AliExpress 11.11 Buying Guide: Audiophile Edition (2020 rev.)
11.11 is here again, aka the day when you buy stuff you’d never buy otherwise. Then again, you do get some really cool deals at this date and it’d be silly to miss them. Also note that all purchase links given here are unaffiliated and feel free to look for better deals (though I’ve tried to link to the best ones).
Thus, without further ado:
IEMs and Earbuds
- KZ EDX ($5): If you need a beater IEM that isn’t completely awful, maybe these aren’t half bad. I personally wouldn’t buy or recommend them but if this is what tickles you fancy — go ahead.
Purchase Link - KZ ZST X ($15): Reviewed here. This is one of the better KZ releases in recent years. Decent build, good accessories, and mostly inoffensive sound. Again, if you want a beater IEM check them out.
Purchase Link - TRN STM ($17): I would call these “decent” IEMs overall but they do have a rudimentary tuning filter system which is pretty interesting in this price range. If you like TRN’s house sound and really want to keep something with tuning filters in your collection, these aren’t half bad.
Purchase Link - KBEar KB04 ($20): These are frankly quite good. The tuning is a bit hot in the upper-mids but can be mostly tamed via tips. Good resolution and the dynamic driver punches deep without bloating the mids. Will review them soon but for now — these are a good balanced armature + single-DD hybrid option in the price range.
Purchase Link - BLON BL-03 ($23): Still the de-facto budget IEM under $30. I do think that there are a couple other IEMs that beat BLON at their own game but the BL-03 still has its charm. Reviewed here.
Purchase Link - KBEar Lark ($25): New kid on the block. My review unit is still on the way but so far user feedback has been quite positive. The design is pretty cool and graph looks nice but that’s all I can say about them. A blind shot.
Purchase Link - BQEYZ K1 ($28): Really well-tuned IEM. Not fatiguing and mostly sounds alright for a cheap DD + BA hybrid.
Purchase Link - BLON BL-05S ($34): Awful color. Better comfort and fit than the BL-03, still needs a tip/cable swap. One of my most favorite IEMs under $100. Yes, $100, not just $50. If only these came in white… Reviewed here.
Purchase Link - Tin T2 Plus ($40): I’m not a big fan of Tin’s house sound. It’s too thin and clinical for my tastes. The T2 Plus does throw in some actual bass response though for a change and the top-end isn’t overbearing. Good comfort, nice design, pretty detailed sound that is more balanced than the higher priced Tin T4— what’s not to like?
Purchase Link - SMABAT M2 Pro DIY ($40): I don’t have much idea about the plethora of earbuds under there (visit the head-fi earbud thread for some proper ideas) but these came recommended for the price and I myself will likely get one. Making your own earbuds can be a nice little DIY project and the price-tag isn’t atrocious.
Purchase Link - BQEYZ KC2 ($45): BQEYZ does it again with their tuning chops. It’s a technical IEM that doesn’t do “detail overload” with frequency-response shenanigans. One of the best hybrids under $50.
Purchase Link - LZ A6 Mini ($47): These used to cost around $150 at a point but now has drastically dropped in price. The sound wasn’t competitive in the launch price but now it’s a different story. The treble here is a bit hot for my tastes but if you want some piezo-treble in your life along with moderately good detail retrieval and tuning filters, these are a nice option.
Purchase Link - iBasso IT00 ($72): Engaging presentation with pretty hefty sub-bass. Nice technicalities despite the bass boost.
Purchase Link - SMABAT ST-10s Gold ($100): These came highly recommended via some of my mates over at head-fi. They are apparently one of the very few earbuds that can properly reproduce sub-bass notes. Airy stage, precise imaging, spot-on mids — the whole shebang.
Purchase Link - BQEYZ Spring 2 ($130): Great technicalities, better bass the previous iteration and the piezo treble is actually enjoyable. Shell size is a bit large though.
Purchase Link - Fiio FH3 ($138): People are raving about them over at head-fi, so maybe there’s something in there. I have trust issues with Fiio, but your mileage may vary.
Purchase Link - LZ A7 ($287): A dizzying array of tuning options, great soundstage and fantastic technicalities. The timbre isn’t my cup of tea, neither is the tacky design but you get your money’s worth.
Purchase Link - Moondrop Blessing 2 ($306): If you are a sucker for Harman target or something similar — look no further. Great technicalities but note weight is thin and timbre is unnatural.
Purchase Link - Dunu SA6 ($500): These are some of the best multi-BA IEMs under $1000. The tuning is spot-on with just a hint of coloration in the upper-mids. The vented Sonion woofers hit with authority and while lacking the texture and slam of a good ol’ large DD, these are no slouch. Soundstage is well rounded, imaging is precise, stock accessories are top-notch. Highly recommended.
Purchase Link - ThieAudio Monarch ($730): Linsoul’s house brand that’s apparently struck the gold with the Monarch and Clairvoyance set of IEMs. Some of the cheaper EST tweeter-laden IEMs in the market.
