[twister6]

Just posted it in general IMxx review thread, and wanted to make sure this IM50/IM70 thread gets this info as well.  Accessory Jack finally getting these headphones in stock: http://www.accessoryjack.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=IM50

 

[ozkan]

Is it worth the ugrade to im70 if you already have im50? What are the main differences between these? Thanks.

 

[earfonia]

  My opinion on the IM50: the bargain of 2013. A really good, enjoyable earphone - not just "for the price."

 
+1

 

[earfonia]

Is it worth the ugrade to im70 if you already have im50? What are the main differences between these? Thanks.

 
I have both, and frankly, after using them for few months, I keep coming back to the IM50  

If I need clearer sounding IEM, I use my DUNU DN-1000.  When I need smooth warm intimate sounding with great bass, I take my IM50.

 

[joey99]

   
I have both, and frankly, after using them for few months, I keep coming back to the IM50  

If I need clearer sounding IEM, I use my DUNU DN-1000.  When I need smooth warm intimate sounding with great bass, I take my IM50.

 
Been using the IM70 for just over a week and now you have got me very interested in the IM50 just to hear what it sounds like. What would you say is the most standout difference between them or there really isn't that much differece? Is the IM50 as clear as the IM70? Do you think it does female vocals even better than the IM70?

 

[earfonia]

Been using the IM70 for just over a week and now you have got me very interested in the IM50 just to hear what it sounds like. What would you say is the most standout difference between them or there really isn't that much differece? Is the IM50 as clear as the IM70? Do you think it does female vocals even better than the IM70?

IM50 & IM70 are not much different in tonality. I've explained in my review.
If i only have one IEM, maybe I will choose IM70. But since I have some other IEMs, IM50 is really good with some vocal and modern recording. More bass oomph than IM70.

 

[teh1226]

I've been using the ath-im70 for about 1 month now. When I tried the earphones for the first time after purchasing from amazon.co.jp, I thought I received a faulty unit as the sound was a bit dull and the bass wasn't punchy (as compared to the Jays t-Jays 4)

After about 1 week usage, the sound does change quite a lot (as heard from my own ears). The highs are bright, mids are clear and the bass started to feel a little bit punchier. I can hear more instruments in the background as compared to the t-jays. I listen mostly to metal, rock and a little of pop, and the im70 doesn't fail to impress me.

These earphones are very comfortable, isolation is good when using the comply foam which come with the earphones. Just wish that it come with in-line mic and controls for answering calls though.

I use it with my iPhone 5s, without any external amp, with standard AAC encoded with itunes. Its definitely worth more than the price its retail for. Planning to try BA earphones next.

 

[grandmike]

  Yeah sure.
 
The CKS77x is a bass monster, there's no other way to put it. Normally that would be something I don't really enjoy, but the CKS have really upfront mids as well which makes them sound a lot more balanced than your usual basshead iem's. Vocals are upfront along with the bass which is really nice, and the air chambers give them a pretty spacious sound as well. I would only recommend these to people who really love big bass, because they are fun as hell to listen to but can get fatiguing after a while.
 
The CKN70 is the oldest of the three, which is weird because they aren't even a year old yet. First things first, the cable sucks. Some people have said they don't have a problem with it but for the amount they cost, the cable should be better. Soundwise, I love these. They are pretty bright-sounding (verging on harsh), and can be aggressive with some recordings. That aspect is balanced out by the slight warmth in the mids and the VERY tight bass. I would only recommend these to people who don't mind aggressive treble. They are super somfortable though. 
 
The new kid, the IM50, is a completely different signature once again. These are very mid-centric, but not at the expense of the other frequencies. Really balanced overall and a great all-rounder, so I would recommend these to anyone. 
 
As for how they compare to each other, it's sort of like apples and oranges because they are all so different. For bassheads, the CKS77x is amazing. For those who want aggression and precision, the CKN70 is great, and for those who want lushness and balance, the IM50 is great too. 
 
