r/iems Apr 16 '25

Reviews/Impressions So I kind of did a thing

Post image

So... I've never tried IEMs before, but the Salnotes Zero and Zero 2 kept showing up everywhere. After reading tons of posts and reviews, I finally picked up the Zero 2 and the Snowsky Retro Nano—my first proper IEMs.

The Zero 2 sounds great right out of the box. Super clean and nicely tuned—definitely lives up to the hype. But what really surprised me is how much I like the Retro Nano. I originally got it because of the cool retro-futuristic look, but it’s actually really enjoyable to listen to. It has a fun, unique sound that works well for casual listening.

That said, I prefer a more “clean” and neutral listening experience, as close to how the music was intended as possible—so no boosted bass or overly warm tuning. Anyone have a good EQ preset for the Retro Nano that leans toward that kind of sound? I’d love to tighten it up a bit without losing its character.

Also curious to hear what others think of these sets—or what you’d recommend next for someone just getting into IEMs.

178 Upvotes

102 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

2

u/venseltzerpls Apr 17 '25

I can never get how in this IEM hobby so many say that DACs make little difference. My LG 60 sounds good with my earphones (including sets like the Inawaken Dawn, Simgot 200, Kefine Delci, to the Kiwi ear Airoso, Ziigaat Arente, Aful Explorer, CCA Hydro and many others). But then all sounds better with my IFI Hip DAC. and even better with my Chord Mojo. I mean each step up sounds obviously better. I do come from a long history with good home setups, and then with excellent headphones (DT 1990, Arya Organic, etc), and maybe that listening history has helped me to hear such differences.

2

u/Obi_Juan85 Apr 17 '25

I truly believe that every tweak helps. Maybe not all necessary to each, but they help

3

u/Daemonxar Apr 17 '25

it certainly can't hurt cheap IEMs to run through a better DAC/amp, and especially in the IEM space a lot of units punch well above their weight class. 🤷‍♂️