Hello everyone, I am very new to the audio world and recently decided to purchase a Fiio K3 for my HD560S headphones. Is the stock 3.5mm headphone cable okay to use in this setup? I noticed some people mentioning a 2.5mm cable. Just wondering if the stock headphones and K3 will be all I need for the setup. Do I need to purchase anything else?

I'm using nothing but proper analogue sources from now on.

Sony WM-FX39 with Blessing 3 IEMs

In the top right of the image there's a square-ish piece of metal or two. When I went to plug my charger in it went crooked and would not go in all the way. Is it safe to dig them out?

I’ve had a pair of Studio3 wireless headphones for 4 years now and saw the new Studio Pros that came out this year are already on sale for half off so I thought it’d finally be worth upgrading it when rtings.com showed a similar quality between it and the XM5 (and being almost half the price of an XM5. The change to usb-c and ability to use the usb-c to usb-c cable to listen to lossless music was also a great addition to but the whole thing comes crashing down the moment you put the headphones on.

I don’t know who decided that the Studio3 earcups were too deep because the Studio Pro have almost half the depth in the earcups compared to the Studio3 making the inner foam/plastic feel almost like an on-ear headphone instead of an in-ear headphone.

Somehow in all of this, the headband itself also feels downgraded as well. It now almost feels like a piece of wood just resting on your head and just squeezing down on your head. The Studio3 headband wasn’t anything to right home about but it still felt relatively weightless and nothing egregious on your head. Clamping force is also stronger on the Studio Pro so combined with the smaller earcups it feels much more painful to have on your head in general.

I’d stay the Studio Pros aren’t really worth it compared to the Studio3 and from the minute or two I’ve tried on the XM5s those felt so much better albeit currently being twice as expensive as the Studio Pros (the XM4s are also like $50 more expensive than the Studio Pros too but also more comfortable as well from the small time I’ve tried a pair).

TL:DR for those who have no time or willingness to read the full review:

PROS	CONS
Neutral tuning with no annoying peaks or dips and no particular frequencies over the others	Low-end visceral rumble is not a thing, even though the sub-bass is there and you can hear it playing in a very controlled way and with respectable extension
Tight and punchy bass and detailed treble response along with natural mids and no sibilance whatsoever	Bass is tight and punchy but will never have the same weight and depth as on a dynamic driver
On-point tone and timbre, which is good news	Soundstage could have been slightly wider and deeper
Great build quality	Not the easiest set to drive: having a good source is recommended
Super comfortable shells and above average isolation
Excellent stock cable

INTRODUCTION

AFUL is a strange name for sure, and mostly because it’s not among the most iconic brands in Chi-Fi history.
After the P5 and the P8, the brand is back with the MagicOne, a single BA IEM which is far from being A(W)FUL (sorry, but this joke has been around for a while and I needed to put it in the review).

Disclaimer: the AFUL MagicOne were sent from HiFiGO free of charge so that I could write a honest review. This review represents my personal opinion on the set and it is by no means a promotional or paid content.
At the time of the review, the AFUL MagicOne were on sale for about 139,99$.

AFUL MagicOne with AGPTEK M30B/Benjie S8

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Driver Configuration → 1 x BA
• Sensitivity → 103 dB
• Impedance → 38 Ω
• Frequency Response → 5 Hz – 35 kHz
• Cable → 1,2m OFC silver plated cable with 0.78mm 2-PIN connectors
• Plug Type → straight gold plated 3,5mm jack connector

PACKAGING

AFUL MagicOne’s packaging is simple but it doesn’t look cheap.
It contains:

• The AFUL MagicOne
• 2 sets of different tips in S,M and L size, for a total of 6 pairs of tips
• A convenient hard carry case
• The detachable cable
• User manual

HiFiGO also sent me a pair of Divinus Velvet eartips, since apparently they knew pairing these with the MagicOne could have been a good idea.

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DESIGN AND BUILD QUALITY

It’s really hard to find any flaw in the MagicOne’s build quality. The 3D printed resin shells look beautiful and the look-through transparent material is eye-catchy.
Being a BA unit, there’s no dynamic driver inside and no pressure vents as a result.

