[Shutupnjustlisten]

Mind my newbie status here. Would you care suggesting to me which IEM to go for between 64 Audio Tia Fourte or JH Audio Roxanne or Layla (preferrably custom fit)?

Either one would be plugged into my 2 year old AK380Cu with no other DAC nor amp in place due to my mobility. The DAP has been living together with my Shure KSE1500 in the past couple of years. Planning to get the A&ultima SP1000Cu.

Going to Canjam Singapore in 5 days time, I hope to get a firsthand listen to both.

I am a 65% basshead who also respects neutrality (flatness) wherever applicable (i.e. the correct songs).

Great reviewers like Jude Mansilla pointed out that the Roxanne won't dissapoint bassheads. However I am very tempted to get the Layla with the bass jacked up to its max. But Jude never compared the Layla/Roxanne head to head with the Tia Fourte, hence my question in this Forum.

Your patience to an inexperienced audiolover like me is greatly appreciated.


Chord Dave, Fostex Massdrop TH-X00 Purpleheart, Fostex Massdrop TH-X00 Mahogany, Sennheiser Massdrop HD 6XX, AKG Massdrop K7XX, Audeze EL-8, Hifiman Massdrop HE4XX, Audioquest Dragonfly Red, Audioquest Jitterbug, Oppo 205.

 

[svk7]

Jude himself has said recently (i,e., even 4-5 years after its release to market with the flooding and driver war the CIEM market has brought on and Campfire Audio and 64 Ear’s inventions) that nothing beats the KSE1500, including the Tia Forte, which sounds like his next favorite closed-back IEM (probably tied with the LCD-i4 regardless of form factor). So I don’t know if you need to look to throw any more of your money into the fire pit…

If it is indeed a CIEM you’re looking after (since you’ve already got the arguably best UIEM), consider the Layla, Roxanne, Lola, and Empire Ear’s Zeus in relationship to what you want out of a headphone that the KSE15000 isn’t good at.

 

[ceeloChamp]

If you want custom you could also consider the Empire Ears Legend X, you did mention that you were 65% basshead. I have some Fourtes on the way so I can tell you more about them when they arrive, but I don't think they are known for having the heaviest bass. The U18t may also be a good IEM to look at as you can get those as both a UIEM and a CIEM. I have heard that the KSE1500 beats all the above though, but I think you have to use it with the Shure AMP.

 

[491326]

65% basshead who also respects neutrality (flatness) wherever applicable (i.e. the correct songs)

A12t? they say its a warmer, bassier, slight downgrade of the A18

 

[ceeloChamp]

As an owner of the A12t I can highly recommend it, but it is not in the league of the ones mentioned above. If I wanted bass but flatness and reference quality sound i’d Look at Legend X for sure.

 

[Shutupnjustlisten]

Jude himself has said recently (i,e., even 4-5 years after its release to market with the flooding and driver war the CIEM market has brought on and Campfire Audio and 64 Ear’s inventions) that nothing beats the KSE1500, including the Tia Forte, which sounds like his next favorite closed-back IEM (probably tied with the LCD-i4 regardless of form factor). So I don’t know if you need to look to throw any more of your money into the fire pit…

If it is indeed a CIEM you’re looking after (since you’ve already got the arguably best UIEM), consider the Layla, Roxanne, Lola, and Empire Ear’s Zeus in relationship to what you want out of a headphone that the KSE15000 isn’t good at.

Thank you so much for your thoughts. Glad to hear from someone willing to put himself in my shoes. You happened also to align somehow to my thinking direction. I wondered what Jude's 3rd most favorite IEM when he mentioned the 64 Audio Tia Forte as being his second of three most favorite IEMs after KSE1500 regardless of driver types/configurations. Could it be the LCD-i4 you said above?

 

[Shutupnjustlisten]

If you want custom you could also consider the Empire Ears Legend X, you did mention that you were 65% basshead. I have some Fourtes on the way so I can tell you more about them when they arrive, but I don't think they are known for having the heaviest bass. The U18t may also be a good IEM to look at as you can get those as both a UIEM and a CIEM. I have heard that the KSE1500 beats all the above though, but I think you have to use it with the Shure AMP.

Hello. Thanks for responding. Wow, what a great thing to have the Fourte coming your way! The guy at 64 Audio told me that they needed 8 weeks to deliver them once ordered. I have never heard of any Empire Ears monitors. You are the second person to mention about them. Yes correct, the Shure amp comes in the package and has a proprietary connector for the IEM jack to plug in.

 

[galangerz]

I second these smart people here, newbie myself as well, I've read a lot on the forums and can agree with suggesting the newest of the bunch mentioned so far, Empire ears legend X

honestly have heard some critical reviews about Jhaudio iems, to my memory, they havent come out with any new innovations recently (granted, I don't follow jhaudio as much). their iems that have emphasis on bass generally have muddy bass and mids, and theres many more alternatives that give you more IEM for your buck.

