Hey all, Been a while since I've posted here. I am looking for an IEM that goes past the first curve in the ear (i.e., a true canal-type IEM). However, the housing of the IEM can't be a "shell" type. The reason being, the housing rubs against my ear and causes irritation. I'll be using these...

Hi all!   I took the plunge and bought an HE-500. Now I'm going to have to deal with getting a proper DAC and Amp for the headphones (as I have nothing decent apart from a few portable players).   My budget is $1000-$1500 all-in. I would like to add that I will consider speaker amps, but I...

  I was looking for a new DAP a few months ago when my Cowon S9's power slider stopped working properly. I was considering the HiFiMan 601, HiFiMan 802, S:Flo2, and a few other DAPs. After fixing the power slider problem myself, I stopped looking for a DAP because I was content with my Cowon...

EarSonics has just announced a new Custom IEM to their lineup: the EarSonics EM6:     The details on the website:   The new in-ear monitors reference for live performance, sound-based on EM4 technology but adapted to live. The best professional tool for exigents musicians who wait...

Found on JH Audio's Facebook Status:   "Jaime and Zac are Getting Hitched on Friday Sale!    Use Discount Code: GettinHitched for 15% off any IEM (excluding the JH5 and any JH3A) Valid on new orders from 5pm EST today until 9am EST tomorrow morning!"   Wonderful opportunity for...

I thought it would be fun to have a thread where we all mention our IEM or headphone and compare it directly to a car, with a picture.   Just a simple concept for summarizing the sound quality/sound signature of a particular IEM/headphone without all the technical jargon of head-fi! Just a...

Hey all!   So I have decided to finally move onto custom IEMs. I've narrowed my decision between the Westone ES5 and the JH16 PRO (or JH13 PRO, but I am leaning towards the JH16), but I am having a hard time deciding. I would appreciate some opinions from owners, readers, and head-fier's who...

Sorry for the double post. Please check the other thread.

Hi guys,   Many years ago, I tried out a plug-in for Winamp simply called "Enhancer" (link here). Over time I forgot about it, but recently I remembered how great it made my cheap computer speakers sound. So I decided to download it again and try it with my SM3's.   And surprisingly, the...

Hey everyone,   I just pulled the trigger on the AKG K702 headphones and am wondering what would be a good desktop amp to go along with them? I am looking to spend around $200-$300.   I've read that the AKG 702's go well with SS (solid state?) headphone amps, and not so much with tube...

Hello everyone,   I'm looking to purchase my first "real" full-size headphone. I spend a lot of time on the portable headphones/IEM section of the forums. Here is what I am looking for:   Very accurate in terms of being able to hear all the details in the music. Transparency; I do not...

Hi everyone,   I'm looking to purchase a silver (preferably silver, if you have a copper to offer, you can) mini-to-mini for my future Portable Amp and DAC. If you don't have a silver mini-to-mini but can offer a copper, feel free to and I will check it out. The cable should be fairly small...

  I’ve had the EarSonics SM3 for about two weeks now, and I think it’s time to give them a review (pictures can be found at the end).   Packaging   The EarSonics SM3 comes packaged in a rather small box (I was surprised to find the size of the box to be much smaller than the huge...

Hello everyone, I recently purchased a set of Sennheiser IE8s from an authorized retailer in NYC for the full retail price of $400. A few weeks later, I saw a pair of Sennheiser IE8s on eBay for around $200. The seller had ~300+ positive feedback and had 100% feedback as well. The pictures...