Are (High-end) Custom IEMs Overrated? - Page 24  

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Originally Posted by music_4321 

Quote:

Originally Posted by cybertec69 

I know my Jh16's are night and day better than my Klipsch C3 or ie8, and they fit like a glove, I know I can tell the difference, every instrument every note is perfectly separated, the air and dynamics ete breathtaking, for people who never heard a top of the line custom IEM, I understand trying to justify the high cost of quality customs, so by putting them down is much easier than actually spending money on a pair, I know I will never have to buy a universal IEM again, and if my hard earned dollars itch for another IEM, it will be a custom.

 

 

You still seem to have the need to come and post on this thread and convince the world you are right. I (and others) have replied to some of your posts. Seeing that you haven't read all posts in this thread (as I suggested), some of which were written by members who have actually heard "a top of the line custom IEM", you want to keep at it and keep conveniently ignoring such posts. I already suggested a couple of times that you start your own JH16 thread where you tell the world just how unique the JH16s are - I'm sure some JH16 owners will happily join you there. Yet you keep coming back to this thread for 'no apparent reason'. What's your latest contribution to this thread? What are you saying now that you haven't said (more vehemently) before?

 

BTW, today I received my Sony MDR-7550. Let me remind you that I decided to spend over $1,200 in 4 universal IEMs in the last 4 months instead of getting a so-called "top of the line custom IEM" because I think such customs are overrated. And let me remind you that some still consider the $850 custom Westone ES3X (which I own) to be "a top of the line custom IEM".  But others with the JH13, JH16, ES5, UE18 have posted here too.

 

For those members (and visitors alike) who are not aware of some of cybertec69's previous posts on this thread, here they are (see below). I strongly suggest you click on the green arrow (next to the member's screen name) which will to take you directly to each post; once there, you'll be able to see some of the replies cybertec69 received. cybertec69 seems to keep wanting to ignore what some other people had to say.

This could have been a good thread IMO but seems more about individuals agendas rather than opinions.  Unsubsribed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by music_4321 

 

^ I've always hoped for an open discussion on this thread. I was hoping that not too many customs fanboys would just pop in and declare: "My customs destroy all universal IEMs" Also, I didn't want the opposite: "Customs suck, they're a total rip-off, my iBuds sound as good as my JH13s" But, as I stated on my opening post, I do think for the most part, and for most people, customs are overrated, and I'm willing to discuss the issue (and try not to argue) and defend my views trying to avoid mere opinions as much as possible .

 

If there's a fairly real & honest discussion, not only will this thread prove more useful to other members (and visitors), but it will not get exceedingly long as so many threads do, specially by the contributions of those posters who just come here saying "Well, you haven't  heard the JH16/JH13/ES5/UE18 (or any other similarly priced custom). What do you know?". "My customs blow all universals out of the water". I've already given some of the reasons why I personally think (many) people will make such statements.

 

Seems some people are not willing to read beyond the last few posts (or beyond the first few posts on page one of this thread). I think there are some very interesting & valid posts to be found. I guess, perhaps, only people who are on the fence about purchasing a set of customs may actually spend a bit longer on this thread.

 

That said, feel free to unsubscribe.

For whatever I can contribute from my limited listening experience, top of the line universal IEMs such as the SE530s, Triple Fi 10s, ER4s, without equalization sound like CHEAP TOYS compared to customs like JH16 Pro. And it really all comes down to passive crossover tuning.

If you equalize you can still save the farm, but let me tell you that being pulling out this kind of clarity and dynamic range throughout the entire frequency spectrum without touching the equalizer, is a feature that no universal IEM I've heard until now has achieved.

I was extremely satisfied with my equalized SE530s, and once I put on the JH16s I almost had a weird feeling like "this sounds different, but I'm not sure it's better different", because I was so used the SE530s that my ears took that as the "reference". Then after a week of listening, I tried the SE530s again. I laughed, took them off, and unplugged them after 30 seconds.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JAG87 

 

 

If you equalize you can still save the farm, but let me tell you that being pulling out this kind of clarity and dynamic range throughout the entire frequency spectrum without touching the equalizer, is a feature that no universal IEM I've heard until now has achieved.

Huh?  Universal or custom this point just doesn't matter.  They all could use EQ to whatever the individual's preference is against the base (flat eq) of what the IEM sounds like.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JAG87 

 

For whatever I can contribute from my limited listening experience, top of the line universal IEMs such as the SE530s, Triple Fi 10s, ER4s, without equalization sound like CHEAP TOYS compared to customs like JH16 Pro. And it really all comes down to passive crossover tuning.

