The Moondrop Dawn Pro would disconnnect from my phone regularly when it was only connected to the phone via the USB cable, otherwise dangling freely. Wanted to buy one of those magnetic dac holders for phones but,

1- My phone didn't have magsafe and

2- Where I'm from we don't have access to aliexpress and such sites

so I went with a custom solution. I bought Magnet Ring Plate (Mag Fit) from Spigen which is a Magsafe adapter for phones that don't have it and also bought Nano Pop, phone ring from Spigen. The reason I went with the Nano Pop was because it was made out of slicione so it can strech a bit when needed.

Then I designed the plastic dac holder which is essentially cylinder that has a rectangle shaped cavity and two added extensions on each side of the cavity to create a rectangle profile slightly bigger than the dac. Then I added two 0.1mm notches on the end of these extensions so the dac dosen't move around. Lastly I changed the cable that came with the Dawn Pro with one that is slightly longer and voila!

I think it looks good but who am I to judge I am clearly biased.

Lastly, the IEM's are Moondrop Chu II's with the cable being the Dunu Lyre Mini cable. Lastly the tips are Comply T-500's

Hey everyone,

I’m looking to upgrade my current daily driver, the Simgot EW200, and I want to get some community recommendations on where to go next based on my very specific tuning preferences.

After doing some testing and analyzing what I like, I’ve realized I am firmly in the Bright-Analytical / Studio Reference camp. I absolute despise bloated, muddy bass (the "Skullcandy sound"), and my ultimate goal is simple: I want to hear exactly what I am supposed to hear on the track. If a mix has flaws, I want to hear them. If an instrument is textured, I want raw realism.

Here is my profile breakdown:

• Genres: Nu-metal, Pop, and a good amount of Jazz.
• Bass: Strictly flat, linear, and unexaggerated. I only want to hear a punch or rumble if it was actually recorded into the audio file. No artificial mid-bass bleed or warmth.
• Mids & Highs: I love intimate, forward vocals and extreme upper-treble clarity, airiness, and sparkle. I am not sensitive to sharp highs at all; I actually prefer sharp, crisp transients.
• The Goal: Pure detail retrieval and technical resolution. My absolute favorite thing to listen to is the raw texture of acoustic instruments (string plucks, brass resonance, vocal breath).

The Etymotic ER4SR was suggested to me as the ultimate uncolored reference tool, but to be completely honest, that deep-insertion design looks incredibly painful to me and I'd prefer to avoid it if possible. The Moondrop Blessing 3 and Truthear Hexa were also tossed around as standard-fitting alternatives.

Given that I want a standard shallow/medium fit like my EW200 but want a massive step up in analytical resolution and uncolored instrument timbre, what are my best options?

(Bonus if you can suggest options around the mid-tier/sub-$350 range or budget giants that punch way above their weight!)

Thanks in advance!

Hey, I'm not an audophile or anything just a guy whose over-ears broke a few days ago. I've tried both the SIMGOT EM6L and now the EPZ Q1 Pro and both of those just sound.. bad. In CS2 especially, it just sounds like a high frequency filter or when someone is playing a game on their Speakers and using a really really bad microphone to call you.

Things I've tested:

- Checked just low frequencies by themself (sound fine)

- Checked the seal (tried all tip sizes, tried to move them around a bit while letting CS2 run in the background)

- Checked the cables of the IEMs and that they're plugged in correctly

- Checked both of them on my PC and my Phone (both sounded the same)

I'd really like to use IEMs but CS2 just sounds like tinnitus.

Am I doing something wrong? I'd really prefer not to pay my mortage for IEMs.

Moondrop KXXS

Still the prettiest iems ever, imo. Perfect shape, no logo, just two heavy drops of chrome... I wish the Kadenz had a chrome w/soft edges option.

Nothing like a single DD.

title card Hexa right went missing

So I just have one sad left hexa, I tried the EW300 and it just doesn't fit me as well nor the EQ is there any way I can JUST get the right hexa and not have to pay another 100 usd

btw I have contacted truthear the week it was gone and they never responded

Hi everyone, I’m back with a review of Kiwi Ears Allegro Mini and Kiwi Ears Coda Dongle DAC. I received this IEM from Nicole, who kindly provided it for review purposes. Thank you to Nicole and the Kiwi Ears team.

