Alclair Curve Universal Monitor Review

Alclair Curve Universal Monitor is an earphone with dual balanced armature. Many people might say "What is this thing?" That's why I am writing this review! Let's see
 
 
Inside of the box
Alclair Curve Universal Monitor cost $199 at this point. Homepage said it is during sale and original price is $249. I do not know when do they stop sale, but anyhow it cost $199 now. Small box came to my home. the box is pretty small.


 
Inside of the box, there is no extra package box but an earphone case and one Alclair sticker.
 


Inside of the case, there is earphone unit itself, and 2 extra set of foam tips. Foam tips are inside of net


 
Comply foam tips. Isn't it familiar?
 


To be honest, packaging is kinda poor. I know Alclair is not big company, but no extra packaging inside of shipping box, and no cleaning tool for IEM without filter? Come on. I know not having extra box does not break my earphone in case, but having extra box will make package looks cleaner. It is not a big deal at all, but I do not feel of purchasing 200 bucks item.
 


Earphone case itself is pretty nice. It feels like fiber yet hard. Inside of case feels have soft fiber touch. I really like this case, because it is not too big nor too small. I do not like too large case for IEM. One of big advantage of using earphone over headphone is portability, and Case such as Felican case is not compact. Since this earphone is designed for average customer instead of professional. I think this case is way more practical than Felican case. Sure it is not the smallest case ever, but those smallest cases will not allow you to put extra tips. This one have extra space to put extra foam tips.
 
It looks small but it can hold my bigger CIEM earphone unit with extra replacement cable and cleaning tool.
 

 
You can still close it without streching zipper.
 

 
Carabiner keychain is nice too, because you can do this.
 

doesn't it look convenient case?
 
 
Aesthetic / Durability

First look of Alclair Curve Universal Monitor was pretty good.
 

 
It has transparent housing and organized inner look. On the top of transparent housing, cresent design add extra bit of uniqueness.
 

 
However, Only about half of the housing is transparent. Another half is non-transparent gray. I really hoped Alclair makes this earphone full transparent unit. Unfortuately it is not fully transparent.
 

 
Another aesthtic problem is detail. It might be hard to tell on the picture. If you look closely, the earphone does not look very premium. The housing does not seem super cheap, but it still feels like plastic. There is a small circle mark or other small marks caused from manufacturing, and there is a seam between transparent section and non-transparent section. In other words, detail looks will take away premium feeling of the earphone itself. 
 

These kinds of marks... looks like mark of plastic injection.
Nothing terribly wrong about plastic injection mark, but it does not look very premium.
At least it is not good as SE846 in terms of premium look
 
 

By the way, this earphone has no built-in filter.
 


It makes me to buy extra pairs of Tx-200(same size comply foam tip with filter)

 
In terms of durability, of course I cannot say too much yet, since I have not used this for a long term. It has advantage of having detachable cable. Though cresent design of housing forces you to choose cable connector for earphone unit carefully. If you want 3rd party cable. Otherwise connector would not fit even they uses same 2-pin design.
 
Considering breaking cable is arguably most common durability issue of the cable, having detachable cable is something people might want, and it surely has it.
 

On the other side of tokens, it's plastic-like housing makes me worry a bit. When I first tried to detach cable from earphone unit, I held my earphone unit firmly to give force to take out cable. And I heard clicky sound from earphone housing caused by 2 different sections(transparent and non-transparent section) It might be still early to judge durability, but at the same time, it just does not give a feel of bulkiness nor sturdiness.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Ergonomic and Fit.

In terms of ergonomic and fit, Alclair Curve Universal Monitor is the best universal earphone/IEM I have ever tried to put on. I have used Apple earpods, UE Triple.fi 10 pro, Etymotic Research er4pt, B&O A8/Earset 3i. Bose QC20, Bose IE, IE2, B&W C5, Phonak PFE 122, Hifiman RE-0, Sennheiser OMX980, CX880, Aurvana Air, etc. (I cannot remember all earphones. Lists are just earphone that pops in my head within 30 sec)

First thing you might notice is that cresent design is designed to be fit in ear conch. It is similar to Shure's earphone in that sense.

Here is photo of Alclair Curve Universal Monitor in my ear.  (I know quality of photo sucks badly. Sorry. It's because I took it with my front camera myself, and crop ear portion only with paint program. There is no one helping me out for taking this photo.)
 
It fits very well. I was worried a bit that end of earphone may poke my ear conch, but when I opened my case, I found it is smaller earphone than I thought. Alclair Curve earphone units do not interfere with my ear conch at all. Plus, there is more than just cresent design.

