[Craig Young]

Not knowing where to start or what my preferences could possibly be. I think that I finally made a decision on my first purchase after much research in the headphone world. I might get these: Fanmusic TRUTHEAR x Crinacle Zero:RED for around 48 bucks and really not knowing if iem could possibly be my thing. I have airpods which I use for phone calls, and my cheap headphones are never used for music listening, just for tv, gaming and phone calls.

[Craig Young]

Zero:RED on 10 ft. cable was barely enough length to reach my listening seat and not enough to get to music control area. I had to get a 20 ft and now all is well. I am really loving how this new experience of iem's are and now it's beginning to grow on me. I was thinking of getting a Qudelix 5k for portable and remote access to my Roon, but I probably won't use it much so that might be a thing for the future.

[timind]

Any particular reason you opted for IEMs vs full-sized headphones? I used to use IEMs while listening in bed before going to sleep. Even though they're not as comfortable while laying down, I switched to full-sized after a brief audition.

[Craig Young]

I was on the fence about either headphone or iem for listening to flac music. Until my recent purchase I have never tried an iem. I was really curious about the iem world and I am glad to have tried it. I might later get a pair of headphones, but my first attempts on which one to get, my mind did a lock up because of the many choices. My speakers will probably always remain as my preferred choice to listen to music.

[AudioFyle]

Having listened on more IEM's than I care to admit, I have come to the firm conclusion that none of them can come close to genuine full sized over the ear phones. That said, for traveling and on-the-go listening, IEM's do have their appeal. The closest I have ever found in IEM's to musical neutrality were either the various Etymotic models I tried (US made...kinda pricey) or Thieaudio (Chi-Fi...also on the pricey side). Most IEM's...especially those on the lower end of the price scale...have a deeply V shaped frequency balance. In other words highly boosted bass and treble. If you hate treble on the 'hot' side (like me) you won't find them appealing at all. Best of luck on your journey. It is a VERY deep rabbit hole. The HeadFi forum is a good place to start if looking for info and reviews.

[Craig Young]

AudioFyle thanks for sharing your experience, I just visited the HeadFi forum and it looks like a good place for me to start my journey.