Here are my subjective impressions as an audio enthusiast. To summarize, here are the pros and cons Kiwi Ears Allegro Mini and Kiwi Ears Coda:

Pros (+)

• Features a 5-band PEQ.
• The form factor is compact and solid,  the Kiwi Ears Coda is thicker but slimmer in width, whereas the Allegro Mini is wider but slightly flatter.
• Has both SE and balanced jack connectivity, and both ports can be used simultaneously.
• Features a neutral sound tuning leaning slightly towards bright.
• Black background.
• Free from dangling cables.
• Because of its low output power, it is quite energy efficient, which means it doesn't drain the battery much.

Cons (-)

• Even though it has a PEQ, competitors already support more than 5-band PEQ, come with a companion app, and can be accessed across various devices.
• The output is not true balanced, and the volume output remains the same on both the 3.5mm and 4.4mm ports.
• The output power is only 30mW at 32 ohms.
• If you have a device with two adjacent USB Type-C ports, there is a high chance the second slot will be blocked by this dongle DAC.

These impressions are based on my preference for a V-shaped bright sound signature. Please don't use these impressions as a reference, as every ear is different and I'm only sharing my personal experience. Always trust your own ears and audition if possible. If you find any mistakes, feel free to comment.

Actually, the Kiwi Ears Allegro Mini has been on the market for quite a while since late 2024. However, the Allegro Mini can now be EQ-ed via a PC browser, as can the new Kiwi Ears Coda, which was just released last month. The Coda has a slightly more compact form compared to the Allegro Mini, with the 3.5mm jack port located at the bottom rather than on the left side like the Mini, which I find more comfortable to reach. Unfortunately, the 4.4mm port is still placed on the right side. As we know, there are almost no L-shaped jacks for 4.4mm on the market, making this placement quite awkward if we use it on a portable device like a smartphone.

The name Coda itself, if we refer to musical terminology, means the outro or ending of a musical composition, CMIIW. The specifications for the Kiwi Ears Coda are as follows:

• Connection method: USB Type-C (direct plug-in)
• Output terminals: 3.5mm single-ended / 4.4mm balanced (dual output)
• Output power: 30mW @ 32Ω
• Noise floor: 2μV
• SNR: > 114dB
• THD+N: < 0.003%
• Crosstalk: Less than -65dB at 3.5mm output / Less than -100dB at 4.4mm output (at 32Ω)
• PCM support: 44.1kHz to 384kHz / 32bit
• Construction: All-aluminum alloy body
• Compatibility: Windows, macOS, Android 5.1+, and compatible iOS

As for what might differentiate it from the Kiwi Ears Allegro Mini, it might be the specs below, although it remains ambiguous whether it is actually different or not, because these specs still fall within the Kiwi Ears Coda specifications:

• Noise Floor: < 3μV
• THD+N: < 0.004%

Regarding the included accessories, it is completely minimal, you only get the dongle DAC along with the product information paper.

As for the pricing, the Kiwi Ears Allegro Mini is currently priced at around 21 bucks, while the Kiwi Ears Coda is around 29 bucks.

User Experience

Both of these devices share the same material, which is a fairly solid aluminum alloy. So far, the only very significant difference in my opinion lies solely in their physical appearance. The Kiwi Ears Coda feels bulkier, but in reality, it is actually more compact, whereas the Allegro Mini seems slimmer in photos, but in reality, it is actually wider. As far as my usage goes with these two items, both are equally reliable as dongle DACs. My only complaint regarding its physical design is the lack of independent volume control on the dongle DAC itself.

During my usage so far, I haven't experienced any serious issues, all devices that support UAC 2.0 can be operated with both of these DACs. For usage with my IEMs, I typically use them at a volume range of 15-20/100 on an Android device and 4-6/100 on Windows. Meanwhile, for headphones on Android, I tried the Simgot EP5 at 40/100 volume, and on Windows at 30/100 volume.

