IER-M7

Photo 1: Focal Clear OG Photo 2: * (Top row) 7Hz Salnotes Zero, Elysian X Effect Audio Gaea, CCA CRA * (Middle row) Final Audio A4000, 64 Audio U4s, Sony IER-M9 * (Bottom row) Crinear Daybreak. Empty slot is for the 7Hz Timeless II Having reached "endgame" —a word thrown around loosely, but one I’m using with literal intent— I wanted to reflect on the journey that got me here. My first glance into the true potential of high-end audio began with the Moondrop KATO (i traded it away; something I regret a little). It fit my preferences so well that I that time, I couldn't find anything better near that price point. In attempt to "escape", I blind bought what many hailed as the most correct monitor, the Sony IER-M9. It was an impulse purchase I originally regretted, but at least it didn't sound bad. It just never sounded special. And thus, my exploration phase began. I went to various stores, trying out IEMs from mid-fi to summit-fi, and here I learnt my first major lesson: **know your priorities**. It look a long time for me to realize that timbre and vocals are my "north star". But the problem was not over. Many people assigned accurate timbre to more smooth, rounded sounds. To me, that was the opposite of what I thought is reality. Accurate timbre means preserving the edge in instruments, like the strike of the piano hammer , or the dark "scratchiness" of a violin bow. I eventually realized this is the divide between the musician and the listener. As a musician, my life was spent with my ear in close proximity to the instrument. It’s a "close-mic" sound. But listeners are spoiled with polished mixes from engineers and the acoustic treatment of concert halls, which favor a smoother presentation. With this realization, I bought the U4s and Gaea. Both had very good timbre and vocals. At this point, I hit a wall. I couldn't find better audio experiences anymore. Things just ended up being similar to what I owned: Annihilator (Gaea but less energy), RS10 (functionally like the M9, but with a poorer tuning), Etoile (U4s), IE900 (U4s). It was here that I realized how much of a monster the IER-M9 actually is. It is quite literally, perfect. When I tried to EQ it, everything made it sound worse, except a bass shelf. Of course if you A/B tested them, there would have been obvious differences, but it is not very relevant. My second lesson: **Gear that sounds objectively different but evokes the same feeling is still redundant**. If I were have gotten RS10, for example, it wouldn't have mattered. I would have just swapped between it and the M9 for the sake of it, not because I needed it. My new criteria became: *It must evoke a new feeling.* There was only one that achieved this: the HD600. But the bass extension was so poor it was a little unbearable as someone who has been spoiled by IEMs. This led me to the Focal Clear OG. Truthfully, I still think the HD600 is still better stock, but with EQ, the Clear OG has become the last missing piece of the puzzle. From here on, I only seek new interesting experiments that catch my ear, like the planar Timeless II (honestly not very good), or the new meta tuning from the Daybreak (actually quite decent). The best part of all this, is that I am enjoying my music more than ever.

Hey folks 👋 Looking for Type-C wired earphones under ₹2,000 (India) that are great for gaming, movies, music, and everyday use. Even if they’re cheaper than ₹2k but sound good — that’s perfect too! What I’m Using / Expecting 📱 Samsung phone with USB-C (no headphone jack) 🎮 Gaming — clear footsteps & low latency 🎬 Movies/OTT 🎵 Music — balanced sound, vocals clear (not just boomy bass) 🎤 Mic quality for calls & voice chat Main Questions Sony IER-EX15C vs Samsung AKG-tuned Type-C (IC100) — which one should I pick? Are there better options than Sony & Samsung in this price range? How’s the mic quality on these (Discord/voice chat)? Reliable Amazon/Flipkart sellers to avoid fakes? Are IEMs worth it over regular earphones for this use? I’m not really into tuning — just want something that sounds noticeably better in games/movies/music compared to basic flat earphones. What I’ve Considered Sony IER-EX15C USB-C — balanced sound, mic, comfortable Samsung AKG-tuned Type-C — more neutral/clean sound Sony MDR series (good but most are 3.5mm, not Type-C) Bonus Any specific EQ or sound settings on Samsung phones that help these wired buds sound even better? Even if someone has a budget IEM (<₹2k) that actually sounds better than these stock earphones, I’d love that tip — just tell me if it’s worth it for everyday gaming/music/movies. Thanks in advance! 🙏

My personal endgame is the Sony Xba-N3 1. Bass boosted neutral, maybe L shaped. Love the quantity of midbass and vocals sound so full bodied 2. Only music, does great in most genres, but shines in Edm, alt rock, and Midwest emo for me 3. I wear mine upside down so not bad in terms of comfort, but not as nice as my Ier-M7's 4. Shape wont allow me 5. Pretty well built, def dropped it once or twice and it looks fine 6. In today's age? Not well. Much better iems for $300ish 7. Maybe ie600s or Ier-Z1r's? Not rlly sure

For ANC I've decided to go with in-ear ahead of over-ear, simply as I don't think I could tolerate over ear, or would wear them frequently. Going for below 150 euro on average, but there's flexibility. They're mainly to block out my noisy clown yahoo neighbour when he plays loud video games and watches soccer at a stupidly high volume. I'm also into my sound quality, typically using KZ AM16's with bluetooth adaptors, I like IEM's for sound quality but they're not noise cancelling. I also like something that will stay in my ear when I'm active. Comparing the above two, Ankers or Sony, thoughts?

I also have the original Space 1.Anc is pretty good. It was better than the Sony 720. However, XM4 is likely better.