I’m curious about the Tipsy M1. I have the KZ ZS10 with 1 dynamic driver and 4 balanced armatures and the BASN Bmaster with 2 dynamic drivers and 1 balanced armature. The KZ is really good for its price. The BASN is even better (to my ears). Now I’m considering a single dynamic driver for my next EIM. The reviews and the bamboo driver have me convinced that it’s next on my list.
I have a set of KZ ZS10 Pro IEMs from Linsoul on Amazon and then bought their $25 USB C headphone amp that plugs into the bottom of my phone and… for $75 I now have the best sounding headphones I’ve ever had, and I have a few sets that were in the $500 range, over the years. Couple that with Power Amp app on android if you have one and it’s soooo good.
2 Likes
Dynamic driver, just like your amp.
All it is really kinda like marketing angle. Is more better? more expensive? No. I know a few single Dynamic driver that cost more than $2500. I own a few flagship Single DD that cost $700 and they both sound great.
The problem, like I mentioned earlier, with more drivers is the tuner has to make all of the drivers sounds good tomorrow. I’m not a big fan of KZ simply because of that reason.
A few years back, KZ did collabs with a few prominent reviewers and put out a few multiple drivers DD/ BAs, but as it turned out they were just using one DD driver to do everything and the rest were just there for show as there’s no meaningful sound coming out of the BAs just static noise. I own both of those, got them for Two bucks each, 
They sound great for $2.
It’s a fun and funny hobby, I can introduce you to several IEMs that you can get into and you’ll enjoy it with $100.
KiwiEars Cadenza II $45, shop around I’ve seen it as low as $40 Current tuning trend of JM-1 tuning (Meta)
Dunu Titan X $35-40 Great impactful bass and nice and smooth treble on the Type-C version, exciting and energetic on the 3.5mm jack version
Tanchjim Bunny $22, great “air” almost holographic experience, for the price it’s worth getting.
Tanchjim 4U $40. Great package with all kinds of nozzles and switch for different tuning
I own over 80 IEMs and headphones and the DACs, DAPs and amps. These plus a few are definitely punch way above the price point and great gateway into the hobby.
Here’s my account at HeadFi, if you see the brands and models you recognize and have questions please let me know. I’ll do the comparison and give you the lowdown on the set you have your eye on.
1 Like
Thank you so much for the information. I look forward to trying out a couple of your recommendations. I will definitely reach out if and/or when I have questions.
1 Like
Yeah. There’s a big sales coming. I was going to post this for @Whying_Dutchman since I know that he’s no longer buying any more IEMs or Headphones but he can’t refuse a great deal. 
Right now linsoul is selling discounts card
$1 for $25 off minimum purchase $60
$2 for $50 off min purchase $120
$100 for $150 off min purchase $200 plus $50 gift card.
I bought all 3 that’s a good deal.
1 Like
Has anybody tried Soundbrenner Waves? They keep on popping up on my socials…
I tested those cause they kept popping up on my socials too. Also: German company.
They are nothing special, and much too expensive. The LINSOUL Kiwi Ears Cadenza II that @Al1885 advised me to get are MUCH better. Ideal for playing in the park. And only 40€ at Amazon.
Better means:
- neutral tone
- detailed sound
- good sub bass
- no noise from cables movement
Only the eartips were not perfect for me, but they rarely are. I tested about 20 different eartips I already had, and ended up using the ones that Sony sent me for my WF-1000XM6.
Mind you: eartips are highly individual.
2 Likes
Yeah. If you don’t know enough or new to IEM then that would sounds pretty good. It’s like me advising
Limited time only half off $700 Harley Benton Precision bass design to give you precise note intonation.
Professional line, I highly recommend the Tipsy (this brand is a real deal) M1. For gigging FiiO JH13, FH3, JH5. All are under $100.
Feel free to shoot ant question for your style of music situations or genres I’ll do my best to give you the range of selection.
the Cadenza 2 is awesome for music listening but not so much playing or practicing bass because it’s physically block frequency from 200hz by the use of resonance (like a sound tube labyrinth to physically block specific frequencies. Us bassists need that frequency range to properly replicate our playing articulation.
There are several awesome sets on AliExpress for less than $10. Just upgrade the cable.
1 Like
I don’t think this is the right description of how CARS 2.0 works. The bass tuning works up to 200Hz, so no signal is blocked above or below 200Hz.
In fact it is a way to improve the bass frequency response, without sounding boomy.
Therefore I tend to disagree with this too:
I found that it does not exaggerate bass and is really very detailed.
You’ll notice it when you play your bass over a track that is still “original” (bass stem not removed).
You can clearly hear your bass guitar and the bass guitar of the original player, as the tone of both is preserved and not lost in tonal mud.
But … like with all in-ears … the secret is also in the eartips. If they don’t fit or you haven’t put them correctly in your ears, it’s all sh#te!
I have never played with a band, but I would even say that when trying to block out noise and focus on whatever is playing through the IEM, the eartips are very (most?) important.
My guess is that the foam eartips with a silicon layer are the best for gigs, as they will stop outside noise due to the foam and the silicon layer makes for a good fit.
