impressive height. Fit may pose a challenge for many. Cons: Poor fit.

V-Shaped 2DD+1BA

8.4

7

A

$450

Kiwi Ears x HBB Punch

• Endgame "balanced-basshead" set. Amazing low-end texutre, rumble, reverb, slam, and more bass than Origin and Titan - goes harder than those. Vocals and treble also still well extended, not...
• It basically a cheaper Mega5est Bass. Great basshead set.

n/a 1DD+2BA+2EST

8.2

8.4

A

$700

ORIVETI OH700VB

• A more engaging Supernova, cleaner, with better sub-bass, and vocals. Very big stage and fantastic separation and layering. Vocals are airy without being too sharp. Lots of air/reminds me of the LTD....
• This is like a supernova with better Bass, but slightly less technical.

Jm1 6DD BA

8.2

8.3

A

$2300

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

Neutral 1DD+11BA

8.1

6.9

A

$1000

Thieaudio Monarch MK3

• Better low-end texture and overall more engaging than MK2, but lacks the mid-range/vocal magic, so depending on your preference either is great. Still TOTL tech like MK2. Great all-rounder.
• More bass, treble, and detail than the Monarch MK II. The vocal magic of the Monarch MK II is gone. I prefer the Monarch MK II for its tonality, vocals, and timbre, but I get why some prefer the MK...
• Fatiging at times for me, too fun at times.
• Still perplexingly poor bass performance, but improves upon the Monarch MKII's treble extension noticeably.
• Elevated, well-textured mid-bass. Pleasant mids. Elevated upper-treble may be pesky to some.

U-Shaped 2DD+6BA+2EST

8.1

7.3

6.8

A

$400

Moondrop x Crinacle Dusk

• Inoffensive safe tuning, less fatiguing uppermids good for jpop/kpop. Vocals lack the last bit of extension, detail, and power. DSP APP is a shit show. Heavy competition from Nova, Cincotres, Hype 4.
• Great bass quality, rich vocals, balanced tonality, sparkly treble, and excellent resolution. I prefer more bass. Excellent tuning and a highly detailed, all-around performer.
• Just so chill with certain music.
• Pros: Balanced tuning with world class timbre decay.
• Overall high engagement factor.

n/a 2DD+2BA+2PLA

8.1

8.3

A

$1099

Dunu Mirai

• Bright leaning set with great tech. Clean mid-range, sharp imaging, sparkly female vocals with decent amount of air. Does get fatiguing and sharp on more energetic tracks and genres like...
• Expensive for what it is, lean, and bright.
• Pros: Refrence, beautiful timbre, open stage. Cons: Tuning may be boring for some.
• Lot of fun IEM. Is it perfect? No. Treble could use a little work. Harmanish take on low end with relaxed top end.

U-Shaped 1DD+5BA

8.1

7.8

A

$850

7th Acoustics Supernova

• Super smoooth. TOTL dynamics and treble air - dunno how they managed this airy and smooth with only BAs. Very clean, no sharpness, or sudden peaks, endgame separation and detail. Only drawback is...
• Natural king. Special iem at any price.
• Nearly immaculate tonality, coherency, and timbre with reasonably good technicalities.
• Rich, honeyed timbre. Well-tuned with solid techs. A very smooth listen. Could use better resolution and incisiveness.

Neutral 6BA

8

7

A

$1500

Unique Melody MEST MK2

• TOTL imaging chops/layering. Tons of micro-details. Bass texture and impact second probably only to the Z1R. Wide and 3D staging. AGGRESSIVE, and get fatiguing when cranked up/long-listening sessions.
• Pretty much the same as the Mk1, though with extra sub-bass presence.
• A warmer, more coherent MEST with setbacks in resolution and imaging.
• Pros: Great balance, none offensive tuning with little to fault.

V-Shaped 1DD+4BA+2EST+1BC

8

7

A

$770

FATfreq x Effect Audio: Quantum

• Bright and full sound, very detailed, sparkly, airy, tons of treble extenstion... but it gets fatiguing with the stock filters. Blue filter has the best balance but still doesn't scale too well. 300...
• I don't want to like, but I love.

