IEMs Review. Simgot EA500 Review & Comparison

[@YohnzyRR]

This is perhaps the best and most detailed review of this IEM. Keep up the excellent work

[@AndyAudioVault]

My pleasure,🙏

[@fiddlix]

I have really grown to trust your reviews. I am leaning heavily towards the EA500 instead of the Galileo set.

[@AndyAudioVault]

Thank you 🙏

[@nikhilchandra3778]

Subscribed. I like how well articulated your review is. You sound professional and hence easy to trust. I recently purchased Moondrop LAN and hated it to the core and have ordered the EA500 to replace them.

[@AndyAudioVault]

Thank you! I will do my best to make things work for my audiences

[@obodioreviews]

Amazing review as usual, Andy. I love how thorough you are with your written reviews and I'm glad to see you bring it to your videos. Can't wait to get my EA500!

[@AndyAudioVault]

Thank You so very much! I do my best with more reviews like this

[@LawrenceKapua-zm3im]

Greetings " General Andy ". I truly enjoyed your review of the Simgot EA500. So many reviewers can rave on for half an hour, and I forget what they said, I really like your Grading System. The Simgot EA500, sounds fantastic for music, and maybe cable experimentation. God Bless you Andy, I will keep in touch.

[@AndyAudioVault]

Many thanks Lawrence. Enjoy your weekend there!

[@ghostJammerz]

simgot timed the release of ea500 after the Galileo, only to get reviewer say it is better. so for audience to hear it is better than a good item, its easy to digest. clever... such a short hype for Galileo due to this.. got mine and right out of the box listening to it, I know it is good

[@AndyAudioVault]

Competition are really raging hard now, with IEMs practically released almost every alternate days. The standards getting higher and higher. Before you know it, something else could overtake what was a wonder IEMs released last month, and it goes on and on

[@vamplestat]

just got the tanchjim zero and simgot. i trust your reviews. from the timeless to asura fe to vx pro and now these 2 iems

[@AndyAudioVault]

Thanks. You just made my day :D

[@raynerstuelgalid]

Just got this. I agree with Andy's findings. But very fickle with ear canal seating.

[@Un4eseen]

The way you do these reviews is something special, I don't know why but it is! I wanted to ask you, I know these are especially for classical or rock/metal music. I had asked you before about the rinko because my comfort zone is warm music, but I want to take myself more seriously to understand what the audiophile iem is and have some bass and I just bought these EA500! To buy some fun and warm IEMs focused on a lot of bass but with good quality, which one do you recommend? Are they still the Rinko ones or are there better ones for a similar price, maybe the CCA Rhapsody With 2 switches on (bass) ??! Thanks for answering!!

[@AndyAudioVault]

Warm and bass heavy, then I suggest TIN HiFi P1 MAX 2 Panda or at least Kefine Delci

[@Un4eseen]

@@AndyAudioVault Thanks!! my next buy will be the Kefine Delci!!!

[@bronzePower]

I had to return my KZ ZS10 Pro X after buying the Simgot EA500. Hands down the best IEM I have ever listened to at this pricepoint. It can easily compete against some big hitters in the market. Even though I'm a basshead, I really loved how the EA500 presents a high quality punch which is a more accurate sound production compared to other IEMs. The details and the imaging stood out so clearly that I just started noticing all these details in the music that I overlooked in the past with other IEMs. What a surprise. The ZS10 Pro X sounded so inferior once I put the EA500 in my ears. Although, I like the empty nozzle better as compared to the nozzle with filter (The colors don't matter. My black nozzles had the filters inside.) The empty nozzle had more defined bass and the sound had more room to breathe so the soundstage seemed wider compared to the filter nozzle. What an energy in that IEM! I haven't broken mine in though, its only been 24 hrs. I hope it gets better and better.

[@remedyofficialvlogs47]

now, im excited for my unit to arrive. I can see myself comparing this to Dunu Titan S, as they are similarly priced. thanks for the wonderful review bro!

[@AndyAudioVault]

My pleasure, as always

[@beepover]

Every chifi collector should have a EA500 in their collection. It's a near perfect tuning. I would say its similar to my urbanfunview without the beryllium shimmer but has much better fit.

[@dudenomad]

Can't wait for you to review the EA1000 and compare it to the EA500.

[@AndyAudioVault]

Working on it 😁

[@aprann9012]

Gr8 review and subbed ...you deserve lot more subs bro ..

[@AndyAudioVault]

Thanks! I just started KZbin 4 months ago. Long way still for me. You have a great day there

[@SwordAndBored]

My Truthear Hexas are set to arrive tomorrow. I'm heavily debating on sending them back to pickup this set instead. Thanks for the review!

[@AndyAudioVault]

Let's just clarify this, Hexa is a great IEM too, similar to Moondrop B2 tuning. I would not discard Hexa easily. The difference being, EA500 is more neutral and Hexa a bit of Harman-ish (read as Moondrop sort of sound)

[@SwordAndBored]

@@AndyAudioVault Thanks for the reply! Tanchjim Zero should be in the same box as well so I should be able to compare that neutral tuning to the Hexa and see what I favour more. I'm fairly new to IEMs and you have helped me immensely!

