[tienbasse]

Quote:

To me dynamic IEMs are just earbuds with a nozzle. They have huge housing to accommodate their larger drivers, which of course can move a lot more air and create texture/bass/soundstage which a jelly bean sized UE 700 simply cannot emulate. The thing I hate most about dynamic IEMs is the size of the housing, and how it always have to sit outside of the ear canal...
If someday I find a pair of dynamics with the sound of GR07 and size of qJays or UE700, I might take another look. For now though, it's BA for me all the way. 

You may wanna try the Yamaha EPH-100 if you can get your hands on them (I have only seen them in Europe so far).
They managed to fit 6mm diameter dynamic drivers inside the intra nozzles (check center pic in my signature), so the drivers really go inside your ear canals.
The results: great balance and clarity (BA-like), and you keep the strong bass that you usually find in dynamic drivers. Isolation is excellent with the provided double flange tips.
 
Being a dynamic driver fan myself, I really enjoy them. They're better than my FX700s in the mids (percussion and male vocals), although they can't compete for treble (cymbals and female vocals), so I keep both.
 

 

[YGuyG]

 
Quote:

How is the isolation of the TF10s compared to the IE8s in your opinion?
 
I would also like to know the answer to your question as well...
 

I feel the isolation is much better than my IE8's since IE8's don't really make a true seal. It wasn't as good as my Shure E4g's though and I find Shure tends to have really, really good isolation but it feels like a vacuum in your ear. I've been trying to describe the sound of the TF10s to people for female vocals in particular and I came up with liquid crystal. It's smooth like liquid but so sharp and precise like a crystal. I mean, it's not harsh though. (not to me anyways) It's hard to describe. I agree with others though in the regard that it has dynamic tendencies, the soundstage is pretty fantastic for BA, it's getting close to my IE8s. The bass is great and I actually feel that really deep bass, lows, sub bass, w/e is present better on the TF10's. I find it easier to pick out than on my IE8s. That is an advantage of multiple drivers in some cases. The IE8s also without a doubt are warmer. Then again they also come with the Sennheiser veil. The more I listen to my TF10s the more my IE8's disappoint me. I know they are a genuinely good IEM but I think I'm starting to prefer a more analytical and balanced signature. I know the TF10s aren't that but they are certainly closer than the IE8s fun sig. I also can hear the side of things when people say they BA sounds artificial. I can for sure agree with that to an extent but it never bugs me because I like the way it sounds. To put it simply they sound clearer than the music should allow lol. 
 
But to answer you quickly because I love to chat, the isolation on the TF10 is much better although more uncomfortable after extended listening periods. 
 

 

[kmhaynes]

Like a majority of people here, I have some of both, and appreciate the differences.

 

[Austin Morrow]

Quote:

I can't speak for dynamics vs balanced armatures in general as I haven't heard all. However, I do like my dynamic driver GR07 over the balanced armature UM3X, 535 and DBA 02. Having a dynamic or balanced armature driver will definitely bring in certain characteristics unique to each type. But, this isn't the end point - many other factors play in to the sound. To say that one IEM is better than the other just because it has a dynamic driver or vice versa would be wrong. 

Yeah, I will say, the GR07 has a lot of BA characteristics to go behind it.

 

[hien34]

I'm definitely a fan of Dynamics over BAs but still want to try more that have dedicated BA drivers for the low end since that's what I seem to miss the most.  I mostly listen to progressive trance with/without female vocals and with the BAs I've tried I seem to miss the energy (most noticeably on the low end).  Many times the vocals (W4s) still sounded great
 
I'm also now torn since I've decided to go for some customs, but not sure what to get.  I like the UM Merlins since they include a dynamic along w/the BAs.  I guess it's just a mental thing (wanting more than 1 driver) since there are the Futuresonics customs with a large single dynamic.
 
Otherwise if they weren't ~$1000+ I could look at the AKG K3003 (single dynamic, dual BA)

 

[YGuyG]

hien, if there is another sale on the TF10s pick em up. The low end is close to my IE8's and the female vocals are to die for. Electronic music in general really shines on them, I'd say that's what they are the best at. 

