IEMGazette

A proto-wiki/blog (autism archive) for /iemg/.
Curated content by yours truly separated into "articles". The first few ones are permanent, followed by the table of content for the monthly issue.
Reset on the 7th of each month.

Come fill out the end-of-year /iemg/ recap survey!

To be added/completed in order of importance

Rules and banned content
?

Rules

These will be enforced with regards to what qualifies as an article. Exceptions apply.

No debates/exchanges on often repeated topics (eg FR and technicalities, targets, couplers, audibility, etc).
No advice posts and replies.
No "zero-value"/unfunny shitposts
Article selection entirely up to the Editor (me).
Post content removal entirely up to the Editor (me). No modifications to the wording, only removal or readjusting of sections.

Article format

Post date (dd/mm/yyyy)
Editor notes/descriptions
Picture

Post

Replies

IEMGazette Archive (WIP)

Currently under maintenance

ETA: Before January 2025

The IEMGazette archive can be found here. File and folder names correspond to their respective articles. Numbers match the order of appearance in said article. Files are organized in categories. If an article only contains one image, the file is stored as is in its respective category. If an article contains many, the files are stored in a folder in said category.

It currently contains the following:

squig.link / HypeTheSonics scrape
Monthly issues of the IEMGazette in three formats (PNG, PDF, TXT)
Gear pictures
Measurements (picture and/or file)
Size comparison database pictures
And more...

IEM size database project (WIP)

A project for somewhat standardized pictures of IEMs is currently ongoing. Many issues still have to be ironed out; stay tuned!
Pictures can be found in the archive, for which differentt IEMs are noted in this database.

The rules so far are as follow:

Include a solid reference for size, ideally a ruler. other references, such as an apple dongle, a usb c termination, and/or eartips are possible alternatives/add-ons
The iems have to be "naked", with no eartips or cables attached (ok for reference). For multiple iems, align them properly, and use the same positions/angles
Show two important sides: the faceplate size, and the depth of the iem, the latter also showcasing the nozzle size and angle
Ensure the photo angle is as vertical as possible to eliminate possible dimension skewing
Leave a decent margin around the photographed items
Use a grid paper as the background if possible, and specify the grid size

New Music Editorial

Everything music in /iemg/.

Anyone that wants to "review", give impressions, or simply recommend (or not) a newly released album/single is welcome to. After a loose and brief quality check, it will be added to the gazette; only 3 posts will be kept at all times. A lossless download of the album/single is a possible future feature. The album image links to the YouTube release if available.

The New Sound - Geordie Greep - 04/10/2024

08/10/2024

Only some real music. Gazettezo put this in there not a perfect album but almost certainly AOTY comparing it to what else we've gotten this year.

Imaginal Disk - Magdalena Bay - 23/08/2024

23/09/2024

I'll keep it short. Don't normally listen to *pop but this was surprisingly not terrible. The songs are different enough to keep it engaging but stay on theme.
Album is Imaginal Disk by Magdalena Bay.
>She Looked Like Me
Probably the worst song of the album. That overbaring bass thump at ~0:55 and another time towards the end just ruins it for me.
>Killing Time
The song that prompted a review. Superb opening, should have been the opening track. Would have been nice if they kept the energy going but instead it goes into true blue interlude.
>Death and Romance
Stereotypical repetitive pop song. Album certainly picks up after here though with some bangers.
I think they should have just dropped tracks 1 and 3-5 and had a normal length album with all around decent tracks. The lyrics aren't particularly inspiring and the vocalist (at least in this album) has the range of a teaspoon so they would have to do something reasonably different in their other albums to keep me interested (first time listening to them). Also the music is nice but most tracks don't really have the depth that would keep me listening when I'm not preoccupied. There was one track near the start that needs crossfeed on IEMs, I can't remember which one though and the infringement isn't present in any other songs.

December 2024 Issue

/iemg/'s thoughts on new pos (Potafes - Portable Audio Festival)
Mass IEM Impressions
New Release Radar
Kinera Celesst IgniteX Beast Impressions
KZ EDC Pro Impressions
Letshuoer Cadenza4 Impressions
POS
Shozy P20 and Aoshida E20 Impressions
Truthear Gate and Campfire Audio Andromeda S Comparison
QCY Melobuds Pro Impressions
FiiO BTR17 Day 3 Impressions
Filled by the Truthear Nova, and filled with regret
Never say yes to QDC
Inawaken Dawn-MS and Shanling M1 Plus DAP Impressions
Anons clean their pos; you should too

/iemg/'s thoughts on new pos (Potafes - Portable Audio Festival)

13-15/12/2024

New Tanchjim X Effect Audio Cable collaboration for a 2DD pos (bouncing off the New Release Radar post), and a limited edition "Lost Manor" version fo the Tanchjim Origin (new cable, maybe another stand).