[@usai6870]

Thanks Andy 👍 Solid review in deed 👌

[@AndyAudioVault]

Thanks!

[@garygriffiths7353]

These are fantastic iems. I own a few very expensive iems but these hold their own. A complete bargain. I’m going to check out other simgot iems

[@AndyAudioVault]

Yes indeed. Simgot really does know how to make great IEMs and the others with different sorts of tuning has been great as well, at least to my ears

[@salgymbro7624]

Great review!!! How is the EA500 with metal music? I really dig the satyricon shirt.

[@AndyAudioVault]

EA500 even handles the most Lo-Fi Black Metal with polished smoothness, even more so with all other Metal genres. So yes, suitable for Metalheads

[@salgymbro7624]

@@AndyAudioVault thanks brother

[@cchethananuwat7253]

Good review, you classify into several categories, which helps a lot to understand every aspects. Thank you.

[@AndyAudioVault]

My pleasure 🙏

[@potaconplays8634]

great IEM, great video

[@AndyAudioVault]

🙏🏻

[@AZG90]

Thank you for the review , I am happy to come across your channel. I owe only the 7hz zero and I am looking to get another pair of IEM. do you think the simgot EA500 will be an improvment? I use it with FiiO K7 DAC/AMP.

[@AndyAudioVault]

My pleasure. Yes to me EA500 is superior than 7HZ Zero and it is a clear upgrade for your needs. Get the newer version instead, the EA500LM

[@AZG90]

@@AndyAudioVault thank you! The EA500 is exactly at my budget point - got it for 63$

[@dynamic-audio]

Black metal lover. Interesting.

[@tonedeafmonk]

Nice review Andy 👍

[@AndyAudioVault]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@zaq9339]

Since this is a metal shell, does anyone know if condensation is an issue? I'm talking temperatures around and below 10 deg Celsius.

[@tusharpatel2190]

Great review man ... love the methodology..Just wanted to know which one do you like better this or joyodio shine.

[@AndyAudioVault]

Thanks! I personally prefer EA500 of course

[@kennyvcent]

Thanks for the lovely review. Am considering getting the EA500 but am worried about the base which is flat, not boosted. Am a base head and am new to IEM's so I don't know if equalizers can fill up that gap without distortion.

[@AndyAudioVault]

Thank you. Perhaps EQ would help, most good IEM can respond well with source adjustments

[@ZeusPropofol]

You can boost sub bass 5 db, no distortion I hear

[@noragrettispaghetti]

Would love to hear you review fiio jd7!

[@AndyAudioVault]

I hope so too :D

[@noragrettispaghetti]

@@AndyAudioVault I have them! Im in Singapore would you like to borrow?

[@AndyAudioVault]

@@noragrettispaghetti If you happen to travel over to KL, ping me on FB Messenger

[@noragrettispaghetti]

@@AndyAudioVault tak boleh bang

[@AndyAudioVault]

@@noragrettispaghetti No worries

[@MarsChan07]

How does this compare to tanchjim oxygen? Thanks for the review.

[@AndyAudioVault]

Unfortunately I haven't listened to Oxygen so I would not be able to compare. Thanks

[@ryshi5576]

Nice review format!, i've been using tfz t2 for a couple years and i really like it. now I'm searching for the upgrade from tfz t2 is ea500 are upgrade? Or any recommendations?

[@AndyAudioVault]

Thank you. Unfortunately I haven't tried TFX T2 so I would not be able to describe differences between those two. What I do know is that EA500 is the very few (if not the only one) under $100 now that I consider as a complete package

[@internetstories5]

Nice review!!

[@AndyAudioVault]

Thank You!

[@Funny_Drone]

Hi, Andy! I have KZ D-Fi and I really like it, but I was thinking about getting myself the EA500 as an upgrade. Could you please tell, comparing the EA500 with the D-FI, how much percent better does the EA500 sound, not taking price into consideration? And what is their biggest advantage, in your opinion? ✌🤓 Cheers

[@AndyAudioVault]

It is not about better. It is about different tuning. Between EA500 and DFi, DFi is more analytical and crisper with the sound presentation, EA500 on the other hand favours more organic musical smoothness, less energetic compared to DFi. So it really depends on which sound presentation you like the most, technically both are pretty much well matched

[@Funny_Drone]

​@@AndyAudioVault Andy, thank you very much for answering. …In terms of sound, I like clear analytical sound with lots of details, don’t like too much bass, any harshness or shrillness. I guess I simply like high-quality sound, as “true” as it can be. To me D-Fi seem to sound as good as it can get. But if there are much more expensive earphones, then presumably there must be much better drivers, which should sound probably much better too. I guess I’m going to find out by trying. I wish I had a chance to first try and then buy, but in my country it’s currently not possible. Cheers ✌😄

[@IvanMartinez-gt3uh]

@donglemadness Hola y saludos desde México, simgot ea500 son fáciles de mover, los podré mover con el Meizu mblu lifeme Hifi Audio Pro ? Ya que mi presupuesto no me alcanza para más 😅

[@AndyAudioVault]

Yes no worries, EA500 is an efficient IEM and the Meizu Lifeme will drive it properly

[@xyzed712]

Good review . please clear up my confusion which one is better .. simgot ea500 or Tripowin Olina Se ?

