I just got these yesterday, and bought with my own money at Keephifi for $32 with the coupon from signing up for their mailing list. Photos are at the bottom to keep things organized. These are a good choice if you like V shaped tuning, but the field is really crowded at this price point. The box, tips, and cables are nice, and nothing I'd replace (but tips will depend on your own fit).
Test system: I use a Topping E70 9028Pro DAC and A70 Pro amplifier on optical USB cable via a Yottamaster hub. I measured the noise floor just as quiet as optical SPDIF but really convenient using the hub. My daily driver IEM is a Tanchjim Ola to compare it to. I've had a chance to use over 450 headphones and IEMs for my business. I'll try to draw comparisons to some if it's competitors in the price range. My favored tuning is Harman with flat bass response that extends all the way down, so they're versatile for gaming.
Comfort: The first thing I notice was how they felt just like the Truthear Zero Blue, no hard edges and they fit perfectly. The cable attachment is smooth and the shells are lightweight. After a few minutes you won't even feel you're wearing anything. The cable is non microphonic and coated so it won't tangle easily. The multicolor panel on them is a lot more conservative in normal lighting, not as bright as they look in promotional photos.
Sound: They come installed with the black ring tuning nozzles, which I think are the best ones for versatility. The green ones are bright, like Beyerdynamic bright. The treble peak goes on a while in a much used frequency range. The pink nozzles were too laid back, spatial qualities were lost with the lowered treble response. The black is the Goldilocks tuning which most people will like.
The bass elevation is consistent no matter which you use. It's predictable but not very defined, and no bass "slam" if that's what you're looking for. For most music it's very good though, but on bass heavy tracks it can sound a little muddy when bass is hitting hard. It's more like the elevation being so consistent makes it sound less resolving, or less distinct for different instruments. Describing sound is difficult, but the effect is the bass is good for everything except hard hitting EDM or hip hop, because the boost is the same across the range and it's less distinctive.
Mids and vocals: These are V shaped no matter which nozzles you use, and terrific if that's the tuning you want. Vocals lack presence to some extent, but it's not like a Beyerdynamic DT990 where they sound like they're being sung 10 feet away, it's not that recessed. Mids just aren't front and center when a singer really lets loose. Instruments like violins don't sound full or lush. It's not as thin as the Truthear Zero Red, but not as filled out as the Blue edition of those.
Treble: It's very good, the best part of the tuning if you're a "treblehead". Cymbals and high hats sound snappy and clear. It's where the tuning nozzles really make the difference. The green is full tilt, the black I think is the best of both worlds, and pink is too laid back. The pink option is good if you're treble sensitive in the range of the others. It never sounded congested, even during really busy metal tracks.
Gaming: The bass boost is consistent, but not ideal for explosion heavy games. In Destiny 2 go to the Moon on a nightmare hunt and you'll hear the worst case scenario for gaming explosions, it's epic. The bass was overwhelming no matter then nozzle in situations like that. For other titles where the music soundtrack is the star of the show, they'll be really good. Imaging was ok, but I've heard better. Soundstage was medium for an IEM. V shaped tuning isn't ideal for gaming since footsteps happen in the vocal range depending on surface and footwear. The KZ Castor with all switches down is better, and the Seeaudio Yume II is kingpin for depth and width of soundstage.
Overall value and competition: On the sale price I got, they're decent value and fairly versatile with the tuning nozzles. I wish the nozzles did more than just adjust the treble response. If there was a flat (as in no bass boost) they're be great for all day gaming because of the epic comfort. There's so much competition in this price range like the Moondrop Chu 2, Tanchjim Ola, Crinnacle Zero:2 and many others. The shell design seems to have a light resonance in it, maybe from the material. For this price point I'm sticking with my Tanchjim Ola for a daily driver. It was nice to try them, but these are for V shaped fans even with the pink nozzle. They're worth it if you like that tuning profile, and especially if you wear IEMs all day because of the comfort factor. Don't worry about your source, very flexible about output impedence. Sensitive enough you won't need an amplifier.
These are good for V shaped fans, all day wearers for demand smooth comfort with a hint of style in the design.
