IEM general discussion thread

I bought a triple dynamic driver ciem from in-ear central from $250ish It has excellent timbre, very good bass, not top-tier clarity but decent. The tuning was natural sounding and if the Vega or any other higher end DD iem had that tuning, you would never hear the end of me praising it.

But, the guy who runs the company had a little cocaine problem, it seemed like. He had a long back up in orders and one pissed off customer dug up his arrest photos...

Not sure how things are now, but the ciem was pretty okay!

Personally, I would warn against buying the single BA driver ciem that some companies have as a bottom level. Better off saving up.

Plus, for a ciem, you need a good set of ear impressions. It is damn stupid to try and save money on something that plays a big part in determining whether or not you have comfort, isolation, and good sound from your ciem. That's $75-100 right there if you go for a real audiolgist who does earmolds for musician monitors (NYC prices).

At $150, the value is shifted way over to a universal fit. Lower end ciems seem to start being decent at the $400 and above range with something like a jh5, ue4, noble trident.

 

Awesome thanks. I realize that good ear impressions are a prerequisite, part of why I was interested in entry level ciems. My local audiologist charges $80 and claims he's done many for headphones, would have been cool to get a pair for <$400 otd, suppose I'll save up when it's time for the customs. Thanks again!

 

Wow, was not expecting a snorting story here! So CIEM makers are human after all.

On another topic, I have the VE8 demo with me right now. Good fit, great build. On the sound I am having a hard time putting my finger on what I think about it. It is bassy, but the bass is tight and controlled and and well textured, so ok for me. I do not find the tonality warm when comparing to SE5 or S-EM9. The bass does not affect the tonality too much.

Separation and soundstage are very impressive, but something sounds unnatural, not sure what...maybe the bass is TOO well separated from the rest. But I think it is more the mids...as if the singer was in a different room from the other instrument. They tried to achieve ultimate separation, and succeed, but a bit too much, so somehow coherency is affected.

I will say more when I have had more time.

 

Sounds like a wrecked crossover.

 

Anyone know if futuresonics loans out demos? @Kunlun I'm pretty interested in the mg5hx and mg6hx

 

I highly doubt they lend out, but they do seem to say they have demos at shows.

 

http://theheadphonelist.com/warbler-audios-prelude-a-labour-of-love/
Bit pricey for a single BA custom, I'd love to get my hands on one though.

 

have any of guys tried the onkyo E900M? quite surprising for the price point!
Not very popular yet, as the number of reviews available do attest, but a great piece of iem nevertheless!

Very neutral signature with good stage width and depth. If you are looking for something like the andros at a lower price point, it is worth giving it a shot.

 

I have a general question about ear pain and tinnitus and IEM use. I've used IEMs for years, mostly sticking to foam because it fits best for me. I tried out the Andromedas silicon tips and got an amazing deal, once they were in place deep enough- better than any other silicon seal I've had in the past, and right up there with Weston W4r foams (which was a very good, deep seal).

After my first Andro silicon session, my left ear was noticeably fatigued. I was probably listening too loud, which I don't normally do. It's been a few days and sometimes it sound is very painful, especially voices, accompanied by tinnitus. They came out with a big pressure fluctuation the first time (I didn't realize the seal was so strong)... Could I have Audeze'd my ear?

I had to randomly go to the hospital for something unrelated, and it was fine before and during the hospital. As soon as I got home the tinnitus and pain quickly came on. I was hanging out with my girlfriend and the left ear was fatigued until I took a shower and now it feels okay.

Before someone tells me to see a doctor, is this an experience you guys have had related to too deep of an insertion with loud listening? Could I have pushed ear wax too deep?

 

FYI, for anyone who can make the Seattle area HF meet on Saturday (May 6) I will have available:

- The AAW tour kit (W900 flagship, W500, etc.)
- The new 64 Audio flagships: Tia Fourte and U18

...and my A12 universal and Spring DAC Level 1, as well.

 

Go see a doctor, dumbass.

Specifically, an audiologist.

The ear sensitivity is due to hearing damage, which will persist even when the acute sensitivity has resolved. Thinking that an issue is cured because symptoms have stopped is dumbass thinking.

P.S. Stop listening at a hearing-damaging level.

Don't blame earwax, it's innocent.

