Joker,did you tried donguri keyaki?
any impression?
I've heard of the company but haven't tried any of their products.
No se846? Great post though thanks for efforts.
Haven't had a chance to try it yet. Might get to borrow one soon.
mm nice to see Piotr will be doing universals?
Seems like a tease at this point.
Any recommendations for a very comfortable, non-foam, tip? I have somy hybrids currently and the smalls just barely make a good seal, but the mediums are too big (they actually made my ear bleed at one point... OUCH!!)
Also any upgrades for 8320's? Similar sound signature and a negative fit (like I would be able to sleep in them, so probably over-ear?) would be appreciated
-Seb
It might be the nozzle diameter/angle of the 8320 that's making certain tips uncomfortable for you, not the eartips themselves.
For a clear, slightly mid-centric sound with an over-the-ear fit you'd probably need to go BA - under $100 this would probably be a UE600 or Dunu I3CS. A little less bass impact compared to the large dynamic driver of the 8320 but they'll have just as much bass depth and a more balanced overall sound.
So I was going to go ahead and purchase the Fidue A63 earphones but have held off on doing so because I've recently been using my FiiO X3 player again and have decided to try and find a pair of earphones that mate well with it. Many folks indicate that neutral headphones/earphones are the best match with the FiiO since the player itself isn't neutral and has a slightly warm tonal character. I think my problem to date, then, may have been in trying mate warm or V-shaped IEMs with the FiiO and being disappointed.
Lots of folks seem to use and like the HiFiMan RE-400's with the FiiO X3. But I'm really concerned about all of the negative reviews regarding build quality of the RE-400's and how many folks experience the cable becoming detached within a year of owning them. Is there another neutral IEM similar in price and performance quality to the RE-400's but of a higher build quality? In terms of price, I'm thinking of something $150 or less.
Thanks in advance.
Unfortunately I don't have an X3 but the A63 is a warm-sounding earphone, more so than the RE-400. The reason that the RE-400 remains popular is that there's nothing else quite like it at the price point. The RE-600 is built better but there's a $250 price gap. For neutral sets around $100 you can get an Ety HF5 or a TWFK-based set like the VSonic VC1000, but these tend to be a little brighter/less warm than HiFiMan earphones. I also thought the Brainwavz R3 wasn't far behind the RE-400 in performance and it seems well-built, but I couldn't get comfortable with the design.
Joker, when you are rating these IEMs are you taking price into account. I ask because you rated the Monster Turbine over 7.5 and JH13 a 10. So a jump of 1000$ gets you 2.5 improvement? I auditioned the Monster Turbine a while ago and didn't think it was that good. If the Monster Turbine cost 1099$ excluding audiologist fees would you still rate it at 7.5?! This is quite concerning.
Otherwise I do not see the point in spending heaps more for a marginal improvement in sound quality.
What
kova4a said. I'd like to think that if the Turbine was $10 or $1000 I'd have given it the same sound quality score.
ljokerl what is your favorite iem for listening to music, and what type of sound signature you prefer if you have to choose between - smooth and warm or analytical and bright?
Neutral and smooth, preferably. I don't use any one particular IEM on my own time, usually switching between some of my benchmark sets when I'm not reviewing. I can be perfectly content with something as reasonably-priced as the Sony MH1C but typically it'll be a custom set like the Noble 4S or UM Miracle.