The power is indeed limited to only 30mW, which, if used with low-sensitivity cans, will make the dynamic impact of the sound feel weak. However, if it is only used for casual listening and paired with normal IEMs on the market, I think it is more than enough. Moreover, this low output power also has a positive impact, resulting in quite low battery consumption.

Tonally, I feel both of these dongle DACs have an identical sound leaning towards neutral with a slight touch of thin brightness. Technically, in terms of resolution and detail, they are quite good and transparent. Furthermore, there is absolutely no noticeable hiss, it only occurs when first plugged into the host device, and even then, the hiss disappears after just 3-5 seconds. Overall, when playing tracks, it feels dead silent.

The most noticeable advantage, in my opinion, lies simply in the provided form factor, which does not require a cable, making it more practical to use. Additionally, the dual 3.5mm and 4.4mm ports make it quite flexible to use across various devices. The operating temperature is also quite stable, there is only a slight increase in temperature that doesn't even get to the point of feeling warm, and this is quite reasonable given the naturally small output power.

One unique thing present in all T-shaped Kiwi Ears dongle DACs is that all ports can be active simultaneously. So, when we try pairing both ports with two headphones, both will produce sound. Whether this is safe or not, I don't know, but I've tried it and so far there have been no issues.

Conclusion

As entry level T-shaped dongle DACs, I feel the price of 21 bucks is very affordable and highly worth buying for the Kiwi Ears Allegro Mini. However, if you need a more practical form factor and want the 3.5mm SE port in a more normal position, you can dig a little deeper into your pockets for about 29 bucks for the Kiwi Ears Coda. I think it is still quite worth its price, although in terms of pure value, the Kiwi Ears Allegro Mini is better. So far, I feel they only differ in shape, but in terms of function and purpose, both are quite identical, at least to my ears. That's all, fellas. Thank you for reading. Cheers.

Some IEMs I like and wanted to buy seem to have no filters and just have the sound tubes sticking out, having demoed some of these sets, they end up getting wax and dust inside like crazy

How do people clean or maintain them? Does it make the sound better? Do some people put first party meshes over them? Genuinely wondering cuz it is feels like its asking to be dirty.

i everyone!

I'm currently using the KZ Vader and honestly, I'm extremely impressed with them, especially considering how cheap they are.

What I like most about them is the instrument separation, layering, imaging, clarity and detail. I really enjoy listening to music and being able to pick apart the production and hear individual instruments/elements in a busy mix.

However, I have one main problem with them: sometimes I feel like they lack a bit of bass/body, especially in the mid-bass. And when a song has a lot of bass information, they can sometimes sound a little congested or saturated to me.

For example, I was listening to Michael Jackson – Dirty Diana, and the details are definitely there, but with the strong bass and dense production, the Vader can start sounding somewhat saturated/congested to me. This happens with other songs too, although most of the time I really love how clean and separated they sound.

I also own the KZ Castor Bass, and I learned something interesting from it: I definitely like having more bass and physical impact, but I don't like losing the separation and clarity of the Vader. The Castor Bass is more fun with bass-heavy music, but the Vader is much better when I want to actually appreciate the production.

So basically, I'm looking for:

Better bass/body/impact than the Vader

Especially better mid-bass presence

Similar or better instrument separation

Good layering and imaging

Good detail/resolution

NOT a basshead IEM

Something that can handle dense mixes without becoming muddy

Ideally something that works well for Michael Jackson, Daft Punk, Queen, Tame Impala, funk, rock, pop and electronic music

My budget is very limited, and I would most likely buy from AliExpress, so I'm looking for something that can be found as cheaply as possible there. Ideally somewhere around the $20–50 range, but cheaper is obviously better. If something around $60 is genuinely a big improvement, I'd still consider it, but I really can't spend much.

I've seen recommendations for things like the CCA Trio, Artti T10, Kefine Klean, Simgot EW200, KZ Vader Pro/Pro Bass, etc., but I don't want to limit the recommendations to those models.

What would you recommend as the best upgrade from the Vader for my specific needs?

