As a relative newcomer to higher fidelity IEMs, I'm finding that as my listening gets re-tuned to expect a higher level of quality, my digital music collection remains an unwieldy mish-mash of old 128 mbps mp4s from when iTunes sent downloads at that bitrate, lossless rips of CDs, music podcasts at 128 - 192 mbps, some audiophile dowloads from HDtracks, a lot of 320 mbps AACs, etc., etc. I also listen to a lot of streaming sources to find new music. Unfortunately, despite my upgrading the quality of some of the old mp3s here and there, I will always have a lot of poor quality stuff that I listen to.
This variety in the quality of my source material leaves me with the problem that my VSonic GR07s are sounding "bad" to me with a lot of my listening, especially harsh and sibilant in the treble and brutally revealing of muddy lower mids on the poorer quality recordings and streams. This is not a fault of the GR07s, of course, because they continue to sound wonderful, if a bit too neutral, to me on better source material. This leaves me looking for an IEM that can sound as good as the VSonics on a lossless file while perhaps smoothing over some of the shortcomings of a 128 mbps podcast.
In terms of preferences, I listen widely but not much rap, hip hop, techno, or pop. The music I listen to, whether rock, electronic or orchestral, often has a lot going on it, and I split my time roughly equally between intense listening when I look take the piece apart and when I just relax and enjoy the entirety. I'm no basshead, but I do like to feel the kick of the kick drum and the rumble of a reverb-laden deep base line, but it is equally important to hear a hand slapping the drum head before the resulting thump. I also tire easily from harsh treble (my experiment with the Klipsch S4 was VERY short lived!).
To some degree, I know I'm asking for the impossible as a revealing, forgiving phone is inherently a contradiction, but I'd appreciate suggestions for the best possible compromises. Thanks.
This variety in the quality of my source material leaves me with the problem that my VSonic GR07s are sounding "bad" to me with a lot of my listening, especially harsh and sibilant in the treble and brutally revealing of muddy lower mids on the poorer quality recordings and streams. This is not a fault of the GR07s, of course, because they continue to sound wonderful, if a bit too neutral, to me on better source material. This leaves me looking for an IEM that can sound as good as the VSonics on a lossless file while perhaps smoothing over some of the shortcomings of a 128 mbps podcast.
In terms of preferences, I listen widely but not much rap, hip hop, techno, or pop. The music I listen to, whether rock, electronic or orchestral, often has a lot going on it, and I split my time roughly equally between intense listening when I look take the piece apart and when I just relax and enjoy the entirety. I'm no basshead, but I do like to feel the kick of the kick drum and the rumble of a reverb-laden deep base line, but it is equally important to hear a hand slapping the drum head before the resulting thump. I also tire easily from harsh treble (my experiment with the Klipsch S4 was VERY short lived!).
To some degree, I know I'm asking for the impossible as a revealing, forgiving phone is inherently a contradiction, but I'd appreciate suggestions for the best possible compromises. Thanks.
