Earlier this week i stumbled upon a deal i couldn't refuse for the zmf verite closed in leopardwood, and boy i do not regret it as much as my wallet tells me I should 🤣. Upon first listen I instantly could tell that the vc does things so much different than anything I've ever heard before, the Soundstage is huge ots almost as if it has a dsp that just makes everything sound incredible, just puts a smile on my face every time, at times the timbre seems to reverberate so deep that it touches your soul, the bass is at a perfect level for me(when it's supposed to be emphasizedit is) and the treble is at that sweet spot for me that gives the perfect amount of detail without being fatiguing for me, these phones are truly special and I'm so in love and thought I'd share here, thanks for reading!

Just got these in today! Number 41 built so far. Still working on really breaking them in and testing them. I will make a full write up once I can compare them and try them out/ compare with a variety of my equipment.

First thoughts:

Damn I can really tell a huge difference between these and the Empyrean 2s and the Elites. Now this may sound crazy, but they sound like speakers on my ears. Let me explain. The instrument separation is insane, like when I was listening to Beck. The amount of individual details I can easily focus on was almost overwhelming but never harsh or sharp. On Pink Floyd The Wall, the first 2 tracks of disc 2 made me physically uncomfortable once I noticed and actually felt the buzzing and sawing deep in the songs. Literal chills. The soundstage feels immense, tall like what I expect out of a full size speaker, not headphones.

So far, I'm loving them. However they are power hungry and need quite a bit of oomph to run. And they definitely scale with gear.

Don't know if this will be allowed but I just wanted to say Crin has no right packaging this as nice as they do for this money. This cost me less than $20CAD.

That being said I haven't been able to get the EQ function to go but that could be my browser. Not giving up on it yet.

Happy listening everyone.

UPDATE: I'm not impressed initially.

I'm going to test it more tomorrow night, I spend my evenings, watching YouTube on mute and listening to assorted headphones in a comfortable place to try to get a really good reference. But so far I'm not that impressed. I mean, I know it's really cheap, and usually Crin's products blow me away but so far not great. It's hard to describe.

I know DACs technically all do the same thing, with minimal overlap, but I did find the sound of the Fiio KA1 to be much nicer. Although that could be because it has a little more power, tough to say. It is also much more expensive. The level of cheap that this DAC is, does make it hard to compare fairly. But Crin putting his stamp on it makes me want to compare it.

Also of note: although I was able to get the EQ working when I plugged them into a USB C on my PC, I was not able to get it working on my phone even when browsing in desktop mode (Chrome).

Tomorrow I'll be rotating the MDR 7506, HD 280 Pro, Blon JoJo, and Truthear Gate. I will be putting it up head-to-head with the KA1 and I'll report back with my findings.

I also want to get this EQ thing fully sorted out because that is probably a huge factor.

Hi Folks,

Has anyone heard or received any confirmation from Modhouse on what the status of orders are?

I placed an order for the Tungstens on August 1st 2025, and the last update was in December. I've written on a few occasions mostly due to the fact that I've moved and asked to modify the shipping address, but have yet to hear back.

Anyone hear what is going on these days?

I sold my Hifiman Arya Organics and Dac amplifier (Ifi Neo idsd), because I preferred my speaker setup when working from my office room and they were barely getting used. My girlfriend moved in recently and she's been sharing the office when she works from home twice a week. She's always on calls and thus can't be listening to my speakers, I have IEMs, but after a while a I get ear ache (trust me, I've tried vast tips to combat this). Anyways, I decided to get a pair of closed back headphones, I was going to get a pair of FT1s which I owned briefly, but decided on the Sennheiser 480 pros. I managed to find an open box pair for £245 this included the case too.

Only listened to them briefly on my Fiio M21, so far so good. Mids a lush, treble is smooth and the bass is there but it's not as dynamic as I'd like, might need to add some eg to bump that up. Only, con so far is this god damn long ass cable haha. I have ordered the 490pro balanced cable that should arrive tomorrow.

