It is normal for the Carbo tenore to be kind of "weak". After Sennhiser was willing to pay for shipping and replaced my MM 30G for free I got to compare them to the zero audio set, I expected it to be a blow out. Instead they do trade some blows.
 
Putting the in line mic and other features aside the Carbo tenore seems to need a much higher volume level by any given device to drive it well. Not really an issue but seems odd when both sets are rated at 16 impedence.
 
The range of sound is nearly the same with a edge to the carbo tenore, but it seems to highly lack power behind the lows with a lack of a better way to explain it.
 
And yes I know most likely no one has heard of the MM 30 so just look it up on amazon if you want to see it. I have the black model and got it for $20 USD, though it's retail cost is about $60 USD.
 
Yes I am a noob when it comes to audio so I likely don't really know what I am talking about.

Yes. The Tenores tend to be less sensitive than many other IEMs, and would need an amp to play very loud with some portable devices.

And then IEMs vary a lot in sonic signature. Check out this buying guide by sound signature: http://theheadphonelist.com/earphone-buyers-guide/. So the trick is to figure out what kind of sound signature fits you best. And even then, some v-shaped IEMs are more v-shaped than others. Some bassy IEMs have a different kind of bassy emphasis. Etc.

cel4145 said:

Yes. The Tenores tend to be less sensitive than many other IEMs, and would need an amp to play very loud with some portable devices.

And then IEMs vary a lot in sonic signature. Check out this buying guide by sound signature: http://theheadphonelist.com/earphone-buyers-guide/. So the trick is to figure out what kind of sound signature fits you best. And even then, some v-shaped IEMs are more v-shaped than others. Some bassy IEMs have a different kind of bassy emphasis. Etc.

Click to expand...

 
Thanks for the guide, the tenores still work great. I was just worried about the volume issue being a sign they needed to be returned. I might get the JVC HA-FXT90 or Sennheiser Momentum In-Ear at some point if I really want to upgrade but I think I am happy with what I got. I also settled on the $45 Gemini DJ HSR-1000 for an over the ear set. Hope that was a good choice.