Monster vs Sennies vs Westone - Page 2

Hello all!

I am just checking back in.  I now have the Miles Davis Tribute Monster Turbines, but I am not quite ready to give them a full review (I want to break them in first and audition enough different genres of music).  However, I just had to post about the issue I had with fit because I suspect there are people that will read this and have the same issue.

On another thread, I remember reading that two users used the Sony Hybrid Silicone tips on the Monster Turbine Coppers and Miles Davis Tributes.  Since I had previously listened to the Golds, and I had some fit issues, I went ahead and ordered the Sony tips when I purchased the MDTMT.

Here are the issues I had with fit:

• The round ear tips (both super tips and the normal silicone tips) are shaped in such a way that they will not stay in place.  They almost fight themselves.  If I compare them to other tips I have, I think it is because they curve slightly in on the side that goes in the ear canal.
• The other set of super tips fit, but the sound suffers and they are a little stiff.  I kept noticing myself taking them out of my ears and rubbing my ear canal after an hour of so of straight listening.  The biggest issue though is that the sound seems to leak around them.  If I use the slightly larger version (grey tips), they plug my ears, and if I use next size down (white tips), sounds seems to leak out and the IEMs sound dull.  I was about to return the headphones when.....

the Sony Hybrid tips arrived a couple of days after I had been trying to make the fit work with Monster's supplied tips.  I could tell from eying the sizes, the green colored tips (the middle ring is green) would fit best.  I put them on the MDTMT, and WOW saying they make a huge difference is almost an understatement.  These IEMs sound like a totally different pair of headphones altogether.  They are crisper, the bass is tighter, the vocals are cleaner...they are just better all the way around.

To go from wanting to return a pair of IEMs to praising them is a huge difference.  That being said, if you have or are looking at buying Monster Turbines and have any fit issues, get either the Sony Hybrid tips ($8).  The worst case scenario is that you waste $8, and there is a huge upside.

I will get back with my full review later.  However, I am loving what I am hearing so far.  If these sound even better broken in, then I am going to be one happy camper.  I do have a couple of notes so far:

1. Thus far, the sound-stage is not too wide, but it is also not too in-your-face.  It sounds intimate without being obtrusive.  In other words, some headphones sound like being at a concert, and some sound like the singer may just be sitting in your lap.  These IEM's sound like I am at a private performance with a few friends.  They provide slightly pronounced vocals without dampening the instruments.  On songs like Hotel California (the live performance from Hell Freezes Over), you can hear every individual string of the guitar perfectly even with the vocals.
2. The bass is 'just right.'  The bass in these is tighter IMO that the MT Golds.  Take a song like Adrenaline Rush by Twista (has some really heavy bass designed for annoying car trunks ;)  The bass sounds great without being annoying.  Or you can take a hip-hop track like Rollout (My Business), and the bass is heavier (yet still tight) than other IEM's I have used.  The cool thing is that you can 'feel' the bass even though you are listening to an IEM.  The funny thing is that my wife cannot hear anything when I am listening to these except for the faint beat (from the bass).
3. The comfort with the Sony Hybrid tips is top-notch.  I can now wear them for hours with no issue.  Also, the MT Golds were too heavy IMO and the MDTMT are not too heavy.  I think the weight is distributed better with this pair of IEMs.
4. I do notice some microphonics issues with these.  If the cord bumps against somthing I can hear it.  However, I cannot hear it while listening to something only when I have them in my ears before starting a track.

I will be back with a full review after breaking these in more.  I hope this helps someone!

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZV3 

I'm surprised you got the Miles Davis, the Coppers sounded more like what you were asking for. The Miles are said to be great also, let us know what they sound like to you!

@ZV3 - I went for the Miles Davis Tribute mainly because a) I like the fact that the mids are slightly enhanced (makes for a more intimate sound IMO) and b) I like the look of them better.  Most of what I have read suggests that the Copper and Miles Davis Tribute are close in sound with a few departures.  I think I would end up happy with either.  I will say that I do like the Miles Davis more than the Monster Turbine Golds, but that is a little unfair due to the issues I had with fit (see above).