[RMesser9]

About a year ago, I got the RikuBuds Alter Archer 1 (AA1) and only listened to them for a little bit. First impressions at the time were that they were pretty good but uncomfortable. My sound preferences have since changed, especially since I got studio monitors and recently got into drums, and I have slowly figured out what kind of sound I like. I decided to try these out after months of not listening to them. I connected these buds to my JDS Labs Atom amp and DAC, with and without the iFi IEMatch+ (which I didn't notice much difference).

Done with the provided complete foams. Though this measurement is close to what I hear, take it with a huge grain of salt. Baskingshark wrote a great post on earbud measurements.


Unfortunately, I figured out I was unable to get a proper fit. Instead of the n-shaped sound that was intended, I got more of a somewhat AKG K701ish tonality. It’s got lean bass, thin and shouty mids, bright mid-treble, and lack of air. The 1.6kHz peak was the first thing I noticed and it does affect the timbre of vocals and instruments. It seems to show up regardless of positioning.

One of my reference tracks is Opeth’s “Windowpane”. Many headphones I’ve heard suffer here because they make the hi-hats and cymbals piercing in the upper treble. However, the AA1 has the opposite problem in that it the sizzle/air in the cymbals are notably subdued. That, combined with the mid-treble peaks, make drums sound plasticky. Also, the lower-mids and bass being subdued thins out Mikael’s vocals and the bass drum is really difficult to hear.

It’d be really unfair to give a “final score” since the MX500 shell doesn’t fit my ears. The bell shell like the one on the Sivga M200 seemed to be better, but I’ll have to purchase the M200 again since it broke months back. I was able to EQ the AA1 to my target, and it actually sounds really nice and fixes a lot of the issues I’ve had. The drivers crackle around 20Hz at high volumes, but other than that, it is very natural and correct sounding.

If anyone has any earbud suggestions, I'd be glad to look into them. I do prefer the sound presentation of buds over IEMs and over-ear headphones.

 

[Qualcheduno]

I suppose it will depend on your definition of a good signature for those genres, but for me, one of the least offensive with shredding guitars is the Yincrow RW2000. I personally find the Yinman 2.0 600 the best with this stuff, but you wanted easy to drive.

Honorary mention for those genres could go to the FiiO FF3. They do have a bit of a fatiguing sound in the 2k-5k region though (though not as bad as a lot other sets out there).

If, however, you want to go the other way, and you are closer to a treble head, the Yincrow RW3000 are also excellent for that type of music; and they do have good bass extention also, just maybe not as much overall quantity. The problem with these is that they are over your budget.

Bottom line is that any one of these I would consider TOTL buds.

For budget buds, the new FiiO FF1 would be good with this type of music, though this will be a set that changes its sound very highly with different sources IME.

Thanks for the answer! My preferred signature for those genres is either a slightly downward slope or neutral with a bass boost. Harsh/grainy treble is definitely a no-no, but I also don't want my music to sound overly smooth and polite

 

[gooberbm]

About a year ago, I got the RikuBuds Alter Archer 1 (AA1) and only listened to them for a little bit. First impressions at the time were that they were pretty good but uncomfortable. My sound preferences have since changed, especially since I got studio monitors and recently got into drums, and I have slowly figured out what kind of sound I like. I decided to try these out after months of not listening to them. I connected these buds to my JDS Labs Atom amp and DAC, with and without the iFi IEMatch+ (which I didn't notice much difference).


Done with the provided complete foams. Though this measurement is close to what I hear, take it with a huge grain of salt. Baskingshark wrote a great post on earbud measurements.


Unfortunately, I figured out I was unable to get a proper fit. Instead of the n-shaped sound that was intended, I got more of a somewhat AKG K701ish tonality. It’s got lean bass, thin and shouty mids, bright mid-treble, and lack of air. The 1.6kHz peak was the first thing I noticed and it does affect the timbre of vocals and instruments. It seems to show up regardless of positioning.

One of my reference tracks is Opeth’s “Windowpane”. Many headphones I’ve heard suffer here because they make the hi-hats and cymbals piercing in the upper treble. However, the AA1 has the opposite problem in that it the sizzle/air in the cymbals are notably subdued. That, combined with the mid-treble peaks, make drums sound plasticky. Also, the lower-mids and bass being subdued thins out Mikael’s vocals and the bass drum is really difficult to hear.

It’d be really unfair to give a “final score” since the MX500 shell doesn’t fit my ears. The bell shell like the one on the Sivga M200 seemed to be better, but I’ll have to purchase the M200 again since it broke months back. I was able to EQ the AA1 to my target, and it actually sounds really nice and fixes a lot of the issues I’ve had. The drivers crackle around 20Hz at high volumes, but other than that, it is very natural and correct sounding.

If anyone has any earbud suggestions, I'd be glad to look into them. I do prefer the sound presentation of buds over IEMs and over-ear headphones.

