[ProtegeManiac]

Share naman yung iba dyan!

 
I just use a very high sensitivity IEM with a highly customizable EQ out of a smartphone with a decent audio chip. The only thing I can ask for from a custom IEM is long term comfort, but I can't be certain that my ear canals once they start sweating won't itch as much with acrylic as with whatever Sony hybrids are made of.

 

[RavenPH]

Thank you for your suggestions but I am still a college student who happened to love high fidelity music just recently (I listen to mostly OPM like Antonio Buenaventura, Ryan Cayabyab, Sugarfree, Sandwich, Spongecola, Eraserheads, Itchyworms and some international artists Like the Script, Paramore, Clean Bandit, Of Monsters and Men etc. My sister and mother has a huge collection of physical audio sources so I ripped most of them into FLAC level 0 in Foobar) 

So only when I am in Q.C. or Manila for a week I could go to Egghead and try some DAPs and Headphones.  

Could you recommend some open backed headphones and IEMs please? I have benn thinking of getting some AKG (Open Backed) and Brainwavz for in-ears. Are they good in terms of sound production?

 

[raypin]

mmmm.......swerte mo at madaming options na. When I was in university, hanggang Walkman lang kami and 97.1 (paborito ng college crowd nung hindi pa naging jologs station). lol! Perhaps, you should also consider Flipears. Di naman masyadong mahal siya. Your gen is spoilt for choice. Starbucks vs. kami turo-turo lang. Pa-Uber Uber kayo. Kami jeep at bus na matigas na upuan. Pa wifi wifi kayo. Kami hanggang library na meron mga tunay na libro na pinagaagawan pa (and we had to master the Dewey Decimal system to get the right books).

 

[RavenPH]

Hahaha oonga po eh. Marami ng options for audio, though matagal na akong exposed sa quality music dahil ang kapatid ko ay isang musician for the Manila Symphony Orchestra (Violin major at scholar sa St. Scholasticas). 

I assure you po, I love reading books and novels and I can live without WiFi (I prefer to live in the provinces than the city. We would use wifi to play multiplayer on CounterStrike Lol). I hate digital copies of books. When I'm bored, I listen to music or read random books or magazines. I go to the Library often for copying some lecture slides left by our professors. I missed the radio and cassette tapes we used for listening some Ogie Alcasid, Regine Velasquez, Jaya, etc. I never got to try our turntable because all of our vinyl records are destroyed due to floods in 2004.

I am more of a Tea and Juice person. Starbucks is overpriced and I go there once in a while and only when necessary.  

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RavenPH /img/forum/go_quote.gif

 

I hate digital copies of books...I never got to try our turntable because all of our vinyl records are destroyed due to floods in 2004.

 

Get used to it, especially for the same reason you lost your vinyls. When it comes to music and ebooks one or a few back-up HDDs in a waterproof case can be in your bug-out backpack and you still have all your stuff (books and music, among others); in some cases, depending on where you get the files from, they're all tied to your account, so you can download them again later for free.

 

Educational institutions are also shifting to paperless, primarily for environmental reasons. I can't remember the last time I used print copies in grad school, and now almost all the articles I'm referencing in my thesis are all digital copies from online journals. Copyright laws are also too restrictive that photocopiers in some schools are so tightly regulated they won't copy the entire book, but you can buy the Kindle version for cheaper than what you would pay for a locally printed hardcopy, much less international shipping for something that isn't available locally. Even submissions in some schools are almost all digital now, teachers can write notes on them, and emails are time-stamped without the need for the department secretary to bother with helping to tag the submissions.

 

All the research about how people learn better holding a paper copy or writing down are more from how they grew up - succeeding generations who don't use paper likely will not even get to do that as much to be acclimated to learning that way.If anything, I still write notes by hand first, but only because switching between windows on one computer gives me headaches while having two screens and lugging around a stand for the tablet anywhere but home (the stand covers are too low for where I expect to see what I'm reading) is just too much of a hassle. So, I go out with a tablet and a notebook, or a laptop with the notes on my notebook.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by RavenPH /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I am more of a Tea and Juice person. Starbucks is overpriced and I go there once in a while and only when necessary.  

 

You don't really pay that much for the coffee, you pay for the facilities. And no, I'm not talking about the caricature of college girls as in Pugad Baboy where they pay that much for coffee so they can sit outside in full view of people who will see them sitting in Starbucks. I'm referring to power outlets, comfortable seats, outdoor sitting area for smokers, etc. Mister Donuts and Dunkin Donuts used to at least have smoking areas, but now they've been relegated to mostly just stands in convenience stores or what amounts to a tiny take out counter. The lack of power outlets can be offset by Core M laptops though considering how tiny the motherboard is and it lets manufacturers cram a larger battery in it (look up what the Macbook 12in looks like inside - the battery is several times larger than the motherboard!).

