IEM for a stupidly small amount of money

Discussion in 'IEMs and Portable Gear' started by Rotijon, Jun 18, 2016.

  1. Rotijon

    Rotijon Friend

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    I like warmish, analogish, organicish, smooth, airy, clear and sweet-ish iems. All the words used in the previous sentence is likely to mean jack shit since we might have different perceptions. But if on average the iems you like contain the above words, keep reading or just skip it.

    Was that title too much? yeah i think its too much. More accurate might be "The Highest Value Earphone". But i think its still worth getting really excited over.

    People who know me, know that i change iems and headphones faster than taylor swift changes boyfriends. Here's a list of my previous girlfriends and one night stands in order to boost my iem reviewing e-peen.

    I've owned (the more illustrious ones)
    - Fitear TG334!
    - Fitear Paterre
    - Fitear Fitear
    - Fitear Melomane
    - Fitear 212
    - Alo Jupiter...

    Actually the list might be shorter if i list down iems/ciems i have not heard/owned.
    - Spiral Ears

    Yeap, that's about it. Empire Ears, Noble, 64 Audio, JH, UE, Ocharaku, Kumitate. At some point in my life I've owned all if not most of the TOTL universals, and heard very extensively most of the customs available.

    Prior to today, my absolute favorite iem was the Fitear Fitear (USD 900). Now i'm not so sure. It had some of its shine dulled approximately 1 hour ago by an iem called the TFZ Series 3 that cost, wait for it... 58 bucks on amazon. Jesus f'ing Christ. Their flagship cost, wait for it, 92 bucks. =_=.

    The one thing that i really loved about the Fitear Fitears, was how relaxed, coherent and sweet it sounded. Just so musical. Kind of like heroin, or southern sweet tea.

    These did everything the fitear's did. The main difference, if any, is its slightly less refined (the phrase i and many other use in order to justify how our earphones costing 10-40 times more is better). The difference is so slight, it might as well be a placebo effect.

    And the build... jesus christ. I had absolutely no complaints. These could cost 20 times more and its still good enough.

    I still remember how i went into the shop meet with both of my LCD 4's to try out a couple amps. Quite a few people came in order to try out the audeze's and brought their Jupiter's, Fitears, Shure's and whatever else. In the end, these 56 dollar iems got the most head time.

    And ill say what no other reviewer would say, these walked side by side the Fitear Fitear; petted the heads of the Jupiter and K10U's tenderly yet patronizingly; stomped on the Roxxane, Layla, Rosie and U12 and absolutely smashed... well nothing was really smashed, you cant outclass something so completely when they have 10-40 times your budget.

    While listening to these, i kept thinking about what Jason said in his newest Schiit blog post on how the best way to revive the hifi industry is to sell insanely good things at normal human prices. Well, these are selling at children pocket money prices. If something is going to save the audiophile industry, its China and Schiit.

    Here's a Facebook post by one of my friend on its lower end sibling the TFZ series 1.

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/328153377366066/permalink/580396615475073/

    The amazon link

    https://www.amazon.com/TFZ-SERICES-...8&qid=1466248438&sr=1-1&keywords=tfz+series+3

    The TFZ 1 is a bit more bassy, the TFZ 3 is just right. I have not heard the TFZ 5's.

    For people in south east asia or not USA in general, contact these guys. Disclosure (They are my friends, but i dont make anything off any sale)

    https://www.facebook.com/StarsPickerAudio/?pnref=lhc

    As usual YMMV, i'm not sure if its a bit of a new toy syndrome. But if it is, this is the first time the new toy syndrome happened to me over something costing just 57 bucks.
     
    Last edited: Jun 19, 2016
  2. nehcrow

    nehcrow New

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    I thought I was on head-fi for a second...
     
