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# December 2025

# Grim New Year's Eve

31/12/2025

I'm so tired bros
spent over 1k on audiophile shit
realized y'all were telling the truth with eq is all that is needed on a $5 shitbud, I then proceed to buy said 5 shitbud and eq it to perfection only to realize it's suffering from massive channel imbalance and now I need to spend 120 on a channel balancer? are you fucking kidding me, I'm so exhausted.
Also why the fuck didn't any of you tell me hybrids have insane amounts of distortion, it's disgusting after paying $500 for these sets and they have more distortion than my dad's shitty civics speakers.
my cheap single DD's have less distortion but then they are fucking varied by 10-20 decibels, it's all so tiresome bros, I just wanted good audio.

based consooomer just buying more shit
you dont need whatever a channel balancer is just adjust the volume for each channel

The solution is buying an expensive single DD like the intuaura balance or tanchjim fola. Poorfags here are extremely deaf, don't expect them to hear channel imbalance.

bro we've been telling you

just listen to shahur next time

>listen to shittur
>contract parasites from consuming cow dung
oof

i also spent 1k on audiophile shit, difference is i bought the correct gear and you bought memes that you fell for

# CVJ Waifu IEMs Impressions

31/12/2025


to the weeb from last thread, to my ears, nightelf has the most bass, kind of meh mids and highs, vivian has a more even, sound, still has that thump on the low end but vocals are cleaner and neko has the best vocal clarity, bass is just right, more recessed compared to the vivian, which is my preference.
so pretty much nightelf = basshead, vivian = v shape leaning to low end, neko = balanced v-shape.
so overall, jmy rec would be to ust get the EDC Pro and eq it.

oh yeah, also all used yongse 1947 cable, 4.4mm on echo mini, tri clarion tips, same five america minyo kenkyukai songs.

# Debate masters explore the unknown one last time for the year

28-29/12/2025

Reminds me of the Chuzo days, for better and for worse.
I won't even bother getting everything, start reading here.

# /iemg/ ragebait

26/12/2025

epic ragebaits (trvkes)
>tubes and r2r
>racism
>nobody has ever read the eq guide
good ragebaits
>techs exist/don't exist
>price inverse quality
>dogma pasta
>collab shilling
standard ragebaits
>including personal hrtf in targets
>kz/gk/cca
>5128 df
>0.1db filters
bad ragebaits
>fox iem endgame
>no name shitty pos trn/cvj/etc
>ba pos avoid
>apple dongle
failed ragebaits
>tree
>shartman
>transjim

you forgot the most important one;
>techs start with the audio mix and it's up to competent, well-implemented drivers to accurately reproduce it.

ragebait must be short and snappy, this is too clunky

tchs strt wth th adio mx. lol

where does dsd and vinyl rips go in this

ignored altogether

# Innioasis Y1 Impressions

/12/2025


upgrades came
shitsky -> y1 + rockbox

post your impressions about it. I'm kinda interested in getting one too.


I really like it, much better than the snow sky, I can actually find music easily without having to click buttons for 1 minute.
Rockbox is great, EQ works perfectly, lots of small QOL settings, it works great on the y1 - I've had 0 issues, I made my own theme based off of iMMX (just inverted it basically)
The built in 3.5mm is satisfactory, I did wish it got a bit louder but I was able to resolve that by just removing the -2.5 preamp on the eq I'm using.
Battery life looks good so far - I have enabled airplane mode though so YMMV; the Bluetooth on this is trash which doesn't really bother me since I don't have any TWS/bt pos.
I already love this lil guy like you wouldn't believe, once you put in an hour or two of setup work it's well worth it and feels very comfy/personalized.


update: Wtf it turned itself on in my pocket and started playing music out of its tiny lil speaker, kinda funny, kinda cute.

>>play wif me :)

# FiiO Snowsky Melody Impressions & Issues

25/12/2025

Grabbed a Melody DAC to replace an old soundcard that died years ago so I could stop dealing with noise and other fuckery from my desktop's built-in. Solved all my issues but scaling is a bit odd on Linux/Pipewire. 1-10% vol is a deadzone, although sometimes I get sound at 10%. api.alsa.ignore-dB = true fixes it but I swear soundstage doesn't sound right with that enabled.

