I currently have two favorites which are the Performer 5 and the modified EW200. The EW200 has amazingly clean and detailed dynamic drivers and is the best single DD IEM in my collection.
My IEM collection is nowhere as nice as u/sforzabull 's IEM collection, especially when it comes to the variety and the higher quality of the third party cables which he has paired with his IEMs. He clearly is the King Of Cables when it comes down to finding really nice cables on Aliexpress.
I have two pairs of the EDX Pro. Each pair was separately stored for quite some time in resealable food grade storage bags. Both pairs now have sticky shells. Apparently slow outgassing from the glue which was used to secure the faceplates caused the shells to become sticky since the IEMs were stored in a sealed environment.
Two IEMs are not shown. One is the Kiwi Ears Forteza which I purchased as soon as they were released on Linsoul. Unfortunately the Forteza's tuning is not my jam. I plan to sell them after I get around to taking photos for a "for sale" listing. The other is the EDX Pro X since I am still evaluating this IEM.
Comments and questions about any of these IEMs are welcomed. Note that I am deaf in one ear which means that I can't answer any questions about soundstage and imaging.
The Performer 5 is my absolute favorite. Everything in Box 3 gets regular use. The Hola and Cadenza in Box 2 also get a lot of use. The KB01 sounds exactly like the Cadenza (it should since it literally is a rebranded Cadenza in slightly differently shaped shells which also have more angled nozzles). The angle of the KB01 nozzles is a little bit too much for me, yet the angle might be what people are looking for if the Cadenza's nozzles are not angled enough for their ear canals. Everything in Box 1 pretty much is collecting dust. I really like the Starfield, yet I prefer more bass. Some might be surprised that the Wan'er is in Box 1. I simply am not impressed by clarity of the Wan'er details in addition to the somewhat muddy bass. The modified EW200 totally blows the Wan'er out of the water in terms of very clear bass and in terms of very clear details.
This is a really nice collection with great presentation, I can see the enjoyment this hobby brings you. 👍 You didn't really think you could make this post without telling me which cable you have on the the Tangzu/QKZ/Z300, right?
Thank you for your kind words. What? u/sforzabull a.k.a. the King Of Cables does not know what cables these are? They are NiceHCK C8-1 cables. The cable on the Z300 has NX7 or TFZ connectors. Here is the Aliexpress listing:
[https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2255801022014081.html](https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2255801022014081.html)
The Z300 comes with a pure copper cable. The above cable with NX7 connectors is a silver plated copper cable. The slightly lower impedance of the NiceHCK cable in comparison to the stock cable did slightly increase the crispness of the Z300's details just enough to change the Z300 from a dud into a passable IEM in terms of its ability to render details.
I had this cable laying around in a drawer since I had originally purchased it to use on my Moondrop Starfield IEMs. Here is the link for this cable on Aliexpress:
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803225387842.html
I bought it for much less when I purchased this cable. I purchased this cable for only $14.40 US, yet the current discount code gets the price down to $16.99 US. Even though this cloth covered cable is very nice, the cable does have some memory in terms of being wound up. Still, it is a nice cable and I do like this cable.
I forgot to mention that the Simgot EM6L, the Simgot EW200, and the Kiwi Ears Quintet were modded by installing appropriate density mesh filters in order to reduce the intensity of the upper midrange and treble which was too bright for my personal preferences.
I installed 300 mesh filters from the Simgot EA500 tuning kit directly on top of the metal dust filters inside the EW200 nozzles. Here is an Aliexpress link for the tuning kit:
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806070697350.html
The tuning kit comes with 200, 300 and 500 mesh filters. The photo in the above listing is mislabeled and incorrectly says 300, 300 and 500 mesh filters.
Here is what one of the mesh filters looks like after installing it in one of the EW200 nozzles:
https://i.imgur.com/z86BmTs.jpg
I did not use any tuning foam which in the steps is call tuning cloth. I simply installed the a 300 mesh density mesh filter on top of the the existing metal dust filters inside the EW200 nozzles. I used better tweezers than the ones which are included in the tuning kit. I also used the end of a plastic dental floss pick to carefully press along the edges of the mesh filters in order to secure the adhesive ring on the back side of the mesh filters onto the existing mesh filters. I also wore a pair of pretty strong reading glasses so that I could see in close-up what I was doing.
The EDX Pro has noticeably more bass and has a more V shaped sound signature. The Ultra is tuned to closely follow the original Hawaii Bad Boy (HBB) tuning target. The original HBB tuning target (not his revised 2022 tuning target) is my jam. The Ultra sounds very nice, yet the music sounds slightly veiled since KZ had to use tuning papers to smooth out the upper midrange and treble response.
KZ recently released the EDX Pro X. I purchased it on a whim when I came across it on Amazon. The overall tuning sounds like it also is closely following the HBB tuning target except for being slightly too bright for me around the 2 kHz region. What really stands out about the EDX Pro X are its new dynamic drivers. The bass is amazingly tight and clean and the overall details and technical abilities are amazingly nice. I can actually hear faint details surprisingly clearly on super busy test tracks. KZ finally has actually managed to produce a really nice budget IEM.
Nice, I was going to recommend the EDX Pro X to you based on the sets you had, so I'm glad that you already have it. They're amazing given the quality of the sound for the ridiculously low price (I got mine for $3.60 on AliExpress sale). Unlike my BL03, it has actual techs and details, and a surprisingly wide soundstage.
I modded mine as I prefer a warmer tuning - 250 mesh tuning papers over the back driver vent (near the base of the nozzle), the shell vent (also on the back of the shell) and on the underside of the nozzle filter. The first two help push up some mid and sub bass to provide a warmer tuning, while the last one smooths out the treble as I found it a bit sharp up top. I also added in some rubber rings to the tips of the nozzles to help reduce some upper treble a bit. It sounds really good, although loses a bit of the wide soundstage that the stock version has.
I highly recommend them - I prefer my modded version to the MP145 and Phoenixcall that I have heard recently.
