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Quality IEM with iPhone mic+remote, good noise isolation, tricky list of requirements to match!

post #1 of 9
1/31/12 at 7:51am
Thread Starter 

 

Hi! My brain is just busting from reading everything I could get my hands in the last two weeks.
I've dig through tens of reviews, guides and IEM+iPhone threads but I just can't find out exactly what I’m looking for.
 
 
I'm looking for a pair of IEMs that can fit this description:
- must have very good noise isolation (i've seen Westone and Senheiser offer around 26db whereas Shure and Etymotic offer in the range of 35+)
- must be driven by my iphone, I won't be using any amp; I usually set the maximum volume limit on my iphone to 25% and I listen music at 1 to 5 out of 10 bars of volume; I try to do this in order to preserve my hearing in good condition and this is why I think very good noise isolation is required because it helps me keep the volume down
- must be equipped with remote+mic for the iphone as I get a lot of long calls while at work and I wouldn't like rushing to pull things out of my inner ears just because of a call or hold the phone to my ear until it bleeds :-); it can have these built-in or as replaceable cables like the shures; I wouldn't want to have to re cable them and loose the warranty
- I listen to various music such as rnb, chillout, pop; I like bass, can't say I’m a bass head but I don't like it when there's no thump
- I would like a perceivable step up in quality from the klipsch s4i that I’m currently using at the moment - there is some bass but gets muddy and can't really say I’m getting much of a wow out of listening to my music
- I usually listen during my commute (by tube) and at the office in order to isolate myself from the ruckus and focus in my work
- comfort and fir very important but I don't think I can go custom yet (because of price / getting the mold done where I live); I have just recently discovered after reading a lot of reviews that my klipsch s4i can be work over the ear (I was wearing them all wrong - like earbuds - thinking that they sound bad....) and I’ve got some pretty good seal&sound quality from the double flanges stuck deep inside my ear but after three days they still kind of hurt and I’m hoping to achieve better seal and comfort from using different maybe different types of tips (maybe foams? maybe flanges from a different manufacturer?)...
- removable cables are nice to have if the IEMs turn out to be expensive as I would go crazy to spend hundreds on an IEM and have the cable fail at the connection...
- budget - well this is tricky; in the 100$ there is the klipsch s4i I’m currently using so I’m thinking I have to go higher than that; haven't really set a cap but I don't see myself going over 400 maybe 500 if I really like something; would be real nice to keep it in the 300s.
 
 
I'm also a bit confused about the tech. From what I’m seeing I understand that armature drivers seem to be preferred in high end IEMs but u need to have lots of them to make sure the bass is at a decent level.
Dynamic drivers seem to have a lot of thump but I don't know if they make the other parts of the music sound like an armature would...
 
 
I know this is a very long list and I’m having trouble finding something that fits it all.
Only luck I’ve had to far matching all this was Shure's 535 which gets good sound isolation, I haven't found a bad opinion about how they sound.
What stopped me pulling the trigger so far was that they're expensive and on top of that I have to shell out 50$ more on the iphone cable that everyone says it's a just piece of overpriced rubbish.
Also, I don't know what the product lifecycle looks for IEMs but I know the 535s have been release quite some time ago (CES January 2010) and I would just hate to spend big bucks on some top IEMs only to find out in two months’ time that for the same money you can now buy the next Shure top of the line with something like a bazillion armature drivers and better sound than ever before :-)
 
 
I appreciate all the help I can get, many thanks!

Edited by ubikutz - 1/31/12 at 9:32am
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post #2 of 9
1/31/12 at 12:44pm

TripleFi 10s from Amazon using flip mod (See TF10 appreciation thread) so they are comfortable and a replacement 10VI cable from Logitech so that you have the remote and mic.  All for about $180-190 US.

 

I use this setup to commute everyday to work on the Subway.  The TF10 are not my favorite overall but are for my commute to work with my iPhone.

 

 

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post #3 of 9
2/1/12 at 12:48am
Thread Starter 

 

Hi, I've been looking at the TF10 as i've seen they're quite appreciated.
 
My only issues with them is that people seem to have a trouble getting the right fit and the sealing is hit and miss... What buds do you use? How would you say the advertised 26db of isolation compare to other IEMs claiming 35+?
 
How do you handle them sticking out of the ear ? It's pretty cold out there and i usually wear something for the cold that also covers my ears; if the TF10s would stick out of the ear and the cap would press on them, wouldn't that hurt? Or do you wear them resting in the ear like the Shures usually are worn? (this is what you mean trough flip mod?)
 
 
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post #4 of 9
2/1/12 at 1:24am
Thread Starter 

One more thing - where did you get the replacement cable with mic? I can't seem to find in any of amazon's europe stores.

Does the mic cable have it all? (mic / talk button / volume buttons)

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post #5 of 9
2/1/12 at 4:27am

I agree on the tf10 for the most part. The 'flip mod' is where you turn them upside down so they are easier to fit (for some, not me) and lat somewhat flat. Not sure how they would feel with a hat. They are fine with my hood worn the over-ear way. I got my VI cable from both logitech site and from Amazon for $30. It does not include volume but after getting used to them I don't mind it at all. I love how simple just the button is, less bulk. I remember the mic/button/volume 'contraption' on the MTPC I used to have. It was basically an anchor that was heavy and would cause the cable to swing everywhere. So annoying. The IE8 one wasn't so bad.

 

However, Westone will be coming out with their mic/button cable (I believe similar to UE one) soon and it is their premium cable which is my favorite so far. You may want to consider some of their headphones as well.

 

For the most part, balanced armature iems will isolate around the same (in general), which is pretty good. I wear my tf10 with the included foam tips from comply and they isolate to my satisfaction.

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post #6 of 9
2/1/12 at 4:43am

What imboden said, I could not have said it any better. smile_phones.gif

 

Here is a (crappy iphone) pic of my TF10 using flip mod.

 

photo.JPG


Edited by dosley01 - 2/1/12 at 4:51am
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post #7 of 9
2/1/12 at 5:44am
Thread Starter 

 

Well this is getting interesting :-)
It seems that TripleFi.10 ticks a lot of boxes for me !
 
I've done some research on where i could get the triple fi 10 and i found a decent deal on it.
Thing is that the triple fi is in the same price range of the shure 425 which is supposed to be better on the isolation front ? but with only 2 instead of 3 armature speakers... 
 
How would you compare those two? How to choose one over the other?
 
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post #8 of 9
2/1/12 at 6:05am

I personally have zero experience with the Shures and have be contemplating a 535 purchase for a long time, just have not come across the right deal for them.

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post #9 of 9
2/1/12 at 7:39am
The Etymotic HF3 are very good sounding IEMs with great isolation and offers built in mic. The other IEMs like B&W C5, PFE232(highly detailed and offers good isolation with remote control/mic), Sony XB3, XB4, Sennheiser IE80i and Klipsch Image X10i.
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