[speakerz2017]

These look vastly superior to their flagship of yesteryear k3003. Removable cables, and an actually ergonomic design. How they expect to compete when 90% of the market is filled with similarly designed IEMs is anyones guess. AKG gets half a facepalm from me

 

[Turrican2]

- Is it recommended to buy a DAP separately? What DAP do you recommend? Heard some good stuff about the shanling m3s. Is this dap more than sufficiënt? Or would only a very high end dap be sufficient to get the most of the N5005? What other dap’s could I consider? I am not an audio expert!

If you’re using Bluetooth, an iPhone is totally fine, and these sound great. I do own a couple of daps (SONY WM1A and shanling m0) and mainly use these when I want some head space. It means I can leave my phone somewhere else and just listen to music. Some might say just put your phone in airplane mode but for me it’s too tempting to just check emails etc....the m0 is a cheap and highly versatile player, not tried the m3s.

 

[McCol]

These look vastly superior to their flagship of yesteryear k3003. Removable cables, and an actually ergonomic design. How they expect to compete when 90% of the market is filled with similarly designed IEMs is anyones guess. AKG gets half a facepalm from me

Not sure I get your point.

The K3003 were often criticised for their shape and fit. AKG have designed an IEM that may well be similar to other styles but this benefits it as it now has excellent fit, far better than the K3003.

 

[bbfoto]

Been super busy lately but finally got a chance to try the Medium Size (Red) SpinFit TwinBlade CP240-M ear tips with the N5005 that others suggested, including Jude in Post #455. Don't know why I didn't try these sooner...too many tips to choose from and try, I guess.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06VVRXHG1/

These Medium size double-flange Spinfit TwinBlades do sound very, very good, and are a bit more comfortable than the Sony tips (best sound), but I think the Sony's are still my favorite sound-wise. I've been using the Reference Filters with both of these. I'll try the Spinfits with both the Mid-High Boost & Bass Boost filters next, but I think these will swing too far in their respective directions (for me). We'll see (or hear)!

Unfortunately, none of the TS/TSX Comply Foam Tip sizes work well for me, for either comfort or a balanced sound. I mentioned it before, but I think that the N5005 nozzles are just too large of a diameter for my ear canals. Once the nozzle and basically any tip are inserted so that the IEM bodies seat well and comfortably + secure in my outer ear, the inner nozzle tips press uncomfortably on my inner ear canal and any tip that's used becomes somewhat hard because it is super compressed against my ear canal.

In addition (also mentioned previously), for my ears & ear canals, the nozzles on the N5005 need to be angled just a bit more forward and also up, i.e. pointed up & out more towards the outer corner of each eye.

For instance, when I push in & down slightly on the bottom rear of the IEM bodies with my fingers so the nozzles are aimed up a bit and more parallel to the sides of my head, I get a PERFECT seal and the IEM bodies also fit perfectly in my outer ear. Hopefully this is just unique to my head and weird ears!

I might just go for the Snug Fit custom-molded inserts even though they are quite expensive, because now that I've heard what the N5005 are truly capable of (reference quality IMO), I don't want to give them up.

I also tried the Smaller of the two TRIPLE-Flange tips that come in the 3rd party replacement set for the Monster Turbine Pro....

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FNXC18S/

I ended up cutting about 1/8" of length off of the rear silicone tube (behind & under the largest 3rd flange) so that only about 1.5mm of the rear silicone tube is left, and then slid these tips all of the way onto the N5005's nozzles at the inside ridge where the tips should normally seat. In this position, the largest, rear silicone flange kind of encompasses or wraps around part of the main IEM body, but doesn't obstruct the small port hole there. This adds additional seal and isolation at my outer ear. The small end of the tips still hang over the end of the nozzles a bit, and this keeps a good seal in my inner ear canal without having the actual nozzle press too hard there, as with most other tips.

These modified tips sound very, very good as well, and out of all of the tips that I've tried, these are the Most Comfortable along with providing the Best Overall Seal and allowing the main IEM body to sit securely in my outer ear to keep the IEMs in place.

