What are the biggest flaws of your favorite iems?

Price...

Logitech Ultimate Ears UE900: sub-bass depth, vocal dynamics, treble extension

Phonak PFE232: Lower-midrange clarity.

Westone W4R: Sibilant upper-highs.  Veil in lower mids.  

ex800st with stock or ex1000 cable: overemphasized "shh", "ch" sound in some songs, and very harsh when cymbals in a recording are too forward

JH16-analytical, not good if you are wanting to relax before going to bed for example-every freq on steroids.

TF10-mids are a little back, treble can sound harsh when amped and reshelled

Miracle-not enough bass quantity for me, treble detailed but too laid back for me

W3-too much mid bass

UM3x-too dry, not enough treble presence, small Soundstage

ER4S-also one of my fav universals, but could use more bass, ss is smallish, crazy detail level, sometimes too much detail for wanting to relax lol

Edited by KimChee - 9/18/12 at 6:59pm

R-50 - rolled off sub-bass 

 

GR07 - lack of soundstage depth

 

Heaven IV - not enough sparkle in the treble

 

e-Q5 - really I can't find one but if I had to nitpick a little bit more sub-bass rumble

TF10s: Occasionally cloudy mids. Not sure why, working on it. Stock cable is fragile.

ER-4S: Fit. Smallish stage most of the time. Bass that leaves me wanting more for certain genres.

EX1000: Doesn't play well with sibilant recordings. It isn't sibilant in and of its self, but it doesn't clamp down on sibilance if it's in the recording either. I consider this to be less of a flaw and more of a double-edged sword.

FX700: Poor isolation. Insecure fit. Short cable.

Miles Davis Tributes: Smallish stage. Some times the bass can be too much. Vocal timbre sounds a bit off. Not the best build quality.

Miles Davis Trumpets: Too microphonic when worn cable-down, and the placement of the mic isn't conducive towards phone calls/vocal commands when worn up. Also, if I'm sweaty, the inline controls coming in contact with my skin can randomly cause the volume of my Android phone to decrease, sometimes plummeting all the way down.

Sony XBA-1: Stupid j-cord. I know the US version isn't like this. Can sometimes struggle with complex passages. Timbre doesn't come close to Sony's dynamics.

Monoprice 8320: Cable tangles easily. Can be uncomfortable unless I wear it just so.
Edited by Selenium - 9/18/12 at 6:27pm

So, I take it you'd choose the JH16s over the Miracles? I'm about to buy Miracles so maybe I shouldn't!?

 

How's the Miracle sound other than bass level? I'm not a basshead so maybe it's a personal taste thing...

Vsonic GR01: the sub-bass roll off, even though its honestly really not that bad. I honestly think they are pretty much perfect for my tastes.

Re0 - broken 

 

Re272 - a touch to thin in the bass which is extra disappointing when everything else is so perfect!!

 

SE535 LE - staging lacks cohesion and size on some recordings where it's not a part of the recording

 

Bose IE2 - way too much bass which bleeds all over the mids and highs

It really comes down to personal preference.  The JH16 is like every frequency on steroids..a lot of bass, bright airy treble, very neutral mids.  Miracles have  forward lush mids, the bass is very detailed, but not as much quantity as my TF10.  The treble was there on the Miracle, but I like a bright detailed treble,  the Miracle seemed very laid back....TF10 is my fav universal if that gives you any idea of my preferences..I've thought seriously about getting a Miracle as a second top tier custom that's how much I liked them.

Sol Republic - Tracks HD: Uncomfortable to wear after an hour or so, headband pulls my hair.

 

Koss PortaPro: Feel rather weak, and the cable is really thin.

 

Bose OE-2: Cable is rather thin and doesn't reach the quality I expected.

 

Sennheiser HD-201: Cord too long for mobile use. (Perfect length for recording, though. Love these!)

UM custom re-shell: Needs new cables... Could use more sub-bass, treble on the bright side, narrow soundstage.

ER-4S: I hate to say it, but needs more bass. Great extension, but not enough impact at times. WAY too detailed when I'm not in the mood.

Klipsch S4 - Bass too muddy

Atomic Floyd HiDefJam - physically heavy as they are made of what seems to be surgical steel

UE TF10's - A bugger to get them fitting in your ear correctly

SoundMagic E30 - Lacking punch in the lower frequencies