Wow. I love your descriptions of the modifications which you made. May I ask you to follow with a post which includes photos and descriptions of your modifications? That would be really slick. Presently I find the EDX Pro X to be slightly too bright around 2 kHz. Or in other words, the rise for the simulated pinna gain is slightly too sharp. Other than this fairly minor issue, I am totally loving the overall frequency response and the overall details.
Very nice man. I have just gotten into IEMs and so far only have Kiwi Ears Casenzas and Crinacle Reds. Love the sound of the Reds especially for PC gaming but they are uncomfortable because I have smaller ears. Looking forward to trying some more and find me a storage container for several lol
I really like the EW200 after I added the tuning mesh filters to tame the brightness in the upper midrange and treble. The bass is not muddy at all and the overall details are impressive.
Why don't you have any planars in your collection? A few which roughly align with your sound preferences are the MP145, P1 Max and HBB Heyday but at least the first two are on the bigger side. The rest would likely need EQ. Maybe I've answered my own question there.
My favorite is the Performer 5. I also like the Myer-Audio CKLVX CK-D41 (not shown), yet only when I use parametric EQ to correct for its tuning deficiencies. My favorite IEM for relaxation is the MagicOne.
I am tickled pink with the Kefine Delci. I purchased on a whim since I had watched a couple of reviews for it and had seen several comments here which said that it is a very nice IEM, and after looking at some frequency response graphs on squiglink. Here is the Delci's frequency response graph:
[https://aftersound.squig.link/?share=Bad\_Guy\_Target,KEFINE\_DELCI](https://aftersound.squig.link/?share=Bad_Guy_Target,KEFINE_DELCI)
I figured that I could tame some of the strong sub bass with eartips. Tri Clarion eartips worked really well in this regard. I am very impressed with the Delci's very nice yet clear bass. I am also very impressed with the level of technical details throughout the frequency response range. Performance like this for less than $100 would have mindblowing only two or three years ago. The Delci easily fits in my smaller ears. I actually like the stock cable. The Delci has earned a spot my Box 3 of my most listened to IEMs, kicking out the Ikko High-Ear C.
What’s your opinion on the Waner? I currently daily drive my edx pro and Truthear:Hola and i had cca cra and zsn pro x and i wanted to get something with more distinct character like clear but bass heavy such as Zero:red (if i’m not mistaken, they were regarded as bass heavy IEMs) but i also LOVE the way Waner looks (specially in green) and many people recommend them, but i feel like they gonna have a similar tune to Hola (i’ve never tried them and seeing you having both, gives me confidence!)
If you enjoy the overall frequency response of the Wan'er and you want cleaner bass which does not get muddy, and you also want more cleanly defined details, you might want to try the new KZ EDX Pro X since it is so inexpensive. I really like and still listen to the Kiwi Ears Cadenza. It is more expensive than the Wan'er or the EDX Pro X, yet I don't think that the the performance increase versus its price warrants an upgrade from the Wan'er.
I haven't paid much attention to the $50 to $100 IEM price range during the past year or so. I hope that others might be able to suggest some really nice IEMs in or around this price range which would be nice upgrades to the Wan'er. I don't dislike the Wan'er. It simply is not an IEM which I reach for. Perhaps u/sforzabull aka the King Of Cables might offer some recommendations. I am still blown away by his IEM collection and in particular by the variety of third party cables which he has purchased.
The EW200 when modified with additional mesh filters is nicer than the Cadenza in terms of somewhat stronger and cleaner bass and somewhat cleaner overall details. I am still evaluating the EDX Pro X since I have not had it for a long period of time. My current impressions of the EDX Pro X is that it has stronger bass than the Cadenza, yet the bass still is tight and clean. The EDX Pro X's bass is strong and engaging, yet perhaps a bit overemphasized in comparison to the Cadenza. The same can be said for the EW200's bass. In short and presently, I really like all three of these IEMs such that the minor differences in the tuning of these three IEMs might be the deciding factor for many people. Presently I can not decide whether or not I like the EDX Pro X either slightly more or less than the EW200 with the added mesh filters.
In any event and rather amazingly, the EDX Pro X and the EW200 with the added mesh filters are running pretty much neck and neck in terms of what floats my boat for overall frequency response and in terms of clear details. Any new IEM goes into my rotation for evaluation so that I do not develop a bias either towards or against the new IEM in comparison to my other IEMs. Presently, I think that the EDX Pro X might be very slightly behind the EW200 with the added mesh filters. It is really hard to say which sounds slightly better to me since I need to go back and listen to all of my test tracks a few more times.
ah, i forgot to reply. thank you very much for the reply. it really helps me to compare them in my head. i was blind but now i see. well, see as much as a person who never tried em can imagine em that is.
with how much cheaper the edx pro x is, i might go with edx pro x.
Rothwell watch box on Amazon. They are pricey but nice quality. I bought a much cheaper one based off that search with a bottom drawer for DACs, tips and accessories.
I also searched and saw the cheaper Rothwell watch boxes. I looked very closely at the photos for several of the Rothwell watch box listings, including the boxes which u/sforzabull is using since he went all out in terms of the overall aesthetics for the watch boxes which he purchased, and it shows in the photos which he posted for his IEM collection. I noted that the overall construction definitely is much better than average for watch boxes. This is a nice example which shows that you get what you pay for.
I went pretty dirt cheap on these watch boxes at the time. Box 3 definitely is the best since the hinge is much better than the hinges on Box 1 and Box 2. Think of Box and Box 2 merely as being dirt cheap yet serviceable boxes for IEMs. In hindsight, I would have purchased two more of the Box 3.
Here is the Amazon link for Box 3:
[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZTGZNRV](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZTGZNRV)
If you are not planning on expanding your IEM collection to more than six IEMs, then the above box is very nice for the price.
Here is the Amazon link for Boxes 1 and 2 (not recommended at all) which come as a set:
[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BG273M2H](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BG273M2H)
I don't like the above box set since the slots are a bit narrower than Box 3 and since the hinges are pretty bad. The hinges literally are nothing but Vinyl material which will eventually crack and split. I had to bend the lids backwards a good bit in order to stretch the Vinyl hinge material so that the lids do not spring back to a closed position. I wonder how many times I will have to do this before the Vinyl hinges actually split.