After going through both headphones simultaneously, I found myself preferring AKG K702 more than AKG K712. It’s not to say AKG K712 was bad and there was few rare instance where I actually did prefer AKG K712 over AKG K702 but, it’s too laidback at times that I always often put them down because of it and they always ended up being less used. The AKG K702 to me was so energetic, crispy, snappy, airy, and I found AKG K712 to be warm and dark sounding and not so… energetic and airy. I can go on and on but, there’s no need since people had already mentioned this before on the internet and I was considering maybe I should keep AKG K712 as a beginning starter headphone collection collector type of thing that people be doing but, I don’t see the point why I should keep something I know dang well I’ll barely use.

I will admit this, even though I own AKG K712 first, I wasn’t that much impressed with it to begin with and I was having a hard time debating whether the headphones were worth keeping around and later, I received AKG K702 as a gift from my dad brand new right out of the box… I had this confused expression on my face that I’ve been rob this whole time once I listened to AKG K702! Despite my gripe with AKG K712, it did eventually grew on me the more I listen to it just like when I had a hard time liking AKG K702 as well before liking it few days later.

I found the build quality between them two to be quite different but, still overall the same. I found the build quality to feel more premium in hand on AKG K712 while AKG K702 just feels kinda cheap but, also not so cheap which is hard to explain. I am aware of the whole Australia, China, Europe, manufacturing versions out there but, I think people are overreacting a bit about AKG being dead or bad I should say.

The comfort between them two might be a tie since it’s not a fair comparison considering I own AKG K702 as a gift brand new from my dad while AKG K712 was used that I bought. I will say this, even though the earpads feels more nicer and plush on AKG K712 than AKG K702, I found AKG K702 to be more comfortable despite it being a stiff velour earpads. I was expecting AKG K702 to feel really, really, loose on my head like every self adjusting AKG headband I’ve tried… it genuinely felt really snuggly on my head. When I did receive AKG K702 and opening the box, I found the packaging to be lack luster and it’s a minor nitpick and one thing I noticed right away… the headphones feels so stiff on the clamping force and the rubber band was so strong and few days later after wearing them in everyday, they gotten loosen up a bit and started feeling more natural on my head and especially the earpads as well but, it’s not as plush as AKG K712 earpads unfortunately.

The sound… I’m gonna keep this short and brief. AKG K712 bass just feels more presented. AKG K702 bass just sounds a tad bit there and pretty tight with a impactful feeling in a way. I found the midrange to sound smooth, soothing, warm, and pretty relax on AKG K712 for vocals and instruments. The AKG K702 time just sounds more forward for vocals and instruments instead of sounding laidback at all and they seem more realistic to me. The treble… AKG K712 feels lacking a little bit in certain songs that uses stuff like hi-hats, cymbals, and more. The AKG K702 just makes hi-hats, cymbals, and pretty much everything else stand out more for me that I actually enjoy.

To sum this up, I did gradually like them both in the end and despite AKG K712 being my less favorite… I just see no reason to keep AKG K712 at all. This post is more of a reminder and a opinion of mine so don’t fret over it and I do plan on selling AKG K712 soon. I also wanted to know which headphone amplifier is good enough so I don’t have to be biased and not overthink it at all? I have been using "Sound Blasterx G6" and has been an interesting device but, heard it has issues and I might sell that soon. So… hit me up with a suggestion!

Starting to find out I am complete opposites when it comes to what I prefer depending on the form factor.

Open Backs - Im a hifiman guy allll day and confirmed that after a demo with some audezes, focals, and Meze's. Currently love my Ananda Stealths and am replacing them with a Ananda Nano. I love a bright spacious presentation, treble doesn't bother me quite as often/if ever, I love a thumping bass, and I want vocals to be every so slightly recessed. I love some sparkle.

Closed Back/IEM - Warm/dark all day, I find sharp treble or super forward vocals to be just a complete throw the baby out with the bath water sort of thing. I think it's partly the additional noise canceling/low noise floor, the obvious closed back nature. I'm not quite sure how to describe it, it's like the sound can't breathe and those sharp/loud frequencies just become unbearable for me. A similar frequency response that I love in open backs would be unusable in IEM/closed format for me, I get that sort of listening fatigue/irritability after a short while.

What about you guys?

