shotgunshane’s IEM (custom and universal) recommendations, favorites and classics

Discussion in 'IEMs and Portable Gear' started by shotgunshane, Jun 7, 2016.

  1. rendyG

    rendyG Acquaintance

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    What are these green Evos please? I found the Octone on the German sites, but no Evos anywhere :eek:
    The FR looks great as I use iems usually in the bus, therefore touch more bass than Ety is good.
     
  2. james444

    james444 Mad IEM modding wizard level 99

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    Evos Palais with beryllium drivers. This is the FR of my modded Evos though, stock FR was much more v-shaped. They're pretty awesome for mobile use, as long as you don't need Ety-like isolation.

    Here's the German Amazon link. However I got them a lot cheaper than the current price during last year's X-mas sale.
    https://www.amazon.de/Abonnements-Ear-Kopfhörer-integriertem-Mikrofon-silberfarben-Sliver-Black/dp/B01N33QDC4/

    In case you're interested in trying a modded pair... just PM me :)
     
  3. Jerda

    Jerda New

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    Hi Shane and everyone else in the topic! I am searching something in the 200€ range ( even 300€ if the step up is reasonable ).
    I would have loved to buy the massdrop plus but as I am in eu I have +28% of the original price for the customs...
    I am very interested in b400 but was asking myself if there is some other pair to consider right now ( fiio, Weston, some hybrid or something else I really don't know... )
     
  4. shotgunshane

    shotgunshane Floridian Falcon

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    What kind of signature do you like or are looking for? Have any previous iems you’ve heard or owned that you liked? What were they and what would you change about them? Any preference to armature or dynamic driver configurations?
     
  5. Jokko

    Jokko Friend

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    Can sell you these to avoid VAT. PM me if interested : )
     
  6. Jerda

    Jerda New

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    Some months ago I ve bought a pair of sennheiser paid 60 bucks for sport andwalking the streets,that was not the sound that I am looking for right now as I will use them as main headphones.
    In the past I had headphones an he400i who I have enjoyed, today I sold them to buy an used 560 and pair them with an Italian DIY 5W class A amp, but in the last few days I had to change my plans as I've just broken my iPhone and I have to spend these money on a new phone right now.
    Got no preference about the driver as I've never tried any BA.
    The new ones should be good for every genre as I will use them as main Hp ,so: classical, rock, hiphop, jazz, electronic....
    As phone I will buy the lg v30 btw, so that's the dap
    Really thank you for the attentio and for the availability
     
    Last edited: Apr 23, 2018
  7. james444

    james444 Mad IEM modding wizard level 99

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    Finally got around to tinkering a bit with the Alpha & Delta D6. So, here's how to turn these into an overall enjoyable pair of IEMs: apply a strip of micropore tape that covers 95% of the nozzle. Leave just a very small part at the edge open.

    [​IMG]

    Super easy mod... and here's the difference it makes: red = stock, green = modded

    [​IMG]


    Edit: As easy as this mod seems, I discovered one potential pitfall: Make sure that those micropore strips stretch across the nozzle and don't stick to the stock meshes underneath. If mesh and strip stick together, acoustic impedance is changed and you might get channel imbalance. So, if you hear channel imbalance after the mod, make sure that your strips look like this:

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Apr 30, 2018
  8. shotgunshane

    shotgunshane Floridian Falcon

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    Ordering micropore tape right away. This looks great!
     
  9. huynhhungvnr

    huynhhungvnr New

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    I need some final advice before joining Nuforce EDC3 latest drop.

    So i'm looking for an IEM with solid, well-extended bass; forward midrange (i listened to male vocal more than female, according to Spotify?) and gentle treble (tried the M&D ME03 and Shozy Hibiki, both give me headache about an hour of listening - pretty sure it's not comfort issue). Open sounding is appreciated, though i'm not picky at EDC3 price range (probably just doing critical listening on my upcoming HD6XX anyway). Could also use a good isolation and resonably comfort pair (should add that my ear canal is kinda small, and i usually listen to music while side-lying).

    The EDC3 tick a lot of boxes, and come with pretty amazing amount of accessories; but since i can't personally test it in my country and haven't spent that much money in IEM i have to remain skeptical. Also in that price range there's the Shure SE215LTD, RHA MA750i, AKG N20, something in Sony XBA-A line,... which i could get a demo listen to.

    Any comparisons/presonal experience/helps?
     