I don't mind the deadzone but I hope scaling will eventually be fixed upstream without me having to do anything.

you need to post that in their leddit or email and hope more people complain too, otherwise they wont move 1 inch to fix that
https://www.reddit.com/r/FiiO/

it's a known issue. your best 4 options are to email fiio and otherwise spam the shit out of them and hoe they can fix the issue, live with it, switch from linux, or get a different dac

# Samsung EO-IA500 Impressions

24/12/2025


just got the Samsung shitbuds, actually pretty fucking good with sharur's EQ (treats the bass/mids) for on the go use with my phone + a jm20 max which just lives inline with the shitbuds' cable.
I was surprised to find out these are still being manufacturered (2025/03/30) out of the Samsung Vietnam fab.

if you eat cow shit it enhances sound quality, its called the shartur method

have you listened to em? They're just a nice neutral set under 10$, idk why you're so mad, I'm not saying they are the best in the world like that shit eating retard, I'm just saying they are good for what they are - 10$ shitbuds.

# KZ Decet Impressions

23/12/2025


Decet arrived, defaults with foam tips, left earbud has magnet fuckery going on, it spins on its own a little, box was chewed up because I live in a nigger spic dog southern shithole. about to unplug cvj luki from amp and plug Decet in

Decet works fine, very bassy, still needs treble reduction, vocals are good, soundstage is above average. Maybe the best basshead IEM, it's not like Luki levels of subbass but it's high quality bass that's boomy and sorta bleeds but not exactly in a bad way

also Decet is massive like Luna and Stellaris, might take more effort getting a proper fit

# MUSE HiFi M6 Double Impressions

22/12/2025


Got some new tubes in. Coolest volume control I've ever seen and the sound quality is good too with zero background noise.
I'm planning on getting the new Chord Mojo 2 in January now that it has USB C charging.

>all that shit to drive IEMs

Holy mother of snake oil

I drive vidos too

>Got some new tubes in
IN-17 Pixie tubes are so rare that they must be sourced primarily from Russia and some from Europe.

These IN-17s were produced between 1960 and 1970, before LED displays became available. MUSE HiFi managed to procure 2,200 tubes and was told by the suppliers that these are the last remaining stocks, making MUSE HiFi the world’s largest single stockist of the IN-17.

Additionally, MUSE HiFi made the extra effort to make the IN-17 Pixie tubes work with the M6 Double by using a customized power supply and control system.

This tube requires 170 Volts, which is much higher than the voltage needed for LEDs. And all the tubes are mounted on a shock-absorbing platform.
https://headfonics.com/muse-hifi-m6-double-review/

so..pre-obsoleted snakeoil at a whopping $399.

# Tip Impressions

21/12/2025

Leaving some tip impressions
Audione HE
Interesting texture, seemed good but ripped when taking them off which has never happened to me with a tip before but prevented me from trying them out much.
AEX70
Excellent, very comfortable, material somewhere between liquid silicon tips and TPE. A bit tacky but not full xelastec dust magnet, highly recommended.
Divinus Prism
Also great, shape is comfy makes me think of dunu S&S with a bit of radius deepmount but liquid silicone. Quality with an interesting shape that works well for me, definitely recommend.

tri clarion mogs all those

# JCally JM6 Pro Impressions

16/12/2025


Jcally jm6 pro just arrived. Getting static sound when paired with finalaudio a4000, even when music is off. I guess this dac does poorly with sensitive 1dd iems and I shoulda bought something weaker. Unfortunate.

# 7Hz x Crinacle Divine Impressions

16/12/2025

hey qkzoxyilloudzo, my diablo arrived. very good. like mark says, "campfire-like sound" (good or bad is up to the listener). bass slams good, warm and enveloping with good vocals and toned down treble. maybe still too much upper mids since it seems your preference is subdued pinna. i dont post anymore because of the extreme low quality spam. for those wanting similar aesthetic cable as stock but thinner gauge and 4.4mm, yongse greybunny is a good option. k c ya no more posts from me. inb4 rest of thread is a bunch of retarded poorfag drivel about pr2 dogshit, dogshit sources, etc.

