[dogears]

I hear you. I'm inquiring about them. Will share/report back if ever. Thanks much!
 
Quote:

 

While they sound like they are very nice, I have no plans for them in the near future with everything else I will be reviewing.  There is only so much time!  
 

 

 

[Mini0510]

Quote:

That is the translation I read, but that doesn't mean there are 14 drivers.  It looks more like two from the picture, but that doesn't match the description.  I am not saying it doesn't have 14 drivers, and that would make sense from the name and price, but something seems wrong with that product page.

I asked the company on Facebook. There is 7 for each ear.
 
 
and how similar is LS8 sound signature compared to FX700?
 
what I know so far,
 
LS8
punchier and tigher bass
more extended and more treble presence
more 3D
 
FX700
sub bass and more bass quantity
 

 

[average_joe]

 
Quote:

I hear you. I'm inquiring about them. Will share/report back if ever. Thanks much!

Let us know!
 
Quote:

I asked the company on Facebook. There is 7 for each ear.
 
 
and how similar is LS8 sound signature compared to FX700?
 
what I know so far,
 
LS8
punchier and tigher bass
more extended and more treble presence
more 3D
 
FX700
sub bass and more bass quantity

 
OK, 7 per side, that seems to make sense, although the naming is a bit odd.
 
And detail, transparency, clarity, etc...
 
The LS8 is on another level technically.  And remembering the FX700, it has quite a bit of bass enhancement.

 

[Kanashimu]

Hey, sorry to bother again, but -

The better my IEM fit (tighter seal) the more bone conduction there is, correct?
 
If it is so, I think I'll just keep my loose fit. Its extremely comfortable and it sounds spectacular. No need to go through more trouble. Even if it isn't, I'm just too scared to ship my IEMs to China unless theres something horribly wrong.

It seems to me that either burn in on BAs are real or my head's getting accustomed to this sound.. this is heaven.

 

[TiEx]

Hi Joe, I have a question. I am seriously thinking about CIEMs, but as most people here can't afford myself top contenders. I am still thinking about Kozee reshell of TF10 with more balanced tuning. But I wonder are there any better sounding CIEMs with same structure as TF10 dual Woofer + highs and 2-way cross or just Woofer + highs with 2-way cross? What about Kozee X2 did someone here have them to share their impressions? And another question is about 3-way crossover CIEMs. Can you please list what models can you recommend with a tight budget maybe 500$ tops if such exist. As far as I read on your thread top choices for me are: AudioEarz AUD-5X (Quint Balanced Armature with an Integrated 4 way Crossover) 565$, Minerva Mi-3 ((3,3) 3-way 3 BA with the musical tuning; they also offer a flat tuning for musicians) 564$ or Kozee X3 570$. Which would you recommend and are these three better then Kozee TF10 from price/SQ point?

 

[kingice10]

Quote:

While listening to demos can give you a glimpse into the sound signature of the CIEM, I have now heard 6 demo units and most did not sound close to the technical proficiency of my customized IEMs which the sound being not quite what I was expecting from reading about them.  I am sure they would sound different/better when made for my ears.

Good point @joe, CIEM are not as good as the demos that they have.
 
@Joe, do you still have the FX700? I want to know if there is a CIEM which can match the timbre on the FX700. I would like to have those sparky highs, unlike my JH16 and a good midrange. I want to point out that my JH16 did not satisfy me on the highs as they are smoothen up and have some timbre issues compared to the dynamic iems such as the FX700. Maybe they are made that way to avoid listening fatigue. But still I want a CIEM that competes with timbre. Thank you for your suggestion.

 

[Mini0510]

Quote:

Good point @joe, CIEM are not as good as the demos that they have.
 
@Joe, do you still have the FX700? I want to know if there is a CIEM which can match the timbre on the FX700. I would like to have those sparky highs, unlike my JH16 and a good midrange. I want to point out that my JH16 did not satisfy me on the highs as they are smoothen up and have some timbre issues compared to the dynamic iems such as the FX700. Maybe they are made that way to avoid listening fatigue. But still I want a CIEM that competes with timbre. Thank you for your suggestion.

I just asked joe the same question for the past 2 pages. Rooth LS8 and JH16 are the most similar. LS8 has very extended treble.
 

 

[miprasetya]

Just found out EM3pro is really really good for watching movie, my JH11 is nowhere can create such a great imaging like em3pro does 

 

[AstralStorm]

Here I'm attempting to take a plunge again. Now, into customs.
Currently I'm pretty happy with RE272 equalized, so the new custom must provide at least that good detailing, anything less would be insulting.
The main weaknesses of RE272 are the cable, which is obviously a non-issue for customs (all custom cables I know of are high quality), a bit too little bass and two ugly peaks in the frequency spectrum around 1.5 kHz and 4 kHz, giving it a shouty sound and "looking glass"-like, uneven depth, too forward soundstage. Especially annoying with female vocal.
 