 

[BassInMyFace]

Quote:

 
I feel the isolation is much better than my IE8's since IE8's don't really make a true seal. It wasn't as good as my Shure E4g's though and I find Shure tends to have really, really good isolation but it feels like a vacuum in your ear. I've been trying to describe the sound of the TF10s to people for female vocals in particular and I came up with liquid crystal. It's smooth like liquid but so sharp and precise like a crystal. I mean, it's not harsh though. (not to me anyways) It's hard to describe. I agree with others though in the regard that it has dynamic tendencies, the soundstage is pretty fantastic for BA, it's getting close to my IE8s. The bass is great and I actually feel that really deep bass, lows, sub bass, w/e is present better on the TF10's. I find it easier to pick out than on my IE8s. That is an advantage of multiple drivers in some cases. The IE8s also without a doubt are warmer. Then again they also come with the Sennheiser veil. The more I listen to my TF10s the more my IE8's disappoint me. I know they are a genuinely good IEM but I think I'm starting to prefer a more analytical and balanced signature. I know the TF10s aren't that but they are certainly closer than the IE8s fun sig. I also can hear the side of things when people say they BA sounds artificial. I can for sure agree with that to an extent but it never bugs me because I like the way it sounds. To put it simply they sound clearer than the music should allow lol. 
 
But to answer you quickly because I love to chat, the isolation on the TF10 is much better although more uncomfortable after extended listening periods. 
 

Thank you for the detailed comparison.  Can I ask which tips that came with the TF10 provide the best isolation in your opinion?
 

 

[YGuyG]

Honestly the foamies provide the best seal. But I don't really have a preference, my ears are pretty versatile. Honestly, any tip I used from my IE8s or TF10's provided a good seal except for some that I didn't try and the double flanged tips from the IE8's, not the curved ones, the ones with the two rings. It all came down to preference of sound and for now the tips that came on them are what I like until I can buy something better. 

 

[BassInMyFace]

Quote:

Honestly the foamies provide the best seal. But I don't really have a preference, my ears are pretty versatile. Honestly, any tip I used from my IE8s or TF10's provided a good seal except for some that I didn't try and the double flanged tips from the IE8's, not the curved ones, the ones with the two rings. It all came down to preference of sound and for now the tips that came on them are what I like until I can buy something better. 

I thought the Comply tips would probably be better than the silicone.
 
 

 

[james444]

Above someone mentioned the soundstage factor and such of Dynamics. On that note, is there any universal BA IEM that has the soundstage of the IE8, FX700, EX1000 etc? 

Not quite, but among the ones I've heard the vented Final Audio BAs (Heaven A/C/S and FI-BA-SS) are closest.

 

[Inks]

PS200 and Triplefi-10 also have a wide soundstage despite being sealed. Though the PS200 may have some very subtle venting. 

 

[james444]

It may well be just a subjective matter, but for me the soundstage on vented phones has a distinctly different feel than on closed ones. Of course I've also heard closed IEMs with decent soundstage size, like the SF5 Pro, SM3 or W4, but I just don't get that same sense of openness and ambience as with vented phones. I guess it might be simply the difference in air pressure with closed phones that translates into a kind of boxed-in feeling, but then again that's just me, don't know if anybody else feels the same way.

 

[Austin Morrow]

Quote:

It may well be just a subjective matter, but for me the soundstage on vented phones has a distinctly different feel than on closed ones. Of course I've also heard closed IEMs with decent soundstage size, like the SF5 Pro, SM3 or W4, but I just don't get that same sense of openness and ambience as with vented phones. I guess it might be simply the difference in air pressure with closed phones that translates into a kind of boxed-in feeling, but then again that's just me, don't know if anybody else feels the same way.

Regarding the vented thing, yes I totally agree. Maybe this is just me, but it always seems like vented phones have better layering and separation.

 

[BassInMyFace]

Quote:

Regarding the vented thing, yes I totally agree. Maybe this is just me, but it always seems like vented phones have better layering and separation.

I agree as well.
 

 

[YGuyG]

Quote:

It may well be just a subjective matter, but for me the soundstage on vented phones has a distinctly different feel than on closed ones. Of course I've also heard closed IEMs with decent soundstage size, like the SF5 Pro, SM3 or W4, but I just don't get that same sense of openness and ambience as with vented phones. I guess it might be simply the difference in air pressure with closed phones that translates into a kind of boxed-in feeling, but then again that's just me, don't know if anybody else feels the same way.

With my IE8's walking home from school I find putting my hood on closes the soundstage a fair bit, makes them sound closed. My TF10's remain constant but I am disappointed when I remove the hood and the soundstage doesn't improve lol. 
 
 
@BassInMyFace: I did say the foamies (Complys) provided the best seal. I just don't care for what they do to the highs and the silicones work good enough for me.