# Tanchjim Bunny Impressions

13/12/2025

I bought the tanchjim bunny (the 3.5mm version) thinking the iems will be the end game for me, yet it sounds like shit.
I use it with a Hiby DAC.
Tried the autoeq preset from wavelet and it sounds very unprecise and also autoeq for a wave I found on squig to make it harman certified and it's even worse, totally muffled and harsh at high frequencies.
I thought my hd 599 were bad but in comparison to those they sound like the best thing on earth (with eq obviously).
And to add to it, they are super uncomfortable to wear, they added some silicone plugs in different sizes which I will still try to swap but still, the material just hurts to put into the ear.
Tell me if I'm the retarded one or it's /iemg/ posters that cope with being poor. All the other chink shit I have is good, like the smsl dac or fosi amp.

# Mass Source Impressions

09/12/2025


A few months back I said that the Aries Cerat Ianus Protos was one of the best sources I've ever heard but today I heard something that rivals that. Normally more into portable sources but I dragged into hearing the Line Magnetic Line Magnetic LM-84IA, Aqua La Scala MkII Optologic DAC and Rockna Wavelight DAC.

>Line Magnetic + Aqua La Scala
The Aqua DAC is a R2R tube source so I'm doubling up on tubes here, but the end result is surprisingly neutral, albeit exceedingly sweet. Peak female poison. There's no mud / warmth to the music, it's actually as neutral as the Zahl HM1. But the stack completely mogs the Luxury Precision EA4 that I drive daily.

>Line Magnetic + Rockna Wavelight
The Wavelight is surprisingly dynamic and technical for a R2R. Very similar in tonality to other delta sigma dacs like the Ferrum Wandla. However it didn't sound like a huge improvement. Also the "sweetness" of the vocals is gone so the Aqua DAC is definitely most of the heavy lifting. I can see the Rockna dac being better paired with a solid state amp, Line Magnetic is not the way to go.

>Aqua La Scala
>$4K+
>less resolution than a dongle
what the FUCK are you doing here?

My local dealer is selling it for $11000 SGD, where the fuck are you finding the La Scala for 4k.

>what the FUCK are you doing here?
Bwo I've been posting in /iemg/ since 2018


>Line Magnetic LM-84IA
>S/N ratio: 87dB
Wouldn't there be audible hiss with IEMs?

Not if you're old enough.

I demoed using storm which is quite insensitive, no noise. But it also could be that the speaker tap cable had a voltage divider tacked on top of it.

# EPZ P50 Measurements

06-07/12/2025


P50 has a smaller faceplate so the techs are worse.

how's the isolation vs q1p?


Worse isolation


Channel balance, compression, THD. Measured with the shallowest insertion. Subjectively there's a fairly wide 10kHz peak, 5dB Q=2, 6.7kHz peak is lower than usual, 3dB. During a sweep I heard two tones during 200Hz-1000Hz so I expected the distortion to be worse. The silhouette of p50 is smaller than g10 but p50 is much taller, for me the fit is less secure. I'll rock it for a couple of days but will probably stick with g10.

# Kinera Celest IgniteX Beast Impressions

06/12/2025


I am new to IEMs. I just bought the Celest IgniteXBeast from Amazon for Black Friday. I figured for $6 I can just have a pair of wired earbuds to throw in my bag in case the wireless run out of juice. I gotta say these are absolutely insane for the price. They need heavy EQ'ing if you want strong bass, but at least the driver can handle deep bass without distorting. If all sub $10 IEMs sound better than standard buds at sub $10 then I have become a believer.

# Tanchjim Fola & Intuaura Balance Reviews

06/12/2025


Lets go

not a bad choice with the Fola. they sell a pos with the same driver for $500, so good job.