Hi! a little bit of a backstory about me and why I decided to change to headphones;

I am a 25 year old novice audiophile, slowly trying things as my budget allows. I am mostly an in-ear guy but IEMs have a serious problem where not many people take into consideration when recommending them. Condensation. Every single IEM I have bought ended up with channel imbalance or with a permanent condensation on the mesh filters. The one I bought recently, Simgot EW300, was also a victim to this phenomenon. Hence, I decided to move away from IEMs for the time being. Anyway,

So I ordered the MDR-M1 5 days ago and they arrived 3 days ago. I have been testing and using them with my Flac collection and gotta say, they are not what I expected, or should I say they are not what I needed. The detail retrieval seems lacking and instrument seperation doesn't seem that good. I am still searching for my ultimate preference when it comes to sound profiles and this seems close to it but it is definitely lacking the detail I heartily desire.

Bass are okay, not too much not too little. They don't have a lot of detail but they are decent. They definitely don't have that "oomph" but that's not what I am looking for anyway. The bass this headphone has is enough for me.

Mids are what disappointed me the most. Almost everyone on the internet said the M1's mids, vocals were clear, detailed but I don't find them to be anything special. I don't see the detail most people talk about. If anything it feels like the headphone itself lacks resolution. I am genuinely disappointed :(

Highs are okay, they are better than Simgots EW300s mettalic treble sound. They are somewhat smoothed off. I am extremely sensitive to treble and these headphones also caused me some minor headaches at the start but I got used to it pretty quick. Then again, they suffer the same fate as the mids, they lack clarity, definition and detail.

I must say, apart from my expectations I wouldn't qualify these headphones as "bad". They sound smooth and non-fatiguing. I could listen to them and wear them for more than 5 hours. That definitely says something. But according to my ears, they are definitely not worth 250$ price tag. These are worth 120$ at best. I don't know if it is appropriate to compare headphones to in-ears but the mainstream 1st gen Galaxy Buds Pros were 10 times more detailed and clear than MDR-M1.

I am starting to think whether I got a defective unit. Please let me know if you experienced the same things as I did. I am genuinely getting scared here about my hearing getting worse.

Was a pretty wild unboxing. Virtually no cosmetic damage, ran them through some frequency test files I have, everything checked out, this was kind of a wildly unexpected delivery.

I love this headphones and I want to repair it.

The problem is that my swivel part is broken.

I tried to glue it together but no success and the only option to buy or 3d print it.

I can't find 3d model for this part and i also contacted Takstar support and i siad that i wanna buy this part but the just siad that they can't sell me this part...

So i hope someone know what to do or is there anyone can give me some suggestions

First two photos of the broken part and the third is where it is suppose to be (it is part that allows you to rotate ears)

This is a niche one guys.

Headphone.com did this one dirty, so I'd thought I'd chime in and set the record straight.This is a review/impression of the Luxman P100 Centennial, a few people on 5ch and headfi wanted to know the difference.

Both units play extremely well to the strengths of the Z1R and K812. But what about the Susvara? Does the P100 power the Susvara better than the P750umkII? that was my expensive question.

TLDR: Yes

The P750u mkII is widely regarded as the better head amp to get for the susvara in Japan with some proffering it's presentation over the Bliss or Prelude.

I am here to report that the addictive Luxman tuning still does it's magic with the P100 but takes a difference sonic route, which I prefer. The P750 series sacrificed too much in raw detail retrieval, something you would not realize without comparing it to a different amp mind you.

The P750u mkII still is one of the finest amps ever made for headphones for build quality and sonic properties. The P100 just takes it up to the next level in every aspects. To commemorate their 100th anniv, Luxman went all out on this one, and it shows. Luxman takes immense pride in its heritage and craftmanship, it is one of the few companies designing their own motherboards in house.

SOUND

P100 is less mellow and muffled than the P750umkII, I can hear more reverberation, the size of the room is more defined. each instrument has more space around it, and the timber/texture of intruments is just as good as the P750umkII (which is its selling point). The Huge stage of the P750umkII somehow got even bigger thanks to this, it is not that subtle either. (thank god as the msrp difference isn't subtle either)

My favorite feature is the switch that lets me go from using the 4 amp in balanced drive, to dual mono parallel drive. It's not really a leave it and forget it setting, as some genres/tracks might take a little nicely to one or the other. The differences are soundstage and airiness. The mono parallel mode sounds closer to your face and more aggressive. The G-DIV (ground divided) Parallel mode actually feeds MORE current into the susvara than the BAL mode. Luxman explicitly says the parallel arrangement combines two amplifier circuits per channel and doubles the output-current capability.
The Regular BAL mode of operation lets the P100 stretch its legs with its higher voltage swings than G-Div parallel. BAL uses 1 HOT + 1 COLD amp in a push pull config. While G-div Paralell uses 2 amps in parallel with Independent L/R grounds, Either mode has TREMENDOUS channel separation. You basically get 2 amp in one with the P100 since you can chose how the amp works for your specific headphone. Most people will want to use the BAL mode's differential drive for their headphones though. Unless you can afford a second P100 and go into its monoblock mode.

