[Gintaras]

Music, thanks, obrigado 

 

[music_4321]

どう致しまして。

 

[james444]

  Of all these iem's you guys are talking about, I have a simple question. Which one has the sound sig mostly resembling the EX1000's? I am preparing for a backup to my EX1000 as it has been sadly discontinued for production.

 
Out of those I've heard (all except for the Parterres): sadly none.
 
Btw, did you know there are some new Sony IEMs on the horizon...

 
 
Speaking of which, @Gintaras, I know you're not a big fan of Sony, but I did an interesting experiment today: I sampled some of your favorite test & torture tracks, mainly ELO's "Time" album and the "Eyes Wide Shut" soundtrack, but also those Bach organ pieces and gave them a listen on pretty much all IEMs I currently have at hand. Also pumped up the volume more than usual, 'cause I know you like to listen a bit louder than me. I had the K3003 as a reference, which we know are somewhat similar to the 1plus2, and I was taking into account that the latter are a tad more aggressive and V-shaped. I was looking for the best complementary IEMs to them...
 
Long story short, know which one took the cake? Not my beloved EX1000 (these are a bit too treble happy at high volume), none of my Final Audios (though I prefer several of them to the winner for my kind of music and listening habits), none of the others (UERM, GR10, e-Q7, FX700, ME-10EX, ...), but the €150 Sony MDR-7550. Non-fatiguing treble, well-suited for louder listening sessions, smooth mids with great presence and an authoritative and extended bass that makes you think twice about whether the 1plus2 have the best bass you've ever heard. Note that these are stage monitors, but nevertheless great fun with a little more volume.
 
Bottom line, I think these may well be some of the best complementary IEMs to the 1plus2 out there, despite their low price tag. They're definitely the best choice out of my current IEM collection, considering your listening preferences. If you ask me, I'd say it might be worth to challenge your stance on Sony products and give them a try sometime. 

 

[nk77]

   
Out of those I've heard (all except for the Parterres): sadly none.
 
Btw, did you know there are some new Sony IEMs on the horizon...

 

 
Haven't these been out for a while now? Be interesting to see how they compare to the 7550s. 
 

   
Bottom line, I think these may well be some of the best complementary IEMs to the 1plus2 out there, despite their low price tag. They're definitely the best choice out of my current IEM collection, considering your listening preferences. If you ask me, I'd say it might be worth to challenge your stance on Sony products and give them a try sometime. 

 
Yes, if it isn't over $500 it isn't even worth a look in my book......

 

[AnakChan]

Off-topic: In the gym just out of a DAP? No issues with sweating. Surely, if you don't focus on sonics there would be less of a reason to bring the FitEars to the gym. Is it due to comfort? Although I was prepared to use the older 1Plus2s around the gym....and I used the SE-535s a couple of times in such a situation. 

On topic: Unfortunately, the 1Plus2 right cable has popped out of the IEM twice now since I've owned the new pair from fiddling around with the ear seal when I get to work. Not even going to attempt removing it from its 'office desk' environment. Although I haven't had an issue for over a week now..

Cos I only have the 1Plus2 Über, MH335DW, TG!334, & SE846.

So I gym with either FitEars.

I believe the that the ergonomic design of these IEMs could improve in the stem lip holding the tips, & in the recessed socket design. Preferably for my ears I think the angle of the stem could be changed a little to allow it to be more flush to the ears.

 

[nk77]

Cos I only have the 1Plus2 Über, MH335DW, TG!334, & SE846.

So I gym with either FitEars.

I believe the that the ergonomic design of these IEMs could improve in the stem lip holding the tips, & in the recessed socket design. Preferably for my ears I think the angle of the stem could be changed a little to allow it to be more flush to the ears.

 
I was considering the 846 as a more out and about kind of IEM...?

 

[Mimouille]

Cos I only have the 1Plus2 Über, MH335DW, TG!334, & SE846.

Poor poor Anakchan...how do you live ?

 

[Gintaras]

James, interesting test, i am curious to listen to this Sony when you willing to lend me them for a week and o have enough time to do good audition.
what i wonder do Sonys convey all close subtleys like timeliness, pace, acoustic depth, etc.... you know it is so difficult to strike this delicate balance and as to date i heard 1p2 excelled best way in this. yesterday i again listened to the big organ in Mariazell church and again thought of my gear, none would be able to fill the room in that way to recreate full presence ... okokok i know pipe organ has the most compex polyphonic among all music instruments but i measure the ability of gear to come at least some way in this direction. so lets subject Sonys to proper organ music and then do my usual torture tests using Rwak, T1 amp and Uber interconnect.

@Mimouille, yes indeed poor AnakChan :-D

but never forget one Über cable counts for two IEMs

 

[DMinor]

   
Out of those I've heard (all except for the Parterres): sadly none.
 
Btw, did you know there are some new Sony IEMs on the horizon...

 
 

 
Hmm .... the EX1000 is alone? That's sad.
 
Anyways thanks for the info on the new Sony. I may check that out later this yr.

 

[lee730]

James, interesting test, i am curious to listen to this Sony when you willing to lend me them for a week and o have enough time to do good audition.
what i wonder do Sonys convey all close subtleys like timeliness, pace, acoustic depth, etc.... you know it is so difficult to strike this delicate balance and as to date i heard 1p2 excelled best way in this. yesterday i again listened to the big organ in Mariazell church and again thought of my gear, none would be able to fill the room in that way to recreate full presence ... okokok i know pipe organ has the most compex polyphonic among all music instruments but i measure the ability of gear to come at least some way in this direction. so lets subject Sonys to proper organ music and then do my usual torture tests using Rwak, T1 amp and Uber interconnect.

