Linsoul SIMGOT EW300 1DD+1Planar+1PZT Hybrid Driver in Ear Monitor, Wired Earbuds IEM, Gaming Earbuds with Detachable Nozzles, Silver-Plated OFC IEM Cable for Audiophile Musician (Standard Edition)

I bought these IEMs to try out planar and piezo drivers for the first time, and half expected to return them. I thought they were not going to live up to the hype and that anything but dynamic and balanced armature drivers were a gimmick.I was dead wrong.The attack on plucked/picked guitar notes is louder and more natural. The sibilance of high hats, cymbals, and crashes, is out of this world. High notes in guitar solos sound more satisfying. Instrument separation is better than I thought was even possible. The treble was jarring at first and vocals sounded recessed and veiled, but I was using my usual V-shape EQ settings that were compensating for mid-heavy headphone tuning. I turned off the EQ and raised the volume, and the vocals came back. The soundstage is super wide, too. The stereo effect is more pronounced. Sound seems like it's coming from all around you. I listened to Stairway with my eyes closed and got goosebumps. I noticed new details all throughout the song that I never caught on to before, and I've heard it many many times. It's kind of embarrassing, actually. I started noticing new details in the instrumentation of almost every song I tested them with.I tried the gold and purple nozzle combo and it was great, but the treble and sub-bass were a little too much for me. I went back to the stock silver and red nozzle combo and stuck with it. That's also super surprising since, as I've said, I'm used to boosting upper treble and sub-bass via EQ. I've been doing that for almost 20 years.So yeah. I love the tuning and the definition these IEMs provide, and I'm now a believer in planar and piezo drivers.Cons: the full metal exterior it very heat conductive, so if the IEMs are cold, your ears will get cold. They are heavy because of that metal construction, which actually helps them stay sealed to your ears when standing and sitting, but they pull themselves away when you're leaning backwards or sideways. The keeper ring on the stock cable is very loose, and doesn't do its job. I'm probably going to get a lighter aftermarket cable. I also don't like the stock silicone tips. Thankfully the foam tips I buy for all my other IEMs fit these perfectly.

I wanted to give these a few days before reviewing. I'm not an “audiofile,” and most of my gear is pretty low budget “mid-fi.” I used to buy IEMs before the chi-fi revolution.Choosing a pair of $80 IEMs was no easy task given the ridiculous number of affordable models now available. It’s a different world from the 2010s, when my Fiio EX1s were considered to rule the budget IEM space over on head-fi.My primary criteria were soundstage, “fairly” flat tuning (anything less than a V), clarity and separation, and tight bass that wouldn't bleed into the mids. I narrowed things down to the EW300s, Hexas and Aria 2s. Although it would probably appeal to actual audiophiles, on paper, the upper mids of the Hexas seemed more accurate and neutral than I’d like for EDM, and I wasn't sure how much tweaking I could do to the bass. The Arias supposedly have a killer 3D-ish soundstage, but QC complaints scared me away. Look around, and you won’t find a lot of negative reviews of the Simgots, so I felt you really couldn't go wrong with them. There's a cool Youtube channel “Glenn Gane Audio” that features audio simulations of iems back-to-back. Very helpful channel.I have eclectic taste, but this purchase was primarily for EDM. Since iOS has no global EQ, I picked up a Qudelix 5k (HIGHLY recommended). The EW300s arrived—they look and feel high quality. Nice accessories. The cable is perfect. These iems are incredibly comfortable and stay put in my ears.As with other headphones/iems, volume output is poor on iOS products. I picked up a Qudelix 5k USB->iPad Pro and the Simgots came alive. They perform much better with extra power, and do well with EQ. I wasn't sure how well the planar would handle heavy EDM bass, but it does it well.Separation and clarity seem good. I've found that the 4k 11.3k region can get a bit hot, which could potentially be fatiguing, so sometimes I'll reduce these frequencies slightly. The bass is full, warm, and relatively punchy. At the moment, I’m using the gold nozzles with foam inserts that are part of the accessories kit. Wanted to see if it could take some of the bite out of the treble. I might prefer the silver nozzles sans inserts. Still A/B-ing them.The silicon tips are great and stay put. Although the nozzles don't seem that long, I can get a good seal. These are my favorite iems yet. Versatile all-rounders with a pretty refined smoothness. And that cable.... beautiful. Zero regrets, and an easy 5-stars.