Sorensiim
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2008
- Posts
- 4,264
- Likes
- 913
As my avatar might imply, I must confess to being a bit of a basshead. In much the same way as Homer Simpson must confess to being a bit of a donut enthusiast. But bass is not all I'm looking for... I listen to just about anything, from Ravel to Rammstein, from Devildriver to Deadmau5, and I have a weak spot for female vocals as well. But most of all, I enjoy music. I don't analyse it, I just enjoy it. But in order for me to enjoy it, the presentation has to be good. I like my Ultrasone Pro 900 but I use my Westone 3 in-ears for 6-8 hours at the office every day. I'll be giving up my home rig that sits mostly unused to be able to sink some dough into upgrading from the W3 to full blown customs.
Enough about me, here's where I need your help:
I'm pretty much set on the UM Merlins, with their hybrid design but the reports of lesser isolation has me a bit worried. I use Shure Olives on my W3 and they do a perfect job of blocking out the office noise while still allowing my co-workers to get in contact with me (well if they put in an effort, at least). Some report that the UM Merlins isolate way less than other customs, while others chime in to say they isolate just enough for their tastes. I know we all hear differently and have different tastes, but how much do they isolate compared to universal IEMs with Olives or fullsize cans?
Is there another custom IEM I should be considering? The source will be a Just Audio uHA-120 amp fed by my Cowon X7 (gotta love 160gigs FLAC), possibly the Ibasso DX100 if they ever get it out the door. No matter what, It'll be a fairly competent source. I need deep, sub-terrainian bass as well as punchy drums. The bass must stay out of the mids and stay clean as well. I don't care for shrill, sibilant highs, but I want my headphones without treble rolloff, top-end clarity is a must for classical pieces and some female vocals. In short: PRaT and details, please. I won't say "money is no object", because with a house, a wife, two kids and a car, money sure as hell IS an object, but if I need to spend a bit more to get the perfect (to me) set of customs, I will. Please bear in mind that I live in the EU, so customs from the US will be hit with not only shipping costs but also a whopping 25% sales tax. I know that UM customs are made in China, but I'll be dealing with their London office and thus avoid any taxes and custom (pun intended) charges.
And yes, I have searched the forums extensively, that's how I ended up almost decided on the Merlins
Thanks in advance, merry christmas, happy hannukah, cool kwanzaa or whichever winter holiday you prefer.
Enough about me, here's where I need your help:
I'm pretty much set on the UM Merlins, with their hybrid design but the reports of lesser isolation has me a bit worried. I use Shure Olives on my W3 and they do a perfect job of blocking out the office noise while still allowing my co-workers to get in contact with me (well if they put in an effort, at least). Some report that the UM Merlins isolate way less than other customs, while others chime in to say they isolate just enough for their tastes. I know we all hear differently and have different tastes, but how much do they isolate compared to universal IEMs with Olives or fullsize cans?
Is there another custom IEM I should be considering? The source will be a Just Audio uHA-120 amp fed by my Cowon X7 (gotta love 160gigs FLAC), possibly the Ibasso DX100 if they ever get it out the door. No matter what, It'll be a fairly competent source. I need deep, sub-terrainian bass as well as punchy drums. The bass must stay out of the mids and stay clean as well. I don't care for shrill, sibilant highs, but I want my headphones without treble rolloff, top-end clarity is a must for classical pieces and some female vocals. In short: PRaT and details, please. I won't say "money is no object", because with a house, a wife, two kids and a car, money sure as hell IS an object, but if I need to spend a bit more to get the perfect (to me) set of customs, I will. Please bear in mind that I live in the EU, so customs from the US will be hit with not only shipping costs but also a whopping 25% sales tax. I know that UM customs are made in China, but I'll be dealing with their London office and thus avoid any taxes and custom (pun intended) charges.
And yes, I have searched the forums extensively, that's how I ended up almost decided on the Merlins
Thanks in advance, merry christmas, happy hannukah, cool kwanzaa or whichever winter holiday you prefer.
