[GL1TCH3D]

Hey guys,
I recently sold most of my stuff to fund a purchase in the high end portable department.
My question is, what's my best option in terms of high end portable monitors?
My price range is about 900$ total (so it should come to 900$ after shipping).
The reason I want to spend so much on portable monitors is because I'm out on the go for 2+ hours a day (not exercising, just travelling) and don't spend enough time at home to consider a good home setup.
I also read a bit on customs and generally I hear that a good custom is better than most dynamic headphones. At my price point, would getting a custom sound better than the Edition 8s driven straight from a portable source?
Which customs should I get?
What are the pros and cons of both?
I know custom IEMs are more of a pain because I have to go get a mold done then send the mold to the IEM maker.
Though, customs should be easier to bring around because of their size.

What would people here recommend for me?
The reason I don't want to bring a portable amp is because it probably won't fit in my pocket (well, the e5 fits but it's not great anyway...

In terms of sound I like exciting sounds. Bass shouldn't be over emphasized but I would like the bass to have a nice presence. I care quite a bit about the treble...
So something quite all-round would be great.
(I listen to almost anything from dubstep to classical)

Thanks for any help or suggestions!

 

[Watagump]

You should look into your fellow countrymen.
 
http://www.heiraudio.com/article_99.html

 

[GL1TCH3D]

You should look into your fellow countrymen.
 
http://www.heiraudio.com/article_99.html

Thanks, those look interesting, especially the 8a xD but those are over my budget. Is unique melody any good?

 

[Watagump]

Quote:

Thanks, those look interesting, especially the 8a xD but those are over my budget. Is unique melody any good?

The Heir audio start at $350 for their base model, well in your price range. Mostly the reason I suggested them are the fact they are a Canadian company. Right now, I am getting my TF10 reshelled from Fisher. This is an option, but its way more work persay. You have to buy TF10's, get the molds done send everything here to the US, get them made and shipped back. I personally wouldnt go with a place like UM, but only cause I refuse to deal with shipping overseas. Others can prob give more info on UM then I can.

 

[GL1TCH3D]

The Heir audio start at $350 for their base model, well in your price range. Mostly the reason I suggested them are the fact they are a Canadian company. Right now, I am getting my TF10 reshelled from Fisher. This is an option, but its way more work persay. You have to buy TF10's, get the molds done send everything here to the US, get them made and shipped back. I personally wouldnt go with a place like UM, but only cause I refuse to deal with shipping overseas. Others can prob give more info on UM then I can.

I just read the faq for heir and the molds have to be shipped to china? And I know the base model is in my range but would it be worth it to go with the 4a at 450 or the 6a at 900$?

 

[Kunlun]

There are a lot of choices!
 
Rather than the dumb list of overhyped customs others will give, I'll offer some good advice instead of telling you specific customs. You can read my reviews to get an idea of where I'm coming from custom-wise.
 
The first thing is that you need ear impressions made. You'll need an audiologist who has experience with making earmolds for musicians. This is huge because fit is one of the most important things with custom iems. Paying a bit more is definitely a good investment if it means you are working with an experienced audiologist.
 
Ask to use a bite block, that's a piece of firm foam you put between your teeth. Don't bite down on it, though. RELAX your jaw. Yeah, all-caps relax. The idea is to open the ear canal (yes, it changes shape) as much as possible, hence the open jaw and relaxation.
 
Now, "hey folks I want a custom! Which one do I get?" is not a good question. You've invited a lot of dumb answers from folks who will say whatever is popular at the moment or what they have. You've started to describe the sound you want to hear, that's great. You want something with good bass response, but not too much, a warm, colored mid (that's the exciting sound you mentioned, not too cold and analytical) and some treble energy but not harsh. Great. There's no right answer, they all have trade-offs, but the important thing is to know and go with what you want. Now, we can weed out many of the options that people are going to tell you. Do your homework and read some reviews.
 
Amps. You can play any custom out of an ipod or whatever, but they will pretty much all sound a bit better with an amp, particularly at low volumes (don't go deaf). And there are portable amps which are excellent and fit in a pocket. I have the TTVJ Slim, the leckerton UHA-4 is another choice. The Leckerton is $200, as an example, while more headphone capable truly portable amps like the slim are $300+. Could be worth it, why pay for a custom and not get everything out of it? You should go for an entry level custom if you don't want an amp (or get something truly nice and save for an amp later, either way) Same for headphones, that customs are easier to driver is an advantage for portable use. Isolation, better portability and comfort are others.
 
