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Website
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Graph Database
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Rubric
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ResolutionThink of the difference between a YouTube video at low resolution (360p) and high resolution (1080p). With higher resolution videos, the boundaries of objects have clearer definition and the surfaces of objects, such as fabric, has more textures. The same difference can be heard between less and more resolving IEMs, earbuds, or headphones.Representative
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1/5 (Poor)Muddy and muffled. Even voice is not audible.Qudo Earphones with Mic (Random bookstore IEM)
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2/5 (Average)Slightly blunted and overly smooth. Note definition can be slightly blunted. Instruments and vocal line might smear together when music is fast and dense. Details in the decay end of the note and the reverb might be limited, making the music seemingly lacking texture.Moondrop Aria
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3/5 (Good)Generally clear with decent texture. Note definition is generally crisp with minimal smearing, unless the music is fast and dense. You can generally discern some texture and details. The reverb trail might be a bit subdued or soft.Moondrop Blessing 2
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4/5 (Great)Great. Musical notes have better definition at the leading edge, leading to better separation in dense and fast passages. You can here more micro details below the surface of the voices or instruments.CFA Andromeda 2020
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5/5 (Outstanding)Effortless. Crystal clear. Instruments are clearly separated even in dense and fast passages. The stereo image is rich and full of nuances. You can listen as closely as you want and rarely hear bluntness or smearing.64 Audio U12t
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Bass and DynamicA good pair of IEMs/earbuds/headphones should be able to convey, even emphasise, the sense of rhythm and the ebbs and flows of music. In general, this energy requires IEMs to be able to convey rapid volume swings on the downbeat of an orchestra or the leading edge of bass note. It also requires tactile physical sensation of the bass, and the sense of rumble and texture accompanying the bass drops. An IEM can have loud bass, but still fail to convey energy should it lack other features above.Representative
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1/5 (Poor)Lacking energy and a sense of pacing. Either there is absolutely no bass, or there is nothing but bass. Muddy, lack of control.Qudo Earphones with Mic (Random bookstore IEM) / Etymotic ER2SE
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2/5 (Average)The transients feel slightly mushy and woolly, even though the amount of bass might be high. The woolly bass attack reduces the sense of rhythm and pacing.Moondrop Aria
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3/5 (Good)The leading edge of bass notes is quite sharp, conveying a sense of pacing. There is a tactile sensation. However, the tail end of the bass feels truncated, lacking extension and texture.Moondrop Blessing 2
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4/5 (Great)At this level, drums and bass can create noticeable physical sensation and realistic resonance with good sense of pacing and rhythm. There are but a few nitpicks, such as not enough or slightly too much bass, or inadequate of texture in the tail end of bass notes.AFUL P8
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5/5 (Outstanding)Outstanding. Either the bass is "fast" with clear sense of dynamic swing (U12T) or big and bold that rumbles the entire stage when the music calls for it (E5000). The bass that is worth mentioning.64 Audio U12t / Final E5000
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Stereo ImagingStereo imaging or "soundstage" is a psychoacoustic illusion that different recording elements appear at various locations inside and around your head. Good IEM soundstage is a combination of several factors: (1) center image such as vocal is pushed back away from the head, (2) the width of the soundstage extends beyond the ears, reaching the shoulders sometimes, (3) there is a strong sense of layering of instruments from closer to further away, (4) the sound seem to fade into the surrounding environment naturally, (5) the outermost layer such as room reverb and background vocals are highlighted.Representative
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1/5 (Poor)Flat and small soundstage. The stage never extends beyond your ears. Everything seems to be placed on a small flat surface.Deep fitted ER2SE
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2/5 (Average)Generic in-the-head soundstage. The center image is mostly in your head, and rarely extends beyond the earpieces. Lacking a sense of layering of instruments from closer to further away.Moondrop Aria
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3/5 (Good)The soundstage feels wide but flat. The center image is still primarily in your head, but the stage can extends wide to the sides with the right track. The instruments still mostly exist on the same plane, lacking strong sense of near-to-far placement.Moondrop Blessing 2
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4/5 (Great)The soundstage feels large. The center image is still primarily in your head, but the stage extends wide to the sides and can reproduce some near-to-far and low-to-high instrument placement. Instruments feel more spread out. There is a noticeable sense of layering of instruments between closer and further instruments on the stage.AFUL P8
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5/5 (Outstanding)The soundstage feels unusual for an IEM. Center image can appear in front of your eyes in some tracks. Far away sound in a recording can trick you into thinking that it comes from your environment ("holographic"). Clear contrast between near and far instruments. Layering between near and far instruments feel razor sharp.64 Audio U12t / MEST III
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TonalityTuning, tonal balance, and timbre of an IEM can be captured by its frequency response. However, the interpretation of such frequency response is very personal. In general, good tonality means (1) instruments and voices sound natural and realistic, (2) no harshness.Representative
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1/5 (Poor)Train-wreck. This is the kind of tonality that makes you wonder what the manufacturer was thinking.Qudo Earphones with Mic (Random bookstore IEM)
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2/5 (Average)Generally listenable but can be uncanny or uncomfortable. For example, cymbals and hi-hats might sound unnatural. Voices might be sibilant or shouty / glary.KZ ZSN Pro X
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3/5 (Good)Not much to complain nor praise. IEMs with enjoyable tuning and one or two mistakes also land in this level.Moondrop Blessing 2
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4/5 (Good)Outstanding target hitter and unconventionally tuned IEMs that generally work but with a few hiccups land in this level.AFUL P8
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5/5 (Outstanding)The tuning that make me sit back and say "that's quite clever." Exceptionally tuned IEM that combines the best of academic target with experience to create a unique presentation that is larger that what an IEM usually does, with very few mistakes in timbre and tonality.64 Audio U12t
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Bias ScoreSubjective assessment, taking into consideration sonic performance, price, packaging, design, and comfort.
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1/5 (Poor)Waste of money.
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2/5 (Below Average)This IEM is either flawed or too overpriced for the sonic performance.
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3/5 (Average)Not much to complain nor praise.
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4/5 (Good)I’m happy to add this IEM to my rotation.
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5/5 (Outstanding)One of the best IEM experiences
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