ULTIMATE UPGRADE TIERLIST & DIMINISHING RETURNS GUIDE (NOV 2024)

[@jayyaudio]

Of course this is outside the IEM itself. Forgot to mention buying used or trading is also a good strat, I’d place it high prior after fit & comfort

[@Helmond2017]

Eartips are much more important than cables IMO, excellent video

[@ChuckleNorris420]

Excellent vid and I big agree tips are so important!

[@jayyaudio]

Glad you enjoyed it 🙏 Tips are GOATED frfr

[@miershyk]

Eartips are definitely a game changer! I have a few different sets myself, and at times I grab a different one just to hear the difference in sound, and it opens up a lot of opportunity for slight tuning shifts! Fit is also very important to me for I've small ears. For example, I really do enjoy the Delci AE, but due to its shape, I'm not able to wear it for more than 2 hours per session. The EW300xHBB on the other hand, slots right into place and I can wear it the whole day without any issue.

[@jayyaudio]

💯

[@alexroot1980]

Dude, I'm in love with you! Couple hours ago I bought a 3$ KZ 3-sized foam eartips set from AE (BF sale) and you just confirmed me that it was the cheaper, wiser and most returning upgrade, over a new pair of iems! This channel is a hidden gem! You deserve AL LEAST 100k subs!

[@3ildcard]

And Jay became even more trustworthy and valuable source for Audio stuff. No bs, no snake oil. I love when people don't pretend they can hear the grass growing. Hate that cable and dac/amp propaganda from delulu's who cope too much to justify their purchases. You have manufacturer like JDS Labs, someone who has done research and would directly benefit financially from selling larger line of products saying how "chips are designed to sound the same, if yours sound different it is likely faulty" and then you have the average Head-Fi'er "bRo ThiS DaC IS wARm, ThE oThER iS tOo CliNiCal". With the exception for Tube/R2R of course but those are intentionally designed to alter the sound and not just placebo driven nonsense. In the regular ones all you hear is dB differences = lower volume/higher volume, match them and they sound the same. And JDS Labs goes more indepth why A/B wouldn't work either because it has to happen in 0.2sec timeframe.

[@jayyaudio]

I gotchu

[@3ildcard]

@@jayyaudio Doing God's work my man, keep it up. We need more honesty and less "buy buy consume, daddy needs free units to promote".

[@LongLegsLong]

Great video as always! Im in this hobby for almost 7 years. In my country I have the luxury to have shops can demo majority of IEMS , Dacs etc. Always try first, dont blind buy. I do recomend to get a good source/dac that suits your taste. A good source/dac can give a different sound different sound signature. ESS dacs = brings out dry sharp fast details. AKM dacs = brings out a smooth and detail sound sig. I prefer IEM and dacs that allow me to listen for long hours. I pick AKM dacs.

[@treblewellxtended]

Very well explained. Esp. the eartips, they play the biggest role in my opinion and are the most value for money product in this hobby towards IEMs.

[@jayyaudio]

Word 💯 tips are underrated

[@izmedyan]

Favorite video by far! Definitely agree with eartips being at the top of the list. I’ve also had the same experience with the Pilgrim where the stock tips weren’t the best choice. I did find the Velvets, Spinfit W1s, and the Softears UC to work on them really well for my ears.

[@jayyaudio]

Tips goated

[@gabech2789]

Solid advice like always 👊 this is so helpful for someone just getting started

[@jayyaudio]

Glad you found it useful 🎧

[@marksr12]

Great video, thanks!

[@1236987attoila]

Well made video , I personally like your attitude, your humbleness

[@jayyaudio]

glad it was helpful

[@nadeemmir991]

🎉🎉🎉🎉 very good video thank you so much 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 value for time video❤

[@UFO-Audio]

Jay, you are a gentleman and a scholar! This type of video is exactly the content the IEM community needs.

[@jayyaudio]

Appreciate the kind words !

[@philipm.4738]

Really good video! Loved the matching pics to the themes you used. Very clever and often pretty funny😅 As someone who maintains the hobby through budget sets, l find changing the tips is a huge factor! One brand in particular,Simgot , doesn't fit my ears very easily and finding the right tips to get a seal is huge with them. Thanks again for a very informative talk.

