Is there another reason to just have them on the filters? With a tiny bit of saliva on the "thumb-screw" part of the filter, they slid right on, but I slid them all the way down. The mids came out much more, but the highs are now more sibilant (and detailed), rather than harsh, and the very lowest bass is now recessed. I don't know if you're a metalhead, but a good example of the missing lows would be Art of Dying, "Get through this". At the beginning of every verse there's a low bass hit. It's there with the stock buds inserted properly, but missing with the olives. You can listen to it on last.fm if you want to see what i mean. Should I pull them out some?

I only put them on the filter for 2 reasons, one is I didn't want to force them any further, and two is to me they actually sound better with the extra space between the driver and my ear drum.

And honestly, I haven't heard them in quite a while as they are now property of my wife So I can't comment directly on that track, but to me they went down to maybe 35Hz-40Hz before rolling off with all tips, but insertion depth/tips could bring huge variations in how they sounded. They could sound very harsh, very u-ndynamic, or exceptional for the price. However, their treble to me is harsher at it's best compared with the C750E, WM2, IE8, and C710. Maybe analytical is a better way to put it, but it isn't my preference. Not that it is bad by any means, but the ADDIEM isn't the smoothest, but it is detailed and has a good overall presentation.

Another note, if the ADDIEM isn't inserted deep enough the bass was non-existant for me. They are finicky, but with time you will get used to where they should go and it will become automatic. You just have to find the right tip/fit in the first place.

I will experiment as many ways as possible before giving up on them. I did buy them from Best Buy so they shouldn't complain if I return them.

I guess there's a fine line between too far out (harshness), too close (sibilance, and no bass), and just right (a good balance). Once I find the latter, I might be in audio bliss. It's a shame because the bass is VERY enjoyable when it sounds right. With BA drivers (if I researched correctly) there is no chamber behind them, so the area in front is where the bass is produced. It makes perfect sense that some distance may be required.

BTW, I will be getting the PL50's in the mail after all. Hopefully I get them before my return period expires at best buy.
MP4Nation completely disregarded my request for a refund, replied to one ticket asking for authorization, which I replied to. Then, they conveniently avoided replying for another 6 days until the order shipped. I will be making a post regarding it here, if they don't make good for their mistake.

I also wanted to say thanks for all the advice you've given. It's been a great help.

No problem, glad to help.

If you can return them from BB, then not much pressure, but they can sound really good. However, I do think dynamics have really closed the gap in the things BAs excelled in, plus have their strengths still.

But keep trying, you may find magic!

I didn't think so until I tried the ADDIEM. I guess I expected more from the BA technology. Then again, I had the pleasure of listening to an HD650, and wasn't all that impressed either. To me, my SHP895's with some bass boost sound better.

The one thing that's bugged me so far about dynamic IEM's (cheaper ones anyway) is that they either have a harsh crinkling tin foil sound to the upper mids/lower highs, and/or very lacking but also harsh treble (CX300, Altec MHP136, and FX-34B all do it to some degree). Cymbals don't sound like cymbals, etc...The ADDIEMS have a very open, natural treble, with good shimmer, and that was kind of a shocker at first. Show me a decent priced dynamic that doesn't carry the above traits to some degree (except for the treble, I want that!), and I'll be a happy camper.
I ended up ordering the AI-M9's BTW. They will be here tomorrow. If they can meet me halfway I will take back my previous opinions.

Portapro's miniaturized into an IEM would be just about perfect. Koss can't seem to get earbuds right though.

Oh man, you have to hear the next step up in dynamic IEMs...the Mingo WM2 has a fairly smooth treble (although slightly harsh compared to some others in the price range), the C710 has nice treble, and there is a good amount of it, but it is bass heavy, and from what I have read, the S4 is very good, treble included.

With dynamics I find that the treble smooths out over time. How much time, well, for me 200-300 hours (call me crazy if you don't believe in burn in). Anyways, the IE8 has very silky smooth treble and the RE252 has an awesome balance across the spectrum and is very smooth yet detailed.

I remember the Turbines having poor treble, but who knows how long they were burned in, as they were at a Can Jam booth. But I have heard my fair share of poor treble performance from lower end IEMs.

NE-6/7 has good treble, but they have fallen out of favor with me due to their flat soundstage, and my $80 IEMs crush them, not to mention the more expensive ones.