 
There is slight curved in part of earphone unit. It's like a little shallow basin. I was quite surprised by this, in a good way. Because.....
 

 
Here is a photo for my own ear. See? there is a little bump in my ear, which is common bump in many people's ear. And this curved part is designed to not interfering or pushing that bump part of ear. It seems Alclair carefully designed to have a great in ear fit, and it's very good. For me, it is the best universal earphone fit in terms of ergonomic.
 
There are a few (with decent or good sound) earphones that make minimal long term usage pain, such as Apple earpods. However, generally those earphones do not have secured feeling. They do not feel staying inside of ears firmly. Earphones, which tend firmly stay in ear, are mostly over-ear earphone or earphone with hanger. And this is one of best fit earphones I have ever tried among those. I can even sleep without pain with this earphone on my ear. Most earphones came out from my ear at the morning if I do this, since I took out unconsciously during sleep, and even my custom IEM came out after I wake up.
 
Though this is not fair comparison because CIEM unit is bigger and when I put my head side, my pillow push my CIEM inward, which likely make some pain, Alclair Curve's fit is comparable to my custom IEM.

They used comply foam tip T-200, Comply foam tips generally give good fit. Though tips such as T-500(biggest earphone bore) does not fit well in my ear, Alclair curve has no problem since it has much smaller bore compared to T-500
 
There is some nitpicking issue I have though. First issue is the cable. cable guide can make a long term usage pain if cable guide is not positioned properly. And since cable connector of the earphone positioned too inside of earphone, users need to manage cable guide properly. Otherwise, you can have some sore pain after long term usage.
 

 
This circled part is where you can have some long term usage pain. Cable should be avoided from ear helix.
 

This is right way to bend cable.

Another one is typical one for earphone that is designed for over-ear earphone. You almostly have to wear it with over-ear style. At least it is not design to just put on ear without putting cable around ear. You need to properly wear it for great fit. Though these kinds of design also have its own advantage: hard to have wrong insertion depth. What I mean right insertion depth is about how manufacturer(in this case Alclair) wants you to wear. In other words, It is hard to wear push tip too deep or too shallow.
 
 
 
 
 
Isolation and cable
 
Now, isolation is decent. Not much to say here. It does not give excellent isolation level such as that of Etymotic Research. However, that's because Etymostic Research has tips that goes super deep, which does not fit my ear at ALL. This earphone unit stays ear well unlike earphone like Triple.fi(due to its large unit plus no securing mechanism). Then it's all about what kinds of tip is.
 

 
Comply foam tips. Period. (They do not even give any of other silicon tips to compare!) It gives decent isolation. At least way better than most of earbuds. It has generally better or at least comparable isolation compared to most silicon tips in the market. Cable is twisted. It is triple braided from 3.5mm connector to Y intersection. After Y intersection, it is double braided.
 

 
At Y intersection, it has transparent plastic to tighten cable.(I have no idea what is name of that transparent thing is LOL)
Cable is fairly flexible. It is about 50 inches long. Cable itself has some microphonic, but since earphone is designed for overear, which is way to reduce microphonic. If you wear it properly microphonic is not bad at all. It has nice 90 degree angle 3.5mm connector.
 


By the way. I really want Apple remote volume controller cable. I know it is not easy task for a company like Alclair to have a cable with Apple volume mic built in, Still, I want one! D:
 
I know there are 3rd party cables, but most of 3rd party cable with buit-in mic and volume controller sucks. Leave me very few choices.
 
 
 
Before getting in sound quality review
 

I personally do not like to write a headphone review. For me, writing a headphone/speaker review is a huge dilemma, because there are too many reviews based on placebo effects when reviewers talk about sound signature, especially toward positive side. It means many headphone reviews tends to be written more positively rather than actual headphone/speaker sounds like. I really do not like to put any opinion based on placebo effect in my review. I would rather give less information if information have a good chance of being inaccurate.
 
However, it is virtually impossible to eliminate those placebo effect, unless I am doing double blind test or having a instrument to measure frequency response and electromagnetic property of headphone. And I do not have those instruments nor knowledge to do measure or to interpret those data. Although the dilemma makes me hesitate to write my review, I decided to write this review just because there was no review about Alclair Curve Universal monitor when I was researching before purchasing this in-ear monitor.
It feels walking in a minefield when I buy stuff without any review. (Side talk : Alclair, you guys have to work on marketing. Throw out some samples to reviewer, or do something.)
 