So far, I've been considering:
1) Spiral Ear SE5 - real expensive even for customs, not sure about bass, these are armatures after all. The review seems to mention huge detail - this would be a plus. Silicone is nice, but I'd prefer vinyl.
2) TS842 - there's supposedly some peaking in the highest treble. Not the most detailed?
Removed. The reports of uneven frequency response are too troubling. I want to get rid of the equalizer, not change its settings to even more complex.
3) UM Merlin - published frequency response indicates a "presence" peak around 7.5 kHz; bass shouldn't be too much, but I wouldn't like any warm coloring
4) UM Miracle - similar as above and also an armature
5) FutureSonics Ear Monitors - quite unknown, but if it's a really hugely refined signature of Atrios w/ MG7... not sure how it stacks up against the armatures in detailing
 
Thoughts?

 

[average_joe]

Quote:

Hey, sorry to bother again, but -

The better my IEM fit (tighter seal) the more bone conduction there is, correct?
 
If it is so, I think I'll just keep my loose fit. Its extremely comfortable and it sounds spectacular. No need to go through more trouble. Even if it isn't, I'm just too scared to ship my IEMs to China unless theres something horribly wrong.

It seems to me that either burn in on BAs are real or my head's getting accustomed to this sound.. this is heaven.

Bone conduction has more to do with surface area of the contact point, and the full shell in the ear and more contact area from the canal provides that additional contact area vs. a universal.  Seal is necessary first for bone conduction with the way CIEMs are made, as without a seal the deep bass will roll off and there will be less quantity.  But if you are happy, why change it?
 
Quote:

Hi Joe, I have a question. I am seriously thinking about CIEMs, but as most people here can't afford myself top contenders. I am still thinking about Kozee reshell of TF10 with more balanced tuning. But I wonder are there any better sounding CIEMs with same structure as TF10 dual Woofer + highs and 2-way cross or just Woofer + highs with 2-way cross? What about Kozee X2 did someone here have them to share their impressions? And another question is about 3-way crossover CIEMs. Can you please list what models can you recommend with a tight budget maybe 500$ tops if such exist. As far as I read on your thread top choices for me are: AudioEarz AUD-5X (Quint Balanced Armature with an Integrated 4 way Crossover) 565$, Minerva Mi-3 ((3,3) 3-way 3 BA with the musical tuning; they also offer a flat tuning for musicians) 564$ or Kozee X3 570$. Which would you recommend and are these three better then Kozee TF10 from price/SQ point?

No one on head-fi has heard the X2 to my knowledge.  If your budget is $500 tops, you can get the JH5, which many people rave about, or the Clear Tunes CT-200 for a balanced sound signature, which joker has reviewed.  Or, spend the least by reshelling your TF10 and buying an aftermarket cable as some cables make a pretty significant change to the TF10 IMO.  At the $500 price point, the Alclair rm3K sounds very good, and if you can stretch the 5X is a great performer, with more of a fun sound.  The Mi-3 price went up (I need to update the price in my first post) to abot $614 USD plus shipping, and the X3 while fun doesn't have many advantages vs. the 5X.  The TS842 is about $500 and sounds similar to the TF10, but is a step up.
 
What specific sound are you looking for, and is $500 your budget with impressions, or without?  There is also the single dynamic driver from Aurisonics for $400.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by kingice10 /img/forum/go_quote.gif



Good point @joe, CIEM are not as good as the demos that they have.
 
@Joe, do you still have the FX700? I want to know if there is a CIEM which can match the timbre on the FX700. I would like to have those sparky highs, unlike my JH16 and a good midrange. I want to point out that my JH16 did not satisfy me on the highs as they are smoothen up and have some timbre issues compared to the dynamic iems such as the FX700. Maybe they are made that way to avoid listening fatigue. But still I want a CIEM that competes with timbre. Thank you for your suggestion.

 
You mean demos are not as good as the CIEMs, right?
 
No, I don't have the FX700 any more and haven't owned it about a year.  I thought the FX700 had a slightly recessed midrange and artificially enhanced bass and treble, with more of a fun sound signature.  The LS8, JH16 (as Mini0510 mentioned), and TS842 are all somewhat similar, but there are differences between BA sound and dynamic driver sound.  To me, most of my CIEMs get the timbre right and outperform the FX700 by a bit to significantly, but the tone is different.  
 