>Tanchjim x Effect Audio (2DD) $??
So, the name is FORCE !

not liking this grill design at all, looks like it's designed to gunk up easily

I love Tanchjim simple and elegant designs, but this one doesn't do it for me.

metal faceplate + cheap toy bodied plastic = kz looking ass mf

>hardware not even matching
im with other anons on this one, this pos is not up to usual tanchjim standards design and aesthetics wise.

I FUCKING NEED THAT LOST MANOR WTF
PERFECT MATCH FOR LUNA
IS THIS THE PERFECT DUO?????????
SISTAS WE CANNOT FUCKING LOSE, THAT SHIT IS NOT IN MY VOCAB!!!!

Engraved Origin?

FUCK I ALREADY HAVE THE ORIGIN
POTAFEST ANON PLEASE CONFIRM

yes, but more weeby tuning too

>more weeby
even brighter than og origins? that was pretty bright as is ngl
did they specifically say that it was retuned?

origin filters didn't change the tuning at all but i think one of these now changed it a bit more, better wait for official measurements to be 100% sure

>maid Asano
Too bad that pos looks pricey.

>that slightly disappointed expression
Diamonds

AAAAA WHY I'M POOR

>Have woman
Ok i'm buying tanch next

New MASSIVE Moondrop (flagship?) pos.

>Moondrop METEOR (IEM? Headphones?) $??
So, 13mm DD. 2BA, 4 Planar
HOLY CHONK POS !

They wanted the truthear market

that's one of the ugliest pos i've ever seen, i'll probably buy it

Those make my nova look small.

>metal
>thicker than solis
>added fucked ugly bump too
>thick cable
sweet mother of ergonomic hell...

SHOCKING news from transcordian
This is the variations sucessor !!

are they fucking retarded? what the fuck even is this...

Earlets don't look!

>that shell
You've got to be fucking kidding me. And the comical contrast with S Spring Tip on that cancerous growth of a nub nozzle.
>poorfag TWS 13mm driver shoved into a premium product
That's the opposite of how trickle-down R&D should work.
3001BD clears that driver config and FORCE clears that shit cloth-covered cable. What a meteoric pos, bravo Moondorp

earussy meteor

The orc-ears keep winning

This is equivalent to shoving a 10 inch cock inside a petit asian

how big of a DD would fit in there, I wonder

Mass IEM Impressions

11-14/12/2024

Same anon that visited the Hangout.

Auditioned some pos.

>Performer 5+2
A non-shouty Harman (SM4/Nova) with slightly better subbass. P5+2 still sounds lean with poor note weight. Low pinna dulls the liveliness of string instruments. Female pop is less exciting. I don’t get the point of this pos. 5/10.

>Softears Studio 4
Sounds more full-bodied than the P5+2. But poor sub-bass slam and a distinct lack of air. It’s a tonally correct Harman IE tuning, which might be impressive a year ago but the Mega5EST and Crinacle Dusk just flat out beats the Studio 4 in timbre. 6/10.

>Crinacle Dusk (DSP)
Sounds similar to Mega5EST. But female vocals and snares have a slight edginess to them. Nothing wrong with that, some may perceive it as sounding more detailed. But I think it sounds sibilant. Analog Dusk tames the harshness a little.

Dusk over M5E for Vocaloid and mandopop. M5E for everything else. 8/10.

>Thieaudio Hype 4
Very nice low-end and treble. Also sounds fuller than the P5+2 and Monarch MK3. Nicely executed U-shape. Trades blows with the Symphonium Crimson. Fun and exciting pos and frankly one of the best mid-fi IEMs I’ve heard. 10/10.

>Subjective Ranking
Hype 4 > Dusk > Studio 4 > P5+2

More pos.

>Symphonium Helios
Treble specialist – airy and ethereal-sounding. It’s a budget Annihilator. Low-end instruments like the cello sound a tad blunted but whatever it’s a pretty good one-trick pony. 10/10.

>Empire Ears Triton
Bassy dark signature. Extremely muddy on my weebshit playlist. But bass is deep with good physicality (bass guitar sounds really good). Unfortunately, treble dip kills extension and results in a fast decay, which hurts timbre. 3/10.

>Elysian Pilgrim Noir
Has a similar treble “crisp” like the Annihilator/Helios, but not as refined. In comparison the Noir sounds dry and harsh. 6/10.