Eliminating placebo effects in headphone review is eliminating subjectivity. And if I tries to eliminate subjectivity, then there is nothing to write about sound signature! It is a big dilemma for me, as a person who do not believe review not based on measurement data. I know some reviewers can describe sound with minimum bias in their reviews, but for me, it is a difficult task.
I do not trust my ear too much except obvious differences, when it comes down details. Thus, I will write about sound when I feel it is obvious difference, but if not obvious, I will not.

Please excuse me, if my review does not cover too comprehensive or complete sound signature for your taste. I will intentionally not mention some of those. And I tend to write more negatively. I will comparing this with Hidition NT-6(newer version), which costs $1200.  Yes, some people may argue it will be unfair to do this, comparing $200 universal IEM and $1200 custom IEM. But in this way, I will not garnish my review with overly positive adjective. Just do not think this Alclair Curve Universal Monitor is the worst earphone in the world just because I used more negative expression compared to other reviewers.

For those who have no idea how NT-6 sounds like, NT-6 has no exaggerated base and mostly flat(have about equal amount of bass, mid, and treble) in terms of Olive-Welti target, except resonance at 10k. It has narrow peak at 10k, and 10k peak lead pretty much only big downside or biggest unique sound signature of nt-6(depends on how you look at it). It is my reference earphone. Simply, it is slightly treble emphasized IEM
 
Detailed review with measured data from Rinchoi can be found in here. 
http://rinchoi.blogspot.com/2013/06/hidition-new-tears-6-new-vs-old.html
 

Sound Quality
When I first use this earphone, I immdiately notice this earphone has too much bass.  Other things? Midrange sound is clearly lacking compared to bass and treble. Treble is somewhat between them. which means close to adequate level but I feel it is slightly boosted than flat. Again, First impression pops out in my mind was too much bass. Second thing pops out mind is that vocal is away from where vocal should be. This characteristic is even more stand out if you are not using this for music. When I tried to use this for listening gameplay from youtube or other non-music stuff. Voice is clearly far away than sounds comes from my speaker(B&W mm-1). Actually it was fairly fun experience when I was using this for my gaming experience.
 
I already knew it has more bass and treble than mid; I was actually seeking for somewhat V-shape(more bass/treble than mid) graph sounds earphone. Since most of my other main gears are too flat. I wanted earphone that has more fun sound signature. And it is actually V-shape FR graph sound, although it is definitely more bass than I wanted. Amount of bass is not extremely a lot unlike some of Dr. Dre stuff. And Alclair curve does not lose every aspect of sound except bass unlike some of Dr. Dre stuffs. I suspect it has clearly more than 10dB boost in bass, and probably midrange deep is 5dB or more. Of course my ear is not a measurement tool, I might be inaccurate. If it is inaccurate, it is likely be even more than what I have said. If I am not accurate, I am trying to underestimate rather than exaggerate my impression to reduce placebo effect. When I mention number such as 10 dB, I was actually suppressing down number expression than number that pops in my brain at first.

The point is, this is very clearly away from something called flat or Hi-fi. Purist audiophiles unlikely prefer sound of Alclair curve universal monitor at all. Well, extra bass is not necessarily worst thing ever. And for outdoor purpose it has more advantage than indoor. Since most outdoor noise are low frequency, having extra level of bass will negate outdoor noise.  If you are not purist audiophiles, Alclair curve is worth of look. But you still need to be aware drawbacks. I will complain about those drawbacks but most content I wrote was in-door listening. Sound signature is fairly dark(or warm if you prefer) and vocal is bit more distance from where it sound be. Treble does not stick out too much, which is good in this case. I remind you my sound quality review is more about negative review and I was comparing with NT-6, one of treble king IEMs. It means there is not too much harsh treble or not too much sibliance. It may be also sign of slightly boosted treble, since I am comparing it with CIEM that has slight treble emphasis.
However, excessive bass inevitablely harms some of sound clarity. When I listening songs without drum or other low pitch instrument sounds, it handles well. However when song includes drum or other low pitch instrument, treble is bit hidden behind low pitch instrument sounds.
 
What about mid? Its even more behind than treble. Again, vocal sound is clearly away from where vocal should be. And if there is mid pitch instrument at background, they are harder to hear. I can still hear them, but they are much less stand out than sounds of nt-6. Even bass clarity is a bit harmed by excess bass itself. It is more boomy than it should. It does not have the sharpest or the most clear bass. I mean It is not muddy bass at all; Alclair curve clearly has punchy power.
 