But IMO, the Medium size Single-Flange 3rd party SONY replacement tips in either white or black with the teal/green bore tube still sound THE BEST by just a small margin....Again using the Reference Filters...I've tried all of the other filters with these tips and the Reference ones are spot-on for me. However, the Sony tips are not the most comfortable (for me), nor do they provide the best seal & isolation, hence my quest for other tips.

https://www.amazon.com/Sony-EPEX10A-WHI-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B001RB24V4/

Anyway, just sharing my experience just in case anyone else is also on the hunt for other tips.

 

[Signal2Noise]

^
Good tip on the ...tips. I have still been struggling on a proper fit with N5005 and all the tips I've tried. Even the generic double-flange silicon I first touted as being good. They are good with other IEMs such as FLC8S and EX1000 but not this AKG. I will get the triples and the TwinBlades you suggested. Thanks for the links, chief!

 

[Signal2Noise]

Been super busy lately but finally got a chance to try the Medium Size (Red) SpinFit TwinBlade CP240-M ear tips with the N5005 that others suggested, including Jude in Post #455. Don't know why I didn't try these sooner...too many tips to choose from and try, I guess.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06VVRXHG1/

...

We have a winner! For me anyways.

A set of small (blue) and medium tips arrived today. I first tried the small. Right fit fine, left was too loose. I then tried medium and both sides fit extremely well and remained secure. What is even better is the red colour of the medium tips kind of match with the orange/red sheath of the Beat Audio Labs' Vermilion cable.

I will be buying more of these tips. It's too bad it is one set per package. AKG should reimburse for the first few sets.

 

[GreenBow]

I keep thinking about buying some N5005. One review that has me puzzled is the HiFi News review, in the current issue, (HiFi News) Ultimate HiFi 2018.

They said that they ran-in the N5005 on pink noise. (Pink noise as far as I know does not cover all frequencies; white noise does.) They went with reference filters to start with on the N5005. Which they quickly decided was too bright for violins sounding scratchy, and vocals having whispey overemphasised sibilants. They changed to the bass boost filters, and said they were rewarded with a much more neutral tonal balance.

What confuses me about these review points is just about everything. Why use pink noise? If the treble was scratchy, it would still be scratchy with bass boost filters, it would just be quieter.


What interests me about the N5005, is that I have the N40 and they are absolutely staggering. There is no fatigue at all. I listen with them e.g. to all the six Norah Jones albums one after the other. (Paired with either Hugo 2 or Mojo. The N40 synergy with Chord DACs is exceptional.) ... In the N5005 I would be looking for just a higher quality sound, compared to the N40. (I would not like to think that the extra expense of the N5005 is for BT etc.) The N40 signature is perfect. The N40 fit me prefectly on the supplied tips, so I am hoping the N5005 will be the same. They look the same tips.

Going back to the HiFi News review though, the issue they had with treble does not match other reviews. All other reviews say that the N5005 treble is just exactly right. (Exactly right, is how I find the N40 treble.) I can't help wondering if HiFi News just did not run-in their test N5005 properly. ... I found with the N40 that they needed about twenty hours before I stopped looking for change. Out of the box they were a bit of a shock, and I quickly posted on the N40 thread. I need not have worried though. At two hours I still felt that the N40 bass was punching my ears a bit. However that quickly smoothed out over time. The treble would have been accurately describes are scratchy at two hours maybe, but again that smoothed out prefectly. The N40 treble is smooth, silky, sparkly, and crisp. Perfect! (Mids went the same way.) ... The only other way I could describe the sound after maybe two hours was, it didn't quite all fit together. However the tonality was starting to come out and glow and shine. .... After maybe five hours, it was better, and after ten hours the N40 seemed nearly run in. Still however by twenty hours, they sounded even smoother. They just have spectacular tonality, with a rich sound, but sacrifice no detail to maintain a full sound. They are explicitly detailed from bottom to top; in relation to their price range.


The HiFi News review leaves a shaky impression, but the rest of their review was glowing. Added to that, some other pro-reviews gave their 'best buy' or 'editors choice' with the N5005. HiFi Choice however, as someone already stated, said the N5005 was bettered by the Sennheiser IE800S. (Although that point is not present in their web-page review of the N5005. http://www.hifichoice.co.uk/news/article/akg-n5005/26614) It is however printed on page 51 of their magazine review in their June 2018 magazine, issue 437.

Lastly, the only magazine review that highly commended the N5005, was HiFi Plus, issue 164 page 93. They said "Kill to get a set". (That I can believe, given my impression of the N40.)

