The following Top Reader Voted IEM & Earphone scores are assigned by the readers, (Score) and apply only to all reviews before this calendar year and where a slider voting system exists. This list includes the top 30 universal type monitors only.
Please note the list will change dynamically as readers continue to vote. Higher-scoring IEMs will automatically replace lower-scoring IEMs. They will also continue to change as we progressively work our way through historical reviews and add a voting system.
These lists are not to be confused with our Award Scores which are the top gear as reviewed and scored by our review team in the calendar year. Those scores will form the basis of our Awards at the end of the year. Once the year is completed the Award scores will be deleted and the ‘annual awards race’ will start over again.
Top 30 universal IEMs as voted on by our readers
The PMG Audio Apx to my ears is probably the most technically capable high-end in-ear monitor I have heard to date. It not only projects a huge soundstage but also a complex and resolving one reinforced by some incredible dynamic range if paired with an equally capable source.
The Vision Ears Phönix is a pricey but beautifully designed high-end monitor built for blissful and stress-free listening. Its coherent timbre has an inviting and intoxicating blend of smooth-sounding mids and gorgeously rich vocals backed up by a punchy low-end performance when called upon.
The Vision Ears EXT MKII is still the company's most bombastic and 'fun-sounding' high-end in-ear monitor in their lineup. It also produces one of the best bass performances in the market today.
The Elysian Acoustic Labs Annihilator 2023 is one seriously high-performing in-ear monitor. It is also a benchmark for me regarding just how good electrostatic drivers can sound in a high-end IEM.
More than just speedy sparkling highs, you get power, dynamics, and a bit of 'fun' thrown into the tuning giving it some high energy and excitement to go along with the technical excellence.
Overall, the PMG Audio Apx Se is the Yin to the original's Yang. It brings a more 'modern' but equally outstanding high-end monitor sound to the table. If you get a chance to hear it, even just for a few minutes, it's a memorable experience.
The Noble Audio Viking Ragnar is probably the company's most high-fidelity in-ear monitor to date. It is also unique from the competition in its spatial grandeur but no less of a technical performer with impressive levels of precise imaging and detail.
I can still see vocal lovers cling dearly to their Elysium but for those who wanted bombastic lows and a much bigger soundstage whilst still retaining the magic of a dynamic driver timbre for the mids then the EXT should answer that and then some.
The Noble Audio Onyx is a welcome antithesis to the shimmering sparkle and technical prowess of its sibling IEMs in the company's current lineup. This is a heavy hitter, a basshead contender for the high-rollers, and a definite 'in the travel bag' contender for people like me who want to let rip when patiently waiting in an airport lounge or on a long-haul flight.
The Oriolus Monachaa is a cleverly tuned quad-dynamic driver IEM. It does not seek to smash the audible door down but rather pick it open quietly with some deft precision.
It hits beautifully on the lows when it needs to with some quality sub-bass presence, but can sound surprisingly articulate and clear in the mids and highs.
The Nostalgia Audio NA12 strikes me as leaning more toward an audiophile-grade sound, with warmth and smoothness that balances the technicality expected from a professional-grade IEM.
The Kinera Imperial LOKI is a sonically exquisite masterpiece and one that produces a euphoric and captivating listening experience.
The company's first shot at a multi-kilo-buck flagship level IEM delivers a lush and hyper-detailed mid-range and excellent bone conduction implementation.
The Campfire Audio Trifecta is one of the most unique-looking and sounding high-end in-ear monitors I have reviewed to date. With the right genre and a clean-sounding source, it conveys a very powerful and emotive quality from its triple dynamic driver setup.
The A8000 has excellent clarity, works well with different genres of music and sounds very upbeat and uncolored. While boosting treble performance to the max extent it doesn’t compromise musicality. The vocal performance and the low-end are engaging with good weight.
The PLUSSOUND Allegro looks beautiful on the outside but more importantly, it has the chops sonically to appeal to a wide range of audiophile listening tastes.
The FIR Audio Radon 6 is the most complete and natural-sounding monitor I have heard from the company to date. It works wonderfully well with almost everything, especially if you want an open midrange with excellent levels of detail.
The 64 Audio Volür has some of the 'tastiest' lows to date in the company's universal monitor line-up and provides a clear upgrade path for Nio fans who crave a bump in tonal clarity and technical proficiency.
The Campfire Audio Supermoon has superb low-end weight and body in the performance, with a lack of bloat, and the clear vocal presence making this a stand-out offering from the company.
Whilst I recognize the fun, energy, and technical excellence of the higher-end models, I am more enamored by the balance and flexibility of the Supermoon tuning.
The Lime Ears Anima is a balanced yet joyful tuning with a deep resonating bass performance and almost ethereal highs with plenty of headroom from those e-stat drivers. It competes well with other hybrid electrostatic standard-bearers such as the Odin and the EXT but is unique enough to set it apart as a viable alternative on your shopping list.
The Odin is a technical beast bar none with masterful levels of control from the dual subwoofer configuration right up to that nuanced treble tuning. Nothing is overdone, even those forward upper mids are beautifully tempered by a coherent treble tuning.
The Nostalgia Audio Tesseract is a top-tier competitor with an ambitious internal design and a unique external aesthetic. More importantly, it has the 'audible chops' with a beautiful analog sound backed by a huge soundstage and wonderful imaging.
The Noble Audio Ronin is the company's most balanced and detailed-sounding monitor to date. It is also one of their most accessible tunings with a natural tuning that makes it a non-fatiguing pleasure to listen to.
The Campfire Audio Astrolith is the company's most impressive planar IEM to date. While I prefer the more neutral tuning of the Moon Rover, neither it nor the Supermoon can match the speed, clarity, staging, or technical qualities of this newer model.
The Campfire Audio Solaris Stellar Horizon is the most mature offering I have heard to date from the company with a more balanced tuning, improved resolution, and an excellent and very open soundstage.
The Empire Ears Legend EVO is a bass monster, but a monster with refined taste and also one that brings some sort of A-game to the mids and treble table in terms of resolution and timbral balance.
The Vision Ears VE10 offers an incredible blend of technical capability, excitement, and tonal refinement in a high-end universal IEM.
It's hard to find fault with any aspect of tuning so I am pretty sure almost everyone will take something very positive from their listening experience save for those that require a massive soundstage
The Noble Audio Kadence is a delicate presentation, one with excellent micro-detail but one that does not forget the pleasurable listening side of things either.
The JH Audio Contour XO has a physical, articulate, and high-energy tuning that, whilst top class for detail retrieval, also never really loses a sense of joie de vivre when it comes to pure listening enjoyment.
The Softears Enigma stands out as one of the most unique-looking and well-balanced high-end IEMs I've encountered. The craftsmanship and attention to detail that Softears put into the Enigma are evident in its distinctive design and thoughtful packaging. If you favor a sound that leans toward musicality with a relaxed tuning, the Enigma is sure to please.
The sound is smoother, more coherent with a better mids presence. The timbre is more natural to my ear and sweeter sounding for vocals and instrumental notes. This is a clever tuning with less of an apparent traditional hybrid driver separation from the lows to the highs.
The Rossi&Wing First Light is a debut 'summit-fi' in-ear monitor that delivers a powerful, warm, and dense sound signature. A tuning with a strong focus on broad textured notes that gel beautifully with vocal acapella, bass guitar, and rhythm sections.
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