Now that the Shure Nexadyne handheld mics have been around for a couple of years now, what's the verdict on them?
How does the Nexadyne compare to the KSM8?
Though I can't see anything dethroning the Beta 58a in terms of value & durability.
(The SM58 is legendary, but the tuning and the grille of the Beta 58a is better IMHO.)
This might get deleted by mods, but every newbie uses the same vague terms, thinking their description will help us give them advice:
(I've never heard anyone come on here asking for "bad" bass, muddy mids, "unclear" vocals, treble that's "too harsh", narrow soundstage and "too expensive")
TLDR: Cheap basshead IEM, but with a bad cable.
When the Tangzu Wan’er Red Lion came out I was excited. I liked the tuning of the previous versions, but I wanted to try them with more bass. When I got them, I was quite disappointed. They didn’t have nearly as much bass as the hype suggested.
When you first open the box you get surprised by how sturdy the shell feels. The pictures online make them look cheap/flimsy. In reality, the shell feels somewhat sturdy and the metal face plate really adds to that.
The cable though was a huge disappointment. I don’t expect much from budget IEMs in terms of accessories, but this cable is even worse than the Singolo’s terrible cable or the 7hz Zero’s flimsy cable. It feels cheap and has too much memory. I put a $9 aftermarket cable and was very happy.
(The Rosefinch oddly uses the outdated TFZ termination for IEMs cables, but standard 2-pin connectors work perfectly fine with them.)
The IEM comes with a velvet pouch and 2 sets of run-of-the-mill eartips. I definitely won’t be using those. I still can’t decide if I like them better with Dunu S&S tips or Tangzu Sancai tips.
I’m not a basshead, but I really like the bass of this IEM. It’s definitely the defining feature. The IEM does have some upper treble to add clarity and counteract muddiness, but nothing that comes near sibilant (I’m treble sensitive). If you’re sensitive to an 8khz peak, you may want to test out a pair first before committing.
Some podcasts I listen to add way too much bass to their EQ profile, so it can get muddy with very warm sources. It didn’t feel that way with pop or rap music.
How does this compare to the QKZ HBB or the KZ Castor Pro Bass? I’d say it takes the best of the two. The sub bass and mid bass are both definitely present and forward. Vocals take a back seat though, but that’s not what this IEM is for. This is for the rumble, thump and slam.
I’m in no way a bass connoisseur, but I can appreciate what the Rosefinch has to offer. Have I experienced more refined bass? Yes, but it came at a cost.
If your budget is tight and you want bass to rival consumer earbuds and TWS, but with the quality of IEMs, this might be just what you’re looking for.
These are the H2O Audio Surge SX10 Waterproof IPX8 Headphones
The first thing I noticed is how short the cable is. I believe this model is meant for use with a waterproof mp3 player one just clips on to the back of the collar. I didn’t use it for swimming, so I just used a cheap Bluetooth receiver with a clip.
The shell is plasticky and doesn’t feel too premium. But it does somehow feel like it’s made to get wet.
The cable isn’t detachable and there aren’t any vents, so it seems the only place water can enter is the nozzle.
When you put the IEMs in, it feels like a suction cup on your ears. If you don’t like that unvented feeling, this product might not be for you. A good side effect of the seal is pretty decent isolation.
I mentioned that I didnt use them for swimming (I don’t have a waterproof mp3 player) but I used them while doing heavy yard work, where I was working with water and really dripping sweat.
The sound of the IEM is a bit different from most IEMs I’ve tried. It’s difficult to explain, but it felt like there was very little sound stage. It felt like I had a slight cold (as if I were mildly congested) and sound was all in my head.
The tuning is on the bassy side, but a weird quirk of the IEM is how sensitive it is to positioning in my ears. If I slightly tug the IEM or it somehow moves, the sound can get extremely muffled. I’d just need to adjust it a bit to get the right sound. It’s almost as if it needs to be at a specific angle to work properly.
I used them two days in a row with heavy sweat, and wasn’t dissatisfied. I wasn’t blown away either. It didn’t give me great sound, but I was able to listen to music and podcasts well while using lawn equipment, and without worrying too much about moisture damaging the IEMs.
I did put them in an airtight case with multiple silica packs for a couple of days after use. They still worked well after.
Do I recommend them for critical listening! No. If you want something for workouts and manual labor, this might be worth looking into.
If ever I get a waterproof mp3 player, I’ll post an updated review. But I really don’t have a need for one.
I’m a fan of the OG Wan’er and the Wan’er 2, so when the Red Lion came out I was excited. The Wan’er tuning but with more bass. Sounds glove a winner.
On the surface the latest version of the Wan’er is the perfect package. It looks beautiful, the cable is great for the price point, the assortment of tips is fantastic and the case is decent.
Unfortunately, it’s the tuning I couldn’t get over. I tested for days longer than I needed to, hoping it would grow on me. The love for the tuning never came.
The Red Lion just doesn’t seem to be the bassy set it was hyped up to be. It has more bass than its predecessors, but the bass boost seems to affect the clarity. To my ears, it sounds boxy, too mid-forward.
I kept comparing it to the KBear Rosefinch. To me, the Rosefinch succeeds where the Red Lion fails. It’s a bassy IEM that’s doesn’t lose too much clarity. It’s probably the Rosefinch’s upper treble boost, compared to the Red Lions upper mid boost.
The Rosefinch though, kind of fails where the Red Lion succeeds. It has a horrible cable, generic tips and a somewhat ugly appearance. But I love the sound. Maybe it’s because I’m more of a “warm-head”.
But with a great budget stock cable (second only to the Truthear Gate cable), well above average ear tips, and a good looking case, the Red Lion is definitely worth the low price. Where it matters the most (the sound) though, the IEM just doesn’t do it for me.