Funny thing is this 'hidden behind bass effect' makes somewhat unique sound stage of this earphone. You can hear sounds from distance which makes sense of space. Depends on how you put it, it can be called unique sound stage or wierd feeling of space or artificial sound stage.
 
I am stopping here. I do not trust any more detail information from my ear.
 
Conclusion
 

 
Clearly, I do not recommend Alclair Curve universal monitor for purist. This is not an IEM you should looking for as a reference IEM. Nope. Not at all. If you seeks for very clear mid or high, it is not for you as well.  If you are looking for the most clear mid, this will be terrible sound for you. If you are okay with bloated bass or finding more fun sound, then Alclair curve might worth of look.
 
For guy like me, this is not definitely first-choice earphone. However, even without great fit, its sound is okay for my secondary or tertiary earphone. I wish it has slightly less bass than this, then I would be completely happy rather than just okay. Well, again I am not completely satisfied with its sound. But I know there are many people who loves bass. and since it's bass quality is at least decent. If you are on bass world, then it is surely a good choice.
 
Fit? Hell YEAH. I am 280% satisfied, not even worth of argue! It clearly exceeds my expection, comfort is arguably on the level of custom IEMs.

Some earphones may have similar level of 'low long term pain', but they come out much easily from your ear. While this one consistently stays in my ear even during sleep. (Though I recommend to turn off your music before you sleep for your ear health.)
 
What I really recommend this earphone is for outdoor casual use. Especially those who work out/exercise a lot.
It has great long term fit and it stays in your ear very firmly. There are not too many earphones that does them both at the same time. It has bit more bass than bang of the bucks sound IEM, but you might need some extra bass to negate outdoor noise. And they even have a great outdoor clamshell case as well!

Sure, it might still have leftover extra bass even after negating typical outdoor noise. However, if you are not purist, a bit of leftover extra bass is not bad at all. I think in those cases Alclair curve universal monitor is definitely go-to earphone.
 
 
 
Unfortunately, it seems Alclair sucks at marketing, so I am writing review for them. Whether it is helping them or hurting them. Well, saying bad thing is better than saying nothing in this case IMO, because worst thing is no one knows anything about this thing. So in that sense I guess my review is helping them out.
 
 
Thanks for reading my first review in Head-fi

Nice review ELPCU. I also jump into getting one. I'm still waiting for it to arrive though. It's a very unique IEM and great for my collection.
I'm curious as to how good/bad the sound quality but I guess I'll have to wait for mine.
By the way, your link to Rinchoi is a dead link. "Sorry, the page you were looking for in this blog does not exist."

lenmargaux said:

  Nice review ELPCU. I also jump into getting one. I'm still waiting for it to arrive though. It's a very unique IEM and great for my collection.
I'm curious as to how good/bad the sound quality but I guess I'll have to wait for mine.
By the way, your link to Rinchoi is a dead link. "Sorry, the page you were looking for in this blog does not exist."

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Sorry for replying to late. I was a bit sad due to lack of post.
I thought not much people are interested in this IEM(or my review sucks).
 
I will edit my post so at least people can go link there properly.
 
Thanks for letting me know.

Very nice review ELPCU!! I thought it was an excellently thought out review, I liked out you did not make it overly positive, as those reviews are nearly useless if they don't mention what is wrong. Very nice!
 
Might I ask what your native language is? I don't mean to be insulting or anything
 
Also, don't be too down on the lack of posts! Since this is a not very well known audio company, not many people would know about it (basically too unfamiliar for most people).

whattochoose said:

  Very nice review ELPCU!! I thought it was an excellently thought out review, I liked out you did not make it overly positive, as those reviews are nearly useless if they don't mention what is wrong. Very nice!

Might I ask what your native language is? I don't mean to be insulting or anything

Also, don't be too down on the lack of posts! Since this is a not very well known audio company, not many people would know about it (basically too unfamiliar for most people).

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Thanks for complement.

My native language is Korean.

I am trying to hide but it seems obvious that English is not my primary language.

LOL! You have an awesome attitude man
 
Looking forward to some other impressions! You seem like a solid review that doesn't sugar coat anything, which is very helpful!

I wonder how this compares to the TF10. Very curious.

I saw that you were apologizing for your picture, I think they really enhanced your review.  You made note of the shape of the ear and the reason for the curve, so for me, that explained the reason for the shape of the iem.  I do have a question for you and it is very general in nature.  If Beats is the cornerstone of the market, whether Head-fiers appreciate them or not, when companies come out with bloated iems, aren't they really playing to the market dynamics?  And while you and I would pay $300 or even $1200 for a neutral iem, we are probably a smaller segment of the market than the purchasers of Beats and the like.
 