n/a n/a

8

8.6

A

$700

Softears Twilight sale

• Slightly warm/neutral, very well balanced, good scaling, TOTL male vocals, big staging, wait for sale

n/a n/a

8

7.8

A

$320

Softears Volume S

• Amazing vocals under $500 with the stock switch/clear tips or tangzu sancai regular (no impedance boost) with amazing vocal scaling. Recommended for higher volume listening like ballads, slower...
• Studio 4 with DD bass, great bass texture, tonal accuracy, forward vocals, and natural timbre. High impedance mode sounds bright. A benchmark for tonality and timbre.
• Probably the best iem of 2025 so far...
• Fantastic IEM for the price. Super sharp and standout

n/a 2DD+2BA

8

7.8

A

$780

Sennheiser IE600

• Tons of detail and amazing clarity. Stage is smaller than most IEMs at/below its price tag but very well defined details and imaging within that space. Bass is detailed, but amount is not as much as...
• Fantastic bass (both quality and quantity), great V-shaped tuning, excellent detail, and precise imaging. Treble is too much, could use more vocal focus. Fun, V-shaped tuning.
• Well-tuned mids, powerful yet controlled sub-bass, with highly extended (and somewhat spicy) treble.
• Lots of upper trebble.
• Well-extended on both ends of the spectrum and adds back in the upper-midrange the IE900 lacked.
• Pros: Very well rouned fun subbass focus sound. Cons: Treble might be too much.

V-Shaped 1DD

8

7.4

A

$1150

Symphonium Helios SE

• Best Treble around it's price. Super airy but still smooth. Bass-scoop isn't as bad as I thought, but those who want mid-bass - avoid it.
• See Helios but with more mid-treble and mid-bass.

n/a 4BA

8

7.2

A-

$650

Hisenior Mega5-EST

• Neutral, clean, well-balanced, monitor like, great tech, but boring. Just get the TOP PRO, Oracle MK3 or Volare, or Xuan Wu Gate.
• Great tuning, neutral with bass boost, smooth, safe, and balanced. Could use more detail, incisiveness, and excitement. Very neutral, "plain water" sound signature.
• Let's call a spade a spade, this is boring.
• Very bouncy bass but midrange sounds sucked out and has some oddity. Original sounds more coherent even if less exciting/detailed.
• Pros: Exceptionally tuned across the board. Cons: Could use more "wow" and details.
• Fantastic tuning.. it really does not get better. Technical performance could be better.
• Well-tuned and great techs at this price point. Lacks dynamics and the mids are a little lean. Otherwise a great all-rounder.

Neutral 1DD+2BA+2EST

7.9

7.3

A-

$550

Moondrop Variations

• Very clear with lots of detail. Sub-bass has a nice rumble and texture. Amazing treble extension and stage air. Female vocals are vibrant and shines. Mid-bass cut is real, affecting some genres and...
• Great sub-bass, Harman tuning, and excellent detail. Can sound thin. A solid benchmark.
• Sub-bass-focused signature with Moondrop's clean tuning makes this one of the best $500 tribrids.
• The more I listen the more perfect I find it.
• A more refined B2 Dusk with better bass texture and treble extension.
• Pros: Great separation and details. Cons: Thin lower midrange.
• Great tuning, neutral timbre, and a satisfying bass with a sub-bass focus. Solid all-rounder.

U-Shaped 1DD+2BA+2EST

7.9

7.4

7.8

A-

$730

Softears RSV

• One of the best vocals I've heard on any IEM (especially for male artists). Mids and Treble is TOTL, smooth and well extended and has great naturalness and the perfect bite. Bass has great speed and...
• Warmer, bassier, and slightly more resolving than the Studio 4, with great timbre. BA Bass. I prefer the Studio 4.
• Very well-balanced tonality with surprisingly good timbre, though slightly lacking definition.
• Great upper treble, but its overall tonality isn't perfect.
• Well-tuned from top-to-bottom with good timbre. Safe to the point of boredom.
• Pros: Timbre so beautiful you think it's not a BA set.

Bright 5BA

7.9

7.4

7

A-

$3100

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.

n/a 2DD+5BA+1BC

7.9

7

A-

$700

EPZ 530

• Great set for jazz/blues/soul/acoustic. Thick and lush. Warm but with nice treble extension. Solid tech. Vocals can be overly husky and buried in busier songs.
• It does some things very well. Very good item.

n/a 5BA

7.9

8

A-

$260

Binary Dynaquattro

• Natural vocals, good treble extension, bass is tight and more resolving vs 61t and Davinci. Overall very well balanced and clean. There are some small peaks at 8-10k and 15-20K which can be an issue...
• Excellent bass, vocal-forward tuning, and natural timbre. Hard to drive, could use more treble extension. Shines when driven properly.
• It has great tuning, but lack serverly in some areas. Very fun.

n/a 4DD

7.9

8.6

A-

$179

Gizaudio x Binary Chopin

• If Harman wasn't boring and had a few drinks
• Harman tuning with excellent bass, clean mids, extended treble, and balanced tonality with great detail.
• Solid set, thin mids. Slightly bright at times.
• Best Collab IEM in years. It's a nice clean tonality. Fantastic vocal presentation. Added low end warmth.