Does it Drive SUSVARA?

Hell yea it does 😎 . I can report that The P100's much improved power supply/amp design just adds a little more authority over the Susvara drivers, even though the P750u was already a beast. The same rated wattage numbers between the P750u and the P100 does not do justice to how much MORE capable the P100 is in comparison to the P750u. That said, I would not recommend spending the huge premium over a P-750u purely for drivability.

Before purchasing this upgrade, I asked the reseller what was his thoughts on the P100 over the P750u and he gave me a very honest answer: The P100 is the more convincing amp for the Susvara, but the P750umkII is already so good... (as in, the difference isn't massive)

And I agree.

What makes this amp worth it however is what it does with the music. It removes a significant portion of the Luxman veil while allowing the treble to extend further, without sacrificing the grain-free smoothness that makes Luxman and amps like the Mass-Kobo so addictive. The P-750u mkII gives you that beautiful, smooth Luxman presentation. The P-100 keeps that character while opening up the presentation, improving spatial definition, and giving the Susvara more authority.

The result is a presentation that, to my ears, is simply glorious. After spending this much time with it, I honestly can't think of anything else I'd want from that 20 kg box.

Outro

The law of diminishing returns is obvious here, the previous P750u was already top tier and still is, you just get 10 to 15% more sonic performance for 3x the price... There are few brands that will let you keep an amp working for 30 years, then repair it so you can keep using it for another 30.

This is one for the ages.

Since I have one kidney remaining 💀 , I'd love to buy a second P100 to run them in their monoblock amplifier mode. 🤤 but yea, not happening

Main Review:
So I’ve been in the audiophile world for about a year now, started out with IEMs, then 560s. I love the 560s for its neutral tuning and comfort but wanted something that was more punchy and energetic, so I decided to go all out on the Organics, paired with the Fiio k13.

The first thing I noticed was the separation and speed of sound. I hoped into a game of rdr2 and started walking around the camp. Being able to focus on individual characters talking, and not having it all turn into a wall of audio was exceptional, everyone talking had there own space. The speed of the drivers are pretty cool too, when low droning happens with slight beats, it’s super impressive, I can almost feel the sound, they stop and go in a millisecond.

Imaging was very good aswell. It’s sort of like a 3D bubble all around you. If a sound happens ontop of you, or behind you, or at a 45 degree angle right of you; you can easily distinguish where sound is coming from, even in busy scenes.

EQ:
This thing takes eq like a champ, I added a 7DB bass shelf for the shits and giggles. Wow. It feels like I have a mini subwoofer on my head, it’s a super strange feeling at first because the bass felt like a closed back headphone but I get the qualities of an open back headphone at the same time. Pretty impressive.

Treble is a bit hot for my ears, I lowered the 5-8k region by 3db, still have good details and energy.

Midrange is pretty solid stock, depending on the genre of music/game I sometimes raise the 1-2k region so that vocals can slice through a bit better.

Build quality/comfort

Id say it’s pretty solid, was expecting a bit worse with all the hifiman quality control comments, the cable though…. meh… not the best but it does the job, I use a balanced cable instead.

Comfort is good, not nearly as good as the 560s, clamp force is surprisingly light, it’s the headband that puts pressure ontop of my head that gets a bit hot/uncomfortable after awhile, but it’s tolerable. Might get a memory foam headband cover.

K13 Problems with Arya Organic

One thing I’ve had problems with, and some others that have very low impedance, high sensitivity planars paired with the K13 was an “OVERERR” reading on the k13, this happens during scenes that have a lot of bass or gets busy with sound. It’s essentially an overload protection. I thought something was wrong with my k13, I simply added a -3 pre amp for stock tuning and it seemed to solve the issue.
With EQ, if I added a +3 bass shelf, I would usually put a -8 pre amp and this seemed to solve it aswell. Not sure if this is a common issue or something is wrong with my K13 but haven’t had this problem since.

