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

I was in Tokyo recently and picked up two pairs of low and low-mid IEMs. Both are made by Intime and I think they are very good. The low end model, Sora is incredible value for the money. The Go is very good too and has a detachable mmcx cable.

I'm on my phone and trying to add a picture but I don't know how. I tried a bunch of buttons but none of them work.

 

Upload the pictures to imgur. Then use

Code:

[img]https://i.imgur.com/NL1zxz3.jpg[/img]

..to embed them in a post.

 

No more AK Jr?

 

Hey guys, I made a pretty big compare and contrast post between all the Chinese iems I own, I think it's also pretty relevant here as there is not much about super Budget iems.

https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?posts/215402/

 

Hello, umm this is probably a dumb question but, I'm in a dilemma so here it is. Can I drive the Empire Ears ESR with a schiit magni 2 (paired with modi multibit)? Will it pair well?

I was planning on getting a focal elex but I'm pretty sure I prefer iems to full size headphones in general. Thanks in advance.

 

While the Schiit amps are quite powerful, they do have a low noise floor on Low Gain (with some exceptions). I have only tried the Magni 3, but did not have a chance to try a sensitive IEM on it. But I have run my Phantom on the Lyr 3 and I got just a feeble hiss. But the pairing was quite good. Just like most headphones, even IEMs do seem to benefit a little bit from a good amp.

The EP series IEMs from EE are a bit sensitive and can pick up hiss with noisy sources. If my guess is right, Magni should have a lower noise floor than the Lyr 3, due to the absence of any tube in the circuit. So you could expect anywhere between no hiss to a very feeble hiss.

As for the synergy between Magni 2 and ESP in terms of tone, it will be upto the individual’s own preference.

 

Maybe a UE Buffer Jack would help a bit with the hiss, and give more play on the volume knob? Worth a punt, for all of $15.

 

I currently own the ESR and it is very sensitive. However, after having also owned the Spartan, it is less sensitive than the Spartan.

The ESR is much more flexible with the things I have plugged it into. The Spartan would hiss on almost everything.

 

Yes, the volume headroom is a greater problem regarding, driving EE's sensitive IEMs using powerful sources, than the hiss itself. I typically reduce a few dBs using the music application's EQ to allow some headroom for volume adjustment.

 

I've been crazy enough to use my Vega with my Mjolnir 2 and I find it to be quite hissy cold, because it uses LEDs to set the bias rather than some temperature invariant current source IC; but as it warms up to operational temperature, the hiss disappears.

 

I'm no shotgunshane but I've now spent too much money on IEMs so I have a little experience. Here's some highlights.

Best treble: Andros - great extension and no sibilance
Best mids: FIBASS - unique clarity with body too
Best bass: AAW W900 - texture, weight and pretty controlled
Best timbre: JVC FW01 - nails both wood and brass instruments
Best soundstage: AAW W900 - I think it's a little more accurate than the Andros, from memory.
Best fit/comfort: MD Plus - I've slept in them without issue

Best overall (including cost): MD Plus - They don't do anything elite except fit & comfort, but they're extremely balanced and don't do anything wrong except having a pretty modest, diffuse soundstage and being BA. At 300 bucks you don't have to baby them or agonize over whether you're getting that last bit of TOTL B4YB SQ. Now for a DD version...

 

Just a heads up that the Brainwavz B400 from Shane’s recommended list is still on sale through Amazon (and their own site) for a few more hours at $159.

 

They felt clunky to me, compared to the the Shure SE series (for example) which are less obtrusive than most customs. Caveat emptor and all that.

 

Thinking of getting a pair of MD X Noble K10u. What do folk think of these? It's been a while since I had a good pair of IEMs - last pair were AK/JH Angie V1 which I liked a lot though they tended to hurt my ears after an hour due to shape, size, bore length.

I sold them about a year ago to briefly dabble in over ears LCD2 and Ether C Flow. Never got on with the fit of either and sold them. Shockingly I've lived with Sony 1000x NC over ears since and nearly ordered a pair of Bose Soundsport Wireless for MTB and work. However, I fancy a pair of nice IEMs again and the K10s were a day dream purchase a year ago, but at $900 they seem interesting now.

 

Noble universals all use the same shell, so they'll feel the same as the Noble-X. If you've not tried a Noble IEM, they have relatively short but very thick nozzles. A lot of people have issues getting them to stay in/get a good seal. If that's you, then try memory foam tips.

I tried three different types of foam tips on my Noble Djangos - Dekoni Bullets, Comply and InAirs. The Bullets were comfy, but somehow totally wrecked the staging, collapsing it to almost mono, crazily. The Comply were OK, but somewhat dulled the transients. The much cheaper InAir (InAir 2 fit those big nozzles, from memory) actually gave a fantastic sound when seated- maybe a tiny bit bass-light, but enjoyable.

That said, everyone's different, and you might be OK with Spiral Dots or the stock tips, However, it does seem like Noble universals are particularly annoying fitwise for quite a lot of people- so be prepared to experiment a lot.

 

Thanks guys. Decided to take a chance on the Kaiser drop since it's cheaper than the Angie (which I've already owned) and the Andromeda (which I worry might be too bright), even with UK taxes. Fingers crossed it fits.

One issue with the Angie 1 aside from discomfort, that bass dial was a constant temptation to tweak instead of sitting back to listen.

 

@shotgunshane or anyone else, has anyone heard the Fiio FH5 yet? Seems reasonably priced, and seems like something I might enjoy.