Mi In-Ear Headphones Pro HD

Considering my music taste(the albums in the attached pic are just a snippet of what I really listen to and enjoy), I want advice on buying a decent iem, I'm basically from India so in rupees, my budget would be under 10k(around 100usd-in dollar) Was just wondering if I shud Moondrop aria 2 or Activo - Scoop(both of which r priced around 9k(90usd)). Any other better suggestions will also be very helpful, but I'm leaning towards the ones mentioned above as they r well within my price range and r easily available where I live. Edit: I have done some research about all of the options I have in my store but I wanted advice from someone experienced as well cuz this is going to be my first iem, also I saw *LETSHOUSER S08* rated high in the community rankings, shud I consider that for now, cuz I also have the option to buy that as well. Thanks in advance(if I'm not able to reply)

First of all thank you very much for such a detailed answer and all the tips! Oh, i know that feeling, almost none of my friends into iems, and even my musician friends prefers over ears..  I haven’t done anything with MP145 yet, still deciding, i wanted to try some other planars and maybe find some better fit, while i still have the return window.  I’ve tried Letshuoer S12 Pro today(with Dunu). They fit so well, and the cable sits perfect. I think they more focused on vocal, like the voice is the center of the song, and everything else unfolds around it, but that makes the instruments feel a bit secondary and a bit cramped together, also some highs are too sharp and a bit unpleasant. In the MP145 both vocals and instruments sound equally balanced, and they all seem firmly in their places, clearly spaced, and you can feel where each sound comes from (such an amazing feeling). So the S12 Pro lacks that special kinda horizontal width, it feels more like being in a small, isolated room. Packing them to send back, it’s just not it (sorry if i force you to read my review lol)  As for the pro version, how much do they cut the low-end bass? I really like the bass too, do you think it’s possible to EQ it to get the same depth as the MP145 with a simple EQ like in Snowsky Echo player? And also i see that you are using the green eartips, which is probably from the Pro set, how do you find them?  I am thinking about returning the MP145 too and just waiting till May when the Pro shows up in stores. If i order them from Kikstarter now, i most likely won’t be able to return them in case the fit gonna be even worse for me (you mentioned they stick out even more, and now i’m kinda worried). After i get and like them, i’ll heat and bend the cable like you described, i hope this exchange will be worth it in the end.  Your advice really helped me a lot to decide, and the fact that i’m not the only one noticing the special sound of these iems is such a cool feeling, thanks again!

**why the heck does my music sound better through my phone than my pc?** i own a pair of OneOdio A70 Headphones. unfortunately my good old phone's battery is dying so i am currently on my journey to replicate the sound i have on my phone on a working device - i owned a xiaomi mi 10t lite and with a little equalizer and bass boost the sound sounded AWESOME on my headphones. full, veeeery bassy and sharp. Meanwhile on the phone (i got the old phone of my sister) the sound sounds bad, but it also has no headphone jack and the 3.5mm adapter dongle probably ruins the sound. (i have a cheap 10 buck dongle, so it probably also have a shit DAC). It sounds really muffled and kind of mono. However weirdly even my PC's sound does not compare to my phones sound. What is in that phone, what makes the sound so good? Is it the DAC? Equalizer is set the same too.

if it sounds better, use it buddy. too many people will sit there and tell you 'well, if youre an audiophile' - balls to that; Xiaomi sounds better to me, with my earphones and dac. normal is less engaging, less fun, and i don't ever listen to music on my phone and worry about how accurate it is. .

The KZ Castor (Improved Bass) isn’t really known for vocals. It’s mostly tuned for bassheads. I personally found it pretty muddy and messy overall. The Castor has a heavy V-shaped tuning (boosted bass and treble with recessed mids), so vocals tend to sit further back. If you keep turning the volume up to hear the vocals better, the treble will start getting pretty spicy and uncomfortable. If you want clearer details and vocals that come forward more, something like the Tangzu Wan’er S.G would probably be a better choice. Also, when you’re just starting with IEMs, it’s normal for your ears to feel sore at first. It’s kind of like learning to ride a bicycle, it can hurt in the beginning, but your ears will get used to it over time. Just don’t force yourself to wear them if they’re uncomfortable. KZ’s stock eartips also don’t help much. You might want to try some SpinFit tips like the SpinFit CP100. They’re usually more comfortable, seal better, and sometimes even improve the sound. As for power, a simple dongle DAC/amp is more than enough at this price point. Something like the Apple dongle is one of the best options if you're using an iPhone. On Android, the FiiO JA11 or JCALLY JM6 Pro are cheap and perfectly good enough for IEMs.