>Subjective Ranking
Helios > Noir > Triton

I'm posting my blog whether (you) like it or not.

>Mangird Tea Pro
U-shape adjacent tuning which has been executed really well. Despite the squigs, it is not as warm sounding as the Mega5EST. Sub-bass packs a nice punch. Really reminds me of the Hype 4, albeit with slightly less energetic treble, but still just as resolving. A fun U-shape for the treble-sensitive. 9/10.

>Tangzu Xuanwu Gate
Treble specialist – bass-lite, airy and ethereal-sounding. Resembles the Symphonium Helios and Annihilator. But treble extension pales in comparison to the real kilobucks. Female vocals and piano sound sparkly, but string and wind instruments lack authority and have an unnaturally fast decay. It’s a one trick pony but it’s good at its niche. 8/10.

>Softears Enigma
Another attempt to ‘improve’ upon the Twilight by adding more treble and bass. It didn’t work with the RSV so why did Softears expect the second attempt to be any different?
Ironically the Enigma ends up sounding more like the Studio 4 than the Twilight; and you can buy the Studio 4 for one-tenth of the price. 3/10.

>Kinera Verdandi
A female vocals specialist. Mogs its competitor the Supernova because the Verdandi actually has good BCD implementation and brings good subbass slam and rumble. But it is slightly sibilant and string instruments sound overwhelming due to the exaggerated pinna. 7/10.

>Flipears Artha
Another “class 3 listener” tuning. Sounds exactly the same as the Eminent Ears Ruby. Weak bass with hot treble. Uninspiring. 3/10.

>Nightjar Duality
Imagine listening to the U12T while in the middle of an earthquake. Midrange is CLEAN despite the monstrous bass. The bass of the Duality is very deep and visceral, the type of bass that is felt rather than heard. That explains why the Duality can be so lean-sounding while causing head-splitting tremors. Actual bass wizardry and blind buy tier. 10/10.

New Release Radar

13/12/2024

Kinera Celesst IgniteX Beast Impressions

13/12/2024

IGNITE X ARE IN. Here's some thoughts about them:

I really hadn't realized just how close the tuning was for all celest products until i found a squig that actually had all the pairs i own to compare them together. The most common thought i have when switching between them is that the resolution just keeps getting better but they all sound relatively similar. None of them sound particularly bad, but you notice an increase in sound stage with every step up you do. The cool thing about the ignite x too is that they're shaped exactly like the wyverns so the comfort is 1:1. Ignite X could basically be seen as upgraded wyverns. The Plutus sound almost identical, but are the only ones shaped weird because of the BC driver. and man that BC driver makes bass fucking 3d. plutus still mogs but as far as tuning goes, all 3 are right up my alley.

If I were on a strict 50 dollar budget and couldn't go higher, the ignite x feels perfect. I wouldn't complain if these were like 30 dollars more expensive.

KZ EDC Pro Impressions

10/12/2024

EDC Pro arrived today. Initial impressions: feel poorly made, don't weigh anything. Expected for 5 dollars. Cable also feels pretty flimsy. Comfort is passable so far
Sound seems good enough for the cost. Standard Harman tuning, maybe lean a little bright.
I got these solely to stay hooked up to my ekit so I don't have to swap pos around.

Letshuoer Cadenza4 Impressions

10/12/2024

Cadenza4 arrived. I'm surprised they are not recommended more.
They sound amazing, have the best fit of any IEM i have ever tried, great built quaity, case and cable, 2.5. 3.5 and 4.4mm connector and even some nice tips.

POS

07/12/2024

Image is too long, it's in the archive.

Shozy P20 and Aoshida E20 Impressions

06/12/2024

>Shozy P20
Good case, bleh other accessories. Well built shells, fit is uncommonly decent for planar. Modest sensitivity, not hard to drive.
Joins my top 3 planars (other two being OG P1 MAX and T10), edging out S12 Pro. S12 Pro too hot 6-12kHz and has usual wonky planar mids transition (i.e. early 2kHz peak and odd damping dip). P20 has more typical pinna gain resulting in appropriate female vocal timbre, balanced with warm thumpy bass and good treble extension.

