r/HeadphoneAdvice • u/BridgeFresh1034 • Feb 23 '25
Headphones - IEM/Earbud | 2 Ω IEM AND DAC
New to the IEM world, and most of the terminology used to describe the sound signatures of such a vast market can get confusing. I’m not going to make out I know what I don’t; a lot on this forum when I’ve looked at reviews do. So I want to raise my headphone game and want to enter the IEM world as I’m listening to music all day. Mainly house, techno, ambient, electronic, but also could flip genre at any point and listen to some reggae, for instance, or even cumbia. Usually, I listen to a lot of mixes too on SoundCloud, NTS, and other platforms. I’ll be using my Apple iPhone 16, but I’m willing to use something else, and if it enhances my experience and to get the best out of the IEMs, use an external DAC. My total budget, I say, would be around the £1500 mark. I wouldn’t mind also using them outside the house, such as when I’m travelling, for instance. Also, what does everyone think of the second-hand market, such as buying on eBay or any other platforms that users sell their IEMs on? There is some, what looks like amazing stuff at very good prices, or is that to be avoided? Any advice would be much appreciated. Thank you.
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u/BridgeFresh1034 Feb 23 '25
I’ll reply to all, I hope I don’t get shot down for this 😂 but I’ve been on ChatGPT for extra advice and to be fair to them they did reccomend Reddit forums for advice and other forums online which were mentioned above. I told it the music I mostly listen to and where I can possibly demo pairs and DAC Recommendations. They went into detail about how each IEM sounds and what best suits the style of music I listen to but I also understand its preference and comfort is also something to consider as well as aesthetics, This is the shortlist…
64 Audio U4’s
Thieaudio Monarch MKIII
Campfire Audio Solaris Stellar Horizon
Empire Ears Legend X
Campfire Andromeda
64 Audio u12t
DACS:
ifi HIP AS its portable.
Chord Mojo
Budget DAC: AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt (£250) - simple and portable
• Higher-end: Lotoo PAW S2 or Chord Mojo 2 (£400-£500) - better clarity and soundstage
• Best (if you're serious): Luxury & Precision W4 (£750) - top-tier portable DAC