I myself am a bass lover, and up until now have been holding up with the noble k10ua (didn't pick this IEM for any reason, someone just sold it for a really good deal haha). however after listening to the much cheaper shure se215, although no where near in performance, I miss the dynamic driver bass.

out of the whole X Line from Empire ears, legend x is the most neutral. but with two dynamic drivers it will take care of that bass craving, and, from the reviews I've read, it is still extremely clear.

I don't doubt at all though that the Shure KSE1500 is the better IEM. better detail retrieval than today's BA iems and better bass still than the DD iems, but the sacrifice of convenience (with the included amp needed to run them) is something some, maybe many people are not willing to make.

 

[ceeloChamp]

I have heard the Roxanne and it sounds fantastic, I would assume that the Layla sounds even better. One factor that is important to me, but might not be for you, is convenience. I like IEMs because I can use them everywhere with somthing as small as a DAP. The KSE1500 kind of defeats the convenience of IEMs to me because you are always chained to the Shure amp. If you don't mind having the Shure amp ball-n-chain then I'd say give the KSE1500s a chance, I would have given them a shot, but I know I hate having to carry around an amp stack. The Fourtes are also fantastic and highly regarded by most everyone. The Legend X would be the choice if you want to go out on a limb and try somthing new. I think no matter what you get it won't be your last IEM, so read some reviews and get what fits your mood now.

 

[svk7]

@pithyginger63

What did you make of those you listened to in Singapore? To respond to what you said about Jude (Jude called the Lola the “best sounding IEM JH has ever put out”), I’d recommend taking Jude’s reviews (as you would with any reviewer) with a few grains of salt. It is unlikely he would make a video in which he calls out a vendor’s IEMs/headphones are “bad” at the risk of losing their sponsorships for the website and CanJams, etc. More likely is that he selectively reviews (i.e., what his ears like). Again, that doesn’t mean what he said isn’t true. It may very well be that he prefers the Lola out of the rest of their whole line up, and there is a lot of debate with many saying the Layla/Roxanne is an overall better monitor because Lola sacrifices accuracy for realism.

I’ll have a more definitive recommendation from my end once I know where you stand after your impressions from Singapore. At the end of the day it comes down to what ceeloChamp said: get which one fits your taste and (more importantly) don’t look back!

 

[491326]

@svk7 lol, i think you mean @Shutupnjustlisten

I couldn't go to canjam due to uni exams

 

[svk7]

Ohh yeah hahaha. My bad. Was lazy and just scrolled up to look for the user with no profile picture. Good luck with exams!

 

[Shutupnjustlisten]

@pithyginger63

What did you make of those you listened to in Singapore? To respond to what you said about Jude (Jude called the Lola the “best sounding IEM JH has ever put out”), I’d recommend taking Jude’s reviews (as you would with any reviewer) with a few grains of salt. It is unlikely he would make a video in which he calls out a vendor’s IEMs/headphones are “bad” at the risk of losing their sponsorships for the website and CanJams, etc. More likely is that he selectively reviews (i.e., what his ears like). Again, that doesn’t mean what he said isn’t true. It may very well be that he prefers the Lola out of the rest of their whole line up, and there is a lot of debate with many saying the Layla/Roxanne is an overall better monitor because Lola sacrifices accuracy for realism.

I’ll have a more definitive recommendation from my end once I know where you stand after your impressions from Singapore. At the end of the day it comes down to what ceeloChamp said: get which one fits your taste and (more importantly) don’t look back!

To be honest, I was overwhelmed by the vastness of IEM selections at Sing Canjam, a normal thing for a first-time goer. Arriving with a pretty narrow brand selection to be auditioned or purchased & carried home, I ended up being wobbled. It was easy to give up your previous or current belief walking from one brand table to another. (There were two floors of high-end cans-packed rooms) Given so many options such as brand names, custom or universal, driver types, driver numbers, country where the IEM's made in, bass/treble preference, pricing, on-the-spot luring offers, and so on; coupled with how little time you only got, the experience could have you end up feeling either satisfied that you made the right buy or disappointed because you felt you should've bought that IEM but didn't. I, by the way, had myself purchase the Noble Kaiser Encore along the way because I couldn't resist the offer they were giving for free: an individualized Noble Sage with hand signature by the Wizard himself, Dr. John Moulton whom I took a rare picture together with. I had a good impression from the Kaiser encore reviews beforehand.

Auditioning some real high-end overears like the Stax-009, Sonoma M1 electrostatic, Final Sonorous X, Sennheiser HD820 and the Abyss 1266 was something you didn't want to miss at such a pretty rare event.

Now back to @svk7 question, the impression from my visit at the Canjam still has me glued to confusion even until now. While I was asking for JH Audio Roxanne, some reliable and nice guy convinced me to seriously consider Fitear Customs instead, to complete my swaying standpoint. There were also these Ultimate Ears, these Empire Ears (after scrolling to my pictures, I just realized what you and @ceeloChamp were saying made a lot of sense) and Vision ears. The Tia Fourte which I auditioned 1st before anything else when I touched ground, sounded impressive, and it did again to my ears the next day. Most likely I would go for it.

