[ozkan]

I had the change to A/Bing my new IM50 vs old burned in left earpiece; old driver on the left and the new unburned driver on the right configuration and all pieces paired with UE600 tips. I removed the filters on both as you can expect from me for a better sound. 

 
Here are my findings:
 
These definetely need burn in to sound best. No doubt for that!
 
The old driver which has burned in for a good time sounds more refined and detailed. The treble extension and refinement are better along with better vocal presence and faster bass.
 
The new driver has slower bass, too warm bass and feels uncontrolled when compared with properly burned driver. There is also some bleed into the midrange. 
 
I came to the conclusion that these double symphonic drivers need a good amount of burning before judding the sound. I guess 100 hours mark would be enough to enjoy their final sound.
 
Just my two cents

 

[Malevolent]

  I had the change to A/Bing my new IM50 vs old burned in left earpiece; old driver on the left and the new unburned driver on the right configuration and all pieces paired with UE600 tips. I removed the filters on both as you can expect from me for a better sound. 

 
Here are my findings:
 
These definetely need burn in to sound best. No doubt for that!
 
The old driver which has burned in for a good time sounds more refined and detailed. The treble extension and refinement are better along with better vocal presence and faster bass.
 
The new driver has slower bass, too warm bass and feels uncontrolled when compared with properly burned driver. There is also some bleed into the midrange. 
 
I came to the conclusion that these double symphonic drivers need a good amount of burning before judding the sound. I guess 100 hours mark would be enough to enjoy their final sound.
 
Just my two cents

 
Heh, operating on your IM50s already, eh? 

 
Anyway, I think my IM50s are somewhere around 3/4 of the 100 hour mark. I can't specifically recall how it sounded then, but I do remember thinking how bassy it was - the lows seem to be tempered somewhat. They sound punchy and beefy now, without being too bloated.

 

[ozkan]

   
Heh, operating on your IM50s already, eh? 

 
Anyway, I think my IM50s are somewhere around 3/4 of the 100 hour mark. I can't specifically recall how it sounded then, but I do remember thinking how bassy it was - the lows seem to be tempered somewhat. They sound punchy and beefy now, without being too bloated.

 
No, I was just checking if there is a remarkable burn in effect on my IM50 since I had a chance for testing both new IM50s and the old left earpiece from my previous IM50s. Not doing mods anymore lol 

 

 

[Sgtfluffybutt]

Received my IM50's today and I am really impressed. The mid-range is very rich and detailed. Vocals are fab. The bass is nice and full. The high's are bit rolled off but that
Is not a problem with me. The Ortofon EQ-5's I have which are much more expensiveI are thin and schrill with little bass by comparison and I was never really happy with them. I much prefer the IM-50's so the EQ-5's will be going. The build quality of the IM-50's is very impressive for the price of £32.00 I paid for them including postage.

Where did you buy yours from?

 

[bumblebeezack]

 
I was sitting on the fence on whether I should purchase the IM50 because I'm more used to a slightly different sound signatures from my headphones. But I wanted an affordable in-ear that I could run directly off my DX50. I keep coming back to audition the IM50 because I keep saying to myself if only the higher frequencies come forward a little and the bass slightly reduced. I have the M6 Pro and that does bass the way I like, tight and controlled but it can get really sibilant, yikes! I happened to read that some here actually removed the filter to let the more of the mids and highs through. So I said ok, I'll buy it and do that. 
 
After removing the filter, I did find the mids and highs more pronounced, but the bass was still a bit too boomy for me. And I didn't like the idea that earwax could make its way eventually into the driver enclosure. So, I then realized that the original tips were of the narrow hole variety. So I dug up some old tips from my A-jays and tried them on. That worked to reduce the boominess I got. But the mids and highs were a bit much now, so I stuck back the filters and now I really like the way it sounds. Goldilocks story basically. Those of you who may not wanna remove the filters may try this simple swap to tips with bigger bore as in the photos...
 

 
It's still pretty much a colored sound, of course but I think I've managed the bass well enough for my ears to accept it easier. Bass is still loose and decay is still longer then what I'm used to, but this makes them fun for commutes in a chaotic world! Analytical is overrated anyway 

 

[AudioAw2015]

I'm not sure if there's something wrong, but my new pair of IM50 just sounds bad...
I'm not getting the clean and detailed mids. The mid bass is quite excessive and makes everything sound boomy. It's tolerable at low volumes, but just plain bad at moderate to higher volume levels. I tried a bunch of tips, small and large, wide and narrow, none of them creates a satisfying sound.

 

[ozkan]

I'm not sure if there's something wrong, but my new pair of IM50 just sounds bad...
I'm not getting the clean and detailed mids. The mid bass is quite excessive and makes everything sound boomy. It's tolerable at low volumes, but just plain bad at moderate to higher volume levels. I tried a bunch of tips, small and large, wide and narrow, none of them creates a satisfying sound.

 
What is your source and are you using EQ? If they are new burn them in for at least 50 hours. Out of box, they can sound a little bit boomy and veiled but once they are properly burned in they will sound much cleaner. 

 

[AudioAw2015]

What is your source and are you using EQ? If they are new burn them in for at least 50 hours. Out of box, they can sound a little bit boomy and veiled but once they are properly burned in they will sound much cleaner. 