In Katipunan for example we used to study in Dunkin Donuts and get picked up there, but then Starbuck's happened, and then we were in college just a few years after it opened, and heaping caffeine and nicotine together into our stressed out systems (which kept us awake all the time, but we did end up wasting some time talking about how we're all dead because of what we think our grades are, etc), and then the building with Dunkin Donuts was destroyed to make way for a larger building.

 

Of course, there are a lot of alternatives to Starbucks but it depends on where you are. A lot of neighborhood coffee/tea shops have the same facilities (if not necessarily power outlets), but again it depends on whether there's one such place accessible to you. What I really hate about studying at home is that people won't leave me alone so I developed a habit of staying as far away from family when I have to work (that probably doesn't bode well if I have any kids, but then again I don't plan on having any, so OK lang). One advantage still with Starbucks and CBTL is that their shops have places to use a Kensington lock with your laptop, so if you're working alone, you can still go to the counter without worrying too much about how that place attracts the kinds of kids who might open the cab door on EDSA to grab your laptop bag.

 

Anyways, in the end, different strokes - if you don't have to smoke and people at home don't bother you when you're working, lucky you, you don't have to to go out 

 (what's really annoying is that the same people wrecking your workflow at home are the same people who won't get off your case about your grades either)

 

 

 

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by RavenPH /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Could you recommend some open backed headphones and IEMs please? I have benn thinking of getting some AKG (Open Backed) and Brainwavz for in-ears. Are they good in terms of sound production?

 

If by "sound production" you mean professional use like in a studio for monitoring or mastering, well, that depends on the model. The K270 and K240 are mainstays but that has more to do with price nowadays. I'd much rather use a closed back Brainwavz HM5 to be honest, unless you can spend more on, say, a K702, but then you'd have to blow money on the amplifier.

 

Why not just focus your money on really good in-ears? Any decent smartphone or laptop can drive them well enough, so no need to spend money on a separate HPamp or DAC-HPamp. Something to consider if you're a college student on a very tight budget. Heck at least now the smartphone your parents might get you so they can communicate with you can be a decent source, so you can put all your own money on the IEM. Back when I was in high school I blew my post-December money on a MiniDisc player (and even then only because my brother not only blew his money on a PS2, but also the extra controller), then it took a while before I got almost decent headphones (AKG K66).

 

[RavenPH]

Hm, I am not that keen on in ears to be honest because it is uncomfortable. I prefer over ear headphones but I would try some in ears again for walking from one college to the next. (Anyone form UPLB here? huhu ang init na ngayon.)  

What I meant by sound production is the way the headphones produce the sound (like timbre, bass, treble, etc.) I may have used the wrong term, sorry po.

So what can you recommend for IEMs? I could look it up someday. So far, my college mate recommended some Audio Technicas and Sennheisers. 

  

 

[wildlife2011]

Could you recommend some open backed headphones and IEMs please? I have benn thinking of getting some AKG (Open Backed) and Brainwavz for in-ears. Are they good in terms of sound production?

Im using the Hifiman HE 400S. You can compare it with HD 600.

 

[wildlife2011]

Hm, I am not that keen on in ears to be honest because it is uncomfortable. I prefer over ear headphones but I would try some in ears again for walking from one college to the next. (Anyone form UPLB here? huhu ang init na ngayon.)  

Why not get some CIEMs? Flipears is the cheapest option I could think of. For my experience with ciems thwy are super comfortable. Last night nga nakatulog ako ng nakasuot pa yung JH13V2 ko. And I didnt even notice na naiwan ko pala sya sa ears ko.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

What I meant by sound production is the way the headphones produce the sound (like timbre, bass, treble, etc.) I may have used the wrong term, sorry po.

 
Well that depends on what you want, but from a more objective standpoint try to get one that has the smoothest response curve. No sharp/narrow peaks or dips that deviate far from where 1khz is, and 20hz and 20khz (or at least 16khz) aren't too far from where 1khz is either. Of course, how smooth the graph should be can vary with the price point, ie, you can be more tolerant of response flaws at lower price ranges as long as it's comfortable.
 
In my case I use the Aurisonics ASG-1 primarily for comfort. The curve is somewhat similar to the LCD-2 (pre-Fazor), where the response is stronger below 1khz than above it, except it's not as smooth at either range. That said, the curve isn't too jagged, so a wide-band low shelf cut of -4dB (ie everything below 500hz reduced) and a wideband high shelf boost of +2dB (everything above 4khz boosted) gets a very smooth and balanced overall response.
 
I'd wait for reviews on the upcoming Fender DXA-1 - they bought Aurisonics which will now be their IEM arm. There's also the Aurisonics Eva but it's a little bit more expensive,but check with Egghead - if they have any they might put them up for sale since it's an older pre-Fender line. As long as the Fender lines are still available through Egghead instead of Audiophile it's not a problem (had a problem with Shure before, but of course not as bad as Sennheiser's and Olympus' distributor).
 
