A friend of mine recently suggested the Shuoer Tapes to me. I'm glad Headphonezone had these in stock as buying them elsewhere would mean waiting over a month to have them delivered. While I wasn't expecting much from the Tapes given how small they are and they don't use typical electrostatic drivers, I was very surprised by them.
Build:
The Tapes are built well and feel a lot more premium than the price tag would suggest. There are some downsides though: Firstly, while the included tips aren't the worst, I'd recommend getting foam tips that fit you well. Secondly, the cable isn't that great. Although given the price of the unit, the cable is quite decent and will get the job done. Get some nice tips and a tripowin cable, though and the Tapes are as good, if not better than iems that cost 5 times as much. Another small consideration is the fit: the Tapes are a bit on the larger side and may be uncomfortable for some. They fit great in my ears though, and I haven't had any issues wearing them for 3-4 hours at a time.
Sound:
If you like listening to vocals a lot and like an extended mid range, you probably won't like the Tapes. For great mids, I'd suggest the Tin P1. That said, the Tapes have a decent mid-range; but they aren't gonna blow you away. On the other hand, they have some of the best highs I've heard. Bass is no slouch either and you will feel them when they hit you. They have a slight bright signature compared to planars. (They aren't bright sounding, they just won't be as warm as a planar). However, you can pair them with a Q1 Mark II to get a little bit of warmth in them. So why are they so hyped?
It's cause of the details. Every single, minute detail. There are headphones that cost 5-6 times as much that don't have this much detail reproduction. These have more detail than an HD660S. That is something I didn't expect an iem at this price point to do. I've never tried the sr-002/sr-003 etc. so I can't compare them to other electrostatic iems. But compared to an L500, I think they sound almost similar. It's been a while since I've heard the L500 but the Tapes instantly reminded me of them. There's no point comparing them to an sr-007 so I am going to, but the detail these tiny Tapes can produce makes me feel guilty about owning the sr-007.
Conclusion:
If you like fun sounding iems, you will have more fun with the Okko OH10, and if you're on a budget, you can try the Tin T2 (not the T2 Pro or T3). If you, however want to try something new, you will love the Shuoer Tapes. Excellent detail, brilliant imaging and unbeatable value. You won't find an iem with more detail unless you're ready to spend thrice as much as these cost.
4/5 cause of the cable and the slightly recessed mids. Headphonezone delivered these within 3 days and I had no issues. Great job and I'm glad they brought the Tapes to India.
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