The $500 one is great actually

>The $500 one is great actually.
not $400 greater than Fola. there's only so much implementation you can do to maximise the same exact driver.

Its only competitor is the Psyche so its actually worth $2000.


Barely OK channel matching, but otherwise I like the Balance. The comfort is above average but unfortunately the vent is mostly fake. Its still one of the most open IEMs out there but between this and the Illustrious, its not even close. It isolates slightly less than the Fola, which is also more open than your average single DD.

Sound is decent, I hear the standard single DD 10K+ treble peak, but its not especially bad and everything else is basically where it should be for a single DD. If you've bought more than a few 1DD FOTMs you probably know exactly how FR sounds. This and the Fola sound almost identical actually, but I'd say the Fola is the better package on sale because it has a modular cable with USB C. What I will give the Balance credit for is coming with a nutsack which puts it into the same class as kilobuck IEMs like the Softears Turii.


The Fola also takes a mild L for channel matching. Tanchjim fell off? On the other hand the Fola shells don't have the Origin bulge so the comfort is improved.
Sound wise this is almost the exact same as the balance, and pretty much the same as the Origin as well with maybe a bit less treble. There's no reason to buy the Origin anymore, considering this has a better looking design (in my opinion), a better accessory package and slightly better tuning for a lower price.


>Barely OK channel matching, but otherwise I like the Balance.
I thought this was supposed to be the usp of the Balance. It says they check each pair by hand to make sure the channel balance is perfect.

"channel matching," for nearly all manufacturers is ~2db tolerance. better manufacturers and your luck determine how much better or worse your pos is

>early all manufacturers is ~2db tolerance
source? is that a manufacturing standard somewhere?

NTA but usually most manufacturers will "adhere" to something like that.
From the few I've talked with, channel matching is only considered a big issue (ie warranty viable) when it's in a wide range and more than 3 dB. I agree with anon, most manufacturers will have tolerances in those ranges, and more established brands will tighten that more (eg Tanchjim).

# Tangzu x Azla Noirblanc Review

05-06/12/2025


Tangzu x Azla Noirblanc
Measurement dump and impressions


Acessories:
Comes with the usual things you see at this price: a round zip case (with a very cool motif on the cover), a 2 core modular cable, and a selection of tips that include Tangzu's Noble tips in all four sizes, and a set of Azla Origin tips. The cable is without a doubt my favorite stock cable. It's soft, pliable, has no memory, and looks incredible with the IEMs. The selection of tips is also great, and they are different enough to fit almost everyone (Nobles are short, and the Origin are quite long).

Build and comfort: These are fantastic. Compact and lightweight metal shells with slight contouring allows them to fit snuggly inside of the ear. and they are not thick at all, being very similar to the Q1 Pro, Bunny, and Gate. The faceplate is also gorgeous, and the biggest reason why I bought these with the elegant flower motif surrounded by a nice metal perimeter that highlights the shape of the IEM. They isolate quite well, a tiny bit above average.


Sound:
Not great. In fact, not good. It aims for HarmanIE2019, but somehow emphasizes the worst aspects: the midbass scoop is very pronounced, the 5-8 kHz region is boosted even above the 2-5 kHz ear gain, and there is little treble extension. And yet somehow, it is not the worst stock tuning I have.
It's just very polarizing, and frankly not something I can tolerate for long.

Channel Matching:
Not meaningful but quite disappointing. I expected a bit more precision here but it's within the realm of normal deviations.

Distortion:
Measured at 104 dB as per usual, and again there isn't much to see. It is interesting to see the change from second to third harmonic and back to second.

at least it looks good on the bookshelf. thats the most important thing

I've been using them without swapping for any other IEM ever since I got them.

yeah that channel matching is bleh. pos looks dope and cool cable too


And here's a pic for channel matching in squig. The scale makes it look bad in REW but the largest deviation is 0.7 dB. Couldn't really hear it at all

The dreaded BA pos with 1% 3rd harmonic...


