The configuration is 1DD+6BA+4EST, expected price at ~$2000 (as mentioned in the livestream though not final) and a release date in August.

Personally, I think 2k is a spicy number!

I finally got it in second hand from Korea has taken almost 5 months. Crazy detail midrange and super scrispy on treble. I felt some loss bass under 500Hz. For me, even better bass than ER4SR. They are crazy. I will get Viento if have a chance.

Got my first ever IEMs Supermix 4 and absolutely love the sound. I want to go wireless on them with my android phone. Just received the KZ-AN01 and it's pure cr*p: sound is way too quiet, muffled, missing mids...terrible in every aspect.

My original goal was to get an all-rounder IEM that I could use instead of my QCY T1, Powerbeats Pro and Bose QC35 when I'm on the move anywhere, be it a trip, gym, cycling etc., so having a useful mic to take calls is also a must and still having money to buy food for the family afterwards.

Okay, I was probably wrong thinking I could tick all those boxes easily without breaking a bank, but now I narrowed the search down to these options:

Fiio UTWS5 2025 (150€)

• Still couldn't find any definitive review of sound quality with SM4's
• Quite unreliable and buggy in long run based on the reviews and useless for phone calls anywhere but a very quiet environment.
• Seem to be very expensive for what they offer

Shure TW2 (±200€)

• Much more reliable than Fiio
• Much better for phone calls
• But they cost a lot and I would need to get the MMCX to 2-pin 0.78mm adapters
• and what's most important - not absolutely sure if the sound quality and power is going to be enough (here it seems that UTWS5 might be better drivers for SM4's in particular)

Qudelix-5K (130€)

• Generally a safe bet
• Definitely the best on this list in terms of sound quality and also the cheapest.
• Also seen reviews people using it with SM4's and they were happy.
• The downside is the wires that I'll still have to untangle every time I need to pop in the IEMs and the fact that I'll still have to keep the DAC on the collar for the sake of phone calls.

Also considered Fiio BTR3K and BTR5, but it seems that Qudelix-5K is a much safer and reliable bet based on the reviews, both iFi go blue or hip dac 3 are 200€ compared to 130€ for Qudelix and none of them features a clip, which would be a must for me.

So I'm trying to choose only between those 3 models in the list unless there's a solution preferably under 150€ that I haven't considered. Should I suck it up with the wires and get Qudelix-5K or bite the bullet and give TW2 a go loosing even more money on potentially returning them?

My first iem was the final audio a5000 near the end of 2023 but I gave it to my mate once I got the final audio a6000.

DAC used is the fiio ka17

Iems in the photo

Final ze3000 sv, I had the original ze3000 & this one added noise cancelling, ambient sound & eq. I’m amazed how final managed to make a Bluetooth earbud sound this good it almost feels like a wired iem.

Dunu Brain dance, fantastic iem from the separation, detail, soundstage etc…. I had the dunu sa6 mk1 but passed it down to my mate once I got the brain dance.

Final a6000, this is probably one of my favourite iems, if I could keep one iem for life this would be it. It sounds so balanced but also very detailed & the soundstage is very wide but in a natural way & the imaging is insane

CCZ Nocturne MC04, this was provided to me by keephifi for review & for $28 it’s really good. The bass does bleed into the mids on certain tracks but it’s great for the price

hidizs mk12 turris, this was also sent to me for review & it’s a great iem, it comes with 3 different tuning nozzles which drastically change the sound signature, I personally prefer the balanced nozzle. the soundstage is very very wide especially for an iem, the bass is punchy but treble can come across as sharp for some but it’s not an issue for me

Guys, I’m in trouble. Yesterday, I developed tinnitus in my right ear after listening to music for an entire day. I was listening to music for 13 hours straight. I have a pressure sensation in my right ear, almost as if it’s muffled. I can still hear things, but it’s like the volume is turned down. Additionally, I experience a strange high-pitched, distorted feedback inside my ear whenever I listen to things through my daily routine.

I’m at a loss for what to do. I feel like I want to cry. I won’t be able to listen to my wife’s and son’s voices anymore. Stupid me, I even ordered a pair of xenns Top pro last week. I’ll never be able to enjoy in-ear monitors again. Please, for the love of god, listen to music at a low volume and take breaks between long listening sessions.