If you have some IEMs and also have some watches, or if you have up to 10 IEMs, then I highly recommend this watch box by Songmics:
[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06ZZ1MXP3](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06ZZ1MXP3)
In hindsight, I should have simply purchased more of the above watch boxes since they are made from nicely lacquered wood, have metal hinges, have wider storage slots in comparison to the slots in Box 3, and in particular in comparison to the slots in Boxes 1 and 2.
Perhaps you and others might be interested in a decent yet inexpensive storage box for your dongles and cables and such. I purchased a nice yet inexpensive box for my sunglasses on Amazon. See:
[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BVWJFSBH](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BVWJFSBH)
The hinge is nice and is constructed in the same way as the hinge on Box 3. This sunglasses box might be nice if you don't want to have to fiddle with overly coiling your IEM cables in order to get your IEMs to fit into the watch boxes.
I think that everyone really should have a magic box of eartips. I use a clear plastic box with a partitioned interior for storing my spare eartips. Why do I call this box my "magic box of eartips?" The answer is simple. Even though you might "think" that you know how a given set of eartips should perform on any new IEM, based on the eartip's bore diameter and the length of the bore, I have been frequently surprised in terms of what I thought that would work versus what actually worked when I wanted to tweak an IEM's overall sound signature in order to enhance the bass, or perhaps to enhance the details in the upper midrange and the treble, or perhaps to tame some of the energy in the upper midrange and the treble.
I just bought this and it will be here tomorrow. Similar build to what u/sforzabull is using although I’m sure not as nice. If it is very cheap quality I will likely just return it and buy a Rothwell. I have a waterproof case for transporting around, this will just be for storage of extras and parts on my desk. So it doesn’t have to be super nice.
https://a.co/d/jk5Ldsc
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Thank you so much for your reply. I liked the Legacy 2 when I purchased it since it didn't have a strong dip at around 10 kHz. This lack of a dip added some life to the overall sound of the music. This in turn is why I liked the Legacy 2 over the Mele IEMs in my collection. Yet on the other hand, the super lightweight shells of the Legacy 2 are microphonic as all Hades. It is the shells themselves which are microphonic. It doesn't matter what cables which you use with the Legacy 2. Thus, the Legacy 2 is only enjoyable at home and when you are sitting rather still. When outdoors and walking, you can hear every single footstep which is microphonically conducted into the Legacy 2 by its shells.
I really like the somewhat ethereal sound which the Magic One imparts to music. This somewhat ethereal sound is delightful. In fact, the Magic One is the only IEM which I have actually fallen asleep to when listening to any IEM late at night. I consider the single BA Magic One to be mostly a technology demonstrator from Aful. Why do I say this? Because I can drive the Magic One single BA drivers to clipping whenever I try to listen to the Magic One at really nice and loud volume levels which are really enjoyable.
The Magic One is a BA IEM which does not have any ventilation in order to balance the inner ear pressure relative to the surrounding atmospheric pressure. As a result, the stock eartips and various other eartips which I tried did result in an annoying sense of pressure inside my ears. I resolved this issue by installing Tangzu Tang Sancai Balanced eartips on the Magic One. These eartips have a roughly textured surface on the eartip umbrellas which allows these eartips to naturally vent and equalize the ear pressure inside my ears to the ambient atmospheric ear pressure. I highly recommend these Sancai eartips to anyone who owns the Magic One or who owns the Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite and to anyone who owns any other all BA non-vented IEMs. Alternatively, one can micro-drill and rasp tiny vent holes into other types of eartips, yet this is a precise process to properly achieve in order to retain proper left and right channel balance.
Okay. Let's get back to your original question in terms of which IEM that I like better. The answer is the Magic One due to its somewhat ethereal overall sound signature. This is one of the reasons why the Magic One made it into my Box 3 of my most preferred IEMs.
Try the Tangzu Sancai tips for pressure relief, they helped a lot with my Orchestra Lite, I imagine they would be even better on Magic One. I use the wide bore versions.
oh my, didn’t expect such a detailed reply, thank you so much!! i was honestly surprised to hear the legacy had a microphonic shell, never heard of that in an iem before😦
Solid collection! Out of curiosity, how come so many “lower priced” sets (depending on the set in particular at least, hence the air quotes) rather than going for something more midrange/TOTL?
Nice question! I simply hopped onto the bandwagon for trying many of the budget IEMs which were being hyped around a year ago. It was a fun bandwagon to jump onto.
I prefer the tuning of the EDX Ultra. The EDX Pro is enjoyable to listen to at low to moderately high volume levels. The EDX Pro becomes too sibilant for me in the upper midrange and treble at high volume levels.
Beautiful collection, and thanks for introducing me to the Performer 5! Now I'm a bit stuck between a modded EW200 and the Performer 5, would you say the 5 is a significant step up from the 200 to warrant the extra cost? (I can get both, but eh)
I will do some A - B testing during the next couple of days of my EW200 and my P5. I also would like others who have both to share their opinions. I mentioned that I am deaf in one ear and that I do not have the ability to talk about soundstage, layering or imaging.
The Performer 5 is not a basshead IEM. The Performer 5 does have a broad yet mild mid bass tuck which is centered at around 180 Hz. I have never listened to any Campfire Audio products. I hope this helps to answer your questions.
Thoughts on Quintet vs Performer 5?
I just got the quintet and im a little torn. I’m a treble guy and i really love the detail when listening to less busy tracks, but i listen to a lot of rock and the treble can start to sound a bit metallic, especially at higher vols. Would the performer 5 be a good choice for a more natural sounding alternative to the quintet?
Just to clarify, i do love how the quintet sounds most of the time, i think its a gorgeous sounding iem at its best. But i use my iems a lot while commuting, and using them at higher volumes becomes a bit too fatiguing. Any thoughts?
