[SoundTown]

  As someone who tried some of Vsonics products, I have a pair of VSD5 i dont use becuase they sound vailed, sibilant and slightly out of control on the base. worst 65 euros i´ve spent. 
 
My Advice ? try out the new Audio Technica E40´s or go cheap and get some Zero Audio tenores. 
 
When i got my VSD5 at first i was happy and then the sibilance started eating away at my ears making them unusable for more then 20-30 minutes at a time, and worst when i went out and used them in public... either my ears are incompatible with them or they provide NO isolation what so ever.
 
But to add insult to injury i ordered a pair of Zero Audio tenores as a backup... they basicaly rip anything under 100 bucks a new *******. 
And the Vsonic´s ? i think we have a case of the emperors new cloths here, no one wants to admit they just spent 60-120 bucks on something that sounds like it came from the dollar store. 

 

  As someone who tried some of Vsonics products, I have a pair of VSD5 i dont use becuase they sound vailed, sibilant and slightly out of control on the base. worst 65 euros i´ve spent. 
 
My Advice ? try out the new Audio Technica E40´s or go cheap and get some Zero Audio tenores. 
 
When i got my VSD5 at first i was happy and then the sibilance started eating away at my ears making them unusable for more then 20-30 minutes at a time, and worst when i went out and used them in public... either my ears are incompatible with them or they provide NO isolation what so ever.
 
But to add insult to injury i ordered a pair of Zero Audio tenores as a backup... they basicaly rip anything under 100 bucks a new *******. 
And the Vsonic´s ? i think we have a case of the emperors new cloths here, no one wants to admit they just spent 60-120 bucks on something that sounds like it came from the dollar store. 

I've tried the updated Vsonic VSD3S and as previously mentioned, the GR07 Bass Edition. Based on my demo of the GR07 Bass, I don't think I'll be able to stand the GR07's sound signature for pleasure listening ever, but I did like the new VSD3S. I think the Vsonic treble peaks in its house sound is a preference thing, just like the AKG's somewhat splashy upper mids / low treble is a preference thing. But I'll admit quite readily both are generally not for me.
If what you're saying about the VSD5 is true, I think I'll pop by Lend Me Ur Ears again to demo that and see what it's like. At 65 euros that's getting into the territory where I'll have very high expectations for the sound.
And regarding the Zero Audio Carbo Tenore, yes, definitely an easy IEM to recommend. Relaxed yet technical sound = super winner at the price. Only complaint is the build for the cables and strain relief but I keep mine in a Pelican case so no worries for me.

 

[seanwee]

http://www.head-fi.org/t/795713/audio-technica-ath-e70-ath-e50-ath-e40-iems-announced-at-namm-2016/

 

[SoundTown]

Thanks for the link, actually came across that thread last night after doing a little searching. The E70 and E40 look immediately promising. A little doubtful about the E50 but if they can pull off single BA then I'll have to tip my hat to AT.
Also, lucky lucky me, I think the IM02 are going to go on sale because of this update, so I might just capitalize on that...

 

[thepooh]

IMHO the Shure is the worst of the trifecta, the GR07 sounds good, but the IM70 is a better all rounder and comes with detachable cables, I actually bought a silver plated 8N cable with Oyaide connectors at $69, as per the review by Twister 6, the 6N $40 cable from Lunashop really improve the SQ with better frequency response.

You also have the new ath e40 which is considered as an upgrade of the IM70 at only $79 on soundprofessionals

 

[FYLegend]

What about the 1More Triple Driver. Some folks on the E40 thread say it's still a lot better than the E40. I have the Piston 3 but wasn't a big fan of their sound.
 
I hope Shure makes a successor some day at the same price point, but they seem to think "if it ain't broke don't fix it." (I haven't tried the SE215 though aside from sound it seems to have the upper hand in sound and comfort)

 

[thepooh]

What about the 1More Triple Driver. Some folks on the E40 thread say it's still a lot better than the E40. I have the Piston 3 but wasn't a big fan of their sound.