[@AndyAudioVault]

EA500

[@sorooshusa]

Satyricon is one of the best Norwegian black metal bands. Rock on 🤘

[@AndyAudioVault]

🤘

[@matusjurcik6974]

Hello 🙂 will we see full etymotic iems reviews on this channel? ER4, ER2 mainly?

[@AndyAudioVault]

Been using the Etys since 2006, 4 different variants, but I never really thought of doing reviews on an IEM that's been in the scene for 32 years now lol. No promise, I may yet still do one haha

[@matusjurcik6974]

@@AndyAudioVault Thank you 🙂, I mean there are some iems under 100 usd (and always will be) that sound much better than the price suggests, your recently reviewed simgot ea500 for instance or other iems like olina SE or tin p1max, so it will be nice to always have some comparison of those higher performing iems to some reference, to get the idea 🙂 (and for me the er2se is a reference under 100). In my opinion when it comes to technicalities the er2se could be reference at even higher price brackets. And given etys long history, many people could own them and be able to ,,understand,, better.

[@AndyAudioVault]

@@matusjurcik6974 Totally agree

[@matusjurcik6974]

Hi what is your reference in this price category? In other words, which under 100bucks iem has 100 points?

[@AndyAudioVault]

Up until now, this EA500 is pretty much at the pinnacle for under $100. I personally prefer Tanchjim ZERO and use ZERO more daily, but I must admit EA500 is a more refined IEM overall compared to my ZERO

[@iggy6841]

Which would you recommend between the simgot ea500 and the Olina iems? Thanks for the great review 👍🏽😊

[@AndyAudioVault]

After hearing EA500, I will concede EA500 does it better than Olina, and I love Olina too. EA500 simply just more refined and cleaner sounding

[@iggy6841]

@@AndyAudioVault Thank you Andy

[@athenovae]

@@AndyAudioVault even compared to the Olina SE? 😮

[@AndyAudioVault]

@@athenovae I haven't heard Olina SE so I can't compare with that one

[@alexfizz7402]

Nice review, Andy! I wanted to pick de Katos, but these seem better at a lower price. Btw, I received the Tanchjim Zeros a week ago and I'm finding them too bloated on the bass, like, waaaaaaay too much bass. Maybe I got a defective set?

[@AndyAudioVault]

Thanks. Tanchjim ZERO with bloated bass? LOL that's the first time I am hearing it. I am allergic to thick Bass and no way on earth I would like anything less than neutral and Tanchjim ZERO is as close as it gets to being neutral. Try foam tips with big bore.

[@alexfizz7402]

@@AndyAudioVault I'll try foam tips with wide bore. But I swear, the bass is mega heavy when I get a proper seal with silicon tips. I can even say that they are my heaviest bass set despite having the Zetian Wus and the S12s. I'm finding the KZ Ling Longs much more likeable than the Zeros.

[@AndyAudioVault]

@@alexfizz7402 Then it is not the same Tanchjim ZERO that I know of. Tanchjim ZERO has a lot flatter Bass than Zetian Wu which is an outright Basshead planar in my book. The OG Zetian Wu was so bassy that I gave it away right after review, I just can't stand it, but luckily the Heyday has much more sensible Bass body mass

[@matusjurcik6974]

@@alexfizz7402 the same experience here

[@MrRex0311]

Hello, may I ask? I have tried Shui Yueyu's aria, aria se and kato. I chose se. I think kato's bass is too heavy, although the mids and highs are obviously better. The price and CP value are not higher than se for me. Maybe I don't. I am used to choosing my first headphones. I prefer low frequencies, not too heavy, not loud, mid-treble, multiple voices, close to the vocals, louder than instruments. If I mainly listen to tiktok, light pop music, which one would I recommend more? Or do I prefer this one? Can I use a tuning tube to change it to se and occasionally to kato bass?

[@AndyAudioVault]

Hard to say because only you can determine what's best for your ears. EA500 has great low frequencies and well balanced and definitely not as bassy as Kato

[@danielsetiawan6449]

can it be compared to s12/s12 pro and timeless? or those planar are on different league?

