IEM general discussion thread

The $300 or less range is quite competitive these days I suppose, so maybe the $200 or less arena is more appropriate. I feel like they're kind of a compromise for someone who wants a signature that aims more towards neutral and has good extension/resolution, yet is non-fatiguing and still fairly engaging/fun. This has been my general preference so it's easy for me to praise how they sound. Not the last word in neutrality or a reference-type tuning, but nothing is really missing or overblown. Build quality is just great compared to all the other $150-250 IEMs I've experienced (sans the Aurisonics Rockets of course, those are tanks).

Interesting...based on other's impressions of the Jupiter this could be very promising!

 

Remember, Sennheiser is able to do HD800 then HD700.

 

I tried Campfire's current lowest end IEM, the Orion I think? And it sounded awful and muddy to me.

 

Maybe I am too much of a hopeful ...but I have heard some good dual-BA IEMs before, so we shall see.

 

Two full range BA with no crossover seems like an odd design choice

Does anyone know what they would be hoping to achieve with this configuration?

 

Really not impressed by Campfire's description of how their iems sound.

 

To my knowledge, manufacturers will double-up on BAs in order to reduce the load on each individual driver, achieving higher sound pressure levels while halving the distortion produced by each driver (since usually distortion increases with SPL). This is the idea behind other many-BA IEMs doubling-up on drivers that are on the same side of a crossover.

As far as Campfire's decision to do that instead of using a crossover, I'm not sure why they found it preferable, but they must have thought it sounded good. Maybe it does!

 

I just received a new pair of Sonys. They are one of their older models, but their older models are quite good. Sony mdr ex1000 nudes. They are brilliant. One dynamic driver, 16mm. They need some power, without eq they are bass light for my tastes, but crystal clear. Mids are amazing. Adding eq, via Neutron, wow. Love the sound. They sound a bit better then my previous favorite Sony, Xb90ex (another hidden gem).

With eq, these IEMS absolutely slam. Only 2 drawbacks for me, the design, not a fan of which also ties into a less than ideal fit. Second they need power, much like the Sony Xb90ex, amp makes them shine. The Xb90ex are reasonably priced, under $90 on Amazon, the ex1000 are pricier, a hair under $400. They are studio IEMS and are crystal clear, even with adding thunderous amounts of bass. Really enjoying these too.

 

If that's the case, I'd venture to guess that they opted for an acoustic filter solution instead of an electrical/passive crossover. So, a single full-range BA with a larger woofer BA that has a low-pass filter incorporated at the output. Either they're utilizing something like one of the Sonion AcuPass dual-drivers (see http://www.sonion.com/Products/Transducers/Receivers/Receiver Modules.aspx for their datasheets), a custom AcuPass design like the new Klipsch flagship X20i, or they've developed their own solution in house that does the same type thing with two drivers of their choosing.

 

Holy shit that distortation measurement on innerfidelity. King of EQ?

 

So I've had my P1s all weekend, and they've turned out to be pretty sibilant for me as well, I tried all the different tips they came with. Also they are pretty bass light, specially in the deep bass. I don't find them to be bright though, just sibilant, outside of the sibilance the highs are fine.

Any other recommendations? I'd be willing to maybe stretch up to 300 bucks. These are gonna need to go back to Amazon.

 

Some well-implemented single-dynamic IEMs measure very good in distortion (also could be related to the driver's diaphragm materials) but to name a few, check the Hifiman RE400 or Vsonic GR07. Bass is really well done with the large & well controlled drivers on the EX1000 though, no doubt. They respond nicely to EQ from my experience, if you want to say tame the slightly hot/peaky upper mid/treble regions...depending on your preferences of course.

Yeah, while you can position them to a comfortable fit with some time, they stick out a bit far and don't isolate well...due to the shape, they tend to catch wind sounds easily if you're outside. I love that big set of Sony Hybrid tips you get with them though, they're among the best tips for smaller nozzle'd IEMs!

 

Also perhaps read up on the Oriveti Primacy as another alternative if you're considering a hybrid. I wish I could recommend an alternative like this firsthand but I've not had a chance to check them out yet...they're on my short-list though. I've seen a few reviews here and there but I'm not sure if anyone on SBAF has tried them out yet...they seem promising from preliminary impressions. Appear to have a good build quality too.

 

My GR07 MK II cable died on an airplane. Worst place to leave me stranded. Planning on sending them to BTG Audio to recable them. I love those IEMs.

I'm also heavily considering ordering the Arclair RSM CIEM for $650 and selling all my desktop audio gear for the moment.

 

BTG does good work!

 

Not to put it as some sort of "best of" anything, but I got the Chinese iem, Easy LZ-A3. Yeah, it's another hybrid that I got to replace the Dunu DN1000 that finally had cable issues that I couldn't ignore any longer. But the Easy iem works well for me, and I don't hear any big issues with it. However, I suck at detailing what I hear, so I'm having another friend take a shot at it. If it sucks for him, he'll let you know what it is that sucks. Hopefully it doesn't.

 

You saved my life with this post. Which one is which though? Are the G451 and GH-ERC-DMS the same?

 

Silicone CIEMs, who's got a pair or had a pair, and what would you guys recommend for someone who cares about imaging, soundstage, with a warm tilt. Also isolation is most important.

 

Is there anyone else that thinks BA IEMs tend to sound a little unnatural compared to dynamics?

When my first pair of Tenores died recently, I thought it would be a good time to see whether I should splash out some good money on a CIEM or TOTL universal. Tried out lots of demos - 1st gen Savant (decent), new K10U (decent but ridiculous price), UERM (me likey but can be a little peaky), UERR (a little too far in the opposite direction from the UERM), and so on (lots of flawed or overpriced items out there)...

The interesting thing is that to my ears, the BAs seemed to have rounded bass that didn't depict kick drums accurately, and treble tended to be a little steely when present. Sense of space tended to be lacking as well. Even the humble Tenores (which I ended up going back to) and Philips 3905s (successors to the 3590s) seem to have better timbre, which leads me to enjoy them more.

Are my ears deceiving me because I've just been listening to Tenores too long? Wonder what fellow SBAFers think, and whether there are aspects to these IEMs that I should be listening out for but am overlooking?