[@jayyaudio]

Glad you found it helpful!

[@Quo_Audito]

I have to say I agree with all your points of each of these ideas and applications. I just started tip rolling and wow, never knew it actually would make a difference. When i started listening to the Tea Pros I just got, my first thought was that it felt as though it was congested on busier tracks. Then, I got the Divinus Velvet Wide Bore Eartips and now it feels open and that problem is not a thing.

[@tkachenko9584]

Great vid!

[@demondjackson2875]

Great Job Jay!!! Appreciate u

[@jayyaudio]

😘

[@Chida_o_0]

I like the slower pace of this video

[@Gershy13]

Would love a video on tips, explaining the difference in sound quality depending on bore size etc. and a list of tips to get for people that are looking to tip roll.

[@KiwiNickG]

Agree with tips use Dunu SS, Divinus wides and Final type E and one normally sounds great

[@pmdthewizard]

Couldn't agree more, tips are a must. Just changing the size of the tips make a huge difference for me let alone switching to another type. As for DAC, I personally don't own one but I ordered the jcally jm6 pro, it should come this week. Will see how much of a difference it will make. Great video btw, as always 🫡

[@jayyaudio]

Tip gang Wait pause

[@pmdthewizard]

@@jayyaudio frrr 😅😆

[@bhavearth]

Great 👍🏽

[@Hunter4Knowledge]

So i found your channel when i was looking for a good set of earbuds for hiphop. Your dos cinco review as well as other youtubers came up giving good recommendations and i bought a set. Now im seeing a ton of your videos recommending a bunch of other iems from that company. Should i return and pick something elee? I have always felt like no matter if its car audio wolfers, or pretty much every other headphones ive used, i crave more bass. I don’t have the headphones yet, they were a cyber Monday deal I ordered last night

[@jayyaudio]

If you like the Dos and want something for higher volumes try the HBB Arcadia

[@Hunter4Knowledge]

@@jayyaudio thanks for the advice. Any tips you recommend? this is my first good pair of buds so i wanna do this right. appreciate you

[@kenmasters007]

Would love to see an ear tip guide... I bought the Zm4 and tea pros based on your videos.. Thank you!

[@zmmmzmmmz]

Same! Bonus: budget IEM that come with quality cable and the better tips, like does the Wan Er have the same tips as the Gate? For $10 that's a backup set and cable instead of buying just the tips

[@lolSnowball]

Nice

[@JohnSmithisnotme]

ear tips are fun, spent $100 on multiple ear tips and you are set. DAPs are great for portable because it's an all-in-one solution for source and amplifier. cables are cables, just don't overpay, they tune the sound a tiny bit, but mostly you get the cosmetics value (cool color and hardware). iem>tips>dap/sources>cables

[@jayyaudio]

💯

[@zmmmzmmmz]

Finally, the tier list tier list. I could use some help - I got the star city 5 pro and have been very happy with it, although there is something in the treble that makes some recordings a little rough (early Nine Inch Nails). I wanted two pairs - one for studio (flat, maybe a little extra treble) and one for enjoyment (to me, a nice zero red). Originally Nova, but worried it's more like original zero blue for me and will not use foam. Maybe supermix or ke4 for the fun?

[@jayyaudio]

Ya supermix4 would be good

[@DEZ7ROYER]

Another excellent video, thanks Jay! Which iem(s) you recommend as an upgrade from the Artti T10s with same tuning, based on what you said in the video? 🤔

[@jayyaudio]

Estrella probably since T10s are a slight bright v

[@richardblaauwgeers4349]

Source differences are very tiny. My experience is that all in ones sound better then stacks. Tips make the biggest difference in sound and comfort. A good cable can also add comfort. It took me a while to learn not to trust one or two reviewers but only when all reviewers are positive about a product it does not suck. Most review channels are just sales channels.

