IEM Rankings 2024: Tuning, Value & Endgame Picks
Table of Contents
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Introduction
My database links are there for convenience sakes (non-affiliated), and Affiliate links from Linsoul helps me cover customs & buy more IEMs to review for you guys :) 💎= TOTL 💖= Fav Scores in each category are relative only to the IEMs on the list, and nothing external/that I haven't heard yet. = Value Rank (Max 3 Stars) MOST IEMS PAST $1500+ ARE NOT RECOMMENDED UNLESS YOU HAVE SPARE CASH LYING AROUND (diminishing returns) Volume Rank Out of 10 IEM TUNING TECH DIMINISHING RETURNS NOTES
(MID-VOLUME) S+ 10 SUBTONIC STORM (disc) 💖💎 ($5000) S+ S+ ASTRONOMICAL DR The best IEM I've ever heard. Best timbre. Super natural. TOTL tech. It's just good. That's all. SUMMIT-FI
(MID-VOLUME) S 9.5 LETSHUOER CADENZA 12 ($2200) 💖💎 (PRE- PRODUCTION UNIT DIFFERENT TUNING) S/S+ S Big Diminishing R
Pre-Production Unit with a different tuning. A better version of the U12T vocal/tuning wise, no mid scoop and wonkiness. (#1 or #2 vocals for me). Vocals are sweet, extended, open, airy, but also never fatiguing, and naturally weighted. No BA timbre, very natural. Perfect amount of treble detail and air while allowing it to scale at higher volumes. Super smooth dynamics and incredible coherency. TOTL resolution, detail, layering, imaging, and staging. Bass is fine, but not a basshead set - still has a nice slam to it. 07 still scales better and more 3D, but CAD12 stage is more open and better tech. If you don't blast your brains out like me then this is it (although I'm not sure if they're selling this version - maybe request it specifically/ask Joseph?)
(MID-VOLUME) S 9.5 Thieaudio Valhalla ($2000) S S/S+ Big Diminishing R TOTL all-rounder with "endgame" tech across the board, a better tuned U12T with better bass texture
(MID-VOLUME) S 9.5 LETSHUOER CADENZA 12 2024 ($2200) S/S- S+ Big Diminishing R Very technical all-rounder, treble air is amazing, bright leaning, a little more treble detail than OG
(MID-VOLUME) S 9.5 LETSHUOER CADENZA 12 ($2200) S/S- S+ Big Diminishing R Retail version has more treble energy and less mid-bass vs pre-production tuning. Very airy and detailed, amazing layering, and one of the most resolving TOTL IEMs along with U12T. (MID-VOLUME) S 9.5 FatFreq Grand Maestro ($3000) S/S- S Big Diminishing R The best basshead set. That is all. EXPENSIVE. If you just want bass HBB Punch way better value.
(MID-HIGH VOLUME) S/S- 9 LETSHUOER MYSTIC 8 ($1000) 💖💎🌟 S/S- S/S- Worth it Vocal benchmark for female vocals under $2000. Clean, airy, sweet, ethereal. Better than Diva and direct upgrade to OG Oracle and OG Mangird Tea. What the Braindamage and Cantor wishes they could be. Great technical performance, and scales decently well. Recommended listening volume is mid to high volume around 75-80dbs. Not for bassy libraries like hiphop, and can be a bit energetic on kpop/jpop/rock stuff with a lot of treble. (MID-VOLUME) S/S- 9 Thieaudio Monarch MK4 ($1150) 💎🌟 S/S- S/S- Worth it Smooth, clean, balanced, and slightly airy in the balance switch. Goes from a clean all-rounder to a warm/bassy all-rounder. Great tech. Basically a cheaper Prestige LTD with more tuning options. "Endgame" for most people, but the case is SHIT.
(MID-VOLUME) S/S- 9 Thieaudio Prestige LTD ($1299) S/S- S/S- Worth it Clean and natural signature with treble emphasis. LOTS of details with airy treble without going overboard (better treble extension vs MK2/MK3). Bass is not as impactful versus MK3 but has better separation. Overall a technical monster, but can be dry due to less mid-bass. Vocals are further vs MK3 and MK2 (not as forward), giving it that open sense of space. MK2 still the best for vocals, but LTD is an endgame all-rounder. (MID-VOLUME) S/S- 9 Symphonium Crimson ($1500) S/S- S/S- Worth it U-shaped/Slight V/W Shaped. Energetic treble. Great tech. Fun signature.