Now I have another confusion. My AK380Cu is getting too slow flipping from track to track, let alone from folder to folder. I have been very keen to get the A&ultima SP1000 copper as my next DAP, especially because of my ultimate satisfaction with my old A&K and its versatility (e.g. Tidal over Wi-fi). But, to my surprise, nearly EVERY table that I came across at the Jam had two, three or four at least the Sony NW-WM1Z gold lying there ready being hooked to whatever IEMs they were offering. What in the world was going on, I thought! If it were having wifi I would've gotten it within the next minute. Also the fact that Sony is famous to upgrade its product lines within short time intervals (unlike the A&K), turned me down to buy it worrying next year I would be left with an old piece of DAP.

 

[ceeloChamp]

To be honest, I was overwhelmed by the vastness of IEM selections at Sing Canjam, a normal thing for a first-time goer. Arriving with a pretty narrow brand selection to be auditioned or purchased & carried home, I ended up being wobbled. It was easy to give up your previous or current belief walking from one brand table to another. (There were two floors of high-end cans-packed rooms) Given so many options such as brand names, custom or universal, driver types, driver numbers, country where the IEM's made in, bass/treble preference, pricing, on-the-spot luring offers, and so on; coupled with how little time you only got, the experience could have you end up feeling either satisfied that you made the right buy or disappointed because you felt you should've bought that IEM but didn't. I, by the way, had myself purchase the Noble Kaiser Encore along the way because I couldn't resist the offer they were giving for free: an individualized Noble Sage with hand signature by the Wizard himself, Dr. John Moulton whom I took a rare picture together with. I had a good impression from the Kaiser encore reviews beforehand.

Auditioning some real high-end overears like the Stax-009, Sonoma M1 electrostatic, Final Sonorous X, Sennheiser HD820 and the Abyss 1266 was something you didn't want to miss at such a pretty rare event.

Now back to @svk7 question, the impression from my visit at the Canjam still has me glued to confusion even until now. While I was asking for JH Audio Roxanne, some reliable and nice guy convinced me to seriously consider Fitear Customs instead, to complete my swaying standpoint. There were also these Ultimate Ears, these Empire Ears (after scrolling to my pictures, I just realized what you and @ceeloChamp were saying made a lot of sense) and Vision ears. The Tia Fourte which I auditioned 1st before anything else when I touched ground, sounded impressive, and it did again to my ears the next day. Most likely I would go for it.

Now I have another confusion. My AK380Cu is getting too slow flipping from track to track, let alone from folder to folder. I have been very keen to get the A&ultima SP1000 copper as my next DAP, especially because of my ultimate satisfaction with my old A&K and its versatility (e.g. Tidal over Wi-fi). But, to my surprise, nearly EVERY table that I came across at the Jam had two, three or four at least the Sony NW-WM1Z gold lying there ready being hooked to whatever IEMs they were offering. What in the world was going on, I thought! If it were having wifi I would've gotten it within the next minute. Also the fact that Sony is famous to upgrade its product lines within short time intervals (unlike the A&K), turned me down to buy it worrying next year I would be left with an old piece of DAP.

Fitear make great customs, if they sound good to you, pull the trigger. It’s so hard not to have FOMO in the headphone world, but the truth is there are so many good options and if you like what you are hearing.,.you made the right decision

 

[Shutupnjustlisten]

I have heard the Roxanne and it sounds fantastic, I would assume that the Layla sounds even better. One factor that is important to me, but might not be for you, is convenience. I like IEMs because I can use them everywhere with somthing as small as a DAP. The KSE1500 kind of defeats the convenience of IEMs to me because you are always chained to the Shure amp. If you don't mind having the Shure amp ball-n-chain then I'd say give the KSE1500s a chance, I would have given them a shot, but I know I hate having to carry around an amp stack. The Fourtes are also fantastic and highly regarded by most everyone. The Legend X would be the choice if you want to go out on a limb and try somthing new. I think no matter what you get it won't be your last IEM, so read some reviews and get what fits your mood now.

Thanks @ceeloChamp. Yes, but the KSE1500 and its rather bulky stuck-to-death power is lying with me already all this time. Hence, my shopping for "power-less" IEMs!

I really liked your wisdom: after all the review readings, the auditions (to be honest, there's no way you could really tell the micro differences in such a tight time space among IEMs these days, given the industry standards--what you could really tell is merely your impression), all the logical analysis, your peer sincere and genuine thoughts and recommendations, it will eventually come down to what you believe your deepest intuition leads you to. A gear you know you will be smiling at because you made the right choice after a month, a semester, a year or so. Knowing that there is always a gear out there performing better than what you own currently (either you never have a chance to audition everything or you do not know such a gear does exist) kind of soothes you and convinces what you have now is pretty damn good that you should never look back to only make things worse than they actually are.