I would say the IM50 is be the best out of the three, purely because they are suited to pretty much every type of music, whereas the other two depend on genre a bit more. However, I think the CKN70 has the upper hand in the bass department. Those micro-drivers put out seriously tight bass, and in comparison the IM50's bass sounds slightly slow. 
 
It really depends on your preferred sound sig, which is why I love AT, because they cater for everyone's preferences. 
 
If there are any other aspects you'd like me to compare, just let me know. 

 
 
Hi Guys ,
 
Thank You sacrifice13 for the comparison , the cks 77x is defonately a bass monster and I do enjoy it very much . I have the cks77x one of the best iem in terms of bass to mid and highs ratio. Now heres the question , I do enjoy house , dance and electronica very much  . shall I get the IM70 or the IM50 . I the mids and high are important for me as well , from what I understand is IM50 = IM70 + Subwoofer <-- How far of this statement is true ? Anyone can compare in terms of accuracy and clarity between the IM50 and IM70 apart from the Bass >?
 
Thank You .

 

[darkdoorway]

Weirdly I have the ATH-CKS77 (not x), the IM70 and have tried the IM50 over a couple of days. The bass on the CKS77 and the IM50 is quite comparable. To my ears, the CKS77 has a bit more clarity than the IM50. Now this is without burn-in on the 50's. Also they upped the bass on the "x" with the slightly larger chamber. If I were to rank all 3 in terms of clarity, it would be something like 1.IM70 2.ATH-CKS77 3.IM50. I suspect most people would prefer the IM50 as sacrifice13 has suggested, it has a fun lush sound. From auditioning the IM70 side by side with the IM50, there is a distinct clarity difference between the two. I am starting to prefer less bass and a bit more clarity to avoid fatigue during long listening sessions, which why I'd side with the 70. Plus I think that an aluminium chamber just somehow adds a nice sparkle to the sound (ala MA750s). I like electronica and dance, but, house, not so much Based on your description of what you're after I suspect you may be happier with the IM50. 

 

[ozkan]

  Weirdly I have the ATH-CKS77 (not x), the IM70 and have tried the IM50 over a couple of days. The bass on the CKS77 and the IM50 is quite comparable. To my ears, the CKS77 has a bit more clarity than the IM50. Now this is without burn-in on the 50's. Also they upped the bass on the "x" with the slightly larger chamber. If I were to rank all 3 in terms of clarity, it would be something like 1.IM70 2.ATH-CKS77 3.IM50. I suspect most people would prefer the IM50 as sacrifice13 has suggested, it has a fun lush sound. From auditioning the IM70 side by side with the IM50, there is a distinct clarity difference between the two. I am starting to prefer less bass and a bit more clarity to avoid fatigue during long listening sessions, which why I'd side with the 70. Plus I think that an aluminium chamber just somehow adds a nice sparkle to the sound (ala MA750s). I like electronica and dance, but, house, not so much Based on your description of what you're after I suspect you may be happier with the IM50. 

 
Is this comparison between burned-in IM70 and unburned-in IM50 and also are you using the same tips on both IM50/70? I'm quite interested in your comparison and the differences since it would be nice if IM70 has that added clarity over IM50.

 

[ozkan]

I feel like IM50s has some mid-bass bump and maybe that's why it has that huge big sound but doesn't really go deep down to 30hz or so. It's not so much audible because of its mid-bassy sound. Is there anyone who has similar opinion or is it just only me?

 

[grandmike]

Weirdly I have the ATH-CKS77 (not x), the IM70 and have tried the IM50 over a couple of days. The bass on the CKS77 and the IM50 is quite comparable. To my ears, the CKS77 has a bit more clarity than the IM50. Now this is without burn-in on the 50's. Also they upped the bass on the "x" with the slightly larger chamber. If I were to rank all 3 in terms of clarity, it would be something like 1.IM70 2.ATH-CKS77 3.IM50. I suspect most people would prefer the IM50 as sacrifice13 has suggested, it has a fun lush sound. From auditioning the IM70 side by side with the IM50, there is a distinct clarity difference between the two. I am starting to prefer less bass and a bit more clarity to avoid fatigue during long listening sessions, which why I'd side with the 70. Plus I think that an aluminium chamber just somehow adds a nice sparkle to the sound (ala MA750s). I like electronica and dance, but, house, not so much Based on your description of what you're after I suspect you may be happier with the IM50. 

