[chemosit]

I just took my wife to Aruba for our seven year wedding anniversary. We had a fantastic time swimming in the ocean, watching movies on the beach, spending Christmas in shorts. Unfortunately, she left her UM3x IEM's on the plane and was unable to recover them. I would like to buy her a new pair, but I need recommendations for a TOTL set that meets her specific needs.

She primarily wears IEM's when jogging on the treadmill and doing housework. Her ears are on the small side. she mainly listens to hip-hop and whatever is popular on the radio.

Main priorities are microphonics, comfort, and sound quality. Isolation is not that important, nor is the ability to have interchangeable cables (although these things could be a plus, I suppose). Also, Needs to be universal.

For reference, she found IE8 to be too dark and muddy. She preferred the UM3x as having a much clearer presentation. The only negatives about them were that vocals were a bit too forward and the soundstage bordered on being claustrophobic. I own a pair of K3003i (which I love and find to be as good as my HD800) and would like something for her that is equal in sound quality, but I am not sure if they would stay in her ears that well when she moves around as the cable hangs straight down vs over the ear.

Reading the threads, it seems that SE846 might be a good choice, but I worry about fit and comfort. W60 also looks promising, but she is not an audiophile and might enjoy a little more punch than a neutral IEM offers. A little extra bass and "fun" might be good for her, but I don't want to make the mistake again of buying the IE8 based on the reviews touting the awesome bass, only to find them dark and murky.

Would anyone be so helpful as to provide recommendations based on my wife's needs, and provide some color as to your thoughts? Budget is up to $1500.

 

[Kunlun]

Congrats on 7 years, you lucky guy, you!
 
You said, universal fit, cable-over-ears, microphonics, comfort, fits small ears (this is the one people will ignore), good bass, clear-sounding, good with popular music?
 
Have you looked at the Noble Audio line of universal fit monitors? The N6 is fantastic and criminally underrated, in my opinion. It is clear, yet has very nice bass. It should be a perfect choice. People will also recommend the 846, to my ears that was bassy with a warm, forward midrange and a peak to the treble followed by a roll-off (on the white filter, you can change to two other, darker-sounding filters). I think the N6 is the more overall capable choice, neutral yet has bass, while the 846 may be a warm sound she may like. For fit, it depends on her ears, you'll want to look, but her ears would have to be small indeed to have a problem, I think (no promises, I haven't seen her ears!). Avoid anything tralucent, the roxanne universal, the jvc fx1100 or fx850, the new sony z5, all of these just won't fit in her ears or are wrong for running.
 
Actually, you might want to pm FullCircle, chief of Noble and send him a picture of your wife's ear. The K10u is a really great sounding and surprising compact iem for all the drivers in there, he can tell you if it or the N6 should fit right or not. That's some good advice right there, actually, and you can tell your wife you went to the head of the company for her gift...

 

[jelt2359]

Coming from the UM3X, any other IEM is going to seem a bit less comfy. The 846, for example, initially shocked me by how.. chubby it looked. You get used to it very quickly, however. I don't think the 846 is for her if she's not into forward vocals like with the UM3X. The W60 is a good choice, but a bit more subtle and refined.

Another good option may be the IE800. Definitely not dark nor muddy.

I also think the N6 is a great option if she prizes clarity a lot. The K10U is good as well, but slightly warmer. Another 'custom' company to look into would be 1964 Ears. I think the 1964 V6S might suit her preferences well.

 

[chemosit]

Thanks for the great suggestions. I'm going to look into the N6 and the V6S. Any other recommendations or advice is welcome.

 

[Ivabign]

If there were things your wife enjoyed about her old Westones - the UM Pro50 is an option - it clears up some of the negatives of the 3X & Pro30 such as small soundstage and treble extension. They are the lightest darned things and much smaller than my SE846 - you don't know they are there - you could always order a V6S and get the Pro50 for the wait time and be within budget 

 

 

[proedros]

She primarily wears IEM's when jogging on the treadmill and doing housework. Her ears are on the small side. she mainly listens to hip-hop and whatever is popular on the radio.


Budget is up to $1500.

 
for that kind of activity (dangerous for the safety of the iems) and the kind of music ( non audiophile/badly produced) , i think a 200$ iem would be more than enough.

just my 2 (wise) cents.

cheers.

 

[jelt2359]

  If there were things your wife enjoyed about her old Westones - the UM Pro50 is an option - it clears up some of the negatives of the 3X & Pro30 such as small soundstage and treble extension. They are the lightest darned things and much smaller than my SE846 - you don't know they are there - you could always order a V6S and get the Pro50 for the wait time and be within budget 

 

This was my first thought. But then, while certainly an improvement over the UM3X, the UM Pro 50 (and the UM series in general) is nonetheless not what I'd turn to as a first choice for someone who wants a bigger soundstage, and mids that are not forward. I still keep my UM3X, though- for the unbeatable comfort.

 

[chemosit]

for that kind of activity (dangerous for the safety of the iems) and the kind of music ( non audiophile/badly produced) , i think a 200$ iem would be more than enough.


just my 2 (wise) cents.


cheers.

Fair enough, and I appreciate the feedback; however, I can replace them if they become damaged and I want her to experience the best sound quality possible - provided that the fit and comfort are excellent and microphonics aren't a problem.

 

[nick n]

What about slicone earguides for the K3003 so it can be worn over ears?  Just throwing that out there. Then you know for sure she likes the 3003 already. Assuming the silicone cable guides are comfortable enough and will even work well. Unsure how stiff the cable is or what the fit would be like.
There's a bunch of different guides around I believe. Vmoda etc.
 
 Like your avatar,

strangely reading something right now with that same theme, even down to the chest emblems, by Bruce Rux.

 

[tomscy2000]

Dark Horse recommendation: InEar Stage Diver SD4(S) ('S' version for small ears)

 

[moedawg140]

A great universal IEM that's impeccable for working out? The SE846 with Sensaphonics Custom Sleeves (SCS) transforms the SE846 into a silicone CIEM. You can read the SCS (with SE846) review below (in my signature) to find out more. Good luck with your search!

 

[crazy eddie]

I believe she will love audiotechnica im70 or sony xba h3, or xba a3, or the flagship, xba z5, if she like those in the past she will love these.

 

[ericr]

Another dead thread revived. How do you guys find these?