[l8ishop]

Greetings everyone! I was hoping someone could recommend some custom IEM's. I've read a lot of the posts about them but most people are looking for recommendations for the high end IEM's. As much as I'd love a pair of JH13's for example, I just can't bring myself to spend over $1k. I was looking more into the under $600 range. I am fairly newbish at what to look at when it comes to specs so it's hard to decide. I listen to a lot of rock, some metal, anything from as i lay dying, metallica to 311, sublime, etc. Some hip-hop/rap, not really into jazz/classical. I like a bit more bass than the usual rock sound, I like a bit of the brights however I don't want to shatter my ears with the high hats. I've noticed highs can get a bit ear shattering at higher levels. I've looked into the multi review post about all the custom IEM that was posted here but there aren't many choices around my price range especially since a lot of those more expensive companies have lower priced models that are not reviewed there. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[davidcotton]

Might be worth checking out the jh5 thread, not sure how much they cost though.
 
Cheers

 

[ardgedee]

Where you live can be a significant factor in which custom IEMs to recommend. Working with an overseas customs manufacturer can get you some really remarkable IEMs, but it can also mean a lot of added costs due to shipping your impressions there and the manufacturer shipping back, plus import duties. Not to mention the increased time that shipping takes.

Most manufacturers proide free or cheap remouldings for a limited time, if the first are faulty for some reason, but that means yet more waiting and expense on your part due to international shipping.

I live in the U.S. and am very happy with my 4.A customs, made by Heir Audio in China. The price is great -- under $500 for some IEMs of world-class fidelity -- but shipping and duties amounted to an additional $200 in costs. I will freely recommend Heir Audio to anybody considering customs, but always encourage people to keep these additional costs in mind while planning their budget.

 

[davidcotton]

I second that, if possible choose someone whose situated nearish to you.  Time delays/international shipping really does add up.  What might seem like a good price to start with can soon be eaten into if you have to start getting into new impressions, sending back etc etc.
 
Cheers.

 

[l8ishop]

Right on, thanks for the input. I wasn't really considering anything outside the US, I haven't even come across any reviews on international CIEMs. I've looked into UE 4, I think it was, which was around $400 also the jh5 and the Alien Ears CFE4 i think it was. Apparently there are a lot more options then I initially thought.

 

[Hasashi]

Maybe take a look at 1964 ears T or Q. These are quite good from what I've read.
you can also check out a T.F 10 reshell with fischer audio as many have done and were quite happy with
I've also read somewhere that the Clear tune monitors CTM-200 is quite a steal.
And as mentioned above, there's the H.A 4

 

[kckc]

I've heard lots of great things about 1964Ears as well. I have the JH5 and despite being released years ago, they are still one of the best budget customs imo and I would not hesitate to recommend them. 
 
There's also the Dream Earz (Audio Earz) Aud-5x that fits right in your budget and is within the US. 

 

[kindasonic]

I wonder if anyone has owned both q-jays and jh5 pro as I'm looking for comparisons?