Which IEMs to buy from this list?

[Djuntas]

So trying to narrow down what Id buy for some new wired in ear headphones. This list is also based on what I can buy locally in my country.

 

SoundMAGIC E11C

Kzacoustics ZS10 Pro or the newer X

Sony MDR-XB55AP

SENNHEISER CX 80S

 

So 2 mainstream brands, and 2 chineese brands I belive. I hear mostly good things about the Zs10 pro, they also cost a bit more. Things I value: The most tangle free cable, good clear vocals (podcast/youtube) and build quality. Budget around 50 euro/dollars.

[Berinejo]

I've had some KZ's and the cables on them suck, but it seems to be a standardized connector so its fine and the build quality is fine

as for the audio Crinacle has a great list and measurement data base if you care about that. The Sonys and the Senn's I'm probably to poor to know them, and I've never heard of SoundMAGIC, look at reviews online if you want some more in depth stuff than my opinons

and to answer your question: just start with the KZ's, they are less than 50 USD so it (probably) won't kill your bank account

[Psittac]

I have very limited experience with IEM's and I relied on the recommendations of @191x7 where he listed several entry level IEM's and I went to Linsoul and purchased all of them.  What I learned was that for my use, something that didn't protrude past my ears was more important than sound quality.  I also learned that all of them sound pretty darn good and it's more hair splitting than anything to discern one from another.  I never took the time to properly give any of them listening time, rather spent a few minutes on each while I opened them to get a knee jerk reaction.

 

As it turns out the amount of time during each day that I can spend with an IEM that isn't better suited to a full sized headphone or speakers is very limited, and almost non existent when requiring a quiet listening environment.  But I do love how they basically put the sound in your head, to where the sound stage and imaging is inside your skull and your head is the microphone.

 

Also if you lose them.... no harm no foul, funny thing is the one's that were 2-4x the cost of any one pair, which I got from drop were the first and only ones I lost one to.  Still hopeful it'll show up because I know I lost it inside my house, probably in a couch cushion.

[191x7]

1 hour ago, Psittac said:

I have very limited experience with IEM's and I relied on the recommendations of @191x7 where he listed several entry level IEM's and I went to Linsoul and purchased all of them.  What I learned was that for my use, something that didn't protrude past my ears was more important than sound quality.  I also learned that all of them sound pretty darn good and it's more hair splitting than anything to discern one from another.  I never took the time to properly give any of them listening time, rather spent a few minutes on each while I opened them to get a knee jerk reaction.

 

As it turns out the amount of time during each day that I can spend with an IEM that isn't better suited to a full sized headphone or speakers is very limited, and almost non existent when requiring a quiet listening environment.  But I do love how they basically put the sound in your head, to where the sound stage and imaging is inside your skull and your head is the microphone.

 

Also if you lose them.... no harm no foul, funny thing is the one's that were 2-4x the cost of any one pair, which I got from drop were the first and only ones I lost one to.  Still hopeful it'll show up because I know I lost it inside my house, probably in a couch cushion.

Smells like it's time for you to get the Simgot EM6L. Don't ask why.

[Djuntas]

7 hours ago, Berinejo said:

I've had some KZ's and the cables on them suck, but it seems to be a standardized connector so its fine and the build quality is fine

as for the audio Crinacle has a great list and measurement data base if you care about that. The Sonys and the Senn's I'm probably to poor to know them, and I've never heard of SoundMAGIC, look at reviews online if you want some more in depth stuff than my opinons

and to answer your question: just start with the KZ's, they are less than 50 USD so it (probably) won't kill your bank account

The sennheiser and sony are cheap options. As mentioned in the OP KZ's cost the most but I also hear they sound better. I just really hope the cable dont tangle much or its cheap china crap that breaks.

 

Edit; Dont need more suggestions too, they are likely not able to be bought in my country anyway. Im amased I could even find 1 website that sold the KZ's.

[GoldenSound]

I would strongly recommend looking at the TruthEar Zero RED.
At the $50 price point these are far and away the best of anything I've tested

[Djuntas]

3 hours ago, GoldenSound said:

I would strongly recommend looking at the TruthEar Zero RED.
At the $50 price point these are far and away the best of anything I've tested

Id love to man, but not avalible in my country. But yes I saw those too in reviews. I spend hours, many hours getting the list down to 4. Im sure I could use amazon germany or UK etc, but I want to avoid using amazon too. Like amazon if I have no other choice.

[nuwang69]

I suggest popping into crinicles discord, the people who provide suggestions on the stuff in regaurds to iems are really really well informed on the market

[Psittac]

4 hours ago, nuwang69 said:

I suggest popping into crinicles discord, the people who provide suggestions on the stuff in regaurds to iems are really really well informed on the market

typically I don't agree with outsourcing advice on the LTT forum.  If it's something far outside of the scope of this forum I will do it, but I think it is common courtesy to keep all recommendations either personal or local.  It's just an unspoken online educate.

 

Also I'm surprised @191x7 didn't make a suggestion to the OP.

[Cocococo]

3 hours ago, Psittac said:

typically I don't agree with outsourcing advice on the LTT forum.  If it's something far outside of the scope of this forum I will do it, but I think it is common courtesy to keep all recommendations either personal or local.  It's just an unspoken online educate.

