This article is very out of date and irrelevant now. The Chi-fi market has changed drastically in the last 4 years. You can get very neutral sounding IEMs from China now, V-shaped, U-shaped, sparkly, heavy bass, etc.
One of the best-sounding, lowest distortion I've tried is also the cheapest, the Truthear Zero 2, available on Amazon for $25.
I agree, this is a bit out of date, and more on the sub 15$ side of things, as far as the past few years are go. I love Moondrop products, they don't have anything like a piercing treble. Love my Moondrop x Dusk, Blessing 2, and just got wireless MOCAs, which beat AirPod Pro 2 for sound quality, for a third of the price.
I remember 10-15 years ago, it was impossible to find affordable IEMs that had decent quality, and Etymotic HF2 were like the first revelation, that hey, this is possible with an iPhone compatible mic. But, things have really changed, definitely thanks to the Chi-fi explosion.
Mild nitpick, but the 7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 and the Truthear Zeros are actually different headphone lines. The Truthear version is more in the 50-60 dollar range, with Harman Earphone target tuning. A second version with different tuning, the Truthear x Crinacle Zero:RED also exists.
One of the best-sounding, lowest distortion I've tried is also the cheapest, the Truthear Zero 2, available on Amazon for $25.
If you're interested in scientific measurements of the IEM, AudioScienceReview has it covered: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/7...