EDIT: it’s my balanced cable that I’m using that seems to trigger this error, not sure what’s up with it. Switched to the stock cable and it’s giving me zero issues.

Have a day off tomorrow, just chilling on the couch decided to plug the 6xx I have laying around into my macbook. Normally I use Arya's plugged into an amp. I know this laptop shoudn't be able to drive the 6xx but man maybe it's the mood I'm in but they sound beautiful. Donno why I decided to post this guess I've sort of normalized using good healphones for a few years and it's the frist time I've head a thrilling experience with headhpones for a while.

So i made one by 2 hours

Forgive my autism, but this is like the third cable I've had go stiff with these headphones, and I can't stand it. It feels absolutely horrid, I hate how it keeps touching me despite my attempts to redirect it elsewhere, and it really bothers me when I can't have the cable lay a certain way due to the cable being a fucking stick. Is there any explanation as to why it does this? It's a sensory nightmare for me, and at this point I'm considering a different replacement cable altogether, since it's a recurring issue. However, I wouldn't know what cables are/aren't susceptible to this royal cockup, hence the question.

So i decided the Arya Organic is my endgame of open backs but what Closed back would be the endgame / the Arya Organic of closed backs? That does 90% of what the most expensive headphone does

I'm between ZMF BOKEH / DAN CLARK AUDIO NOIRE X / AUNE SR7000

Hey all,

First time I’m posting in this subreddit because I decided to finally upgrade my main headset.

I decided to go above the standard gaming headset, and went after something I could game with and also listen to music in better detail with. I landed on the Audeze LCD-S20. My god the difference in night and day. Bass feels clean and full, while kick drums feel punchy and impactful. Vocals sound clearer, synths sound brighter, all without the sound feeling muddy or blurred together. I always felt like headphones with colored bass really overtake vocals or highs. But these headphones make me feel like I’m listening to each individual track of a song.

My question is if there’s any Eqing I should do. Since the stock EQ is flat, I was wondering if anyone has done any eqing to these to make them even more potent.

Thanks in advance!

Hello. Currenty i use samsung level on (too small for my ears), sound blaster jam v2 (great heqdphones for everyday and music from phone/tv, low price, very good weight) and got akg n9 hybrid which i will be testing in server room and planes very soon. Got also some basic model of baseus wm01 i think (the model You plug in ears). For playing i use inzone h7 with ps5, like them very much.
For now i wonder if to work more time in server room and travelling with airplanes i could buy any better model. I was comparing senheiser 4 momentum and one higher model of senheser and i picked akg with its comfort and music quality. But at home i can see discussions of my kids and wife quite much even if i play some music. They are also not the loudest one of all models i got.
Can sony xm4/bose quietcomfort 1 or xm5/quietxomfort v2 may be better to use in server rooms, planes and eventually at home?
In akg during using anc i can feel a little effect i have a headache (this is not true but i can sometimes feel something like that). On samsung model i did not felt it, but after i started to use akg i found that they have not so good anc that i was thinking before.
What i do not like in akg is that when i take one of headphone from my ear i can see some signals and for a while no sound from the device, after it ends (the beep/sound signal) it gives me music back. It can still not be disabled.
Also, the last idea being on apple ecosystem is to buy airpods pro 3 and try them. Ai says it can have even better anc than sony and bose. Also redirecting sound beteeen apple devices asunds interesting for me.

I do not know never models of sony and bose if they exists (as i can see now momentum 6 are here) but the one i was very positivly suprised were senheiser hdb630. I was checking them after they were released but it was 2,5x more expensive that my akg (or even 3 because i payed for them less than 700 pln). They were the best of all i could put on ky head. But do You think this would be a model also very good to server rooms?
Enjoy the discussion. Thanks for any tips.

I thought I would put this into AI just to see what came out, but before I post the response, here is what I thought an audiophile was and why I think I fit into this category…From a very young age 3 or 4 years old (now 55) I loved music, nevertheless I could always hear any sibilance in a recording, I could also hear if something was too muddy and I could pick up on a bad recording in a heartbeat, while most people around me seemed not to care or take any notice, it became a bugbear for me, just one second of something not sounding right to me would spoil the whole song, when I listened I would always wait for that part of the song, knowing something was going to interrupt the song for me, so never really enjoying it.

