I have both. Shure 425 is more smooth in the mid range with im03 stock tips but the im03 wins out at everything else with spiral dots the im03 is almost as smooth as the 425 with spiral dots in the mids. I would say the isolation is better on the 425 but the im03 is much more musical and cleaner then the 425 and much cleaner vocal. The shure 425 is a lot smaller then the im03
My SE425s were stolen last week, need to invest in new IEMs
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I have both. Shure 425 is more smooth in the mid range with im03 stock tips but the im03 wins out at everything else with spiral dots the im03 is almost as smooth as the 425 with spiral dots in the mids. I would say the isolation is better on the 425 but the im03 is much more musical and cleaner then the 425 and much cleaner vocal. The shure 425 is a lot smaller then the im03
Lunatic21
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What I mostly got out of your reply is spending more on the IMO3 might not be the best because the IMO2s would be similar to my past SE424s?
Lunatic21
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Hold up, tips change the sound that much? And if you had to pick between them, which would you choose? Im03?
PinkyPowers
Reviewer: The Headphone List
Tips do have a surprising effect on the sound. As does insertion depth. Wide Bore vs Narrow bore.
It depends - both the IM03 and [IM02/W20/SD-2] are technically better than the Shure, but the latter are tonally more similar to the SE425 (while still a bit different - they have slightly more warmth) - the IM03, while it is overall faster, cleaner and more resolving than the mentioned, is differently tuned (sound signature more of the "fun", v-shaped kind with a low impedance source (as I said, please get yourself a low impedance amp like the FiiO E1 as your current sources will alter the frequency response output of all of the mentioned in-ears, resulting in a different tonality than the one that was intended/the one you get from a low impedance source)).
The SE425 is a rather mid-centric, balanced sounding in-ear with an intimate presentation and smooth mids. The IM02/W20/SD-2 have the better extension on both ends (the SE425 rolls a bit off in the sub-bass and doesn't have the best treble extension), larger and more realistic/authentic soundstage with better imaging and are more realistic in general. Where the Shure wins though is bass speed.
If you live in America (or any other country that has Amazon) and want to use foam tips, I'd recommend that you try out the Westone W20.
yup i tried a triple flange tips on the im03 sounds like some $5 headphone lol. Comply/Spiral tips are the best for the im03. The spiral is overall better then the comply
Lunatic21
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Oh, by foam tips I meant the squishy comply ones, not the yellow ones that look like ear plugs! I just need to decide on an IEM but don't know enough about each one to make a choice myself. I've looked at the IM02 and IM03 as well as the Westone W20 and the Fidue A83... I don't even care how much they cost at this point lol I need good IEM that won't disappoint.
I was and am totally aware of that.
PS: the IM02/03 come with one medium pair of foam tips, the W20 comes with various foam tips and the A83 with one pair of foam tips.
Well, you know my opinion. IM02/W20 if you want to get a somewhat SE425-ish tonality, IM03 for more bass and upper treble (when connected to a low impedance source - and as I said, I highly recommend to get a low impedance headphone amp/DAC to bypass your current sources' high output impedance that will make all of the in-ears sound different than they actually should - the FiiO E7k and E1 will do the job fine).
Can't comment on the A83 (yet, but will be hopefully in the next few days), but always keep in mind that the dynamic woofer driver will have a different character than a BA woofer - just for your info. You will get more body and sense of vibration compared to a BA woofer, but the speed and accuracy with faster music won't be as good. Which bass character you prefer is totally subjective and up to you - in most cases I personally use BA-only in-ears, but there are others where I really like to use hybrid IEMs or dynamic driver models - it is just a matter of taste.
If you can stand it, order two or three of the mentioned in-ears from Amazon (but take care that they are all "sold and fulfilled by Amazon"), so you can keep the one you like the most and send the others back for a refund of your money.
