[Rock Jaw Audio]

Hello everyone,

(NOTE to MODS: Apologies if this is in thr wrong place, but we were unsure of whether or not to put this in the Member's Lounge or not, so we played it safe and landed it here, feel free to move it to where it needs to be and advise us, too!)

Here at Rock Jaw Audio, we're big fans of the headphone and earphone world, I mean, we'd have to be right! We love picking up new stuff to test in-house, and have great respect for some of the industry leaders and those trying new things. What this thread is about, is asking you head-fi folk what your ideal earphone design and sound is, or would be (assuming you haven't found reached Nirvana yet!). We're looking to hear what you guys and girls love in an earphone, what you hate and what your "hnnnnnnggggg" moment is when trying out a new pair.

Ideally, this would be a great place for Rock Jaw fans, as well as those that are in love with other brands to chat amongst each other, gush about their favourite gear and generally give us some ideas on what you knowledgeable folk really love in a pair of earphones!

We're pretty biased towards a couple of products, but then again, we would be!!!

 

[Jackpot77]

I'll kick this one off - what I love in a good in-ear design is something a little different to the usual run of the mill designs and tunings that seem to make up the majority out there.

Ergonomic fit is important - my favourite shell designs at the moment are the Nuforce HEM series (great ergonomic design with a low profile fit and unusual looks), the Campfire Audio Vega or Lyra II (another low profile design in terms of wear with excellent durability and solidity) and the Ibasso IT03/Aurisonics ASG-series "semi-custom" shell designs.

In terms of sound, my personal preferences run towards something with good note thickness without sacrificing resolution or clarity (the Vega excels at that). Also, while not a card carrying basshead or massive electro fan, the monitors that have really grabbed me from first listen in recent times have all had a reasonably even mid bass and emphasised or slightly elevated sub bass - it adds a sense of foundation to the sound that I find quite addictive. The IT03 is a good example of that, with a clean and neutral tuning through the mids and treble giving good sparkle and air, but a delicious hum to the very lowest notes that compliments the sound nicely.

Finally, a little tunability (which you guys already offer) always feels like it's a good option - it doesn't need to reach the levels of configurability of people like Trinity Audio/FLC/the LZ-A4, just as long as there is an audible and coherent difference between each of the filters to allow for varying styles of presentation rather than just a few take on a very similar theme.

As to what blows my head back when I pop a pair of in ears in, it's a combination of detail and sonic "thump" you only get with a well designed piece of gear, when you realise it is chunky enough to sound musical without leaving any of the smaller details behind. Looking forward to seeing what floats other members boats on this topic!

 

[Rock Jaw Audio]

I'll kick this one off - what I love in a good in-ear design is something a little different to the usual run of the mill designs and tunings that seem to make up the majority out there.

Ergonomic fit is important - my favourite shell designs at the moment are the Nuforce HEM series (great ergonomic design with a low profile fit and unusual looks), the Campfire Audio Vega or Lyra II (another low profile design in terms of wear with excellent durability and solidity) and the Ibasso IT03/Aurisonics ASG-series "semi-custom" shell designs.

In terms of sound, my personal preferences run towards something with good note thickness without sacrificing resolution or clarity (the Vega excels at that). Also, while not a card carrying basshead or massive electro fan, the monitors that have really grabbed me from first listen in recent times have all had a reasonably even mid bass and emphasised or slightly elevated sub bass - it adds a sense of foundation to the sound that I find quite addictive. The IT03 is a good example of that, with a clean and neutral tuning through the mids and treble giving good sparkle and air, but a delicious hum to the very lowest notes that compliments the sound nicely.

Finally, a little tunability (which you guys already offer) always feels like it's a good option - it doesn't need to reach the levels of configurability of people like Trinity Audio/FLC/the LZ-A4, just as long as there is an audible and coherent difference between each of the filters to allow for varying styles of presentation rather than just a few take on a very similar theme.

