[archy121]

 
A while back i had to pack up my audiophile HI-FI rig & was no longer able to enjoy  music. Than as good fortune would have it, recently a friend handed over his redundant AKG K240M (600ohm originals). I paired these up with the Essence STX card & since than i have rediscovered the joys of music again. I have found myself addicted to staying up for late night listening sessions. I didn’t know it was possible to get this much enjoyment from a small scale setup. Now i would like to replicate much of this sound quality when I'm away from home.
 
 
Currently I have an old Sony NWZ-A818 DAP & will probably upgrade this to X1000 series. I have been reading that the X series gave one of the best quality sounds with warmth. Something that the latest Sony DAP’s don’t seem to match or better. I want something small, well built & strong battery life (30hrs+).I don't want to AMP if possible. Playback files will be 320Kbps MP3.
 
Ideally I need an IEM that can do clarity without too strong treble (can't bare it) & same time provide deepest levels of bass.
I love what i'm able to get from AKG240M - Essence STX setup. The AKG's are almost perfect but lack deep bass. There most redeeming qualities are the Clarity, Separation & huge wide open Soundstage (amazing out of head experiences with Trance).
 
 
I use Foobar2000 equalizer to up the lows & drop the highs slightly to make the sound warmer to my liking. Without equalizing i would not be able to listen for long with the AKG's. Sound would be too clinical/analytical (?) i.e. lacking warmth. I think i prefer Vinyl/Valve amp like warm sounding signatures. I would prefer more deeper bass but anything more on the equalizers & it falls apart on the AKG's. I had a REL subwoofer in my HI-FI rig & really appreciated the super lows that it added.
 
My music preferences is varied. I like the clarity & detail of Trance/Electronic, vocals of SADE, guitars from classic rock & the bass of RNB/HIPHOP.
 
 
 
Is it even possible to replicate if not better the quality of sound i'm presently getting from AKG240M - Essence STX setup with the right DAP & IEMS ?
 
 
 
My thoughts on possible IEMS:
 
1. IE80/IE8 - mainly concerned about some saying 'Veiled' sound. Love the raving about huge headphone like soundstage. Not sure how mid bass hump will bother me but i don't mind equalizing.
 
2. JVC FX700 -  Sound ideal but not keen to import into UK than dealing with any warranty issues. Maybe little less fun/clinical compared to IE80 ?
 
3. UE T10 - Possibly little too treble strong  & not enough deep bass ?
 
4. MTCP -  Not much to say sonically - possibly little too neutral ? or is that same as AKG240 i have but with good bass ?. Personally I really don't like their looks or Monster brand as whole (silly i know). *Are the ControlTalk versions just as good as standard ones in terms of build ?
 
 
Comments & advise would be appreciated as i have very little experience with high end IEM's & really don't know firsthand what can be realistically achieved sonically.
 
 
 

 

[archy121]

Still looking for direction on which i should be shopping whilst sales are still on

 

[ZARIM]

The JVC FX700 offers deep reverbing bass and shows great details in mids, highs with wide soundstage and if it pair with quality DAPs like Sony X1060, Cowon X7, Samsung P3, S:Flo2, HM_602 then it willbe balanced yet very fun bassy IEMs(warm). The Sennheiser IE8 are also offers huge soundstage with great soundquality and deep punchy bass, it's ajustable.

 

[archy121]

 
Can you please further differentiate the X700 & IE8 bass characteristics ?
"deep reverbing bass" vs "deep punchy bass"
 
And how much more noticeable is the is the soundstage  of IE8 vs FX700 ?
Is the difference for trained ears or fairly obvious  ? 
 
Also i'm little bothered about the some describing the IE8 as having 'veiled' sound. How do you feel about this ?
I'm hoping IE80 has fixed but first impressions seemed to be mixed so far.

 

[BassInMyFace]

Quote:

 
Can you please further differentiate the X700 & IE8 bass characteristics ?
"deep reverbing bass" vs "deep punchy bass"
 
And how much more noticeable is the is the soundstage  of IE8 vs FX700 ?
Is the difference for trained ears or fairly obvious  ? 
 
Also i'm little bothered about the some describing the IE8 as having 'veiled' sound. How do you feel about this ?
I'm hoping IE80 has fixed but first impressions seemed to be mixed so far.

Basically, the FX700 has better quality bass, but the IE8 has more bass quantity. 
 
I just listened to both the FX700 and IE8 today as well.  In my opinion, the IE8 does not have a much wider soundstage than the FX700.  In my opinion, they are basically equal as the FX700 is surprisingly wide.  If you do not have trained ears, you probably won't even hear the difference honestly.
 
I also personally don't think the IE8 has a veiled sound, but hey, to each their own...

 

[shamrock134]

If you need any amount of isolation greater than 'none' I'd cross the FX700 off the list.

 

[BassInMyFace]

Quote:

If you need any amount of isolation greater than 'none' I'd cross the FX700 off the list.

He is right about that one, but the IE8 isn't much better.

 

[shamrock134]

My IE8 is highly isolating with Sony Hybrid tips and worn down with the earpieces reversed. The FX700 is an "at home only" iem for me and my low tolerance of background noise.

 

[tienbasse]

Strictly speaking, the K240s also have the worst isolation ever, so chosing FX700s won't be much of a change regarding isolation...

 
The thing is FX700s are more on the V side while K240s are notorious for being quite flat with moderate bass.
IE8s really lack detail compared to K240s, despite the similar soundstage. I guarantee you'll find them muddy when A/B-ed against K240s.
TF10s won't have the separation that K240s provide, but they are somehow quite flat and have decent soundstage (I don't like them but that is just me and armature IEMs).
For MTCP, no comment, I never listened to them.
 