(MID-VOLUME) S/S- 9 Sony-IER Z1R ($1700) 💎 S/S- S/S- Kinda Worth it Best of the best in most areas, but vocals and mids can be thin due to fit issues. Insane bass texture/detail and HUGE soundstage. One of the best trebles I've heard.
(MID-VOLUME) S/S- 9 Empire Ears Raven ($3600) S/S- S/S- Big Diminishing R V/W Shaped. Energetic treble. Great tech. Fun bass and engaging signature. Overpriced?
(MID-VOLUME) S/S- 9 Kinera Imperial Loki ($3100) S/S- S/S- Big Diminishing R Super clean and clear sound. Beautiful vocals. Everyhting is extremely well balanced. No special sauce tho. (MID-VOLUME) S/S- 9 Thieaudio Prestige OG ($1299) 💎 S/S- S/S- Worth it Sub-bass boost + treble boost. Similar to Crimson, lots of treble energy, great tech, more aggresive LTD. ENDGAME
(HIGH-VOLUME) S- 8.5 LETSHUOER EJ07 ($900) 💖💎 S+ A+ Worth it (High VOL) TOTL mids. Most 3D and holographic staging yet. Imaging, separation, layering, and staging are all S level - only thing that's holding it back is the darker treble which can lead to softer notes vs, Diva, for example.The most immersive set for rock, alternative, ballads, and classical. An 07M that scales better with better staging. Great clarity and seperation. Treble is pushed back but still clear and evident in tracks (at higher volumes). Could use more low-end (but not an issue) and sharper note transients. Takes you on a journey. Needs to be listened to at high volume for the full effect.
(MID-VOLUME) S- 8.5 Softears RSV OG ($730) 💖💎 (unit variance) S/S+ A+ Worth it One of the best vocals I've heard on any IEM (especially for male artists). Mids and Treble is TOTL, smooth and well extended and has great naturalness and the perfect bite. Bass has great speed and still slams (even though it's BA? not rumbly), but stage and detail is average at it's price, but once it clicks with a track it's one of the most beautiful thing ever. Ran into distortion issues at high volume, but may be due to my source? (RSV too sensitive?)
(MID-VOLUME) S- 8.5 Thieaudio Monarch MK2 ($999) 💖 S S- Worth it Neutral tuning with one of the clearest mid-ranges. Natural and clean vocals. Great resolution, separation, and detail. Can be a little dry with its analytical presentation. Bass is well-seperated from other instruments, but nothing special especially at $1K. Would've liked more depth, and treble is also a bit unstable and dips, resulting in a lack of air/depth. Mid-bass is just enough for my library, but would've liked more for genres like hiphop and rock. Cable is heavy, and fit may be too big for many (need to shove in deep). (MID-VOLUME) S- 8.5 Thieaudio Monarch MK3 ($999) S/S- S- Worth it Better low-end texture and overall more engaging than MK2, but lacks the mid-range/vocal magic, so depending on your preference either is great. Still TOTL tech like MK2.
(MID-VOLUME) S- 8.5 Elysian Apostle ($1800) S/S- S- Big Diminishing R
Clean, neutral, and clear vocals. Reminds me of a cleaner Volume S or slightly better OG Oracle, but very expensive, maybe if you can find one around $1000 since it's more of a sidegrade to RSV, Mystic 8, and Arcanis vocal wise. If you want clean vocals Monarch MK2 does the same thing but for $800 less.