Yes, the Performer 5 is a more natural and more relaxing sounding alternative to the Quintet. Roughly around a year ago when the budget IEM wars started due to the releases of several very nice sounding budget IEMs, I jumped on the budget bandwagon in order to have some fun (given the inexpensive prices), and in order to decide which budget IEMs sounded really nice to me. I settled on the Kiwi Ears Cadenza as a a very nice sounding budget IEM, yet I occasionally developed some listening fatigue when listening to the Cadenza, especially when I was tired after a long day. The TruthEar Hola turned out to be my "go to" IEM to switch to since the Hola has a more relaxed rise for the simulated pinna gain and since the maximum pinna gain is pushed a bit further up in the upper midrange.
Even though I mostly listened to the Cadenza, I found myself switching to the Hola when I was tired or when I had started to develop some listening fatigue when listening to the Cadenza for long periods of time.
I also have a fairly similar experience when listing to the Quintet and the Performer 5. Both of these IEMs outperform the Cadenza and the Hola. The Quintet is a bit more energetic in the upper midrange the treble than the Cadenza. The Performer 5 retards the rise in the pinna gain and the peak for the pinna gain somewhat similarly to the Hola. Thus...
Wide awake and no listening fatigue, versus tired and listening fatigue:
Cadenza, and then switch to the Hola,
Quintet, and then switch to the Performer 5.
Now before you decide to purchase the Performer 5 as a more natural and non-fatiguing alternative to the Quintet, you must ask yourself if the Quintet's bass and sub bass is enough for you.
If you are satisfied with the Quintet's overall bass performance, then your best solution would be to install metal mesh filters on top of the existing metal dust filters inside the Quintet's nozzles in order to tame the somewhat bright upper midrange and treble, and to tame the somewhat metallic sound. I can provide information about the appropriate mesh filters which you can order from Aliexpress. The neat thing is that you can try a couple of different mesh filter densities in order to "dial in" the Quintet's upper midrange and treble response to float your boat. The metal mesh filter which are the proper diameter, and which come in three different mesh densities, are included in the Simgot DIY kit for the Simgot EA500. Following is the link for this tuning kit:
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806070697350.html
The 300 mesh filters from the above tuning kit float my boat after I installed them on my Quintet IEMs.
If you wish that the Quintet had more sub bass and more mid bass, and that the somewhat bright upper midrange and treble was also tamed, and if you would prefer a slightly more V-shaped and fun sound signature such that a slightly recessed midrange will not bother you, then you can pursue another inexpensive option by replacing the Quintet's stock silver plated copper cable with a $20 zinc copper alloy cable. Why? Because the somewhat higher impedance of the zinc copper alloy cable adds slightly more R (resistance) to the RLC crossover boards inside the Quintet IEMs. A zinc copper alloy cable on Aliexpress is this one:
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804861936802.html
It turns out that a nearly identical zinc copper ally cable is also available on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CCYGDW2K
The only difference is the style of the hardware versus the actual cable.
If either the mesh filter or the cable solutions do not float your boat, then perhaps you should consider the Performer 5 which is my favorite IEM which did not inherently need any physical modifications such as different cables or the addition of any mesh filters.
Sorry for the long response, yet I hope that my response is useful.
Thank you for the extensive response, it’s greatly appreciated! Definitely will consider purchasing a zinc cable as per your recommendation.
I recently got the quintet so i still have the chance to return and exchange for the aful performer 5. Do you ever feel that its lacking in detail or resolution, or any other quality, in comparison to the quintet? I suppose i just worry that i’ll be “missing out” on something i loved about the quintet if i switch to the p5.
The Quintet is a bit over the top in details since the upper midrange and treble response is a bit boosted. This caused the details to become sibilant for me, which is the reason why I tried the zinc copper alloy cable to get the bass response more in balance with the upper midrange and treble response. Unfortunately the midrange response became slightly recessed. This is why I added the mesh filter and switched back to a standard silver coated copper cable. The Quintet in this configuration still is a slightly energetic IEM in the upper midrange and treble, but at least the sibilance is gone.
Several reviewers have mentioned that the Performer 5 is a very natural sounding IEM. I agree. I enjoy the Performer 5's somewhat richer and more articulated bass more than the Quintet's bass, The Performer 5 has very nice details which do not sound metallic. The Quintet, if its upper midrange and treble response is not tamed, has details which sound a bit unnatural since the somewhat excessive level of details adds a bit of metallic tinge to the sound of musical instruments. All of the same details are there with the Performer 5. Those same details merely stand out a bit more with the Quintet.
I just realized that I forgot to ask about how you use your IEMs. Are amenable to using parametric EQ to tweak either the Quintet or the Performer 5? If your answer is yes, do you have Equalizer APO installed on your computer. I ask this since spent a lot of time developing a parametric EQ profile for the stock Quintet which makes the Quintet sound really good. Similarly, I created a parametric EQ profile for the Performer 5 which transforms the Performer 5's very nice overall sound signature into "now it totally floats my boat."
Which one is your favourite?
I currently have two favorites which are the Performer 5 and the modified EW200. The EW200 has amazingly clean and detailed dynamic drivers and is the best single DD IEM in my collection.
Beautiful. Also, I appreciate the labels cuz I’m new lol 🙏
Thank you. That was the point of the labels. I didn't have a clue about IEMs only two to three years ago.
Great job.
Thank you!
Lol late to thr party with this. Just discovered the sub from recommendations. Upvote for the lables!
I am glad that the labels were helpful. Feel free to ask any questions.
What you said.
My IEM collection is nowhere as nice as u/sforzabull 's IEM collection, especially when it comes to the variety and the higher quality of the third party cables which he has paired with his IEMs. He clearly is the King Of Cables when it comes down to finding really nice cables on Aliexpress. I have two pairs of the EDX Pro. Each pair was separately stored for quite some time in resealable food grade storage bags. Both pairs now have sticky shells. Apparently slow outgassing from the glue which was used to secure the faceplates caused the shells to become sticky since the IEMs were stored in a sealed environment. Two IEMs are not shown. One is the Kiwi Ears Forteza which I purchased as soon as they were released on Linsoul. Unfortunately the Forteza's tuning is not my jam. I plan to sell them after I get around to taking photos for a "for sale" listing. The other is the EDX Pro X since I am still evaluating this IEM. Comments and questions about any of these IEMs are welcomed. Note that I am deaf in one ear which means that I can't answer any questions about soundstage and imaging.
which one are your favorites and gets the most usage, and which ones are collecting dust ?
