£1500 to spend!! IEM or Headphone??

[ainzz]

Hello
As per the title I have £1500 to spend (treat myself) on a new pair. I already have a small collection of headphones and IEM's and i'm trying to work out what would be the best value proposition. These will be mainly for classical music but also an all rounder for a mixture of genres. I'm looking for a fairly neutral-ish pair but with excellent technicalities and resolution. These will be for exclusively home listening and will be running them from an IBasso DX340. I have no intention to change source or amplification. I prefer not to EQ.

Considering I dont have an option to demo equipment I'm looking for advise on where to spend my money.

I guess this is an age old question that i can't find a definitive answer too: IEM v headphone - bang for the buck,

To give an example of what i'm thinking I've had some options in my mind; Ayra Organic or HD800 v U12t (used) or Symphonium Crimson. These are just a few which spring to mind based on reviews and general impressions.

If you had £1500 burning a hole in your pocket what would you go for? IEM or Headphone? And which ones?

 

[Somafunk]

Considering I dont have an option to demo equipment I'm looking for advise on where to spend my money.

Dunno where in the UK you are but spend £50 on train ticket/bus ticket and go see Elise audio in London, try stuff with your DX340 and go home happy.

The crimson is not neutral(ish) by my hearing, neither is U12t, and the HD800 needs eq otherwise you are a treble head.

 

[threetoedsloth]

I went from Hifiman Edition XS to Dan Clark Audio Noire X, and was not disappointed by the increased detail, separation, musicality, and comfort. I believed the various reviews for it, and after getting a Hifiman EF400 (previously an Ifi Zen V3), I'm actually happy with the thought that I'm at endgame. Basically Dan Clark is probably where it's at for closed-backs (see several reviews saying they slightly prefer E3 to Noire X but it's quite close)

 

[Svperstar]

Ayra Organic or HD800 v U12t (used) or Symphonium Crimson.

I'm out of the loop on IEMs, I use Galaxy Buds Pro for the gym. I own the HD800 and the Arya Organic. If I was buying today I would get the Organic. The HD800 is a great headphone but the Organic has much more physical bass and the soundstage is more realistic. The HD800 is great but its very unique.

 

[ainzz]

Dunno where in the UK you are but spend £50 on train ticket/bus ticket and go see Elise audio in London, try stuff with your DX340 and go home happy.

The crimson is not neutral(ish) by my hearing, neither is U12t, and the HD800 needs eq otherwise you are a treble head.

Your'e probably right, a trip down to Elise is what i need. No excuses, i'm in Essex so only 1 hour away.
Recently bought a Dita Mecha from them.

 

[fidgeraldo]

If you had £1500 burning a hole in your pocket what would you go for? IEM or Headphone? And which ones?

Headphones/SASH Tres SE, the new one with a thin membrane.

Cheers!

 

[ainzz]

I went from Hifiman Edition XS to Dan Clark Audio Noire X, and was not disappointed by the increased detail, separation, musicality, and comfort. I believed the various reviews for it, and after getting a Hifiman EF400 (previously an Ifi Zen V3), I'm actually happy with the thought that I'm at endgame. Basically Dan Clark is probably where it's at for closed-backs (see several reviews saying they slightly prefer E3 to Noire X but it's quite close)

Thanks for the recommendation.
NOIRE X has also been on my radar

 

[dunring]

I'd get the Hifiman Edition XS and for IEM the Tanchjim Ola since I've got both and would happily buy them again. Way under budget to upgrade something else if needed for a more quiet noise floor or portable or desktop options. The Fosi Audio DS2 USB dongle will power both on the balanced 4.4mm and 117 SINAD is desktop class performance if you want to go on the road with the IEMs. The Hifiman isn't hard to power, a Topping L30 II is more than enough and total silent noise floor to hear details. I have the matching DAC just for IEMs since it's compact.

 

[Somafunk]

Your'e probably right, a trip down to Elise is what i need. No excuses, i'm in Essex so only 1 hour away.
Recently bought a Dita Mecha from them.

I bought my Symphonium Meteor from Elise, blind without hearing first but I knew the tuning, and it took me a year to talk myself into it.

Lucky you living within an hr’s journey, I live over 400miles away and it’d take me 8 hours driving

 

[mungster]

Iems .

 

[Metalingus]

I spent 2 grand on iems. Tested most 5/6K iems that are so called TOTL. Jump from AirPods Pro 5K iem is slight improvement. While 5K iem to 1K headphone is huge improvement.

Compare u12t and 800s for example, worlds difference in terms of imaging resolution and staging.

800S / LCD-X , Mojo + airpods = you set.

 

[zkmd]

Definitely demo them first if possible at this price range.

But personally its IEMs all to way for me. Imo headphones are less confortable, more cumbersome and sound less good at the equivilent price bracket than IEMs