 

  Hm, I am not that keen on in ears to be honest because it is uncomfortable. I prefer over ear headphones but I would try some in ears again for walking from one college to the next. (Anyone form UPLB here? huhu ang init na ngayon.)  
---
So what can you recommend for IEMs? I could look it up someday. So far, my college mate recommended some Audio Technicas and Sennheisers. 

 
If you'll use them outside the problem with fullsize headphones is that they won't seal properly to block out all that noise. Anyways, what IEMs have you tried that you didn't like? An IEM shell like the Aurisonics Bravo and ASG line however mimic the outer shell of a custom IEM, spreading more of the weight outside the ear instead of putting all friction and weight on  the eartip and the cable looped around over the earlobe. Sadly the new entry level, the DXA-1, uses a more traditional universal shell design, but at least it uses a shell design similar to Shure and Westone, which tend to be more comfortable.
 
For China/Taiwan brands, start looking into the VSD3 and Havi B3 Pro. The latter is a more comfortable version of the Sennheiser IE8, but still not as comfortable as the VSD3. Still, that one might have a good shell design similar to Shure/Westone (the jagged diamond texture is more on the outside, not against your ear), but the problem is the cable. It's too thick, too heavy, and is highly microphonic (tap it and you'll hear the impact). For the price of a new VSD3 plus gambling on a Lunashops cable, and all the hassles with the MMCX connector (or getting the new version with the non-replaceable cable), might as well wait and see how much the DXA-1 will be sold here first and maybe try them out also. The more you want to save money the more you need to not rush into buying anything.
 
Also, if you want a lot of comfort and can spend a bit more, look into Flipears. It's a local brand so no need to deal with Customs (the one with sharks at the post office) and international shipping if you need to have it reshelled for better fit or if you crack the shell. Note though that at your age the ear canal has a high probability of changing shape still so even if you take good care of it you might need a refit after two years. Not that bad though considering the comfort.
 
Look at who got their custom IEMs from Flipears

 

[raypin]

mmm.....fan also of thePre-Fender  Aurisonics.Have the ASG 2.5_pr with the adjustable bass. Very comfortable, tons of bass, good mid-range and treble, on the bright side. Puwedeng puwede sa mga teenagers. Weird grippy eartip but it works well.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  mmm.....fan also of thePre-Fender  Aurisonics.Have the ASG 2.5_pr with the adjustable bass. Very comfortable, tons of bass, good mid-range and treble, on the bright side. Puwedeng puwede sa mga teenagers. Weird grippy eartip but it works well.

 
I use Sony Hybrids with my ASG-1.3, and also found the white ones on eBay, sorted into a box of ten pairs in the same size. Matches the transparent shells well.

 

[donkeanu]

here's mine...
 
hifiman 901s > inear SD4s with PW audio copper litz at spinfits
 
 

 

[donkeanu]

never been a fan of ciem's...
sa gears ko na halos come & go, mahirap ibenta ang ciem not unless bagsak prexo...
on the other hand, mahirap mghanap ng universal iem na ssakto sa tenga ko...
buti nlng anjan ang inear, specifically yung smaller version ng shell..
parang ciem nrn ung looks pati narin ang fit...

 

[RavenPH]

Wow. Thank you for the recommendations. I have never heard of Flipears before. I'll look them up when I have the time.

 

 

 

[RavenPH]

  If you'll use them outside the problem with fullsize headphones is that they won't seal properly to block out all that noise. Anyways, what IEMs have you tried that you didn't like? An IEM shell like the Aurisonics Bravo and ASG line however mimic the outer shell of a custom IEM, spreading more of the weight outside the ear instead of putting all friction and weight on  the eartip and the cable looped around over the earlobe. Sadly the new entry level, the DXA-1, uses a more traditional universal shell design, but at least it uses a shell design similar to Shure and Westone, which tend to be more comfortable.
 
For China/Taiwan brands, start looking into the VSD3 and Havi B3 Pro. The latter is a more comfortable version of the Sennheiser IE8, but still not as comfortable as the VSD3. Still, that one might have a good shell design similar to Shure/Westone (the jagged diamond texture is more on the outside, not against your ear), but the problem is the cable. It's too thick, too heavy, and is highly microphonic (tap it and you'll hear the impact). For the price of a new VSD3 plus gambling on a Lunashops cable, and all the hassles with the MMCX connector (or getting the new version with the non-replaceable cable), might as well wait and see how much the DXA-1 will be sold here first and maybe try them out also. The more you want to save money the more you need to not rush into buying anything.
 
Also, if you want a lot of comfort and can spend a bit more, look into Flipears. It's a local brand so no need to deal with Customs (the one with sharks at the post office) and international shipping if you need to have it reshelled for better fit or if you crack the shell. Note though that at your age the ear canal has a high probability of changing shape still so even if you take good care of it you might need a refit after two years. Not that bad though considering the comfort.
 
 

I have not tried that much IEM's. I am still new to this hobby. Thank you for sharing your insights sir.