As to what blows my head back when I pop a pair of in ears in, it's a combination of detail and sonic "thump" you only get with a well designed piece of gear, when you realise it is chunky enough to sound musical without leaving any of the smaller details behind. Looking forward to seeing what floats other members boats on this topic!

Thanks Jackpot for kicking this off - much appreciated.

 

[Jackpot77]

Come on, guys - someone else must have an opinion on this thread?

 

[H T T]

For under $100, if the FAD Heaven III and the NuForce Ne 800m had a sonic love child with the form factor and accessories package (without the filters) of the Trinity Vyrus and a Brainwavz case.

 

[paomde]

To be clear, i'm no expert. But if i have to dream of my perfect iem, they would:

1. Be under 100 usd. (I could stretch it to 150, but that's only if it's THE ONE)
2. Have removable mmcx cable; and i'd be over the moon if there's an included 2.5mm balanced option included.
3. High resolution but not sibilant.
4. Have non-recessed mids.
5. Have presence and weight in the low notes, tho not necessarily bass.
6. Soundstage. (As i like listening to live recordings)

Sorry, the only gear i use is my kinera bd005 (1 dd + 1 ba) iem and the earbuds that came with my benjie x1 dap. And i wrote #1 & #2 because i'm saving up for the aune m1s, which is, according to head-fi, one of the best sounding but relatively affordable dap with a balanced output. So when i upgrade my source (hopefully in 2 moths), i'll upgrade my iem as well.

 

[Rock Jaw Audio]

Thanks all for your creative input.

Please keep letting us know we love it.

 

[Barndoor]

Reading Jackpots reply is pretty much bang on for me.

I'm planning on going to Headroom next weekend and have been thinking about what to look out for.

Iems are at the top of my list.

Universal not custom as would rather the money went into the drivers not tips. Foams work well enough for me.

Comfort is important. The insertion depth can be an issue for me in that some do not go far enough in my ear canal. This means I'm pushing to the point that the casing is pressing against my ear. I'm not talking about etymotic brain piercing deep. Aurisonics got it spot on for me in the comfort department.

Sound wise as per jackpot, slight sub bass elevation without excessive mid-bass. Flat mids and treble. Has anybody made a dual dynamic (maybe 10mm + 6mm) plus single ba iem?

I don't want flashy packaging or lots of accessories that will just sit in a cupboard and be a waste of my hard earned.

Removable cables. I prefer not to have a mic but know this is a must for some, so maybe one of each.

 

[Jackpot77]

Reading Jackpots reply is pretty much bang on for me.

I'm planning on going to Headroom next weekend and have been thinking about what to look out for.

Iems are at the top of my list.

Universal not custom as would rather the money went into the drivers not tips. Foams work well enough for me.

Comfort is important. The insertion depth can be an issue for me in that some do not go far enough in my ear canal. This means I'm pushing to the point that the casing is pressing against my ear. I'm not talking about etymotic brain piercing deep. Aurisonics got it spot on for me in the comfort department.

Sound wise as per jackpot, slight sub bass elevation without excessive mid-bass. Flat mids and treble. Has anybody made a dual dynamic (maybe 10mm + 6mm) plus single ba iem?

I don't want flashy packaging or lots of accessories that will just sit in a cupboard and be a waste of my hard earned.

Removable cables. I prefer not to have a mic but know this is a must for some, so maybe one of each.

Nice idea about the dual-DD and BA - that would be pretty unusual.

Always nice to see an Aurisonics fan in the house, too - the ASG-2.5 Was my first real foray into serious IEMs, and had one of my all time favourite sound signatures. Shame they went so downhill when they became Fender - sure if the guys at Rockjaw could nail that old AS "signature" tuning in a more modern setup, they would have a serious hit on their hands (just a thought)...

