Almost a year ago I stumbled across a self-promotion post by a Thai craftsman called Chang Maeng. A peek at his Facebook page revealed that this guy handcrafts metal earbud shells using jewelry-grade metal casting techniques, working with various metals and braiding the cables himself.
I sent him a private message asking if he could make an exact MX500-style shell copy in brass for my Yincrow X6. This set of budget earbuds was the one that got me into this hobby, and I wanted to have it in higher-quality shells with MMCX connectors. I initially planned to transfer the X6 speaker drivers myself but in the end, Chang Maeng bought a pair of Yincrow X6 himself, transferred the drivers into his copper shells based on Yuin PK design, tuned them to match the original sound as closely as possible and sent them to me. The result? Well, I like this set better than the original.
This transaction turned into a friendship with Mr. Sakchai, the man behind the Chang Maeng brand. Mr. Sakchai openly shared his earbud-making process with me, and I have to say, his craftsmanship and dedication blow me away. With the help of a virtual translator we still communicate from time to time, sharing the details of our daily lifes.
Story of Chang Maeng
Chang Maeng is a one-man operation that started not long ago — back in 2022. Mr. Sakchai admits that when he looks back at his earliest creations, he feels a bit embarrassed: his craftsmanship was nowhere near what it is today, and he wouldn’t even dare to sell those first earbuds now. But by working day after day, learning from experience, and upgrading his tools, he has steadily refined everything — from the design and finish to the sound itself. The sonic improvements, by his own account, have been huge.
What’s unique about his earphones is the way he makes them — very much like a jeweler, using lost-wax metal casting. He designs each model in 3D, makes a reusable silicone mold, and casts wax shell prototypes from green jeweler’s wax. Those wax shells are then encased in a heat-resistant mold, the wax is burned out, and molten metal is poured in — creating perfectly matching metal shells. The real work starts after that: hours of cleanup, sanding, and polishing.
Making one pair of earbuds can easily consume two full days of hands-on work if nothing goes wrong — and the timeline grows for the more elaborate designs, especially the latest shells featuring decorative Thai patterns.
Being a father of three young kids, Mr. Sakchai doesn’t hide that supporting his family is tough – earbud and cable sales have been pretty slow lately, despite great feedback from customers. That’s why he sometimes drives “GrabCar” (it’s like Uber in Southeast Asia) during the day and works on earbuds late into the night. Flathead earbuds are still super popular in Thailand, therefore, most of his orders come from the Thai headphone community group “หูฟังคลับ ThaiHeadphoneClub” on Facebook which has over 200,000 members. Chang Maeng recently opened his shop on Shopee, but it’s only available to local customers.
Chang Maeng shared that international interest in his work has been growing, with some customers even coming back for repeat orders. It became easier once he began accepting Wise and PayPal, but the ordering process still isn’t for everyone— you need to reach out to him through Facebook Messenger. Personally, my interaction with Chang Maeng has been absolutely hassle-free. Mr. Sakchai seems to be a very nice and humble person.
Current lineup
Chang Maeng currently offers two core models — DEX and STEP — with a wide range of custom options: metal choice (nickel silver, brass, copper, sterling silver, and even gold), either a clean or Thai-patterned design, and finishes ranging from matte to mirror polish. Buyers can also pick between shorter and longer stem versions, as well as a much cheaper plastic faceplate or a handmade metal one. All models utilize 15.5mm dynamic drivers and come with MMCX connectors. While browsing Chang Maeng’s Facebook photo albums, you might spot some older discontinued models — these may still be available upon request. Handbraided cables come as an option too.
These earbuds look great but how do they sound?
Chang Maeng does not share any technical details or sound descriptions of his earbuds on his facebook page. Reviews or impressions in English are also almost non-existent, which makes ordering feel kind of like buying a cat in a bag. Of course, Chang Maeng is happy to share the details and also provide the reviews of his customers but I am pretty sure, it would help with the international sales if he published that kind of information. The aforementioned Thai facebook group has lots of feedback on Chang Maeng’s buds like, for instance, this one from his repeat Mexican customer, who is enjoying the sound of his Step 4 with Cayin Ru9.
As a matter of fact, I recently ordered Step 3 Limited Edition buds which are still on the way. According to the maker (tested with an iBasso DX260), the sound is tuned with a tight, well-controlled bass that still reaches deep with a soft, rounded texture. The midrange highlights vocals while keeping instruments natural. Treble is airy and sparkly, and the soundstage is wide, well-balanced, with excellent depth and imaging. Let’s wait and see.
Stay connected