 

[raindogtrombone]

So I just made the jump from the N40 to the N5005. I've had a lot of trouble finding any IEM that I find comfortable, and over the past 3-4 years ad I've been upgrading my desktop setup (see signature), I've tried several different brands, shapes, etc. The N40 were the only IEM that I've found incredibly comfortable and non-fatiguing both in sound and comfort. I totally agree with @GreenBow 's assessment that the N40 sounds phenomenal with the Chord Mojo. Spent the summer with that combo. I've only listened to the N5005 for a few minutes, through the Mojo, and using Bluetooth with my iPhone. The sound improvements are noticeable. Unfortunately to me, they are a little bit less comfortable than the N40 (the body is a little bit larger, even if the shape is the same), but the sound really is wonderful. I'm excited to do some extended listening with them. Might still keep the N40s though - especially for really long/portable sessions.

 

[GreenBow]

@raindogtrombone I would keep my N40, even if I bought some better IEMs or headphones. I think I will even buy a second pair of N40, in case I lose these of break them.

I really like the idea of the N5005 too. It would be good to hear your impressions after your N5005 have about twenty hours on them. That's how long I listened to my N40 before I stopped listening for, or expecting change. Either the N40 needed running in which is most likely, or I needed time to adjust to them.

I was also looking at Shure SE846 on Amazon, since Amazon UK are not stocking the N5005 at the moment. It seems odd that they might not be selling them. The N5005 that they had sold fast enough.

(EDIT: You should try get to hear your N40 or N5005 on the Hugo 2.)

 

[berzerk428]

So I just made the jump from the N40 to the N5005. I've had a lot of trouble finding any IEM that I find comfortable, and over the past 3-4 years ad I've been upgrading my desktop setup (see signature), I've tried several different brands, shapes, etc. The N40 were the only IEM that I've found incredibly comfortable and non-fatiguing both in sound and comfort. I totally agree with @GreenBow 's assessment that the N40 sounds phenomenal with the Chord Mojo. Spent the summer with that combo. I've only listened to the N5005 for a few minutes, through the Mojo, and using Bluetooth with my iPhone. The sound improvements are noticeable. Unfortunately to me, they are a little bit less comfortable than the N40 (the body is a little bit larger, even if the shape is the same), but the sound really is wonderful. I'm excited to do some extended listening with them. Might still keep the N40s though - especially for really long/portable sessions.

I'd give it some time, I purchased my pair of N5005 a few months ago and had some concerns and issues regarding fitting them and general comfortability but all that resolved itself over time, they take some time getting used to. Also, I can really recommend the included Spinfit tips because they add some distance between your ear canal and the IEM shell, that really made a difference for me.

 

[raindogtrombone]

I'd give it some time, I purchased my pair of N5005 a few months ago and had some concerns and issues regarding fitting them and general comfortability but all that resolved itself over time, they take some time getting used to. Also, I can really recommend the included Spinfit tips because they add some distance between your ear canal and the IEM shell, that really made a difference for me.

Thanks. I definitely noticed that with the small Spinfit, it was more comfortable, but more than that, the bass sounded way nicer. I listened for about 5 hours over my first two nights with these. On the first night, I definitely felt a bit of discomfort after a rather long listening session (with the N40s, I've had them in for 4 hours more or less nonstop on a couple of occasions and had no issues). By last night, I think I got a little bit more used to them, and at times kept forgetting they were in there. The sound, as I'm learning, is just awesome. I've really loved the N40s and as GreenBow said above, I'm probably unlikely to sell them since they are such a great IEM, but the N5005 sound really wonderful (granted this is my first experience with any IEM above the $400/500 range).

 

[berzerk428]

Thanks. I definitely noticed that with the small Spinfit, it was more comfortable, but more than that, the bass sounded way nicer. I listened for about 5 hours over my first two nights with these. On the first night, I definitely felt a bit of discomfort after a rather long listening session (with the N40s, I've had them in for 4 hours more or less nonstop on a couple of occasions and had no issues). By last night, I think I got a little bit more used to them, and at times kept forgetting they were in there. The sound, as I'm learning, is just awesome. I've really loved the N40s and as GreenBow said above, I'm probably unlikely to sell them since they are such a great IEM, but the N5005 sound really wonderful (granted this is my first experience with any IEM above the $400/500 range).