Purchase Link - Dunu Luna ($1700): Practically the only flagship IEM that I can recommend buying from AliExpress. The fit can be a bit finicky but once you get the right fit it’s very hard to take them out of the ears. The technicalities are TOTL-level indeed. Lower-mids are practically perfect for my tastes. I do wish the sub-bass extended lower and upper-treble had tad more presence, but I nitpick. These are also chock-full of quality accessories so you’d be treated like a king indeed.
Purchase Link
Cables
- KBEar Rhyme ($15): These are cheap UP-OCC cables that look too good to be true. They’re good though, so no worries, for now.
Purchase Link - KBEar Thorough ($15): Similar design to Rhyme but with SPC in the mix now.
Purchase Link - Electro-Acousti 6N OCC ($35): Fantastic cables that deserve more attention. Top-notch craftsmanship and something Effect Audio would ask you $150 for.
Purchase Link - Electro-Acousti 7N SPC ($80): Fancy high-purity SPC cables usually cost over $300 but this one is an exception. Bang-for-buck in that sense.
Purchase Link - Electro-Acousti Gold/Silver/OCC mixed cable ($174): This is pretty much the most I’m gonna spend on cables myself. Above that you enter the cray-cray region which I’m not too fond of. These have a unique braid and was a perfect match for my Final E5000 as I went the balanced route (I bough the cheaper 4 core version).
Purchase Link
DAPs and Sources
- Sonata HD Pro ($34): Pretty solid DAC dongle under $50. Not much to complain about here.
Purchase Link - E1DA PowerDAC V2 ($54): Extremely powerful all-digital amp. Drives even some power hungry planars with authority. Has an iOS/Android app (HPToy) that supports PEQ, filter selection, gain control and so much more. Biggest issues: power drain/heating, and 2.5mm balanced output only. Review coming soon.
Purchase Link - Khadas Tone Board ($80): If you’re into DIY — look no further. Hook a good class-A amp to it and you’re set for your most DAC/Amp needs. A bit barebones in design but that’s where the DIY chops come in. Highly recommended for PC builders too.
Purchase Link - E1DA 9038S Gen. 3 ($85): One of the best implementations of the ES9038 chipset across any price class. Has similar power outputs as the PowerDAC though the PowerDAC has more raw grunt whereas the 9038S aims for refinement of the tonality (PowerDAC V2 can turn a bit grainy). Again, 2.5mm balanced out only.
Purchase Link - Shanling Q1 ($100): These are one of the few DAPs that properly implemented the ES9218P chipset. Retro design looks cool and the Hiby OS is chock full of feature. Shanling also has great support.
Purchase Link - Cowon Plenue V ($145): The Plenue V is awesome if you can live without WiFi and streaming. Epic battery life. Reviewed here.
Purchase Link - Hiby R3 Pro ($172): Chock full of features. Very nice all-around player, though I find the tonality a bit too clinical. Also not good enough for low sensitivity IEMs.
Purchase Link - XDuoo XD-05 Plus ($220): Everything but the kitchen sink thrown in this behemoth of a portable DAC/Amp combo. If you wanted a budget iFi Black Label — this is it. There’s also op-amp rolling option so… yeah.
Purchase Link - YULONG Canary II ($250): Pretty much the only DAC/Amp combo I recommend under $500. It’s very hard to top these given the discrete class-A amp section and the rather well-implemented 9038 chipset. Output power is plenty and especially suitable for driving Sennheiser HD6X0/Beyerdynamic high ohms/Focal headphones. They also come in red, so bonus point there.
Purchase Link - Oriolus BA300S ($330): A portable tube amp with balanced out that doesn’t break the bank while not having weird bass distortion and adding the tubey-ness to your tunes — what’s not to like? Then again, tube ain’t for everyone.
Purchase Link - Shanling M6 ($450): Very solid player in the upper-mid range of the market. No major flaws. There are some better sounding ones in the range but they don’t have the fluidity of the Hiby OS and Shanling’s after-sales support.
Purchase Link - Topping DX7 Pro ($510): Dizzying array of features. Comes with a remote too. Fantastic sound, though I still prefer the Canary II’s analogue-ish smoothness.
Purchase Link - YULONG DAART Aquila II ($600): If you don’t mind the class-AB amplification instead of the class-A goodness of the cheaper Canary II and the upper-tier DA10, this is a great value otherwise. The DAC section is very well implemented. I’d personally stack it with a separate class-A amp though for best results.
Purchase Link - YULONG DA10 ($1038): Pretty much the one DAC/Amp combo you’ll likely ever need unless you are ready to spend three/four times as much. Can power literally everything with authority. Very low noise floor. DAC filters are also well-implemented. Does lack Wi-Fi which is a strange omission in an otherwise feature-packed product.
Purchase Link
… And that’s a wrap! See you on the other side.
