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Just came across this thread as my head-fi experience is leading me towards a pair of CIEMs.
I'm blown away. Wonderful compilation of information presented in an easy to browse format. Thank you.
Thank you! Please let me know if you have any questions.
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Thanks again for all the comments. In some cases, it might be better to ask there if you have a particular question about something we compared. Not all of the writers track this thread.
A few people have lamented the fact that we didn't include the Spiral Ear 5-way. That really couldn't be helped - it was up to the company to send whatever they wanted, and they chose the 3-way, possibly because it had never been covered anywhere else before. ljokerl would know the story more than I would though.
About JH13 brightness: I no longer have the original but if you ask in the IF comment section, someone who still has both can probably speak on that. I'd say the FreqPhase is not really "bright" to me, but is somewhat "accented" up top. It's a fine line though, and for some people "bright" may be the correct term. It definitely helps that the lower end is not thin - thin bass paired with those highs is more likely to come across as bright.
From what I recall (and joker would have to double check this), but I am not sure the 5-way would fit joker, or it would have been very close, and the 3-way pro (which is supposed to sound like the 5-way, but a bit leaner) wasn't available yet.
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I think one of you should like the se5, another one a fitear 334 or 335, a third one an Inear custom from Germany, the 4th should like the Fit Ear PS5 from the US.
I am working on my Fit Ear PS5 review. A brief overview is that the sound is mid-forward and is what I would call a musicians or stage presentation somewhat reminiscent of the Aurisonics AS-1b (in presentation only). The bass is very powerful and overall performance is in the top 20%. The other CIEM I have that has a similar presentation is the Proguard P2+1, and while the EM3 Pro is somewhat similar, it is just different. I would also consider the Shure SE530 to have a "musician" presentation to form a reference point.
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True, probably my 8.a was a mean one
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Yeah from the SE3 impressions, that looks very similar to my SE3 pro impressions which is like a dark, basshead CIEM which isn't even fun to me. But with that said, it takes nothing away from SE5, well I should say "my SE5" which is the only thing I have heard to date that is comparable with LCD 3 and also allows you to insert them in ears. Shame that the manufacturing quality control isn't seem to be consistent.
And how you guys actually review them? by using tips and wraps?
I heard jokers SE3 pro and I will just say I was surprised by the sound and it is nothing like the SE5.
I also wanted to speak on the SE5, as there seem to be a small group of owners that have issues and the rest of the owners hear it similarly to mine. Prior to the current group of people discussing the SE5 in the thread, there weren't all that many people that talked about the SE5, so the people with issues appeared to be a large %. While I will never know what really happened, supposedly someone was storing the SE5 in their pocket (at least once) which damaged it. Another detractor that initially thought very highly of it had a great improvement when storing it with desiccant. I have seen outliers with just about every CIEM model including the JH products, Westone, 1964, UM, etc.
Another factor might be the minimum size ear canal, as the space gets smaller, it is harder to get the 5 sound tubes configured properly. Plus, could they be bending in the ear canal since it is silicone? Recent accounts, including yours of how the SE5 compares with the LCD 3 show the capability, but for some with smaller ears or other unknowns it might not turn out as intended. That is the risk of the SE5 as well as the difficulty in obtaining it.
While the PRM isn't a copy of the SE5 by any means, it is close IMO, and I hope to hear the Fitear 335 to see how that compares.
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I wish the UERMs got more love, but its understandable that more people prefer the warm sound signature than the analytical one.
The general population seems to prefer warm and smooth over analytical and bright, but the IERM does have its merit.
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Different sound signatures definitely come in to play. Which is why some of us chose the ES5 over the JH13, and some the other way around, just as one example. Tyll likes the UERM and I like the Cosmic Ears BA4 for extreme clarity and detail.
There is no one perfect IEM, no matter how good it might be.
Also, unfortunately neither I nor IF have heard all the manufactures. I know I have gaps that I would love to fill, and IF is missing some key value CIEMs such as the Dream Earz 8X, M-Fidelity SA-43, and EarSonics EM4.
But I agree, there is no one perfect IEM, headphone, or system (although I did hear a home setup I thought was unreal). People even pick apart some live performances, even though it is the real thing!
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Which CIEM would be a good complementary pair to the UERM? I'm thinking maybe the JH13's, any other opinions? While i like warmth, I don't like anything bass-heavy. God help me if I buy another pair of CIEMs before this year is over.
So, if you don't want something bass heavy, what is too much or just right? Are you looking for a different presentation but similar frequency response, different FR and same SS, or what?
I can think of plenty of compliments, and all have different properties. There is the Rooth lineup, which is similar in many ways except you trade the analytical performance for a smoother, more liquid yet still very detailed presentation. The LS8 is warm and has bass emphasis while the LS8+ tones it down a bit and the LS6 is neutral. Or the Dream Earz 8x is very neutral, with some warmth and not nearly as bright, a bit more mid-forward, thicker, but still very good. I could go on...