Quote:

Just found out EM3pro is really really good for watching movie, my JH11 is nowhere can create such a great imaging like em3pro does 

Yes, the EM3 Pro does have very good imaging and depth to the presentation.
 
Quote:

Here I'm attempting to take a plunge again. Now, into customs.
Currently I'm pretty happy with RE272 equalized, so the new custom must provide at least that good detailing, anything less would be insulting.
The main weaknesses of RE272 are the cable, which is obviously a non-issue for customs (all custom cables I know of are high quality), a bit too little bass and two ugly peaks in the frequency spectrum around 1.5 kHz and 4 kHz, giving it a shouty sound and "looking glass"-like, uneven depth, too forward soundstage. Especially annoying with female vocal.
 
So far, I've been considering:
1) Spiral Ear SE5 - real expensive even for customs, not sure about bass, these are armatures after all. The review seems to mention huge detail - this would be a plus. Silicone is nice, but I'd prefer vinyl.
2) TS842 - there's supposedly some peaking in the highest treble. Not the most detailed?
Removed. The reports of uneven frequency response are too troubling. I want to get rid of the equalizer, not change its settings to even more complex.
3) UM Merlin - published frequency response indicates a "presence" peak around 7.5 kHz; bass shouldn't be too much, but I wouldn't like any warm coloring
4) UM Miracle - similar as above and also an armature
5) FutureSonics Ear Monitors - quite unknown, but if it's a really hugely refined signature of Atrios w/ MG7... not sure how it stacks up against the armatures in detailing
 
Thoughts?

If you don't want warm coloring, I think you should also look into the UERM and NT6.  Dynamic driver CIEMs that I have heard (including the demo Merlin) have much more bass than the RE lineup I have heard, including the RE272, so take that into account.  Some other flatter frequency response IEMs include the Fabs and Alclair rm3K.  And, while not flat, the EM4 does vocals very well.

 

[TiEx]

Quote:

 
What specific sound are you looking for, and is $500 your budget with impressions, or without?  There is also the single dynamic driver from Aurisonics for $400.

From your great reviews I am looking for sound signature just like AUD-5X provide. My budget will be around 550$ total that must include impressions kit and also I am in East Europe so shipping must be cheap enough. So can you tell what companies include impressions kit in IEM price, the second reason that I don't have any audioligist here that is why an impression kit is a must. What about AudioEars from DreamEarz are other cheaper models good for their prices or just AUD-5X stands up from this line-up? Of course as you see I am interested in 5X does its price include impression kit? As I understood 5X is a small brother of SE5 in terms of sound so If 5X is more than woth its price maybe I can adjust my budget. So you are saying that if can't afford something like 5X, then reshelled TF10 from Kozee will be way to go? And how about 1964ears  1964-Q Quad Driver Custom IEM  at 525$ sounds like a good deal for Dual low, single mid, single high freq balanced armature drivers, Integrated 3-way passive crossover network ??

 

[Jzbass25]

Quote:

If you are looking for a flatter response, the rm3K from Alclair is a pretty good choice for $500.  It is flat, with great space and a warmer sound than the UERM or NT-6 and is surprisingly musical for being a reference monitor.  It will be a while before I can finish the review, but I did A/B it with the UERM and for the price differential, I was impressed.  Another option, the Fabs, are a favorite of mine in the lower price range for acoustic music including classical and jazz, and the SA-12 is similar to the CK10 but warmer and richer.  I have listened to the m-80s and must say I was surprised by the sound and liked the a lot, but I didn't compare them with my CIEMs.

Thanks for the info! So you think I should save up the extra cash and go for a 500+ CIEM instead of buying a $150ish TF10 and the 90ish reshell, I was also thinking down the road doing a different cable for it so eventually it will be near the $500 mark anyway.
 
Also since Im still a newer audiophile could you give me to some insight into the general iem vs on-ear  headphones. I know that you get more isolation with iems and in general you pay more for the same audio quality as a fullsize, I guess my general question is will I be unhappy at all if I buy an iem or ciem and compare them to the M-80 or some other headphones (once I start a bigger collection, Im already thinking of trying some m-100s by vmoda when they come out and I want to get a planar mag headphone, doubt I'll get many while still paying for college though).
 
Or do you think save the money, deal with my m-80s as my only portable (since my klipsch custom 3's broke and the free UE100's I got suck) and just get more on/over-ears for more aural bliss? haha.

 

[average_joe]

The Earsonics EM4 review is up!
 
@ AstralStorm: I can't believe I forgot the T1 Live! as it has a very natural and balance sound and seems like it would fit very well with what you are looking for.
 