Insertion Depth:
Deeper does help, but treble extension is still a problem. Nothing major, but it's worth pointing out.
To make these sound good, EQ is mandatory. Thankfully the changes aren't complicated, and 3 filters (one for midbass, one for lowering 5-8 kHz region, one for treble extension) are enough to make this go from bad to excellent

Conclusion:
I bought these for one reason (the faceplate and overall beauty of it) and they not only delivered on that end, but also on a lot of other stuff such as the very good accessories and surprising comfort. And yes, I bought these knowing full well how they sounded and measured.
In the end, this is probably the best purchase I've made this year purely based off of enjoyment. Sound quality out of the box was bad, but does it really matter when it can be fixed easily and everything else is so good?

is gazettzo even back tho bro

Seems dead

# ddHIFI TC44Pro E3 & E3M Impressions

04/12/2025

>ddhifi e3 + e3m review:

  • e3: smaller than I thought it'd be, very cute and portable, great build quality, great sound quality, really nice pre-amp toggle button.
  • e3m: attaches to any magsafe compatible phone/case, very comfy to keep everything AIO

# Tech Tree

03/12/2025


what are techs?

Techs is just THD. The more THD (which costs money) the more techs you hear. Don't overthink something so simple.

techbros...

>IEMs have minimal distortion
only under $50

retard

retardTechs are in the faceplate.

EDC
PRO
SUPREMACY

# EQ Guide User

03/12/2025

the resident EQ Guide user
>doesn't have functional hearing = deaf fuck
>fell in love in CCA CRA after seeing its graph back when it was hot stuff among shitbuds
>after working his ass in local Indian jobs for years could finally afford to buy it along with an used 7/11 coupler
>EQs it to death and back, hallucinates how it would sound despite never hearing it, mental illness
>reads all the Shartman and Sean Olive academic publications without basic reading comprehension
>thinks he transcended his lack of hearing, now he's able to hear everything with his mind and knowledge = mental illness intensifies
>>EQ guide drops
>it becomes his new bible and reason to live
>despite it he still thinks Harman is neutral because he never heard how thin and shouty it is
>naturally attracted esl third worlders to /iemg/

# Tanchjim Fola Impressions

01-02/12/2025

Fola just arrived bwos

informed purchase award goes to you

Kek, I'll take it.

so how is it?


Still trying it out as first impressions are often very biased, also there are many permutations to try out. I have small ears so fit-wise I vastly prefer them to the Blessing 3 and it's not even close.

Mobile app disconnects every time you change EQ preset (just like Moondrop's), which is very annoying, and no WebApp for PC. Their PC software doesn't really work on Linux so I'll try it out later.

Again, can't comment much on the sound yet but I'm very much enjoying it. Good default tuning (only tried DSP so far) and good details. But disclaimer is that I'm someone who believes a $90 pair of pos can already be endgame material.
Also this is first Tanch I bought so I can't compare to their other supposedly identical sets.
That said, I'm definitely selling my B3's.


Yeah, impressions from yesterday remain. I really like the Fola, might as well be my endgame. The nozzles are a complete gimmick, but good in case you lose or damage one idk, stick to Standard.
I also prefer default DSP slightly to Analog.
Most defining characteristic sound wise is how clear and detailed it is, but without sounding sparkly. Some tracks with female vocals sounded very... Sweet? Velvety? I don't know how else to describe then.
They are very small, almost Chu sized, so people with big ears might not like them. Nozzles are thick and hard to put default tips on, I've just been using Sancai Nobles.

heard decent things, glad you found something you enjoy - feel like IEM space is a neverending chase through cheap shit for most people, so settling has to be enlightening.

Thank you, I am feeling pretty satisfied right now. I did remove all other iems I was considering from my cart. Even if there might be something else I could enjoy more, I do feel like there is no point shooting for it. And as I mentioned yesterday, it blows my B3 out of the water, even after EQ.

great seeing you find something that works really nicely for you, good job on the purchase

what about soundstage and imaging?

Great as well, but I haven't tried with games if that's what you're after, at most with some songs that had same instrument going from left to right and back. Instrument separation is very well done.