IEM general discussion thread

Please don’t use that. I have 2 patients that damaged their inner ear with similar kit

Pleas

 

This is the safest and easiest method, but in case you've got a ton of hardened wax I'd use some kind of oil intended for skin to soften that up. Pour some in, leave it in for 10-15 mins (seal with an earplug or something) and wash off. Repeat for a few days. Should soften and break the wax up nicely.

 

One review I came across on the D2B4 noted some pretty significant sounding improvements if you switch out the nozzles, which are threaded and modular (though it doesn't come with any others, so most people don't think you can switch the nozzles). Specifically, the reviewer recommended the BGVP DMG "Vented (reduce bass, improve mid-high frequency)" filter nozzles:

https://audiofool.reviews/2019/05/07/yinyoo_d2b4/

There's a link to the filters on Aliexpress, they're currently $4.90.

 

I do have the pair of the D2B4s @Biodegraded used for his review...and also these filters, which I had purchased for the better sounding NiceHCK M6 (for which I wrote a review). Couldn't be bothered switching them because, apparently, the M6s sound better than the D2B4s (even with the new filters...see the audiofool's ratings). Second, the nozzles of the D2B4s need to be loosened with heat. The audiofool recommended a hairdryer. Too much fuzz.

 

I recall @Brause and I discussed the possibility of different nozzles for the D2B4 - I think the exchangeability had been discussed in forums before the audiofool review - but the issues I had with them were around things I didn't think different nozzles would solve (technicalities rather than tonal balance), so rather than risk breaking them we decided not to experiment.

 

Update from previous... My problem caused by the fresh pair of Etys was indeed a wax plug in my right ear. My local doctor removed it easily using water and some kind of pliers. That ear spray didn’t do much though.

Damn I’m glad to hear properly again. Not being totally sure it was wax was the worst thing.

So yeah, make sure you don’t have wax build-up in your ear canals before starting using Etys, folks!

 

I've had two ear wax impactions affecting hearing over my life, in both cases they were cleared at a doctor's office using a syringe to flush out the wax with warm water.

I was told if it every happened again to go to the drugstore and get a Debrox EarWax removal kit. You apply a few drops of oil to the ear with the impacted wax to soften it and the wax may just drain out on to your pillow while you sleep, if it does not the kit includes a syringe you can use with warm water to irrigate and flush the softened wax out.

As others have mentioned Q-Tips are to be avoided.

 

Maybe we should move everything about earwax e ear hygiene to a new dedicated topic

 

So glad it worked out okay! Happy listening and watch out for those Etys...

 

Hey guys, I'm in the market for some in ear headphones mainly for classical music, I'm looking to spend up to around 1000€, they can be ported, sound isolation is not a requirement, these are mainly for listening in hotels. At home I listen to HD800S or speakers.

Until now I was considering the Andromeda, IE800 ( bought used but was fake), shure se846, westone w60, and I'm open to more sugestions. Unfortunately I can't try them before purchasing, that's why I need to ask this.

 

If your source going is to be an iPhone and can stretch your budget to $1500, you should consider the Audeze LCDi4+Cipher Cable.

 

You've named several iems with quite different sound signatures, showing that you need to heed the advice of Sun Tzu:

https://superbestaudiofriends.org/i...audio-gear-words-of-wisdom-from-sun-tzu.2366/

First, figure out what you want to hear.

If you like the hd800S, then buy something with a sound closer to that. Look at reviews on a website such as this very one to tell you more about how a given earphone sounds.

Since you don't know what you want, no one can tell you what's best for you (or alternatively, people can tell you any random thing and it's equally likely to be a good suggestion, this is the principle on a lot of audio sites).

 

Perhaps an unorthodox recommendation but check out the Campfire Audio Atlas. It's a bassy IEM but its tuning fits classical surprisingly well-- it give the lower end a lot of strength and body reminiscent of live performances.

 

In case some haven't seen it, I'll put a plug in here for my offer to handle a group buy of 2 brands of Taiwan-made cables that are hard to buy outside of Asia, since they're mostly IEM oriented.

http://www.superbestaudiofriends.or...oc-studio-and-han-sound-cable-group-buy.8136/

 

@Lyer25 , since you asked, here are some impressions on the VX. Can't compare it to the Solaris as I haven't heard it.

- QDC Anole VX is another multi-driver (10xBAs), kilo-buck ($2300) IEM. But it actually is one of the better sounding high-end IEMs out there. While I would recommend it to a Head-Fier looking for a neutralish sounding TOTL IEM, I CAN'T recommend it to the SBAF community, as a lot of folks here already own a decent set of headphones/speakers.

- I am not a fan of the Andro for various reasons. For example, it is uncomfortable to wear, it picks up hiss with most sources and gets too loud in just a few clicks on the volume (doesn't give me enough headroom for finer volume adjustment). VX doesn't have any of these issues. It is very comfortable to wear, it is sensitive enough to sound very well even out of a smartphone, but is not sensitive to a point of picking up hiss easily or getting too loud in few clicks on volume.