U-Shaped 3DD BA

7.9

8.6

A-

$1900

Unique Melody MEST MK3

• A more neutral/slightly warm MEST MK2, less aggresive, easier to the ears, same technicalities. A little overpriced ngl.
• Holographic soundstage. Relaxed upper mids and treble. Overall detail. A safe tuning.

Neutral 1DD+4BA+4EST+1BC

7.9

6.8

A-

$1300

Unique Melody MEST

• A MEST MK2 with slightly more uppermid/bass. More v-shaped. Even more AGGRESSIVE than MK2. Also gets fatiguing when cranked up/long-listening sesisons.
• A smooth, relaxing listen (in custom form) backed up with good technicalities.
• Engaging imaging with some minor coherency issues.
• Pros: Impressive staging and details. Cons: Aggressive signature.

V-Shaped 1DD+4BA+2EST+1BC

7.8

7.1

A-

$230

ZiiGaat Odyssey

• A mini Subtonic Storm that scales better and fuller with less tech. A musical odyssey. High volume set, great scaling, a cleaner/midrange focused Explorer with better layering and detail. Takes you...
• Great bass, natural vocals that aren't shouty, and excellent treble extension. The lower treble can be too much. Fun and engaging tuning. It's like a more exciting version of the KE4.
• Great tune, upper trebble is kinda funky, but basically perfectly tuned.
• Pros: Fantastic V-shape Meta Tuned. Cons: Could use a bit less mid-treble spiciness.

n/a 3DD BA

7.8

8.6

7.2

A-

$239

Aful Performer 5+2

• Clean, balanced, neutral sound with good layering and tech. Relaxing vocals, but lacks power and last bit of vocal extension. Bass has good controll, but lacks impact. Has sizzly planar timbre in the...
• Smooth, neutral tuning with a bass boost, excellent bass quality, clean mids, forward vocals, and sparkly, incisive treble. Great detail. I wouldn’t change a thing. A detailed, engaging all-rounder...
• My kind of neutral, improves a lot on my favorites.
• Overall it is sounding more visceral and incisive than the Performer 5.

Neutral 2DD+4BA+1PLA

7.8

8.7

A-

$850

FlipEars Legion

• Fun and bassy, v-shape, great low-end slam and texture, full, rumbly, solid tech imaging, and cool faceplate... but price is a bit high.
• What this does well, it does very well. Fun set.

n/a 1DD+1EST+1BC

7.8

7.1

A-

$850

ThieAudio Origin

• Best bassy set under $1K. Bassy/thicker meta tuning. You can actually feel the reverb and vibration from the bone conduction drivers, great control and low-end texture. Mids and treble are also well...
• Great set, has a lot of positives and is amazing on bass tracks.
• Pros: Mega bass additiveness. Cons: Bass too much.
• Interesting sound. It becomes it's own thing. Fit is not great.

Bassy 3BA+1BC,+1DD,+2EST,

7.8

7.9

A-

$400

ThieAudio Hype 4

• One of the best all-rounders under $600 (v-shaped harman). Treble quality is smooth and well extended. Great low-end texture with lots of impact. Good vocals. Solid tech, and just solid in general.
• Fun, bass-boosted sound with powerful bass, great treble extension, and clear vocals. Treble can be overly crisp at times. A fun and exciting IEM.
• Upper trebble is odd on many tracks, but is a strong set.
• Bass sounds somewhat 'BA-ish' for being DD, but well-tuned, decently technical, and a very solid package overall.
• Great imaging and headstage. Width is outstanding. Even at 400 bucks it's outstanding in this pricerange.

JM1 ish 2DD+4BA

7.7

7.7

A-

$400

Ziigaat Arcanis

• My favourite vocals under $500 (best imo). A more refined OG Mangird Tea with better resolution and tech. Recommend listening at higher volumes on slower vocal centric tracks. Don't rec hiphop or...
• Lots of good neutral energy here. Interesting set up.
• Not really stand out at the price range. Lack a bit of definition. Decent IEM

n/a 2DD+5BA

7.7

8.7

A-

$800

Aful Cantor

• LOW VOLUME SET. Clean, airy, and highly resolving at its price with endgame separation and detail. Low-end is quick, but lacks impact and a bit of texture. Notes are on the lighter side, not very...
• Exceptional detail, neutral tuning, and great bass quality. Very revealing. Could use more bass for my taste. One of the most resolving IEMs. It reveals details you’ve never noticed before.
• Maybe best detailed set, fit is extremely difficult.
• It's super impressive but also really difficult to edge on comfort. It's not my favorite sound but good sounding. Competing well at it's price point

Vocal 14BA

7.7

8.8

A-

$599

ThieAudio Oracle mk3

• Great bass texture, much better than predecessors, smooth and slightly airy giving it a sizzly timbre, great layering/separation, vocals are slightly laid back but not gone, very balanced across...
• It's like a Pilgrim OG with EST. It's kinda cool.
• Pretty detailed but sounds incoherent, particularly in the treble, which also seems exaggerated in a bad way.
• A step in the right direction compared to mk2. I like this as much as the mk1. Solid all-rounder, good sense of separation.

