[DefQon]

Quote:

+1
 
Thought about the UM3x? bass may not be as much as TF10s but I personally prefer the laid back presentation but forward mids over the TF10s but then again I paid $100 for the TF10s.. and In regards to "taking too long to put them in" I personally find the TF10s easier to fit in my ears but I'm sure many wil disagree with me and say that UM3x are fairly easy to pop back in and out.

You didn't read my post above which I've already mentioned that I've had trouble before in the past with the UM range with having a good fit and the UM3 range sound isn't the type or up to the expectations in terms of quality that I'm looking for. Another headfier have mentioned the UM4, which I have not tried or heard before.
 

 

[matto]

Quote:

You didn't read my post above which I've already mentioned that I've had trouble before in the past with the UM range with having a good fit and the UM3 range sound isn't the type or up to the expectations in terms of quality that I'm looking for. Another headfier have mentioned the UM4, which I have not tried or heard before.
 

I think you meant the Westone 4? I personally haven't heard them, though I have listened to both the W3 and Um3x and can say I much prefer the Um3x.
 
 

 

[DefQon]

Quote:

I think you meant the Westone 4? I personally haven't heard them, though I have listened to both the W3 and Um3x and can say I much prefer the Um3x.
 
 

Nah I meant W3 and UM3X, I can't get a good seal from either of them even with comply tips. To me the sound of the W3 is bit bloated in my ears when the sound is up loud. I have not heard or tried the W4 before.
 

 

[mvw2]

Best is relative.
 
If you want something balanced with a good sound stage, look at Ortofon.  The e-Q5 or e-Q7 will do well.  Bass digs low when the track has it, but it doesn't accentuate which sounds like something you're looking for.  The Ortofon products are geared for balance and will suit a wide variety of genres well.  I've used quite a few high end universals, and to date (haven't used the e-Q5 just yet, nor the GR07 which has just shown up on the head-fi radar), the e-Q7 is one of the most balanced and broadly capable products I've used.  It isn't specifically godly in any area, but it does everything very well which makes it a better all-rounder than most of the other products out there.  If you desire to deviate from balance or desire to shoot for a certain presentation of sound, then other options become better.  Typically, better in certain ways means compromises in other ways.

 

[DefQon]

Quote:

Best is relative.
 
If you want something balanced with a good sound stage, look at Ortofon.  The e-Q5 or e-Q7 will do well.  Bass digs low when the track has it, but it doesn't accentuate which sounds like something you're looking for.  The Ortofon products are geared for balance and will suit a wide variety of genres well.  I've used quite a few high end universals, and to date (haven't used the e-Q5 just yet, nor the GR07 which has just shown up on the head-fi radar), the e-Q7 is one of the most balanced and broadly capable products I've used.  It isn't specifically godly in any area, but it does everything very well which makes it a better all-rounder than most of the other products out there.  If you desire to deviate from balance or desire to shoot for a certain presentation of sound, then other options become better.  Typically, better in certain ways means compromises in other ways.

Thanks for your opinion, I will look into the Ortofon's you mentioned. Don't really look comfortable wearing them, do you know if the seal are any good with these? the e-Q7 in particular, from what I've read from http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/456795/impressions-of-the-ortofon-e-q7-versus-the-ie8-ck100-se530-fx500-and-x10-plus-ck10-discussion-from-post-120, the IE8 is a bit better or on par in some aspects with the e-Q7.
 

 

[yello131]

Quote:

Thanks for your opinion, I will look into the Ortofon's you mentioned. Don't really look comfortable wearing them, do you know if the seal are any good with these? the e-Q7 in particular, from what I've read from http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/456795/impressions-of-the-ortofon-e-q7-versus-the-ie8-ck100-se530-fx500-and-x10-plus-ck10-discussion-from-post-120, the IE8 is a bit better or on par in some aspects with the e-Q7.
 

Yes seal is not bad on Ortofons.  Actually according to James444, Ortofons have a better isolation then the Final Audio A1 or SB.
I have not tried A1  but they are a bit smaller in diameter then the Ortofons so could be more comfortable for you if you have small ears.
 

