IEM general discussion thread

Given that a) my wallet still survive Andromeda and b) no wide report of ear-rape by Ety...

 

I asked in the advice thread but thought I'd try over here where there might be more IEM heads following along:

I'm currently having a good time with the SE535 special editions (the red ones). Since they don't seem to be near the tops of people's lists here, I'm curious to keep exploring. Sticking with universals for now. Any suggestions on what I should try next? I've pretty much only heard the SE535 and the much cheaper Fidelio S1 (in IEMs I mean). What should someone new to IEMs hear to get a well-rounded picture of what's out there?

There's a deal on a Noble 4U that I'm looking at since some reviews indicate they might be an upgrade from the SE535 at a similar price. I'm also interested in the Andromedas, given the thread going on about those, so I might convince myself to sell off some stuff and try making the jump to a 4-figure headphone, but it would have to be the last one for a while. Not sure what else I should be considering.

 

So far I always seem to prefer a more neutral signature among otherwise equal options. I've spent a fair amount time listening to pro gear so maybe neutral is just what I expect to hear.

For me the SE535 definitely lacks a little bit in the treble, but their overall clarity and ability to resolve detail — maybe just *quality* — is at a level that is still new and exciting for me. I'd probably like something at this level but less warm even more. For what it's worth, I tend to get easily irritated/fatigued by emphasized bass, but these seem to lean more on bass extension than emphasis, which I've been finding fun.

 

You know, all the above said, I'm not sure I've settled on what I like. It may be good for me to explore some different sound signatures. Right now improvements in things like dynamics, detail, soundstage, and instrument separation are really what I'm seeking more than any preference among (reasonable) response curves.

 

I'll be joining the Pinnacle P1 crowd before the month is up. Really looking forward to it.

 

I have two high-end BA iems that I'm happy with (K10 and Andromeda). I am thinking about finding a great dynamic iem to go with them. Any suggestions?

 

Any thoughts comparing the two? I have the K10 so it's a good point of reference.

 

The Andromeda sounds more even across the entire frequency range while the K10 is more musical and instruments are more lifelike. The andromeda is more accurate and resolving but music "sounds" better on the K10s. The K10 has this way of making music sound good, no matter what genre it is or how shitty the recording quality is. I like both but if forced to pick one, I would probably go with the K10s without much hesitation.

 

I believe the word you're looking for is "euphonic".

 

The Andromeda's may be good for mixing and mastering music if they are even across entire frequency range.

 

Would have been useful for someone like myself who has no IEM experience. It'll also be super easy to ship around.

 

A mini-meet in SF would be great fun. I have some novel audio visualization software I'm working on that people might get a kick out of — potentially useful for critical listening.

 

Is the Andromeda group buy still going on? How much is the group buy price? I just noticed their pre-order price is not available anymore and it's on backorder.

 

Still in the works last I heard. Price is subject to NDA.

 

http://www.unique-melody.com/products/martian-4-driver-hybrid-universal-iem?taxon_id=19

New Universal from Unique Melody, Dual dynamic dual BA. Unique Melody is a big question mark as far as iem companies go, not sure where they stand after the fiasco with dealers and decreased quality, I know they've been focused on japan and SEA until lately.

 

I was a bit disappointed by the dual driver dynamic in the UM/Hifiman collaboration called the RE-1000. I think adding armatures to it probably won't lead to a great earphone.

 

I've had Noble K10U A for the last few days and I'm in love with it. It sound so beautiful, so lovely... Pure musical joy.