>Aoshida E20
Decent case and cable. Well built shells, I never like unfinished 3-D print resin though. Shells are fairly small but aren't particularly ergonomic, so fit is just OK. Specs suggest less sensitive than most IEMs, and it is indeed the case.
Surprisingly pleasant sound. I say that because I usually don't like tucked bass. Mid bass and lower mids still have enough body for my liking, and the general pros of Harman-like tuning are there, engaging sub bass and upper mids prominence. Can be a tad bright with the presence ~5kHz, but nothing offensive.
>+80ohm adapter
Good bassy fun and part of why I redeemed it. Still a realistic and listenable sound. In that regard, water-cooler talk and comparison to Deuce is apt. (I demo'd Deuce previously, not an AB comparison) The main difference is as graphs suggest, E20 has more prominence 5kHz upwards arguably better balancing appropriate amount of clarity to overcome high bass levels.
I can share graphs if any anon wants. Otherwise I'll get around to it on my own time. Btw out of many pos, I only use one other set with 80ohm adapter, ivipQ V12.

Truthear Gate and Campfire Audio Andromeda S Comparison

06/12/2024

the gate sounds shockingly lean and bright compared to the andromeda S, and the gate's only tone advantage is its much stronger sub-bass. transients are about as clean on both. for me, the gate's soundstage is good, but the andromeda S's is noticeably better. this comparison really emphasizes just how much the andromeda S sound is "warm, but with sparkling treble".

QCY Melobuds Pro Impressions

06/12/2024

Melobuds Pro arrived. Initial impressions: default tuning is dog shit, takes some weird settings on the graphic eq, but the sound isn't awful, for tws. No huge complaints.
Anc is surprisingly good for the price. Comfort is alright for me, they're huge though, so manlets may struggle with comfort. They don't weigh anything which helps with comfort.
They feel very light and poorly made, but for $25 what can you expect. Controls work well and you can do a lot in the app.
I know tws is off topic, but these get recommended often so I thought I'd share my opinion. I like going wireless when I'm working so I can move around freely, and I'm only after background noise. Built in mic is handy too.

FiiO BTR17 Day 3 Impressions

06/12/2024

day 3 of my **** BTR17:
still working great. I do have some grips with the software though:
-the FiiO control webapp doesn't work on linux
-there are some settings that are only adjustable on the android app (like call volume and distortion cancellation settings). there's really no reason this can't be in the menu on the device
-theres a bunch of filter settings but their descriptions are in a special kind of esoteric chinesium and all sound basically the same so I have no idea what any of them do
also this thing is pretty picky when it comes to power, if you plug it into a shitty charger it'll bitch about "low voltage" and just not charge

Filled by the Truthear Nova, and filled with regret

05/12/2024

Why hasn't anyone told me that Nova is so fucking big??

it's over...

earlet

fits my ears perfectly
I did warn everyone that my ears are pretty big though

we do mention it, all the time.
same applies to turdear x cringeacle zero.
which makes them immediately pos.

retard

what the fuck lol
are they bigger than SM4?

much bigger, truthear is renowned for their massive pos

dang
good thing I went for sm4... even they are quite big already compared to Aria SE...

Truthear is the real man girth

Holy mother of pos

jesus, fucking tiny child ears

We. Told. You. To every motherfucker that asks about truthear we keep telling them comfort and fit > everything but you bums won't listen. You want to listen to some shit reviewer instead that recs reds, hexa, nova, etc that are all shit for fit.

Never say yes to QDC

04/12/2024

I bought a KZ ZSN Pro a year ago (Friend's recommendation) and the left connector just fucking disintegrated. Anyone ever have that experience with KZ? Never been to /iemg/ before and I see KZ already has a reputation so I'm guessing it ain't just me. At least they were cheap.

>left connector just fucking disintegrated
many such cases
(common occurrence with QDC connections)

Is that something I should avoid when getting a new IEM, then? In my case it looks like the glue holding the connector became brittle and crumbled, picrel. I was hoping it was a KZ thing so I could just move brands and pretend this never happened.

holy fucking shit

I don't even know HOW it happened. I noticed the audio was failing on my left, decided to pull the connector off and the whole thing came apart. I didn't even apply any force, also one of the wires was already snapped which probably explains the left channel failure.

Rat in peace.

So much for that. Think I'm gonna replace it with a Truthear Gate, another friend recommended me the Hola but that doesn't seem to exist anymore. I just want something cheap I can listen to music with.

what the fuck??? i've been using iems for nearly a decade and I've never seen that shit in my life.

I was a headphonefag my whole life before this so your guess is as good as mine.

That's what you get for buying cheap chink shit

Worked well while it lasted, at least.

HOLY FUCK WITNESSED

Inawaken Dawn-MS and Shanling M1 Plus DAP Impressions

03/12/2024

the pos continue to roll in. busy with other stuff atm but excited for the m1 plus

very based purchases anon, hopefully my pos comes in soon

>he didn't buy an Innioasis Y1
You're a chump!