(MID-VOLUME) S- 8.5 Thieaudio Origin ($849) S/S- A+/S- Worth it Best bassy set under $1K. Bassy/thicker meta tuning. You can actually feel the reverb and vibration from the bone conduction drivers, great control and low-end texture. Mids and treble are also well extended with no major issues, although it can get sharp at times with the snares/electronic stuff ie, past 3:30 on Time by Hikaru Utada. (MID-VOLUME) S- 8.5 Dunu Glacier ($1149) S- S/S- Kinda Worth it Clean, balanced but engaging sound, clear vocals, great midrange and tech. Vocals can be a bit too forward/sharp. The most recent unit I got sounds different than the earlier ones which was bass-boosted diffuse field. (MID-VOLUME) S- 8.5 UM MEST MK2 ($1500) 💎 S- S/S- Worth it (on sale) TOTL imaging chops/layering. Tons of micro-details. Great bass texture. Wide and 3D staging. Can be aggressive, and get fatiguing when cranked up/long-listening sessions. (MID-VOLUME) S- 8.5 UM MEST MK3 ($2100) S- S/S- Big Diminishing R A more neutral/slightly warm MEST MK2, less aggresive, easier to the ears, same technicalities. A little overpriced ngl. (MID-VOLUME) S- 8.5 UM MEST OG (disc) S- S/S- Worth it (on sale) A MEST MK2 with slightly more uppermid/bass. More v-shaped. More AGGRESSIVE than MK2. Also gets fatiguing when cranked up/long-listening sesisons. (MID-VOLUME) S- 8.5 Symphonium Helios SE ($1200) S- S- Worth it Best Treble around it's price. Super airy but still smooth. Bass-scoop isn't as bad as I thought, but those who want mid-bass - avoid it. (MID-VOLUME) S- 8.5 Thieaudio HYPE 10 ($899) 💎 S- S- Kinda Worth it U-shaped, nice treble extention and dynamics, solid vocals, more low-end emphasis than MK3, dynamic and great all-rounder that doesn't specialize in anything. (MID-VOLUME) S- 8.5 XENNS TOP PRO ($499) 🌟🌟 S- S- Good Value Very technical, amazing resolution and detail for the price, treble is slightly crispy and sparkly, clean but dynamic all-rounder. Mid-volume set for the most part as treble can get hot at higher volumes. Easy rec, direct upgrade from Astrals. (MID-VOLUME) S- 8.5 NICEHCK Rockies ($499) 🌟🌟 S- S- Good Value Balanced, clean, airy, with a slight treble emphasis, good EST implementation, great overall package and accesories at the price. Similar to TOP PRO but with ESTs and not as vocal centric. Easy rec if you want something balanced and airy.
(MID-VOLUME) S- 8.5 AFUL Dawn-X ($1299) S- S- Kinda Worth it Smooth treble, natural timbre, good sub-bass focused set, but transients can be a bit soft, and vocals are pulled back lacking final extension - non-fatiguing but not very engaging and "dynamic". A bassier 5+2 with smoother/more natural treble. Reminds me of the Luna but less mid-bass/vocals, more sub, and a little smoother. Bassy all-rounder like MK4 bass switch but with pulled back vocals, and less versatile since no switch option. (MID-VOLUME) S- 8.5 TangZu Xuan Wu Gate ($650) ($500 on sale) S- S- Worth it Clean, neutral, balanced, technical, laid back, very detailed. Neutral tuning done right while being a little dynamic/engaging. Tip wise Azla spinfits for more detail, tangzu sancai regular for smoother. (MID-VOLUME) S- 8.5 64AUDIO U12T ($2000) A+ S/S+ Big Diminishing R TOTL tech. Mid-scoop can affect mids/vocal texture and placement, recessed midrange, treble is harsh at high volumes. Great bass detail, but could have more impact. (MID-VOLUME) S- 8.5 Empire Ears EVO ($3000) A+ S/S- Big Diminishing R Great bass texture. BC driver actually works. Very well controlled but still impactful. Great resolution. Doesn't scale well because of spicy uppermids. Vocals often gets shouty on certain tracks, also overpriced asf imo GREAT (POTENTIAL ENDGAME)
(HIGH-VOLUME) A+ 8 ZIIGAAT Arcanis ($399) S A+ Worth it (GENRE SPECIFIC) My favourite vocals under $500 (best imo). A more refined OG Mangird Tea with better resolution and tech. Recommend listening at higher volumes on slower vocal centric tracks. Don't rec hiphop or genres that needs lots of sub-bass. Can get spicy with kpop/jpop at higher volumes/don\'r rec blastin with more energetic tracks, but sounds good at mid vol. Pin point imaging and open staging, good for gaming. (MID/HIGH-VOLUME) A+ 8 Softears RSV MK2 ($699) S A+ Worth it (on sale) Bassy dynamic all-rounder with great low-end texture that slams hard with good note-weight/body. Slight Hype 4 upgrade. Treble is smooth, and vocals are well-tuned. Overall unboxing/accesories are great... just no ESTs at its price, I\'d wait for sale.
