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Chi-Fi IEMs

I've been trying out some different Chinese IEMs, and decided to collect some of my thoughts here.

KZs

I've tried several models: ZSN PRO, ZS10, and some other model which name I cannot find. I've also tried an different cables, and even the bluetooth cable. All of the IEMs cost around $20-30 each.

mismatched meme kzs

Soundwise, all of the KZs I've tried sound the same: bassy, V-shape, a bit muddy. The sound is not very clear. But my main problem with KZs is that.. they just didn't survive for very long. I had the left ZSN die on me, and the right ZS10 die as well. On the upside, since the cables are replaceable, I just combined the surviving drivers together in a single ridiculous IEM setup.

I think the money I spent on these are mostly not well spent, but I am grateful to KZs for introducing me to the amazing world of chi-fi.

There is a recent KZ x Crinacle collaboration, which appears to be quite exciting for some people. That might be a good starting point to check out.

Moondrop Quarks

These cost like $12, and the main reason I got them was to get free shipping from the retailer. Quarks are advertised as earbuds, but they do go into your ear canal with the stock tips, so... I consider them to be IEMs.

le quarks

They sound pretty good. But. The cable is extremely noisy, meaning that it is unpleasant to use while walking, for example. So that is an immediate “no” from me. I guess can be nice if you just want something to use in front of the computer sitting down, because the sound quality is decent, based on my short listening experience.

FiiO FD1

IEMs from FiiO, pretty reasonable both in terms of the build and the sound quality. Light shell with a “classic” chifi design. Come with a sturdy plastic case which is too big to be portable. All for ~$60.

FiiO FD1 with a case

V-shaped sound, but, IMO, better sounding than KZs. The bass is on a reasonable level still, for my taste. Not very muddy, but not the clearest sound. There are probably cheaper, better options. But honestly, I find the sound to be very enjoyable on this set. Moreover, the IEMs are very light and sit pretty comfortably on my ears.

Tin HiFi T2

These were very popular chinese IEMs at some point in the $50 range. They sound pretty good, they dont emphasize bass, resulting in a more “neutral” sound. I think these sound pretty good for many kinds of instrumental music I listen to. Not crazy about the way it sounds for vocal music tho.

Tin HiFi T2

They also come with a selection of tips, including these funk blue foam tips. I think these IEMs look very stylish and go well with my switch:

stylish

However, there is something about the shape of the iems or the shape of my ears, but they just do not work very well for me, especially on the go.

Moondrop Nekocake

I guess technically these are not IEMs, but “true wireless earbuds”. However, for me they serve the same purpose: listening to the music outside. These cost 40 EUR.

nyaaa

Nekocake is absolutely an AirPods Pro ripoff, at least design wise. I have not listened to AirPods Pro, but I've listen to regular AirPods, and Nekocake sounds waaaay better. It actually sounds decent, less bloated than KZs, but not as clear as Arias. I really did not mind listening to music through this. It is not particularly neutral, but neither the treble nor bass is offensive to my poor ears.

I was very lucky with the fit, because I find it very comfortable, and the earbuds themselves are very light. It does provide the benefits of having a wireless buds, however, it is not really better at being a TWS than many other wireless earbuds. – The battery lasts for 4 h max without charging. That's relatively low. – The case is the most basic compact-but-thick charging case with micro USB.. – Very bad quality microphone – ANC was pretty good when I tried it on a train, I was surprised; doesn't work as well when walking on the street – Laggggg – The touch controls are awful, especially combined with the lag, for my personal taste.

I would like to expand a bit more on the topic of controls. In the original AirPods Pros, that these are trying to copy, the controls are on the stem of each earbud, and you have to squeeze the stem. Later models also include haptic feedback, which makes also makes it 'feel' like you are clicking something. In Nekocake, just like in a lot of the other tws, they just have these light sensors that you can trigger just by brushing your hand against the earbud, or just handling it. To the last point: you need to be very careful and particular about the way you put and remove them from your ears, otherwise you will trigger the touch controls.

Luckily, Moondrop provides you an app for your phone in which you can tweak and set up the touch controls the way you want. And I ended up disabling almost all of the touch controls, so, not too bad in the end.

Oh, and of course, because this is Moondrop, you got not only weeb packaging, but a weeb voice assistant. In fact, the voice assistant is Mitsukiyuki, a fucking vtuber from Moondrop: https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV16h411a7Vo?from=search&seid=10460315674649770553

Overall, I think these sound alright, and it is quite nice to use them on a train or in a supermarket. However, if I am to be nitpicky, these are not great when walking because of the wind noise. A good seal and a deeper insertion will work better against the wind.

Moondrop Aria

The most expensive IEM that I have, and also the best sounding, overall. These earphones cost around $70. But honestly, they sound really really good. Surprising, for a “cheap” IEM, soundstage; the instruments are clear. It is mostly neutral sounding, with a slight bass boost.

aria

Oh, and the shell is made out of some sort of metal. Which I guess is cool, in terms of build quality, but it means that they are a bit heavier on your ears than IEMs in a plastic casting.

