Which headphones of Drop's currently available?
I have some rewards points to burn but there's no obviously good options on Drop right now for headphones Contenders Ultrasone - maybe? I don't own any Ultrasones, so curious. Looks like garbage travel headphone which could be useful also. Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro. - Maybe? I have the DT 880 Good price point, really uncomfortable headphones but could be interesting to try the upgraded version. E-MU - strong contender but $400 is a bad price point for what it is. Which of the above would you choose and why? Nothing else on Drop is relevant to my interests, because Already own 6xx 820 800 s Ether cx Garbage / Consumer grade Meze 99 - garbage bass canons, hard pass No gaming headphones obviously Sennheiser wireless - no to wireless/bluetooth Hifiman - I have 2 of drop hifimans and they make really bad cheap shit on Drop, hard pass on HE-R7DX Aeon - I own the closed, Drop refuses to address #padgate so no reason to buy open Beyerdynamic 177x - wireless, nope Too similar 8x / 560s...
Mar 28, 2024
At best, Mee Pinnacle is only slightly better than the Monks when using my Audio Gd NFB 11.28. The Pinnacle is slightly clearer in the highs and mids but the VE Monks still sound very good and actually sounds more balanced!
The Pinnacle is thin sounding compared to the Monks!
Considering the HUGE price difference, this makes the pinnacle a VERY LAME IEM!
On top of that, the VE Monks is less dependent on an amp!
The Pinnacle is a nice earbud but the $109 difference is freakin insane!
I still like how quickly I can throw on the Monk+ but the ZST is only about $18 usd and (with foam tips, like comply or Shure, for maybe $8 to 15 usd) I like the way they sound much more than the Monk+. Way more bass, good isolation, nice highs. Without foam tips I find the ZST treble a bit high and the bass a bit weak so tips are kinda necessary to enjoy the ZST. A downside might be that the Monk+ sometimes seems to have a degree of soundstage but the ZST really doesn't. Still, for enjoyable sound, the ZST with foam tips crushes the Monk+.
I have the Xduoo XD-05 but found that they have a harsh sound. Based on reviews, the amp is the weak link and some suggest to replace it with the burson opamp V5i but I'm not sure if it's worth another $65.
My experience with non-headphone audio is still heavily lacking. The only earbuds or iems that I have experience with are: VE Monk+, KZ ZS3, and the KZ ZST. Please don't let me overhype you. I like the ZST, the $18 base price is great, and they definitely aren't boring but I own or have heard multiple headphones I would choose over them.
In fact, I would choose any of these over the KZ ZST: Beyerdynamic DT990 600 ohm (with MrSpeakers Alpha Pads), Takstar Pro 82, Audeze LCDX, Philips SHP9500S, Hifiman HE-400I.
And I would choose the KZ ZST over these: AudioTechnica ATH-AD700, Sony MDR-V6, Superlux 668B (Brainwavz HM5 Velour pads), Sennheiser HD280 Pro, VE Monk+, Axent Wear Cat Ear LED Headphones (my girlfriend's set...), KZ ZS3.
At the price tag, I think the ZST is absolutely worth a try and very fun with foam tips. Just don't expect it to dazzle more than $200+ headphones or the stupidly good valued sets like the SHP9500S or the Pro 82.
Oh, and my desk setup is a Schiit Mimby/Magni 2 stack with a pair of Beyerdynamic DT990 600 ohm padswapped to MrSpeakers Alpha Pads. Portable is the Fiio Q1 mk II with Takstar Pro 82 but potentially with KZ ZST as well. My desk is definitely better in treble and bass (in cleanliness, sparkle, and impact) but my portable setup is pretty good too. The Pro 82 is a closed back with a detachable cable, comfy, light, and with adjustable bass. It's also pretty portable for an overear headphone. It also has that effect of enjoyable sound where you just kinda forget you're listening to music even while you enjoy it. Then bass or sub bass comes in and it's so very there. Absolutely worth ~$72 and the month to come in from china.
"In fact, I would choose any of these over the KZ ZST: Beyerdynamic DT990 600 ohm (with MrSpeakers Alpha Pads), Takstar Pro 82, Audeze LCDX, Philips SHP9500S, Hifiman HE-400I." >I also prefer the Senn HD 558 over the Mee Pinnacle and the 558 can be bought for $80 today. But I prefer the pinnacle over the senn urbanite. I really love the Sony MDR-CD900st but i can see why not everyone would prefer the sound.
If we're talking strictly KZ iems, I recommend the KZ ZS5 or ZS6. I own the ZS6 and think they sound great (especially with a dac+amp), however the outer campfire-style shell design is not comfortable for more than 3-4 hour listening sessions. Its not even fatigue from the tuning, its just the damn shell is pointy and protrudes into your ear. I've heard from some reviewers that the ZS5 has a better soundstage than the ZS6, however I can't substantiate them.
If you are going to get the ZS6, make sure to get the KZ upgrade silver audio cable. The cable that comes with the ZS6 is really crappy, the upgraded cable makes a huge difference.
If we're talking comfort levels of KZ design then I again have to recommend trying the ZST. The shell fits nicely in the ear. The shell of the ZS3 does not for nicely. I also have the silver upgrade cable. The biggest differences I notice are that microphonics are gone and the cable doesn't stick to itself. So unballing it after quickly tossing it into your pocket is pretty quick.
Very enjoyable to listen to anything but especially anything warm. Jazz, rock, electroswing, lofi hiphop, Japanese pop, edm, rap, moestep, synthwave, chiptunes, pop punk, alt rock, soundtracks, etc. I need to hear more iems (and speakers and headphones, of course) but I'm hard-pressed to find a reason not to recommend them as a very affordable and enjoyable set. Foam tips like the Comply t500 (or a more durable brand like Shure) heavily suggested though.