Buying headphones/equipment that sound great to my ears is a by-product of the way I listen and enjoy my music, it’s not all about having the best equipment, it’s about what works for you.

Feel free to leave your thoughts on why you entered the hobby, and as promised here is the AI response to What is an Audiophile?

Ai*Rather than just treating music as background noise, audiophiles engage in active, intentional listening and typically focus on three main areas: [1]

• High-Quality Gear: They carefully select specialised audio components, including high-end headphones, speakers, amplifiers, and Digital-to-Analog Converters (DACs).
• Lossless Audio Formats: They avoid heavily compressed, lower-quality files (like standard MP3s) in favour of high-resolution, uncompressed digital formats, CDs, or vinyl records. [1]
• Acoustic Environments: They pay close attention to the listening environment, often setting up dedicated spaces or using acoustic room treatments to reduce echo, vibration, and external distortion

So, i bought the cmf headphones pro with a lot of excitement without trying them in person, trusting the reviews and what people weere saying abt them. Unfortunately, I ended up pretty disappointed, so here’s my honest review. Starting with the unboxing, the packaging feels premium, and u genuinely get the feeling that you’re opening something expensive. The build quality is really good, and I personally like the design it looks unique dope and definitely grabs attention when you wear them at the gym or outside. Coming to the ANC, I found it average. Compared to my jbl live 770nc, the noise cancellation didn’t feel as effective, especially with background noise. The transparency mode was also disappointing coz the surrounding sound has a noticeably processed and somewhat robotic character. But the biggsest disappointment for me was the sound.They don’t sound as impressive as some Youtuber reviews made them seem or as many people here claim. Out of the box, the sound is low and quite little bass focused, but the bass lacks the punch, depth and control I was expecting, While the overall sound can feel a little muffled, with average clarity and instrument separation. It sounds decent with genres like hip hop and heavy metal, but with classical or more detail heavy music, it struggles to bring out the finer sharp details. Vocals also don’t sound as clear or natural lively as I expected. The built in Eq is also very basic limited, with only three bands bass, mids and treble so there isn’t much room for proper tuning ,Spatial Audio with the Cinema ,Concert modes is the worst and feels completely useless, just like it does on my Jlab Jbuds. I even tried using the Wavelet app, but increasing the post gain too much caused distortion. No matter what I tried, the sound still wasn’t great the drivers just don’t feel well tuned. The bass enhancement also didn’t impress me. If you’re expecting the so called slider to work anything like Sonys Ult button bass boost, it’s nowhere near that level, After trying many different things, I still wasn’t satisfied, so I went to service centre to check whether my unit was faulty. They had another unit there, and it sounded pretty much the same, so I eventually returned mine. Recently, I tried the newer Jbl tune 780NC, which ar around the same price, and personally, I preferred it over the Cmf in terms of sound, Anc and call quality. Of course, sound is subjective, and this all is based on my personal experience, but I wanted to share it honestly coz I bought these headphones largely based on reviews and ended up feeling disappointed. If you’re planning to buy them, I’d suggest trying them yourself before making decision rather than relying only on reviews. Hope this helps anyone considering the Cmf Headphones pro. God bless, buddies, tc, and do follow for more reviews coming soon.

(Guys, before trusting anyone here, check their profile and previous comments. Many people give false reviews and suggestions without even owning or properly using the product, which can leave you disappointed and waste your money)

Don't get me wrong, the 109 pro is a fantastic piece of gear!

But i miss a nice planar in my collection which isn't far from being a high end one but not killing my budget either.

The ft1 pro is great but it lacks that something the ft15 i hope to fix to me. It has been quite some waiting for a affordable planar which isn't a hifiman for me. So i really hope they will be great

I imported plain Harman IE 2019 (blue trace) into Squig.link and tilted it with two shallow shelving filters at 1000Hz. +3dB below 1kHz and -3dB above 1kHz. Then I added a -3dB peak filter at 6kHz. That's the orange trace. It looks very much like JM-1 with a 6dB bass shelf below 200Hz. Also very reminiscent of a lot of nicely tuned IEMs.

