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Are (High-end) Custom IEMs Overrated? - Page 11  

post #151 of 467
6/8/11 at 12:46am

But can you insert the foam tip as fast as the custom? I don't think so biggrin.gif. I take mine in and out all the time when I need to communicate and actually listen to the ambiance. I won't have time to compress the foamy tip, put it back to my ear and wait for it to get a correct seal. By then half of the song are already played..

And the Ety.. it hurts, I hate triple flange, but maybe its only me wink.gif.

Quote:
Originally Posted by music_4321 View Post

Westone's UM Series IEMs (UM1, UM2 & UM3X), unlike the W Series, (W1, W2, W3 & W4) are musicians' monitors - now both UM2 & UM3X also come with detachable cables - and they've been used on stage, too, for quite a while, and though isolation isn't as good as my custom ES3X, it's actually not that far from it. BUT, some people have reported similar levels of isolation using Comply/Foam tips (which I personally don't like). It's also been reported several times that Etymotic IEMs provide even more isolation that customs.

 



 

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post #152 of 467
6/8/11 at 2:22am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jazzyfi View Post

And the Ety.. it hurts, I hate triple flange, but maybe its only me wink.gif.


No it's not only you.  Reminds me of the new Sennheiser Multi-flange IEMs.

 

 

post #153 of 467
6/8/11 at 2:37am


ROFL I kinda agree though even the comply tips for me are annoying to fit my left ear is a strange shape inside and i can hardly get them to fit with any tip.

I guess customs would suit me being quite petite and even smaller ears, Problem is living in the UK it's impossible to get some at a good price ACS are £650, Or i could import Ears 1964's but that would still cost around £500 inc duty.. Ho Hum, Maybe i can go on holiday to the US and get them made while over there then sneak them back in, Any offers lol?

 

Nattie.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Anaxilus View Post




No it's not only you.  Reminds me of the new Sennheiser Multi-flange IEMs.

 

 



 

post #154 of 467
6/8/11 at 3:29am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jazzyfi View Post

But can you insert the foam tip as fast as the custom? I don't think so biggrin.gif. I take mine in and out all the time when I need to communicate and actually listen to the ambiance. I won't have time to compress the foamy tip, put it back to my ear and wait for it to get a correct seal. By then half of the song are already played..

And the Ety.. it hurts, I hate triple flange, but maybe its only me wink.gif.

 


I was only pointing out that you can get either very decent isolation or equal, if not more, isolation from some universals. Also, that there are some universals specifically intended/designed for musicians and live performance.

 

Of course, for live performance a custom set is generally better. Perhaps more important than the isolation aspect - like I said, the UM3X with soft silicone tips get quite close to my ES3X - is the durability aspect. My ES3X is more solidly built than any other Westone universal, so I mostly agree with you that for live performance, and specially for musicians that tend to move a lot on stage, a custom IEM is the way to go.

 

But going back to the question I posed on this thread, I do think - even more now than I did two years ago - that for most people a good universal IEM is a better option than a set of customs.

 


Edited by music_4321 - 6/8/11 at 3:36am
post #155 of 467
6/8/11 at 4:48am

Agree. I just got the FX700 and it surprises me. From my LG optimus 2X, without amp for sure I prefer this than my ES5. More forgiving and enjoyable than the ES5 out of the headphone out.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by music_4321 View Post

 

But going back to the question I posed on this thread, I do think - even more now than I did two years ago - that for most people a good universal IEM is a better option than a set of customs.

 


 

 

post #156 of 467
6/8/11 at 5:33am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jazzyfi View Post

Agree. I just got the FX700 and it surprises me. From my LG optimus 2X, without amp for sure I prefer this than my ES5. More forgiving and enjoyable than the ES5 out of the headphone out.
 


 

 


To me, the JVC fx700's give me a full size headphone experience. I keep saying it but I believe it: Those JVC's are really special.
post #157 of 467
6/8/11 at 5:45am
Thread Starter 


 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jazzyfi View Post

Agree. I just got the FX700 and it surprises me. From my LG optimus 2X, without amp for sure I prefer this than my ES5. More forgiving and enjoyable than the ES5 out of the headphone out.

 



 

That's interesting.
 
Actually, I was recently considering trying the FX700, but a couple of things (bass, isolation, sound leaking & cable type) worried me a little and kept preventing me from finally pulling the trigger. Around the same time I got a loaner pair of EX1000s and I just had to place my order the very next day after some pretty serious A/B'ing against my (now sold) W4s, which were the best universals I'd heard up until that moment.
 
Anyway, the EX1000 is the only universal that's achieved the unthinkable (in my case) - to listen to a universal exclusively for 4 weeks in a row (and counting) and literally not touching my great ES3Xs during that time. Only two days ago I put my ES3Xs back in my ears as I wanted/needed the added isolation they provide, and once again enjoyed my customs immensely and remembered just how bloody good they are - Ah, those mids on the ES3X!! Anyway, a little later I put my EX1000s back on and was once again blown away. No, I wouldn't take my EX1000s over my ES3Xs, but neither would I take my customs over my Sonys. Just very glad I can actually use both phones (not just one), both having different sound sigs - I really enjoy both a hell of a lot.

Edited by music_4321 - 6/8/11 at 5:48am
post #158 of 467
6/8/11 at 5:58am

I understand 100% on what you mean! I feel the same way. The FX700 is really great but completely different than the ES5. I love my ES5 and I'm really impressed with the FX700.

post #159 of 467
6/8/11 at 6:07am

Great review shotgunshane! Surprisingly accurate. I like how you describe the smaller tips. I got the green sony tips when I bought the FX700 and it fits just great. 


