[3nenbgumi]

Hello everybody, I have just registered yesterday after being a lurker in this forum for quite sometime! Something I 've got to say beforehand, I have only entered the audio world for about one year, thus my experience about this expertise is indeed very limited and my ears can definitely be classified as untrained. Being an overseas student and having to move around quite a bit once in a while (not to mention the tight budget), it goes without much saying that my main focus on gears has been portable headphones/IEMs so far.
 
I'm currently owning the IE80s and the Triplefi10vis, paired with a Sansa Clip+ (not rockboxed) and an iPhone 4. Before this, I have been in possession of (and eBayed ) PX200s, PX100-IIs, PX200-IIs, B&W P5s, IE6s and a Cowon S9. Generally, I'm pretty satisfied with what I have right now, as my two IEMs are (to my untrained ears) somewhat polar opposites of each other. I fell in love with the tight bass, sweet and lush midrange and smooth treble of the IE80s. However, what struck me the most was the monstrous soundstage/open presentation I had yet to hear from the others. On the other hand, the Triplefi 10s give off a feeling of intimacy, somewhat less punchy and muddier bass but with more upfront treble, which tick some boxes when a mood change is necessary (or when I'd like to experiment my music from another perspective). I got both of those at bargain prices from online pruchasing, and thank God I made the right choices.
 
My problem right now lies with the midrange. I have recently found the midrange of the two IEMs above not sufficient when it comes to specific tracks (especially ones with female vocals), and with the IE80s I had to crank the volume up quite a bit to get the midrange I want (due to the IE80's nature, sometimes I found myself pushing it a bit further than what I should). The matter is even worse with the Triplefis, as  the muddier bass and treble sparkle make it overbearing at high volume. So basically, what I need is a pair of IEMs which is at the same league as those two, but with much more emphasis on midrange. The bass might not need much in quantity, but quality-wise should be tight and punchy while the treble needs to be smooth and unfatiguing. The overall sound quality does not necessarily need to harbor that "Wow" feeling I got from the IE80s, but still is insightful and leans a bit more on the analytic side.
 
My budget ranges from 300-400$ (200-250 GBP), but it could be stretched a tad bit more if I can find a strong contender ( worst case scenario I'll have bread with Nutella for a few months . My genres of music are generally pop( with lots of female vocals!!) and heavy metal. I have been looking at the Shure SE535 but found them to be a bit out of  my budget, and because this is a significant investment I don't feel like pushing my luck and biting the bullet without knowing what I'll get first.
 
So guys, please advise me of your choices (and because I'm back to Vietnam in a few week's time for summer holidays, I'll try to audition them if I can back at home).
 
Thank you.

 

[tinyman392]

Some ideas:

1. Aurisonics ASG-1
2. Etymotic (HF5 or ER4)
3. ACS T15

 
Those are the main ones around that price range.  I do have a few that are lower than your price range that may suit you.

 

[Cassadian]

Purchase the SM3 v2 from soundearphones.com for 360. They are known for possibly having the best midrange of all similarly prices IEMs

 

[mikaveli06]

Ive had both the asg-1's and the sm3v2 and i actually prefer the asg-1's and they are quite cheaper.  I liked the sm3 very much, but i actually prefer the dynamic drivers better
 

 

[3nenbgumi]

Thank you very much guys for all the suggestions
Quote:

Ive had both the asg-1's and the sm3v2 and i actually prefer the asg-1's and they are quite cheaper.  I liked the sm3 very much, but i actually prefer the dynamic drivers better
 

I'm sorry, but would you mind doing a brief comparison between the two, especially on the midrange? I do not really care if it's BA or DD, as long as it does the trick for me.
Quote:

Purchase the SM3 v2 from soundearphones.com for 360. They are known for possibly having the best midrange of all similarly prices IEMs

Thank you for this. The SM3 v2 sound like a great choice, but not too readily available in the UK, and shipping from the States would cost dearly.
Quote:

Some ideas:

1. Aurisonics ASG-1
2. Etymotic (HF5 or ER4)
3. ACS T15

 
Those are the main ones around that price range.  I do have a few that are lower than your price range that may suit you.

Thank you. I'll look into the Aurisonics when I'm back home. Purchasing them from here would be hard, and auditioning them is next to impossible

 

[Cassadian]

I would say the the SM3 v2, from what I've read, is more neutral, more detailed, quicker (due to balanced armatures versus dynamic drivers), more true to the recording, has similar soundstage to the Aurisonics ASG-1 (prior to any revisions), and is more natural in every way due to having an almost ruler flat frequency response.