 

If you equalize you can still save the farm, but let me tell you that being pulling out this kind of clarity and dynamic range throughout the entire frequency spectrum without touching the equalizer, is a feature that no universal IEM I've heard until now has achieved.

 

I was extremely satisfied with my equalized SE530s, and once I put on the JH16s I almost had a weird feeling like "this sounds different, but I'm not sure it's better different", because I was so used the SE530s that my ears took that as the "reference". Then after a week of listening, I tried the SE530s again. I laughed, took them off, and unplugged them after 30 seconds.

      Disagree....  I found the JH16s to need EQ, I tried them with a Cowon J3 on "flat" and I did not get a "wow" effect...   turned on the EQ & then I got the "wow" effect.  But I EQ everything so my 2 cents may be worth less than 2 cents.

the j3 needs EQing, not the jh16 necessarily.

Quote:

Originally Posted by FullCircle 

      Disagree....  I found the JH16s to need EQ, I tried them with a Cowon J3 on "flat" and I did not get a "wow" effect...   turned on the EQ & then I got the "wow" effect.  But I EQ everything so my 2 cents may be worth less than 2 cents.

 

I don't use the EQ on my Cowon S9, and I found that the EQ makes things sound weird with my JH16. Initially it's a "wow" effect but it wears off quickly with all the sibilance and heavy bass that comes with the EQ. My PC -> RSA Hornet -> JH16 on the other hand sounds better than my Cowon S9 on BBE/EQ, without all the problems of EQ. I definitely do not prefer EQ'ing my JH16's, and EQ'ing in general is not something I do.

First, one would have to develop a deffinition or criteria as to what "over rated" is and I think the deffinition would be different for every individual. As for me, I think that a CIEM should look as good as it sounds and I do not think a non-custom IEM can match this criteria. For me, the CIEMs I build, offers a visual and acoustical "wow" effect.

       There is a very long thread about EQ or not to EQ, do as you please, and I will continue to do so too. For me the JH16, offered no WOW effect and in fact it offered a.... "What's the big deal" effect.  Kind of, the expectations due to the hype did not meet the performance type feeling. But I am around customs a lot, so maybe I have just become accustomed to them. 

Seriously the Monster Copper series gave me a "wow" effect, and I think mostly because I was amazed that a dynamic driver could do all that it was doing, and I had heard little hype about that particular product and I had low expectations for that particular product....   so when I listened to them, I was pleasanlty surprised.  Then again, I did EQ them....  (an act of blasphemy)
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by SolidVictory 

I don't use the EQ on my Cowon S9, and I found that the EQ makes things sound weird with my JH16. Initially it's a "wow" effect but it wears off quickly with all the sibilance and heavy bass that comes with the EQ. My PC -> RSA Hornet -> JH16 on the other hand sounds better than my Cowon S9 on BBE/EQ, without all the problems of EQ. I definitely do not prefer EQ'ing my JH16's, and EQ'ing in general is not something I do.

 

Wow.   There is no comparison to SE530.   

"Are (High-end) Custom IEMs Overrated?"  as it applies to the JH16,  No.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SolidVictory 

I want you to come back and quote me, because I guarantee you will go "Wow" when you listen to the JH16 and realize how much better they are than what you've heard so far.

 

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Originally Posted by FullCircle 

 

 

You sir, are the biggest tease on the forums.  Amazingly gorgeous!

pretty sure i'll need customs since my dog practically gnawed off the casing on my klipsch custom-3's

Ok, so everyone has specific tastes. There's no real correct or ideal sound signature so to speak, since we all have sonic preferences. When someone EQ's an IEM they are essentially tuning it to their ideal sound, or what they believe to be accurate. What would make a really interesting comparison is say, an EQ's Westone 4 vs an EQ'd ES5, JH16 etc. EQ'd to the same sort of ideal, you'd get a better understanding of how the merits of the technical differences themselves lay.

I will say that just from my SE535 vs W4 comparison experience, you simply cannot EQ them to sound the same. The IEM's have altogether different properties, strengths and weaknesses, and whilst EQ'ing can draw them closer to one's personal ideal, and make them sound slightly more similar, they still sound very different. Bass impact, high sparkle, soundstage etc, some things just cannot be replicated. IEM's have personal tonal and sonic qualities that are unique to them irrespective of EQ'ing, so I know in advance (using common sense) that the JH16 Pro for example, could never sound exactly like the W4 or vice versa through EQ'ing. The question is however, how different is the quality of sound post EQ'ing, and which does what better than the other.