So, let's say $900 minus $100 for a good audiologist (don't go cheap), and maybe $200 for a portable amp, that's $600 for a custom. It's all too easy to go over budget, but staying within that still leaves a lot of great choices. Do your homework and don't just go with what's $600, there are a poor choices in that range, too. You can pm me for my suggestions (my suggestions will be based on your preferred sound as you've described it).
 
 
 
 

 

[Watagump]

Quote:

I just read the faq for heir and the molds have to be shipped to china? And I know the base model is in my range but would it be worth it to go with the 4a at 450 or the 6a at 900$?

I have no clue about Heir and the molds going to China, that makes ZERO sense. Being worth it, well hard to say. I have never heard them, you are pretty much just going to a higher model. Will the SQ be so much better for the price? I cant answer that. Read through the Heir audio impressions thread to help. My TF10 are a triple driver, just like the 3a, I am very happy with them. I would love an 8 driver like the 8a or even the JH16, but thats just more then I will spend. I know my molds are at Fisher in FL, they make the customs right there.

 

[kckc]

Quote:

I have no clue about Heir and the molds going to China, that makes ZERO sense.

Heir Audio is a subdivision of Canadian based Micro-DSP, but they are located in China. So yes, you would need to send your ear impressions to China. I am not aware of any Canadian CIEM companies, or at least ones with their labs in Canada. 

 

[Watagump]

Quote:

Heir Audio is a subdivision of Canadian based Micro-DSP, but they are located in China. So yes, you would need to send your ear impressions to China. I am not aware of any Canadian CIEM companies, or at least ones with their labs in Canada. 

Well it makes sense now.

 

[GL1TCH3D]

The only thing stopping me from a CIEM atm is that I can't get it in Canada, I have to go through the process of getting the molds and sending them in as well as resale value if I need to resell them in the future... Though portability would be fantastic >.< Tough choice.

 

[kckc]

Quote:

The only thing stopping me from a CIEM atm is that I can't get it in Canada, I have to go through the process of getting the molds and sending them in as well as resale value if I need to resell them in the future... Though portability would be fantastic >.< Tough choice.

Well, for resell value Heir Audio will have the highest resell value with their Ownership Transfer Service policy. This "service" allows the pair of customs to be resold twice, with the second and third owners entitled to a refit + inspection of the product for $70. Buying CIEMs in the States isn't that bad as shipping will be much cheaper than when sending it overseas. 
 

 

[GL1TCH3D]

Well, for resell value Heir Audio will have the highest resell value with their Ownership Transfer Service policy. This "service" allows the pair of customs to be resold twice, with the second and third owners entitled to a refit + inspection of the product for $70. Buying CIEMs in the States isn't that bad as shipping will be much cheaper than when sending it overseas. 
 

Well it's not shipping charges I'm worried about, it's importing a 900$ IEM into Canada which tacks on an extra 40% in import taxes

 

[kckc]

Quote:

Well it's not shipping charges I'm worried about, it's importing a 900$ IEM into Canada which tacks on an extra 40% in import taxes

Well, I'm also located in Canada and I have 3 pairs of customs. Two from China and one from the States. My JH5s did not require me to pay customs and was sent via UPS, although my friend had to pay customs when he received his, so I'm not sure as to how that works. UM declares their product values really low so I was able to avoid any import taxes. 
 

 

[GL1TCH3D]

Well, I'm also located in Canada and I have 3 pairs of customs. Two from China and one from the States. My JH5s did not require me to pay customs and was sent via UPS, although my friend had to pay customs when he received his, so I'm not sure as to how that works. UM declares their product values really low so I was able to avoid any import taxes. 
 

It depends on how much is declared and if they check the package or not.

 

[kckc]

Quote:

It depends on how much is declared and if they check the package or not.

I haven't had any of my custom packages inspected or opened. 
 
Anyhow, I would definitely recommend CIEMs as they are a step up from all the universals I've had.