so i got my first pair of iems back in may for my birthday and theyre ikko OH10’s (the old version not the OH10S) which were like $200 so still a lot for me but way cheaper than a lot of other iems
but these are still the best things ive ever heard in my life by far and i dont understand how any pair of headphones can sound even better than this, like it actually feels like the music is inside my soul, i was listening to justin timberlake yesterday and was literally crying and getting goosebumps cause of how beautiful it sounded, and i dont even like justin timberlake 😭😭
anyways the reason im wondering is cause i kinda wanna save up for some even better ones that are a bit smaller cause these ones are kinda big for me and they start to hurt my ears after a little bit, but im kinda scared of spending a ton of money on headphones just for me to barely notice a difference, like do $1,000+ iems sound way better than $200 ones or do they just sound only slightly better?? and what actually makes one pair better than another?? like compared to my basic earbuds these ones are way louder, clearer, and a lot fuller and richer, so would more expensive iems just be even louder and clearer than these ones?
I have Moondrop Arias and Sony IER-Z1Rs. The Sonys cost about 20 times as much, and (in my highly-subjective analysis) sound about 4 times better. I use the Arias more because I can take them out, and I use the Z1Rs for listening at home. You can get amazing IEMs for less than $200, but there’s always going to be better options for more money. If they make you happy, then you’re happy, and you should enjoy that and not go looking for upgrades eternally
Product stacks
Most $1000 IEMs will sound way better than most $200 IEMs, but there’s a catch, and it’s that you’ll have to spend more money to make them sound way better. Most IEMs are easy to drive from almost anything, but the expensive ones with multiple drivers inside prefer a good DAC and amp to sound their best, and those can get expensive.
You don’t need to spend that much though, I’ve had $1000+ IEMs but my favorites cost $400 (FiiO FH7). That jump from $1-200 to $400+ is where you’ll see the most improvement because that’s where you start seeing good hybrids (IEMs with different types of sound drivers inside).
The best way to describe higher end sound from IEMs is that you’re kind of inside it. The music happens outside your head, like a single guitar will be playing by your right ear, drums will start up behind your left ear, bass will be strumming in your chest, and vocals have a sense of realness that can become creepy at times. It’s pretty incredible.
It sounds like music is something you really enjoy. If I were you I’d save up $4-500 and buy a set secondhand from headfi or r/avexchange so you can get something better than if you paid full price. Then get yourself a DAC/amp like a Qudelix or BTR5 for starters. You’ll be surprised how much better it sounds.
Always visit an audio shop near you to try and see for yourself if the increase in price is justified. Also second hand market/fb groups is key