IEM storage and my 4-year IEM journey
If anyone was looking for a convenient way to store their IEM collection, take a look at the watch boxes that are available at Marshalls and TJ Maxx. They work pretty well, assuming your collection is not too large.
I've been in the chi-fi game for about 5 years now and the journey has been fun. It has been interesting to see how trends have changed over time, and how good cheap IEMs have gotten. From left to right:
- Kinera Celeste Phoenixcall: these were a 2023 11.11 impulse buy. Super energetic, a little fatiguing to listen to over a long period of time but fun for shorter listening sessions. They are beautifully built.
- LetShuoer S12: these were a 2022 11.11 impulse buy lol. People say there is weird planar timbre but I must be too old to hear it. The S12 are some of my most used IEMs for music and general listening.
- Shozy Form 1.1: these fit great and the sound isolation is good enough that I have used them on stage for monitoring when playing in bands (I am a bassist).
- 7Hz x Crinacle Zero 2: I primarily use these when I travel and don't want to worry about losing or breaking a more expensive set. They sound pretty good for the price and fit my ears well, blocking out the ambient noise of an airplane. Who needs ANC?
- Symphonium Meteors: I got crazy lucky and won these these in a Bad Guy Good Audio online raffle. They sound frankly amazing, with really nice and defined bass, and clear and airy treble that isn't harsh or sibilant.
- ZiiGaat Odyssey: a 2024 11.11 purchase! I'm still getting to know these guys but I like how relaxed they are. I'm still figuring out what tips work best for this set but I'm really liking the tuning and how the overall sound signature is different from my other sets, which all emphasize the bass.