Is there an iem on the market for a picky basterd like me?

Discussion in 'IEMs and Portable Gear' started by rhythmdevils, May 3, 2020.

  1. assassin10000

    assassin10000 New

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    I wonder if something like the Westone UM Pro 10 would be to your taste. Having taken a quick look at the edc3 and orion FR. The um pro 10, drops 1-2db in the upper mids/lower treble compared to the edc3.

    I sold my um pro 10 a few weeks ago or I'd offer it up for you to try.
     
  2. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    Hmm thanks I’ll look into it. I’m pretty damn happy with my B400 with Sony or Azla tips right now so a little weary of buying more iem’s unless they’re going to be better than the B400.

    But I currently have 3 iem’s I’d like to hear. If anyone owns one and wants to loan it to me I would be grateful!

    UM Pro 10
    Sony M7
    CA Ara (I’m on the loaner tour and should get it in a couple weeks). :)
     
  3. Nash

    Nash Acquaintance

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    Knowing your love for Orthos suggest you to try TinHifi P1. Its upper treble is an issue though and needs a powerful source.
     
  4. Riotvan

    Riotvan Snoofer in the Woofer

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    Something i forgot to mention about the M7. Be careful with silicon tips. They can create a suction effect that kills the sound and makes foodsteps painful. The M7 has no tiny hole to the outside to equalize pressure. I use comply isolate tips and they work great, plug and play.
     
  5. nishan99

    nishan99 Friend

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    If you're sensitive to decay and timbre you may want to skip all BA IEMs.

    I have the Fearless S8 pro and they're amazing overall. They're neutral except for a 2-3dB hump in the 4k region and 3-4dB reserved in the air region. Bass has great dynamics and extension but they can't rumble adequately. Bass decay is typical BA decay, too fast. Stage depth is fascinating!.
     
  6. daytripper

    daytripper Friend

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    Watching this thread curiously to see if you find anything else I might also try.

    I've been searching for something similar, but nothing over $200. I'm done spending loads of money on HP or IEM.

    I go back and forth b/t EDC3, B400 and Fiio FA1. B400 upper mids and high end sounds more refined or smooth to me, but I miss the 1-3 bump (vocals pop out better to me) the EDC3 has over it. FA-1 holds it own for just being a single BA IEM. It has a little more sparkle up top, so gives the since of more clarity, but nothing harsh in my experience. I've owned Yamaha Orthos (HP-1, YH-1, YH-100, and HP-3) and to me the EDC3 comes closest to that sound signature (of the IEMs I mentioned). Nowhere near as refined of course. Using comply foams on all IEMs. Credits to Crinacale for graphs. Good Luck!

    B400vsEDC3graph.png B400vsFA1graph.png
     
    Last edited: Jul 10, 2020
  7. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    I did some reading and the reviews on this iem are pretty conflicting. One review said the upper midrange to treble was a bit shelved but even.

    Then there’s this from a headphones review which makes me loose interest. Sadly.

    “Highs : clean and shiny. The upper mids can get a little too intrusive on heavy compressed tracks. If you like Skrillex, you better have a little EQ and lower the 8kHz by 2-3dB. On a good player, the experience is rewarding, you enjoy every nooks and cracks of your music, as if someone put a magnifier on your ear. A shiny magnifier”

    https://www.headfonia.com/tinhifi-p1-review/3/
    It would be nice to read a review by someone whose preferences I know and trust.
     
  8. Nash

    Nash Acquaintance

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  9. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    Due to my leave of absence for 7 years from this community I don’t know most of the people here the way I did on changstar/effin ringin. No offense to the reviewers if just helps when you’re around more and read reviews by people of headphones and iem’s you know.

    that was the best review I read so far though I like that it didn’t take 4 pages of info about packaging and accessories and build and comfort to get to the sound part. :)
     
  10. Nash

    Nash Acquaintance

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    @La Cenric has an enormous database of iem measurements and his reviews are to the point as you mentioned
     
  11. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    Bought the um 10 pro cause I juss can help maself.
    Also Ara is incoming. :cool:

    the B400 with Symbios plain silicone tips are quite neutral and I’m really enjoying them.
     
  12. CEE TEE

    CEE TEE MOT: NITSCH

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    ^Holy carp! All-in! |\/|
     
  13. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    The Ara is just the loaner but I’ve still got a lot of iem’s sitting here all of a sudden. But I guess a lot of you guys do too
     
  14. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    Presents!!

    [​IMG]

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    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    This funky waterproof case comes with them. It has a mysterious vent you can unscrew to let more/less air in. Not sure why. Maybe when you don’t need waterproofing it’s best to have some airflow?

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jul 19, 2020
  15. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    And tons of tips from an eartip company not mentioned here yet but seems to make great tips. Buy them from their website, not AliExpress. Shipping was fast.

    They make full size headphone ear pads too. I’m curious how their HD800 ear pads sound. Would be an easy way to tune them for more bass.

    https://misodiko.com/

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  16. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    The UM Pro 10 has basically perfect frequency response and tonality but showed me me what “BA timbre” is. Absolutely awful. Hard to describe. It’s like it’s happening in the background. Like the sound is being faked by this projector that if you listen you can hear running. Just sounds really wrong. Sad because they do a lot right.

    the fit is crazy though. Somehow they sit in your ears so that the nozzle is pulled way out of your ear canal and so they had to make these super long tips to make up the difference. So you can’t tip roll. These tips are twice as song as any other tip. The um pro 10 requires The included foam tips for proper sound and I find them hard and uncomfortable. Like wearing earplugs.
     
  17. daytripper

    daytripper Friend

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    Thanks for posting UM Pro 10 impressions. How do they compare to your B400 and EDC3? Sounds like you may be returning the UMP10?
     
  18. assassin10000

    assassin10000 New

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    Well damn, I was hoping they'd be ok. They are stage monitors so they didn't tune for normal listening so that could be why timbre is terrible for you.

    I always used Shure foam tips on my Westone's. Due to the short and small nozzles.
     
  19. farbinator

    farbinator Facebook Friend

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    Pretty sure it's a manual air pressure relief/equalization valve. Most sealed cases have something like that, often they're "automatic". Lets air flow freely in/out of the case without letting water and dust enter (atleast on the pelican case style ones).
     
  20. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    I didn’t listen to the UMPro10 for a long time because I don’t want to become sensitized to BA timbre BA iem’s are all I got!

    It’s so hard to describe. It’s really like the sound is being projected at you and you are able to get a peak at the projector. Best analogy I can come up with. Whereas dynamic and orthos you get immersed in the projection and never see the projector.

    but I would say the UMPro10 had better FR and tonality with similar resolution to both the B400 and EDC3. But the latter 2 don’t have that timbre problem with the right tips. The EDC3 cab with the wrong tips. The B400 is the most dynamic sounding BA I’ve heard.

    the EDC3 has more upper midrange and treble and the B400 has less. B400 has way better soundstage and imaging, EDC3 might be similar or a bit better.

    I would try them a lot of people aren’t sensitive to this BA timbre thing. Or just wait till I send these all out on a loaner tour and listen yourself ;)
     

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