n/a 2DD+2BA+2EST

7.7

7.7

A-

$359

Xenns Tea Pro

• A more resolving Davinci, literally. The Tea magic is gone :( but it's now the most refined and well-balanced. It's the most bassy one with better low-end texture, heavier notes, more details, better...
• Powerful bass with great slam, open sound, excellent imaging, and detail. Treble is a bit bright.
• Great set, but lacks slam for it's bass level at times.
• Pros: Good warm-neutral tuning with enough details. Cons: Could use a bit more treble refinement.

n/a 2DD+6BA

7.7

8

A-

$539

ThieAudio Oracle

• Amazing airy and relaxing vocals. Sweet and gentle presentation. Clean, clear vocals - could be too balanced tho. Great separation, but stage size could be better.
• Functionally similar to the Clairvoyance with slight cutbacks in overall clarity and resolution.
• Great iem for what it is. Really impressive.
• Pleasant tonality, but low-level detailing and compression.
• Pros: Tuning so good it melts your soul (kinda). Cons: treble wispiness + slight incoherent.

Neutral 1DD+2BA+2EST

7.7

7.1

A-

$649

Tangzu Xuan Wu Gate

• Clean, neutral, balanced, technical, laid back, very detailed. Neutral tuning done right while being a little dynamic/engaging (unlike the MEGA5EST). Tip wise Azla spinfits for more detail, tangzu...
• Solid mid-bass, natural vocals, and detailed treble. Treble is a bit elevated, and upper mids feel a bit relaxed.
• Pros: Great relaxed tuning. Satisfying subbass and treble. Cons: Female vocal lack a bit of life.

n/a 1DD+4BA+2EST

7.7

7.8

A-

$120

Kiwi Ears Airoso

• A sightly more airy/detailed EW300 with better timbre. Warm leaning all rounder with good dynamic contrast.
• Rich thick, enjoyable. Benchmark for me. Just epic.

n/a 1DD+4BA

7.7

8.5

A-

$250

LETSHUOER Cadenza 4

• Slightly bright, clean sound, very airy, sweet vocals. Great separation and resolution. Reminds me of the OG Orcales. Follows Harman 2019 but with more air. Needs more low-end, not an all-rounder....
• It's like a better Hexa, it's not bad, but feels lean.

n/a 4BA

7.7

8.7

A-

$269

Kiwi Ears Septet

• Bright-leaning with slight warmness - has an unique sparkly/lush, airy, and spacious sound. Great tech for the price, treble is not overly harsh or peaky (at mid volume), pretty smooth with the extra...
• A unique open back iem.

n/a n/a

7.7

8.9

A-

$599

NIGHT OBLIVION BUTASTUR

• Overpriced as hell - I don't get the hype. Vocals are way too shouty with masking. Treble peaks around 10K with a dip in the air afterwards. Low-end is "good", but nothing amazing for the price....
• I'd be careful buying it due to QC issues of others. But I enjoyed my time with it.

n/a 6BA

7.7

7.9

9.3

A-

$450

Softears Studio 4

• Best all rounder under $500. "Correct" and neutral tuning. Perfect vocals, not as forward like RSV but zero faults. Slight Improvement over RSV in-terms of seapration and stage size/treble is...
• Neutral, accurate sound with great bass, tonal accuracy, forward vocals, and natural timbre. Excellent isolation. Unvented design and BA bass may not suit everyone. A benchmark for tonality and...
• Something magical about this set, but it's not the Bass.
• Sounds plasticky and smoothed; inoffensive to the point of being offensive.
• Pros: Just great all around, balance with amazingly clean midrange.

Bright 4BA

7.6

7.4

A-

$280

Tanchjim Origin

• A cleaner/less warm LM, smoother EA1000 (fermats a little more resolving), very balanced, clean, and neutral sound. Very tough competition.
• Cohesive, vocal-focused tuning with dynamic bass, smooth extended treble, and excellent detail. Could use more sub-bass. Smooth, detailed, and vocal-centric sound.
• Great Clarity, exceedingly tip sensitive.
• Japanese flavor of tuning (mid-bass and upper-mid focus) finally done justice. Strong technical chops and slightly forward.
• Pros: Beautiful timbre and treble. Cons: Bass can use a bit more...volume.

