Hello Head-Fi, I've been lurking for years and this is my first post
 
I'm looking to upgrade my in ear monitors, I currently have Etymotic HF5. Since I got Adam A5X studio monitors my sound standard has gone up and my current portable setup just isn't cutting it, I know I can't compare studio monitors to IEMs, but Im hoping I can get better portable sound. I was just using an iPod classic before, but it only plays out of one ear now so I have recently ordered the Fiio X3ii and E12a monte blanc amp which I will be getting in a couple weeks.
 
I listen to a very wide range of music [various types of electronic (dnb, trance, house, glitch hop etc), rap, rnb, soul, rock(punk/metal/alternative), pop, classical, anything that sounds good etc], and I love to hear the details of every different sound in my music (this is detail and sound separation I assume?).
 
Most of the research I did seemed to be dominated by bass preference, don't get me wrong I love bass, but I like to just hear the sound intended at that frequency (in what I assume to be 'tight' and 'punchy' bass), I really dislike when the bass just muffles and overpowers the rest of the music.
 
I am not well versed in sound signatures, although from playing with iPod and itunes in the past, I seemed to have enjoyed the 'rock' and 'electronic' presets the most which appear to be 'V' shaped, and I love the sound of my friends KRK Rokit 5 monitors (sorry speakers again) which are just slightly less detailed than my adams but sufficient enough for me, and sound a bit more 'fun' and 'lively' (I don't know how to describe it in sound signature terms). The crisp, detailed, analytical, sound separated sound is what I want primarily. The 'fun' 'lively' signature is secondary, but with a well balanced IEM would I be able to achieve this and different sound signatures by playing with the EQ?
 
Ill probably just upgrade to the Ety ER4PT unless I get a better suggestion, I don't really have a budget I would rather just invest in 'the right ones for me' and not have to upgrade in the future, although I'd imagine going over 1500+ would just get me diminishing returns. I'll take (portable) closed back can suggestions aswell as I was considering getting a new pair of those too (currently have ATH M50x, but oddly prefer my HF5s) if any really stood out to me.
 
Thanks!

any recommendations appreciated 

JH Angie < 3

I tried SE846 in store for a bit, the bass seemed a bit overpowering for my taste , although i wasn't able to change the filters and I tested them from my macbook pro, so I'm not sure if one of the other filters would make it more to my taste, but I read many great things about this IEM and was considering it.
 
From my readings about the K10 it seems to be widely claimed as one of the best overall balanced IEMs ever, but Ive also seen some comments about some issues in the treble region, I'm not too sure what is meant exactly or if the reviews are just overly critical for the price of the IEMs but that region is quite important to me and it worries me because I don't know anywhere I could try them out, if the treble is at least on par with the ER4 then that would suffice for me. And getting customs is a bit of a concern because then I won't be able to resell them if I decide to, but if they are perfect for me I won't need to. I see noble has kaiser 10 universals, how do these compare to the customs?
 
One of the headphone shops around here appear to stock the W60s and the Angies from AK, I'll demo them next time I'm down there.
 
Thanks for the responses!

For immaculate clarity and detail, I also recommend Angie.

But maybe for a little more of that V shape you favor, take a look at the Rhapsodio Solar 10BA. It's winning over a lot the head-fi community right now.

Hmm so far you all recommend JH angie, but I can't seem to find many reviews on them. How do they compare with the ER4 or K10? I also see that they are offered in both custom and universal, are your recommendations towards the customs specifically or either?
 
Would I be able to replicate that 'V' shape or any other sound signature really, playing with EQ settings on well balanced phones?
 
Thanks

Angie is a great choice in either universal or custom. I own the universal. Lots of other Head-Fi'ers do. Customs are helpful if you have trouble finding tips that give you a good fit in the ear.

As to the comparison with the K10, some like Angie better, others like the K10. It will very much depend on your personal taste.

EQing is always a fine tool for achieving your favorite signature. The nice thing about Angie and the rest of the Siren Series is the bass adjusting pots in the cable. You can make Angie warmer with a simple turn of the pot.

My ER-4P is broken so I'd wonder which IEM could replace it. My usual listening repertoire includes classical, opera, musical music.

i tried the Angie and the k10u , they have almost the same mids tripples highs  , the big different is the k10u way more comfortable than the angie , the bass is different also , you can adjust the bass in angie while its already great in the k10u 
 
and there is also the solar , they say amazing stuff bout it 
 
anyway you wont go wrong with any of those , all are great

Angie is BIG. There is no other way of saying it. She's BIG. No matter the size of your ears, she will stick out from them in a funny way. This will feel strange at first.

However! She is not uncomfortable. I use her all day at work, hours and hours at a time, and she never grows painful. That is a triumph for any IEM.

Last time I was demoing some phones the shop owner brought me some angies to try, but I didn't get around to them because my time went to comparing the se846 and er4s, I regret not trying them as from all your suggestions I now HAVE to try them  I remember them being MASSIVE, which put me off a bit, but are they heavy/noticable/ stay in your ears just fine? Also how is their build quality? I hear terrible things about JH customer service, plus I live in canada so it seems a hassle if something were to go wrong, but I have also heard the ER4s arn't build that great either
 
 
The ER4PT is on sale amazon right now for 229 US I feel like I should nab this before the price goes back up, but the angies in store are 1199 CAD, with tax and our crappy dollar that comes to about ~989USD which is the cheapest I've found it, do the angies win over the ER4Ps in every way, detail clarity SQ and such, or would it be worthwhile to have both? I guess I could always just return the er4ps to amazon as long as I don't open it if I decide to go with angies instead
 
Really wish I could demo the noble K10s, I don't want more than 1 $1000+ IEM, if I go that big I want them to be the 'right ones' and not find something I like more later 

Yes. Finding the "right" pair is important. Very few of us can buy more than one TOTL phone.

Angie is built AMAZINGLY well. Probably the sturdiest-built IEM you'll ever see.

In your hand Angie feels heavy. Yet due to the strong ear-hook, when she's inserted, Angie becomes fairly transparent. As I said before, she's remarkably comfortable.

IEMs have their purpose I just don't see the point of having 2 TOTL IEMs, I would rather have 1 IEM and 1 over ear for different purposes.
 
I'm getting a good feeling about these angies, you all suggested it aswell as the shop owner despite me never hearing about them before, and they seem to have very positive reviews from the impressions page especially in regards to their clarity,  I'm hoping this is a sign from the audiophile gods  
 
I'm gonna visit the headphone shop tomorrow morning before school and compare the angies to the ER4S, if they really impress I'm gonna get them, if not I'll order the ER4PT off amazon if the price hasn't changed until I find something better
 
Oh the excitement! If only the store was open on sundays

I envy you having hi-fi shops within driving distance. There's nothing like that where I live. I have to buy almost everything blind, never getting a chance to audition them. It's a bit scary when you're putting down serious coin. That's why I tend to buy from Amazon Prime. Free 2-day shipping, and no hassle returns if I'm not thrilled by my purchase.

Buying something you've tried yourself from a local shop is by far the better way.

I only recently discovered the shop but he seems to have alot of audiophile gear, it is the only decent one I know of in Toronto though, but fortunately for me it's only about 20 mins away taking the train and walking.
Does amazon let you return open/used in ears hassle free? If amazon.ca is that lenient I could probably just demo from them and return at the cost of shipping, although they don't seem to stock the angies or noble k10s