These come with additional tips (silicone), additional mesh filters (!), tweezers, a rounded case, and, of course, the waifu box.

The cable is really nice, nylon sleeve, doesn't fight you at all. But is prone to getting tangled up.+

Conclusion

I don't know how to conclude. I am “actively” using Aria and Nekocake. I am not sure what to do with the rest of the stuff, I guess I will keep it in a collection; or maybe I will send them out to some friends. I will keep the mismatched pair of the KZs just for the lulz.

foam tipz

Albums 2021

I decided to collect here some of my favourite albums that were released this year. I will only provide links to albums available on Bandcamp and whatnot. As it turns out, this year I've been listening to more hip-hop and less anime music. Could it be a redemption arc for me?

Albums listed in no particular order.

V/A – Heisei No Oto: Japanese Left​-​field Pop From The CD Age, 1989​-​1996

Heisei No Oto

Bandcamp. Genre: electronic/pop

This is a fantasti compilation of otherworldly pop music from Japan. I am not familiar with any of the artists on this compilation (apart from Tadahiko Yokogawa). Very cool, very calming. I am very glad I stumbled upon this album.

Tomoko Omura – Branches Vol. 2

Branches

Bandcamp. Genre: jazz

Tomoko Omura is a Japanese-American jazz artist, and on this record she teams up with the “Roots” quintet once again to produce an amazing jazz album full with traditional Japanese folk melodies.

ACCORD ON CODES – Live2019

Live2019

Booth. Genre: jazz.

ACCORD ON CODES is a small jazz band known for their arrangements of Touhou music. They often sell their CDs at Comiket. As far as I understand, this album contains some live recordings made in 2019 (duh). Do check their other albums too!

R.A.P. Ferreira – bob's son

bob's son

Bandcamp. Genre: hip-hop/beat poetry.

This album, released in Janurary, is already a classic for me. Amazing poetry from RAP Ferreira. The full name of the album is “bob's son: R​.​A​.​P. Ferreira in the garden level cafe of the scallops hotel”. In this context, the bob is Bob Kaufman, an American beat poet and originator of the term “beat poetry”. Bob Kaufman was a true poet, and RAP Ferreira is following his footsteps and paying homage to the poet hero with this album. Listen to bob's son.

Pink Navel – EPIC

EPIC

Bandcamp. Genre: hip-hop.

Pretty EPIC album from a non-banyary rapper/producer Pink Navel. Apparently they produced this album live on Twitch. You can definitely here the influences of chiptune and video games music in the production. And the lyrics are straight-up internet culture-infused. Another artist I discovered this year.

JPEGMAFIA – LP!

LP

Bandcamp. Genre: experimental/hip-hop

I am not a huge fan of the particular experimental style that is championed by JPEGMAFIA, but this album I found really gripping. Heck, I might be confused a bit, but I am pretty sure that there is some vaporwave-inspired production on this album.

Fire-Toolz – Eternal Home

Eternal Home

Bandcamp. Genre: experimental/electronic.

What a weird amalgamation of vaporwave and metalcore(?) with harsher electronic sounds, with elements of jazz and prog rock. Glad that I discovered this artist.

Armand Hammer & The Alchemist – Haram

Haram

Bandcamp. Genre: hip-hop

Fantastic album, excellent lyricism from ELUCID and billy woods on this, and the production is absolutely superb! One song just flows into the next one.

YUNGMORPHEUS and ewonee – Thumbing Thru Foliage

 Thumbing Thru Foliage

Bandcamp. Genre: hip-hop

Fantastic “lo-fi” style record from YUNGMORPHEUS, who keeps smoking weed and attacking crackers. The prog/funk production by ewonee provides perfect vibes for the chill delivery.

nishaiar – Nahaxar

 Nahaxar

Bandcamp. Genre: metal.

I am not a huge metalhead, but I like this calming atmospheric black metal.

“Benoit”

Benoit

“Among Us II”

Among Us II

mad thanks to thomate lad sent me a looot of tea, all packaged so nicely with handwritten labels

i was excited to grab my smol yet chonky teapot and try some of it out!

2012 shu (med fermented)

This one is tagged as “med fermented” and “old-style tea factory”. Brewing instructions are simple enough: rinse first, brew for 20-30 secs, and go on from there.

im vibin with it perhaps im brewing it incorrectly, but it doesnt have much of a strong taste the aftertaste is a bit sandy, but overall feels kinda magical

dong ding

nice roasty taste from the beginning what i love doing is warming up my (cheap ass) clay pot with hot water, emptying it, and putting the tea inside the warmth from the pot really makes the tea smell much more poignant

the taste is really nice, “rocky” in a way after a couple of brews it tastes more fresh, more floral

looking forward to drinking more oolong from this batch

li shan

taiwanese red tea i don't think i've tried this one before

the fragrance is amazing, sweet like honey tastewise it is similar to regular good black tea

i'm pleasantly surprised, never tried a tea like this i wonder if it is any good with milk

Yo what is this

test code

?? much

Let's see.. I hope this thing is working. I've been feeling kind of cringe lately, so I hope I am not posting cringe right now.