1 Like
Well it designed to physically eliminate specific frequencies in the first KiwiEars KARS, Singolo, it’s set at 300hz and the KARS 2 eliminate at 200hz which allows the tuners to create a bass shelf and makes the tuck at specific frequencies range that makes a clean separation and prevent bass bleeds and bloats. Some are designed to kill other frequencies like the AFUL MagicOne, quite remarkable design, a single BA, yep one BA really mind blowing what they can do. I have a set with 12 BAs.
KARS 1 Singolo
here’s how it shows on the graph, notice the specific sharp drop on the Singolo and the Cadenza II, it’s pretty cool.
Here’s the MagicOne, it’s a filled resin shell with tube, VS the 3D printed of the Singolo.
The problem is most of the note articulations comes from techniques of plugging, muting, and fretting finger note manipulations, these falls somewhere in the lower mid bass and lower mid. Tucking under this region while producing cleaner tone it robs the “Skills” frequency range render it to mere bass notes. For music listening yeah, it’s good, especially the genres with prominent sub bass like hip hop but not so great with funk, rock, country, etc.
Of course, if you have not experienced that it’s no big deal but it would take one song or even one pass that triggered you, then you can’t un-hear that and it will dominate your listening.
1 Like
But the left side (bass) looks very very good, right? Almost too good 
1 Like
Well yes and no. It just shows that people are lazy. It’s a quick bucks thing.
That’s not how we listen to things especially music. Bass is the most important part of most songs as it fills the spectrum and add richness. Sub bass while provide deep rumble and richness doesn’t have much in terms of playing information. As a bassist this is not good. Similar to how most pros don’t like compressor but engineers do. Why spends hours each day developing dynamics and get all equalized and leveled at a push of a button erasing years of practice skills.
The “New Meta” tuning is like the modern molecular gastronomy, deconstructed dish looks great and tastes good for a meal or two but it’s not going to be better than a well prepared rustic dishes. A set like FiiO FD15 and Dunu DN242 establishes that, rich meaty mid bass revealing mid for excellent details and vocal and sibilant free Treble.
Of course, you’re the expert!
I’m just thinking: it’s likely that a bass, played dry into the IEM, contains more sub bass information, as it’s unfiltered. Maybe this is a reason, why I can clearly distinguish between the original bass on background tracks and my bass?
Also: the fact that an IEM allows for more sub bass does not say anything about “normal” bass behaviour per sé.
I just listened to my IEMs closely again and find that especially bass tone is quite OK, also for the higher (resonance) frequencies.
It’s no match for my higher end over ears, but my bass guitar sounds much better on this IEM than on my consumer Sony WF-1000XM6 in ear, using a recording (its distorted on the Sonys), while the bass from the background track sound different. Not necessarily worse, but different. Hard to explain.
In the end I can only say that I am very happy with your recommendation. I wouldn’t use this IEM for HIFI listening (where WF-1000XM6 is much better all in all), but for playing covers in the park it’s perfect.
And for 40€ it’s a steal. The Soundbrenner Waves were all over the place in terms of frequency response, and I definitely could not distinguish my bass properly from the original bass (except when my timing s#cked), as it just overlapped the original bass.
Bass boost is very common in consumer headphones as it gives an immediate perception of better sound with some genres, much like overcompression, but like overcompression, as Al notes it’s not actually good. And once you get below 40-50Hz it’s actually all mud that adds oomph but makes the whole mix sound worse and less distinct. You really want to high-pass that stuff to tame it.
Well yeah, playing straight up into an IEM would be thick and meaty. The signal on the songs for bass guitar is more “mid bass” than sub bass. In fact, not many engineers would mix sub bass on the tracks on most genres except for of course rap/ hip hop and possibly classical and of course soundtracks.
We we usually hear out of just about anything are conventional tuned speakers, headphones and what not, audiophiles think they can play god and manipulate the tuning frequencies to make everything sounds clear and separated. Yes it’s ok, just don’t call it the “most natural” and here’s the favorite “as artist” intended, we all know what is the intention of every artists. To be heard. They don’t care how.
Well, that’s the bowl of soup ain’t it. This is a frequency response graph of an IEM, the one I’d love to hate, it has a very deep and tall sub bass shelf that tuck under mid bass and the spike of the 15k “Air” region, this is so addictive and good, but despite the deep sub bass shelf the set doesn’t feel like a “bass” set because of the attention drawn to the Treble diminished the bass presence to just mere adequate.
It’s hard to say because bass and bass tuning is the most important part of the overall spectrum because it compensates the rest of the frequencies.
If you tune too much sub bass and mid bass sub bass will bleed into mid bass, if you have too big mid bass hump, it will bleed into lower mid destroying the vocals and solos
I’m not deep into the Headphones but it’s a different experience altogether. I love my FT7 and the JT7.
Hey check out the GK Kuten, it’s $10 on AliExpress and it’s not bad at all. Although ypu’ll need a new cable because it’s kinda junk,
Thank you all for the advice on IEMs, and especially @Al1885. I eventually went for the Tipsy M1s. Good reviews and a stated, significant attenuation of background noise, which is what I wanted for the live band context. Next step is to actually have a go with them at our next rehearsal and see if the vocalist and I can nudge our guitarist in this direction!
Oh, I also liked the colour
Cheers!
3 Likes
This pleases me to no end, I love it.
Let me know when you’re ready for more sensory corruptions
1 Like
You’re a bad man, @Al1885, encouraging yet more profligate spending!!
1 Like