Balanced signature with slight warmth/color, strong punchy bass, sparkly treble, high isolation,...

Is there anything that fits the bill sub 400? I prefer over ear fit. Ive been looking at the se535, tf10, GR07, UM2, SM3. I want to rock out, I mean really rock out, to Infected Mushroom, but theres just nothing Ive heard that wil really do them justice...Im tempted to go with SM3 or GR07, they seem to have the signature I want generally speaking, but Im afraid they just wont deliver the fun factor I want to really rock out. The TF10 sounds perfect except I could never deal with recessed mids, not for Infected; they just do way too much with guitar, both electric and classical, for me to make that sacrifice. Im almost resigned to buying the SE535 and a ZO2...do I have any other options?

Ikt've heard that the SM3 has a slight veil and is somewhat soft in presentation; my current favorite is the MS400; I have to EQ the crap out of the treble but the mids are absolute bliss with FLAC. The only thing is the whole presentation is just too polite/soft; I want my next IEMs to be significantly more aggressive sounding.

I had actually decided on the SM3 until somebody told me it was less fun/dynamic than the SE535.
Edited by Gilly87 - 1/21/12 at 12:50pm

Hmmm...the W3 would definitely contrast my MS400, and I had considered it, but I would never buy any IEM with recessed mids, vocals are what I get the most bliss from.

How would you compare the bass on the 535 toSM3?

is there any reason not to consider the sm2?

Everything I've read suggests recessed mids on the w3. I just don't think I would be a fan of V shaped signatures; I always wind up EQing the nuts out of car speakers to hear more vocals. Also from what I've read the w3 has more midbass than anything, which would very likely frustrate me. I have considered them seriously, and would love to hear them if I had extra money or hifi friends in my area, but I'd rather go with something that I can he reasonably sure will satisfy all my listening wants, and it looks as though SM2/3 has more of the complete package.

Can't wait to hear Beethoven in FLAC for REAL

Thanks Spyro :) Have you heard the SM2 or SM3 to compare them to the UM2? If so, do either have a more forward/aggressive presentation than the UM2?

 

Re: the W3s, I really do want an active midrage; I love bass and treble, but when mids are overshadowed at all I wind up doing more "active" listening than I really want. I prefer to be immersed in my music rather than listening critically, and having to pick out vocals really bothers me. I don't know, I want to try a mid-range V shaped signature IEM just to know what it would be like, but I really don't know if it's worth it for me; I always wind up hating car speakers because they rarely present vocals and instruments on par with the bass and treble, and it just doesn't feel right to me. From what I hear about the W3 I really want to try them, but if they present vocals behind bass and treble I just can't bring myself to do it; if it's a matter of a minor boost in volume in the treble and bass, I likely wouldn't mind, but if the mids are overshadowed at all by either and not as detailed, I will probably be disappointed.

 

This is probably descending into a level of detail in my own preference that it would be hard for me to articulate without comparing to other phones, so lt's try this:

 

I have a few bones to pick with my Phiaton MS400, but when it comes down to it I really love the sound and I can be spotted rocking out in public regularly :) Sure, the treble needs good amounts of EQ for me and isn't as detailed as I would like, and they get a little muddy at higher volumes, and the soundstage is only a bit above average, but by god the vocals and instruments really take me there. If the lower mids/upper bass were toned down, the treble improved even slightly, and the bass had more impact, I wouldn't bother buying a new headphone.

 

So in this sense, I'm thinking the W3 probably falls into the category with the Atrios as setting me up to buy more top-tier IEMs than I want or need in search of the total package. I'm not rich and I really just can't go down the path that the dweavers and lucozades and ie2hans and others are lucky enough to be able to walk, so I'm looking for an IEM that can really do it all. 
 

 

Short answer: if the W3 has anything that I might consider recessed mids, its a no go. Should I just edit the W3 out of the picture?

 

...unless you've heard Infected Mushroom and other vocal trance and Indie Rock on them and the vocals really impress :D

 

Edited by Gilly87 - 1/22/12 at 5:23pm

 

Interesting. The GR07 was my top candidate for a long time before I did more research, but I am concerned that they won't really deliver the "wow" factor I'm looking for; from what I've read they have a very neutral presentation. I want bass that extends deep, and I'm sure that the GR07s will provide that, but all of the phones I've enjoyed so far (Klipsch x10, Shure SE215, Phiaton MS400, Fischer Audio Eternas, not so much but Klipsch Image One) have been warmer and more colored in the mids, and I like the very engaging and musical presentation that comes from that coloration.

 

As for the Atrios, I'm sure I'd have a lot of fun with them, because I do love my bass, but I'm worried about them being a downgrade in overall SQ and detail from my two current phones Klipsch X10 and Phiaton MS400; I'm looking for something that is going to possibly end my IEM search, and if I opted for the Atrios, I'm afraid I would be too tempted to try to one-up them, whereas if I go with one of the Earsonics, UM2, W3, etc, there's really nowhere to go except custom, which I hope to do some day but I likely won't have that kind of money to spend on an IEM unless I save up for a while.