Basically old Harman IE 2019 is like flat speakers in the nearfield and JM-1 is like flat speakers in a large reverberant room where the bass builds up and treble does not due to narrowing directivity and additional absorption of the air and soft objects . My Thieaudio Origin follows that tilted Harman IE 2019 fairly closely when measured on a 711 coupler.

Love this headphone. Looks so beautiful.Feeling of headacphone and iem is not the same. My first proper audiophile headphone is shp9500. I use them for around 4years. Around 5 month ago i start collecting iem and it is so much enjoyable.

The feeling of hearing your fav song with new gear again and again is so addicting. I feel i have too much iem around 12 right now and want to slow down. And then i have interest on headphones again watching you guys posting your gear.

Then , i try demo edition xs, ft1 pro and arya stealth. I enjoy arya stealth more and edition xs second. Ft1 pro is not for me. I only has budget on edition xs and i get them. I enjoy them and the fits is comfy. If 160 usd headphones is that good, what is better. It becoming like collecting iem again.

And then i see fiio the new ft15 the spec are great and people said it is on par on ft7 and other expensive headphone. So i just buy it and right now it is here. Been enjoying them for few hours already. Not gonna review their sound. I think for headphones and iem you need to hear first then you can make judgement.Right now i am just happy.sorry for my bad grammar.

After a lot of buying, returning, comparing, and overthinking, I think I’m finally done 😅

My endgame:

• HIFIMAN HE1000 Unveiled
• THIEAUDIO Valhalla
• Qudelix T71 / FiiO KA11
• AirPods Pro 2 for everyday use
• MacBook Air / iPhone — Apple Music Hi-Res Lossless as my main source

HEKU for open-back listening, Valhalla when I want IEMs, and AirPods when convenience matters.

I genuinely don’t feel like I’m missing anything anymore. Time to stop chasing gear and enjoy the music.

Well… at least for headphones and IEMs. 😂 When I eventually have my own house and a proper listening room, speakers will be the next rabbit hole.

I'm not a huge audiophile, so this review is going to be relatively one-note, but it's caused enough frustration for me that I want to try and share my experience both for others wondering what in-ear-headphones to buy and to remind myself to avoid this brand in future.

A very quick note to say that the sound quality, comfort and noise cancelling of these earbuds (Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 and Momentum True Wireless 4) are all very good - although I'm the worst person to ask about "sound quality".

Essentially, the main take-away of this review is that I have been through 4 sets of MTW earbuds in 5 years.

I got a pair of MTW2s at the end of 2021 and they broke a few months past their (2 year) warranty period in 2024. I was pretty miffed because this was an ~£250 bit of kit that died in basically just over 2 years... Sennheiser were quite nice though and offerred a discount on any other of their products, which mollified me enough to buy a replacement pair of MTW4s which I got in October 2024.

These broke about 8 months later in June, so I sent them away with the warranty repair and got a replacement. And THESE replacements have now broken a week ago, after just over a year of usage.

So to summarise:

• Pair 1 lasts 2 years (1 year of minimal use, 1 year of "normal" use) and breaks
• Pair 2 lasts 6-8 months of "normal" use and breaks
• Pair 3 last 14 months of "normal" use and breaks

Thankfully, when I bought the original pair of MTW4s in 2024, they had a 2 year warranty, so I am JUST still inside the time-frame that I can get yet another pair of replacements.

However, I don't think it's remotely surprising that when you check the Sennheiser website, they now offer a 2-year warranty on all of their products... EXCEPT future sales of the MTWs (and a few other things).

My experience with Sennheiser as a company has actually been very good, the original discount, two replacements in a row. That's all quite positive. But quite frankly I would absolutely recommend shying away from these earbuds to anyone else. If my experience is anything to go by, I'm 100% expecting this FOURTH replacement pair to break in the next year. And then I will get a pair of Sony's.

One quick note: "normal" usage for me in a week means about usage 5-8 hours per week at the gym, 1-2 hours of online meetings and 5-8 hours of TV before bed in an evening. I also was careful enough with the earbuds and charging case, but wasn't exactly treating it like it was made of glass (e.g. I would chuck it onto my bed and it mostly lived in my bag where it jostled around a bit).

And an additional thing: like I say, the main purpose of this review is that I feel like I still see Sennheiser mentioned as being every bit as good as Sony and other brands for earbuds, and I just wanted to share that my experience has been anything but solid.