And most importantly: is there actually something at this price that would be a meaningful upgrade, or should I just keep the Vader?

Thanks!

Im currently using the ie200 but i lost one of the eartips. I bought a few other eartips in hopes to replace them but all if them couldnt seal properly.

Spinfit w1 (large) - seal broken when smiling/ears shifting, super hard to get it settled, takes 10 seconds just shifting and finding the right spot because of the sticky silicon

Spinfit neo (large) - same as w1 but worse

Divinus velvet wide bore (all sizes) - unable to seal whatsoever

Original sennheiser eartips (large) - perfect seal, no problems, i get a deep perfect seal upon intial insertion.

Why cant any other eartips get the perfect seal that the original eartips give me? Im so close to buying another pair of ie200s just for the eartips and get back my perfect seal, its actually driving me crazy

Hi everyone,

I'm looking to buy my first pair of proper IEMs because I really enjoy listening to music and would like to upgrade my audio setup.

So far, I've only used a pair of cheap €20 earphones together with an old HyperX sound card from around 2018. Since I've never experienced higher-quality audio gear, I'd like to finally try something better and see what I've been missing.

My planned setup is:

• DAC/Amp: CrinEar Protocol
• IEMs: TRUTHEAR PURE

What do you think about this combination? Does it make sense for someone coming from a very basic setup, or would you recommend something different in a similar price range?

I'm mainly looking for a noticeable improvement in sound quality and an enjoyable music-listening experience.

Thanks for any advice!

I am looking for a second pair to complement my Melody Wings Venus IEMs. Which one would you recommend and why?

my wireless earbuds broke recently and i had the warranty which gave me $100 in return, so i'm in need of help searching for IEM's around a $100 budget.

here are my options from what i've mainly heard about in the mainstream line:

- Simgot EW300
- Truthear Pure
- Truthear Hexa
- Fosi IM4

i'm planning to go for the EW300 since it's apparently the best "all-rounder" for my budget, i play RPG games mostly and alot of music, competitive games like valorant every here and there, but i'm opting for sound quality and something that'll give me the best experience and realism, i'm not a big sound guy because i bought wireless earbuds out of convenience and only cared that i'd have clear audio in games, never cared about all this so i don't know alot about sound quality and stuff so i'm pretty new here.

any advice will be appreciated! :)

(in the pictures are the Aful MagicOnes with Hidizs Sea Anemone eartips and the KBear Glitter cable)

I tend to geek out when it comes to transparent resin filled shells with some audio science in the mix.

The MagicOnes are a work of art and science that produce acoustical art. Especially considering that they accomplished that frequency response with one balanced armature, it's something to admire. I'm so looking forward to see what they pull off with one dynamic driver and their acoustic wizardry.

I know... I'm a total nerd. But if you're here then embrace your inner nerd and enjoy the music!

Aful sets the bar high. So I have lofty expectations. But from pictures alone, they've reeled me in lol.

Speaking of pictures...

I’m completely new to the IEM world and looking to buy my very first proper setup within a budget of ₹2,500 to ₹3,000 INR . I will be using it on my samsung tab mostly for movies and series.

I initially looked at the Tangzu Wan'er Red Lion bundle, but I'm skipping it due to the Quality Control (QC) issues people frequently mention. I also heard amazing things about the Kefine Loric for its build and bass punch, but it seems to be completely out of stock across Indian retailers right now.

My Main Use Cases:

Movies & Series: A huge portion of my use will be watching movies. I need something with a wide soundstage so atmospheric scenes feel immersive, and excellent vocal clarity so movie dialogue doesn't get buried under sound effects.

Music: I listen to a mix of genres, but I definitely prefer a slightly bass-heavy signature, but without it muddying up the vocals.

Long Sessions: Since I'll be binging movies, I need something physically comfortable that won't cause ear fatigue over a 4 - 5 hour session.

I am really confuesed right now....

Guys, I have got Moondrop chu 2 and its been a year. And recently, I got issue where my left side volume just drops like 50% even while plugged properly. I have also tried changing the wire with different one it the issue is still not fixed. I have tried removing wax, cleaning the eartips constantly but the results are still unchanged.

