From what you know, how would you compare the JH16 to the Future Sonic mg5pro?

Hey joe,
Just out of curiosity, which CIEMs are your favorites of the collection? Maybe Top3?

 
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rangerid said:

Thanks again for your help joe. Would you say the iPhone 4 + Pico be good enough for now until I save up enough? I can probably get a used one for cheaper on the FS but if it will do for now I will hold off on buying anything more. 
 
I am really looking forward to the NT6 and EM4 reviews when you post them
 
Would you say that the 801 alone without the GAME card or any amp is better than an iDevice+amp?

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Yes, I would say the 801 without the GAME card is not better than an idevice + amp because of the channel imbalance for the sensitive IEMs and the sound, while good, isn't as great a match as often as with the GAME card.  An example is with the UERM, so while my modded iPod sounds great for what it is and is neutral, the resolution isn't quite up to par.  
 
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kanashimu said:

How is the SA-43 with the 601?
 
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How about cable microphonics? Anything while walking? Anything if you hit the cable?

If $1000 is pushing it, would getting the non-detachable cable be worth it? Whats the difference?
 
Isolation - can you get rid of a busy street? A noisy bus?

What exactly is the driver configuration?


Also, what does TWFK mean?

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I had the 601 for a little while before I upgraded to the 801 and the 601 sounds different so I really can't say how it pairs with the SA-43.  The 601 had real synergy with the EM3 Pro but not something like the Fabs and I think the SA-43 is closer to the Fabs than EM3 Pro, but that really doesn't mean much.
 
Microphonics are cable dependent and non-existent for me as the cable is an over-the-ear design.
 
Personally, if I have the option to change the cable to an aftermarket cable, that is a good thing.  And, the thing that goes bad on IEMs more often than anything else is the cable, so a user replaceable cable is nice.
 
All ears are different for isolation as one of my friends has better isolation just because of anatomy.  When no music is playing I can still hear some things but they are much quieter.  For example, I can hear a vacuum, my desk phone, or airplane noise, but with music playing at a moderate level those things pretty much disappear.
 
From my SA-43 review:
"The SA-43 has an acrylic shell that is filled with silicone encasing 4 balanced armature drivers consisting of dual bass drivers, a midrange driver, and a treble driver with dual sound tubes.  The crossover points are 50 Hz and 5.3 KHz with 2nd order crossover points (12 dB per octave).  The outer part of the shell has two switches: one switch turns on and off one of the dual bass drivers, increasing/decreasing the amount and depth of the bass and the other switch changes the amount of midrange in the vocal area resulting in either a flat response or enhancing the 3K “presence” frequency range.  The dual sound tubes are white and have a filter at the end to stop debris and wax from entering the sound tubes.  Stated frequency response is 30-18,000 Hz with a 104 dB sensitivity and 50 ohm impedance."
 
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rej7777 said:

From what you know, how would you compare the JH16 to the Future Sonic mg5pro?

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I can take a blind stab at some general things such as the mg5pro would be more coherent in the presentation across the spectrum as the mids of the JH16 are presented a little differently than the bass and treble, probably for vocalists.  Also, the mg5pro will most likely have less detail with a thicker, less analytical note, but not having heard any Future Sonics product other than the Atrio, I really can't say for sure.  
 
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kejd said:

Hey joe,
Just out of curiosity, which CIEMs are your favorites of the collection? Maybe Top3?

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Thanks for the question but I don't like to play favorites 
 
I can say that I do reach for some over others, but honestly I rarely have time to just grab whatever and listen as I primarily listen for review purposes.

Thanks joe, I won't buy the 801 then, plus the thing is like a brick....

It is a brick, but IMO if you want a top source with great resolution and imaging that isn't tied to your desk the 801 is it and the GAME card helps improve a weakness with the stock amp.

hello.. i'm planning to remold my BA IEM in the near future, and i need to ask a couple questions (i have read the 'custom iem information' in the first page, but still confused with some things):
 
1. what is the safest and longest period of storing the ear impression before it gradually/slightly changes shape?
2. when my custom IEM arrived, how do we find out whether the custom has a good seal or just badly remolded hence hurting my ears?
 
i've never had any experience with custom IEM, so please bear with the noob questions

What iem do you think is best for (fast) metal? Is the i9 pro to slow?

Altec Lansing is now entering the custom IEM world with the A3, A2, and A1 priced at $1,000, $750, and $500 respectively with the number of drivers according to the number in their model.  They are silicone and made in conjunction with the ACS hearing protection, so they may be the same design as the T1, T2, and T3.  
 
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i_djoel2000 said:

hello.. i'm planning to remold my BA IEM in the near future, and i need to ask a couple questions (i have read the 'custom iem information' in the first page, but still confused with some things):
 
1. what is the safest and longest period of storing the ear impression before it gradually/slightly changes shape?
2. when my custom IEM arrived, how do we find out whether the custom has a good seal or just badly remolded hence hurting my ears?
 
i've never had any experience with custom IEM, so please bear with the noob questions

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1. Most modern material is fine for several weeks/months, but it really depends on the material used by the audiologist.  The best silicone to use is that injected from a kit with a gun.  It is most important to get a good impression with the appropriate instructions and getting the impressions done and then sending them to the manufacturer shortly thereafter is preferred.
2. Once you get your monitors, give it a few days to make sure the fit is OK.  If it is too loose you should be able to hold it in with your fingers and get better sound and if it is too large it will bother you and you won't get used to it.  It is not uncommon to have a little discomfort initially that goes away.  You can also put the monitor in and snap your fingers next to your ear to see how much noise isolation is provided.
 
