So having used my E40 for the past few days, I'm starting to get a better idea of its sound. Here are my impressions with JVC spiral dots tips:
- Bass reaches incredibly deep and is visceral. Slightly emphasized over neutral yet very linear with no mid-bass bloat. Plenty of detail and texture, with excellent control and precision. In short, the bass is nothing short of amazing and the closest you can get to planar bass in an IEM.
- Very linear through mids to treble, with a gentle roll-off at the top to prevent sibilance.
- Mids are very clear and detailed, and the tonality is exceptionally accurate and true to life.
- Vocals are at the forefront and well separated from the other instruments. Male and female vocals both sound nuanced, expressive and beautiful. Truly a vocal-head's dream.
- Treble is gentle on the ears, carries great amount of detail while straying far from sibilance and harshness. Impressive tuning.
- Soundstage is rather wide for an IEM, and good depth though not as deep as the CKRs.
- Separation, imaging, resolution are all excellent and better than most IEMs in this price range.
- Incredible dynamics and impact (a common trait in all Dual Phase Push Pull IEMs), making traditional dynamics feel flat in comparison.
Overall, these are no doubt the best IEMs in its class. Even when coming from top tier IEMs like FLC8S, the E40 did not reduce the musical enjoyment one bit. They don't really do anything wrong, unlike many IEMs I've heard at this price. At $99 these are a definite steal!
Though if you are considering getting them, the JVC spiral dots tips are a MUST for unlocking the true potential of the E40s. There is a significant improvement going from the stock tips to the JVCs, making the investment worth more than the cost.
IMHO.