Edited by Jazzyfi - 6/8/11 at 7:58am
post #160 of 467
6/8/11 at 7:52am

Great, hopefully we'd be able to get some sensible comments from now on. wink.gif
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Anaxilus View Post

A sound signature is a signature, like a models or manufacturers house sound.  You don't need perfect fit to figure it out.  I'm sorry you can't see how my statements are coherent w/ each other.  Nothing I can do about that.  Completely disagree w/ your bolded comment btw.  

 

Nothing more to be said that hasn't been already IMO.  Unsubscribing.

 



 

post #161 of 467
6/8/11 at 11:24am

My own personal trip into custom land with the JH5's after owning and trying many universal IEM's has led me to findings somewhat similar to those in this thread. When I first got my JH5's I wrote a large review comparing them to each of the different universals I had heard up to that point. In it I picked out what about the JH5's was better than each universal. The truth was and still is, that the JH5's are better in some way than every universal I have heard however, that difference is not monumental in any way. To be honest, I would have a hard time telling you that the JH5's are better than my beloved CK10's in anything other than really heavy critical listening. In my every day to day listening when I'm just enjoying my music I don't feel that either is strongly better than the other.

 

They are both within the top level of sound that is without question. The biggest difference lies not in their technical strength's or weakness's but in how they present that sound. 

 

I guess if you were to ask me if I would buy the JH5's all over again knowing what I know now I don't know if I could say yes. I enjoy them plenty, and they were a very enjoyable purchase. I also liked the experience I gained regarding customs and impressions and all that through the purchase. However, if I could have gained that level of knowledge and personal insight without spending the money would I? I don't really know....I was and still would be completely happy with just my CK10's....

post #162 of 467
6/8/11 at 12:40pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jude View Post

The Westone 4 is my favorite Universal Fit in-ear monitor--the best I've personally tried (for my tastes and preferences).

 

Not surprisingly, my custom Westone ES5 is, by a wide margin, the better headphone (to my ears).  However, even moving much lower down the custom IEM price continuum, I still prefer even my entry-level Ultimate Ears UE4 Pro to the Westone 4.  A custom in-ear monitor done right is a tough thing to top, in my experience, in terms of both sound and comfort.  (I currently only own customs by Ultimate Ears, JH Audio and Westone.  I have not tried the other custom IEM brands mentioned in this thread.)

 

In terms of comfort, customs have the advantage of not requiring much (if any) outward pressure on the ear canal walls to get the required seal and isolation, whereas universal-fits do.  (When done right, customs achieve seal and isolation by perfectly filling the ears.)  So I do personally find customs far easier to wear long-term than any of my universal-fit in-ear monitors (save for the Klipsch Image X10, which, for whatever reason, I find almost as comfortable as my customs).

 

Obviously, music_4321 and I have very different experiences and opinions on this topic, and I'm not trying to invalidate them, as I'm sure he's shared his opinions and experiences no less accurately than I have in sharing mine.

 


 
Maybe I'm one of those whose ears & ear-canals are just ideal for quite a few universal IEMs out there and perhaps you're one of those who ultimately doesn't get such great fit, seal & isolation (and SQ) from them. And, I do know that my fourth ES3X set was "done right". BTW, I think the new SE215 & SE535, and to a lesser extent the SM3, have some design flaws and ultimately proved not all that comfortable.
 
It's interesting you note you prefer the entry level UE4 Pro over the W4s. I know someone - whose ears I trust - who got the UE4 Pro and was quite disappointed, more so than I thought. He felt his $150 - $200 universals were better, both SQ & comfort-wise. Perhaps he needed a refit. Or perhaps he would even prefer his mid-priced universal over the W4, which, as far as I know, he hasn't tried. What he did say is that he regretted the UE4 Pro purchase. Again, I'm not suggesting that is or would be the case with every single customs owner. 
 
As for comfort, like I said in my opening post, my ES3Xs are incredibly comfortable, BUT of all universals I've owned, in my particular case, the EX1000, W4, UM3X & UM2 are/were equally comfortable - I can/could wear all these IEMs for hours on end (6+ hrs) and literally forget they are/were in my ears. The CK100 & CKM99 came/come close, too.
 
BTW, as much as I find the EX1000 to the best sounding universal I've ever tried and one of the most comfortable, too, it's got to be said that some people have reported having fit issues with them. Interestingly enough, hardly anybody has reported comfort and/or fit issues with both the UM3X & UM2. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of customs, where some people, even after a refit or two (or more) still prefer the comfort of one or several of their universals. Needing at least one refit seems almost the norm, and the process usually adds up to the total cost (more so if you live outside the US), and in some cases this causes delays (long shipping times) & plenty of frustration.
 
Having said all that, I feel customs do have their place and are suitable for some people - the best option even -, but they're not for the masses as seems to be trend more and more from the impressions I keep getting on HF.

 


Edited by music_4321 - 6/8/11 at 12:42pm
post #163 of 467
6/8/11 at 3:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jazzyfi View Post

Agree. I just got the FX700 and it surprises me. From my LG optimus 2X, without amp for sure I prefer this than my ES5. More forgiving and enjoyable than the ES5 out of the headphone out.


Interesting, is the LG messing w/ the impedance curve at all?  I liked the FX700 but never preferred it in any way of the 5.  The FX700 certainly is less fickle of sources and files.

post #164 of 467
6/8/11 at 3:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Danz03 View Post

Great, hopefully we'd be able to get some sensible comments from now on. wink.gif

 

Ignored.  wink.gif

 

post #165 of 467
6/8/11 at 3:57pm

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Danz03 View Post

Great, hopefully we'd be able to get some sensible comments from now on. wink.gif


 

Clearly you have never been to the Internet before. ;)

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