[@AndyAudioVault]

Let's just put it this way, a different league in terms of sonic performances is not I would use to compare those IEMs you mentioned, different technology yes. The only planars I would say clearly performing better than a very well implemented single DD would be Zetian Wu Heyday and DUNU Talos (pure planar mode). And EA500 is one of those very well implemented single DD. For one, EA500 has more organic, more neutral and smoother dynamic transients than both S12 or Timeless, that is the trait of a great single DD, rich dense sense of sound. The transients itself would also appear more tidy, however I will concede that both S12 and Timeless offer slightly better air and sparkle, but it is very close. At least from my perspective, influenced and biased to my sound preferences, I would pick EA500 all the time over both S12 and Timeless now, I want planar sort of performance, I already have Zetian Wu Heyday, in fact if I want proper planar sound, they are always better heard from full sized planar wafers like what you get from HiFiMan HE400SE or Fostex T40RP MK3. My 2 cents. Cheers.

[@NEMEJEBAT777]

Great video

[@AndyAudioVault]

Thanks! 😁

[@koningklootzak7788]

Nice review! Have you ever given a score of 10 to any category for any iem? I have a feeling you've never done..

[@AndyAudioVault]

In fact there's some IEMs that scored 10 on several areas. And only Shure KSE1500 managed to get perfect 10 on 9 categories out of 10 total available slots

[@koningklootzak7788]

@@AndyAudioVault oh ok. Thanks for letting me know👍

[@estinoazell1016]

that last comment, better than tanchjim zero by miles... ooooof dem need to try this... now I have high hopes for EA2000

[@AndyAudioVault]

😂

[@SSandHY]

Hi Andy, as a metalhead, I'm curious to know which IEM would you recommend between EA 500 and Tanchjim Zero? I am currently having the DC04 Pro.

[@AndyAudioVault]

EA500 with Red Nozzle suits with highly pacey and aggressive Metal music, especially the high pitched ones. For slower pace Metal with more emphasis on heavy riffs, ZERO does it better. ZERO can sound a bit too energetic with some type of fast paced Metal like Slayer

[@jeffc2512]

What's the better pair of budget DAC for this EA500? Will Abigail Pro 3.5 work well or 7Hz 71? Or do you have better recommendations? I'm just using a smartphone right now with usb-c and a YT music premium/Apple music/spotify for my playlist. Thanks in advance!

[@AndyAudioVault]

That would be Abigail Pro. But 71 would offer a bit more bite and crispness, while Abigail Pro offers more air and smoothness

[@ZeusPropofol]

I enjoy them with Shio.

[@dani170d]

I'm buying the Tangzu zetien wu heyday soon. Do you think EA500 would be a good side-grade and have different tuning enough to buy along with the heyday ?

[@AndyAudioVault]

Heyday is clearly a better sounding unit overall, but it is also a flagship and tuned differently. EA500 is more likely to complement and provide choice for a bit more of fun neutral sound

[@dani170d]

@@AndyAudioVault Does the heyday pair well with the xDuoo Link 2 Bal ? I'm bit concerned because it's the only dac/amp i own and it's a bit smooth and warm sounding dac and i hope it won't make the heyday too overly smooth and dull.

[@AndyAudioVault]

@@dani170d You don't have to worry about that because Link2 BAL is an amazing and versatile dongle which synergizes well with Heyday. Yes it will be smooth, but it is also very resolving

[@dani170d]

@@AndyAudioVault Thankyou, that's great to hear!

[@s1lverhand_]

7:03 as a basshead i did like the bass of ea 500. its not huge in quantity but the quick attack and the punch is just so satisfying to listen to even on edm edit: 17:11 your red nozzle has filters inside it, if you made your review based on that one then its actually a black nozzle.

[@AndyAudioVault]

To my knowledge the Red one is supposed to have filters, the Black one does not

[@s1lverhand_]

@@AndyAudioVault then this red nozzle and black nozzle thing is totally placebo lol. my ea500 came with the red ones without filter and the empty nozzle has more bass and wider soundstage, justifying the graph drew in the back of the box. I thought the filter is supposed to be a high pass filter which even sounded like that to my ears. I tested them right now. this hobby is so messed up XD

[@gamertechbroficial]

O meu também veio com filtro no bocal preto, o filtro aumenta as frequencias altas.

[@bronzePower]

@@s1lverhand_ Same. I had the filters in the black nozzles. I love the nozzles without the filters for the same reasons stated by you above. The bass is so clean and high quality that you don't need a lot of quantity. This is definitely a heavy hitter against IEMs that cost 3 times more. I'm now interested in the EA2000 which is in the $300 dollar range.

[@s1lverhand_]

@@bronzePower yeah that thing has a bass radiator.

[@ridhoputra8603]

Compared to the letshuoer s12 pro which one do you think is better. In terms of technicality, Tonaly and timbre?