And to repeat myself, please try the multi-driver in-ears with a low impedance source or get a low impedance headphone amp (or even DAC) to connect it between the IEM and source, so that the frequency output isn't skewed by the high output impedance (only most full-sized headphones and dynamic in-ears will be unaffected by a high output resistance because in most cases their impedance response is flat).
Of course I heard the etymotic er4 series are pretty good. Other choice is the flc8s dunu 2000j and the ue900s. I had the choice between the er4 or the im03 and just decided to go with the im03. The im02 is the most realistic sounding iem you can find that's what I heard.
Lunatic21
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I was and am totally aware of that.
PS: the IM02/03 come with one medium pair of foam tips, the W20 comes with various foam tips and the A83 with one pair of foam tips.
Well, you know my opinion. IM02/W20 if you want to get a somewhat SE425-ish tonality, IM03 for more bass and upper treble (when connected to a low impedance source - and as I said, I highly recommend to get a low impedance headphone amp/DAC to bypass your current sources' high output impedance that will make all of the in-ears sound different than they actually should - the FiiO E7k and E1 will do the job fine).
Can't comment on the A83 (yet, but will be hopefully in the next few days), but always keep in mind that the dynamic woofer driver will have a different character than a BA woofer - just for your info. You will get more body and sense of vibration compared to a BA woofer, but the speed and accuracy with faster music won't be as good. Which bass character you prefer is totally subjective and up to you - in most cases I personally use BA-only in-ears, but there are others where I really like to use hybrid IEMs or dynamic driver models - it is just a matter of taste.
Yeah I bought the Fiio E6If you can stand it, order two or three of the mentioned in-ears from Amazon (but take care that they are all "sold and fulfilled by Amazon"), so you can keep the one you like the most and send the others back for a refund of your money.
And to repeat myself, please try the multi-driver in-ears with a low impedance source or get a low impedance headphone amp (or even DAC) to connect it between the IEM and source, so that the frequency output isn't skewed by the high output impedance (only most full-sized headphones and dynamic in-ears will be unaffected by a high output resistance because in most cases their impedance response is flat).Thanks for that info. Are the IM02/W20 similar enough to where it isn't advised to spend the extra $70 on the W20?
Yeah I bought the Fiio E6
Nice to hear that you got an E6 to get a lower output impedance for the multi-drivers.
It's a good way to start, though as I mentioned earlier, its only real benefit is the low output impedance, the other parameters like noise floor etc. are rather mediocre. When you get it, you will get the best result by setting the source volume to a high level and then adjust the volume with the E6, so you will get the best SNR and so on.
If you are happy with the sound (frequency response) from a low impedance output compared to the stock high impedance one, you can still upgrade at any time to a better amp or DAC-Amp like the FiiO E17k, Leckerton UHA-4, JDS C5D, Beyerdynamic A 200 p (the last has just a digital USB input and doesn't always work in stock form with Android devices but might require a 3rd party player like the "USB Audio Player Pro").
Yes, they are extremely similar (in fact the German InEar StageDiver SD-2, Audio Technica ATH-IM02 and Westone W2/20 are using the same drivers, crossover, acoustic damper and inner nozzle diameter; even the Innerfidelity measurement plots show that the tonal difference is really small: http://www.innerfidelity.com/headphone-measurements).
Except for the larger stock tip selection and probably better comfort with the Westone (which is a subjective thing though), the IM02 would be the way to go.
Lunatic21
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Nice to hear that you got an E6 to get a lower output impedance for the multi-drivers.
It's a good way to start, though as I mentioned earlier, its only real benefit is the low output impedance, the other parameters like noise floor etc. are rather mediocre. When you get it, you will get the best result by setting the source volume to a high level and then adjust the volume with the E6, so you will get the best SNR and so on.If you are happy with the sound (frequency response) from a low impedance output compared to the stock high impedance one, you can still upgrade at any time to a better amp or DAC-Amp like the FiiO E17k, Leckerton UHA-4, JDS C5D, Beyerdynamic A 200 p (the last has just a digital USB input and doesn't always work in stock form with Android devices but might
require a 3rd party player like the "USB Audio Player Pro").