 

[Takeanidea]

The sound - lots of bass , bass that is not necessarily bloated but has an impact - that causes a thump against the ear and an oomph in the mid bass. This is essential to me to give a presence to the lower end frequencies which are masked by the sounds of the city when out and about. They also provide a rhythm to run to or to walk to.
Mids and highs - all conforming as close as possible to the Harman Response Curve with as little distortion as possible
The sensitivity - low - or as low as you can go without effecting the ability of the drivers to work to their best. The better the design the closer the fit to the ear canal and the quieter the IEMs have to be turned up to reach the same volume as earbuds or lesser fitting models
The materials - ceramic or silicon with as little metal as you can get away with. This will increase the comfort and look of the finished design
The fit - over the ear. Preferably a perfect fit. There are materials out there now that would enable shells that are custom mouldable. Either that or a moulding kit to be sent out to each customer and then sent back to the manufacturer avoiding all the hassles with using an audiologist. The basic olive shape and westone shape is getting there but can definitely be improved on.
The look - nice colourful glossy designs with different colours for left and right ears.
The cables - 1 Dac , 1 Bluetooth , 1 non mic with twisted braid, 1 with mic. 1 balanced cable 2.5 with adapters to take to 3.5 balanced or single ended. All MMCX fit. Absolutely no microphonics to be transmitted through any of the cables.  
The case - leather tough but beautiful + larger one for storing the cables
The presentation of the packaging also has to exude luxury and tastefulness

 

[Rock Jaw Audio]

The sound - lots of bass , bass that is not necessarily bloated but has an impact - that causes a thump against the ear and an oomph in the mid bass. This is essential to me to give a presence to the lower end frequencies which are masked by the sounds of the city when out and about. They also provide a rhythm to run to or to walk to.
Mids and highs - all conforming as close as possible to the Harman Response Curve with as little distortion as possible
The sensitivity - low - or as low as you can go without effecting the ability of the drivers to work to their best. The better the design the closer the fit to the ear canal and the quieter the IEMs have to be turned up to reach the same volume as earbuds or lesser fitting models
The materials - ceramic or silicon with as little metal as you can get away with. This will increase the comfort and look of the finished design
The fit - over the ear. Preferably a perfect fit. There are materials out there now that would enable shells that are custom mouldable. Either that or a moulding kit to be sent out to each customer and then sent back to the manufacturer avoiding all the hassles with using an audiologist. The basic olive shape and westone shape is getting there but can definitely be improved on.
The look - nice colourful glossy designs with different colours for left and right ears.
The cables - 1 Dac , 1 Bluetooth , 1 non mic with twisted braid, 1 with mic. 1 balanced cable 2.5 with adapters to take to 3.5 balanced or single ended. All MMCX fit. Absolutely no microphonics to be transmitted through any of the cables.  
The case - leather tough but beautiful + larger one for storing the cables
The presentation of the packaging also has to exude luxury and tastefulness

Thanks for the input. I am loving the input.

 

[Jackpot77]

Shell shape somewhere between the IT03 and the Aurisonics ASG-2.5 (and a sound signature to match) would be close to perfect for me.

+1 to the comments above about the bass as well.

 

[Rock Jaw Audio]

Shell shape somewhere between the IT03 and the Aurisonics ASG-2.5 (and a sound signature to match) would be close to perfect for me.

+1 to the comments above about the bass as well.

A interesting combination.

 

[Jackpot77]

A interesting combination.

I'm a big fan of the "pseudo-custom" fit, and the soundstage and mids from the 2.5 combined with the clarity and crunch of the IT03 and somewhere between the two bass presentations (assuming 2.5 bass-port was only 1/4 open) would be an ideal signature, and one no other manufacturers seem to be pushing at the moment. The ASG 2.5 is always mentioned for its insane bass capabilities, but the star power of that IEM (and all of the early ASG series) for me was always the vocal-centric mids combined with the large presentation.

Sure that's a lot more difficult to make than to describe, but if you ever do, I'd be the first in line to buy one!

 

[Rock Jaw Audio]

I really appreciate the feedback guys.

Keep it coming, I really enjoy reading.