Top Ten Must Have IEMs Across Different Budget Segments!!
In-Ear Monitors commonly called as IEMs are earphones that are widely used by almost every audiophile out there. They are preferred due to many different reasons such as good isolation, comfortable listening experience, easy drivability, HiFi performance, and many more. The market of In-Ear Monitors is super huge, we have over hundreds of different IEMs available for us from different brands available at different price segments. With all these many options in the market, choosing the right one for yourself is a difficult task. But you don’t have to worry about anything when we at Gizaudio are here with you. Previously our video blogger, Timmy Vangtan has made videos where he mentioned his top favorite IEMs for Vocals, Top favorite IEMs for Bass, and his favorite IEMs for Rock and Metal Music. You can check them out at our Youtube Channel here. Timmy has a lot of experience with different IEMs across different price segments. Based on his experience, Timmy has now made a video on the Top IEMs Everyone Must Have In Their Collection!!! We will be presenting his thoughts, his recommendations in written form with this blog, so without any further ado, let’s begin!!
Disclaimer:-
This list is completely made by Timmy based on his own experience with all the said IEMs. We have slightly adjusted a few points for better clarity in the written form. Do follow our channel on Youtube for regular videos related to HiFi audio gear. You can also check his Video from the link below. Most of the IEMs showcased in his video can be grabbed from HiFiGo, check their online store here.
Moondrop Aria & Moondrop Kato:-
Price: 79.99$(Aria) & 189.99$(Kato).
Starting off, Timmy has chosen the Moondrop Aria and Kato to be his absolute favorites from the brand. The Aria comes under a more affordable price segment of 100$ while the Kato is priced close to 200$ price tag. Both have a brilliant bass response with a very natural midrange tuning, but the Aria lacks a bit of energy in the upper midrange. Both these IEMs are single dynamic driver offerings from the trusted house of Moondrop. Kato is the more resolving one among the two with better clarity and more energy in the overall output. Timmy states that if you want anything with a neutral tuning profile but with a slightly boosted lower-end response, these two deliver outstanding value for money!!
You can purchase the Aria from here, and Kato from here.
Tanchjim Hana 2021 & Tanchjim Oxygen:-
Price: 179.99$(Hana 2021) & 279.99$(Oxygen).
Two awesome pairs of single dynamic driver IEMs from Tanchjim, the latest Hana 2021, and the Legendary Oxygen. These two sound quite identical with the Oxygen showing more resolving sound and cleaner bass response of the two. Both of these are quite identical to the previously mentioned Moondrop IEMs but with added energy in the output. Vocalists with these come out more forward with better energy. These two also have a thicker presentation for the lower end in comparison to the Moondrop ones. They have a more fun signature but sound less natural than the Moondrop ones.
You can purchase the Hana from here and Oxygen from here.
KBEar Aurora:-
Price: 169$.
KBEar Aurora is another single dynamic driver IEM that has a fun V-shape sound profile producing powerful bass response and decent detail retrieval. If you want a jack of all trades that complements different genres of music with a fun sound signature that too at a budget price point, the KBEar Aurora is a great option to consider.
You can purchase the KBEar Aurora from here.
See Audio Yume:-
Price: 169$.
See Audio Yume is a triple driver hybrid set of in-ear monitors that features a dynamic driver paired to two balanced armature drivers. Following Timmy’s words, this is one of the best tuned IEMs in its respective price segment. The bass and the midrange separation is immaculate. The only takeaway with the See Audio Yume is that it really doesn’t have a lot of bass. This is not for bass heads, but for vocals, and other genres of music, this is an excellent set for the price. The pair presents excellent piano, clean violins, absolutely clean vocal presentation. A good buy for its asking price.
You can purchase the Yume here. See Audio has recently launched The latest Yume Midnight in collaboration with Hifigo and Crinacle that delivers even better sound with an improved lower-end response, you can pre-order it from here.
7Hz Timeless:-
Price: 219.99$.