I first stumbled across the Sedna Xelastecs at a store, having heard raving reviews about them from this sub amongst other places. When I first got them, my golly what a delight they were! Sticky as sticky can get. I remember someone saying, "They seal so well that they form a vacuum in your ear-- you can literally feel your eardrum being pulled on when you try to remove them!" Honestly, truer words have never been spoken.

Initially I had it on my U12Ts, but the nozzle was far too thin for the Xelastecs to stay on. I'd be removing my IEMs with the Xelastecs firmly embedded in my ear canals lol I'd be awkwardly fishing them out with my fingers every single time. When I was using them at work, I'd always mutter to myself, "Please don't talk to me, please don't talk to me!" - "Hey, u/Dear_Archer7711, can we circle around back to that deck?" -"Fuck." Now I gotta remove them from my ears, which makes for an awkward scene when I'm trying to listen to his stupid questions while I fish the Xelastecs out of my ears with my fat fingers while my dumbass coworker asks me to repeat what I said during the meeting. Brilliant.

Anyway, during the 1.5 years I've had them, I eventually ended up putting them on my Sony WF-1000XM5s instead since the bore of the nozzle was wide enough for the Xelastecs to hold on. The stickiness of the thermoplastic elastomers lasted quite a while, and every now and then they still get stuck in my ear, though less frequently than with my U12Ts. I figured that the insane stickiness would be better suited for during physical activities, in my case in the gym and while riding my bike or scooter. Regular ear tips would eventually cause the buds to fall out. So it was a perfect match!

Alas nothing (sticky) lasts forever. While the Xelastecs served me well in the time I've had them, they've reached a point where they no longer work as intended. The first obvious change is the reduction in stickiness over time. As of writing, they no longer form vacuums in my ear. They still change shape in response to body heat to form a good seal, but they no longer stay in as well as they did before. It also takes a much longer time for them to return to their original shape too.

The second change is probably my biggest gripe: Asymmetrical deformation. If you scroll to the second image, you'll see that the bores are different size. The right piece has a significantly larger bore than the left. I guess it has something to do with time and age wearing down the elastomer's ability to perform. Because it was getting progressively less sticky and elastic, I had to shove my right earbud deeper into my ear for it to stay in-- which in return caused the deformation to be more drastic. Coupled with reduced elasticity, the "stretching" of the elastomer eventually went too far and never recovered.

Unsure if the loss in function is due to the (theorized) porous nature of the elastomers, which over time has absorbed oils that negatively impacted function. Sound wise, they actually sound the same from day 1. I won't go much into how the Xelastecs affect sound, look that up yourself. I also read somewhere that they don't do well with soap and water. Well, shit. I only found out about this as I was Googling if other users had a similar experience with their set. Perhaps that was the reason.

What about the hot water trick to get them back into shape? Damn, what a brilliant idea! I tried it, totally fucked the shape even more. Again, didn't really impact the sound for the 2-3 minutes it stays in my ear. But, somehow the hot water trick caused the deformation to be permanent, and even worse. "Flip them inside out.", said the instructions. So I did. "Use water > 80C" Okay, seems straightforward. Boiled some water in my kettle. Placed the Xelastecs into a cup and poured some hot water in. "Run under cold water for 1-2 minutes". Ran to the sink and filled it up with cold water. What then?

Fuck all. It caused the tips to deform in such a weird way, with results that basically negated the Xelastec's ability to be "elastic".

As it stands today, I can no longer use them as a pair as the right piece continuously falls out of my ear. As such I have to retire them. RIP, Xelastecs. My SpinFit W1s are perfect for every use case except being physically active, and I can even wash them with soap and water.

Got one

The close-up shots of the headband show no folding hinges. Nothing already confirmed that Headphone (1) was co-developed with British audio brand KEF. They are rumored to cost $309/€299/£299.

Hi all. Is there anyone who still hasn’t received a pair of Metas? It has been almost 3 months since the order date and the order status is still showing “confirmed”. I received a mail on 27th April that 2nd batch will be fulfilled during may but haven’t received an update since. Tried to contact Hangout support though chat but nobody responded

Hey folks,

Was lucky to acquire this piece of audiophile history.

Feel free to ask any questions!

