IEM general discussion thread

Math is hard. Taking what Jerry Harvey says at face value is even harder.

4.9 + 4.9 = 9.8 ok

 

For everything else there's mastercard?

 

I must say I'm always impressed with someone's philosophy of design regardless of real world result. At least it's tinkering on something out of the market offerings, and that adds on to the current choices.

 

i havnt actually been interesxted in a jh audio product since he went down the rabbit hole with astell and kern, but I actually am interested in these.

1750 aint cheap though

 

Speaking of interesting new designs, anyone else here considering 64 Audio's tia Fourté?

The $3600 price tag is terrifying, yet somehow I'm still tempted...

 

I heard it at CanJam NYC. I wasn't too impressed. It sounded incoherent and hazy in the midrange, and the bass felt loose and inarticulate. I much preferred their A12.

They go to a lot of meets and shows, so it's worth giving it a listen yourself if you can.

 

Any sub $200 UIEM recommendations? This is uncharted territory for me.

Edit: I might spring an extra $150 for the Etymotic ER4 XR. Anyone else have these?

 

SoundMagic E10 if you want a fun sound. Comes with a mic version too.

 

Why not spring an extra $200 and get the UE4? That's what I'm leaning toward now. Not sure where you're located in SoCal but they'll do impressions in Irvine.

The ER4XR were ok, but I think I like the mids on the ER4SR more. Depending what your sound signature preference, you may like the Massdrop Noble X. I'm hoping they do another drop.

 

Hey guys! I need a CIEM recommendation, guess this is the right place. Sorry for the long post if anything.

TL;DR a custom IEM with Audeze (old or modern) signature?

After reading the threads here, on /r/ and on head-fi I have a bit of a mess in my head regarding IEMs. Obviously, you need to listen to compare, but I'd love your recommendations first.

Basically, I'm a happy owner of LCD-X. I love everything about it but the price. My previous favorites included HD600 (prefer those to HD650 for whatever reason), I also love the LCD-2. I've sold my HD800s (amazing midrange, meh lows, but because of that highs peak I could not physically bear them for more than an hour, my head hurt. Annax mods did not help) and I mostly hate that type of sound. Most of the time I listen to electronica (IDM, Ambient, also generic stuff like psytrance) and neoclassical (or whatever is the right term — minimalism, soundtracks, etc.). Obviously, LCD-X is amazing with those.

Most specifically, I love the separation abilities of planars and the bass that goes all the way down instead of being boomy (quality not quantity).

Now, isolation and portability have become a problem for me, so instead of going with something like Audeze Sine (poor fit, uncomfortable) I've decided to go all the way with comfort and isolation, hence CIEMs. My primary AMP/DAC is Chord Mojo.

Here is my wish-list, more or less:

— Customs only (fit and comfort); I'm guessing acrylic;
— Non-specific sound signature (no EDM-bro V-shape, no Rock-head Grado-style insanity);
— Amazing bass that is not boomy but goes all the way down instead, very detailed and layered, LCD-X style;
— Despite that, the ability to play classical music perfectly (no V-style or huge midrange recession);
— Neutral-to-warm signature, with non-sibilant highs, but fun enough;
— The ability to play straight out of an iPhone at least for the portion of time and not make me hate the sound (it's not always you can carry a DAC). Something like Noble lightning cable or any of those Bluetooth adapters. Yes, hate me.
— If the sound is just right, I may as well sell LCD-Xes and favor the portability.

CHOICES

Basically, because of the country where I'm from, I can only choose from UE, JH, Noble, Westone and maybe 1964.

