IEM general discussion thread

Discussion in 'IEMs and Portable Gear' started by Griffon, Nov 1, 2015.

  1. M3NTAL

    M3NTAL Friend

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    UM3X was more mid-bass than bass. I didn't really care for them.
     
  2. TheFighter

    TheFighter New

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    Can I ask how much different the sound quality of the same model but custom and universal? like noble 4 custom vs universal or Noble Savant custom vs universal?

    The reason is in my country the price of custom is twice the universal one, so I like to know how its compare.
     
  3. MrTurtle

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    Carbo Tenore's ridiculously good value for money for this kind of sound - well, just ridiculously good value all around IMO. People have talked about production variance though, so I guess I was lucky to get a well matched pair. Superglue up the bits where the strain reliefs meet the cables and you should have a pair that will last you a while - mine's served me for a year and is still going strong...
     
  4. Claritas

    Claritas Friend

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    I wasn't of the impression that the variance is a channel imbalance (which can certainly develop later, if it gets wet). Rather, some pairs are bass heavy. Just a guess: maybe Zero Audio occasionally uses the drivers from their Basso model instead.
     
  5. blackships

    blackships Friend

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    I actually have a pair, I'm just not sure where they are.
     
  6. Kunlun

    Kunlun cat-alyzes cat-aclysmic cat-erwauling - Friend

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    One quick take is that if you just shove them in your ears and go, then customs are better. If you have the skills of ninjas and their ninjitsu, then you can have about the same sound, but this requires that you cast away fear of death like a fallen petal from a flower.
     
    Last edited: Dec 9, 2015
  7. Bina

    Bina MOT - Shanling

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    Quick question on SHure olive tips:

    I really liked original olives, but saw new ones has different bore and wax guard. Anyone can compare how they differ in use? Any sound change due to wax guard?
     
  8. phillip

    phillip Friend

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    Any opinions on Dunu 2000J? To my ears, the level of details and transparency are amazing!
    Caveat is that I've out of the IEM scene for quite some time lol.
     
  9. dark_energy

    dark_energy Friend

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    Adding to what has been said about RE400. It has good bass dynamics out of a decant/good amp. Quite good lower midrange detail, but this might not come up with a portable setup.. ime, everything else stays quite dull, no matter where you plug it. Build quality is not that great. I prefer the neutral tuning. Works with some tracks.

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    Out of a desktop setup these are quite good. Certain.. dullness stays, you don't get certain warm, lively sounds. Drums are great with this thing.
     
    Last edited: Dec 21, 2015
  10. cyloh

    cyloh New

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    Sent off my B2s for a reshell.

    Got the UE900 to stand in as my main IEM.

    Initial impressions;
    - They sound average. Average plankton.
    - Slightly warm and thick but not euphoric sounding.
    - Some bass detail missing compared to the B2.
    - Instruments... lack realism.
    - Vocals is a tad veiled yet any "s" syllable is prone to becoming "SSssss..." :confused:
    - Need to bump up volume to sound interesting/exciting, but I am not falling for that trap again. I suspect owning the TF10 and rocking the hell out of it for over a year destroyed my hearing a bit.
    - Listening to Daft Punk's Random Access Memories, Eric Clapton's Unplugged and Diana Krall's Live in Paris sounds unengaging and non musical :confused:
    - Rinchoi's recommendation to block pinhole and add 100ohm impedance actually made it sound worst my ears. Can't transmute poop to gold. I think either one of the mod might be fine, but certainly not both.
    - Got these new for about USD110 so I can't really complain.
     
    Last edited: Dec 16, 2015
  11. fraggler

    fraggler A Happy & Busy Life

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    Well, if you want to get rid of them when your re-shells come in, let me know. I have been using some Shure SE215s for a couple years now, mostly straight out of my phone or laptop and am interested in stepping up a little (sub $200 preferably). Actually, if you got them that cheap for new, are you sure they are authentic?
     