[@jayyaudio]

Yup they’re just shills

[@superodeda9223]

As a newbie who is getting deeper in the world of iem thanks to you, now i wanna know what brands and variants should i look out for in cables that are quality and durable and ear tips, tips and cables will be replaced overtime, great info in the price range thats quite helpful in deciding what iem to choose because there is so many good products out there that its hard to choose

[@jayyaudio]

XINHS, NICEHCK, DUNU, TRIPOWIN, all have solid cables. Most of the cable from any seller these days are pretty sturdy, just avoid ones that are super cheap relative to others. As for tips, you have Azla, TangZu, TRI, and any recognizable chifi brand names 👍

[@bestcocbaseswithlink5069]

jay bro when are u gonna review the 2nd coming of jesus which is the kz castor pro

[@balzinderchhabra8804]

Big upvote for exposing the cable snake oil.

[@jayyaudio]

As always

[@ImAWSMDanny]

I'm only here to say "nuh uh" Your move, Jay

[@jayyaudio]

“Uh hun” Checkmate

[@ImAWSMDanny]

Well shit. You win this round.

[@sharuraudio]

Holy hell your views are incredible

[@arjitawasthi8328]

i totally agree after getting sm4 expensive iems does not attract me more

[@jayyaudio]

Sm4 value is too crazy

[@adityairawan1843]

I can't really discern cable sound differences, but I still take one for longevity and aesthetics purposes. Sometimes the stock cable makes me worry, as I feel they are not durable enough. Recently I found out a weird thing; for Single DD IEMs I like to pair them with 4.4mm balanced cables. For hybrids, however, I like to keep them stock.

[@MML66]

I tried different ear tips and did not hear any difference. Is the difference that small or is there something wrong with my ears and there is a difference in ear sensitivity from one person to another? Thank you for the advice and information

[@jayyaudio]

Depends on the tips you’re using, most of them sound the same so you have to look for specific ones

[@mirzaamane4548]

hi jays, my estrella arrived two days ago and i very like it. i mostly used the tape mod because the bass is little too big for me. if i use tapemod often, will it damage my estrella?

[@jayyaudio]

Glad you're digging them! It shouldn't be an issue unless you blast them at high volume, also use them with Tangzu Sancai regular tips

[@mirzaamane4548]

@@jayyaudio okay i will try it, i used divinus Velvet widebore before

[@earlybird3668]

TANGZU Xuanwu Gate ranked by you as S- tier in tuning and technicality. I believe you. It is a $650.00 IEM, can you do a video review? You keep recommending it. thanks.

[@jayyaudio]

Not much to talk about, it’s very clean, neutral, but still has the dynamics and not smoothed out like the Mega5est. If you want a neutral set it’s a good option

[@earlybird3668]

@jayyaudio I own *MEGA5-EST* it is an awesome set with Divinus Velvet tips. Everytime you mention the Xuanwu Gate, you take a shot at the MEGAFEST. You're perogative, but suspect as you have not made a review video. The Gate costs $600.00 on sale, and may well be a fantastic double S- tier set. Even on sale it is more expensive than Hisenior's instant classic IEM.

[@yanhemei8837]

If you want anything over 2k just look for second hand or listings these iems are often taken very good care from their owners and they are half the price

[@jayyaudio]

💯 word I should’ve added buying used in there lol

[@aaronmagdaleno2250]

What tips are good for the Simgot Supermix 4?

[@jayyaudio]

tangzu sancai regular

[@makzniaira]

Thanks for pointing out how the diminishing returns are just not worth it at some point, a lot of IEM reviewers kinda gloss over the price because they got their review units in and need to shill them.

[@pauliej4105]

[Chorus] (I move in, now move out!) Hands up, now hands down! (Back up, back up!) Tell me what you're gonna do now! (Breathe in, now breathe out!) Hands up, now hands down! (Back up, back up!) Tell me what you're gonna do now! Keep rollin', rollin', rollin', rollin' (What?) Keep rollin', rollin', rollin', rollin' (Come on!) Keep rollin', rollin', rollin', rollin' (Yeah!) Keep rollin', rollin', rollin', rollin' Take care!

[@jayyaudio]

Take care Paulie 🕺

[@DonCafecito.]

