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Member Reviews: EarSonics SM3 Universal Fit IEM

james444

One of the best universals, but not without flaws

Posted
By james444

Pros: Among the most refined and detailed universal IEMs

Cons: Subpar clarity, obtrusive mids, missing forward projection

I've had the SM3 as a loner pair for several weeks, here's the summary of my impressions:   Pros: - Very refined sound reproduction - Bass has top quality and just the right quantity for me - Extremely detailed and attractive mids - Almost equally good highs that never get too sharp - Very realistic timbre for a balanced armature based phone - Large Soundstage - Excellent separation - Decent isolation - Very good cable   Cons: - Forward / in-your-face mids can be fatiguing with some music and/or prolonged listening - Not among the best in clarity, highs are slightly recessed - Only minimal forward projection of soundstage ("surround effect") -...
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pinoyman

The DARKLORD of UNIVERSAL IEMS

Posted
By pinoyman

Pros: everything

Cons: the build and the highs

  this is a review of the famous sm3 and a comparison to the eq7.       PICS first:         INTRODUCTION: the ortofon is one of the best among all top tier iems. to me it is one of the hardest iem to explain. hardest to describe. the sound is just very hard to capture. and turn it in words. its warm. its cold. its bright. its everything.  and that everything is the ortofon eq7 and your music. what makes the ortofon eq7 stand out among the rest is its tube like sound and very sweet voice presentation. now, the sm3, is considered and highly regarded as the best iem in all...
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sdhobbs

SM3 Review

Posted
By sdhobbs

Pros: Forward Mids,accurate bass, smooth treble with no sibilance, great soundstage, detailed.

Cons: Big for small ears, Y split too short,

    After countless hrs of research (mainly on this forum) I took the plunge and bought myself Earsonic SM3’s!  Here is my review.   Finish: The SM3’s body is made of plastic which makes it very light but also seems fragile.  The cable is nice and strong, doesn’t tangle and is also very light.  The Y split on the cable is too short, makes it a little tight if you wear down the front. They come with a cool case, a couple of medium size silicone bi-flange tips, and two Comply tips (medium & large). I must mention that I had to send my first pair back for exchange.  The right earphone wasn’t as well constructed as the left one....
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svyr

Great IEM, especially if buying used/like warm-ish mids

Posted
By svyr

Pros: forward mids, non-sibilant but present highs, outstanding detail, easy to drive, more than adequate bass.non mic cable.

Cons: Expensive new, y-split is too tight.Somewhat square edges on the body may not be comfortable for some people. Feel a bit flimsy.Cable not replaceable

If you can get them for around $300 - then go for it. If you can live with the pros and cons above.Outstanding detail, somewhat warm sound mids-wise with extended highs (not sibilant, I guess some might find them slightly recessed compared to top end sony ex700 or stax, but I can live with it. Or you can take the filters out and see whether you like them that way - the highs should become more prominent then). Good soundstage that does not sound artificial. (some people still find it weird, re: forward projection - see the other reviews)These seemed to go well with any music I had - folk, classical - solo, voice, soloist+orchestra, many types of metal, hip-hop.I had a chance to compare...
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Marcus_C

My thoughts on the sm3 after not long.

Posted
By Marcus_C
  Well, what was I expecting on hearing these at first? Very hard question to answer really, probably a darker sound than the w2’s, an altogether more complete sound than the dtx100, less detail than the hf5 (courtesy of Benny) and a rather dodgily put together earphone which will apparently wow me like no other earphone. Was this what I got? In short, pretty much, no, if you’re not bored yet then read on. If you are then I doubt it’ll get better.   My first thoughts on opening the parcel from Benny was along the lines of: “Ooh, Radius do nice cases for their earphones don’t they?” Westone should take note even though as far as cases go theirs are far from the worst. Anyway with...
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JustinBieber

Excellent IEMS,

Posted
By JustinBieber

Pros: fast and extended bass, mid-range, large sound-stage, not fatiguing

Cons: Short Y split on cable, big size, french manuals, recessed treble

  I'm a bit late to the party, the last review on here was posted a year ago, but here we go.   Comfort/Design: I could never get the Foam tips to form a good seal with my ear canals. I ended up using Shure olives. The IEMS are a bit big and I am not liking the straight uncurved edges rubbing against my ear. They are a bit uncomfortable but nothing too bad. The biggest problem is the cable is very short after the Y split. The plastic does feel a bit fragile and slightly cheap. The braided cable on the other hand is very high quality. It is very similar to cables used on other high end Westone IEMS.  Little or no microphonics can be heard while walking & the...
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Golden Monkey

Love them!

Posted
By Golden Monkey

Pros: Soundstage, deep bass, lush mids, smooth highs, comfort

Cons: hmmm...they are IEMs and not HD650's? Stock tips are just WRONG.

What's not to love about these?  Ok ok...they're French.  Fine.    There's not a whole lot I can add to what has come before, but... These very much remind me of my HD650's, minus the openness of presentation.  I don't find them muddy or congested, just a tad on the warmer/darker side of things, which I love.  Ample and suprisingly visceral bass isn't something I was expecting from a 3xBA, but it's there in spades.  Midrange to my ears is slightly accentuated but in a pleasing way.  Highs are clean and slightly rolled off.  Lovers of Sennheiser's house sound should love these.  AKG fans, not so much. These are the polar...
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Old_Snake

My review of SM3

Posted
By Old_Snake

Pros: Sound is detailed and smooth. It has perfect amount of bass. It's comfortable to wear on the ears.

Cons: The part of the cable where it splits into Y is short and gives you the feeling of getting choked. Cables aren't replaceable.

Sound is detailed and smooth. It has perfect amount of bass. It's comfortable to wear on the ears.   The part of the cable where it splits into Y is short and gives you the feeling of getting choked. Cables aren't replaceable.
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Where to Buy It

Amazon.comEarSonics - SM3 - In-Ear Headphones - Black at Amazon.com$299.00See It »
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