This little planar magnetic beauty is an absolute favorite of Timmy under the 300$ price segment. As per him, Under the 300$ range, there is nothing that beats this stunning set. It delivers excellent performance with powerful lower end, a juicy, planar bass that soothes your soul, the midrange has got good clarity, and treble showcases excellent energy with the Timeless. Don’t worry about its power requirements as the pair is easy to drive via any decent enough source. An absolutely brilliant IEM.
You can purchase the 7Hz Timeless from HiFiGo here.
See Audio Bravery:-
Price: 279$.
Bravery from See Audio is an excellent IEM. Started as a community project where See Audio tuned and designed the pair with the community based on polls on their social media platforms. As per Timmy, the See Audio Bravery sounds similar to the QDC Anole VX(which is priced at 2500$), less resolving than the QDC but the tuning of both the IEMs is quite similar. An excellent pair of multi-BA IEMs that complements different genres of music with its musical tonality and well-balanced sound profile.
You can purchase the See Audio Bravery from here.
DUNU SA6:-
Price: 549$.
Another Multi-BA set in Timmy’s list of must-have IEMs of all time, the DUNU SA6 has received countless positive feedbacks from the community. The pair has a similar tuning profile as the See Audio Bravery but has a better resolution. It has a neutral sound profile with a slight elevation in the bass region. Female vocals are an absolute bliss to listen with the DUNU SA6. If you want the tuning style of QDC Anole VX but with lesser resolution and at a lower budget, the Bravery and DUNU SA6 are the ones to look for.
You can purchase the DUNU SA6 here.
Softears RSV:-
Price: 729.99$.
This 5 BA IEM has received a full 5-star rating from Timmy. The Softears RSV sounds so natural and so lively. Despite being an all-BA configuration, there is not even a slightest of BA timbre in RSV’s tonality. It delivers an excellent tightly controlled bass response with neat, natural midrange, and a smooth, detailed treble section. In Timmy’s own words, the RSV is a solid IEM that just sounds fantastic and at the same time maintains a super natural sound tuning.
You can purchase the Softears RSV from here.
Moondrop Variations:-
Price: 520$.
This tribrid IEM speaks for itself with its absolutely brilliant sound presentation. The pair produces a wide soundstage, really good strong sub-bass, sparkly and nicely done treble section, and also a natural midrange. The pair retrieves excellent details from the music too!! Following Timmy’s words, the Moondrop Variations is an immaculately tuned IEM with a wide and airy soundstage, all this for just around 500$, a bargain at this price.
You can purchase the Moondrop Variations from here.
Unique Melody Mest Mk1 and Mk2:-
Price: 1499$.
These both are fantastic pairs of in-ear monitors. Featuring a unique Quadbrid driver configuration housing dual EST, four BA, one DD, and one Bone conduction driver per side, both these pairs offer you a splendid performance. Mest MK 1 is more aggressive among the two, with more forward, more energetic upper mids, and more aggressive treble region. Mest MK1 showcases better details among the two but due to this aggressiveness, it might get fatiguing for treble sensitive people. At the same time, Mest MK 2 presents better bass with smoother upper mids and treble section presenting a much more balanced signature of the two. These two are actually top-performing IEMs as per Timmy that one can buy for any genre of music.
You can purchase the Unique Melody Mest from here.
QDC Anole VX:-
Price: 2399$.
Just following Timmy’s words here, the Anole VX is a masterpiece. The most resolving IEM out there, it is so clean and crisp. There is no veil in the sound output. The dynamics, the detailing, with the QDC Anole VX, is simply excellent. One can hear every single beat distinctly. The decay is very short, so the pair produces every single minutest of the details in a song precisely. As per Timmy, if your wallet allows for it, the QDC Anole VX is the best IEM to go for!!
You can purchase the QDC Anole VX from here.
Well, that is it, Timmy’s list of top IEMs that everyone must have/audition once in their life. These are his absolute favorite ones that cover most budget segments. You can start with basic entry-level ones like the Moondrop Aria or the Tanchjim Hana and climb up the ladder if you like the signature and tonality. We sincerely hope this blog and Timmy’s video help you get some knowledge on IEMs, and make it easier for you to choose your next one!! In case you have not checked out Timmy’s Video yet, check it out on our YouTube channel here.