The nozzle is of average size and the ear-facing side of the shell has a protruding wing which grants a more secure fit. Some will like the latter, some won’t, but I can say that even though I don’t usually like it, the MagicOne are so small that it ends up being very useful and helpful.

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CABLE

The stock cable is awesome: it’s solid, well built and flexible, and the pre-made hooks are comfortable. If one would want to be nitpicky, it’s not the most lightweight cable I could ask for, but this isn’t a real issue.
And yes, there’s a chin slider as well, which is mandatory at this price.

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COMFORT AND ISOLATION

The MagicOne fit like gloves in my ears, both because of their small shells and because the small protruding wing really helps me in finding a very secure fit. One would think that the fully closed design could lead to driver flex or similar issues, but this is not the case: the MagicOne don’t have any of these problems and they also insulate wonderfully from external noises (AFUL declares 26dB of passive isolation).

This is really one of the most comfortable and easy to fit IEMs I have tried in the last few years, period.

SOUND

GEAR USED FOR THE TEST

• DAC: Topping E30
• AMP: Topping L30
• Mobile phones: Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, Xiaomi Mi A3
• Dongle: Apple Type-C dongle, Truthear SHIO
• Portable DAPs: Benjie S8/AGPTEK M30B
• Other sources: Presonus AudioBox iONE, ElGato Wave XLR

Do they need an amplifier?
The MagicOne are harder to drive than expected, and even though they won’t need a serious desktop amplifier to run well, they at least ask for a good dongle in order to properly shine.

Sound signature
The AFUL MagicOne are a neutrally tuned set with no particular boosts or dips. It’s basically a very balanced set that aims to suit many different genres.
The MagicOne really don’t sound like your average single BA affordable set, and in fact it’s not easy to guess if you do a blind test.

Lows: quality over quantity, definitely. The sub-bass doesn’t rumble and it cannot provide the visceral feeling which only a dynamic driver can be proud of, but it’s “there” in its leanest and controlled form (which is already a victory for a single full range BA).
The bass is very tight, fast, with good attack and speed, and despite the fact that it isn’t a very thick bass, it still provides nice textures and an enjoyable (yet controlled) kick.

Mids: the midrange isn’t recessed, instead it sounds very natural with frontal instruments and good layering capabilities. There isn’t a particular timbre direction and in fact it’s very hard to say if it’s better to listen to guitars, violins, and so on: just choose what you like and most of them will sound fine. Maybe, the upper midrange sounds slightly better due to the fact that the lower midrange usually needs more thickness to be a truly deep experience, but male vocals still sound very good given the kind of tuning.

Highs: the highs are not for treble sensitive people, but overall it’s a very nice and sparkling treble with a lot of details. The extension is not phenomenal, but this is a really great treble tuning that doesn’t become fatiguing thus still retaining the energy that one needs when listening to the sounds that play in that region.
I’m surprised that given all that happens in the lows and mids, this single full range BA still has space for a well done and detailed treble (moreover considering the price range and the overall package).

Soundstage is not out of your head, but everything is at its place and the MagicOne also surprise with a nice imaging and at pinpointing instruments on the stage.

I have also tried to use the MagicOne with the Divinus Velvet tips, but in my case I preferred the stock tips since they make the MagicOne more stable and secure in my ears.

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AFUL MagicOne vs Hisenior T2U​

The T2U were the predecessors of the more recent T2 Classic from Hisenior, featuring a double Knowles BA setup and a very unique signature.
Being very brief, the MagicOne destroy the T2U in almost every aspect, from fit to sound, from cable quality to the overall build quality.
The low-end is slightly fuller, the bass is less pillowy, the vocals sound more natural and the treble is more detailed and smoother. The T2U are less bright and warmer overall, but the MagicOne sound more open, with better imaging and excitement at the same time.
Everything is better on the MagicOne, and this is another proof that the driver count doesn’t always make a difference.