(HIGH-VOLUME) A+ 8 Yanyin Carmen ($849) S A Niche (High VOL) An OG EJ07 that does vocal scaling. A blast your brains out kinda set. Full, powerful, extended, VERY forward vocals, might be too much for some people. Reveals every last bit of emotion from the artist's voice. Makes the song very intimate and vulnerable. VERY genre depedent, check playlist in the video description. It\'s basically an RSV that scales at high volume. Super immersive, great centre-imaging (or as good as it gets in an IEM), and mid-bass quality competes with the MMK3 and others. Treble is dark, not for trebleheads or people who like air. Detail takes a hit, and stage is very close, like the artist is singing right infront of you. A truly unique experience, but again, it\'s gonna be a hit or miss for many people depending on their library and how loud they listen - NOT a mid-lower volume set... and it comes with a $2 pouch at $850 LOL, but hey, I mean they actually get away with it because when it hits, it HITS. (HIGH-VOLUME) A+ 8 MiM Dark Magician OG (disc) S A Worth it Weighted and airy vocals but with expansive staging. 3D/ball imaging. Coherency and dynamics are TOTL. Clear - details are "big"/forward, but can use better separation. Super immersive. Could use more sub-bass and resolution. (HIGH-VOLUME) A+ 8 Softears Twilight ($930) 💖 $700 sale S A Worth it (on sale) Slightly warm/neutral, very well balanced, good scaling, TOTL male vocals, big staging, wait for sale
(HIGH-VOLUME) A+ 8 Xenns Mangird Tea OG (disc) 💖 S A Worth it Discontinued, but one of the best female vocals I\'ve heard on any IEMs at higher volume. Top tier mids under $500. Spring Tips improves vocals and treble clarity. Great around the head imaging, but imaging is less layered than 07M. Treble can be dark at lower/mid volumes, but shines when cranked up. Super immersive. High volume listening recommened. (HIGH-VOLUME) A+ 7.5 ZIIGAAT Luna ($379) 💖 🌟 S/S- A+ Worth it Airy, smooth, warm, laid-back, balanced, lush and dreamy vibes. Great for rock/metal, scales decently high. Mid-bass over sub. Not as vocal forward as Arcanis and other vocal sets. My Luna graphs very different than HBB\'s - wait for more reviews. (MID-VOLUME) A+ 7.5 Thieaudio Oracle OG ($539) S/S- A+ Worth it Amazing airy and relaxing vocals. Sweet and gentle presentation. Clean, clear vocals - could be too balanced tho. Great separation, but stage size could be better.
(HIGH-VOLUME) A+ 7.5 ZIIGAAT Odyssey ($229) 🌟🌟 S/S- A Good Value
A warm/mini Subtonic Storm that scales better and fuller with less tech. A musical odyssey. High volume set, great scaling, a cleaner/midrange focused Explorer with better layering and detail. Takes you on a journey like the OG EJ07. Bass is thumpy and rumbly at higher volumes, vocals are clean and balanced with slight treble emphasis, and very immserive. Highly recommended for slow-rock, indie/alternative, ballads, fits my preference to a T.
(HIGH-VOLUME) A+ 7.5 Softears Volume S $319 stock switch/high vol) S/S- A Worth it
Amazing vocals under $500 with the stock switch/clear tips or tangzu sancai regular (no impedance boost) with amazing vocal scaling. Recommended for higher volume listening like ballads, slower indie/bands. Better than Studio 4 vocal wise, but Studio 4 is the better all-rounder. Volume S is more mid/vocal centric than Studio 4, and more immersive and "musical". Other switch configuration offers more clarity and detail at the cost of scaling with uppermids/treble boost (cleaner harman 2019/better at mid-volume). Stock switch tuning can also be neutral and relaxing if you don\'t crank it up, and overall Volume S has good variety and differentiates itself with the different tunings. Also, well implemented BAs. Passive Radiator effect is questionable. (MID-VOLUME) A+ 7.5 IO Volare ($599) ($500 on sale) S- A+/S- Worth it Best Harman IEM under $600 (my unit is less harman), smooth and natural, great layering and tech, bass texture could be better/not as good as Oracle MK3, but overall very balanced and great all-rounder, also, amazing unboxing and accessories (MID-VOLUME) A+ 7.5 HiSenior MEGA5EST 7th ($549) NEW unit S- A+/S- Worth it New unit is better tuned/balanced, smooth, good all-rounder, and sounds like adjusted diffusefield.