While BA technology is good, I think dynamics have the leg up due to driver size and treble extension. Not that BAs aren't getting better also, but the strides in dynamics IMO is impressive. I actually almost like my Mingo's better than my much more expensive IE8s.

Where did you hear the HD650? I listened at Can Jam and wasn't impressed, but might be in the comfort of my own home.

Just checked some reviews of the Mingo's. They look really nice. Much better than the woodies, etc... that are in the big Shootout review here. Anywhere they're available for less than $80? I've always wondered about Denon, but never had a chance to try anything.
The last thing I actually want is a harsh or sibilant treble, though, which is why I said Portapro + IEM = heaven. My ears seem to be very sensitive to peaky treble and sibilance. I've now gone back to listening to the Portapro's and I just can't make them sibilant or harsh, no matter what I do. I'm really starting to like them again.

What is the RE252, all I've seen at head-direct is the RE# (0, 1, 2) series?

NE-6's style never really appealed to me for some reason, so it works out that they have no soundstage

A distant relative is almost as much of an audio freak as I am. I happened to be visiting for a family reunion and he brought them along. It was a relaxed atmosphere, and he let me try them with my portable gear. I had my amp, and I had long enough with them to determine if I would spend the money. The answer is no There was no fun factor, they were too refined, if there is such a thing. Dry, clean, and boring. I mean I like detail too, and there was plenty of it. I just couldn't get into the music. Maybe it was lack of bass impact, maybe my amp couldn't keep up, I can't be sure.

I'll see what happens after i sample the PL50's. Will be selling them here if I don't like them.

the RE-252 is the new name for the not yet released RE-3 which was to be the new IEM sitting above the RE-0 in their product range

Yea, the Mingo's aren't perfect, and shigzeo though they have too much bass, which isn't the case with my ears/tips. And the build quality could be better, but they do sound excellent to me, especially for the price. And I don't abuse my IEMs, so build quality is sufficient.

And the NE-6 has a very wide stage, just not deep, front to back.

As far as treble, I think it is a very personal thing. I don't think the Mingo treble is peaky, but it isn't as smooth as some others at higher price points.

As far as the 650, from my reading, it is hard to drive, especially with portable amps, if that is what you had. But at least you had a chance to listen. From reading I think I would be more in tune with the sound of the D2000.

Where are the mingo's available? Google didn't show much. A few reviews, and a bunch of .hk sites.

Treble is a personal thing, but I am more sensitive than anyone I know, to the upper registers. Even with home audio. I went through a buying/returning spree before I found the AV123 ELT525 Towers. They're the only affordable (got them b-stock) ones I've found that weren't too harsh.

I was powering the 650's from my Headstage Lyrix Pro. It only runs a single 9v, but has been known to power some beefy cans.

BTW, just got my AI-M9's, and I've been proven wrong. The treble isn't "crinkly" like my previous earbuds, but it is very bright, and somewhat hissy out of the box. I had to crank the treble down to -10db on my Rockboxed Sansa. Hopefully burn-in will help this. There's very little sparkle or shimmer to it, but much better than what I'm used to. Some female vocals sound especially hissy. The bass, on the other hand, is insane on these, but only with the biflange tips. It's very punchy, and fun, but doesn't go particularly low. It's nonexistent with the regular mediums, though. I could listen to trance/techno all day on these. It sounds a little less boomy with the ports covered, but they sound more closed-in. If this is what a properly designed $17 earphone sounds like, I'm very curious to hear the higher end models. I can't use these on my Sony (can't cut treble on it), but they definitely sound good with some treble EQ on the Sansa. Will let them break-in tonight, and see how they sound tomorrow.

EDIT: Treble does sound slightly better on the AI-M9's if I don't force the biflanges in very far. Just past the first section of the flange makes a difference in the harshness, and the bass is still there. I guess I was getting used to the ADDIEMS having to be inserted until they press on my eardrums.

To order the Mingo WM2 contact Thomas Law (thomas@tms-trading.com). Make sure to specify gold or silver.

Overseas Order :
Retails Price : 81USD(USA/Canada/Australia/Japan/Others)
All areas include one-year warranty.
All overseas prices exclude Shipping fee.

Link below is the shipping fee reference.
Hongkong Post - Postage Rate

I am willing to part with my gold WM2, PM me if interested.