AFUL MagicOne vs Truthear Hexa​

The two are slightly different but at the same time they partially share the target since both go for a more analytical and less V-shaped approach than the competitors.
The Hexa are more focused on the sub-bass, whereas the MagicOne has a slightly more forward bass with tighter kickdrums. The lower midrange is more or less the same, even though the Hexa sound a bit deeper and warmer whereas the upper midrange is more energetic and forward on the MagicOne.
Treble is more sterile and a bit more extended on the Hexa, but the MagicOne are more detailed and resolving than the Hexa. Soundstage is wider and slightly deeper on the Hexa, but the imaging and layering capabilities are superior on the MagicOne.
Build quality and design are very good on both sets but the MagicOne appears like a more refined and premium product and they are also superior in terms of comfort and isolation on average. The stock cable of the Hexa is ages behind MagicOne’s provided cable.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The MagicOne were a surprise, and I mean a true surprise.
If I didn’t know they were single BA IEMs, I would have never guessed the configuration, since at first I thought it was a hybrid set.
The overall sound signature is not thin or lacking in one particular area, and the overall sound reproduced by this set is unique and surprisingly full. Sure, it’s not fair to ask for a very visceral low-end, but I was also hit by a responsive and satisfying bass that I wasn’t expecting to hear.

No hype, but these need to be tried.
Good job AFUL.

I've been looking at these two to replace my current gaming headphones. I know there are lots of posts and articles comparing the two, but how big are their differences really? If it's super minimal I might just go with the kph30i, remove the back foam if necessary, and throw some yaxi pads on it. If the ksc75 is actually a lot clearer than I'll go through the hassle of buying a headband and pads for it as well.

I bought a lightning to 3.5mm adapter to use my sennheisers in my iPhone 12 but they sound so much better plugged straight into my old Samsung s9. I’m no expert so I don’t know how to explain the difference but sounds so much more crisp and can decipher all the different sounds on Samsung. Can I make them sound better through my iPhone?

I found this really cool product from a company in then UK. Their website is Ultimateear.com (no s).

Custom gloves: https://ultimateear.com/product/custom-gloves-for-earphones/

They will make custom gloves for your favorite earbuds. For example, my Bose QuietComfort II's always fall out. This would apparently fix that.

Other problem si that I'm in the US. I wonder if there's a US company doing the same....

Purchased a pair of M4's this week and after running them for about a week I've never been so happy. Sound quality is amazing with deep clear bass and sparkling but never harsh highs. I tend to listen to a lot of complexed layered music (metal, blues, ect) and the detail on these are too notch. Have to say my days of wired headphones might be done forever.

I've tried a couple of things and now I am back to square one with my shures with the default silicone tips. Recently I tried a pair of etymotics, and they were so uncomfortable that I could only wear them for about an hour, which sucks because they did have the best isolation of anything that I've ever tried. I know the general consensus among people who like them is that if you just wear them long enough you'll get used to it and you can eventually like it, but I just can't do it. I've tried the default foam tips on my shures but they also make my ear canals very sore, and the outer texture of foam chafes the skin in my ear canals. I tried them for quite a while so they had ample time for me to get used to it, but I never did. I have purchased a pair of custom molded IEMs in the past, and they are I think the most uncomfortable option I've ever tried. I can only wear them for a maximum of 15 to 20 minutes before I have to take them out, and the isolation is also kind of meh compared to other things that I've tried. Another slightly wackier solution that I tried very recently and immediately gave up on because I could feel a pressure in my head, and the headache lasted all of the rest of the day, was foam ear plugs and bone conduction headphones that I got on Amazon. It sounded a lot better than I expected it to sound, but the pressure of something pushing into the bottom of my temples consistently, and the aggressive vibrations on that area, it just didn't work for me. Another thing that I think contributed to this was that where I had to wear them to get the best sound was directly outside of where the ear plugs were inside of my ears, so aside from having foam ear plugs pushing outward inside of my ear canals, I now had something on the outside pushing in against that outward expansion, and it was very unpleasant. Foam ear plugs on their own, without something else affecting it like that, are at least tolerable in the long run. having tried all of these options, I am back to square one with silicone tips. I think this is the only option that I can use consistently with good comfort, not being distracted all the time throughout the day and in pain.

With all of this said, can anybody give me some recommendations for my options? Are there very good single flanged tips that will fit anything, and/or is there a universal fit iem that provides better isolation generally than Shure se425s?