[@AndyAudioVault]

EA500 would be my choice, but it will be really close between those two and ultimately tuning preferences and personal taste will determine which one you like better over the other

[@ridhoputra8603]

@@AndyAudioVault thank you for wonderful answer is very helpfuly. I went to the s12 pro first because I already bought it and was waiting for it to arrived. And I'll be buying the EA500 too in the future and can't wait to compare them

[@Medsas]

is your library mainly black metal? that will help me understand your reviews better, although to be honest im not even sure iem matter due to the poor sound quality in black metal recordings 😂 0:29

[@AndyAudioVault]

I listens a lot to Lo-Fi Black Metal. Or most Extreme Metal for that matter, but I also enjoy a lot of Diana Krall and Sinne Eeg Jazz, Alison Krauss Bluegrass, Nick Cave soul tearing Ballads, Morrissey melancholic tunes and some Electronic music from Depeche Mode/New Order. Having vast genre coverage helps a lot to gauge audio gear performances from Lo-Fi to Hi-Fi

[@Medsas]

​@AndyAudioVault ok can you explain what are your favorite iems for extreme metal? for me I feel the most important is having extremely fast and punchy sound to hear blast beats clearly, so I like planars like s12 pro

[@AndyAudioVault]

@@Medsas On daily basis I use Tanchjim ZERO with foam tips. Fast transients with fluid handling of speedy resolution, handles even over 250 BPM of pace from the likes of Slayer or most Black Metal tremolo/blast beat. S12 is fair but a bit too bright for Metal, Zetian Wu both the purple and Heyday does it much better without appearing sibilant. The absolute best of course with the Electrostatic of Shure KSE1500 with out of this world speed and super smooth upper frequency, but KSE1500 is a hassle to use due to the need to tether to Electrostatic energizer unit. Simgot EA500 also excel at Metal, so does SeeAudio Bravery. If I need even more resolution, especially when listening to the likes of Russian Circles or Pelican, BQEYZ Winter does is superbly

[@jingarjay8754]

Will you be reviewing the new Jcally JM30? It's a single cs43131 from jcally but in a more compact form factor than the jm10 or ap10.

[@AndyAudioVault]

I will check it out. Until today I don't know there's a JM30 lol

[@MasterRyan97]

Which foam tips did you use exactly please? I would like to buy them with these IEMs! Thanks.

[@AndyAudioVault]

I use black KZ foam tips on 90% of my IEMs, try them out

[@randynguyen6402]

Any iems you recommend for immersive gaming between 100-200$? These seemed great until we got to the soundstage part 😅 but they seem awesome for music

[@AndyAudioVault]

Most multi drivers hybrid IEMs will do well for gaming, for example the TRN VX Pro being crazy good with holographic staging. So do the likes of SeeAudio Bravery AE and even Simgot EM2R. I would also use AFUL P5

[@gs-nq6mw]

Philips shp 9500 or hifiman he 400se are in the 100$ price bracket and will have better Soundstage than any IEM, but for a little more you can get Sennheiser

[@kweekeongthen8470]

hope can test ea500 at Malaysia shop.

[@letsmobiles3396]

If i already own the Tangzu Waner, is this iem a huge upgrade from wan'er, thanks🙏

[@AndyAudioVault]

Yes, absolutely

[@marcelpfeiffer6587]

very interesting review, thanks for uploading. Which of the IEMs you tested would you recommend for maximum spatial imaging/ spatial definition of the individual instruments and best resolution?

[@AndyAudioVault]

At the cheapest, try Tanchjim ZERO first for the wide open soundstage and fairly good spatial projection. Otherwise, I would say BQEYZ Winter tops it on this element. Also surprisingly the TANGZU Zetian Wu which sounds rather open for a magnetic planar. Then there's the TRN VX Pro with 9 drivers each side, crazy good with 3D imaging

[@marcelpfeiffer6587]

Thanks a lot for your recommendations, I will try them.

[@Azure_KilluX]

Woah Nice review Nice scoring system Maybe you should do it at yours old video too 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@AndyAudioVault]

Thanks, I would love to do that but it would take too much time. I want to get a bit more substance to how I review things and I hope this new format will make it easier for audiences to understand. Cheers

[@fallenq8702]

Satyricon shirt 👍👍

[@keithb5612]

Thanks for the review Andy. How would this iem compare to the more expensive Thieaudio Oracle original for tuning etc? Many thanks

[@AndyAudioVault]

You're welcome. I didn't have enough time on Oracle to be able to describe the differences. What I do know is that EA500 is more neutral and not as thick sounding in the lower frequency like the Oracle. As a personal preference, I normally would be less inclined to use Bass heavy IEMs

[@keithb5612]

@@AndyAudioVault Thanks Andy. Appreciate your reply.

[@c.k1523]

How is the sound of this compare to Dunu Titan S and will you be reviewing the Tanchjim One? I bought the Tanchjim Zero and I love the sound but after a while the iem hearts my ear. So I like to hear from you how the One is compare to the Zero.

[@AndyAudioVault]

To me Titan-S is flatter neutral and drier sounding too. EA500 is smoother and more organic. Tanchjim ONE review will up soon. Thanks!

[@c.k1523]

Wow nice i will be waiting for your review of the Tanchjim One. Would you say is it worth purchasing the Ea500 when I already have the Titan S?

[@AndyAudioVault]

@@c.k1523 Yes of course, to me EA500 is a better IEM than Titan-S

[@c.k1523]

Thank you for your opinion.

