We have 3 diy iems DIY Iem Comparison Hi Fri 1+3 vs Kotori Dauntless vs Zerest Audio Kagami Plus in various stages as the photo show. This article is my promised DIY iems comparison. Detailed review of Hi Fri 1 + 3 will arrive this week.
1st is Hi Fri 1+3 1
2nd is Kotori Audio Dauntless 2
3rd is Zerest Audio Kagami Plus 3
1+3 timbre is slightly warm to neutral. Soundstage and presentations are wide and between forward and laid back. 2 is forwarder than 1 but 3 is playing right near your feet.. It has notal weight and more than decent live on stage transparency at 1. 2 has less weight but slightly better transparency. 3 has weight but lower frequencies at smooth jazz are big minus as well as transparency and tonality. However the lower frequencies aren’t that detailed in 1 at smooth jazz 2 has almost no low frequency, almost sterile and 3 had the over enthusiastic bass production so they turned into bloated hits.. Roll offs are fast at 1 and 2 (not so fast at 3) and thus the 3d imaging is more than decent. 3 is lagging behind. I remember they were much better at dx300 L gain power.
And upper mids are somehow recessed. 2 has more relaxed upper mids. However tiny trebles of the drummer has less presence at 2. In 3’s case smooth jazz is not a good experience. The whole treble region has been subdued.
At The Ballad of Julio Gonzales I am hearing sharp (very sharp at 2 and slighly rolled off at 3) trumpets at the beginning and probably the trombone is escorting it in later seconds . Vocal is clear (clearer at 2 and 3 – not so textured at 3)) (albeit very slightly recessed at this track) and layering is good.
The follow up drums never sound bloated and acting like a party crasher with 1.. 2’s same drums are weightless and almost non existent. 3’s same drums are not that bloated like it was at smooth jazz. However the congested playback when the whole band had been playing at once is negative for 3. The tonality is the dullest of all in 3
At Bonfire with 1 the electronic bass is in my ears hear like it has dual DD but the truth is it’s only 1 DD giving so much pressure at dubstep. 2’s basses are kinda symbolic at this track. They lack weight. A score for neutrality of 1! Bass was never like that in the previous tracks. And electronic trebles are not disturbing. However they were quite disturbing even at the Dunu dm-480 I used in my comparison today. Electronic trebles are not disturbing at 2 if you keep the volume low. 3 in this track is at it’s best! Its over enthusiasm at the presentation and weight and lack of treble isn’t disturbing me at an electronic music track. However if I were to nitpick, I should have been burying 3 deep here 😉
DIY Iem Comparison Conclusions
Hı Fri 1+3 has done it! Having strong bass at dubstep and controlled / measured basses at smooth jazz is something. Plus good but not excellent clarity is helpful. And having the best tonality, speed, 3d imaging and live transparency are major pros of 1. 2 and 3 has their subjective benefits and losses however 3 has the lowest scores of this trio for this three different tracks.