- Andro's sound can be described as a balanced tuning with punchy bass, lively treble and a large soundstage. VX's sound can be described as a reference-neutralish tuning, with a slight priority towards technicality over tonality. Neither IEM gets the tone or timbre right, but the VX may be slightly better.

- Andro punches slightly harder in the bass, but the VX has better delineation and cleanliness. I'd personally take Andro's authority over VX's clean bass lines. But a studio engineer might prefer the VX over the Andro. Andro has more body in the lower-mids, whereas VX's lower-mids sounds a touch leaner in comparison. Just a matter a preference here. While it may seem leaner in comparison, overall I wouldn't classify it as a thin sounding IEM.

- Upper-mids and Lower-treble region is where the Andro fails for me. It lacks sufficient upper-mids, but has too much treble, which destroys the balance. VX has a similar treble emphasis in the lower-treble, but it has sufficient upper-mids to balance things out nicely. People sensitive to treble would need foams to smoothen the treble on the VX, just like on the Andro.

- From a general performance perspective, VX is clearly ahead. It just does dynamics, instrument separation and layering better. It not only sounds clearer, but it sounds more transparent (less veiled) and more resolving (more micro-details) compared to the Andro. But Andro does have a more spacious and an airier soundstage.

- VX is quite an energetic IEM in terms of both tuning and the presentation. People looking for a laidback IEM should look elsewhere.

- I call VX’s reference-neutralish because it is overall neutral, but leans a bit on the dry and technical side of things, without vetting too much into bright territory nor sacrificing body or bass or sounding limp. It’s a different take on reference neutral compared to the ER4S. In comparison, ER4 has less bass, more upper mids and less treble. But the limp bass on the ER4 makes it slightly bright, like in the same ball park as the VX.

 

@EagleWings thanks! Sounds like something that might be interesting, but dear Hesus 10 BAs and well north of $2k? I got vertigo just reading that haha.

I actually know the Andros less well than the Solaris despite the latter being newer (both just cafe demos) cuz I couldn't for the life of me get a proper fit with them. Still, I have a general idea of what to expect thanks to your impressions, and think it might be something people here might be interested in. I know some people who found the alleged lack of upper mids on the Andros to be a deal breaker so if this is that much of a categorical win in technicalities (tonality aside, cuz I rather like fake massive headstage from recessed midrange ) then damn I'm excited.

Sorry for the question out of left field, but which headphones if any would you say match the qdc in overall resolution? I don't know IEMs as well as actual headphones, sadly )

 

Yea, it is really the price tag that stops me from recommending it here. If it was priced around $1200, I would have somehow tried arranging for a loaner for SBAF, because it actually sounds very good.

VX's resolution is the typical multi-BA type resolution that sounds very micro-detailed, because of the treble and isolation. But its resolution isn't as nuanced as a full-size headphone's resolution like the Utopia. But if you were to put a gun to my head, I'd say VX's resolution is somewhere in the same ball park as a HD800 on an average chain. HD800 on a good chain would be a clear step up in resolution over the VX.

 

Hi guys, I'm new here, and I needed your help / opinion. I want to buy some "ciem" I would like to be given up to 1,000 € and the second option up to 1,500 €. Music style, Rock, Pop, Electronic. What are the best choices?

Thank you

 

Hi @Bruno,

It'd really help if you'd talk about gear you've owned in the past and your thoughts on/experiences with them. Even for the exact genres you stated, even if you gave specific songs as examples some people might enjoy different presentations or care more about different aspects of performance than you. If this is your first foray into really "nice" gear (thinking that's an off-chance since you're jumping right into €1500 tier) then it's all the more important you know what you're looking for because it'd suck balls if you dropped that much cash on a custom set and found them uninspiring; from what I can tell CIEM sales can be a pain in the unmentionables.

It might be a pain but that's how things run here when asking for recommendations. It does help people make better suggestions. Props for the LP avatar btw.

 

First of all, I apologize, I am new to this in which I recognize that I have entered little information. So here's the thing, I have some Shure SE215 right now, I'm very happy with them, I use it daily at work, but I use the mobile phone as a source, which I also want to buy a dac, I'm considering the NX4 that from what I read It is really very good and has a very nice price, another option would be a dap, here I am undecided because I do not know if even with an ex: R6pro, ibasso dx150 + amp8 or even the new M11pro, could have better sound than Nx4 that costs a lot less. I use at work about 7/8 hours a day, where there is a lot of noise, and then I thought to spend a little more and buy some custom, because for the effect of isolation I think there is no better. The genres I mentioned above are the ones I hear the most. I wanted to go up in everything ie sound quality, resolution, isolation etc. . . I know I have no experience of having multiple EMIs so I am asking for help here, in which I was advised. I'm also open to suggestions that don't even need the budget I've put in, maybe to slow down to know how to evaluate things better. Any other questions please ask me.

Carefully,
Bruno

Ps: Linkin Park is my favorite band