Thanks! Budget dac neutral source for ps5 please

[@jayyaudio]

Any cheap $50 will work, Moondrop, EPZ, SIMGOT etc

[@Maplerszxc]

Im new to IEMs, whats a good recommendation around the $20-50 price range? TIA

[@jayyaudio]

check genre video guide

[@Emre-nl8df]

I really like your video. My family does not allow shopping abroad. These IEMS are which is best for metal music? Can you rank these iems? 1 to 6 Kiwi Ears Melody Truthear Hexa 7HZ Sonus Truthear Zero Red Zero Blue Sennheiser IE200.

[@jayyaudio]

Thanks man. None of them are that good for metal. Try Simgot EW300 pink nozzle

[@Emre-nl8df]

​@@jayyaudio andyaudiovault, truthear nova is the good for metal in own review. What do you think truthear nova for rock/Metal music?

[@nicolasrubino1290]

what do you listen on ? do you have a dap or a dongle ?

[@jayyaudio]

Topping G5, Motu M2

[@vinodrathod3902]

I want to upgrade from my tangzu wan'er. I liked the vocals, clarity and subbass in this. I want to upgrade on better bass, good surround sound stage and better separation in the sound. My highest preference is the comfort and my budget is around 100$. Can you suggest me the best one

[@jayyaudio]

SIMGOT ew300 dsp and swap it with your 3.5mm cable, you'll get 4 different tunings in total with the 3.5mm nozzles, and dsp nozzles

[@heartsobs1659]

EA 500LM or Inawaken Dawn M's for alt rock/rock/r&b music?

[@jayyaudio]

dawnMs

[@Emre-nl8df]

My friend buy a IEM. Which is better? Truthear Hexa or Kiwi Ears Melody?

[@jayyaudio]

simgot EW300

[@heyking8583]

Recommend eartips for mest mk2?

[@jayyaudio]

tangzu velvet divinus

[@stevenha406]

would you say foam tips or silicon tips are better

[@jayyaudio]

silicone

[@tanjacky5780]

Should I upgrade my Thieaudio PLTD to Thieaudio Valhalla?

[@jayyaudio]

dont have yet

[@dinozor1207]

Is Fosi audio K5 Pro good DAC?

[@jayyaudio]

never heard of it

[@TheModeRed]

S12 2024 is a side-grade to my Supermix 4, and Estrella covers similar ground but woth less sub bass and more mid bass, which I dont think is my usual preference at all. Im not trying to go over $300 so.I think a $120-150ish Supermix 4 can be someone's endgame for sure, especially with EQ for treble tolerance at high volumes.

[@jayyaudio]

Estrella does not have less bass than Supermix4 and S12 lol

[@TheModeRed]

@jayyaudio I haven't heard the Estrella, but was judging by admittedly one comparison graph showing SM4 with a little deeper subbass but significantly less mid and upper bass

[@TheModeRed]

@@jayyaudio Also major thing to point out, the Estrella will be my next purchase bc its great for my music tastes and games while also being an affordable upgrade to my current IEM's. My choices were Arete, Estrella, Anvil, CKLVX D62, Odyssey and Performer 5+2. I believe Estrella wins here and after that I have to really exceed my budget by a lot to get up to the EM10.

[@Emre-nl8df]

Jay which is has more detail in sound samsung buds2 pro vs airpods pro 2? Crinacle says samsung buds2 pro better.

[@jayyaudio]

Detail wise galaxy buds, but tuning wise the AirPods are more enjoyable and have a bigger soundstage

[@vertronicle3908]

As eq-ing is free, can you suggest good cheap-ish IEMs that are easy to EQ? for the budgetarians out there

[@jayyaudio]

EM6L

[@herseyberry4655]

Don't they have any small analog equalizers for headphones and IEM'S?

[@jayyaudio]

small amount of sources do

[@AT-vj2mz]

I suspect some 1000 dollar cable manufacturers just add a small impedance adapter to their thick ass cable

[@jayyaudio]

LOL

[@nadeemmir991]

Which is the set u mentioned when u said if i like explorers u said arcadia odyssey and one more didnt catch the first one

[@jayyaudio]

LETSHUOER EJ07 Original

[@ruslanchalbash8229]

And how big will be the difference in sound between using a 3.5mm jack and a 4.4mm jack?

[@carlScofield]

no difference at all. its a placebo effect.