Also, typo in the title. IEMs, not items. I typed the text body with voice to text and there were some typos, which I have corrected as well.

So, I’m doing some research for a project in college and I am focusing on amazon music.

• amazon music had a big redesign in 2019 – users have mixed opinions

• amazon music has around 100 million songs and 5 million podcasts to listen to, amazon music live events, exclusive podcasts, desktop and mobile apps, easily connects to devices, pretty similar subscription plans to other music streaming apps

And I’m wondering…

• what is your opinion on amazon music?

• would you say amazon music is "cool" or "trendy" or rather something for a more mature audience?

• how do you like the current design?

• what music streaming platforms are you using if not amazon music?

thanks in advance!

They're 40% off on amazon and I kind of like the aesthetic of them, but they also look super uncomfortable. If I were to get them, I'd also buy replacement earpads and probably a headband wrap to make them more bearable. Is the sound quality worth all this trouble at the price or should I just go find some other ones? Also, I've never replaced earpads before, is it relatively easy to do? thx for help

So this started happening with a different pair of headphones that made me get another pair only to have it happen with the new pair I got. I currently have the razor blackshark v2

Whenever I wear my headphones it feels like the right side is much lower than the left to the point where it feels noticeably uneven. While the headphones I have currently don't adjust the same, my previous headphones would have a 'click' every adjustment you made to the ear height, I'd always have them the same amount of clicks, I'd feel to make sure they were sitting on the right spot on my head, I even checked in the mirror to make sure that one of my ears wasn't horridly uneven and everything seems fine but I cannot get these headphones comfortable on my head no matter how hard I try

Has anyone experienced this? Does anyone know what might be happening? Am I just mad?

Have tried both comply and Sonicfoam:
Comply was the best fit/sound, however the memory foam ripped when I was changing sizes testing which felt best, better seal than Sonicore.

Sonicore was ok, but didn't have as good a seal/loosened easier/fell apart easier.

Since there's 100+ diff brands of In-Ear replacement tips, I figured I'd test my luck on here and see if there was any brand to stay away from/better reviewed.

Anyone have any suggestions for me ?

i have questions aboutkz pr3 from kz official store

what is the official launch price?

in pre-order is 29.99

in comparison table is 46.99

now its 79.99 with discount of 40% which is 47.99

so what is the official launch price?

is this legal?

Has anyone compared the sound of the Sennheiser HD660s or other headphones from the Mac Air M1 to an external amp and felt no difference?

As you can see, the earcups are the only real indicator that I've been using these heavily over the past six years. They went from daily to every other day, then back to daily and do on. Used them at work, then began using them at home more until I got my first pair of IEMs, then they stayed at home but I used them while working, writing, or just enjoying them while playing games or watching a show or etc.

I'm very impressed they've lasted so well! I bought them in 2017 but now there seems to be an issue with the connection of the right driver. It could be wiring, but I'm afraid to take it apart before I source a new pair.

There's a fuzzing, staticky type noise coming from the right ear, whether they're plugged in with the included cable or on Bluetooth.

Is it worth it to replace them with another pair of WH1000-XM(insert number here) or should I consider other brands? Please bear in mind that I am not in the US or EU and there is absolutely no return policy, nor can I order from Amazon or random Chinese stores as import taxes are unreasonable.

Thank you and happy listening!

I saw the new DMS video where he says at around the 1 minute mark that people with audio technica headphones "don't really care if their headphones sound good". While I think this is true for M50x users, I don't think it is generally true. I've never owned a pair of headphones worth more than $500, but I feel like I've had a respectable amount to the point where I know what I do and don't enjoy in a headphone. I've gone down this rabbit hole of a hobby about a decade ago, and no matter how hard I try I cannot escape the grasp of the MSR7b. It simply has the best sound signature that suits my taste in music.

I've owned 1 pair of open back headphones and hated them because I felt like they didn't have nearly enough bass to suit my needs and that I have a fair amount of white noise in my room at all times. While the M50x are absurdly popular, every person who I've heard talk about their open backs has been singing their praises, even Z. I've been watching DMS for at least a few years now and I don't think I've ever seen him review an AT open back, and yet he goes out of his way to disrespect people who like their headphones. Interesting.