Audio

Recently, I've discovered an entirely new hobby which, again, turned out to be another rabbithole. This time, it's about audio. I've always been a music lover, but I never really cared about the quality of the sound. I listen to a very wide range of genres, including rock, metal, rap, EDM, indie and scene. I was happy with my cheap earbuds and whatever gaming headset I was using. Then, I discovered the world of Hi-Fi audio, and I was hooked.

So far I've spent countless hours researching and reading about headphones, DACs, amps, and all that stuff. I've since come a long way, and I've built a pretty decent audio setup. Here's a list of all the audio gear I own and my personal opinion on all the stuff I've tried.

All of this is just my personal opinion, and I'm not an expert by any means. I'm just a guy who likes music and a pleasant listening experience.

I'm striving for the best possible audio quality I can get, and I'm using a combination of software to achieve that.

The bit-perfect, Hi-Fi sound dream is still quite the hassle to achieve, but I'm getting there. Here's what I'm using.

Source: Currently Apple Music, soon probably Tidal. Also have a FLAC library on Jellyfin.

I would stay on AM, but I hate that there is no playback control from other devices, and that the desktop apps are just so BAD and have the UI/UX of 2009-style iTunes. I feel like Tidal does this MUCH better, and therefore I'm likely to switch permanently, unless Apple gets their shtuff together. There's quite a lot of free trials and promo offers available for Apple Music though, so I'm still using it for now.

Spotify is also nice for convenience, but I'm not satisfied with the audio quality and the general UI/UX either. I'm also not a fan of the fact that they're pushing podcasts and stupid TikTok-style reels into the app, which I don't care about at all.

I also have a FLAC library on Jellyfin, but I'm still expanding it by getting more CDs to rip FLAC from for personal use, or getting stuff from Bandcamp.

Linux: Pipewire and EasyEffects, but I'm planning to use pure ALSA with RT kernel and no Pulse/Pipewire/EQ addons (no audio processing by the OS at all)

iOS: Marvis Pro for Apple Music

macOS: LosslessSwitcher and eqMac, still screaming and crying inside over the lack of aptX/LDAC support for that lossless Bluetooth audio goodness

Windows: Equalizer APO with Peace GUI, planning to use WASAPI/Exclusive mode with no audio processing by the OS at all

The HiFiMan Sundara are open-back planar magnetic headphones, and they just simply sound amazing. I have tried the HE400se before, and I can clearly tell the Sundaras are miles ahead.

They have a very neutral sound signature. The mids are very detailed and balanced, and the bass is tight, a little punchy and fast. They're somewhat bright, not as much as the Arya Organics or HE1000V2 Stealth that I've tried. The imaging and soundstage are also really impressive, although feel a little bit compressed compared to the higher-end offerings. The Sundaras are also very easy to drive, which is a plus. I can run them off my phone to be loud enough, but I believe they do benefit from a little bit of extra power. I don't really like how they sound with my hybrid tube amp though, I feel like they lose clarity without much benefit in this case.

I still prefer a little bit of EQ for these. I follow oratory1990's tuning with a little bit of a boost for warmth, treble and airness adjusted to my personal preference.

The full metal build is of high quality, and feels very solid and sturdy. The only thing that could really be done better with these headphones would be some swivel on the cups, but that's not a dealbreaker for me. They're still very comfortable, and I can wear them for hours. The pads are quite comfortable, and don't get too hot. I also like the 3.5mm jacks for detachable cables, which are always a plus for me. The stock cable isn't the best, but it's not the worst either, but I prefer using my own cables anyway.

Anyway, I would very highly recommend these headphones to anyone looking for a pair of open-back planar magnetic headphones. There is no better headphones at this price point, period. The Sundaras are just absolutely magnificent. Some might prefer the Edition XS, which you can get for a little bit more, but that wasn't the case for me, mainly because of the worse headband and plastic build, which I do pay attention to. Like I said, I also tried other, higher-end HiFiMan headphones, and I consider them potential upgrades in the future, as I believe that I fell in love with the "HiFiMan house signature". Regardless, I'm very happy with my Sundaras, and I don't see myself upgrading just yet.

The DT 990 Pros were my first Hi-Fi purchase, and I still love them. They're open-back dynamic headphones, and they have a very unique sound signature.

The highs are very detailed and sparkly (these headphones made me fall in love with the Beyer treble peak), the mids are nicely present, and the bass is well-reproduced, but not too punchy. The Beyers sound pretty interesting with tubes too, losing a tiny bit of that needle-like treble, but gaining a fair bit of pleasant warmth that I can't really reproduce too well with EQ even.