Let me know if you have any questions; are there any particular custom IEMs you are thinking of getting?

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metalboy said:

What iem do you think is best for (fast) metal? Is the i9 pro to slow?

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What headphones/IEMs are you currently using?  The i9pro is not too slow and should be fine, but how it comes across will be dependent on what you are used to.  The driver of the i9pro is capable.  For less than $1K the Fabs and 5X are very good for metal IMO and the LS8 and possibly the JH13 (I think the JH16 has too much always on bass making metal sound a little to bass focused).  But it depends on what type of sound you prefer and what exactly you are looking for.  For example, the NT6 and UERM have great detail retrieval and speed but you will hear all the issues with the masters, and much of my metal has poor mastering.

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average_joe said:

1. Most modern material is fine for several weeks/months, but it really depends on the material used by the audiologist.  The best silicone to use is that injected from a kit with a gun.  It is most important to get a good impression with the appropriate instructions and getting the impressions done and then sending them to the manufacturer shortly thereafter is preferred.
2. Once you get your monitors, give it a few days to make sure the fit is OK.  If it is too loose you should be able to hold it in with your fingers and get better sound and if it is too large it will bother you and you won't get used to it.  It is not uncommon to have a little discomfort initially that goes away.  You can also put the monitor in and snap your fingers next to your ear to see how much noise isolation is provided.
 
Let me know if you have any questions; are there any particular custom IEMs you are thinking of getting?

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thanks a lot for your reply, average_joe.. really appreciate it
 
i'm thinking of reshelling my good old altec lansing im716, i like them a lot and feel the driver has more potential than it already is, if better isolation is provided. i have owned and tried several iem like phonak, westone um1, etc, and it seems that my ears do not fit universal IEM really well (always got loosen every around ten minutes of usage)
 

Same specs but ACS T3 is only ~USD400 vs AL A1's USD500

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i_djoel2000 said:

thanks a lot for your reply, average_joe.. really appreciate it
 
i'm thinking of reshelling my good old altec lansing im716, i like them a lot and feel the driver has more potential than it already is, if better isolation is provided. i have owned and tried several iem like phonak, westone um1, etc, and it seems that my ears do not fit universal IEM really well (always got loosen every around ten minutes of usage)
 

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No problem, glad I could help!  Wow, that is a relatively low end IEM for reshelling, but if you like the sound signature, I guess it may be worth a shot.

 
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dogears said:

Same specs but ACS T3 is only ~USD400 vs AL A1's USD500

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Yes, and the T1 is the A3 and the T2 is the A2. 

Joe, can you give your thoughts on silicone vs acrylic shells based on your personal experience? Most companies use acrylic shells but doesn't silicone shells offer better comfort? Why is that there aren't a lot of companies with the silicone option?

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What headphones/IEMs are you currently using?  The i9pro is not too slow and should be fine, but how it comes across will be dependent on what you are used to.  The driver of the i9pro is capable.  For less than $1K the Fabs and 5X are very good for metal IMO and the LS8 and possibly the JH13 (I think the JH16 has too much always on bass making metal sound a little to bass focused).  But it depends on what type of sound you prefer and what exactly you are looking for.  For example, the NT6 and UERM have great detail retrieval and speed but you will hear all the issues with the masters, and much of my metal has poor mastering.

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I used my Westone ES5 before. One of the bassdrivers are broken. Currently I use the Sennheiser IE8 and I find it to be a little bit faster in the bass compared to the ES5. But The ES5 have a lot more detail in everything. The ES5 was to slow to me with fast double bass drumming and I think it has a too narrow soundstage. Iam looking for I iem with a lot of detail with a big soundstage and/or a more fun iem like the i9pro and I listen to 99% Metal. Sorry if I ask to many questions.
 
 

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average_joe said:

No problem, glad I could help!  Wow, that is a relatively low end IEM for reshelling, but if you like the sound signature, I guess it may be worth a shot.

 

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it's a relatively cheap IEM, i know .. but im716 is in the same level as my phonak audeo

what is your name?
what is your quest?
what is your favorite color?
poor joe is drowning under questions (and it must be an everyday pm's avalanche)
 
thanks a lot for this huge work. as a 35 year old newborn in matters of properly feeding my ears, i m really grateful and appreciative of all the tips and of how you went over the usual pride trap "now that i ve spent 1000+$ on this i have to say it is the very best" .
 
ok i ve got my question cause i m not better than anyone else. when reviewing headphones vs customs you talk about the sound stage space and don't seem one bit bothered by the fact that customs are restricted to the head. but when reviewing the audio players you clearly note smaller sound stage as a weakness. was it just a matter of speak or is there something deeper that i don't get? i m not picky for the fun of it, in fact you might be the first person i read who doesn't blatantly say that huge sound stage = quality sound. i am having some kind of inside revolution about that atm . which leads me to believe that i need several earphone/headphones depending on what i m listening to (+ mood) . that + the unending list of products you guys are reviewing make it really hard to handle.  my banker is concerned and hates u all btw.