These aren't good for FPS gamers, EDM/Hiphop, those who love a strong vocal presence or lush acoustics like violins.
Test system: I use a Topping E70 9028Pro DAC and A70 Pro amplifier on optical USB cable via a Yottamaster hub. I measured the noise floor just as quiet as optical SPDIF but really convenient using the hub. My daily driver IEM is a Tanchjim Ola to compare it to. I've had a chance to use over 450 headphones and IEMs for my business. I'll try to draw comparisons to some if it's competitors in the price range. My favored tuning is Harman with flat bass response that extends all the way down, so they're versatile for gaming.
Comfort: The first thing I notice was how they felt just like the Truthear Zero Blue, no hard edges and they fit perfectly. The cable attachment is smooth and the shells are lightweight. After a few minutes you won't even feel you're wearing anything. The cable is non microphonic and coated so it won't tangle easily. The multicolor panel on them is a lot more conservative in normal lighting, not as bright as they look in promotional photos.
Sound: They come installed with the black ring tuning nozzles, which I think are the best ones for versatility. The green ones are bright, like Beyerdynamic bright. The treble peak goes on a while in a much used frequency range. The pink nozzles were too laid back, spatial qualities were lost with the lowered treble response. The black is the Goldilocks tuning which most people will like.
The bass elevation is consistent no matter which you use. It's predictable but not very defined, and no bass "slam" if that's what you're looking for. For most music it's very good though, but on bass heavy tracks it can sound a little muddy when bass is hitting hard. It's more like the elevation being so consistent makes it sound less resolving, or less distinct for different instruments. Describing sound is difficult, but the effect is the bass is good for everything except hard hitting EDM or hip hop, because the boost is the same across the range and it's less distinctive.
Mids and vocals: These are V shaped no matter which nozzles you use, and terrific if that's the tuning you want. Vocals lack presence to some extent, but it's not like a Beyerdynamic DT990 where they sound like they're being sung 10 feet away, it's not that recessed. Mids just aren't front and center when a singer really lets loose. Instruments like violins don't sound full or lush. It's not as thin as the Truthear Zero Red, but not as filled out as the Blue edition of those.
Treble: It's very good, the best part of the tuning if you're a "treblehead". Cymbals and high hats sound snappy and clear. It's where the tuning nozzles really make the difference. The green is full tilt, the black I think is the best of both worlds, and pink is too laid back. The pink option is good if you're treble sensitive in the range of the others. It never sounded congested, even during really busy metal tracks.
Gaming: The bass boost is consistent, but not ideal for explosion heavy games. In Destiny 2 go to the Moon on a nightmare hunt and you'll hear the worst case scenario for gaming explosions, it's epic. The bass was overwhelming no matter then nozzle in situations like that. For other titles where the music soundtrack is the star of the show, they'll be really good. Imaging was ok, but I've heard better. Soundstage was medium for an IEM. V shaped tuning isn't ideal for gaming since footsteps happen in the vocal range depending on surface and footwear. The KZ Castor with all switches down is better, and the Seeaudio Yume II is kingpin for depth and width of soundstage.
Overall value and competition: On the sale price I got, they're decent value and fairly versatile with the tuning nozzles. I wish the nozzles did more than just adjust the treble response. If there was a flat (as in no bass boost) they're be great for all day gaming because of the epic comfort. There's so much competition in this price range like the Moondrop Chu 2, Tanchjim Ola, Crinnacle Zero:2 and many others. The shell design seems to have a light resonance in it, maybe from the material. For this price point I'm sticking with my Tanchjim Ola for a daily driver. It was nice to try them, but these are for V shaped fans even with the pink nozzle. They're worth it if you like that tuning profile, and especially if you wear IEMs all day because of the comfort factor. Don't worry about your source, very flexible about output impedence. Sensitive enough you won't need an amplifier.
These are good for V shaped fans, all day wearers for demand smooth comfort with a hint of style in the design.
These aren't good for FPS gamers, EDM/Hiphop, those who love a strong vocal presence or lush acoustics like violins.