They're pretty comfortable, and I can wear them for hours. Like expected from true German engineering, they're literally built like a tank. The build quality is just amazing, and they feel extremely solid and sturdy. I was only unhappy with the lack of a detachable cable, so I modded them with two 3.5mm jacks. The warranty void didn't really matter, as these just simply don't break anyway. I can run them balanced now too if I want to.

I stand by my opinion that these are the best headphones in the $150 price range. I've also tried the DT 770 Pros, but those made me realize that I prefer the wider soundstage of open-back headphones. The bass on the 770s is also a bit too boomy for me, but overall these seem like a good pick for the closed-back enjoyers with this budget. Anyway, I can't stress enough how much I love the DT 990 Pros. They're just amazing, and I'm willing to stand by that opinion.

The Simgot EA1000 are my latest addition to my IEM collection, as I managed to snag these locally at a 50% off deal that I couldn't just let go. They're a pair of IEMs with a single dynamic driver and a passive radiator. The 10mm dynamic driver has a vapour-deposition coating of purple gold (about 79% gold and 21% aluminum), which is something I haven't seen used before in an IEM.

They have a very unique sound signature, which suits me extremely well. The highs are very detailed and sparkly, but not sibilant, the mids are very present and clear, and the bass is tight and punchy. Vocals, especially female, sound impeccably clear and detailed. The imaging is also very good, and the separation is top-notch. The soundstage is also pretty wide for an IEM. The Fermat is also very easy to drivem

Simgot included 3 different pairs of swappable nozzles with the Fermat, which is a pretty cool gimmick for tuning enthusiasts. Now, when it comes to the sound, I don't think I ever heard such an elegant and refined sound signature in an IEM before. The Fermat gives off an incredibly detailed sound, with a hint of brightness and airness that I just can't get enough of. They just sound so... musical and sort of euphoric. It's like the most "comfortable" representation of sound I had ever gotten from IEMs, but at the same time, very eneretic. However, I do believe that these IEMs may not be for everyone, especially when you're looking for something more laid-back and balanced. That said, the stock red o-ring nozzles sound pretty generic to me though. I personally prefer the black nozzles, which are the most balanced sounding in my opinion, however I enjoy the extended low-end presence with the gold nozzles too, which also seem to introduce an interesting feeling of space.

• The black o-ring filters use foam to tune the sound.
• The red o-ring filters are fully open nozzles without any acoustic filter.
• The gold/brass/copper coloured nozzles appear to use a thin piece of fabric with a hole in the middle.

The only thing I could nitpick about these IEMs are the stock ear tips, which I don't really like because of fitment issues. I struggle to get a good seal with any of the 3 pairs of tips that are included with the IEM. Overall, passive sound isolation is a weak point of this IEM in my opinion. I'm thinking of getting the Pentaconn COREIR Brass tips. The wearing comfort itself was most certainly above average, and I could wear them for hours without any problem.

The fully metal build quality is also very good, and they feel very solid and sturdy. They're on the heavier side, but you don't really feel their weight when using them. The glass-coated faceplate looks fabulous with the rose gold outline, making the Fermat look more like a jewelry piece than an IEM, though you should exercise extra caution not to damage it accidentally. The silver cable is also very nice, and it doesn't tangle easily compared to most stock cables I've tried, I do wish they included their LC7 cable with interchangeable terminations instead though. The included carry-case also gives off a very premium feel, and it's a nice addition to the package.

I strongly believe that the Simgot EA1000 Fermat is, hands-down, one of the best IEMs out there for less than 500$. This will likely be my endgame (for the next 1 or 2 years), as it pretty much provides everything I am looking for in a IEM right now.

I would highly recommend the Simgot EA1000 to anyone looking for a pair of IEMs in this price range. They're just simply amazing, and I'm very happy with them.

The Truthear Hexa are my first pair of Mid-Fi IEMs. I'm a little bit late to the party, but I'm glad I finally got them. They are a single dynamic driver and three balanced amature drivers hybrid.

These are tuned nearly perfectly to my liking, and they just simply sound amazing. I'd be brave enough to say that these are sort of like a "Mini Sundara" in terms of sound signature. Not like, completely, but they're quite close. The highs are lacking just a little bit in terms of treble and airness in my opinion, but nothing that a little bit of EQ can't fix. The mids are just perfectly balanced, and the soundstage is pretty wide for an IEM. The bass sounds a bit "faster" on the Sundara, but the single dynamic driver on the Hexas still gets the job done pretty well, although it could be ever so slightly boosted. In general, the Hexas have a relatively neutral sound signature, while also being somewhat of an exciting kind of tuning.