n/a 1DD

7.6

8.2

A-

$299

Kiwi Ears Astral

• Great all-rounder. Slighty airy with good sub-bass extenion. Balanced but still fun. A cleaner, airier, and less sharp & sparkly version of the Meta - vocals pop out more than Meta. Tip rec Sancai...
• Deep, textured sub-bass, clean and forward mids, airy treble, and great detail. Upper treble can be a bit much, and the bass tuck isn’t for everyone. Great all-rounder with a bright, airy top end.
• Tonality is fantastic.
• Pros: Clean, techinical v-shape signature with great midrange. Cons: upper treble too much.

n/a 6DD BA

7.6

8.9

A-

$600

LETSHUOER EJ07M

• Holographic staging with an amazing midrange. Great bass texture and impact. Incredibly immersive and endgame for most. Has more sub-bass and treble air than OG doesn't scale as well.
• Fit is an issue same as the Blessing 2 Dusk.
• Excellent tonality and dynamic bass held back only by a lack of intangible performance.

U-Shaped 1DD+2BA+4EST

7.6

7.2

A-

$320

Moondrop Blessing 3

• Bright-neutral. Slight resolution bump over the B2 Dusk, but at the cost of weak bass and sharp 6K.
• Neutral, vocal-focused sound with great treble extension and detail. Light bass, can sound lean, thin and technical. Excellent resolution.
• A little lean, but if you eq it's one of the best sets out there for the price.
• Detail-oriented signature at the expense of sounding quite anemic.
• Pros: Brighter, slightly more detailed version of B2 Dusk. Cons: Bass a little light.

Neutral 2DD+4BA

7.6

7.5

A-

$500

Moondrop Meteor

• Neutral, clean and clear vocals, vocals pop out, good tech. Next to no planar timbre - one of the least planar like planars. Treble isn't sizzly and bright, but vocals can get shouty on energetic...
• Forward vocals, super smooth treble. Bass lacks weight, impact, and slam. I need more bass!
• Bright leaning. But very nice when it hits.
• Objectvly great but unengaging. Not a set I reach for often. Maybe I am underrating it a bit.

Moondrop 1DD+4BA+4PLA

7.6

8.3

A-

$800

Elysian Pilgrim Noir

• Good but expensive. Recommended if you can find it for around $500. Direct upgrade to the AFUL Explorer. Scales great. Reminds me of the EJ07M but a bit smoother and less dynamic. Prefer it more than...
• Bassier than the original Pilgrim with similar resolution. Sound is similar to the original Pilgrim.
• Way different than Pilgrim OG, less bright. Smoothe.
• Relaxed at the vocal region compared to orignial Pilgrim. Too expensive. Texturing is a little bit better than original Pilgrim
• Cons: Similar to Pilgrim OG at twice the price.

n/a 1DD+3BA

7.5

7.7

A-

$250

CrinEar Meta

• Bright-leaning all-rounder with sparkly treble sauce. Great tech for price and great accessories. Good coloration that's not vanilla and safe as other crin collabs. Can be fatiguing at higher...
• Versus similar priced IEMs this is probably the IEM I would be buying. Very nice IEM and a little bit on the contrasty side.

n/a 1DD+2BA

7.5

5.3

A-

$300

EPZ K9

• All-rounder with slight v-shape tonality. EW300 upgrade. Natural and sweet vocals, nice mid-bass slam, treble is nicely extended, well-balanced with a mix of smoothness and contrast, and great...

n/a n/a

7.5

9

A-

$329

Punch Audio Martilo

• Cheaper, and slightly more energetic HBB Punch with slightly less mid-bass and slam. Endgame "balanced" basshead. Imaging feels sharper than Punch, but treble is not as smooth, aside from that very...

n/a n/a

7.5

8.1

A-

$720

Aur Neon Pro

• Slightly edgier Supernova with punchier low-end. Not as smooth and refined, but more engaging.

n/a n/a

7.5

7.9

A-

$1299

Effect GAEA

• Super aggresive, exciting, v-shape, treblehead. Low-end is also very punchy and rumbly. TOTL technical performance with tons of details and OCD, but gets fatiguing. Shouty.

n/a n/a

7.5

8.2

A-

$599

TangZu Bajie

• Clean/balanced meta tuning with sharp imaging and transients - an edgier take on the meta tuning, more dynamic. Has great potential for EQ due to its bigger 14.2MM bass. Low-end is more prominent...

n/a n/a

7.5

8

A-

$699

XENNS UP with AZLA tips

• Fast and clean bass but still rumbly and punchy. Beryllium DD baby. Well-seperated mids, and vocals still pop and aren't buried like other bass sets. Can use more treble extension (fixed with AZLA...

n/a n/a

7.5

8.1

A-

$400

Elysian Pilgrim

• Clean, clear, all-rounder, similar tuning as the Dusk but with better vocals, bass quality is great as well, aethestically pleasing too. If you want a clean all-rounder, or sensitive in the 3-8K,...
• Elysian house sound with a balanced tuning, textured sub-bass, smooth mid-range, well extended treble, and excellent resolution. I prefer more bass. One of the most resolving IEMs under $1000.
• Great little set to consider for those after an Elysian Product.
• Pros: Most technical sounding IEM under $1000.
• Not a bad IEM. Very solid but in this price range it's really competetive. Very safe tuning.