Riki’s Gen 3 buds. It’s a custom shell and fits way better than an MX500 shell

 

[RMesser9]

Riki’s Gen 3 buds. It’s a custom shell and fits way better than an MX500 shell

Oh cool! I'll have to get one of his buds again. I really want to give them a proper chance since the build quality is really good, and I had a good experience purchasing one from him. I think the Alter Rider 3 may be close to what I prefer.

 

[fooltoque]

If, however, you want to go the other way, and you are closer to a treble head, the Yincrow RW3000 are also excellent for that type of music; and they do have good bass extention also, just maybe not as much overall quantity. The problem with these is that they are over your budget.

Treble head? I think that the problem here is that we have an overabundance of bass heads in this crowd I would think of RW3000 as more neutral. And honestly I absolutely love the bass on these buds. It is so lush and detailed. Harsh treble? definitely NO. Polite treble? Also NO

 

[samandhi]

I'm glad CKLewis came through for you. I like the A-Bells as well, for some reason I find them a little addicting when I decide to use them. I did build some buds with the same dual piezo / DD drive in a MX500 shell (posted a few pages back). My build basically sounds like the A-Bells, but not as loud, so I have to crank the volume up higher. I think the dual driver combined with the metal bell housing create that sound signature of the A-Bells.

I also find them addicting, and in the same way I found the M2s Pro too.

I saw your post on these, and I am glad that you have a successful and pleasing sound to you. I think piezo drivers are up and coming in their tech. I am glad of this because I happen to like all the IEMs that I have with them.

About a year ago, I got the RikuBuds Alter Archer 1 (AA1) and only listened to them for a little bit. First impressions at the time were that they were pretty good but uncomfortable. My sound preferences have since changed, especially since I got studio monitors and recently got into drums, and I have slowly figured out what kind of sound I like. I decided to try these out after months of not listening to them. I connected these buds to my JDS Labs Atom amp and DAC, with and without the iFi IEMatch+ (which I didn't notice much difference).


Done with the provided complete foams. Though this measurement is close to what I hear, take it with a huge grain of salt. Baskingshark wrote a great post on earbud measurements.


Unfortunately, I figured out I was unable to get a proper fit. Instead of the n-shaped sound that was intended, I got more of a somewhat AKG K701ish tonality. It’s got lean bass, thin and shouty mids, bright mid-treble, and lack of air. The 1.6kHz peak was the first thing I noticed and it does affect the timbre of vocals and instruments. It seems to show up regardless of positioning.

One of my reference tracks is Opeth’s “Windowpane”. Many headphones I’ve heard suffer here because they make the hi-hats and cymbals piercing in the upper treble. However, the AA1 has the opposite problem in that it the sizzle/air in the cymbals are notably subdued. That, combined with the mid-treble peaks, make drums sound plasticky. Also, the lower-mids and bass being subdued thins out Mikael’s vocals and the bass drum is really difficult to hear.

It’d be really unfair to give a “final score” since the MX500 shell doesn’t fit my ears. The bell shell like the one on the Sivga M200 seemed to be better, but I’ll have to purchase the M200 again since it broke months back. I was able to EQ the AA1 to my target, and it actually sounds really nice and fixes a lot of the issues I’ve had. The drivers crackle around 20Hz at high volumes, but other than that, it is very natural and correct sounding.

If anyone has any earbud suggestions, I'd be glad to look into them. I do prefer the sound presentation of buds over IEMs and over-ear headphones.

Other than it being more skewed than other measurements I have seen, this looks like a typical(ish) reading for earbuds. Fitment for earbuds is paramount (as you well know), and this is also the reason that I normally buy something with a shell similar to something like the Yincrow RWxxx, Yinman, or FiiO's buds. MX500 shells do not fit me well at all either, though I am able to get a good placement as long as I don't move... I have also found that I can get a great fit from the DP100 shell.

Thanks for the answer! My preferred signature for those genres is either a slightly downward slope or neutral with a bass boost. Harsh/grainy treble is definitely a no-no, but I also don't want my music to sound overly smooth and polite

Treble head? I think that the problem here is that we have an overabundance of bass heads in this crowd I would think of RW3000 as more neutral. And honestly I absolutely love the bass on these buds. It is so lush and detailed. Harsh treble? definitely NO. Polite treble? Also NO

You certainly aren't wrong here. I think that using the term treble-head was a bit of overkill, and I didn't mean to suggest that the RW3000 were treble-head buds; nor did I mean that you had to be an actual treble-head to enjoy them. What I meant and (possibly) said wrong is that if you are the type of person that likes to hear the shredding guitar along with an airy presentation that also has good second harmonics over all else, then the RW3000 were a good choice over some of the other choices that reveal the bass more than these do. Keep in mind that the comparison is meant for metal type of music also.

These never have harsh treble (and I CAN be a treble-head with some sets, as it doesn't bother me), nor is it too polite. But in comparison to others I suggested they might sound a bit closer to a treble-head presentation; certainly not like the Chaconne where the bass is there but buried behind the mids and treble though.