I hope Shure makes a successor some day at the same price point, but they seem to think "if it ain't broke don't fix it." (I haven't tried the SE215 though aside from sound it seems to have the upper hand in sound and comfort)

So far I can remember, the SE215 sounds like a $50 pair of iems, which is decent but unacceptable for the price asking for.

I didn't auditioned the The 1more Triple driver, but it is yet another kind of iems that seems to pair very good with smartphones but not sure if the performances can be amazing on a dedicated dap. I own a Mi Headphones designed by 1more, as long as you use it on a smartphone no complaints , but plugged into my Fiio X3II : disaster !

Audio technica has decades of experience in the field, the removable cable plays a lot as the SQ can get further improvements. So it is way safer to bet on the E40.

Please note that you also have iems that are rated to sounds way better than both iems above and can be found below $50.

a. Soundmagic E80
b. Zero Audio Carbo Tenore
c. Macaw GT100s

I just ordered the Macaw last week, I know that the SQ is praised to blow most sub $200 iems out of the race. But there's a serious concern with these budget monsters : durability

They can sound like $200 but have the build quality of a $30-50 pair, this is where the Audio Technica is better. Second thing : most chinese headphones have the same "thin" and analytical sound, rather flat and neutral (boring IMHO). If you're looking for something organic, fun, fuller sound signature, bassy and mid-oriented, it's better to buy elsewhere.

 

[moonpen]

I have only tried the IM70 and the se215. 
The IM70 sound more v shaped compared to the se215, which are more mid focused. 
The IM70 have a large body which could stick out of your ear a bit more and the stem might be too big for some people's small ears thus resulting in a poor fit. 
The se215 are very comfortable, they have a flat profile so depending on the shape, you can sleep on your side with them on.
 
TL;DR 
IM70:better sound albeit subjective 
SE215: Very comfortable and isolation 

 

[FYLegend]

So far I can remember, the SE215 sounds like a $50 pair of iems, which is decent but unacceptable for the price asking for.

Sorry I made a typo in the above post - i meant the ISOLATION not the sound quality and comfort being an upper hand of the SE215.
 
Does the Lunashop cable ship to Canada? (on Ebay they don't). How is the comfort, do they stay in your ears? One of my cables broke recently so I'm using the old one which is also a bit iffy on the left connector and has become rather stiff.
 
I can see why some people like the Piston 3 because it is not aggressive yet has a punchy low end, but it really lacks sharpness in the treble and midrange and sounds somewhat hazy (the soundstage is what I would call "wide but congested"). You get the feeling the treble is extending well but it's actually rolling off. The IM70 on the other hand is rolled off at the highs but I found it much sharper and it rolls off with a nice extension instead of sounding muffled.
 
I agree with moonpen about the comfort. It's really love or hate for the IM70 there. Another thing is a lot of people have been complaining about the connector pins breaking hence the change with the E40's cable.
 
My biggest complaint with the IM70 is the driver flex, ear pressure and quality control - perhaps I'm really bad-lucked for the IM70. My first pair didn't have any driver flex but the right channel started dying off (probably my fault though). A few months later I bought a pair from eBay that had driver flex on the right ear. The ear pressure drove me crazy after listening to it for a long time and I decided to return it. A few months after this I went to Taiwan to buy a second pair from the same store as I first bought it from. I made sure to check if there was driver flex and it seemed fine but going home and using it for a few days there was the same driver flex in the right housing and the pressure drove me nuts again (even moving around slightly I could hear the volume dip and go back). So I exchanged it with them a few days later. Now this third unit was MUCH better. It still had some driver flex (pulling my earlobe I can feel the driver "puff" out), but the problem with air pressure was almost nonexistent. However, I soon found some rattling distortion on the left driver of this unit. I couldn't do another exchange and the store guy couldn't hear the problem either (it was VERY subtle and only appeared in some quiet intros of songs). So now, I'm back to using the new housing on the right, and the left housing from my old pair...

