Total IEM newb: daily-driver bangers under $160-200? (you guessed it, with tons of bass...)
May 11, 2024 at 1:40 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 13
T

terramia

New Head-Fier
Joined
May 10, 2024
Posts
4
Likes
0
Location
Ba$$land
TLDR; reccs for comfy, bass-heavy dynamic/hybrid IEMs that are not the Ikko OH10, pref. max $160-170ish. Source = Spotify Premium over phone 3.5mm.

Hi guys!

As per the title, IEM newb here, not a hi-fi quality listener, don't grasp most of jargon used here. Have only worn basic wired earbuds (Sennheiser/1More), then found out IEMs are a thing & have been up & down Google, Reddit, HI-FI trying to replace my recently busted 1More's.

Context:
I have a long, loud daily commute. Listen to a lot of hard rock (guitar shred solos give me life), trance/house/dupstep, melodic/doom/death metal, some rap/hip-hop, but also jazzy lo-fi & synthwave. Generally have sensitive hearing & get fatigued really easily by higher pitches and am, not surprisingly, all about that bass. I've heard Neutral/W/V/U/whatever shape terms thrown around, V seems to suit me best but don't really know what U/W even sound like. For reference, I have V-MODA Crossfade M-100 Master cans and enjoy their V-shape sound but only with my laptop's Dobly EQ set to "Detailed" or "Warm", out-of-the-box they sound kinda dull to me.

My search so far:
Ikko OH10 came up again & again. Really wanted to pull the trigger BUT...they're apparently HEAVY (15g?!). Additionally, as much as I relish The Drop in a dupstep track...I don't want mid/high ranges to get totally lost/distant in favor of only bass (see? I have some class for gods sake!). The weight is mostly the dealbreaker for me.

Halp?
If you've made it this far (bless you), what are your suggestions?
I'm pretty firm on budget, $200 is honestly more than I'd like to spend since these are daily-drivers and WILL get beat up with time (I'm not the most graceful lady out there lol). Really appreciate any reccs.

EDIT: I forgot to include I'm looking for something non-planar. Don't like the idea of magnets extra magnets in my ears! And I use Spotify Premium on my phone (3.5mm jack) over data with the quality level set to Auto as the source. Don't have a DAC or any other accessories yet.
 
Last edited:
May 11, 2024 at 3:22 PM Post #2 of 13
Sounds like your describing the Artti T10 which has the best bass Ive heard in an IEM except for the slam of the 7hz Timeless (original not the lame AE version with a dynamic bass driver). It's plain looking, but sounds excellent. Also they feel pretty durable, and the included cable is the nicest factory cable I've come across in an IEM. It should stand up to a lot of commuting.
 
May 11, 2024 at 3:57 PM Post #3 of 13
dunring said:
Sounds like your describing the Artti T10 which has the best bass Ive heard in an IEM except for the slam of the 7hz Timeless (original not the lame AE version with a dynamic bass driver). It's plain looking, but sounds excellent. Also they feel pretty durable, and the included cable is the nicest factory cable I've come across in an IEM. It should stand up to a lot of commuting.
Click to expand...
Appreciate the rec! I totally forgot to add to the original post that I'm specifically looking non-planar ones. Have you used any dynamics that come close to the sound quality of the ones you recommended? Thanks!!
 
May 11, 2024 at 6:28 PM Post #7 of 13
dunring said:
Sounds like your describing the Artti T10 which has the best bass Ive heard in an IEM except for the slam of the 7hz Timeless (original not the lame AE version with a dynamic bass driver). It's plain looking, but sounds excellent. Also they feel pretty durable, and the included cable is the nicest factory cable I've come across in an IEM. It should stand up to a lot of commuting.
Click to expand...
What are you on about? The timeless ae uses a planar driver.
 
May 12, 2024 at 11:07 AM Post #8 of 13
The Artti R1 has big bass and non-piercing treble. Three dynamic drivers. They are heavy in the hand and they look ungainly in photos, but they turned out to be very comfortable in use.

Also, if you want some real bass-happy beaters, you could get the Sony MH750 from Spassear on Ebay, who sells genuine ones.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3525375262...4H2SBW&hash=item5214dfbfcb:g:vDwAAOSww5Ji5DtK

Most of the other MH750 and MH755 out there are counterfeits, because they got rave reviews from headphone guru Crinacle and scammers saw an opportunity.

The MH750 are tiny, like thumbnail size, and weigh approximately zero. They disappear in your ear.

The MH750 are cheap for reasons. They are hardwired with very thin wires. They have a short (1.2m) cable (you could get an extension). The cable is also shorter on one side than the other, made to wear behind the neck, a style the Japanese market likes.

Quirky, but cheap and they fit your sound signature. Lots of discussion about them elsewhere on Head-Fi.
 
Last edited:
May 12, 2024 at 2:17 PM Post #9 of 13
terramia said:
My search so far:
Ikko OH10 came up again & again. Really wanted to pull the trigger BUT...they're apparently HEAVY (15g?!). Additionally, as much as I relish The Drop in a dupstep track...I don't want mid/high ranges to get totally lost/distant in favor of only bass (see? I have some class for gods sake!). The weight is mostly the dealbreaker for me.
Click to expand...
They are indeed heavy but for example, I was one of those who didn't find them uncomfortable at all, so this really is a personal thing. They are also not muffled, they do have the upper-mids and treble, maybe even too much for their own good, especially the former; modern black metal sounds a bit harsh on them in fact, although this depends on amplification too, so might not be the case with your phone. Nevertheless, you're probably smart to not get them when your response to their weight is such an unknown.

terramia said:
EDIT: I forgot to include I'm looking for something non-planar. Don't like the idea of magnets in my ears!
Click to expand...
Dynamic drivers also have magnets, so.... uhm.
 
Last edited:
May 12, 2024 at 11:50 PM Post #10 of 13
MidnightSun said:
They are indeed heavy but for example, I was one of those who didn't find them uncomfortable at all, so this really is a personal thing. They are also not muffled, they do have the upper-mids and treble, maybe even too much for their own good, especially the former; modern black metal sounds a bit harsh on them in fact, although this depends on amplification too, so might not be the case with your phone. Nevertheless, you're probably smart to not get them when your response to their weight is such an unknown.


Dynamic drivers also have magnets, so.... uhm.
Click to expand...
Ha! Did I mention I was a newb? lol Legit had NO idea. This whole time my 1More's had them too! I'm laughing. Thank you for that edification.

Yes, seeing as you can only buy them on their website and nowhere else (I'm not counting Aliexpress), it would be a risk, returns are always a hassle.
 
May 15, 2024 at 8:48 PM Post #11 of 13
I use the Kinera Phoenixcall as my daily IEM, its got a V shaped tuning and they're quite lightweight and comfy for on the go - I think they go for around 120-130? Theres also a warmer version available from Elise Audio dubbed the dark phoenix - though it does cost a bit more (10-20ish more iirc) it could be a good option for you I think. To me both of them are pretty good value for the sound they provide though :).
 
May 15, 2024 at 9:36 PM Post #12 of 13
Campfire Audio occasionally has B-Stock Honeydews for under $200. I'm not really an IEM guy so I don't know how they compare to others, but I'm definitely a basshead and they more than satisfy my desire for the occasional outrageous stinky bass riot, lol
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top