Quote:

From your great reviews I am looking for sound signature just like AUD-5X provide. My budget will be around 550$ total that must include impressions kit and also I am in East Europe so shipping must be cheap enough. So can you tell what companies include impressions kit in IEM price, the second reason that I don't have any audioligist here that is why an impression kit is a must. What about AudioEars from DreamEarz are other cheaper models good for their prices or just AUD-5X stands up from this line-up? Of course as you see I am interested in 5X does its price include impression kit? As I understood 5X is a small brother of SE5 in terms of sound so If 5X is more than woth its price maybe I can adjust my budget. So you are saying that if can't afford something like 5X, then reshelled TF10 from Kozee will be way to go? And how about 1964ears  1964-Q Quad Driver Custom IEM  at 525$ sounds like a good deal for Dual low, single mid, single high freq balanced armature drivers, Integrated 3-way passive crossover network ??

The 1964-Q, from what I have read, is darker than the 5X with less treble extension.  I have not heard it, so I can't really comment too much.  
 
As far as the 5X being the small brother of the SE5, in a way yes, but in another way no.  The 5-way has a more natural sound and a great deal more range in the attack and decay giving the 5-way a chameleon effect that is much more prevalent than the 5X.
 
I would say stretch your budget if you can, but if not, a reshelled TF10 with an aftermarket cable isn't too bad.
 
 
Quote:

Thanks for the info! So you think I should save up the extra cash and go for a 500+ CIEM instead of buying a $150ish TF10 and the 90ish reshell, I was also thinking down the road doing a different cable for it so eventually it will be near the $500 mark anyway.
 
Also since Im still a newer audiophile could you give me to some insight into the general iem vs on-ear  headphones. I know that you get more isolation with iems and in general you pay more for the same audio quality as a fullsize, I guess my general question is will I be unhappy at all if I buy an iem or ciem and compare them to the M-80 or some other headphones (once I start a bigger collection, Im already thinking of trying some m-100s by vmoda when they come out and I want to get a planar mag headphone, doubt I'll get many while still paying for college though).
 
Or do you think save the money, deal with my m-80s as my only portable (since my klipsch custom 3's broke and the free UE100's I got suck) and just get more on/over-ears for more aural bliss? haha.

If you are just starting out with CIEMs, I usually recommend trying several universals first.  I think it is important to go for the sound signature you want in a CIEM so you don't get buyers remorse.  
 
Headphones vs. IEMs...they perform at similar levels at similar price points IMO, but the headphones usually need a better amp, but as you go up in price, you really need a better source to take advantage of the higher quality.  Headphones usually provide a larger space, but IEMs present that space in a much more coherent way.  Details are easier to hear with IEMs, but headphones can project sounds further (usually).  Also, if you are used to the sound of one, it will usually take a while to adjust to the other.  And the M-80 is a nice sounding headphone, so a reshelled TF10 may be a good compliment and give you a feel for the differences.  I would recommend an aftermarket cable for the TF10 to get the best out of it.

 

[Jzbass25]

Thanks again, I plan on at least buying the TF10's soon then. I believe I will like them and like you said they'll be a good compliment since they seem to be leaning towards slightly different types of sounds. If I decide WOW then I may just get them custom molded like I was thinking about. If I decide almost wow, then I may spend that money on a cable. If the cable wows me then I'll get them custom molded.
 
Again, thanks. You are helping me very much with my knowledge of headphones!
 
~Apprentice Joe =P
 
Small edit: As far as cables, I skimmed your tf10 cable thread and I wanted to know was there a cable that sounded as good as the chris cable and was at or around the same reasonable price but wasn't super stiff? I don't trust stiff cables haha

 

[TiEx]

 
Quote:

 
The 1964-Q, from what I have read, is darker than the 5X with less treble extension.  I have not heard it, so I can't really comment too much.  
 
As far as the 5X being the small brother of the SE5, in a way yes, but in another way no.  The 5-way has a more natural sound and a great deal more range in the attack and decay giving the 5-way a chameleon effect that is much more prevalent than the 5X.
 
I would say stretch your budget if you can, but if not, a reshelled TF10 with an aftermarket cable isn't too bad.

 
DreamEarz really struck me with their value and SQ (as I see from your review and few other impressions). So the last question will be: how good are the 465$ AUD-3X and 525$ AUD-4X ? Just in case if my budget will be limited in some ways. 
 
P.S. Thank you very much Joe! You are really helpful and I don't know where would I go without your reviews and your help. Reviews are very informative. Thanks to you, newbies like me here now can make some pretty good purchase from the first time. Especially those on a tight budget that can't afford tons of different gear. You're the man!