 
 

 

[mvw2]

The IE8 can be a good choice if it's the sound you're looking for.  You already have the IE7 and if you're looking for an upgrade from that, the IE8 is there.  I have not used the IE7 personally, so I can't comment on the differences.  Some casual reading I've done in the past about it indicated the IE8 is a decent improvement on the shortcomings of the IE7 in terms of covering the frequency response better.  The IE8 is actually pretty well balanced minus the midbass hump.  Some EQing can balance out the earphone if you have EQing available to do so.  The bass knob is half worthless only addressing the bottom half of the hump.  You either have the low end you should have or make it anemic, but you always have the midbass and lower midrange emphasis that the knob does nothing for.  One specific shortcoming with the IE8 is the sound stage.  It's big (great) but it's only big (bad).  Everything sounds distant, always.  Close things are distant; far tings are distant.  There's a good directional sense to sounds but very minimal layering since the IE8 can't portray proximity well.  I will also note that while the IE8 doesn't need a lot of wattage, it can use a lot of wattage.  It sounds fine off low power.  It doesn't sound much different off high power.  It can get quite loud, cleanly, but it does need a rather robust amp to do so.  Take that however you will.
 
Back when I had the IE8, I personally preferred the UM3X or Triple.Fi 10 over it, although I saw the IE8 as more balanced overall.  Neither the UM3X nor Triple.Fi 10 are well balanced in terms of frequency response, but both are very good earphones and certainly represent top level stuff.  However, you either like the gearing or you're forced to EQ to fix the balance.  Not everyone wants to EQ nor has the EQ flexibility to fix the frequency response correctly.  At the end of the day, it's nice to simply use a more balanced product that's just less hassle.  Enter Ortofon.  Yes, it's not the only option out there.  Frankly, there's a lot.  It's just an option that I see that is broadly capable, very well balanced, and does little wrong or off-putting.  Plus it's geared well for mainstream use, i.e. it's not super analytical.  The e-Q5 and e-Q7 do vary in sound a little bit.  I have yet to hear the e-Q5, so I can't comment on specific, but there are threads out there already highlighting their differences.
 
Comfort is mostly a tip issue.  I've used a number of earphones that are known to fit bad or that people have trouble fitting.  For me, it's all about tips.  Don't blame the earphone, blame the tip.  The tip works well or it doesn't and if it doesn't you get another one.  Yes, this may mean you have to go out and buy something to make the product work.

 

[Spyro]

Depends what you are looking for in sound.
 
I'll take W3 every time.  Big full sound, decent bass, large soundstage, crisp, extended treble and very efficient.  It covers all the basses IMHO.

 

[DefQon]

Quote:

The IE8 can be a good choice if it's the sound you're looking for.  You already have the IE7 and if you're looking for an upgrade from that, the IE8 is there.  I have not used the IE7 personally, so I can't comment on the differences.  Some casual reading I've done in the past about it indicated the IE8 is a decent improvement on the shortcomings of the IE7 in terms of covering the frequency response better.  The IE8 is actually pretty well balanced minus the midbass hump.  Some EQing can balance out the earphone if you have EQing available to do so.  The bass knob is half worthless only addressing the bottom half of the hump.  You either have the low end you should have or make it anemic, but you always have the midbass and lower midrange emphasis that the knob does nothing for.  One specific shortcoming with the IE8 is the sound stage.  It's big (great) but it's only big (bad).  Everything sounds distant, always.  Close things are distant; far tings are distant.  There's a good directional sense to sounds but very minimal layering since the IE8 can't portray proximity well.  I will also note that while the IE8 doesn't need a lot of wattage, it can use a lot of wattage.  It sounds fine off low power.  It doesn't sound much different off high power.  It can get quite loud, cleanly, but it does need a rather robust amp to do so.  Take that however you will.
 
Back when I had the IE8, I personally preferred the UM3X or Triple.Fi 10 over it, although I saw the IE8 as more balanced overall.  Neither the UM3X nor Triple.Fi 10 are well balanced in terms of frequency response, but both are very good earphones and certainly represent top level stuff.  However, you either like the gearing or you're forced to EQ to fix the balance.  Not everyone wants to EQ nor has the EQ flexibility to fix the frequency response correctly.  At the end of the day, it's nice to simply use a more balanced product that's just less hassle.  Enter Ortofon.  Yes, it's not the only option out there.  Frankly, there's a lot.  It's just an option that I see that is broadly capable, very well balanced, and does little wrong or off-putting.  Plus it's geared well for mainstream use, i.e. it's not super analytical.  The e-Q5 and e-Q7 do vary in sound a little bit.  I have yet to hear the e-Q5, so I can't comment on specific, but there are threads out there already highlighting their differences.
 