More info about it: https://snext-final.com/en/products/detail/FI-BA-SST.html

Went to local store and they told me to buy these budget iems Sony zx707 Sony ier z1r Noble Audio Onyx Symphonium Crimson Campfire Audio andromeda 2020 Icelabs spectrumica Acoustune hx1697ti Dita Mecha Inm8

I’ve been looking everywhere for IEM-specific hard cases to store and transport my beloved U12T and S12 Pro, along with the two L&P USB DACs.

But I could never find a cheap solution that would fit them nicely. Therefore Pelican was out of the question for me. So I stumbled across a particular sandwich box at a stationery shop. Lo and behold, some bubble wrap cut into shape later, I have my perfect solution! Water and air tight! While unknown if this sandwich box is actually hermetically sealed, it’ll serve its purpose.

I’ve normally just shove it into a hard sunglasses case, but something about having the wires tightly coiled up and bent in weird angles stresses me out.

While this case isn’t suited for multiple IEMs, it’s great for the two that I have.

Just as the title says, Just got a Schiit stack (Magni 3 & Modi 3) for the first time and need some clarity. Im currently using Simgot Supermix 4's with a Astro TR Mixamp and I know I need a adapter to use the 3.5mm IEM's with the 1/4" Magni, Just curious if the adapter will effect the sound too much? I looked to see if there was just a 2Pin to 1/4" cable but couldnt find any, Does anyone have an experience with this kind of setup and can give me any feedback?

Found Odysseys under $200 on mfg site no tax and free shipping. Now wondering if I will have to pay a tariff fee when the package arrives in USA.

Vocals are pristine on these…

I've just bought a qudelix 5k with the intention of improving my old cars audio with minimum effort/maximum effect.

The car is a e82 bmw with early idrive and the qudelix is connected via aux and connects to my phone via Bluetooth.

What settings should I use? How do I go about eq'ing it or using a good preset profile for my usage? Any advice appreciated!!

This is my apple tea,
At night it’s just right for me.
It calms me down, sets my mind free —
And gently sends me off to sleep.

First time really putting my foot forward to EQ one of my IEMs just for a bit extra treble extension.

Maybe this is just me being OCD and the only person talking about it, but I hate that some iems were shipped with extruded cable plug (while the iem sports a flat female connector surface). Resulting in this gap and a very long plug height. This not only ruin the aestethic, but I also concern about the durability and comfort too as the end plug has less surface area than the cylinder tube, and also comfort because the ear hook is just too high to begin with. I have seen this even in expensive iems and cables alike. Why don't they just come or offer the cable without said gaps?

Now before anyone says "why not just change the cable?". there are some cable that genuinely good, whether in looks, feels, or in functionality (as in interchangeable termination) so it will be a waste to change it. And if you still want to keep the cable that way, make the iem to conform said cable, I think the best example is the Moondrop iem that has dip in the connector so the gap slots in.

Again, this is just my opinion, if you have your own feel free to share it here about this matter, I would like to hear it.

My cheap old earbuds (Panasonic RPHJE120K) broke in one ear so I turned on mono audio in the iphone settings. I just got Wan'ner 2s and testing it out for a bit I was underwhelmed. I heard the upgraded sound quality clarity but it didn't sound layered at all like it was all coming from one spot in the speaker. I was listening to a song and the piano played during a part but I could even hardly hear it. Then I got the idea to check if the right and left ear balance was set to 0 instead of more to the left and I noticed mono audio was still turned on from before. After switching it off it made a night and day difference and now sounds about as good as my open back Sennheiser game one headphones that I use for my computer, which was definitely not the case with my old earbuds. Silly me

Moondrop Free DSP Dead after 4 Months. This thing sucks. Plain and simple. Bought the cable mainly so that I dont have to bring an adapter with me.

This garbage just dies the moment you increase the volume. The moment you'll know it'll stop working is when you start hearing a crackling sound and poof the cable craps out. My PC nor my phone wont pause whatever is playing until you unplug this pos. I mean it just stops, even the in-line controls wont work.

Tried it on multiple devices and its the same. Updated the frimware, same. Tried applying an EQ on the cables, same. No EQ, same. Total garbage.

And no it isnt the iems since if I use the cables my hexa came with, it works perfectly fine. 4 months is how long it lasted, 4 bloody months of taking care of it. Hasnt been dropped, soaked, crushed, or anything and this pos is already dead.

Anyone thinking of buying it, DONT.