Here is a for instance, my niece married a basketball player from her college who now plays in Europe (hence the picture for my profile).  At the rehearsal dinner, a number of us were sitting around at the hotel before the dinner and my son started showing off his headgear to an NBA basketball player and his friends.  While I pulled out my Westone 3 Gold and UM3X, they were much more impressed by his GR07 Bass editions, then the high end Westones.  I tried to explain to them about the quality, number of drivers, etc., how you can EQ the sound, but they really were concerned about the bass.  So I don't fault companies for stressing bass, I am just not a lover of bloated bass, so I am not that market.
 
Just a random thought about the market.
 
I think you really did well on your review and I really like to read reviews that take a hard look at an iem/headphone and give a real opinion, not a hype for the market.  I think you gave a fair assessment of your opinion and pointed out what you thought were the good and the bad, so you are to be commended.  Nice job.

Well, to be fair, the GR07s do have a more natural presentation than either the W3 or UM3X; the W3 has insanely over-boosted bass (more than GR07 BE but not as deep) and very harsh treble, and the UM3X can be a bit closed sounding, which is great for on-stage musicians who just need to hear the details, but doesn't lend itself to a very natural sound, and the dull treble can make it pretty boring.
 
As someone who has owned a $1,000+ CIEM and auditioned many more, I would personally rather listen to the GR07 BE than either of yours. But in the end, what matters for you is what your ears say!
 
I hear the W30 is a killer, btw; might be worth checking out if you enjoy Westone's other triple drivers.

Oh and the review was awesome and very easy to understand, btw I appreciate that you took the time and energy to be unbiased and compare it to a truly high-end product.

daddymojo said:

  I saw that you were apologizing for your picture, I think they really enhanced your review.  You made note of the shape of the ear and the reason for the curve, so for me, that explained the reason for the shape of the iem.  I do have a question for you and it is very general in nature.  If Beats is the cornerstone of the market, whether Head-fiers appreciate them or not, when companies come out with bloated iems, aren't they really playing to the market dynamics?  And while you and I would pay $300 or even $1200 for a neutral iem, we are probably a smaller segment of the market than the purchasers of Beats and the like.
 
Here is a for instance, my niece married a basketball player from her college who now plays in Europe (hence the picture for my profile).  At the rehearsal dinner, a number of us were sitting around at the hotel before the dinner and my son started showing off his headgear to an NBA basketball player and his friends.  While I pulled out my Westone 3 Gold and UM3X, they were much more impressed by his GR07 Bass editions, then the high end Westones.  I tried to explain to them about the quality, number of drivers, etc., how you can EQ the sound, but they really were concerned about the bass.  So I don't fault companies for stressing bass, I am just not a lover of bloated bass, so I am not that market.
 
Just a random thought about the market.
 
I think you really did well on your review and I really like to read reviews that take a hard look at an iem/headphone and give a real opinion, not a hype for the market.  I think you gave a fair assessment of your opinion and pointed out what you thought were the good and the bad, so you are to be commended.  Nice job.

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Thanks for compliment. I am glad you like it.
 
Back to your question, I think for some bass lover, Dr Dre can be work. And in some sense, they manage to do marketing very well. Every people has different taste, and I do not want to ignore there are plenty of people who love Dr. Dre sound. They might be happy from their purchase. If they are happy, then I have no problem. However, even for them I cannot recommend Dr Dre. if they have not made purchase decision yet.  I do not have any problem from people who enjoy Dr Dre sound, but I have complain for Dr Dre branding.
 
If people research properly, they can grab much cheaper IEM/headphone with bloated bass. And I think it is much easier to make those 'bloated bass' gear in terms of manufacturer perspective
hat's reason why I believe bloated bass gear can be cheaper and should be cheaper than Dr Dre. That's my problem.
 
Difference is the precision. If manufacturer truly wants to aim pure flat earphone(whether it is diffuse field based or Harman Hi-Fi target or even that of manufacturer's own standard from market research), manufacturer needs to tune earphone precisely. Idealy, all frequency range should be in the goal range.
 