U-Shaped 1DD+3BA

7.5

7.9

A-

$800

Symphonium Giant

• Super warm and thick, mid-bass centric, basically the Meteor with less treble and more low-end, needs power, turns into basshead at higher volumes, very bassy.
• There's warm, warmer, then a huge gap, then the Giant. Warmiest.

n/a n/a

7.5

7.4

A-

$199

Kiwi Ears KE4

• Just get Odyssey it's better. Warm/bassy with solid vocal and treble extension (not buried) that scales really well with good treble air to not sound too intimate. Has a fuller noteweight with one of...
• Great Meta tuning. Could use more detail, not very engaging. Solid reference.
• It's boring. So boring, like mega boring to the max.
• Pros: Almost dead neutral tuning in the best of ways. Cons: Lacks excitement, bass is alright.
• New Meta tuned IEM. This gives you a bass boost and it's not the best bass. If you want the Hexa + Bass this is what you want.

Jm1 2DD+2BA

7.5

8.1

6.5

A-

$600

Symphonium Audio Meteor

• Meaty textured mid-bass, but can be a bit much. VVery warm sound. Library dependent. Airy treble, but vocals are a bit pushed back and buried.
• I'm just not a fan of the tuning, but I can see how others might like it.
• A fun U-shape through and through, at the expense of some detail. Fantastic bass and upper-treble extension.

U-Shaped 4BA

7.5

6.9

A-

$599

Hisenior Mega5-EST +Bass

• The Mega5est 7th but with more sub-bass. That's it. Does sound better now, more "musical" and less vanilla and boring. A good comforting and smooth listen that scales well. Bass texture isn't as good...
• Hisenior Mega5est with added sub-bass. The bass might be too much for some people. Great for bassheads or sub-bass lovers.
• Smooth dark, and enjoyable.
• Good sounding IEM. Nice fitting. New Meta tuning with much more bass. But I didn't need that

Bassy 1DD+2BA+2EST

7.5

7.6

B+

$369

Aful Performer 8

• Good neutral set. Airy and open staging but with forward vocals although lacking in extension. Great layering and details but not 3D and more flat. Vocals could also be more open, and feels "stuck".
• One of the most technical and best air and details iem out there for the price.
• Quite solid technical performance. Good imaging/separation. Good sense of positioning.

Neutral 1DD+7BA

7.4

7.8

B+

$440

Simgot Em10

• A more immersive version of the Pilgrim with better mid-bass kick. More airy and slightly more detailed in the treble. Harman vocal gain might be too much for some. Bass might be boomy depending on...
• Bass-boosted Harman tuning, forward vocals. Overall detail, PZT timbre.
• Very Special set, but the Supermix might be the better value.

n/a 1DD+8BA+1PZT

7.4

7.8

B+

$799

Yanyin Carmen

• An OG EJ07 that does vocal scaling. A blast your brains out kinda set. Full, powerful, extended, VERY forward vocals, might be too much for some people. Reveals every last bit of emotion from the...
• I don't get this one. It's not good.

n/a n/a

7.4

7.3

B+

$189

EPZ P50

• Clean balanced tuning done right. A better tuned MEGA5EST & MOONDROP Meteor with fuller low-end, and more treble extension, same tech, but more dynamic - also half the price. A Mega5EST with better...
• For me this has some oddities. It would be higher if those weren't there.
• Pros: Beautifully done tuning all around. Cons: Nitpick: Bass dynamic could be better.
• Bass can be a little bit on the distracting side if you are looking for a neutral sound signature. Contrasty meta-tuning.

n/a 1DD+2BA+2Planar

7.4

8.2

B+

$1000

Symphonium Titan

• Most balanced bass set I've heard so far without sacrificing the fun/texture/impact in the low-end. Open staging, full sounding, deep sub-bass, vocals aren't buried either. No big peaky treble, good...