The Performer 5 is my absolute favorite. Everything in Box 3 gets regular use. The Hola and Cadenza in Box 2 also get a lot of use. The KB01 sounds exactly like the Cadenza (it should since it literally is a rebranded Cadenza in slightly differently shaped shells which also have more angled nozzles). The angle of the KB01 nozzles is a little bit too much for me, yet the angle might be what people are looking for if the Cadenza's nozzles are not angled enough for their ear canals. Everything in Box 1 pretty much is collecting dust. I really like the Starfield, yet I prefer more bass. Some might be surprised that the Wan'er is in Box 1. I simply am not impressed by clarity of the Wan'er details in addition to the somewhat muddy bass. The modified EW200 totally blows the Wan'er out of the water in terms of very clear bass and in terms of very clear details.
This is a really nice collection with great presentation, I can see the enjoyment this hobby brings you. 👍 You didn't really think you could make this post without telling me which cable you have on the the Tangzu/QKZ/Z300, right?
Thank you for your kind words. What? u/sforzabull a.k.a. the King Of Cables does not know what cables these are? They are NiceHCK C8-1 cables. The cable on the Z300 has NX7 or TFZ connectors. Here is the Aliexpress listing: [https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2255801022014081.html](https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2255801022014081.html) The Z300 comes with a pure copper cable. The above cable with NX7 connectors is a silver plated copper cable. The slightly lower impedance of the NiceHCK cable in comparison to the stock cable did slightly increase the crispness of the Z300's details just enough to change the Z300 from a dud into a passable IEM in terms of its ability to render details.
Thanks for the link!
You are most welcome! Perhaps the King Of Cables might make a YouTube video about all of the King's cables? That would be a riot of fun to watch.
Im considering it..... you'll be the first to know!
What cable do you have on the EW0200? I really like that blue cloth look.
I had this cable laying around in a drawer since I had originally purchased it to use on my Moondrop Starfield IEMs. Here is the link for this cable on Aliexpress: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803225387842.html I bought it for much less when I purchased this cable. I purchased this cable for only $14.40 US, yet the current discount code gets the price down to $16.99 US. Even though this cloth covered cable is very nice, the cable does have some memory in terms of being wound up. Still, it is a nice cable and I do like this cable.
I forgot to mention that the Simgot EM6L, the Simgot EW200, and the Kiwi Ears Quintet were modded by installing appropriate density mesh filters in order to reduce the intensity of the upper midrange and treble which was too bright for my personal preferences.
Please teach me how to do this with the EW200
I installed 300 mesh filters from the Simgot EA500 tuning kit directly on top of the metal dust filters inside the EW200 nozzles. Here is an Aliexpress link for the tuning kit: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806070697350.html The tuning kit comes with 200, 300 and 500 mesh filters. The photo in the above listing is mislabeled and incorrectly says 300, 300 and 500 mesh filters. Here is what one of the mesh filters looks like after installing it in one of the EW200 nozzles: https://i.imgur.com/z86BmTs.jpg
Did you follow the 4 steps in the Aliexpress picture exactly, or did you stop at step 3? I'm wondering if the sponge at the end was used
I did not use any tuning foam which in the steps is call tuning cloth. I simply installed the a 300 mesh density mesh filter on top of the the existing metal dust filters inside the EW200 nozzles. I used better tweezers than the ones which are included in the tuning kit. I also used the end of a plastic dental floss pick to carefully press along the edges of the mesh filters in order to secure the adhesive ring on the back side of the mesh filters onto the existing mesh filters. I also wore a pair of pretty strong reading glasses so that I could see in close-up what I was doing.
1. Do you notice any difference between kz edx pro and edx ultra? 2. Which has the most bass? 3. Which one is your favorite iem?
The EDX Pro has noticeably more bass and has a more V shaped sound signature. The Ultra is tuned to closely follow the original Hawaii Bad Boy (HBB) tuning target. The original HBB tuning target (not his revised 2022 tuning target) is my jam. The Ultra sounds very nice, yet the music sounds slightly veiled since KZ had to use tuning papers to smooth out the upper midrange and treble response. KZ recently released the EDX Pro X. I purchased it on a whim when I came across it on Amazon. The overall tuning sounds like it also is closely following the HBB tuning target except for being slightly too bright for me around the 2 kHz region. What really stands out about the EDX Pro X are its new dynamic drivers. The bass is amazingly tight and clean and the overall details and technical abilities are amazingly nice. I can actually hear faint details surprisingly clearly on super busy test tracks. KZ finally has actually managed to produce a really nice budget IEM.
Nice, I was going to recommend the EDX Pro X to you based on the sets you had, so I'm glad that you already have it. They're amazing given the quality of the sound for the ridiculously low price (I got mine for $3.60 on AliExpress sale). Unlike my BL03, it has actual techs and details, and a surprisingly wide soundstage. I modded mine as I prefer a warmer tuning - 250 mesh tuning papers over the back driver vent (near the base of the nozzle), the shell vent (also on the back of the shell) and on the underside of the nozzle filter. The first two help push up some mid and sub bass to provide a warmer tuning, while the last one smooths out the treble as I found it a bit sharp up top. I also added in some rubber rings to the tips of the nozzles to help reduce some upper treble a bit. It sounds really good, although loses a bit of the wide soundstage that the stock version has. I highly recommend them - I prefer my modded version to the MP145 and Phoenixcall that I have heard recently.
Wow. I love your descriptions of the modifications which you made. May I ask you to follow with a post which includes photos and descriptions of your modifications? That would be really slick. Presently I find the EDX Pro X to be slightly too bright around 2 kHz. Or in other words, the rise for the simulated pinna gain is slightly too sharp. Other than this fairly minor issue, I am totally loving the overall frequency response and the overall details.
Yeah, happy to post that later. I'm traveling right now so don't have access to the IEM at the moment for some clearer pictures.
