Haven't thought about this one in a while. Thanks.

Exactly one, or at least one?

Yeah, I'm not chasing after any particular tuning. I've had enough "neutral" headphones over the years. I try to keep my collection usefully and interestingly diverse. I like looking for unusual IEMs that sound good, but in unexpected ways.

The MagicOne is on my radar, along with the Kiwi Ears Quintet. Both of them simply because they're engineering marvels. No idea if I'll like listening to either one. I mean, with so many competent IEMs on the market, it seems like uniqueness matters more than simply "sounding good," anyway...

The new ones sound good, but I really don't like how they feel. Both too stiff and too soft at the same time. Like cardboard wrapped in tissue paper. Definitely interested in trying out some aftermarket pads.

Speaking of budget-fi, I jumped into IEMs at the $200 level (Orchestra Lite) then promptly leapt straight to the $600 level (Symphonium Meteor). After spending the past week "window shopping" for another solid set in the $200 range, I came to a realization that most of you probably came to long...

I'm a relative newcomer to IEMs, but a longtime full-size headphone and speaker enthusiast who uses EQ extensively. I actually started a thread on this very subject: Is EQing IEMs a fool's errand? A few things I've learned on the subject: 1) There is a much steeper learning curve to EQing IEMs...

Continuing down my new rabbit hole of matching my headphones/IEMs to specific genres and recordings instead of using EQ to normalize everything. I've discovered that despite an FR graph that shows a massive dip in the upper mids and treble, the Symphonium Meteor just needs more volume to level...

From the other end of the price range, I think the Kiwi Ears Quintet measures very close to the Softears Volume (I only know because I've been eyeing both sets myself).

I'm guessing a lot of us don't really separate the two pursuits: gear and music. So why not share both? Dang, do I love an oboe. It's the most haunting of all instruments, even when it's played upbeat.

My recent toe-dipping into IEMs has inspired me to chase genres that suit specific headphone tunings rather than rely so much on EQ. I spent the afternoon chasing good genres for my Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite, a very warm and mid-centric IEM. I landed on this classic from my younger years...

On the plus side, it means I am now pretty well versed in different tip types, materials, shapes, etc. EDIT: Four days now with the Comply foam tips on the Symphonium Meteor. They work every time without much fussing. Feeling good about these tips.

I haven't, but I am curious what pads you or other people have tried. I'm not a fan of the stock pads on the HD 600. Are there any consensus pads to check out? ZMFs?

No. Sorry. I was being sarcastic.

Now that I'm fully committing to the HD 600 only for genre-specific listening, I'm rediscovering their awesomeness. So great with acoustic instruments, especially live ones. HD 600 < Singxer SA-1 < Mojo 2 < PC (Roon) Martha Argerich in Verbier (2022) I have yet to listen to a recording of...

That tracks. My HE6se v2's are for when I don't want to think about the fact that I'm wearing headphones: live performances, games, movies.

I love the sound of the Divinus Velvet tips. They're surprisingly rigid, probably because of the very thick central bore cylinder. That gives them a really nice (for me) timbre in the lows. It literally feels like it vibrates/resonates against my ear in really low (inaudible) frequencies. And...

Seriously. Kids these days. Even Doc Martens come already broken in now. Man, I remember blood for weeks before those things got soft! Those boots were (eventually) more comfortable than I'd ever imagined a boot/shoe could be. All it took was putting up with a couple weeks of pure agonizing foot...

Can't speak to using it with a Poly, but I use my Mojo 2 regularly with an iPhone, a PC, and occasionally a MacBook Air. Each has its own quirks in terms of setup, but sound quality isn't very different from one to the other. Biggest issue for me is that if I don't turn the Mojo 2 on before...

Awesome. And yeah, DACs absolutely matter. They just don't matter as much as headphones. For my needs and my gear, I see no reason to go beyond a Mojo 2. I'd likely have to spend substantially more to reap audible benefits.

Three days with a set of Comply 500-series foam tips, and so far these might be the most consistently good fit with the short-nozzled Symphonium Meteor for me. My ear anatomy has made these IEMs a big challenge. I got the three-shape variety pack of Comply foams, but all three (cylinder, round...

Sensitivity on the Sundara is 92dB, so that's the likely culprit. Mojo 2 generally seems to do fine with planars, so I'd just keep an eye out for higher sensitivity specs than the Sundara's. I can drive the HE6se v2 with the Mojo 2, and while it gets plenty loud, it's definitely underpowered...

I recently tried a foam/silicone combo (SeeAudio Render tips). They were great initially, but pretty quickly the silicone and foam stopped cooperating with one another. Made it a pretty fussy fit for me, but I've also got very fussy ears so YMMV.

Blargh. It's the reason I always go with the smallest phone size I can get. Most phones are too big for pockets.

It's at least some relief to know it isn't just me. I've been endlessly cycling through tip after tip. Just when I think I find the ideal tip, I return to it the next day to find that I can't get the same angle, seal, or depth. Argh. But then I'll go back to a tip I had completely dismissed and...