IEM general discussion thread

I haven't yet heard the a&k t8ie, but I hope some owners can chine in because people have been describing it as warm and non fatiguing.

On the lower end, the Future Sonics g10 is bassy, with a monitor midrange and non-fatiging treble.

 

Nvm. Didn't see Kunlun's response.

 

Keep the recommendations coming. I know I'm not the only one on here that really doesn't like the sound of BA IEMs and prefer dynamics.

I just decided to save some money and got some MA750s for around $80 on ebay since I use IEMs pretty much only for portable use. They definitely get the job done for my purpose (built like a tank, low microphonics, good isolation, and inoffensive warm sound sig).

 

I was just going to recommend those for your purposes, but wasn't sure what kinda budget you were working with. I really liked them for all the points you mentioned, and definitely have a hard to go wrong with signature. Kinda kicking myself for selling them way back, good pair to have around.

 

Shozy Zero, I highly recommend. By far best thing I've heard under $300. They are absolutely amazing. They are bassy, but very clear. I don't have much experience in that price range, I've only owned/heard a handful of IEMS, but the Zeros are impressive.

 

I've seen a crapton of hype for them on HF, so I didn't grab them because I did not know whether or not they were legit good or another random Chinese FOTM IEM

 

You're right they do. Zero are a little smaller. They don't have that aluminum shaft.

I'm always skeptical of hf and fotm. They are legit though. I was blown away. I don't buy budget IEMS, but these I'd purchase. They sent them to me to review. I still owe that review.

 

Still trying to adjust the sound of my Sony Z5. This just proves to me, once again, price and "TOTL" status means nothing. Sadly, at this point, I prefer the Sony Xb90ex over their TOTL Z5.

I've been tweaking the eq, I've been able to make it sound better, but didn't try tip rolling last night. I'm hoping the spin fits tighten up the bass some. Last hope is the upgraded cable.

 

Some of the nicest mid-fi dynamic driver iems for a warm sound were the old Monster Turbine Gold (not copper) and Miles Davis Tribute (not Trumpet, which I didn't hear). They are probably hard to source, but not bad at all.

 

Agree. The Monster Turbine Golds were very good: easy to listen to through most sources and with enjoyable with a wide range of genres.

 

I would suggest waiting out for any announcement next week regarding T8ie, my 2nd unit's left side just died for an unknown reason. It is a warm but not buttery warm IEM with enough excitement and a very non-fatiguing sound. It is an all rounder but that bass though, I think I'll probably miss that if I decide to jump ship to Andromeda.

 

I remember speaking to a monster rep that said the Turbine Pro line would be returning, this time with titanium housings.

Yeah that was in the beginning of 2015. Oh well, maybe one day.

 

Dynamic driver + warm?
How about JVC FX1100/1200?

 

An IEM that reminded me of the Hifiman HE 400 is the Dunu 2kj.

 

Zero Audio Tenore is smooth candidate.

 

T8ie mk2 on the way, I hope my broken unit will be honored. It has improved driver and cabling too from the announcement, it might still be one of the best of the dying breed of TOTL dynamic driver IEMs.

 

I'm looking forward to the mkii, they claim there's a new coil with changes to its housing for lower distortion. That may be great.

As for a dying breed, I have to politely and respectfully disagree. The "high end" iems were almost always armatures, starting back when the er4 and shure e-500 were your only options. Higher end dynamic drivers from Sennheiser, JVC, F.A.D. , Dita, and, more recently, Campfire and AK/Beyerdynamic are a sign of a renaissance of dynamic drivers from people who are putting a real value to how real these drivers can sound. In summary: Hell Yeah!