[@ruslanchalbash8229]

@@carlScofield It seems the audio community is divided into two camps - those who believe that 4.4 sounds better and those who don't...

[@jayyaudio]

No difference, they graph the same

[@zerotactix5739]

I am guessing this depends on the particular iem and the source. I have like 8 IEMs at home, but none of them made a noticable difference with 4.4 except one - the Fiio FH3 transformed completely going from the 3.5 to 4.4. the sound stage noticeably widened, made it much more immersive for me. Obviously the volume is increased going to a 4.4 on all IEMs, so that could be a reason some people think it's better.

[@ikangoyeng7853]

Cable for me did sound different,my moondrop lan cable pin broken because it was bend,try fixing it and it snap,since im really need to use earphone i use my trn mt1 cable and the sound suddenly low resolution and not smooth,even the soundstage reduce for some reason. But i wanted the og cable sound back,any cable that you have tried that change for better, please recomended

[@jayyaudio]

Tripowin zonnie is cheap

[@lochanpoudel4438]

omg jays just said sacrilegious things now reddit group gonna attack jays

[@jayyaudio]

Not the first time 🤷‍♂️

[@pmdthewizard]

MUSTAAAAAAAARD!

[@jayyaudio]

🗣️🗣️🗣️

[@CLaudiusClemensJimmy]

yup, like me i don't have much to spend climbing the stairs from bottom, i just go to $1400 mest OG when they 1st released and done, hearing something like $300 just ain't my cup of tea.

[@jayyaudio]

You do you

[@vikasreddybittu]

How to make my supermix 4 sound good it sounds worst when i compare it with quarks dsp

[@jayyaudio]

lol what? Try Tangzu Sancai Regular tips

[@dleblanc343]

Why are we talking ROI about IEM’s sound performance? 😂

[@jayyaudio]

Why not 😂

[@masterazlan6999]

Hmm priority towards endgames system.. Audiophiles IEM itself the numero uno..Then comes the tunin part Cuz my world's best m still r own made yet no others beats it currently..On tunin' 1st : types of transducers 2nd : shell shapes or design 3rd Cables, in my cases Bal only 4rd : Data nowdays vinyl, tapes or even CDs r obsolete..leaves us Data which in PCM, DSD or even DXD where's Flacs born by this..5th Then system consists of dacAmp - solid or tubes or maybe r2r..6th..Hmm sory reviewer Carry on..Peace!

[@Itsnevs-o2q]

I would say if they claim that cable don’t change the sound is funny, coz the material that used on cable changed on frequency of sound, you can notice for sure.. also that apply to shape of tips, and meterial that used on tips.. also mesh filter can change the sound, like my sm4 , i was so sad when i listen first my sm4 , now i used 2 mesh filter on it now it is so smooth with amazing timbre and technically legend , and using with velvet tips … loving my SM4 , i came from 500LM did modification results smooth.. i do modification if i don’t like how it plays…. Love your channel

[@albertko1]

That's just wrong... If those electrons are able to differentiate their frequency between different materials, then literally you would literally hear music almost as if you downtuned all the instruments and vocalists. Better conductivity with more expensive materials may increase volume but the construction and shielding is what would effect noise. Jay is absolutely correct, it's something to get for mostly looks and comfort. Sure, if you have garbage cable that has microphonics or noise, a cheap $20 upgrade cable will likely fix that issue. I personally bought one nicer cable with modular connection so I can use my set with 4.4 or 3.5 jacks

[@wiesolos]

Things like filter, dampening material, nozzle length, and eartips actually alter the FR in measurements significantly. Because they physically affect the sonic wave. But you are now talking about the material, which won't affect the air conduction even in the slightest manners.

[@jayyaudio]

How did your SM4 get more technical with 2 mesh filters lol

[@Itsnevs-o2q]

@@jayyaudio sm4 technically great iem, mesh filter only stopped that shouty

[@Itsnevs-o2q]

@@albertko1I am it doesn’t change the frequency but it does impact the quality of signal transmission due to electrical properties.. silver plated cable makes more detailed and low compare to copper cable , explain me why al these tips sound different even most of them are same design…

[@blacktrain7048]

deuce cable is bad quality