Bassy 1DD+2BA

7.4

6.9

B+

$249

Juzear 81T

• Clean balanced sound with good punch low-end, but... Harman 2019, just get Supermix 4 or Nova.
• Strong V, but good drivers if you want a V signature.

n/a 1DD+8BA

7.4

8.7

B+

$269

ZiiGaat Cincotres

• Great bass texture, vocals, treble, solid all-rounder. Similar to Variations but with a smaller/delayed scoop, more mid-bass, but not as much treble/air. A fun bassy sound but still well-balanced....
• This is a mini Monarch MK , V baby.

n/a n/a

7.4

8.6

B+

$239

FATfreq x HBB Deuce

• The defacto basshead rec before the more expensive stuff. Super fun sub-bass, textured, heavy, prolonged decay for more reverb in the bass, well-balanced as well, smooth and scales great. Tech is not...
• Hits Hard, and is super fun. Suprisingly great mids.
• This is not my usual sound signature which I like. But it's a lot of fun in a unique way. One-trick pony.

n/a 2DD

7.4

8

B+

$500

Dunu DK-3001 BD

• Technical, but thin, and bright tilt with LOTS of planar sizzle and timbre. Needs more low-end (small scoop), noteweight is very light, not peaky, but just artificial. Needs 10hm adapter to be...
• Excellent bass quality, deep sub-bass, transparent mids, and great resolution. Low mid-bass, slightly lean vocals, and bright treble. More mid-bass and less treble would be perfect
• I prefer this with the adapter, but is fine without.
• Not to my taste - treble sounds slightly brittle and harsh - but plenty of resolution and clean presentation.
• My second 5 star IEM in 2024. The Braindance is a very satisfying IEM to listen to.

V-Shaped 1DD+4BA+4P

7.4

7.9

B+

$300

DUNU x Gizaudio DaVinci

• Warm leaning with thick, thumpy mid-bass that hits pretty deep and hard. Decent vocal and treble extension, although female vocals are warmer and huskier. Good for hiphop, rap, r&b, but low-end isn't...
• Bass-boosted meta tuning with excellent detail and a grand sound. Bass may be too much for some.
• Bass kind of pops off in the worst way possible.
• A little bit too bassy. imaging is impressive. If you are looking for a bassy set with great imaging, this is a good option.

Neutral 2DD+4BA

7.4

8.2

B+

$120

CCA HYDRO

• The best KZ so far, tuning swithces allow lots of options. Good tech, all-rounder sound with bass boost, but, KZ.
• When this hits, it's just a treasure. Insane value.

V-Shaped 2DD+8BA

7.4

8.6

B+

$580

DUNU SA6 MKII

• V-shaped SA6 Ultra with more recessed mids and vocals. Sharper and more bass than SA6U but mids are buried in busier tracks.
• QDC Anole VX tuning, excellent resolution, and great bass with a practical bass switch. Unvented design. Similar to the SA6 Ultra but with more bass, airier treble, and improved soundstage and fit.
• Technical, nice but upper mids not for me.
• A warmer rendition of the original SA6, best considered a side-grade than a true upgrade.
• Pros: Slightly more V-shape than the Ultra with small detail boost. Cons: Could use a little more upper mids.

Neutral 6BA

7.4

7.3

B+

$600

DUNU SA6 Ultra

• An SA6 with improvement in treble extension, and stage air; better tuned Oracle2 with wider stage. Relaxing tonality but also very resolving. Airy stage with great depth and height. Smooth dynamics...
• QDC Anole VX tuning, excellent resolution, and great bass with a practical bass switch. Unvented design. Tuning style is a matter of preference.
• A slightly refined SA6 with better treble extension. Very coherent.
• Pros: Anole VX-ish tuning with less treble and details. Cons: Could use a little more upper mids.

Neutral 6BA

7.3

7.2

B+

$219

Kiwi Ears Quintet

• Great tech and treble detail. Amazing performance to price value, but metallic timbre and peak can be an issue.
• upper air drives me crazy.

Jm1 1DD+2BA+1P+1PST

7.3

8.6

B+

$1200

ThieAudio Prestige

• Sub-bass boost + treble boost. Similar to Crimson, lots of treble energy, great tech, more aggresive LTD.
• Lots of bass, good slam, controlled mid-range. Bass quality, too much upper treble, timbre, and overall detail.
• Very bright in the upper-treble which leads to a fatiguing sound and masking issues.
• Pros: High micro details, clean bass. Cons: Treble damage timbre.

n/a 1DD+4BA+4EST

7.3

6.7

B+

$170

Kiwi Ears Aether

• Clean, balanced, with slight air boost in the treble. Bass sounds like a DD with great texture. Cheaper better tuned P5+2. Not as smooth as Timeless 2 with more dynamic contrast with a slight sizzle...
• Not for bassheads, but one of the best planars I've ever heard.
• A little bit spicy in the treble (like the other planars). Relaxed upper mid-range. Warmer tuning than S12. It's a decent IEM

n/a n/a

7.3

8.9

B+

$120

AFUL Explorer

• High volume set, very immersive, scales great with no sharpness, wide staging, enough detail/extension, good bass, just crank it up and enjoy the music.
• Smooth, relaxing tuning, great bass with good slam, rich mid-range, safe treble. Upper mids may be too relaxed for some, treble is a bit dark. Perfect for rock and metal.
• I own two and gave two away. So yeah, I kinda like it.
• Relaxed upper mid-range. Vocals sound a little bit more forward than instruments. Smooth treble performance.