[@armsregkralkidna1359]

How do you rating this iem compare with salnote dioko, pr1 pro, dunu titan s?

[@AndyAudioVault]

EA500 is clearly better than all that you have mentioned

[@rafeezrazi92]

im in dilema between this or VE SIE

[@AndyAudioVault]

SIE review will be up soon too. Different sound tuning for sure.

[@shaikhfaridh4269]

Ordered EA500 today, but I'm curious how it's goes with tinhifi T2 DLC as both have almost similar driver (4th gen DLC)

[@AndyAudioVault]

Good question, I would not know as I don't have T2 DLC. Similar drivers however can have different implementation. Factor in shell construction and nozzle as well, because sound is also about sonic resonances and vibration which the shells will influence greatly. Not forgetting the breathing holes on the shells itself, that alone has huge impact

[@dudenomad]

I've just purchased the iBasso DC03 Pro. How will the EA500 sound with it?

[@AndyAudioVault]

EA500 will have great synergy with DC03Pro, it will be vibrant and lively sounding

[@thoughts6219]

This maybe a stupid question but can Avani and Abigail drive ea500 well ?

[@AndyAudioVault]

Not stupid. Yes Avani and Abigail works perfectly for EA500. It is a very efficient IEM after all, just that it scales great with more power

[@jjstarky6985]

Andy, have u tried QKZ x hbb khan?

[@AndyAudioVault]

Not yet

[@jjstarky6985]

Andy. Pls help me to choose between letshuoer s12pro and simgot ea500. Thx

[@AndyAudioVault]

EA500 all the way

[@rebassedbyjustin01]

Hi can you recommend me what dac/amp is the best for dsd under 30$? I appreciate it to answer my question.

[@AndyAudioVault]

You can check out 7Hz 71 or JCally AP7 if you can find a bargain price at $30, otherwise not many options out there can do DSD

[@rebassedbyjustin01]

@@AndyAudioVault thanks for answering my question and which dac is better hiby fc1, 7hz 71 or the jcally ap7?

[@AndyAudioVault]

@@rebassedbyjustin01 71 and AP7 are identical, FC1 is not as good as the other two

[@lrvan]

I'm a bit confused, 3d/2d imaging is for the accuracy of sound position, right? If EA500 is not good for gaming, then it also not good for watching movies as well?

[@AndyAudioVault]

There's similarities between games and movies, so if you are expecting surround immersion (3D holographic imaging), then EA500 may not be suitable, just like many other single DD IEMs. Hybrids usually fares better in this aspect

[@lrvan]

​@@AndyAudioVault i see. I have a lot of question regarding soundstage tbh, Andi. Please CMIIW🙏, With EA500 for example, let's say we are truly enjoy the quality of the audio which is already truly impressive, able to feel the emotions of the music, the quality of each instrument, the vocal, but didnt really get the feel of the surrounding, the position of micro details and audio effect that sometimes playing trick around our head when we listen it with 3d-capable iem, unless we create it ourself on our imagination? can we say it this way? When you said you wish the soundstage of EA500 can be a bit wider, what kind of soundstage is it Andi, since we already know this is a rather 2d iem? Anyway it's interesting tho, that Tanchjim Zero has spatial projection and 3D holographic audio as you mentioned in your Galileo's review, to think that it also a 1 DD iem.

[@AndyAudioVault]

@@lrvan Lets take a step back here. The issue with soundstage is not unique to EA500. In fact 80% of single DD IEMs exhibit this issue of being more 2D than 3D. It is definitely not a deal breaker at all. I was just saying that it would be nice if EA500 would be a bit more holographic. The nature of IEMs being inserted into ear cavities already presented limitations to soundstage, unlike headphones which has further placement of drivers from the eardrums. So what we get is the impressions of soundstage on IEMs and this is true for ALL IEMs. Some IEMs does sound more holographic than others especially multi driver hybrids, but yes some single DD like Tanchjim ZERO has it as well. I hope you get the idea

[@lrvan]

@@AndyAudioVault i got it, thanks Andi! Tbh this is the first time i'm so eager to upgrade my current iem which is half below the price range of the EA500. After watching some reviews especially your views on it, it seems this is the iem with kind of sound tuning that i really wanted. But my only concern is the detachable nozzle tho.. but let's see. Need to wait a month for this set to be available in my country.

[@nigurut]

@@lrvan you should try headphone, to understand the sound stage. its like watching theatre rather than 32 inch tv.

[@dani170d]

How well do these pair with the DC03 Pro ?

[@AndyAudioVault]

Very well. Energetic and vibrant yet smooth

[@sonnie_W]

How do you compare this IEM with Hexa or Olina SE?

[@AndyAudioVault]

It is slightly better than Hexa and I haven't tried Olina SE so I can't compare with that one

[@cs11mu]

​@@AndyAudioVaulthello Andy.. Can you explain more detail about ea500 is slightly better than hexa please? Thank you Andy..