Have to agree with you, no matter what I throw at them genre- or quality-wise this IEM delivers and still manages to really excite me even though months have already gone by since I got them. The most expensive IEM I had before them were a pair of Westone W40 which I really liked but it's a whole other league (they're worth about 500$). If you threw low quality recordings at them you didnt really notice in most cases, with the N5005 the difference becomes night and day, but I actually like that because it enables me to replace these files in my collection.

In terms of comfort, I had a spot where the N5005 would really put pressure on and after a few hours my ears would really start to hurt sometimes, but now months later I will be constantly wearing them the whole day whilst working and not even notice they're there, pretty much the same as with the W40 which are known for their stellar comfort. The main difference I notice is the weight they have in comparison, the W40 is almost nonexistent, the N5005 more of a heavyweight, but to me this is neither positive or negative. The finish and material is also much nicer on the N5005, they really feel premium all the way, the W40 not so much.

I did some extended A/B comparison between the medium spinfits and a pair of white sony medium tips that dont have this kind of headroom the spinfits have in order to decide which I'll be using for the time being, and to me this headroom changes the whole sound, the sound I got with the sonys always ended up somewhat flat in comparison whilst with the spinfit the music was able to move around better if the recording asked for it, it's a bit hard to explain it accurately without portraying it wrong.. there were genres where I liked this flatness the sony tips gave better but overall I enjoyed the spinfits more across all genres.. but maybe this is just me : ) I know there's no shortage of people that dislike the spinfits, on the other hand there was almost universal praise for the jvc spiral dots, so I ended up testing them and guess what.. to me they were by far the worst ^^

 

[berzerk428]

Thanks. I definitely noticed that with the small Spinfit, it was more comfortable, but more than that, the bass sounded way nicer. I listened for about 5 hours over my first two nights with these. On the first night, I definitely felt a bit of discomfort after a rather long listening session (with the N40s, I've had them in for 4 hours more or less nonstop on a couple of occasions and had no issues). By last night, I think I got a little bit more used to them, and at times kept forgetting they were in there. The sound, as I'm learning, is just awesome. I've really loved the N40s and as GreenBow said above, I'm probably unlikely to sell them since they are such a great IEM, but the N5005 sound really wonderful (granted this is my first experience with any IEM above the $400/500 range).

oh and about the bass, my findings were exactly the same, the bass you get with the spinfits is insane compared to standard tips, but the bass on the N5005 is generally really good, that was the most noticeable change comming from the W40 besides clarity and detail

 

[GreenBow]

For me it's worth keeping my N40, and probably getting a second pair, for two reasons. Firstly I love them, and was really taken back by how good they are. Secondly because even if a better product comes out, I know the N40 fit comfortably etc.

I googled N40 vs N5005 images to see if I could see how they vary physically. From the pictures I found, I thought the only size difference was in depth. All other dimensions looked the same.



To me they look identical in size, except the depth of the cap. meaning the chrome cap on the N40 and ceramic cap on the N5005. The N5005 look deeper. .. I saw other images too which showed the other side of the N5005, and they looked the same as N40 to me. ... Of course I can't be 100% sure. I know it was also said just in the last page or so, that the N5005 are bigger and a slightly different fit. However I have my fingers crossed about the N5005 fitting me because the N40 do perfectly.

Going back to what was recently said about comfort. The N40 are my first pair of IEM, and I bought them on a risk. My first ever contact with IEM were a cheap pair of Sony phone ones, which I hated. I figured I'd never use IEM ever. However I was desperate for something to use with a DAP. I was also fed up with trying to choose headphones / earphones. I forgot about my initial bad IEM experience and in a fit of need, bought the N40.

In comfort, at first they were OK. Then I noticed that within minutes it was almost like I wasn't wearing them. It took a week to get handy at putting them in and taking them out. After maybe a week I also lost any discomfort, or just got used to them. I think most of the initial discomfort was just not being accustomed to them. It felt a bit odd wedging something in my ear canal.

I think one other reason why I love the N40 so much is the noise isolation level. It's good enough to make public transport more enjoyable, but not too isolating to make crossing roads dangerous.

 

[Lurk650]

Just recently sold my N40. These have always caught my eye. Found a steal of a price for these open box but never used, ordered them. I did highly enjoy the N40 though at times the cohesion between the DD and BA was off, hoping these will suit me.