IEM Comparisons
I’ve compared the Cepheus to IEMs with similar prices to judge their competitiveness, using Spinfit W1 tips on all earphones for fairer comparisons.
Kiwi Ears KE4 – 2xDD 2xBA (USD $199) with NiceHCK BlackCat Ultra Cable (USD $35)
Tonally the KE4 are darker with greater lower midrange emphasis, but feel much flatter & less dynamic.
Bass decay feels flabbier and they sound more compressed with lower resolution across the board, poorer dynamics and a smaller stage in all directions. The two KE4 DDs can also struggle to keep pace with fast music at times.
Simgot EA1000 – 1xDD 1xPassive Radiator (USD $219) with LC7 Cable (USD $69)
The EA1000s skew much closer to Harman Target tuning with thinner vocals & poorer note weight.
Dynamics are better, background is blacker, there’s slightly better coherence & instruments feel larger. However the EA1000 soundstage is narrower, and overall tonality is much brighter & thinner with strong upper midrange emphasis that suits genres like classical but can be harsher & less smooth with others.
Penon Fan2 – 2xDD 2xBA (USD $279)
There’s an immediate spotlight on vocals with the Fan2 that’s reminiscent of the Cepheus, but they aren’t as detached from surrounding instruments as separation isn’t quite as good, there’s greater lower midrange emphasis with increased congestion and slightly lower resolution.
The Fan2s are much warmer & more musical with far more subdued treble, the stage is similarly wide but a little deeper with larger instruments but slightly mushier bass texture. By contrast the Cepheus feel more v-shaped whereas Fan2s are more midrange centric.
TSMR ARMOR – 2xDD 2xBA 1xEST Hybrid (USD $289)
The ARMORs feature far more midbass & lower midrange emphasis which creates a much warmer, thicker sound with greater note weight, whereas the Cepheus are significantly more neutral.
The ARMOR stage is narrower with slightly better instrument separation, treble is a bit more refined but the much thicker tuning can create the impression of congestion at times. Cepheus emphasises vocals more, which are less overshadowed my midbass.
ISN H60 – 2xDD 4xBA (USD $349)
The H60s are more L-shaped with a bit more bass impact, more upper midrange to push vocals forward but more recessed treble that’s a bit grainier.
Tonality is more energetic & exciting but less smooth through the midrange which lacks the Cepheus’ richness & cohesion. Technically however the H60’s stage feels a bit wider with a blacker background, instrument separation is slightly clearer and dynamics are a little better too.
Page 1 – Introduction, Packaging & Ergonomics
Page 2 – Sound Impressions & Technical Performance
Page 3 – IEM Comparisons
Page 4 – Conclusion
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