  3. microCuts

    microCuts Acquaintance

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    OMG...you made me feel so tempted man..
    I am from Bolehland too :p
     
  4. Rotijon

    Rotijon Friend

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    Haha, upon futher listening, i think the highs of the Fitear is better ish, compared to the TZF 3. But, still everything else i think its more or less equal. Only RM 255 bro, no need think one. You might want the flagship TZR 5, RM100 more roflmao.
     
  5. Rotijon

    Rotijon Friend

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    Sometimes, when you win the lottery. You cant help but be too excited. but i stand behind this one. Its good, damn bloody good. Despite the stupidly cheap price (Notice how fucked up this sounds) and ill still place them within the top 3 of all earphones i've ever tried. And ive tried almost all of them.
     
  6. microCuts

    microCuts Acquaintance

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    I am actually waiting for the Andromeda to be available in Singapore so I can give it to a listen. The response is so positive that I cant resist trying that,.
    Have you experienced the Andromeda? Not sure if TZFs are available in Singapore now..
     
  7. Rotijon

    Rotijon Friend

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    Just call starpickers to post to you. Its worth it.

    Dont intend to unless one comes up for sale for a good price. I know the kind of sound i like (Fitear Fitear) and a fellow owner/lover of the Fitear Fitear told me he wasn't that impressed with it. Im unlikely to go demo them. I was ok with the jupiter, not in love. The build was amazing though.

    Best part about this iem, no need to get special players or impedance matching unlike the andromeda (I could be wrong). Out of an iphone, it sounded as good as a earphone can possibly sound (Well 90%) at least given the perspective of my taste and the best ive ever heard from a earphone.

    They are going insane on the malaysian forums. Granted, we are all cheapskates and love a good deal, which is why these are selling so quickly here.

    https://forum.lowyat.net/topic/3953593/all
     
  8. microCuts

    microCuts Acquaintance

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    I have only a few iems so far. DBA-02, Westone 3 and a custom Eartech 3 drivers. I do notice I prefer brighter tone after I auditioned tons of iems at Canjam Singapore.
    Might give it a shot, my Mojo is from Starpickers too hehe. I have no doubts in your words due to your rich audiophile journey. Thanks for you great info bro.
     
  9. Kunlun

    Kunlun cat-alyzes cat-aclysmic cat-erwauling - Friend

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    Hmm, how do these compare to fake ie800s?
     
  10. SimpleTwistOfFate

    SimpleTwistOfFate New

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    have you listened to the less well known flagship iems like Lime Ears Aether and HUM Pristine Reference? the iem scene seems to have new flagships coming out every other month or so, and with so many competing brands it's very hard to keep up
     
  11. Rotijon

    Rotijon Friend

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    Haha nice one. Considering how hard it is to tell fake ie800 from real ones these days. Its about time they put their head together to make something really good. Like this one.

    Kind of like how china now makes tourbillon's for 250 bucks. They now also make super good iems at dirt cheap prices apparently. They just had much much longer to refine this much simpler product.

    Give them more time on the tourbillon's and it will become something similar like the digital camera. Stupidly prestigious item for the rich and famous in the 1980 and in every phone by the start of the millennium.
     
    Last edited: Jun 19, 2016
  12. Rotijon

    Rotijon Friend

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    I did, i was in MS last week and heard both. yes they were good (The Hum especially), but nothing too special even out of a AK380.

    These, i asked for the price instantly. When he said two fifty five, almost exactly like jason's customer at newport, i asked if it was RM2.55k (630usd ish).

    Tbh, these are dynamic drivers, which are different from ba's. Im quite used to ba's sound sig, which might indicate why i was so impressed.

    But to be fair, i've owned those stupidly expensive FAD Piano Forte XG's (2.2k usd new,i got them used), IE 500 and AKG 3003's and i can say its better. Although the IE500 does have this ultra sharp clarity you cant get anywhere else.

    This is like the Toyota 86 or Lexus LFA of earphones. The specs say very close to nothing.
     
    Last edited: Jun 18, 2016
  13. Priidik

    Priidik MOT: Estelon

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    Isolation, comfort and your reference chain? Thanks.
     