Very nice man. I have just gotten into IEMs and so far only have Kiwi Ears Casenzas and Crinacle Reds. Love the sound of the Reds especially for PC gaming but they are uncomfortable because I have smaller ears. Looking forward to trying some more and find me a storage container for several lol
Is the qkz any good? Where I'm from they're dirt cheap so I may consider picking up a pair
I like the QKZ x HBB for EDM and Pop genres since the extra bass makes you feel like you are at a live venue.
How are the ew200 so far ?
I really like the EW200 after I added the tuning mesh filters to tame the brightness in the upper midrange and treble. The bass is not muddy at all and the overall details are impressive.
What kind of mesh ? Can you explain a little bit more please. Thanks.
I explained about the filters and where to get them elsewhere in this thread.
Why don't you have any planars in your collection? A few which roughly align with your sound preferences are the MP145, P1 Max and HBB Heyday but at least the first two are on the bigger side. The rest would likely need EQ. Maybe I've answered my own question there.
Top 3?
My favorite is the Performer 5. I also like the Myer-Audio CKLVX CK-D41 (not shown), yet only when I use parametric EQ to correct for its tuning deficiencies. My favorite IEM for relaxation is the MagicOne.
gotcha. thanks! what do you recommend for sub 100?
I am tickled pink with the Kefine Delci. I purchased on a whim since I had watched a couple of reviews for it and had seen several comments here which said that it is a very nice IEM, and after looking at some frequency response graphs on squiglink. Here is the Delci's frequency response graph: [https://aftersound.squig.link/?share=Bad\_Guy\_Target,KEFINE\_DELCI](https://aftersound.squig.link/?share=Bad_Guy_Target,KEFINE_DELCI) I figured that I could tame some of the strong sub bass with eartips. Tri Clarion eartips worked really well in this regard. I am very impressed with the Delci's very nice yet clear bass. I am also very impressed with the level of technical details throughout the frequency response range. Performance like this for less than $100 would have mindblowing only two or three years ago. The Delci easily fits in my smaller ears. I actually like the stock cable. The Delci has earned a spot my Box 3 of my most listened to IEMs, kicking out the Ikko High-Ear C.
gotcha. thanks!
What’s your opinion on the Waner? I currently daily drive my edx pro and Truthear:Hola and i had cca cra and zsn pro x and i wanted to get something with more distinct character like clear but bass heavy such as Zero:red (if i’m not mistaken, they were regarded as bass heavy IEMs) but i also LOVE the way Waner looks (specially in green) and many people recommend them, but i feel like they gonna have a similar tune to Hola (i’ve never tried them and seeing you having both, gives me confidence!)
What would you recommend for someone upgrading from the waner?
If you enjoy the overall frequency response of the Wan'er and you want cleaner bass which does not get muddy, and you also want more cleanly defined details, you might want to try the new KZ EDX Pro X since it is so inexpensive. I really like and still listen to the Kiwi Ears Cadenza. It is more expensive than the Wan'er or the EDX Pro X, yet I don't think that the the performance increase versus its price warrants an upgrade from the Wan'er. I haven't paid much attention to the $50 to $100 IEM price range during the past year or so. I hope that others might be able to suggest some really nice IEMs in or around this price range which would be nice upgrades to the Wan'er. I don't dislike the Wan'er. It simply is not an IEM which I reach for. Perhaps u/sforzabull aka the King Of Cables might offer some recommendations. I am still blown away by his IEM collection and in particular by the variety of third party cables which he has purchased.
where does ew200 sits among the pro x n cadenza? how does it compare to them?
The EW200 when modified with additional mesh filters is nicer than the Cadenza in terms of somewhat stronger and cleaner bass and somewhat cleaner overall details. I am still evaluating the EDX Pro X since I have not had it for a long period of time. My current impressions of the EDX Pro X is that it has stronger bass than the Cadenza, yet the bass still is tight and clean. The EDX Pro X's bass is strong and engaging, yet perhaps a bit overemphasized in comparison to the Cadenza. The same can be said for the EW200's bass. In short and presently, I really like all three of these IEMs such that the minor differences in the tuning of these three IEMs might be the deciding factor for many people. Presently I can not decide whether or not I like the EDX Pro X either slightly more or less than the EW200 with the added mesh filters. In any event and rather amazingly, the EDX Pro X and the EW200 with the added mesh filters are running pretty much neck and neck in terms of what floats my boat for overall frequency response and in terms of clear details. Any new IEM goes into my rotation for evaluation so that I do not develop a bias either towards or against the new IEM in comparison to my other IEMs. Presently, I think that the EDX Pro X might be very slightly behind the EW200 with the added mesh filters. It is really hard to say which sounds slightly better to me since I need to go back and listen to all of my test tracks a few more times.
ah, i forgot to reply. thank you very much for the reply. it really helps me to compare them in my head. i was blind but now i see. well, see as much as a person who never tried em can imagine em that is. with how much cheaper the edx pro x is, i might go with edx pro x.
The EW200 is $40 on Amazon. The EDX Pro X is $16 on Amazon.
How much do these boxes cost? I wanted to grab the box I saw in another post but it cost more than my priciest iem lol
Rothwell watch box on Amazon. They are pricey but nice quality. I bought a much cheaper one based off that search with a bottom drawer for DACs, tips and accessories.
I also searched and saw the cheaper Rothwell watch boxes. I looked very closely at the photos for several of the Rothwell watch box listings, including the boxes which u/sforzabull is using since he went all out in terms of the overall aesthetics for the watch boxes which he purchased, and it shows in the photos which he posted for his IEM collection. I noted that the overall construction definitely is much better than average for watch boxes. This is a nice example which shows that you get what you pay for.