 

[thepooh]

Sorry I made a typo in the above post - i meant the ISOLATION not the sound quality and comfort being an upper hand of the SE215.

Does the Lunashop cable ship to Canada? (on Ebay they don't). How is the comfort, do they stay in your ears? One of my cables broke recently so I'm using the old one which is also a bit iffy on the left connector and has become rather stiff.

I can see why some people like the Piston 3 because it is not aggressive yet has a punchy low end, but it really lacks sharpness in the treble and midrange and sounds somewhat hazy (the soundstage is what I would call "wide but congested"). You get the feeling the treble is extending well but it's actually rolling off. The IM70 on the other hand is rolled off at the highs but I found it much sharper and it rolls off with a nice extension instead of sounding muffled.

I agree with moonpen about the comfort. It's really love or hate for the IM70 there. Another thing is a lot of people have been complaining about the connector pins breaking hence the change with the E40's cable.

My biggest complaint with the IM70 is the driver flex, ear pressure and quality control - perhaps I'm really bad-lucked for the IM70. My first pair didn't have any driver flex but the right channel started dying off (probably my fault though). A few months later I bought a pair from eBay that had driver flex on the right ear. The ear pressure drove me crazy after listening to it for a long time and I decided to return it. A few months after this I went to Taiwan to buy a second pair from the same store as I first bought it from. I made sure to check if there was driver flex and it seemed fine but going home and using it for a few days there was the same driver flex in the right housing and the pressure drove me nuts again (even moving around slightly I could hear the volume dip and go back). So I exchanged it with them a few days later. Now this third unit was MUCH better. It still had some driver flex (pulling my earlobe I can feel the driver "puff" out), but the problem with air pressure was almost nonexistent. However, I soon found some rattling distortion on the left driver of this unit. I couldn't do another exchange and the store guy couldn't hear the problem either (it was VERY subtle and only appeared in some quiet intros of songs). So now, I'm back to using the new housing on the right, and the left housing from my old pair...

I don't have any comfort issue with both IM50 and IM70 ! You won't be able to sleep with it, but comfortable enough for something like 4-5 hours of listening. I can't really understand why people say that the housing is too big ?! Did you saw the flagships multi BA housings?

Somehow, I'm a tall guy with rather big ears so, maybe that makes the IM series comfortable for me but not for everyone???
If comfort is your main concern, better get a Zero Audio Carbo Tenore, this thing is so tiny and light that you surely won't complain about comfort again. Regarding isolation, this is very subjective as some people even found that a pair of earpods isolate enough for their preference. If you need a high level of isolation, go for triple flange tips (Etymotic type), yellow foam tips or get yourself a pair of CIEM. I personally don't need a very high level of isolation, I'm happy enough with the stock rubber tips. Active Noise cancelling headphones can also be considered in your case.

I agree that the SE215 wins on comfort and isolation, but the SQ does not impress at all. You can get a dozen of iems that are way better for less than $100

PS : I don't have any driver flex issue on both IM50 and 70 neither, you're just unlucky on this part

 

[FYLegend]

I don't have any comfort issue with both IM50 and IM70 ! You won't be able to sleep with it, but comfortable enough for something like 4-5 hours of listening. I can't really understand why people say that the housing is too big ?! Did you saw the flagships multi BA housings?

I think they are fine in terms of size, but the main complaint people is the nozzle design which is too long compared to some of their other IEMs. If you want to use wide-bore tips you will need to make a stopper on the nozzle. For the the stock tips are very comfortable but slip out after some time, Philips SHE3590 tips stay in my ear more and make the treble a bit brighter but also a bit less comfortable - sometimes the flange flips around and it's irritating to my ear. Sony MH750 tips (not hybrid) are the most comfortable and stay very well in my ears - sound is close to stock tips, maybe a bit warmer.
 
I was considering the Carbon Tenores but someone also told me they didn't sound that much different from my Audio-Technica ATH-CK323M (a budget IEM I previously reviewed).  CK323M has great treble that is not sibilant but its midrange and mid-bass are lacking. I wonder how the CK330 series is.