  14. sorrodje

    sorrodje Carla Bruni's other lover - Friend

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    What is the size of the nozzle? Seems large. Complys t400 or 200 would work?.
     
  15. Rozenberg

    Rozenberg Acquaintance

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    I first heard about the TFZ from Indonesian audio group on FB.
    I'm intrigued so I ordered the Series 5 from Penon for teh lulz several minutes ago.
    Funny how the Series 1 has customization options while none for Series 5 but well, I guess nothing could be done.

    I'll know what the hype is about in a week or so. Hopefully Penon's shipping to EU is fast.
     
    Last edited: Jun 18, 2016
  16. GettingBuckets

    GettingBuckets Almost "Made"

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    This will be interesting to see.

    I guess the most logical thing to do at this point would be to send them out to a couple of people for measurements and such right?
     
  17. Rotijon

    Rotijon Friend

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    Well, i just got a confirmation from a fellow sbaf-er who managed to try the cheapest 35 dollar series 1 out yesterday. He's a good friend who sold me his Eddie Current Black Widow, and to another sbaf-er friend his ECP L2 and Codex. He was also the person who purchased a TG334! and Fitear Fitears(Currently dominating his headtime the most) from me previously. Why the long introduction? What im trying to say is, he has very good taste in sound and gear, even by "Lofty" Sbaf/changstar standards.

    Dude had a very similar reaction to mine, and pre-ordered both the Series 3 and 5. Glad to know im not alone. For a moment, i thought (and kind of hoped my ears had problems). I'm elated to have found these but it also kind of sucks that i was part of the generation that paid stupid prices for a merely good/ great earphone.

    Cant wait to see(hear!) what the future brings tbh.

    Isolation is decent, comfort is great for me, since they emulate the inear stagedrivers or fitear styles. My former reference is a Fitear Fitear, 000 cable and AK240 or AK380 (The ak's past secondhand 240's are a waste of money tbh).

    Right now, its just these cheapo iems and my iphone. And i think my fitear fitear with 380 is only like 10% better. And this is only with the series 3. I cant imagine what their flagship series 5 that cost 10 bucks more will be like, since there was a quite a difference between the series 3 and series 1's.

    Hmmm slightly smaller than a TG334! or Jupiter nozzle. Never bought tips other than spinfits or jvc's so i cant help =( but relatively standard sized.

    I honestly would not mind to contribute something to SBAF, but the shipping will actually cost more than the earphone itself. If i were to ship from malaysia to the USA.
     
    Last edited: Jun 19, 2016
  18. Rotijon

    Rotijon Friend

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    I have not heard to Series 5 before, but im hoping its positive, since the series 3 was so much better than the series 1's. They use the same drivers, so i think it shouldn't be too different.

    http://www.tfzither.com/

    Here's the site, they have a new one coming out in september, the Series 7, this one is quite abit more though, at 400 or so apparently. Lets see how it is.

    Remember to run them in abit, these use dynamic drivers, so they need about 50-100 hours to loosen up apparently. New units did sound different to demo units.
     
    Last edited: Jun 19, 2016
  19. liquidgal

    liquidgal New

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    Actually should use T500, but T400 can fit as well :)
     
  20. manatworks

    manatworks Friend

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    I'm that guy he mentioned, get to demo tfz1 for a relatively short session (~1.30 hours) in not too busy environment.
    I'm not that good with english so I apologize if this sounds confusing.

    The closest way that i can come up to describe TFZ1 is faster/more resolving with much better build quality Tenore, also remind me of k10 in some way but it didnt smoooooooth everything up ( not really a fan of that) . Laidback and fun to listen to without losing much resolution. The bass is a bit too much for me btw. I'd say its pretty nice for 30~35$ !

    (definitely not "giant killer" imo, it wont have technicality of UERR or Andromeda but that'd be to unfair to send this 35$ model to go fight with those bigboys)
     

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