Eh. Testing where? I can't see how anybody would think the earpods sound better in any way. They're heavier, less comfortable, more anemic sounding, and have no presence in the low end.      I'd say at least 2x better. The bass is really what makes it. What's interesting is that you know...

I had the ATH IM02's. Loved them. Neutral, great clarity, clean bass. Ended up buying the 40 dollar spc copper cable to improve the sound even further.    Only listened to them through DX50 -> JDS C5, so I don't know how they perform unamped. Great for the price though. Perfect for your...

  I had the silver cable along with IM02's and saw no sibilance. If you have properly mastered tracks at high quality you should be fine. No treble harshness either.      The IM02's do very well when properly amped. Yea, they're IEMs, I know, but I ran them from a JDS C5 and got amazing...

  Well all the universals have the same build so you'll get the same isolation. I'm running a Noble 4 right now, and isolation is pretty poor unless you use Comply tips. The housing is quite large (to fit the drivers) so you aren't going to get Ety-level insertion depth. Overall insertion is...

  I have the C5 and love it; I generally run the gain on high (even though low gain is more than enough) and occasionally turn on the bass boost. Amazing amp. I don't have any comparisons though, but the bass boost is amazing. 

  I found wonders using the flip mod and Comply tips. The included silicons are pretty thin and are only useful in really quiet places, IMO. If you're commuting or in a coffee shop, comply's will be necessary. 

Hey guys; if anybody is interested I have a pair of mint condition IM02's up for sale in the FS section that come with the silver upgrade cable.    Everything is mint and comes with extra tips, so if you're interested, head over and check it out. They're priced to sell.    If you look at...

  Ok; well I ordered them last night so we'll see how they sound when they get here. I ended up throwing my old Comply's on there and doing the flip/cut mod I remember from 2010 :)    Sound is great and comfort/isolation are superb. We'll see how the hybrids stack up; hopefully I get the same...

iBasso DX50. What I chose over the X3 when doing initial readings.    FWIR, better UI, touch screen, cleaner sound (more neutral, slightly colder)   I preferred the build and UI.

I only have knowledge of the X3 and DX50, with the DX50 being my purchase after some extensive research. I love it; haven't used the HP out but the LO is cleaner/better in every way than my MacBook Pro headphone out.    What you should do is open the Fiio X3 thread, iBasso DX50 thread, and...

  In response to the limitations of the single BA, look at the Grado GR10. Amazing IEM showing that a single armature can deliver top grade sound.    Ultimately I agree with you though; at the moment, we have mid-priced IEMs like AT's IM02 giving the ER4S's a run for their money and they...

Hey guys I have a pair of near-mint ES10's for sale in the forum. Amazing headphones but I'm making the move to IEMs as I don't have time to listen at my desk anymore. 

iBasso DX50 (silver) JDS Labs C5 (silver) AT IM02

  Was there any change in isolation/sound when going to the Sony hybrids? I love the sound I'm getting out of the stock silicons but the isolation is minimal and I lose a ton of micro-detail in coffee shops/etc. 

  I think you'd get better sound overall by buying the JDS Labs C5D and using that as a DAC/amp. You should also do some research and make sure the C5D can drive those headphones; if you don't have an amp you'll get crappy sound out of them.    WIth your current headphones you "might" see an...

  I'm 90% sure mine came with a silicone case... pm me and I'll check when I get home and get back to you. 

I pretty much only hang out with 4 of my friends from high school; one was my best friend since Kindergarden and the other I met as a freshman in PE. The other two came into the picture as friends of friends, but yea; other than them I rarely see anybody else that I knew.    I think that's how...

You buy a pair of IEMs and think, "Well, anything under 200 dollars is pretty cheap. I hope these are good."   I did this and I'm ridiculous. 

  Your question is, "are we missing the point?" And then you described that as being too focused on the equipment and less on the music.    I'm just saying that, well, if you wanted more discussion, maybe you should have initially asked a different question, like "what still drives you to...

  Well it depends on how much energy your cans require. Being properly amped > using a DX50 UNLESS the DAP can drive your cans. Honestly just do some of your own research and find out the output values of the DX50, CD5, and whether your headphones would benefit from amplification.    Honestly...

  Thanks for the info. One of my friends has the m50 and likes it; for me, it'll just be another reference point in helping people make educated decisions. I wish there was some headphone-rental service out there :)

  1) Just as a precautionary question: the rest of your setup is the best it can be, right? Including amps and source material (DAPs). Going from memory, getting new headphone cables cleaned up or changed the music but buying a good portable amp and DAP really made more of an improvement...

 Can you be a bit more precise? Do you know how the cans directly compare to each other?    Regardless, to the OP, at least do some searches and read up on each of the cans listed in this thread. If you really want to find the best thing for your money you'll have to do some personal research...

  From what I've read, under 200 bucks the X3 and DX50 are the ones to beat. I spent a long time reading comparisons before pulling the trigger on the DX50. Touch screen, adequate UI, and LO are big factors.    From what I've read though comparing against the X3, the DX50 is a bit cleaner, a...

  IMO there's not much discussion to be had; we aren't talking about anything particularly novel.    1) Some people get addicted to buying and selling equipment. If they enjoy that, what's the problem?  2) Some people get addicted to just focusing on the equipment. If they enjoy that, what's...