 

Just a few things for you


1) My ear no longer hurts, isn't experiencing tinnitus, and is no longer oversensitive (as I listen to LSR305s at a decent volume

2) I used normal ear wax drops (carbamide peroxide) in my left ear for a few minutes. Then flushed with a syringe designed for flushing. I didn't really wait to see if it helped as I directly moved on to looking up information about a blocked Eustachian tube. Guess what, this can cause all of the symptoms I was having. I then tried some of them, since the only one I knew was to pinch your nose and exhale, never worked for me. Sipping water with a pinched nose, swallowing, and repeating worked! I could hear my right ear easily equalize, where my left ear (the afflicted one), took some time and a few more sips (just 5-6 total) before finally equalizing and sounding correct to me. I went out to talk to my father after this and experienced no ear pain or tinnitus, when just before I felt all of 'em. It's been that way for a few hours now listening to speakers (which was hurting me just the day before). So seems it's helped provide at the very least temporary relief

It was a little too late to see a physician when it started hurting. So in the mean time, I was just trying to see if any other "dumbass" has identified with the situation has found a way to at the very least alleviate what I was feeling. While I was listening loud, I was not listening to what I believe is "very" loud. I've been a headphone enthusiast for 8 years. I didn't just learn what safe volume levels are.

Have a great day

 

I wanted to respond to your post because it's important that people understand how dumb it is to try and avoid seeing a medical health professional by using the internet as a replacement for a sound medical assessment. That you seem to be a smug asshole about being dumb is just sorta the cherry on top of things.

To recap: You had several f'ing days of pain, sensitivity to sound, and ringing in one ear after listening too loudly. You then decided to avoid going to a doctor, but instead to ask on a message board if anyone could confirm your dumb asshole theory that you had pushed too much earwax around and that was somehow the cause of everything. This is when I appeared and told you that you are a dumbass and should see a doctor to get a real diagnosis and any help required. I also said that hearing loss is an issue even after the initial symptoms have disappeared.

Let's look at your dumb response, not for your sake (see a doctor, fuckhead), but so others who read this can hopefully avoid this way of thinking. Hearing is important and if people on SBAF take their auditory health seriously as a result of any discussion here, then it's worth it to take a moment and talk about it.

As to your dumb points:

1) When you have pain, sensitivity, and sudden onset tinnitus, particularly when it lasts for several days, the fact that those symptoms resolve is NOT the sign that everything is 100% and that you shouldn't now go see a doctor. What the f**k is wrong with you. That is not a question, go see a doctor.

2) The eustachian tube is f'ing behind the eardrum. You did not f'ing "push earwax in too deep" and through the f'ing eardrum (with an Andromeda, no less). Refer back to point 1) for further commentary.

Now, lest anyone here gets fixated on the fact that I've called a dumbass a few names, I want to explain that I care about people and that I actually presented this case to an audiologist (a colleague of mine) earlier this evening. I also explained the dumbass theory that earwax was "pushed in too deep" and that it blocked an eustachian tube.

Her response (and this is an exact quote): "That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."

Take your hearing seriously. See a professional. Have your hearing checked.

 

Yep. Actually on tellementnomade.org we are all having the same conclusions about these Onkyo: they are very nice sounding for the price and share similarities with Andromeda : stage, speed, details, texture (if this word makes sense for you, it does for me). One of the very first hybrid I like since they don't sound like an hybrid. In general I find the bass on hybrid not quick enough, not tight enough, just not good enough.
Worth a listen, really.

 

Whatever happened to moving armatures? Judging at least by the Final FIBASS (it's moving, right?), they marry the precision of BAs with the dynamism of dynamics. And yet nobody seems to be making them anymore.

 

here you go:

https://www.head-fi.org/f/threads/c...ar-monitors-technical-characteristics.604851/

 

With the Noble X on Massdrop, I've thought about getting some new IEMs while out cycling as the sound signature sounds fun and tuned to EDM/Dance music/Bass heavy shit to keep me going!

Problem is the ones I have now end up popping out all the time as I get sweaty - super annoying. I've read about the Monster iSport Victory which is also wireless, which would be ideal but definitely not necessary. Outside isolation would be nice as the wind gets annoying listening to.

Any reasonably priced options come to mind? The Noble X is $250 USD and definitely at the top of my price range for something used for this purpose.