I have K240MKIIs and can't really find similar sound from my IEMs.
The closest things I own would be Yamahas EPH-100 because they're quite flat with good detail and excellent instrument separation, but as most IEMs, they don't have the soundstage of K240s, although they do spatialize quite well (better than my FX700s for example).
 
From your suggestions, I'd say FX700s are excellent for trance, metal and female vocals.
For rock/metal with male voices, I prefer my EPH-100s (better mids than FX700s, better separation which is great for guitar and drums). Plus they have superb isolation.
I don't listen to RNB/HipHop so I don't know for these styles.

 

[archy121]

Quote:

I have K240MKIIs and can't really find similar sound from my IEMs. The closest things I own would be Yamahas EPH-100 because they're quite flat with good detail and excellent instrument separation, but as most IEMs, they don't have the soundstage of K240s, although they do spatialize quite well (better than my FX700s for example).

 
 
Great to hear opinions from a fellow K240 owner !
 
You are right the K240 do have the worst isolation with there full open back design. When i'm doing a late night session i really need to have the door shut to my study as the sound travels quite far in the house. I'm guessing its the open back design that helps to create the fantastic 3d spatial sound from the K240's. What improvements were made with the k240 Mk2 over the originals ? Still 600 ohm ? Any chance of more bass ? One thing that stands out for me on the originals is the markings "MADE IN AUSTRIA" . Pleasant change from today's made in China.
 
Isolation of headphones is not great of an issue just like minor equalizing. As long as the sound quality is not impaired I prefer the ability to slightly hear what's going on around me than be completely deaf when I'm out & about.
 
In your opinion you feel that the IE8's will feel muddy next to k240's.Does the same apply to FX700's but to a lesser extent ?
 
Some IE80 impressions suggest that it offers more clarity over the IE8's as the mid bass hump has diminished along with the 'Veil' so i wonder how these match up.
 
 

 

[lee730]

Well it depends on what you are looking for. You seem to have narrowed it to the FX700s and the IE80s. Skip on the IE8 as the midbass is an issue and they become to serene with long term use. I'll be receiving my IE80s hopefully tomorrow and will be doing some extensive listening. What I can say is the while the FX700 sound stage is huge, the IE8 sound stage is still noticeably bigger IMO. And due to this I've had several out of head experiences. The IE8 was the only IEM that has exhibited this phenomena on such a high frequency. Also the IE8 cable is upgradable, and silver really does enhance all 3 frequencies. Treble becomes more clear with sparkle (who knew?). Bass becomes more controlled and goes a bit deeper. The mid range cleared up and became more forward (this was the biggest plus to me as now the vocals came first in the presentation (which is the way I feel music is suppose to be presented; while bass should set the beat and lead the other instruments, not overpower however... So if the IE80 happens to be more upfront with more clarity and less midbass as I am hearing from impressions; I think I would prefer it to my FX700s. Not to mention the IE8s are generally a great all arounder for multiple genres.
 
 
Now regarding the FX700s... Their timbre is second to none. The realism you get is amazing. You get both great extended treble with deep and powerful bass. The mid range is very detailed and neutral which can give the illusion of reccessed mids yet that is not the case. I recommend a source with emphasis on the mids (Hifiman 601/602, Rocoo P, Studio V). If you want a good player with a lot of power and long battery life; I think the Studio V would be your answer (85 hours of playback time, Class A amp that can be used for other portable sources as well). If you could still manage to get it half off as I have it's a steal of a deal. You could still bid on the Rocco P auction and score one for about half off as well still (the Rocoo P also has a class A amp but with shorter battery life in a slimmer form factor).
 
Back to the FX700, the sound presentation is more aggressive and in your face. It may not be for you as the treble is well extended. But for me this isn't an issue at all and I don't find them fatiguing whatsoever. The FX700s have more clarity than the IE8 and are faster. so in the end it really depends on what you are looking for. I think you would be happy with either of them.

 

[james444]

If you don't mind equalizing, then clarity and detail shouldn't be a concern with the IE8, since their drivers are actually very good, it's just the midbass heavy tuning that makes them sound veiled. IME the midbass hump is less severe on the IE80 and you'd probably be fine with them even without EQing. Since you seem to prefer a warm sound signature with rather polite highs to a more aggressive one, I think the Senns would suit you better than the FX700.

 

[lee730]

 
Quote:

If you don't mind equalizing, then clarity and detail shouldn't be a concern with the IE8, since their drivers are actually very good, it's just the midbass heavy tuning that makes them sound veiled. IME the midbass hump is less severe on the IE80 and you'd probably be fine with them even without EQing. Since you seem to prefer a warm sound signature with rather polite highs to a more aggressive one, I think the Senns would suit you better than the FX700.

I agree. Since he seems to be after a more non-fatiguing sound while having a very spacious and holistic sound, the IE80s are probably his best bet. Stay clear of the IE8s, while EQ down is perfectly acceptable I find EQ up to just induce distortion, even if these IE8 drivers are good, it adds distortion. I'm a purist like that.

 

[archy121]

I wish i could afford both & let my own ears judge but alas i only have the budget for one high end & cannot afford to make a hobby of it.
 
Good to know clarity & detail can be improved after equalizing out. But obviously still not to FX700 levels.
Would you agree this puts them on par with unequalized IE80's or the IE80's have still more to offer - such as sparkle ?
 
James are you finding the sound of the IE80 is still evolving with time - any dangers of it becoming too serene/tamed like the IE8's ?
Is this a characteristic shared by all other dynamics including FX700's ?
 
I have already read James impressions on the IE80's & now I'm looking forward to yours Lee.