Neutral 1DD+2BA

7.3

7.9

B+

$730

Thieaudio Monarch

• Endgame clarity and layering. Great resolution, and open staging. Not holographic but very clean. Rumbly sub-bass but mid-bass tuck can kill some libraries, and affects vocal thinness.
• Neutral with bass boost
• Not particularly coherent, but an attention grabber with solid, surface-level detail.
• Pros: Superb separation, fun clean signature.

U-Shaped 1DD+6BA+2EST

7.2

7.2

B+

$530

Mangird Xenns Top

• What the Variations should've been. Fantastic tehcnincalities. Neutral-bright leaning. Nothing wrong with it at mid-volume, but I can see treble can be too much at highet volumes.
• Very inofffensive tonality with a soft treble response, sounds like lower and mid-treble are too recessed.
• Pros: Exceptionally tuned, full range and detailed. Cons: Treble might be too much for some.

n/a 1DD+8BA

7.2

6.8

B+

$600

I/O Volare

• Best Harman IEM under $600 (my unit is less harman), smooth and natural, great layering and tech, bass texture could be better/not as good as Oracle MK3, but overall very balanced and great...
• Nice overall quality.
• If you are looking for the most bang for your buck in terms of the costs of materials - this is it. But not the most interesting sound.

n/a n/a

7.2

7.8

B+

$180

Ziigaat LUSH

• A cleaner more technical AFUL Explorer with a more open sense of space and airier treble. High volume set. Very smooth and balanced at higher scaling - has a "Lush" and full sound. Mid-volume sounds...
• Mid mid focused set, I dig it.
• Nice take on new-meta tuning. A little bit more relaxed but nice.

n/a n/a

7.2

8.7

B+

$330

Moondrop Blessing 2: Dusk

• Great resolution and separation. Vocals can sound recessed/thin, and is sibilant at higher volumes. Uneven and grainy treble. Clinical, thin, and not as musical as others sets.
• Pros: Very well tuned with great bass responsse.
• Great midrange with a natural timbre. Could use better bass and treble quality/extension. Mids may be too forward for some.

Neutral 1DD+4BA

7.1

6.9

B+

$170

Pula PA02

• Just get Odyssey it's better. Dreamy/airy treble presentation with genres like indie, slow-rock, ballads, singer-songwriter. Immersive/forward vocals that scales nicely. Bass is ok, a little boomy....
• Great tuning, fantastic vocals.
• Great tone, lacks dynamic treble, but overall solid for the price and very enjoyable.
• Pros: Great across the board. Cons: Bass decay slightly too short.

Neutral 1DD+3BA

7.1

8.1

B+

$550

Dunu SA6

• Gorgeous mid range and great dynamics. Good timbre makes me forget it's a full BA set. Good bass texture, but wish it had more rumble. Wish stage and imaging was more 3D. Could use more treble air...
• Tonality reminiscent of the Anole VX, though not up to the same level of technicalities.
• Slightly "wet" characteristic that takes the edge off of the qdc-inspired tuning. Very pleasant on the ears.
• Pros: Engaging signature with great vocals.

Neutral 6BA

7.1

6.7

B+

$500

Kiwi Ears Orchestra

• Great vocals. Clean and neutral signature. A bit vanilla and "boring" but scales great with volume.
• Very well-tuned reference-y signature with a mild bass and treble emphasis for added energy.
• Well-tuned with surprisingly good treble extension. Upwards compressed dynamics contrast poorly with tuning.
• Pros: Slightly warm neurail tuning, well done.

Neutral 8BA

7.1

6.4

B+

$299

ThieAudio Hype 2

• Mini-Monarch MK3 with less bass and details. 80% there. Harmanish tuning, and best all-rounder before Studio 4.
• Just not right for me, but solid.
• Poor bass performance and sounds like surface-level detailing due to mid-treble recession despite great frequency response.
• Imagin is fantastic and stands out. Hype 2 is a pretty good place to start in the hobby

n/a 2DD+2BA

7

7.8

B+

(disc.)

HIDIZS MK12 RED NOZZLE

• HIGH VOLUME SET. Insane scaling, better than DX1 scaling wise, amazing musicality, non-fatiguing, warm, but also has powerful/extended vocals. Great for male vocals, husky, but not congested or...

n/a n/a

7

7.5

B+

$220

Simgot EA1000 non-bright unit

• Bright-leaning with the best bass texture at its price point, and one of the best under $500. Incredible resolution and clarity with stunning female vocals. Timbre is as natural as you can get given...

n/a n/a

7

8.6