It seems that in the last 10 years or so, Asian manufacturers have come to dominate the SB $100 IEM market. US/European manufacturers for the most part, have kept the $1000+ market. But how do they compare in the middle market - the $100 to $1000 space? For example, I was thinking about...

I've had a faithful pair of UM3x' s I've used for the last 6 years.  They are finally starting to give out.  I have drifted away from the iem market and was wondering if there were comparable iems in in the $400-$500 range (maybe a bit more for something outstanding).  I wouldn't mind something...

A company called Good Hertz has just released an IOS app called CanOpener ( http://canopenerapp.com ) that adds crossfeed and equalization. It seems to have some real nice features,fully adjustable angle and percentage on crossfeed, a fairly deep equalization program and presets for both. Does...

Has anyone used both of these and can compare the sound quality?  I know this is a bit of an apples and oranges comparison, but they are both comfortably played without an amp and are (somewhat with the Grados) portable.  I've been thinking about the Grados but would appreciate the extra...

I have a pair of silicone UM56's coupled with my UM3X IEMs. I love them but they do not fit very tight. Sometimes the the tips stay in my ear when I pull the IEMs, which is no big deal because of the swizzle stick, but twice one has fallen off as I was putting them in. Luckily I found the...

Can anyone tell me which of the two (W3 or UM3x) is more of the sonic successor to the UM2? I have had and enjoyed the UM2's for many years and am looking to upgrade while keeping roughly the same sound signature. I know the UM3x have the same physical form factor, but, even with all the...

I ma sure this has been covered a number of times, but my google-fu is failing me. What are some of the best non-IEMS out there that do not require a separate amp? I have the Yuin G2A's and the Grado 60's, but there must be a wide range of other options. Money is no object -- well, let say under...

I have been a happy owner of a pair of UM2’s for about six years. However they are getting a little beat up, I have lost one of the filter inserts, and more importantly, one of the ear-stalks broke and I have it patched together with epoxy. I seem to work fine, but the idea of it bothers me...

After a long hiatus, the bug has bit me again. For the last two years, I have listened to my UM2's exclusively, and have been perfectly happy. However, about two weeks ago I was listening to a pair of Grado 60's and ever since, my Westone's seem a bit muddy in the midtones and treble. And...

I was considering at a pair of clear Super.fi 3's but was wondering if anyone knew if they suffered from the same "greening" issue as the old UM2's? If so, I think I will stick with white or black.

After a 20-year absence, I am thinking about making the pliunge back into room-sized music. What I knew then doesn't seem to help much now (though its nice to see that klipsch and magnaplaner are still around). Are their any sites similar to head-fi that speak to full-sized components...

I received my pair of Westone UM2’s yesterday and just love them. They are my first real high-end headphones (also own Grade 60's, Shure e2's; Koss KSC-35's and briefly, the Shure e3's) and I am very impressed with the upgrade. The increased level of detail is incredible. They seem extremely...

Are there any good sources for cheap replacement hedphone cables? I have a pair of old Grado 60's that has lost one of the speakers. I think (hope) that the problem is on the cord itself. Visual inspection of the cord above the "y-joint" shows some torquing. Anyway, I would like to replace the...

After using the Shure e2's for about two months with my ipod, I think I have given up on them. I've returned to my old Koss KSC-35's and, while they are not perfect, they made obvious the problems I had with the Shures. While the Shure's have great detail, midrange, sound isolation and...