 

Also I'm surprised @191x7 didn't make a suggestion to the OP.

No harm in going to the most knowledgeable communities when you are unsure of an answer, LTT forums have a lot of users but given the nature of most LTT audio product reviews the hardcore audio people don't visit. I'm sure if labs do what they aim to do this fact will change and change the perception of LTT in most audio forums/ discords for a more positive one (it is still positive but techtubers aren't seen as a reliable source of information outside of their original focus) 

[191x7]

4 hours ago, Psittac said:

 

 

Also I'm surprised @191x7 didn't make a suggestion to the OP.

I can't help with the country part and local availability.

[RabbidEwok]

I’d stay away from the Sennheisers, they’ve really struggled with IEMs. 

[NinJake]

15 hours ago, RabbidEwok said:

I’d stay away from the Sennheisers, they’ve really struggled with IEMs. 

Source? I haven't tried their IEMs yet, but claims like this always astound me when no other information is given.

[RabbidEwok]

1 minute ago, NinJake said:

Source? I haven't tried their IEMs yet, but claims like this always astound me when no other information is given.

Sauce

[NinJake]

That's a link to a video that at first glance seems to be praising the Sennheiser IEM. If I do a search for the "SENNHEISER CX 80S" as OP is wondering about, there's a ton of reviews all claiming how wonderful they are for the price.

All I'm getting at, is it's probably not beneficial to OP or to anyone who visits this thread in the future to give a blanket statement saying "all sennheiser IEM bad". Without giving any reasoning, whether by measurements or your own personal opinions on why you consider them bad.

[RabbidEwok]

1 hour ago, NinJake said:

That's a link to a video that at first glance seems to be praising the Sennheiser IEM. If I do a search for the "SENNHEISER CX 80S" as OP is wondering about, there's a ton of reviews all claiming how wonderful they are for the price.

All I'm getting at, is it's probably not beneficial to OP or to anyone who visits this thread in the future to give a blanket statement saying "all sennheiser IEM bad". Without giving any reasoning, whether by measurements or your own personal opinions on why you consider them bad.

Watch the entire thing there’s a massive section where it says “senny can’t make IEMs” and shows the issues with literally all of their IEMs until the 600 launched. 
 

There’s plenty of glowing reviews for the Momentum 2 wired and they’re actually shit, you can’t listen to anything without hearing any slight movement near the cord. 

[NinJake]

44 minutes ago, RabbidEwok said:

Watch the entire thing there’s a massive section where it says “senny can’t make IEMs” and shows the issues with literally all of their IEMs until the 600 launched. 
 

There’s plenty of glowing reviews for the Momentum 2 wired and they’re actually shit, you can’t listen to anything without hearing any slight movement near the cord. 

I'll have to watch at a later time. Do they specifically talk about the CX 80S anywhere? The IEM that OP is inquiring about?

[RabbidEwok]

38 minutes ago, NinJake said:

I'll have to watch at a later time. Do they specifically talk about the CX 80S anywhere? The IEM that OP is inquiring about?

Nope but the issue is the tuning at all price ranges and they were released before they changed that with the 600.

[GoldenSound]

On 10/14/2023 at 4:35 PM, Djuntas said:

Id love to man, but not avalible in my country. But yes I saw those too in reviews. I spend hours, many hours getting the list down to 4. Im sure I could use amazon germany or UK etc, but I want to avoid using amazon too. Like amazon if I have no other choice.

Shenzhen ships worldwide: https://shenzhenaudio.com/products/truthear-x-crinacle-zero-red-dual-dynamic-drivers-in-ear-headphone

[Djuntas]

3 hours ago, GoldenSound said:

Shenzhen ships worldwide: https://shenzhenaudio.com/products/truthear-x-crinacle-zero-red-dual-dynamic-drivers-in-ear-headphone

Yeah Im sure they do, but I want a middel man that can also deliver not in like 3 weeks  And a happy 2 year warranty and support if I buy a broken product. Its good to be european.

[nuwang69]

On 10/15/2023 at 12:36 AM, Psittac said:

typically I don't agree with outsourcing advice on the LTT forum.  If it's something far outside of the scope of this forum I will do it, but I think it is common courtesy to keep all recommendations either personal or local.  It's just an unspoken online educate.

 

Also I'm surprised @191x7 didn't make a suggestion to the OP.

No worries I understand, I had no intention of it being bad faith when it comes down to other communities of people who are highly informed on a topic for the most part moderation/teams involved don't see it as bad faith but instead a point of discussion that expands on the potential knowledge of the user base and in some cases could lead the leading expert on the topic itself to gain insight if they haven't already considered the options/thought process involved but I do understand how in a situation like this it comes across as poaching. Because with these other forums for the most part the knowledge is more or less considered something they are selling and as a result the people within the community are very highly informed and or the main curator of the knowledge itself directly responds. I assumed that something like this would be a loss leader in the sense that it is meant to become a habit in other people's lives for daily tech tips to develop brand loyalty towards LTT? I don't really understand I'll be honest but in all fairness, I wasn't thinking of the business implications of what I was saying and that was my bad. My intent was to just guide someone to the best source for the info they were looking for