Comfort is mostly a tip issue.  I've used a number of earphones that are known to fit bad or that people have trouble fitting.  For me, it's all about tips.  Don't blame the earphone, blame the tip.  The tip works well or it doesn't and if it doesn't you get another one.  Yes, this may mean you have to go out and buy something to make the product work.

Yeah true, I was about to buy the IE8's by credit card over the internet from a supplier here, but......I wasn't too sure if I would just go fork out $380 (including comply tips) so I made this thread to hear more from you guys, I mean hey thats what head-fi is all about, helping people . I've auditioned the IE8's before (over 100 hour burn-in mark from a store for 20 minutes) contemplating on whether to get it or not, instead I got the IE7's instead for $300 including two pairs of t400 tips about 1.5 months ago. They sound really well, but the IE8's are maybe 10% better in all sound aspects, having said, the bass just with more thump on the IE8's. The mids on the IE7 and IE8's burned in sound about the same, so yeah. Personally, I don't like the Tf10's, had them in the past, they are good, but the bass seemed a bit dull.
 
So far the following have caught my interest.
1964-Q Customs (Need more input on the sound of these)
Kozee X1's (Need more input on the sound of these)
Ortofon e-Q7's (Need more input on the sound of these)
Westone 4's (Need more input on the sound of these)
Shure SE535 (Are T-400 tips compatible with these?, I heard T-500 tips are the only ones that are from Comply, I could be wrong...)
 
I will go out this weekend and try the IE8 demos again I did about over 1 month ago and compare it to my burned-in IE7's again and let me ears trial it, if the IE8's turn out to be bit more better then what I remembered it to be, then - $380 from my wallet.
 

 

[Inks]

The IE8s are an improvement, but the overall response is less balanced and very peaky (much bigger bass but more extended treble). I don't really think they're a direct upgrade sonic wise. 

 

[DefQon]

Quote:

The IE8s are an improvement, but the overall response is less balanced and very peaky (much bigger bass but more extended treble). I don't really think they're a direct upgrade sonic wise. 

Indeed.

 

[matto]

Quote:

Yeah true, I was about to buy the IE8's by credit card over the internet from a supplier here, but......I wasn't too sure if I would just go fork out $380 (including comply tips) so I made this thread to hear more from you guys, I mean hey thats what head-fi is all about, helping people . I've auditioned the IE8's before (over 100 hour burn-in mark from a store for 20 minutes) contemplating on whether to get it or not, instead I got the IE7's instead for $300 including two pairs of t400 tips about 1.5 months ago. They sound really well, but the IE8's are maybe 10% better in all sound aspects, having said, the bass just with more thump on the IE8's. The mids on the IE7 and IE8's burned in sound about the same, so yeah. Personally, I don't like the Tf10's, had them in the past, they are good, but the bass seemed a bit dull.
 
So far the following have caught my interest.
1964-Q Customs (Need more input on the sound of these)
Kozee X1's (Need more input on the sound of these)
Ortofon e-Q7's (Need more input on the sound of these)
Westone 4's (Need more input on the sound of these)
Shure SE535 (Are T-400 tips compatible with these?, I heard T-500 tips are the only ones that are from Comply, I could be wrong...)
 
I will go out this weekend and try the IE8 demos again I did about over 1 month ago and compare it to my burned-in IE7's again and let me ears trial it, if the IE8's turn out to be bit more better then what I remembered it to be, then - $380 from my wallet.
 

1964-Q: Go on the 1964 Ears appreciation thread
Kozee X1: Go on the Kozee Sound Solutions Appreciation Thread
Ortorfon: Go on the Ortofon Appreciation Thread
W4: Go on the W4 appreciation thread
 
 

 

[DefQon]

Thanks mate.
 
Quote:

1964-Q: Go on the 1964 Ears appreciation thread
Kozee X1: Go on the Kozee Sound Solutions Appreciation Thread
Ortorfon: Go on the Ortofon Appreciation Thread
W4: Go on the W4 appreciation thread
 
 

 

 

[ant1pathy]

I'm very interested in how the 1964-Q's stack up to the W4's and IE8's as well.  I have CK10's now, and while I really like them, I'm ready to move up a bit and these were top on my list to look at.

 

[DefQon]

Quote:

I'm very interested in how the 1964-Q's stack up to the W4's and IE8's as well.  I have CK10's now, and while I really like them, I'm ready to move up a bit and these were top on my list to look at.

Thats what I'm interested also how well the 1964-D,T and Q and Kozees Dual driver custom compare to the W4's and IE8's.