>Inawaken Dawn Ms
Good inclusions: ideal size hard zip case, SML normal and wide bore tips that are softer than bottom-barrel crap, adequate cable that is lightweight but not the most tangle resistant. Moderate shell size, shorter-average nozzle but presents no wearing problems. Great high-transparency shell and solid yet light build.
Moderate sensitivity. Like most modern 1DDs the tuning is generally competent. Noticeable tilt towards bass, warmth, and darker upper treble. Bass is omnipresent and forward with plenty of heft. Upper mids and female vocals are centered but take a step back in bassier tracks. Uppermost treble rolls off naturally, a comfortable treble level.
Most suitable if someone is prioritizing prominent mid bass thump / lower octave instrument articulation with balanced male and female vocals and safe treble.
Not suitable if someone prioritizes squeaky clean female vocals, is allergic to bass, or desires airy extension.
Overall nothing extraordinary, but a solid bassy set that justifies it's asking price.

>Shanling M1 Plus initial impressions
Includes: DAP (pre-installed screen protector), 1 extra screen protector, USB-A -> USB-C cable, documents. Arrived v1.4, I updated to FW v1.8 no problems.
I like most aspects of the build. Slight asymmetric body makes it ergonomic to hold. Volume wheel operation has satisfying click and solid feel. Prev/PlayPause/Skip buttons are also solid and tactile, differentiated by slight size difference and small engraved icons. Port orientation is irrelevant to me but some audiotards get their panties in a bunch over it. M1 Plus is microSD and USB-C on bottom, 3.5 + 4.4 on top.
Fairly happy with the OS and UI/UX. Intuitive and simple, customization is done in a few minutes in only a few sub-menus. CPU is fast enough to react quickly, but touch accuracy can be a bit imprecise at times compared to modern flagship operation. Not a great display in terms of color or refresh rate, but serviceable in the context of entry-level DAP.
>Annoyances:
Battery is an approximate visualizer, I don't see an option to enable numerical %. Also can't predict or see how close it is to full charge.
Infinite scrolling track info. When the metadata is long (i.e. many contributing artists) it's oddly fast which makes it a useless visual distraction.
Data transfer was slow via USB. Didn't troubleshoot at all, but quite an inconvinience if this is the only / main way a person wanted to transfer files to the microSD.
That's all so far. Satisfied overall. I knew going in it had some nerfs to streaming like no cache, irrelevant to me as a full local file user. The sound is fine, no pops when connecting or disconnecting from either output, no particularly noticeable noise floor, smooth flawless playback, plenty of driving power headroom.

No PEQ?

No. Just basic 10-band +-6dB sliders at preset, non-adjustable frequencies

why cant these dapniggers figure out how to add peq, its insane

Why not hiby r4? Battery is user replaceable in that one.

quad low-tier dacs is a meme, android OS, heard it had noticeable noise floor and subpar audio, aesthetics and design look like ass and i like to use DAPs without a case, volume wheel > buttons, etc.

>Battery is user replaceable in that one.
in the M1 Plus manual, it talks about replacing battery with similar type / size. i may be wrong and don't know the specifics, but i'll assume then it's possible to replace the battery of M1 Plus

Anons clean their pos; you should too

02/12/2024

>One IEM side starts sounding quiet
>Think it is clogged, doesn't look like it, rub my shirt on it
>No change, switch it to the other side
>It's still quiet, just obviously on a different channel
>Test cable security, no changes
>Mild concern about fugged drivers since it was really expensive and I really like these daily drivers of over three years now
>>Dab a very faint bit of liquid on a very soft shirt and rub against the filter
>Blow to dry
>Seemingly back to normal, probably subtle clogging spots.
Relieved, though I probably need to swap a filter soonish. I feel like I stumbled upon endgame IEMs from the beginning by buying Tanchjim Darlings as my first pair.

>Remove my clogged IEM filters
>Swab my precious Darlings IEMs all over with isopropyl alcohol and a cotton swab, then the same for the eartips and connector terminations
>Install new replacement filters
>Clean glasses lenses
>Swab out my ears a little, and listen to the exceptionally crisp audio while drinking liu bao tea.
Make sure to maintain your IEMs, anons. It's easy to put it off, but it is always so much better once you do. My ear tips have noticeably better grip now as a bonus.

Cleaned my earussy with H2O2 today, will clean the filters on my pos in a few weeks.

Someone make a maintenance guide. I'm afraid to destroy mine in the process.

I'm scared shitless of cleaning the filters to be honest. I feel like I'd just push all the gunk deeper into the nozzle where I can't get to it without removing and replacing the filter and that seems like way too easy to fuck up and break everything