2024 Reader voted Best Gear polls – Update 2!

In this article we give you a second status update on the 2024 Reader voted best gear polls. 

It’s been about four months since we launched the 2024 Reader Voted Best Gear polls. For those of you who have no idea what I am talking about, check out the page below where we announce and explain the Reader Awards.

Anyway, it’s time for a second update. Let’s find out what you so far in 2024 find to be the Best / Your favourite Gear on the market! There was quite a bit of voting fraud, and all these votes have been removed.

There are more categories this year and they are the following:

1. Headphones
2. Universal IEMs
3. Custom IEMs
4. TWS IEMs
5. Portable Players/DAPs
6. DAC/AMP Combos – Including Dongles
7. Amplifiers (only) – Tube or Solid State
8. DAC (only)
9. Streamers
10. Cables & Accessories

The Status on March 20 is the following:

Headphones

1. Meze Audio Empyrean 2 – 28.07%
2. Audeze LCD-5 – 9.54%
3. Sennheiser HD800 S – 8.99%

The Sennheiser HD800 S is no longer in the lead, and the Meze Empyrean 2 has seriously taken over the first spot with 28.07% of the votes. The Audeze LCD-5 now is in second place with 9.54%. Third place is for the Sennheiser HD800 S with 8.99%.

Universal IEMs

1. Sennheiser IE900 – 21.48%
2. Empire Ears Odin – 16.78%
3. UM MEST MKii – 14.091%

The number 1 position still is for the Sennheiser IE 900. Last year it easily won and it seems the unit – now with 21.48% – has gained even more followers this year. In 2024, the Empire Ears Odin and Unique Melody MEST MKII are in 2nd and 3rd position. The VE10 from Vision Ears has dropped to place 4 with only 4.70% of the votes. I am sure this top 3 will change many times over the year.

Custom IEMs

1. JH Audio Layla – 46.15%
2. 64 Audio A12T – 23.08%
3. 64 Audio A18T – 11.54%

The market is mostly focusing on universal IEMs now and even the CIEM companies are now offering a whole series of universal IEMs. I personally will stake a custom over a universal any day, simply because of the comfort and sound quality. That said, the CIEM market is getting very niche and that shows in the number of votes and models in the list.

The first position is for the JH Audio Layla with a whopping 46.15% of the votes (Fraud check ongoing). The second spot is for the 64 Audio A12t and also their A18T is in third place with 11.54%. The MEST MKII also is in this list where it is in fourth place with 11.53%. It might become the new number 3, after our fraud check.

TWS IEM

1. Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 – 29.63%
2. Apple Airpods Pro 2 – 27.78%
3. Sony WF-1000XM4 – 14.81%

The top place no longer is for the Sony WF-1000XM4, but it now is in the third spot with 14.81% of the votes. The new number one is the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 with 29.63% of the votes. The Apple Airpods Pro 2 are still in second place with 27.78%

Portable Players/DAPs

1. Astell&Kern SP3000 – 29.09%
2. FiiO M11s – 10%
3. HiBy R6 Pro II – 9.09%

The Astell&Kern SP3000 always is one of the best scoring DAPs if you have larger budget. At this stage it has the most of the votes with 29.09%. The second and third place are shared between the FiiO M11s and the HiBy R6 Pro II.

DAC/AMP – Dongles included

1. Chord Electronics Mojo 2  – 29.57%
2. Chord Electronics Hugo TT2 – 15.65%
3. Cayin Audio RU7 – 8.70%

The Chord Mojo 2 and the Hugo TT2 are still doing very well here with the top 2 positions. The TT2 won this category last year, but it’s still a bit of a surprise to see it here. The third position still is for the Cayin RU7, which is one of my personal favorite DAC/AMP dongles. It however is closely being followed by the Fiio Q15. 

Amplifiers only

1. Ferrum OOR – 12.73%
2. Linear Tube Audio LTA Micro ZOTL 2.0 – 12.73%
3. Niimbus Audio US4+ – 9.09%

The First spot is for the popular OOR amp, which is especially impressive with the dedicated power supply. The second place is for the LTA Micro ZOTL with 12.73% of the count. The Niimbus Audio US4+ is still in the top 3 with 9.09% of the votes. The Feliks Audio Euforia EVO has dropped to place for with only 5.45%.

DAC only

1. Chord DAVE – 37.88%
2. Holo Audio May DAC – 12.12%
3. Chord TT2 – 10,61%

The Chord DAVE is a TOTL unit and I really enjoyed my time with it. It’s a bit surprising to see it in the lead, but that’s purely because of it’s selling price. The second spot is for the super popular and excellent Holo May DAC and it’s really close to the DAVE. Chord is also taking up the third spot with their TT2, which is scoring well in our DAC/AMP poll as well.

Streamers

1. Eversolo DMP-A6 – 29.85%
2. Eversolo DMP-A8 – 22.39%
3. FiiO R9 – 14.93%

This is a new category but Eversolo is strongly performing as you can see. Both their A6 and A8 have the same number of votes and they are just ahead of the Fiio R9 all-in-one unit. The DMP-A6 won our streamer of the year award last year, so I have a feeling it will stay in this top 3. Fourth place is for the CA CXN V2, though I don’t have any experience with it myself.

Cables & Accessories

1. Effect Audio Signature series – 26.32%
2. Eletech Sonnet of Adam – 15.79%
3. Linum SuperBaX – 15.79%

Cables, you like them or you don’t but we are running a poll about them anyway. The first two spots are for the award winning, yet expense Eletech Sonnet of Adam cable and the EA Signature series. In third we find the more affordable SuperBaX, both with with 15.79% of the votes.

Don’t forget that you can still vote and participate in all of these polls. If you don’t agree with the intermediate results or you want to see your favourite piece of gear in the results, you know what to do. One vote a person is allowed, so start voting!

Full links:

1. Headphones
2. Universal IEMs
3. Custom IEMs
4. TWS IEMs
5. Portable Players/DAPs
6. DAC/AMP Combos – Including Dongles
7.  Amplifiers (only) – Tube or Solid State
8. DAC (only)
9. Streamers
10. Cables & Accessories