[@AndyAudioVault]

@@cs11mu Between EA500 and HEXA, we are looking at two excellent sounding IEMs. But I would say that I prefer the tuning of EA500 a bit more personally. But really whenever I listened to HEXA, it also has that great balanced sound which I like as well, perhaps I would say that HEXA seems to offer a bit more of B2 sort of crispness and EA500 a bit more of fluid smoothness of higher end IEMs

[@cs11mu]

@@AndyAudioVault thanks Andy for the answer.. Actually there are 3 iems that I'm looking for.. Ea500, Hexa, and Galileo.. Ea500 definitely wins from the other two according to your preference.. Anyway, can you help me once more please between Galileo and Hexa? Which one will you choose regarding tonal and tech? Thank you Andy.. 🙏

[@AndyAudioVault]

@@cs11mu Between HEXA and Galileo, HEXA is what I prefer more

[@traktorpro10]

How does it compare to the Dunu Titan S sound sig-wise?

[@AndyAudioVault]

Titan S is neutral-ish as well, but it is also a bit dry and lean with dynamic presentation. Crisp and lacking air compared to EA500. EA500 Is also more organic in contrast Here's my review on Titan-S www.head-fi.org/showcase/dunu-titan-s.25504/review/28901/

[@matusjurcik6974]

Hi and what about the etymotic er2?

[@AndyAudioVault]

Etymotic ER2 has two tuning, the XR and SE. EA500 with Black Nozzle is pretty much on par to ER2XR, both of which offer slight boost in the lower frequency (Midbass). But I must say that ER2XR has even more frontal Midrange and slightly better spatial imaging, with a bit more pronounced Macro details too. The ER2SE on the other hand is a true neutral IEM with Diffused Field Neutral sound profile, flatter and totally devoid of coloration

[@matusjurcik6974]

@@AndyAudioVault Thank you! 😊

[@oklonietzche2166]

Some people suggest me to choose hexa or olina but is this iem better than those two for kpop song?

[@AndyAudioVault]

Yes, EA500 is marginally better than HEXA and a definite step up than Olina, regardless of what music you like

[@shineyehtet2428]

Simgot Ea500 Vs Truthear hexa? Which one you prefer.thank you 🙏👍☺️

[@AndyAudioVault]

Easy, EA500. More resolving and better dynamic transients. But Hexa is already great too. We are talking about two great IEMs under $100

[@shineyehtet2428]

@@AndyAudioVault thank you very much 😍

[@d0nant0ni0]

Which one of those would be more accurate in its representation? Also what other iems you can recommend for monitoring and music mixing in this price range? Thanks for excellent reviews.

[@AndyAudioVault]

@@d0nant0ni0 For monitoring and accuracy, then it will be Tanchjim ZERO, KZ ZVX, Etymotic ER2SE, Etymotic ER4SR, BQEYZ Winter and I have been personally using TANGZU Heyday a lot too recently for post processing of my videos due to the excellent micro details (quite good at revealing sound anomalies in my audio stream). Can't go wrong with any of those I mentioned

[@d0nant0ni0]

@@AndyAudioVault thank you Andy

[@ekjellgren]

Have you made that grading in older reviews?

[@AndyAudioVault]

In a way yes, the principles were already in place, just that now I am showing it more transparently for others to understand my perspective, I hope it will work

[@MaxWeitzel3141]

Andy!

[@AndyAudioVault]

Yo! hahaha

[@jhubenhood2584]

What are the DACS in the video Sir?

[@AndyAudioVault]

There's three being shown there which I used, CEntrance DACport HD, HIBY FC6 and Abigail Pro

[@jhubenhood2584]

@@AndyAudioVault Which one complements EA500 the most Sir?

[@AndyAudioVault]

@@jhubenhood2584 FC6 and DACport HD of course, and at minimum Abigail Pro. And please don't call me sir, thanks

[@fernsjuarez1129]

How do they compare to the Olina SE?

[@AndyAudioVault]

I only had experience with Olina, not SE so it's hard for me to say. But EA500 I can say is less energetic and less euphonic, a bit more polished with the decays

[@fernsjuarez1129]

@@AndyAudioVault thank you

[@ligitjackson3058]

1more E1010 earphones? is it good sir ?

[@AndyAudioVault]

I would not know as I haven't tried that one. Thanks

[@mirzarazwan07]

💚💚

[@nickyxie5035]

It's good metal playlist?

[@AndyAudioVault]

Yes it is

[@renzrivera4518]

should i buy this or olina se?

[@AndyAudioVault]

EA500 all the way :D

[@renzrivera4518]

@@AndyAudioVault is EA500 huge upgrade to my 7hz zero and quarks dsp, can you explain the difference? i'm still afraid of diminishing returns

[@AndyAudioVault]

@@renzrivera4518 EA500 is markedly more resolving and more refined with dynamic handling compared to either 7hZ Zero or Quarks DSP. As I mentioned, it will be hard to find anything under $100 that offers the sort of quality EA500 exhibits. You could end up spending more and then get something which would probably be as good sounding as EA500, now that would be diminishing returns

[@renzrivera4518]

@@AndyAudioVault now I think that would be a better endgame of 2023 than the hexa right?