Yes, they are extremely similar (in fact the German InEar StageDiver SD-2, Audio Technica ATH-IM02 and Westone W2/20 are using the same drivers, crossover, acoustic damper and inner nozzle diameter; even the Innerfidelity measurement plots show that the tonal difference is really small: http://www.innerfidelity.com/headphone-measurements).
Except for the larger stock tip selection and probably better comfort with the Westone (which is a subjective thing though), the IM02 would be the way to go.
I'll have to take your word for most of that. I obviously haven't delved quite nearly as far as you have into the audio world
But are those DAC-Amp things that necessary? Those are nearing the prices of the IEMs themselves, would you say that's more for an uppper upper end IEM like in the $800 range? Or do they compliment all multi driver IEMs to where it is worth the added expense?Also, thanks for your time and the many replies!
Midgetguy
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I'll have to take your word for most of that. I obviously haven't delved quite nearly as far as you have into the audio world
Also, thanks for your time and the many replies!
I like to think that it can be beneficial with nice IEMs, but cost isn't always the deciding factor either. But I don't tend to gravitate towards those. Mostly because I likely won't ever have something to justify that expense anyway. I have fairly nice IEMs, but I put more into headphone and speakers then my IEMs.
I guess the overall answer is, it depends on the person. Some feel it's definitely worth it to get a DAP costing as much or more than a nice mid-tier IEM while people like me just don't quite think it's worth it. It's not without merits, but different strokes for different folks.
I'll have to take your word for most of that. I obviously haven't delved quite nearly as far as you have into the audio world
Also, thanks for your time and the many replies!
Objectively regarded and correctly volume-matched compared, if the source's output signal isn't too shabby, the difference with a really good DAC-Amp (or a DAP) won't be night and day, more like a rather quite small difference in sound quality. Let's face it, audio nowadays is no wizardry anymore and most sources will give you a really good and solid output. An expensive device doesn't have to be much better than a really cheap one, and sometimes the really cheap ones even perform better in some areas. The "large differences in audio quality" you're reading about everywhere (regarding DAPs and DAC-Amps) are actually quite small and a slight exaggeration, but in reality when we are speaking about "large differences between two audio devices", we actually mean rather small ones. In the audio journey however, when we are used to something and know it in and out, those differences can play an important role, if one wants to get a slight performance upgrade and is willing to multiply the price he paid for his current setup. So yes, with better sources you will be getting a better bass quality sometimes, a better SNR and THD hence some more transparency and clarity, but don't expect the difference to be night and day, rather like a smaller one when all sources are playing at the same volume.
From an E6, I would say that the boost in audio quality when changing to something with especially better SNR is indeed quite of an upgrade because the E6 is quite a low-end amp when it is about its measurements with in-ears (the only reason I brought it into the game was because it has a low output impedance so you can finally experience what the IEMs will sound like from a source with low OI), but from the devices I mentioned above in one of my other posts (the E17k, UHA-4, C5D and A 200 p to stay in the lower price range but with an upgrade from the E6), you are not getting a huge difference in audio quality when upgrading to a much more expensive DAC-Amp. And also don't forget that psyhcoacoustics also play a role when perceiving sound.
If you have a good source (low output impedance, very low hiss, good dynamic range, SNR and THD values under load), it will be sufficient for all multi-drivers.
It is of course wiser to invest the largest amount of $ into the in-ears/headphones, as these are the ones that will have the greatest influence on SQ (besides the recordings). From an objective perspective, imagine the audible difference between audio devices (DAPs, DAC-Amps) like the difference between those three colours (if their internal design is not too shabby and things like output impedance and noise floor are about identical) 000 000 000, whereas the difference between various headphones is more like 000 000 000.
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