  10. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Treble is gentle. I would not say that midrange is forward. Bass is solid, but not as articulate as the best IEMs. Same goes for clarity and layering. Good, but not the best. Tonally, it's somewhere between HD650 and LCD2C. Not as much mid-bass bump as HD650, and neutral in upper mids (HD650 just a tad too much and LCD2C too laid back). Midrange is sort of lush, not too much so.

    What I like best is that it has a lively and engaging character, and it's easy to drive. I find that I'm using more often than Andromeda because it pairs with my Pixel phone so well and it's fairly cheap so I don't worry about damaging it. I actually prefer the EDC3 to the $17,000 UE18Pro+++ or whatever (dead and boring) and pretty much anything from JH that costs around $28,000 (always some treble peakage). It's just a nice normal sounding IEM with good technicalities for those who prefer a less bright presentation. It's errors are those of omission rather than commission.

    If you haven't seen it, EDC3 thread here: http://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/massdrop-x-nuforce-edc3.5780/
     
    Last edited: Apr 25, 2018
  11. shotgunshane

    shotgunshane Floridian Falcon

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    Hmm, a little difficult for me to give advice on iems similar to those headphone since i haven’t heard them.

    Sennheiser Iems, budget and higher tier, are usually pretty bassy. Assuming you are looking for something more neutral I could recommend the Massdrop Plus or Massdrop/NuForce EDC3. Both are triple armatures, so you’ll want to make sure your source output impedance is 1 or less as a general rule. Particularly so with the Plus.

    Probably a good idea to limit how much you spend, until you get a better idea on the type of iem signature you’re looking for.

    Hopefully some iem users that also know these Hifiman headphones can chime In.
     
  12. Ash1412

    Ash1412 Friend

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    Just adding to Marv's recommendation. From trying 3 BA IEMs, the MD Plus and the EDC3 on loaner, and the Andros for around 5 minutes at a meet, I found all of them to have some level of murk regardless of FR, which I'm attributing to the distortion profile of BAs. What's amazing about all of them was the isolation, which was much higher than any dynamic IEMs I've ever tried. Also, the fit of the MD Plus, the EDC3 and the Andro were all great to good, in that order.

    What's different was that the MD Plus was rather fatiguing for me after a while, not did I particularly enjoy the bass presentation, which was boosted but felt loose somehow. The EDC3, on the other hand, at a third the price, had a much more enjoyable, almost fatigue-free sound and bass that seemed less loose. Another cool thing was that the impedance curve is pretty linear, so I could change the sound signature from warm to bright depending on what I plugged it into without introducing any weird peaks or dips. The Andro was the best of them all when it came to resolve and lack of murk, the MD Plus was good when it came to resolve and lack of murk but was also really fatiguing, to the point where sometimes the combination of the upper mid boost and the murk would make it sound a bit radio like, the EDC3 was behind the MD Plus a bit in resolve and a bit murkier but much less fatiguing and more neutral when I found the matching device. Just my two cents. Already signed up for this drop, though I still have doubts about quality assurance when it comes to 100$ triple BA IEMs.
     
  13. james444

    james444 Mad IEM modding wizard level 99

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  14. shotgunshane

    shotgunshane Floridian Falcon

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    Micropore tape is in. Just need some free time to experiment!
     
  15. Taverius

    Taverius Smells like sausages

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  16. james444

    james444 Mad IEM modding wizard level 99

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  17. Jerda

    Jerda New

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    Bought a pair of b400 for 100€
     
  18. RanocchiO

    RanocchiO Acquaintance

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    Hi all,
    I’m searching a pair of iem for everyday use, but have no experience so far except for Sony MH1.
    I were using them at the office until someone stoled them :(.
    My main headphones are SRH940, I like their tight bass and linear midrange, I also use HD650 because I really like their natural timbre, especially with vocals.
    I mainly listen music in the night at low volume, I often fall asleep so I prefer shallow insertion and small housing. A detachable cable would be nice.

    To summarise: comfortable and sturdy, with natural timbre, available in Europe.
    Please give 2 options at 100 & 250 €.

    Many thanks
    Lorenzo
     
  19. Druid

    Druid Hyperactive Tree

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    Does anyone have recommended tips for a pair of Noble Xs that are good for small ear canals? Preferably silicone as I use these at the office and I need to be able to insert them quickly. The large nozzle has already torn the spinfits that I was using.
     
  20. CEE TEE

    CEE TEE MOT: NITSCH

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    ^Try small JVC Spiral Dots from Amazon?
     

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