[@renzrivera4518]

@@AndyAudioVault for the $100 range. that might be the king of neutrals. s12 for the bassheads planar-type

[@saij0n]

Which of the 3 Simgot IEM that you have reviewed would be most suitable for Classical music?

[@AndyAudioVault]

That would be EN1000, simply more polished resolution. But EM2R would be very close as well due to upper frequency crispiness. EA500 is more suitable for Jazz sort of sound

[@brunis_m]

Nice format, am considering these. I own the C2, KZ ZS10 Pro X, S12 and Tea2. I can’t fault any of them really, and apart from the C2 I actually don’t see that much difference. The S12 and Tea2 are clearly a step above for resolution and details, but I got the Tea2 thinking it would be a clear upgrade to the S12 and it’s not thaaat clear. What would you recommend I try next?

[@AndyAudioVault]

If you are looking for a step up from S12, that would be TANGZU Zetian Wu Heyday. More refined and resolving. But not by much because from that point onwards we are looking at the rule of diminishing returns. The only way to get significant gap in terms of quality would be to delve into TOTL territory with the likes of Shure KSE1500 which is literally peerless in its own domain. And if you like something a bit more neutral, less colored, I wholeheartedly recommend BQEYZ Winter or Kinera Idun Golden, two IEMs that I will always prefer over S12 every time. You can check my TANGZU Heyday review on the brief comparison I did for S12. I can't speak for Tea however as I never used it

[@brunis_m]

@@AndyAudioVault oh no the Shure is way out of my budget lol. Have you compared the winter and the kinera to the S12 anywhere? Those and the heyday are doable.

[@AndyAudioVault]

@@brunis_m I only compared S12 with Heyday and DUNU Talos, which was covered in my Heyday review, because those were for planars comparisons. Simply put, BQEYZ Winter is my No.1 go to IEM and Kinera Idun Golden No.2 (coming from ChiFi Side). The only planar I am keeping now is Heyday, because normally I feel that Planars are still better with the full sized wafers of HiFiMan HE400SE or Fostex T40RP MK3, but Heyday was impressive enough that I actually use it regularly

[@zDennii]

I just bought the Seeaudio bravery for a upgrade to the Z12 ,for me it is a upgrade , because it deliver the Sound on a other Way than the Z12 could do for me. If I listen to the Z12 now it feels to much slammed all together without much space to the Sounds. Its very noticable but im using only a Shanling UA3 maybe this could change if I get a better one. I would maybe search for different to the Sounds that you have , its a better Target as searching for upgrades. :)

[@AndyAudioVault]

@@zDennii Bravery is indeed more refined that S12 or Z12, the balance of dynamic presentation closer to neutral territory, and yes the energy level is also less aggressive but that's what polished sound is like. Shanling UA3 pushes for crisp and pronounced resolution, but if you want a bit of smooth decays and graceful flowing transients, iBasso DC03Pro does it better, but it will be a bit colored (not in a bad way). Tanchjim Space is as neutral as UA3 but it has smoother edges vs UA3 crispness

[@dragonballz3458]

Plz make vid on tangzu waner

[@AndyAudioVault]

I am not sure I can do that now, my Wan'Er SG has been given away as part of #donglemadness freebies

[@dragonballz3458]

@@AndyAudioVault what u been? Then where can i watch about waner?

[@AndyAudioVault]

@@dragonballz3458 www.head-fi.org/showcase/tangzu-wan-er-sg.26151/review/29604/ I don't have a video on it, was done before I started YT channel. But at least you can read my review there at Head-Fi

[@dragonballz3458]

@@AndyAudioVault thxx

[@dragonballz3458]

@@AndyAudioVault damnn sir love the review. Btw i want a vocal iem some bass is it perfect? I listen to mosyly zayn and 1direction type and some pop.

[@dagohoyting2417]

Is this better than truthear hexa or t3plus?

[@AndyAudioVault]

To me yes, Hexa is close, slightly different tuning, but definitely better than T3+

[@beslemeto]

These lack soundstage and spaciousness.

[@rahulbanerjee6652]

spinfit w1

[@Un4eseen]

he literally said that in the video

[@paulosilva8200]

Black filter. Removed the sponge filter Inside. Place a high density filter Inside. Problem solved.

[@seth1455]

it was a bit bright for my taste originally so I did that with my red nozzle plus some micropore tape over the small hole next to the base of the nozzle. sounds excellent now it added some bass and just took the edge off the treble end, still got clarity and definition, very happy

[@paulosilva8200]

@seth1455 be aware. Best is the sponge filter . Reason. Changes tone to a thicker one. Better and does not get blocked by sweat mixed with wax.

[@timekeep3r]

You got allergies my guy ? or you rippin the shitz

[@AndyAudioVault]

What allergies?