[hydrocyanic]

mic line-in is a real plus when it comes to us iphon'ers and that might compensate to a certain amount of cost to the quality of sound.

imagine needing to hold the iphone straight up to talk.

 

[tstarn06]

Interesting about the IE8s. I sold mine as well, but mainly because I much prefer the Westone 3s now that I have found a good tip (tri-flange). The Apple in-ear is tempting, because I always have to use the Griffin Smart Talk with my Touch 2G (so I can skip and pause when walking), but I can't give up the W3 sound for a little inconvenience. If I had the iPhone, might grab a pair.

 

[montell]

I dont think the apple iems are bass light at all. The best is perfect and smooth. Though this is coming from a guy who thinks the bass on the SA6 is perfectly fine too while I have read that others complained about the lack of it. It depends entirely on the recordings though. Not on the IEMs. The Sennheisers didnt isolate that well. I have tried just about every tips except for the custom sleeves. All the trebbles and soundstage just got lost in the sound of engines, people talking, traffic etc. And whats left was just bass pumping in my ears.

Well it doesnt matter because I am enjoying the Apple iems more then I did with the Sennheisers in terms of comfort, user friendliness and sound signature. I dont consider them cold or analytical. I consider an IEM analytical when the bass is just a hard robotic slap like the sound of plastic. Precise with no depth. Excuse the lack of my audiophile vocabulary. These have warmth in their bass and are very detailed. Soundstage is sufficient and stereo seperation is awesome

Theres probally room for improvement but I honestly believe these are top tier iems and for 60 bucks what can you lose? Theres nothing to be ashamed of it. If a company like Sleek Audio or even Phonak can make high quality iems then why cant Apple? And companies are only asking up to $400 for iems because they can.

 

[ccontreras]

x2 the Apple IEMs aren't bad, are slightly dark.. but fun

 

[tstarn06]

(Posted this on another Apple IEM thread, but thought I would repeat it here.)

Well, I just picked up a pair of these Apple dual drivers phones (thanks to Montell, for posting how much he thought of them) for $35 (used, but like new condition) and I am very impressed. They are really fantastic and for the price I paid, a tremendous bargain. I am using the smallest OEM silicone flanges, and if you can get a good seal, all I can say is, Apple did a very nice job with these. In fact, to me they can compete with the better phones I own. Of course, they are not on the same level as the W3s or even the PFEs, but they are not many levels below. Again, if you get a bad seal, they sound very thin (as is the case with all IEMs/canal phones of course). But once you get a good seal, wow.

I also tried the large Comply T130 foamies (the ones that were made for the PFEs) and while they sound pretty good, they are not comfy as the silicones (too jammed into your ear) ... at least not for extended use. The T130s also dull the highs a bit, as expected. I may try the PFE silicone tips with the Apples, but as I said, the OEM flanges work pretty well. I may even try the Sony hybrids, medium or large, with them as well.

Anyway, goes to show that you can get excellent sound from lower-cost portable phones. I like them more than the RE2s (mainly because the latter need an amp for acceptable bass) and also more than the NuForce 7s (mainly from memory). They are almost akin to a canalphone version of the PK2/PK3 sound, as Montell noted, which, as many Head Fi-ers know, is pretty good when it comes to the value/sound ROI.

Having an iPod Touch makes it even better, since they have the mic, and now I can try out the Skype app with my Touch.

They also respond very nicely to amping, though I have only tried them with my Zune and Clip and the iBasso T4. Today, I am going to hook up the LOD to the Touch and Minibox as well.

My view is if you are on a budget and own an iPod Touch or iPhone, these phones are an excellent purchase, sounding better then other, more expensive Touch-friendly phones. Even without the Touch, they deliver excellent SQ. Thanks Montell for getting me to spend even more, though it was only $35.

 

[tonyli3]

Thanks for the info in this thread,very interesting! i had some of these in hand today but i suspect like many others put them back on the shop shelf thinking for this price they can't really be very good?
I need to sort something out this week as my Xin portable amp got damaged beyond sensible repair and i'm now left with my 30g Ipod video and Ultrasone Proline 2500's. I don't really need isolation as i only use indoors but fancied picking up some iem's as well as a new amp.
Problem is i'm not loaded at the moment and if i get a good amp [ thinking about the Graham Slee Voyager as i'm in the UK and have owned one of his amp's before] i'll have to either buy some reasonably priced iem's or leave it for a while,or go banana's and break the bank

anyway thanks for posting about the Apple in ear's,a bit more to think about as i can't hear them without buying as usual!

 

[Surrealsky]

Probably ppl tend to mingle the apple dual iems with the apple ibuds too often and didn't even bother to give it a go. Interesting assessment though.

 

[Surrealsky]

Quote:

Originally Posted by montell /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Sennheisers didnt isolate that well. I have tried just about every tips except for the custom sleeves. All the trebbles and soundstage just got lost in the sound of engines, people talking, traffic etc. And whats left was just bass pumping in my ears.

Well i too have isolation problems but not that severe, probably your listening volume is way lower than mine. Bi-flanges do provide better isolation at the expensive of rolled off highs and slightly recessed mids, still trying to find the ideal tips and UE single flanges are working for me now.

 

[tstarn06]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Surrealsky /img/forum/go_quote.gif Probably ppl tend to mingle the apple dual iems with the apple ibuds too often and didn't even bother to give it a go. Interesting assessment though.

No doubt part of the issue. Not that Amazon user reviews are always reliable, but in this case, there are some pretty savvy users (with big name IEMs, headphones) who gave these phones 4-5 starts. Most of the negative reviews are "no bass" and "no isolation," which both point to a poor seal (and inexperienced users). Not all, mind you. But many of the best reviews come from people who know how to use IEMs/canalphones. While Amazon and CNET users are not always pros or Head-Fi'ers, the posts are often very well-written and you can get a sense that people are not neophytes. No doubt the AIEDD's never got much traction here because there are so many brands/makes and models, but they are an excellent value, and I will be using mine pretty regularly with the Touch.

 

[h.rav]

Apple IEM is very good, but certainly not as good as a burnt in Senn IE8.

 

[Zalithian]

Meh, I don't think anyone would argue that. But at a fraction of the cost, it shouldn't be.

 

[tstarn06]

Agree. But as montell points out, sometimes less is more. Doesn't mean the Apple in-ears are better, but they can serve your purpose better. The issue is, can a $35-$70 phone be close enough to make you happy? If so, then spending $300+ on an in-ear phone isn't worth it, especially if you have fit issues, etc. I can say that the Apple phones and PFEs are good enough that if I had to sell my W3s or IE8s (which I already did), it would not be the end of the world. Not like having to use iBuds or EP630s, for example, which would make me sad and yearn for a better sounding in-ear phone. The PFEs (which cost me $94), the Apple DDs and the PK3s all represent great value in SQ, and I'd be happy with just those three if need be. I know others don't feel that way, but it's all relative in terms of what you can afford, etc. For a college kid on a tight budget, getting the PK3s or Apple phones (especially used for $35) is not a bad deal at all.

 

[logwed]

They're (the older version at least) decent. They have pretty good sound, and are pretty comfortable. However, as per Apple policy, they are overpriced. They certainly aren't near the top of any real manufacturer's line, but they serve a purpose.

 

[tstarn06]

This isn't about the older version, it's about the dual driver version. The dual drivers aren't overpriced in my view. In fact, at $79, are an excellent value. Never tried the old ones, which were a much different phone it seems to me.

 

[selkin]

and what source the OP used for the IE8 that's an interestin question. probably something apple i guess. but if not... hmmmm