I prefer the foam tips that come with them, and they're very comfortable to wear for long periods of time and boost the bass just a little bit.

The build quality is also very good, and they feel decently solid and sturdy. The faceplate looks somewhat avant garde, compared to most IEMs out there, and I kinda dig that look. The included cable is also very nice, but it does tangle with the roadie wrap a little bit.

For just $80, these are a steal, and I would very highly recommend them to anyone looking for a pair of IEMs in this price range.

Shortly after buying the Zero, I got myself the Moondrop CHU II. I was looking for a pair of IEMs with a slightly different sound signature, and the CHU II fit the bill. They are slightly more towards a V-shaped sound signature, which means that the bass and treble are boosted, and the mids are recessed. Honestly, after EQing both the Zero and the CHU II to my liking, I still kinda prefer the Zero's sound signature. The CHU II is still a great pair of IEMs, though, and I think it's a decent option sub-$20 price range for someone looking for a more "balanced" tuning.

Salnotes Zero were my first pair of truly great IEMs, and I still love them. They're very comfortable, and they sound amazing. They have a very neutral sound signature, which feels quite analytic, but nonetheless pretty enjoyable. They do lack some soundstage, detail and clarity (also some of that bass punch) compared to higher-tier offerings, but the sound is extremely good for the price regardless. If there's one more thing I could be nitpicky about, it's the shitty ear tips that come with them (my opinion). The Salnotes are an especially great value, and I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a pair of chi-fi IEMs. Easily my top pick in the sub-$20 price range. I'm yet to try the Salnotes Zero 2, but the only major differences are less clarity and a bit more bass, which I'm pretty sure I wouldn't like (tested on EQ with the old Zero).

The CCA CRA used to be a great option within this price range, but nowadays there are plenty of better options. This was my first chi-fi IEM, and I was pretty happy with them. They have a V-shaped sound signature, which means that the bass and treble are boosted, and the mids are recessed.

They have a pretty fun sound signature, but they're not the most detailed or clear IEMs out there. The bass is pretty punchy, and the highs are not too sparkly, but the mids are a bit recessed. The faceplate looks quite standard, and the included cable is quite bad though. The ear tips that come with them are also pretty bad, and I would recommend getting some better ones.

Unfortunately, I've had some issues with the CCA CRA, namely the adhesive, glue-like substance that holds the IEMs together, which has started to leak out of the IEMs. This seems to be a common issue with KZ and CCA IEMs in general. Overall, not a great experience with the these, and I wouldn't recommend them (especially with so many better options available now).

The main DAC/Amp in my setup is the Qudelix 5K. It's an amazing little device that can drive pretty much any of my headphones or IEM.

It sounds just like it's supposed to - neutral and pure. It does feel a little underwhelming for especially demanding headphones, but still gets the job done. There is some filter options and you can switch between battery-saving and performance mode, as well as high and low gain, which is nice.

The Qudelix app is certainly the best one for an audio device I've ever seen. The 10-band parametric EQ is especially great (being able to save EQ profiles for 20 headphones on this little thing is kinda cool, not gonna lie). I still can't think of a more complex and versatile DAC (even for desktop use) than the Qudelix 5K, because of the sheer amount of features and customizability it offers.

Only thing that bothers me are the plasticky, flashy buttons, which aren't that great compared to something like a Fiio BTR7, but I can live with that.

I would highly recommend the Qudelix 5K to anyone looking for a portable DAC/Amp. It's an insanely good value proposition and definitely one of my favorite audio-related purchases.

I use a Schiit Magni 3+ as a desktop amp. It's a great amp that packs a whole lot of punch at it's footprint. I believe this is still one of the best headphone amplifiers you can get for this price, especially for the sheer amount of power it outputs.

I feel like it gives my headphones a little bit of that extra oomph (especially with the Sundaras on high-gain). Schiit products are truly the shit.

I wish I could have a balanced amp in the future though.

For when I want to spice things up, I also have an xDuoo MT-602 tube amp. It's a hybrid tube amp, but it does add a little bit of that tubey warmth to the sound.

I've tube-rolled it with some old, soviet, military-grade 6Ż1P-EW tubes, which despite being built in the 70s mainly for military purposes, sound much better than the stock 6J1 to my ears.

The MT-602 is not the best for sensitive IEMs, as it has a bit of audible background noise, but it pairs especially well with dynamic headphones that like a little bit of tube warmth to them.

Anyway, the xDuoo MT-602 is still one of the best bang for the buck hybrid amps out there. There is also the new MH-02 with a built-in DAC too now, so you may wanna check that out.