MJ1764
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jan 4, 2011
- Posts
- 14
- Likes
- 0
Hey Everybody,
I'm new to the forum here but not new to headphones. I've been listening to headphones for most of my 22 years. However, unlike probably a lot of people my age, I wasn't introduced to the world of headphone listening by a pair of Apple's earbuds. My introduction was through a set of Sony MDR-7506's I used in high-school to mix/edit an audition CD for a scholarship competition. Soon thereafter I got a pair of HD650's and was enthralled with their sound. This was when the DT880s and AKG k701's were amongst the flagship headphones on the market. Liking a clean, unencumbered sound, I picked up a pair of DT880s and an amp (Headroom micro). Not the greatest setup in the world, but a great sound to my ears.
To get to the point (sorry for the long-winded intro), I'm in grad school now, working from dawn to dusk in a cubicle, and looking for a portable setup to enjoy my music, make my days a little brighter while I get a flourescent tan, and (most of all) block out the noise and chatter of the other grad students (I mean, its a collaborative effort to tackle some of the problems we have to solve, but most of the time I want SILENCE or as close as I can get). I finally broke down and got an iPod touch (I know, not the greatest, but still a decent piece of equipment IMO that is well-designed). I plan to get a LOD, a portable amp, and a pair of IEM's.
So, my question to you is whether I should get a top-tier universal (SE535, UM3X, others?) or save up a bit more (or make my wallet scream) and jump to get a custom IEM (looking at JH Audio, primarily, but want to hear about others)? Now before people blow me off or yell at me to "search," I know that there are other posts about this. The reason I am asking it again is because I not only am looking for IEM's, I'm essentially looking for a whole system (LOD, amp, and IEM) and want to know if you think there are any really stellar combos to be built from the current crop of components. Also, I've never had or tried an IEM before, so I don't know how any of the universals would fit (I am attracted to the idea of custom because of isolation and glove-like fit, but am not set on the idea).
If it helps, I listen primarily to classical (choral, orchestral, chamber, and solo instrumental), jazz, acoustic (including folk, Irish, and bluegrass), and classic rock (the Beatles, the Who). I know that this is a wide-range of music but the common denominator is that I like a full, rich sound but clean (I'm not a so-called "bass-head" - I like to have good bottom-end, but not overwhelming). And, yes, all my music is in Apple Lossless format (not FLAC, but decent).
I hope that you guys can help put together a system by answering this first question about the IEM's. If you have suggestions about amps or LODs, I'd love to hear them too.
Thanks in advance for all your help.
Best regards,
Michael
I'm new to the forum here but not new to headphones. I've been listening to headphones for most of my 22 years. However, unlike probably a lot of people my age, I wasn't introduced to the world of headphone listening by a pair of Apple's earbuds. My introduction was through a set of Sony MDR-7506's I used in high-school to mix/edit an audition CD for a scholarship competition. Soon thereafter I got a pair of HD650's and was enthralled with their sound. This was when the DT880s and AKG k701's were amongst the flagship headphones on the market. Liking a clean, unencumbered sound, I picked up a pair of DT880s and an amp (Headroom micro). Not the greatest setup in the world, but a great sound to my ears.
To get to the point (sorry for the long-winded intro), I'm in grad school now, working from dawn to dusk in a cubicle, and looking for a portable setup to enjoy my music, make my days a little brighter while I get a flourescent tan, and (most of all) block out the noise and chatter of the other grad students (I mean, its a collaborative effort to tackle some of the problems we have to solve, but most of the time I want SILENCE or as close as I can get). I finally broke down and got an iPod touch (I know, not the greatest, but still a decent piece of equipment IMO that is well-designed). I plan to get a LOD, a portable amp, and a pair of IEM's.
So, my question to you is whether I should get a top-tier universal (SE535, UM3X, others?) or save up a bit more (or make my wallet scream) and jump to get a custom IEM (looking at JH Audio, primarily, but want to hear about others)? Now before people blow me off or yell at me to "search," I know that there are other posts about this. The reason I am asking it again is because I not only am looking for IEM's, I'm essentially looking for a whole system (LOD, amp, and IEM) and want to know if you think there are any really stellar combos to be built from the current crop of components. Also, I've never had or tried an IEM before, so I don't know how any of the universals would fit (I am attracted to the idea of custom because of isolation and glove-like fit, but am not set on the idea).
If it helps, I listen primarily to classical (choral, orchestral, chamber, and solo instrumental), jazz, acoustic (including folk, Irish, and bluegrass), and classic rock (the Beatles, the Who). I know that this is a wide-range of music but the common denominator is that I like a full, rich sound but clean (I'm not a so-called "bass-head" - I like to have good bottom-end, but not overwhelming). And, yes, all my music is in Apple Lossless format (not FLAC, but decent).
I hope that you guys can help put together a system by answering this first question about the IEM's. If you have suggestions about amps or LODs, I'd love to hear them too.
Thanks in advance for all your help.
Best regards,
Michael