I agree, treble is personal, but so is the rest of the spectrum But I agree, poorly done treble can be worse than any other part of the spectrum. Sorry to hear about your sensitivity to treble. Some IEMs I think have very smooth treble are the IE8, RE252, and Cresyn C750E (I know of a used one for sale). Not that the WM2 is bad, but a little harsher than the others mentioned, but less than ADDIEMs.

And if you like bass, the WM2 can deliver with awesome mids.

I too am impressed with higher cost IEMs. The higher you go, the more they get right. My first good IEM was the NE-7, and I thought it was awesome. But I was curious how a more expensive IEM would sound. I ended up getting the PFE and the IE8 about a week later, then the PFE went back as it couldn't compare. They both crushed the NE-7 overall. And with my additional IEMs the NE-7 weakness now stands out so much more (lack of a 3D soundstage).

My point, is there is a big difference (to me) when moveing up, but IMO there are still some deficiencies until you get to the $250+ range. Then it is just preferred sound signature, although there are some expensive IEMs with fit/comfort issues.

Considering you did mention that they can be harsh, I'm not sure if I should get them. I would rather have a semi-laid back treble, than harsh. But it's probably impossible to have that and sparkle/shimmer at the same time.

Believe it or not the AI-M9 is really impressing me. Treble seems to have smoothed out a little more, and they're more energetic now. They're almost an IEM version of my K81DJ's, with less bass. I really like the mids on these things.

I think I'm slowly going up the same ladder you did with IEM's. It's only a matter of time until my wallet starts complaining.

If you could pass along the info on the Cresyn's, I'll definitely consider them. I probably won't buy anything else until I receive/try the PL50's though.

BTW, the IE8's are on my list too, but I can't say it's my short list.

Just for clarification on the harshness of the WM2...it is only a little harsh, maybe rough would be a better word, when compared to the Cresyn, IE8, and RE252. The treble is smoother than the C710 and ADDIEM. It is only noticable when compared to the IE8 ($449 retail), RE252 ($200 estimated price), and C750E ($80 BA with lite bass).

Here are my uses for my IEMs:
- IE8: natural instrument music that sounds best with a very wide presentation and good space. Widest soundstage of all my IEMs
- RE252: may be my new universal favorite, as the presentation is very balanced with exceptional resolution
- WM2 (silver): similar presentation to the IE8, but the treble isn't quite as smooth, but the WM2 has better deep bass and not as dark and thick as the IE8. My 2nd favorite for all music.
- C710: Very bassy, so when I want bass, these baby's really can satisfy. Best used for trance IMO.
- C750E: Great with mellow music that doesn't have much bass, very forward presentation that puts you on the stage of the performance.
- WM2 (gold): Similar to the C750E, but is slightly more laid back, treble is slightly less smooth (or a little harsh in comparison), but has much more bass than the C750E.
- NE-7: Hands free & workout IEM
- iM-490: Not sure where it fits yet. Lacking treble extension, but may change with burn in.

Wow, you sure have everything organized. I have all the phones in my sig (and more), but I've never really relegated them to one thing.

From your description, the Cresyn appears to have even less bass than the ADDIEM, so I think I will stay away from it for now. I can stand the harshness of the ADDIEM's, without even having to cut treble. I should be able to withstand the WM2's then. If you're comparing them directly to $450 IEM's, I think I'm pretty safe. You can PM me with pricing info on your pair, if you like. Also, if anyone following this thread is interested in a pair of new Soundmagic PL50's that will be shipped from the US, PM me. I won't have them for another two weeks or more, but will be selling them.

As I said, I probably won't be buying anything for a while. Especially as I just bought today's woot sellout. (5th Gen 80GB Ipod Video for $119.99). I just couldn't resist.

Also, call me crazy, but I think I'll be returning the ADDIEM's. The AI-M9's do just about everything they do, just as well, IMO. With the exception of the treble extension, of course. So, I might be going back exclusively onto the dynamic bandwagon.

I'm also curious. Did you ever get a chance to try the AI-M9's?

Haven't had the chance to hear the AI-M9, but then again, not super interested in lower priced IEMs (below $50 or so) as I figure they won't add anything compared with that I have. I could be surprised though.

And yes, to me, the C750E has less bass than the ADDIEM, but sounds overall much much better in non-bassy music.