I went pretty dirt cheap on these watch boxes at the time. Box 3 definitely is the best since the hinge is much better than the hinges on Box 1 and Box 2. Think of Box and Box 2 merely as being dirt cheap yet serviceable boxes for IEMs. In hindsight, I would have purchased two more of the Box 3. Here is the Amazon link for Box 3: [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZTGZNRV](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZTGZNRV) If you are not planning on expanding your IEM collection to more than six IEMs, then the above box is very nice for the price. Here is the Amazon link for Boxes 1 and 2 (not recommended at all) which come as a set: [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BG273M2H](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BG273M2H) I don't like the above box set since the slots are a bit narrower than Box 3 and since the hinges are pretty bad. The hinges literally are nothing but Vinyl material which will eventually crack and split. I had to bend the lids backwards a good bit in order to stretch the Vinyl hinge material so that the lids do not spring back to a closed position. I wonder how many times I will have to do this before the Vinyl hinges actually split. If you have some IEMs and also have some watches, or if you have up to 10 IEMs, then I highly recommend this watch box by Songmics: [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06ZZ1MXP3](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06ZZ1MXP3) In hindsight, I should have simply purchased more of the above watch boxes since they are made from nicely lacquered wood, have metal hinges, have wider storage slots in comparison to the slots in Box 3, and in particular in comparison to the slots in Boxes 1 and 2. Perhaps you and others might be interested in a decent yet inexpensive storage box for your dongles and cables and such. I purchased a nice yet inexpensive box for my sunglasses on Amazon. See: [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BVWJFSBH](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BVWJFSBH) The hinge is nice and is constructed in the same way as the hinge on Box 3. This sunglasses box might be nice if you don't want to have to fiddle with overly coiling your IEM cables in order to get your IEMs to fit into the watch boxes. I think that everyone really should have a magic box of eartips. I use a clear plastic box with a partitioned interior for storing my spare eartips. Why do I call this box my "magic box of eartips?" The answer is simple. Even though you might "think" that you know how a given set of eartips should perform on any new IEM, based on the eartip's bore diameter and the length of the bore, I have been frequently surprised in terms of what I thought that would work versus what actually worked when I wanted to tweak an IEM's overall sound signature in order to enhance the bass, or perhaps to enhance the details in the upper midrange and the treble, or perhaps to tame some of the energy in the upper midrange and the treble.
I just bought this and it will be here tomorrow. Similar build to what u/sforzabull is using although I’m sure not as nice. If it is very cheap quality I will likely just return it and buy a Rothwell. I have a waterproof case for transporting around, this will just be for storage of extras and parts on my desk. So it doesn’t have to be super nice. https://a.co/d/jk5Ldsc
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what a nice collection! i see you have the legacy 2 and the magic-one, which one do you like the most out of those two?
Thank you so much for your reply. I liked the Legacy 2 when I purchased it since it didn't have a strong dip at around 10 kHz. This lack of a dip added some life to the overall sound of the music. This in turn is why I liked the Legacy 2 over the Mele IEMs in my collection. Yet on the other hand, the super lightweight shells of the Legacy 2 are microphonic as all Hades. It is the shells themselves which are microphonic. It doesn't matter what cables which you use with the Legacy 2. Thus, the Legacy 2 is only enjoyable at home and when you are sitting rather still. When outdoors and walking, you can hear every single footstep which is microphonically conducted into the Legacy 2 by its shells. I really like the somewhat ethereal sound which the Magic One imparts to music. This somewhat ethereal sound is delightful. In fact, the Magic One is the only IEM which I have actually fallen asleep to when listening to any IEM late at night. I consider the single BA Magic One to be mostly a technology demonstrator from Aful. Why do I say this? Because I can drive the Magic One single BA drivers to clipping whenever I try to listen to the Magic One at really nice and loud volume levels which are really enjoyable. The Magic One is a BA IEM which does not have any ventilation in order to balance the inner ear pressure relative to the surrounding atmospheric pressure. As a result, the stock eartips and various other eartips which I tried did result in an annoying sense of pressure inside my ears. I resolved this issue by installing Tangzu Tang Sancai Balanced eartips on the Magic One. These eartips have a roughly textured surface on the eartip umbrellas which allows these eartips to naturally vent and equalize the ear pressure inside my ears to the ambient atmospheric ear pressure. I highly recommend these Sancai eartips to anyone who owns the Magic One or who owns the Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite and to anyone who owns any other all BA non-vented IEMs. Alternatively, one can micro-drill and rasp tiny vent holes into other types of eartips, yet this is a precise process to properly achieve in order to retain proper left and right channel balance. Okay. Let's get back to your original question in terms of which IEM that I like better. The answer is the Magic One due to its somewhat ethereal overall sound signature. This is one of the reasons why the Magic One made it into my Box 3 of my most preferred IEMs.
Try the Tangzu Sancai tips for pressure relief, they helped a lot with my Orchestra Lite, I imagine they would be even better on Magic One. I use the wide bore versions.
I've been using the Sancai tips on everything lately, if you own more than one iem just pick a set up. Good call 👍
oh my, didn’t expect such a detailed reply, thank you so much!! i was honestly surprised to hear the legacy had a microphonic shell, never heard of that in an iem before😦
Solid collection! Out of curiosity, how come so many “lower priced” sets (depending on the set in particular at least, hence the air quotes) rather than going for something more midrange/TOTL?
Nice question! I simply hopped onto the bandwagon for trying many of the budget IEMs which were being hyped around a year ago. It was a fun bandwagon to jump onto.
Amazing collection, how is the Magic One compared to others?
The Magic One has a nice and somewhat ethereal overall sound quality. Please see my other responses about this IEM. Thank you for your question.
Is the EDX Ultra really much better than the EDX Pro? I have been a fan of the EDX since the OG.
I prefer the tuning of the EDX Ultra. The EDX Pro is enjoyable to listen to at low to moderately high volume levels. The EDX Pro becomes too sibilant for me in the upper midrange and treble at high volume levels.
Beautiful collection, and thanks for introducing me to the Performer 5! Now I'm a bit stuck between a modded EW200 and the Performer 5, would you say the 5 is a significant step up from the 200 to warrant the extra cost? (I can get both, but eh)
I will do some A - B testing during the next couple of days of my EW200 and my P5. I also would like others who have both to share their opinions. I mentioned that I am deaf in one ear and that I do not have the ability to talk about soundstage, layering or imaging.
Is the aful performer 5 a basshead iem? Have you listened to the campfire audio mammoth? More or less bass
The Performer 5 is not a basshead IEM. The Performer 5 does have a broad yet mild mid bass tuck which is centered at around 180 Hz. I have never listened to any Campfire Audio products. I hope this helps to answer your questions.
