Hey everyone,
Been reading on here for awhile but this is my first post. I have searched through numerous threads and comparisons to get to the list below but I am hoping given my personal preferences you will be able to help me narrow my search or perhaps choose one (though given the varied opinions on this site I would be happy to have a list of 2 or 3). I hope I have not provided “too” many choices but that my preferences will quickly eliminate some. I have included a mixture of universals and Alien Ears/Livewires customs. Sound quality to me comes first but if one of these customs comes close to one of the universals in terms of sound quality then I might opt to for the custom due to fit and comfort benefits and say we should eliminate the universal.
Budget: approximately $300 (will go up if something super compelling exists but prefer to go down closer to $200)
Music: 80% trance and house (Tiesto, Above and Beyond, Danny Tenaglia, John Digweed)/10% rock (Metallica, Live), 10% 70s and 80s rock and soft hits playing off of vinyl, cd, 192 or higher bitrate mp3s, Apple Lossless, or wavs
Environment: 30% NYC subway, 30% NYC streets, 30% office, 10% airplanes
Sources: iPhone 3G, iPod Nano, MacBook Pro, Digidesign M-Box
Prior IEM: Ultimate Ears 5EB (they were ok but I was never blown away by the sound quality and I had difficulty maintaining a good fit)
Sound signature:
Kick drums: strong/tighty/punchy that slams but is very controlled
Bass: Distinuguisable from the kicks (if producer intended)
Mids: smooth midrange where vocals and atmospheric pads sound excellent (I guess the word might be good sound stage?)
His: Clear detailed highs especially on hi-hats and cymbals that are not fatiguing
My list that I have come up with so far with prices (including taxes, shipping, and ear molds where applicable) found on Google shopping:
Dynamic or Single Driver:
Sennheiser IE8 $300
Comment: I understand the bass is fantastic and the sound staging cant be beat but I am very concerned about the isolation especially considering my listening environments.
Klipsch Image X10 $200
Comment: My understanding is these provide the best isolation and comfort of a universal but might suffer in terms of mids and his.
Dual Driver:
Westone UM2 $275
Alien Ears AE2 $280
Comment: I have not seen any real solid reviews on the actual sound. The Hearyourself thread is almost all cosmetic issues which I believe are secondary to sound quality, comfort, and isolation. More specifically, how would these compare to the Livewires. If they are pretty close than I would probably opt for these due to price and be able to elimnate the Livewires.
Fidelity/Livewires $310
Comment: I have heard fantastic things about these though I am not sure where these would fit in with my other choices. Some people say the bass is great and others say its lacking. Also they seem to fall between the AE2 on the lower end and AE3 and Westone 3 on the higher end in terms of price but I havent figured out whether these are better than the AE2 or if its worth the extra money for the other two.
Triple Driver:
Shure SE530 $265
Comment: Have not heard too many bad things about these and they really shine in terms of mid range reproduction.
Above budget outliers:
Westone 3 $325
Alien Ears AE3 $330
I have read the comments on the Westone 3 vs C3 and they seem to both be very good. I would be inclined to go for the AE3/C3 due to the fact that I can pretty much be guaranteed a good fit (maybe after a few returns to Alien Ears). Would either of these be worth the extra $30 beyond those that I have mentioned. I want something that I will enjoy, find comfortable, and will isolate reasonably well and don’t necessarily need the best of the best.
Some of the names I have eliminated:
Phonak PFE/Sleek Audio CT6/Triple.Fi 10 Pro: My understanding is they focus more on treble at the expense of bass. I am not a basshead but definitely want to get hit by some strong bass.
Atrio M5/M8: Bloated bass at the expense of mids and his. I would prefer a little bass emphasis but still an overall balanced sound.
I really appreciate your help. Hopefully I can pull the trigger by the end of the week at which time I am leaving the country for 10 days.
Been reading on here for awhile but this is my first post. I have searched through numerous threads and comparisons to get to the list below but I am hoping given my personal preferences you will be able to help me narrow my search or perhaps choose one (though given the varied opinions on this site I would be happy to have a list of 2 or 3). I hope I have not provided “too” many choices but that my preferences will quickly eliminate some. I have included a mixture of universals and Alien Ears/Livewires customs. Sound quality to me comes first but if one of these customs comes close to one of the universals in terms of sound quality then I might opt to for the custom due to fit and comfort benefits and say we should eliminate the universal.
Budget: approximately $300 (will go up if something super compelling exists but prefer to go down closer to $200)
Music: 80% trance and house (Tiesto, Above and Beyond, Danny Tenaglia, John Digweed)/10% rock (Metallica, Live), 10% 70s and 80s rock and soft hits playing off of vinyl, cd, 192 or higher bitrate mp3s, Apple Lossless, or wavs
Environment: 30% NYC subway, 30% NYC streets, 30% office, 10% airplanes
Sources: iPhone 3G, iPod Nano, MacBook Pro, Digidesign M-Box
Prior IEM: Ultimate Ears 5EB (they were ok but I was never blown away by the sound quality and I had difficulty maintaining a good fit)
Sound signature:
Kick drums: strong/tighty/punchy that slams but is very controlled
Bass: Distinuguisable from the kicks (if producer intended)
Mids: smooth midrange where vocals and atmospheric pads sound excellent (I guess the word might be good sound stage?)
His: Clear detailed highs especially on hi-hats and cymbals that are not fatiguing
My list that I have come up with so far with prices (including taxes, shipping, and ear molds where applicable) found on Google shopping:
Dynamic or Single Driver:
Sennheiser IE8 $300
Comment: I understand the bass is fantastic and the sound staging cant be beat but I am very concerned about the isolation especially considering my listening environments.
Klipsch Image X10 $200
Comment: My understanding is these provide the best isolation and comfort of a universal but might suffer in terms of mids and his.
Dual Driver:
Westone UM2 $275
Alien Ears AE2 $280
Comment: I have not seen any real solid reviews on the actual sound. The Hearyourself thread is almost all cosmetic issues which I believe are secondary to sound quality, comfort, and isolation. More specifically, how would these compare to the Livewires. If they are pretty close than I would probably opt for these due to price and be able to elimnate the Livewires.
Fidelity/Livewires $310
Comment: I have heard fantastic things about these though I am not sure where these would fit in with my other choices. Some people say the bass is great and others say its lacking. Also they seem to fall between the AE2 on the lower end and AE3 and Westone 3 on the higher end in terms of price but I havent figured out whether these are better than the AE2 or if its worth the extra money for the other two.
Triple Driver:
Shure SE530 $265
Comment: Have not heard too many bad things about these and they really shine in terms of mid range reproduction.
Above budget outliers:
Westone 3 $325
Alien Ears AE3 $330
I have read the comments on the Westone 3 vs C3 and they seem to both be very good. I would be inclined to go for the AE3/C3 due to the fact that I can pretty much be guaranteed a good fit (maybe after a few returns to Alien Ears). Would either of these be worth the extra $30 beyond those that I have mentioned. I want something that I will enjoy, find comfortable, and will isolate reasonably well and don’t necessarily need the best of the best.
Some of the names I have eliminated:
Phonak PFE/Sleek Audio CT6/Triple.Fi 10 Pro: My understanding is they focus more on treble at the expense of bass. I am not a basshead but definitely want to get hit by some strong bass.
Atrio M5/M8: Bloated bass at the expense of mids and his. I would prefer a little bass emphasis but still an overall balanced sound.
I really appreciate your help. Hopefully I can pull the trigger by the end of the week at which time I am leaving the country for 10 days.