On the other hand, if manufacturer want to produce bloated bass product? you can increase bass volume any amount you want. You want 20dB boosted bass? or 40 dB boosted bass? That does not matter. For example, If I am manufacturer and I originally aimed for 20dB boosted IEM, but it turns out finished product is 25dB boosted. What would be my response? It would be "Meh, just sell that 25dB boosted IEM. Some people may like it even more"  
 
Not only how much amount you boost, you are also relatively free from tuning whole frequency range. You can boost from ultra low frequency to mid-low frequency. In other words, they do not need to tune precisely IMO. As a result, you can have much more bloated bass headphones in market, and they are fairly cheap. Unfortunately, I am not interested in too much bass bloated IEM, I do not have any good list of 'Bang of buck Ver. bass bloated'. But I do not find any real reason for picking Dr Dre other than cool design, logo, and branding.
 
However, Beats by Dr Dre, they have done good marketing. Many people are enjoying it. And dat's why it is infamous among head-fiers. They heard new famous audio branding, so they picked up.
 
And................. 'Oh Crap, what is this ****!'.
Yeah, you know.
 
I think many of casual listeners love bass. New people will say 'WOW, dat Bass. I love BOOM.',  Having a lot of bass will impress many people initially. However, I think if they have done serious listening much frequently, their taste will gonna change. Many people will be sick of 'bass only sound'. Eventually they will say "Where is my treble? ". In fact, 'Flat' in audio area means sound 'most people like (when serious test was performed)'. Though this standard of 'flat' is still a hot potato, and not clearly defined.
 
At least, we can't argue '30dB boosted bass' is sound most people love when they listen seriously. However, casual listening is clearly different from serious listening. Especially listening outdoor will dramatically change test situation. Considering how much bass give initial 'Wow' impression and for audience has not experienced 'sick of bass only sound', there are plenty of people prefering bass boasted sound over flat sound.  Plus, good marketing with their fancy brand name Dr Dre with cool logo & clean design(which adds some placebo effects as well, IMO), no wonder Dr Dre branding is famous. And they are probably aim for those casual listeners.
 
My problem is.... I think those people can get much cheaper gear with similar sound if they perform their market reseach correctly.
 
 

gilly87 said:

  Oh and the review was awesome and very easy to understand, btw I appreciate that you took the time and energy to be unbiased and compare it to a truly high-end product.

Click to expand...

 
I am happy to hear that. Thanks.

gilly87 said:

Well, to be fair, the GR07s do have a more natural presentation than either the W3 or UM3X; the W3 has insanely over-boosted bass (more than GR07 BE but not as deep) and very harsh treble, and the UM3X can be a bit closed sounding, which is great for on-stage musicians who just need to hear the details, but doesn't lend itself to a very natural sound, and the dull treble can make it pretty boring.

As someone who has owned a $1,000+ CIEM and auditioned many more, I would personally rather listen to the GR07 BE than either of yours. But in the end, what matters for you is what your ears say!

I hear the W30 is a killer, btw; might be worth checking out if you enjoy Westone's other triple drivers.

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Yes, I don't disagree with your points on Westone or the GR07 BE. I too had heard good things about the WD3, but I am only a few years into my headphone journey I got in with my son, so I am trying to broaden out from my V-Moda and Westone makes. Just bought a Sennheiser Momentum and thinking about an AKG or something I have not tried before. Of course I could be sorry that I did not replace the stolen GR07 BE.

Great comments from both of you, enjoyed your opinions.

Momentum is a good can; it wasn't for me, too warm for my tastes, but I know they have a lot of fans. Pretty dynamic for portables.
 
AKGs are a good way to get a taste of a musical but more neutral signature, and their midrange stuff like the K240 and Q/K7xx have really impressive presentations for the price range. Gotta have a good amp though! I've heard their DJ cans are some of the best, too.
 
GR07 is impossible to beat at that price...I only wish they had RCs!
 
By coincidence I just had the chance to hear the W30 today, and in all seriousness I think they're my next IEMs. Give em a demo if you have the chance. Very well-rounded presentation and a noticeably milder version of the W3 sound sig.
 
 
Quote:

daddymojo said:

Yes, I don't disagree with your points on Westone or the GR07 BE. I too had heard good things about the WD3, but I am only a few years into my headphone journey I got in with my son, so I am trying to broaden out from my V-Moda and Westone makes. Just bought a Sennheiser Momentum and thinking about an AKG or something I have not tried before. Of course I could be sorry that I did not replace the stolen GR07 BE.

Great comments from both of you, enjoyed your opinions.

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By the way, what did you think of the new cable connection on the W30? I believe it changed from the small two prongs, to a connection similar to Shure with the single larger bolt connection.

Don't they use MMCX now? Or do they have a slightly modified version?