Hi all, I'm hoping some of you can help me narrow my choices for an IEM. First I need to say I hate to do this but I'm at a bit of a loss. I've read all the reviews (a number of times) and am fairly familiar with them but most are in comparison to other IEM's of which I've only heard a few. Hopefully some of you are familiar with the full-size phones I like and can help steer me in the right direction. I've bolded some things just to help them stand out for those that prefer to skim...
Right now I'm only looking at Universal IEM's. Without being able to hear a demo of a custom there's no way I'm going to invest in that. Sound signatures are so personal and subjective I'm not willing to just go on others impressions for those.
The sound I'm looking for:
Up front, lively, slightly on the warm side, lots of detail, great mids (voices), not rolled off but no sibilance.
I'm a Grado guy, mostly listen to my MS2i's with Flat's. I prefer the warmer sound and the heavier bass slam I get with the Flat pads. In my music I focus mostly on details and voices and the intimate on-stage presentation. I like a warm-ish sound but it should not be overdone and it should not be warm just because the highs are rolled off.
What I've tried:
V-Moda Vibes: I actually like the sound signature of these but the detail is not there and they're not controlled at all. Still very musical and enjoyable but no isolation and just not good enough to hold my interested for long.
Westone 3: They have the detail in the mids but I had trouble with the warmth. When I'd get a really good seal they seemed to have this huge hump in the upper bass that made everything sound congested. It even got in the way of the lower bass so there wasn't much apparent slam. I could change the sound with different tips but then the proper fit became very intermittent and other problems like sibilance would arise.
Klipsch Image X10: My Nephew let me listen to his and they remind me of a Grado in some ways but the highs were rolled off for me and the mids were too recessed. I liked them initially but not enough to buy a pair.
What I'm interested in:
Klipsch Custom 3 (based on the X10 maybe they solve the highs and mids for me)
Klipsch S4 (the impressions for this seem so contradictory though)
Westone UM3X (W3 fit was so finicky and they were so overly warm I'm not sure about these)
Grado GR8 (reviews don't sound very promising unfortunately)
If you're still with me thanks for your time. If you're familiar with these phones I'd love to hear what you think would match what I'm searching for. Thanks!
-Rob
Right now I'm only looking at Universal IEM's. Without being able to hear a demo of a custom there's no way I'm going to invest in that. Sound signatures are so personal and subjective I'm not willing to just go on others impressions for those.
The sound I'm looking for:
Up front, lively, slightly on the warm side, lots of detail, great mids (voices), not rolled off but no sibilance.
I'm a Grado guy, mostly listen to my MS2i's with Flat's. I prefer the warmer sound and the heavier bass slam I get with the Flat pads. In my music I focus mostly on details and voices and the intimate on-stage presentation. I like a warm-ish sound but it should not be overdone and it should not be warm just because the highs are rolled off.
What I've tried:
V-Moda Vibes: I actually like the sound signature of these but the detail is not there and they're not controlled at all. Still very musical and enjoyable but no isolation and just not good enough to hold my interested for long.
Westone 3: They have the detail in the mids but I had trouble with the warmth. When I'd get a really good seal they seemed to have this huge hump in the upper bass that made everything sound congested. It even got in the way of the lower bass so there wasn't much apparent slam. I could change the sound with different tips but then the proper fit became very intermittent and other problems like sibilance would arise.
Klipsch Image X10: My Nephew let me listen to his and they remind me of a Grado in some ways but the highs were rolled off for me and the mids were too recessed. I liked them initially but not enough to buy a pair.
What I'm interested in:
Klipsch Custom 3 (based on the X10 maybe they solve the highs and mids for me)
Klipsch S4 (the impressions for this seem so contradictory though)
Westone UM3X (W3 fit was so finicky and they were so overly warm I'm not sure about these)
Grado GR8 (reviews don't sound very promising unfortunately)
If you're still with me thanks for your time. If you're familiar with these phones I'd love to hear what you think would match what I'm searching for. Thanks!
-Rob
