shotgunshane’s IEM (custom and universal) recommendations, favorites and classics

Here you go, @Merrick
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fanmusic-H...r+hola&qid=1702260112&sprefix=,aps,187&sr=8-3

 

Also 10pr left on Amazon Canada:

https://www.amazon.ca/Fanmusic-Truthear-HOLA-Earphone-Interchangeable/dp/B0BYCH3NPF

 

Just got them, +1

 

Wanted to try out what single MEMS-driver based IEMs can achieve, but had a hard time finding any. Soranik MEMS-2 are two-way (xMEMS Montara full range + USound Conamara supertweeter), Singularity ONI IEMs use twin xMEMS Montara drivers, and Creative, Noble and NUARL TWS are all DD + MEMS hybrids. Also, MEMS-2 and ONI are both pretty expensive.

So I went with the Linner Deluxe for $250 (early bird), which is first and foremost designed as a hearing aid, offering TWS audio streaming only as an add-on. However, it had what I was looking for: just one single MEMS driver per side (Usound Conamara full range).




Measurements:

(Linner Deluxe default EQ: DF-compensated = blue, RAW = purple)


(All DF-compensated; Linner Deluxe = blue, ER4S = green, UERM = purple)


Comments:

• Very DF-neutral. Ignore 2.5k dip, imo shallow fitting IEMs don't need as much ear canal gain compensation as, say ER4S.
• Sound quality in the same ballpark as ER4S and UERM: analytical, extremely clear and detailed.
• Max volume level rather low, not sure whether due to driver or DSP limit.

Overall I'm quite impressed with the single full-range MEMS driver, its fidelity reminds me of TOTL DDs or even electrostats. No BA-timbre and no treble sizzle like with piezo tweeters. (Probably not enough punch to achieve Harman-target bass levels though.)

That said, I can't recommend this particular Linner unit, unless you have use for the hearing aid function. Its audio streaming is very basic and featureless, no playback controls, no headset functionality, no ANC for audio.
(Edit: correction, actually there's play/pause for music and one can also answer the phone. Very basic, but it's there)

Still, I'm looking forward to more advanced implementations of single full-range MEMS drivers, as I feel they can cover the entire audible spectrum with highly impressive fidelity.

 

Having rapidly become quite intrigued with my Linner full-range MEMS TWS, I wanted to find out what makes them so damn clear and revealing, while at the same time not really fatiguing. That's when I came across this video by a pro sound engineer:



According to him it's due to extremely tight phase accuracy. Must say, I've never paid attention to phase with single driver IEMs, and I also lack the technical knowledge to judge whether he's right or wrong. But in their blog, xMEMS are tooting pretty much the same horn and offer a more in-depth explanation:

https://xmems.com/blog/phase-characteristics/

So I decided to perform an experiment, acquire the Creative Ace TWS, which are hybrids (DD for bass, MEMS for mids/highs), equalize them to match the Linner's frequency response and listen for any noteworthy differences in the low range.

(DF-compensated: blue = Linner, green = Creative stock, orange = Creative equalized)


Nice match from 20Hz to 4.5kHz. I didn't care about further up, as this would have hardly any impact on the low range, and couplers tend to be unreliable there anyway.

Result: I've done FR-matched A/B tests between DDs several times in the past, back when I was busy modding them. They always turned out sounding pretty similar, with rather minor differences. Well, this isn't the case here, as the difference between FR-matched hybrid and full-range MEMS turned out to be significant. While the EQ'd Creatives don't sound muddy in any way, it still feels like a veil is lifted when I switch to the Linners, with bass that sounds a tad less impactful, but distinctly clearer and better delineated.

To give a comparison, I think full-range MEMS sound closer to BA in clarity, but closer to DD in texture and timbre. Of course I still can't say, whether that's due to the mentioned phase accuracy, but they clearly do sound like new and different tech.

 

@shotgunshane I saw your Nair for sale. Did the Supernova bump it? (Have you given impressions on the Supernova yet? Would love to hear your take!)