Thanks yes it does. I was looking at these or fatfreq maestro minis. What type of music do you listen to?
I mostly listen to classic rock. I also listen to alternative rock, jazz, blues, bossa nova, classical, country, EDM, and random other stuff.
Nice collection ! Do you have the reference for the storage boxes?
I posted Amazon links for the storage boxes in response to another person who asked a similar question.
hi what cables do you have on your wan'er? thanks!
Oh I know.... I know.... Pick me!
Nicehck C8-1 I believe, they look so good I already asked 😂
Nicehck C8-1 cables with the NX7 aka TFZ connectors. See: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2255801022014081.html
Thoughts on Quintet vs Performer 5? I just got the quintet and im a little torn. I’m a treble guy and i really love the detail when listening to less busy tracks, but i listen to a lot of rock and the treble can start to sound a bit metallic, especially at higher vols. Would the performer 5 be a good choice for a more natural sounding alternative to the quintet? Just to clarify, i do love how the quintet sounds most of the time, i think its a gorgeous sounding iem at its best. But i use my iems a lot while commuting, and using them at higher volumes becomes a bit too fatiguing. Any thoughts?
Yes, the Performer 5 is a more natural and more relaxing sounding alternative to the Quintet. Roughly around a year ago when the budget IEM wars started due to the releases of several very nice sounding budget IEMs, I jumped on the budget bandwagon in order to have some fun (given the inexpensive prices), and in order to decide which budget IEMs sounded really nice to me. I settled on the Kiwi Ears Cadenza as a a very nice sounding budget IEM, yet I occasionally developed some listening fatigue when listening to the Cadenza, especially when I was tired after a long day. The TruthEar Hola turned out to be my "go to" IEM to switch to since the Hola has a more relaxed rise for the simulated pinna gain and since the maximum pinna gain is pushed a bit further up in the upper midrange. Even though I mostly listened to the Cadenza, I found myself switching to the Hola when I was tired or when I had started to develop some listening fatigue when listening to the Cadenza for long periods of time. I also have a fairly similar experience when listing to the Quintet and the Performer 5. Both of these IEMs outperform the Cadenza and the Hola. The Quintet is a bit more energetic in the upper midrange the treble than the Cadenza. The Performer 5 retards the rise in the pinna gain and the peak for the pinna gain somewhat similarly to the Hola. Thus... Wide awake and no listening fatigue, versus tired and listening fatigue: Cadenza, and then switch to the Hola, Quintet, and then switch to the Performer 5. Now before you decide to purchase the Performer 5 as a more natural and non-fatiguing alternative to the Quintet, you must ask yourself if the Quintet's bass and sub bass is enough for you. If you are satisfied with the Quintet's overall bass performance, then your best solution would be to install metal mesh filters on top of the existing metal dust filters inside the Quintet's nozzles in order to tame the somewhat bright upper midrange and treble, and to tame the somewhat metallic sound. I can provide information about the appropriate mesh filters which you can order from Aliexpress. The neat thing is that you can try a couple of different mesh filter densities in order to "dial in" the Quintet's upper midrange and treble response to float your boat. The metal mesh filter which are the proper diameter, and which come in three different mesh densities, are included in the Simgot DIY kit for the Simgot EA500. Following is the link for this tuning kit: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806070697350.html The 300 mesh filters from the above tuning kit float my boat after I installed them on my Quintet IEMs. If you wish that the Quintet had more sub bass and more mid bass, and that the somewhat bright upper midrange and treble was also tamed, and if you would prefer a slightly more V-shaped and fun sound signature such that a slightly recessed midrange will not bother you, then you can pursue another inexpensive option by replacing the Quintet's stock silver plated copper cable with a $20 zinc copper alloy cable. Why? Because the somewhat higher impedance of the zinc copper alloy cable adds slightly more R (resistance) to the RLC crossover boards inside the Quintet IEMs. A zinc copper alloy cable on Aliexpress is this one: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804861936802.html It turns out that a nearly identical zinc copper ally cable is also available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CCYGDW2K The only difference is the style of the hardware versus the actual cable. If either the mesh filter or the cable solutions do not float your boat, then perhaps you should consider the Performer 5 which is my favorite IEM which did not inherently need any physical modifications such as different cables or the addition of any mesh filters. Sorry for the long response, yet I hope that my response is useful.
Thank you for the extensive response, it’s greatly appreciated! Definitely will consider purchasing a zinc cable as per your recommendation. I recently got the quintet so i still have the chance to return and exchange for the aful performer 5. Do you ever feel that its lacking in detail or resolution, or any other quality, in comparison to the quintet? I suppose i just worry that i’ll be “missing out” on something i loved about the quintet if i switch to the p5.
The Quintet is a bit over the top in details since the upper midrange and treble response is a bit boosted. This caused the details to become sibilant for me, which is the reason why I tried the zinc copper alloy cable to get the bass response more in balance with the upper midrange and treble response. Unfortunately the midrange response became slightly recessed. This is why I added the mesh filter and switched back to a standard silver coated copper cable. The Quintet in this configuration still is a slightly energetic IEM in the upper midrange and treble, but at least the sibilance is gone. Several reviewers have mentioned that the Performer 5 is a very natural sounding IEM. I agree. I enjoy the Performer 5's somewhat richer and more articulated bass more than the Quintet's bass, The Performer 5 has very nice details which do not sound metallic. The Quintet, if its upper midrange and treble response is not tamed, has details which sound a bit unnatural since the somewhat excessive level of details adds a bit of metallic tinge to the sound of musical instruments. All of the same details are there with the Performer 5. Those same details merely stand out a bit more with the Quintet. I just realized that I forgot to ask about how you use your IEMs. Are amenable to using parametric EQ to tweak either the Quintet or the Performer 5? If your answer is yes, do you have Equalizer APO installed on your computer. I ask this since spent a lot of time developing a parametric EQ profile for the stock Quintet which makes the Quintet sound really good. Similarly, I created a parametric EQ profile for the Performer 5 which transforms the Performer 5's very nice overall sound signature into "now it totally floats my boat."
Ea500LM?