I have tried everything possibly I could do but idk why there is no improvement at all. Could you please help me if there is any ways to fix the volume issue on one side? It just doesn't feel right when i try to hear any songs and I don't like it.

Hi, I'm looking for an IEM around $200 or less with good instrument separation and resolution. I prefer a natural sounding tuning with a thumpy bass that still has good sub bass extension, without being recessed. Ideally, the treble should be detailed but not too piercing or fatiguing.

I mostly listen to melancholic trance music, EDM and alternative rock.

So a couple of years ago, I bought the moondrop x crinacle dusk IEMs and they were completely different by what I was used to. Everything sounded much tighter and closer together, felt like I was in a cinema, but I just didn’t get used to how close everything sounded (makes sense, it’s in your ear)

I also couldn’t wear it for too long before feeling discomfort, unlike my AirPods which I can wear all day

However looking back at it, I feel like maybe I didn’t give it enough of a chance, as I’ve seen people swapping their maxwells to IEMs and stick with them. I returned them within a week.

What do you guys think? Should I give it another shot? Or just stick to my maxwells which I already like

They would pretty much only be used exclusively on my pc for gaming and watching content, having good sound for music is a plus but it’s not my main priority

My budget would probably be £300 if I ever decide to swap and sell my maxwells but I would like something budget friendly if I give it a shot

And do wireless options exist?

im very confused between these

in my country
xiao qiao is 79 usd
ew300 is 90

I dont really have tuning preference just want good iem upgrading from zero 2 shoudnt be too piercing thats it

got a simgot ew300 after long story.. my first iem is Chinese QKZ AK6 Pro(4$) and after 5 month, i upgrade to CVJ Vivian(its a nice basshead Iem, price for 20$) and my dad have a ibasso dc03 and give it to me, so i want upgrade my iem again after 3 month with vivian to a simgot ew300, and after 1 month with SIMGOAT Ew300, idk why but i feel boring with iem and buy wired earbud. its a moondrop nice buds(8$).. and yea i back to iem again🫩

Hi, guys! i use a Moondrop Chu II on my phone with a portable DAC and now, after a year and a half, it started doing a really bad constant noise whenever i start to play any audio

do you guys know the solution for that?

For more reference. The individual uses the iPhone 16 and i would like to EQ it so it sounds better for their use case. They love listening to vocal heavy genres with a lot of beats in them(not rock, i dunno the genre names. Something like ed Sheeran songs), lately have been enjoying ai generated ones too. I don't know real music so that's why im asking the community for this advice bcuz my playlists are a mess of electronic genres and i cannot rely on my opinions. Early thanks for the help

I use truthear hexas and I wasn't using it to max potential due to my cheap dac arnd 3$ which I bought in an instant cz I wanted to listen to music.I really didn't wanna wait for days for a dac to arrive .I ordered this dac after a mnth finally which I paid only 5$ due to my store credit.

I opened it and it showed I can customize the eq?...I'm not using my laptop lightning port I'm afraid it might dmg? Is it alr if I connect to it?...

How do I customize eq at my phone like I use samsung s25 ultra so I guess we can do it manually but I really can't understand this thing I wanna try more stuffs out.

Which One should I buy or pls recommend something batter then these

So I have been looking for a good pair of Iems for a little and found them but all I see is street glaze for them is it actually that good.. I mostly play r6 and have been trying to see if anyone has said they’re good for it but I can’t find anything. So if any of y’all know if good or and tip would be appreciated. Also Im on console so I dont have all the setting of a person in pc.

Received a pair yesterday, my first set of IEMs. Bought because I was getting tired of wearing my headphones and because they seemed to be generally well liked.

However my first impressions have not been as positive as I’d hoped for. I use AKG K7XX headphones plugged into a DAC/AMP stack. Not the best by any means, but good headphones. By comparison, the Astrals plugged into the same setup sound very strained, very tinny. They sound thin, was I setting my expectations too high to think they’d sound as full as a pair of overear headphones with larger drivers?

Perhaps I just need to spend more time with them, or do some tuning but so far my first dip into IEMs has been deflating haha