As a matter of fact, and speaking of the Chaconne, I actually like the Chaconne for certain moods when I want to hear guitars, vocals, all of those things more than anything else.

 

[fooltoque]

. What I meant and (possibly) said wrong is that if you are the type of person that likes to hear the shredding guitar along with an airy presentation that also has good second harmonics over all else, then the RW3000 were a good choice over some of the other choices that reveal the bass more than these do. Keep in mind that the comparison is meant for metal type of music also.

I so agree with this statement. But yeah, it is double the OP's budget even on sale, as you mentioned.

 

[Serge Bernamej]

Hello friends, does anybody know if there is an equivalent to the Vido but with a smaller shell ? The QianYun Qian39 69 is way more expensive, otherwise i think it would be great.

 

[MiMiranda]

Hello everyone, I've been out of the earbud game for a long time, and now I'd like to buy a new pair. I mainly listen to metal, hard rock and synthwave, so what I'm looking for is something easy to drive, with a balanced sound, good bass extension (for a earbud of course), good dynamics (a polite earbud wouldn't pair well with Entombed and AC/DC). Detachable cable isn't a must but is a plus. I'd like to keep my budget under 100€.
Thanks in advance!

Maybe Yincrow Calf is an option?
Leaning toward RW-2000 Signatur, and it fits the budget.
I don't listen to metal, but some mentioned the RW-2000 to be good for this genre.

 

[samandhi]

Maybe Yincrow Calf is an option?
Leaning toward RW-2000 Signatur, and it fits the budget.
I don't listen to metal, but some mentioned the RW-2000 to be good for this genre.

Potentially a good suggestion, though I have not heard those.

 

[AsciiJC]

Busy with life, so I made an earbud shell for fun! Going to print it out soon and will update on the general shape/sound.

 

[mt877]

Treble head? I think that the problem here is that we have an overabundance of bass heads in this crowd I would think of RW3000 as more neutral. And honestly I absolutely love the bass on these buds. It is so lush and detailed. Harsh treble? definitely NO. Polite treble? Also NO

The RW3000 is one of my favorite buds and I agree with what you said about them.

I also find them addicting, and in the same way I found the M2s Pro too.

I saw your post on these, and I am glad that you have a successful and pleasing sound to you. I think piezo drivers are up and coming in their tech. I am glad of this because I happen to like all the IEMs that I have with them.

Thanks. I thought I was gonna try tuning those buds again, but I think they're tuned perfectly (for my ears). Those buds like extra power and sound great sourced by a Starving Student II amp. The SSII amp was designed by Pete Millett and I built it from a kit.

 

[mt877]

I sent my entire collection of DIY buds to Charlyro222 so he'll have LOL entertainment until he gets tired of them.

meanwhile I made a great Bud, and I'm also thankful that I can't compare it with the ones I like the most, so I've been able to make a different bud that has really blown my mind... a construction of about €20 that is IMO a bud to be among the best I've ever heard.

Looking good! You always wow us with your wonderful builds and those retro buds have some style.

However I think FF5 should be in my collection. I write it down as a pending subject for 2023. It offers a leap in design in that scheme of interesting things that I have in my head

Note: that new bud that I showed, you must build it.

Back in February '23, @FranQL said I must build the buds he uploaded a picture of... and so I built them today.

@FranQL, thank you for the encouragement. I have tuned them to my utmost perfection and I can understand now why you said the buds you built had blown your mind, because the sound these buds produce is excellent, TOTL, no joke.

DP100 shell with 75Ω Nanofiber Bio Composite Diaphragm

 

[harrihart]

I've never heard of this happening to others, and mine also show no signs of that, so I think you can be fairly confident that a replacement or repair would solve your problem.

My set has not had any such issues... Sounds like they just didn't use the (inordinate amount of) glue they normally use on your set...

+1

Thanks for the info. I managed to find the part. It was a goddamn miracle. After trying to find it for days and giving up, it suddenly appeared on top of my office chair. And I live alone. And have checked that chair inside and out. Apparently I had also been sitting on top of it for hours. But no longer than that, because I could see it immediately, when I came back to my chair. It wasn't there before. I don't get it. But no more of that.

I can put it back, but it doesn't stay much at all. I don't know what was even keeping it there? Magnet? I don't see glue, at least the part is clean. The other ones also move so easily, I'm not ready to use these at all, before I find a solution to keep them together. Maybe I need super glue. Inside or outside? Hmm.

 

[fooltoque]

Thanks for the info. I managed to find the part. It was a goddamn miracle. After trying to find it for days and giving up, it suddenly appeared on top of my office chair. And I live alone. And have checked that chair inside and out. Apparently I had also been sitting on top of it for hours. But no longer than that, because I could see it immediately, when I came back to my chair. It wasn't there before. I don't get it. But no more of that.

It's the earbud fairies.

I'm sorry, I don't have any advice about fixing them, but maybe leave them out overnight on the table with a nice fruit plate and some tea and the fairies might fix them for you too.