@Mimouille, yes indeed poor AnakChan :-D

but never forget one Über cable counts for two IEMs

 
If you are referring in part to the depth of the sound staging there really isn't a whole lot on the EX1000. It's focus is really on width. It was a more narrow presentation in my case.

 

[Gintaras]

Lee, frankly speaking i know it that no gear will be able to reproduce church organ because besides complex polyphony also has incredible acoustic in church. Also, unlike with live venues where much depends on hall acoustics, churches in most cases have darn good acoustic. And i have better chance to visit church often than concerts, so i am able to keep better sense of live organ play and compare this to gear sound.

Depth is not only about instrument layering but also complex polypony i am able to hear in the notes, same note can have many small tonalities.

 

[goodvibes]

That proper mic techniques should record. Reproduction vs live is an issue on all music.

 

[james444]

James, interesting test, i am curious to listen to this Sony when you willing to lend me them for a week and o have enough time to do good audition.
what i wonder do Sonys convey all close subtleys like timeliness, pace, acoustic depth, etc.... you know it is so difficult to strike this delicate balance and as to date i heard 1p2 excelled best way in this. yesterday i again listened to the big organ in Mariazell church and again thought of my gear, none would be able to fill the room in that way to recreate full presence ... okokok i know pipe organ has the most compex polyphonic among all music instruments but i measure the ability of gear to come at least some way in this direction. so lets subject Sonys to proper organ music and then do my usual torture tests using Rwak, T1 amp and Uber interconnect.

 
No problem, try and "torture" them as long as you like.

 

  If you are referring in part to the depth of the sound staging there really isn't a whole lot on the EX1000. It's focus is really on width. It was a more narrow presentation in my case.

 
Sound staging is probably the hardest part to agree upon, as people tend to perceive spatial presentation widely differently. Still, I maintain that the EX1000 and MDR-7550 sound closest to full-sized headphones out of all IEMs I've heard, not only in spatiality, but also in how effortlessly they scale with higher volume.
 
Mids play a key role in depth perception. The 1plus2 has a little trick up its sleeve, in that the slight V-shape tuning results in perceived (vocal) distance and forward projection. In my understanding any "complementary" pair of IEMs to the 1plus2 should have more mids presence and hence less perceived distance and forward projection. The 7550 meet these requirements, while retaining a nice sense of space.
 

Lee, frankly speaking i know it that no gear will be able to reproduce church organ because besides complex polyphony also has incredible acoustic in church. Also, unlike with live venues where much depends on hall acoustics, churches in most cases have darn good acoustic. And i have better chance to visit church often than concerts, so i am able to keep better sense of live organ play and compare this to gear sound.

Depth is not only about instrument layering but also complex polypony i am able to hear in the notes, same note can have many small tonalities.

 
Churches have long reverb and decay times due to huge room dimensions and lack of absorbant materials. You can't reproduce that kind of acoustic in a small earphone, unless it's already in the recording. The Final Audio 1601/2 IEMs are an attempt to produce strongly reverberant acoustics in an earphone's housing, but they don't suit all kinds of music equally well.
 
However, another aspect of live organ play is authority. A large church organ sounds awe inspiring and authoritative like no other instrument. Sony's 16mm drivers are able to convey that feeling very well.
 

  That proper mic techniques should record. Reproduction vs live is an issue on all music.

 
X2. Though binaural recordings like Chesky's "Explorations in Space and Time" should (in theory) catch everything you'd hear in the same place.

 

[spkrs01]

  Sound staging is probably the hardest part to agree upon, as people tend to perceive spatial presentation widely differently. Still, I maintain that the EX1000 and MDR-7550 sound closest to full-sized headphones out of all IEMs I've heard, not only in spatiality, but also in how effortlessly they scale with higher volume.
 
Mids play a key role in depth perception. The 1plus2 has a little trick up its sleeve, in that the slight V-shape tuning results in perceived (vocal) distance and forward projection. In my understanding any "complementary" pair of IEMs to the 1plus2 should have more mids presence and hence less perceived distance and forward projection. The 7550 meet these requirements, while retaining a nice sense of space.
 
 

 
James
 
A complementary pair of IEMs to the 1plus2 should probably convey some more mid presence, if a more normalized IEM sound is required. I am generalizing somewhat here.
 
However, I think we can mostly agree that the majority of music is recorded primarily for speakers. From this perspective, we need to gather thoughts as to which presentation is correct, not personal preference. A high end speaker system's sound staging starts at the plane of the speakers and soundstages behind the speakers. This presentation is not V shaped, as such but just revealing how the recording was produced........................ 

 

[eke2k6]

   
James
 
A complementary pair of IEMs to the 1plus2 should probably convey some more mid presence, if a more normalized IEM sound is required. I am generalizing somewhat here.
 
However, I think we can mostly agree that the majority of music is recorded primarily for speakers. From this perspective, we need to gather thoughts as to which presentation is correct, not personal preference. A high end speaker system's sound staging starts at the plane of the speakers and soundstages behind the speakers. This presentation is not V shaped, as such but just revealing how the recording was produced........................ 

 
 
Actually, Gavin, I think that honor belongs to Diffuse Field or OW tuned IEMs. The 1plus2, as great as it is, doesn't match either of those.
 
The DF and OW curves were derived from plotting the perception of a flat loudspeaker, and iems like the UERM, ER4S, F111, etc attempt to match that in the mids and highs. This generally involves lifting between 1 and 4K, areas where the 1plus2 slightly shies away from to create that sense of space. I'm sure Inks will be here shortly to expand on the matter. After all,