Quote:
Hi everyone. Recently I posted a thread asking about the UE TF10 and according to the descriptions of sound quality, it seems as if it is the best IEM here. I may be completely wrong and I believe I am but just to be sure is there IEMS better than the triple fi 10 in all aspects including bass and comfort??
Agreed with the others, wrong forum, there's a different forum for IEMs & portables, so the mods will probably move this.
However, since you ask....for the money TF10 is an excellent IEM, however it's not, on a technical level, the best in terms of objective evaluation. I'll assume you're talking about "the best universal fit IEM", since if we get into CUSTOM IEMs (the body and tip are made by a doctor's mold to custom fit your ear, which is UE's main business for pro-audio as you'll see on their website) the price brackets and performance levels go through the roof. A pair of top-end customs can run several thousand $, and that doesn't include medical expenses for the series of doctors visits to get them fitted.
So returning to the land of mortals and "Universal IEMs" TF10 is still UE's top of the line universal, and at one time was a $400 flagship of the industry. In terms of raw performance, Shure and Westone's flagships will top it, the $500 SE535 and W4. They're larger, pricer, but they're generally better all around, and are certainly more comfortable. If you're a bass-head the Sennheiser IE-8 is worth a look. It's not as detailed as even TF10, but it throws a lot of bass. For more money and a sound in between IE-8 and TF10 the Westone W3x is worth a look. If you're a classical buff and only a ruler-flat analytical sound will do, Etymotic e4 is your default choice.
It also depends on what sound signature you like. The UE house sound is a deep V-shaped frequency response curve. The mids are deeply recessed and the lows and highs are ramped up very far. It's neither a flaw or a weakness, it's just the sound signature it's tuned for and is purely a preference thing. They chose that signature because their main industry is stage-audio monitors, where the mids get in the way and you need to hear the details clearly as a performer/engineer. It's a very forward, exciting, energetic sound or a lot of mainstream music. It also does strangely well with chamber music, decent with jazz, but is ghastly with orchestral.
Shure's SE535 sound is very similar to HD650's on tubes in terms of headphones, detailed but laid back, with boosted, liquid smooth warmed mids. W4 is supposedly a bit more airy with a wider soundstage but can be seen as a bit thin sounding and grainy. Etymotic is ruler-flat and excellent for analysis.
Finally for the budget option is HiFiMan RE0. Very popular, and excellent for the money, but I'd still pick TF10 above them.
Fit and comfort is also important. With an IEM the fit in your ear is
everything, the sound will be awful without a good seal. UE tips work for some, not others. Comply foams are a good fit, but expensive. I personally use Sony Hybrid tips with them but everyone's ear is different. And nothing compares to Shure "olives" (black foam sleeves) for comfort and fit for me personally. They don't fit the UEs. UE TF10 has the most derranged design ever in terms of fit. They have them set up so they pop out of your ear straight out. For me it makes it impossible to get a seal. However the fix is easy, just swap the removable cable ends (L monitor on the R side of the cable). Takes 3 minutes to do, and makes them fit much better. It's a very good monitor, and if you seek a V shape it's the only good choice. But it's not the only IEM so you have to buy by preference. Ultimately I like my Shures much more, but for 3-5x the going price of TF10, they'd better be superior, and I'm not likely to bring my Shures many places due to cost. The TF10 is affordable enough that, while I still woudn't bring them anywhere I think I'm really risking them, I'm a lot more generous with how I use them
Might end up with the D3 for now, though..