  12. fraggler

    fraggler A Happy & Busy Life

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    Wasn't sure if I should ask here or in the advice thread, but like I posted above, I am looking for an upgrade to my Shure SE215s. I really like their presentation, as they have some healthy bass, solid mids and treble that doesn't fatigue me. Also love their fit and comfort. That said, I would like a new set of universals that can basically give me roughly the same signature, just with more detail, transparency, etc. I had a pair of Westone W4s for a little bit, and they seemed really dull and not really much more detailed the the Shures. Pretty boring actually. Not worth the several hundred dollars extra. I do not need bass cannons, but I don't want anything that is bass lite. And more importantly, I don't want tipped up, hot, or sibilant treble. I need to be able to listen to these for hours at a time. Being able to get good sound out of them straight from my phone or laptop would be preferable, but I have options there if necessary. Would prefer them to be under $200, but I don't know what kind of money it will take to get what I am looking for. Thanks!

    Short take: HD650 in IEM form. Thanks!
     
    Last edited: Dec 18, 2015
  13. Kunlun

    Kunlun cat-alyzes cat-aclysmic cat-erwauling - Friend

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    I haven't heard it yet, but early reports seem to suggest that the Cardas A8 for $300 will be something like what you are looking for. Give it a look.
     
  14. fraggler

    fraggler A Happy & Busy Life

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    Very interesting. Thanks for the heads up. There is a guy in MI that at one point was a Cardas dealer and came to the Chicago meets so hopefully I can get a listen without buying first.
     
  15. Drunkbag

    Drunkbag New

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    Hey guys, I've just registered and I would like some of your guidance.
    I wanted to buy the ZMF Blackwood, but it would take 6-10 weeks to receive which is a bit too much for me.
    So I am looking for other options at around the same price, and I've wondered - maybe I should get IEM's.
    I exclusively listen to Metal and at the moment I got the DT990 Pro's.
    I've been looking at the Noble Savant. Are they worth the price?
     
  16. fraggler

    fraggler A Happy & Busy Life

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    How about the Shure SE535s if I can get them less than $250? Mid centric, slight roll off in treble. I know there are a lot of IEMs out there, but are the new ones really any better than what has existed for a while, or just different flavors and different players?
     
  17. Kunlun

    Kunlun cat-alyzes cat-aclysmic cat-erwauling - Friend

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    Hmm, some people love the 535 and that's a good price. I'm not sure I'd go for it as treble extention can be mice, I mean, nice.

    Actually, same goes for the 846.

    To answer your question about whether (BA-based) iems have improved, the answer is no, but there are many more options. How can I say no when there are different Knowles and Sonion driver options, more drivers, more more more drivers and also, more drivers?

    Well, the single-BA er4 is a decent reply to that. Also, the UERM, while newer, is a different answer to that with only 3 armatures done well. Good tuning and care taken will beat dumbasses throwing shit together any day. I'm not convinced that when people hype some multi-BA that just came out that they are often really hearing actual technical improvement over the multi-BA design that came out last year or even three years ago. Seriously, who thinks the Layla is more detailed than the JH13? This is not an absolute argument, but generally, I think tuning preferences and avoiding wacky FR suck-outs and roll-off or spikes play a bigger role in choosing one multi-BA over another.

    But, there are a lot more options now than when the 535 came out. Like, way, way more options, so that's an improvement right there.

    With dynamic drivers, we've seen some interesting , real innovation, and lots of cheap junk. Hybrids, too, are interesting but few are really well done. Very few.
     
    Last edited: Dec 23, 2015
  18. Kunlun

    Kunlun cat-alyzes cat-aclysmic cat-erwauling - Friend

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    The Noble Savant is a well-tuned iem that sounds good with a lot of music. The price point is where people might quibble. I think if you get a deal on the savant it's well worth owning.
     
  19. fraggler

    fraggler A Happy & Busy Life

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    Thanks. Yeah, the last time seriously looks at IEMs, there were like 5 companies to choose from. Now, there are so many that I don't want to even bother looking. The SE535s intrigue me since I rather like the SE215's and am curious how similar the big brother might be. I am in my home office using the HD650s so often now, maybe it is silly to get new IEMs. Or maybe I just get some QC20s for the noise cancelling...
     
  20. Kunlun

    Kunlun cat-alyzes cat-aclysmic cat-erwauling - Friend

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    I think everyone has a pair, from the very beginning. No one can give them to you, and no one can take them away. It's only a matter of realizing that they are there.
    ...
    Behind the couch.
     

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