 Weirdly I have the ATH-CKS77 (not x), the IM70 and have tried the IM50 over a couple of days. The bass on the CKS77 and the IM50 is quite comparable. To my ears, the CKS77 has a bit more clarity than the IM50. Now this is without burn-in on the 50's. Also they upped the bass on the "x" with the slightly larger chamber. If I were to rank all 3 in terms of clarity, it would be something like 1.IM70 2.ATH-CKS77 3.IM50. I suspect most people would prefer the IM50 as sacrifice13 has suggested, it has a fun lush sound. From auditioning the IM70 side by side with the IM50, there is a distinct clarity difference between the two. I am starting to prefer less bass and a bit more clarity to avoid fatigue during long listening sessions, which why I'd side with the 70. Plus I think that an aluminium chamber just somehow adds a nice sparkle to the sound (ala MA750s). I like electronica and dance, but, house, not so much Based on your description of what you're after I suspect you may be happier with the IM50. 

 
Is this comparison between burned-in IM70 and unburned-in IM50 and also are you using the same tips on both IM50/70? I'm quite interested in your comparison and the differences since it would be nice if IM70 has that added clarity over IM50.

 Weirdly I have the ATH-CKS77 (not x), the IM70 and have tried the IM50 over a couple of days. The bass on the CKS77 and the IM50 is quite comparable. To my ears, the CKS77 has a bit more clarity than the IM50. Now this is without burn-in on the 50's. Also they upped the bass on the "x" with the slightly larger chamber. If I were to rank all 3 in terms of clarity, it would be something like 1.IM70 2.ATH-CKS77 3.IM50. I suspect most people would prefer the IM50 as sacrifice13 has suggested, it has a fun lush sound. From auditioning the IM70 side by side with the IM50, there is a distinct clarity difference between the two. I am starting to prefer less bass and a bit more clarity to avoid fatigue during long listening sessions, which why I'd side with the 70. Plus I think that an aluminium chamber just somehow adds a nice sparkle to the sound (ala MA750s). I like electronica and dance, but, house, not so much Based on your description of what you're after I suspect you may be happier with the IM50. 

 
Is this comparison between burned-in IM70 and unburned-in IM50 and also are you using the same tips on both IM50/70? I'm quite interested in your comparison and the differences since it would be nice if IM70 has that added clarity over IM50.

Thank you dark doorway , can anyone say something about the driver size in comparison between the cks77x and the IM50 or IM 70 ? In relation to sound of course . The larger driver of the cks (12.5 mm) vs. IM (8.8 mm) would have pros and cons ? I'm assuming in terms of mids and low , generally "bigger" driver might have some advantage ? Cheers

 

[sacrifice13]

Thank you dark doorway , can anyone say something about the driver size in comparison between the cks77x and the IM50 or IM 70 ? In relation to sound of course . The larger driver of the cks (12.5 mm) vs. IM (8.8 mm) would have pros and cons ? I'm assuming in terms of mids and low , generally "bigger" driver might have some advantage ? Cheers

The IM50 and IM70 have 2x8.8mm drivers. I find the bass on the IM50 significantly less than the cks77x. Also, the IM50 has more clarity in the mids, making vocals clearer. 

 

[Gee Simpson]

On my im50, I burnt it in for 3 days ish, and the bass impact dramatically reduced...

I'm glad I decided not burn in my IM70's after all then as this has been my experience with other earphone es burnt in; the bass gets tamed by quite a bit. I like the sound how it is on the IM70's so I'm keeping it this way.

 

[darkdoorway]

The comparison is between a non burned-in IM50 and a non burned-in IM70. I used a set of albums I know well to determine clarity and separation - specifically - "Beyonce - I am Sasha Fierce" for female vocals, "Friday Night in San Francisco" and "Joe Satriani - Surfing with the Alien" for instrumentals, "Pendulum - Immersion" for Bass.