Here's what, as far as I understand, are the contenders

— UERMv2. Some call it mobile Audeze — yay. Some call it mobile HD800 — nay. You get where my headache is coming from? From the comments, I still can't make if they have a good bass extension or not. As well as their ability to play straight out of the lightning DAC — seems they are power-hungry? The price is reasonable and pro endorsements are a plus, I guess.
— UE11/18 — any takers?
— Noble Dulce Bass. If I understand correctly, those are the 5Cs? I'm not sure if they are an EDM-style V-shaped headphone or an Audeze-like warm headphone. The looks are absolutely amazing and if those are great — even though they already seem overpriced — I'm possibly okay with paying extra for Wizard design. No idea if the imaging is good, etc.
— Noble TOTL (Kaiser, etc.). Not sure if they are that better than what they have at $1000ish range. At least for mids, lows and imaging.
— JH13v2/16v2/Angie. Seems that a lot of people hate those, and also there are people who absolutely love them. Not sure if they are neturalish-warm or JH is trying to make every earphone rock-oriented.

So what are your thoughts, guys, what else should I check out? Maybe the UERM or Noble mid-tier earphones will do me just fine?

 

Alright y'all, my second Meelec A151p has bit the dust. It's that damned cable design. This time it's shorting in a way that makes a loud crackle so I just can't risk damaging my ears.
I'm tired of this game and realizing more and more I'd rather have wireless buds for ease of use when working and such.

Can anyone recommend a solid, "good enough" wireless unit? My main use is listening to audiobooks and podcasts with some Soundcloud and Spotify thrown in. All my "real listening" is on speakers or cans at the moment. I was perfectly content with the sound of the Meelec - voices sounded clear and natural, it had some bass bump, had enough treble without being grating. I'm aiming for <$100.

Thank you.

 

The Sony SBH80 is a solid, "good enough" wireless unit that costs less than $100. However, its necklace design is a love or hate affair.

 

I'll be getting my ears on those as soon as the early orders are filled. Definitely interested. Should be able to compare to the U18 as well. Sadly this didn't line up with the AAW W900 (etc.) that just showed up (pictures in a bit).

 

Sweet! I'm not alone in my insanity haha.

I just recently sold my SE5 Ultimate so have been on the lookout for some genuine innovation / ingenuity (not just MORE DRIVERzz) in the IEM market and the tia Fourté appears it might bring some of that to the table. We'll see though!

 

W900 is a remarkable monitor. It is by far the most coherent hybrid I have heard. The DD is relatively restrained (especially compared to W500) but adds this palpable presence in the low end that belies the fact you are listening to an IEM. The BAs take over seemlessly with a relatively flat presentation that just keeps going up. Extension is incredible, as is soundstage width (less so depth) with great imaging. They are an end game headphone for me.

Tia Forte pricing put it out of contention...

 

So, I got the AAW W900, W500, M40 and AH3 Pro V2 to play with ... listening impressions will follow at some point ...

 

W900 needs time. It doesn't 'wow' on first listen. On the other hand, none of my favourite headphones have (UE4, HD600, Slant).

 

Some more impressions on the W900 here will be awesome. More specifics on the layering, seperation, precision of imaging, and overall tonality/timbre correctness is what I'm most interested in if you can write a few thoughts.

So far from what I read, these sound like an IEM I'll have to hear in person.

 

I have the AAW900 and I am selling them.

They sound really very refined and coherent. I still prefer the SE5 Ultimate.

It might be unfair because I have only the universal version and I think these might warrant customs. They have no specific defect, the stage is deep and layered the bass is well controlled, the mids are clear. People liking very airy highs might be frustrated as these are more on the smooth side.

I also have a small issue with the DD, it seems I can less easily listen to it for long periods of time, my ears seem to tire from the air movement. Maybe it is just because I have been very tired over the past months not sure.

I maybe should have got them in custom, because the fit is not ideal in universal for me, but I am less and less willing to take the risk these days.

I am also letting go of my Prophile-8. These are quite impressive but in the end maybe I am not one for neutrality. I need a bit more of body and warmth to the sound, and enjoy the SE5 or S-EM9 more.

 

I saw a deal on the 1964Ears V6 earlier today, and I wonder

What's the difference between the V6 and the V6Stage? Also, how different are they compared to the current A6/U6 lineup (Aside from the Apex module, that is)

Some said that the V6 has less low ends compared to the V6Stage, and if that's the case, it might be a compelling buy for me tbh

Thanks for the help and input folks