I'm using a Xperia Z3 and iPhone 4S as my source with no EQ. I'll let them run for a while and see if the sound improves.

 

[MelloWatic]

 

What is your source and are you using EQ? If they are new burn them in for at least 50 hours. Out of box, they can sound a little bit boomy and veiled but once they are properly burned in they will sound much cleaner. 

I'm using a Xperia Z3 and iPhone 4S as my source with no EQ. I'll let them run for a while and see if the sound improves.

 
It took me a few days of listening to get used to the IM50 sound signature.
 
I would also refrain from using the stock tips; from my experience they will make the sound more bassy/warmer at the expense of clarity.
 
Another advice I read which works for me is to find a pair of tips which when fitted onto the IM50, allow the nozzle opening of the earphone to be as close as possible to the top opening of the tips.

 

[Malevolent]

I'm not sure if there's something wrong, but my new pair of IM50 just sounds bad...
I'm not getting the clean and detailed mids. The mid bass is quite excessive and makes everything sound boomy. It's tolerable at low volumes, but just plain bad at moderate to higher volume levels. I tried a bunch of tips, small and large, wide and narrow, none of them creates a satisfying sound.

 
May I ask which IEMs are you coming from? If you're coming from a detailed and balanced IEM, the IM50 might sound boomy and congested at first. Give it a bit of time, and your ears will be adjusted to the different sound signature.

 

[AudioAw2015]

   
It took me a few days of listening to get used to the IM50 sound signature.
 
I would also refrain from using the stock tips; from my experience they will make the sound more bassy/warmer at the expense of clarity.
 
Another advice I read which works for me is to find a pair of tips which when fitted onto the IM50, allow the nozzle opening of the earphone to be as close as possible to the top opening of the tips.

 
The stock tips are basically useless to me because they're extremely uncomfortable and makes the already bassy sound even more congested and boomy. Luckily, I found a pair of shallow and wide tips from like 10 years ago, and it worked better than all the other ones I've tried including the set of comply that came with the box. Like you said, people should refrain from using the stocks tips and go for tips which offers more comfort with a wider opening.
 

   
May I ask which IEMs are you coming from? If you're coming from a detailed and balanced IEM, the IM50 might sound boomy and congested at first. Give it a bit of time, and your ears will be adjusted to the different sound signature.

 
I came from the Tenore, which like you said, is a much more detailed and balanced sounding IEM. I understand the appeal of the IM50, it's got a big bass that works great with a variety of tracks, but I just can't get over the boomy nature of the lower mid/upper bass. The main reason I bought this was to replace my fairly worn out pair of Tenore, because I wanted something with a similar sound signature but with a bit more weight and intimacy. The IM50 sort of accomplishes this with a similar midrange/upper mid performance but then I find the mid bass to be a bit intrusive and makes a lot of things sound so unnaturally thick. 

Sorry to come off all negative and sounding like I absolutely hate them, it's just that I'm kinda disappointed. I do have to say that I'm quite impressed with the build quality of this thing, combined with an excellent cable and the fact that it's replaceable gives me a peace of mind that I don't get often when buying headphones.
 
On that note, I'd like to ask what other IEM under or around $100 would fit my preferred sound? I'm looking for something in between the Tenore and IM50, something with a rounded bass with a very intimate and present midrange without that bloated sound. 

 

[ozkan]

   
The stock tips are basically useless to me because they're extremely uncomfortable and makes the already bassy sound even more congested and boomy. Luckily, I found a pair of shallow and wide tips from like 10 years ago, and it worked better than all the other ones I've tried including the set of comply that came with the box. Like you said, people should refrain from using the stocks tips and go for tips which offers more comfort with a wider opening.
 
 
 
 
 
I came from the Tenore, which like you said, is a much more detailed and balanced sounding IEM. I understand the appeal of the IM50, it's got a big bass that works great with a variety of tracks, but I just can't get over the boomy nature of the lower mid/upper bass. The main reason I bought this was to replace my fairly worn out pair of Tenore, because I wanted something with a similar sound signature but with a more weight and a more intimate sound. The IM50 sort of accomplishes this with a similar midrange/upper mid performance but then I find the mid bass to be a bit intrusive and makes a lot of things sound so unnaturally thick. 

Sorry to come off sounding all negative and like I absolutely hate them. I do have to say though that I'm quite impressed with the build quality of this thing, combined with an excellent cable and the fact that it's replaceable gives me a peace of mind that I don't get often when buying headphones.
 
On that note, I'd like to ask what other IEM under or around $100 would fit my preferred sound? I'm looking for something in between the Tenore and IM50, something with a rounded bass with a very intimate and present midrange without that bloated sound. 

 May I suggest MK5?

 

[ZapX629]

 I'm looking for something in between the Tenore and IM50, something with a rounded bass with a very intimate and present midrange without that bloated sound. 

What's funny is that's exactly how I'd describe the IM50/70. Only things that come to mind around there are the GR07 or Titan but I don't think those would be exactly what you're looking for.

 

[ozkan]

   
The stock tips are basically useless to me because they're extremely uncomfortable and makes the already bassy sound even more congested and boomy. Luckily, I found a pair of shallow and wide tips from like 10 years ago, and it worked better than all the other ones I've tried including the set of comply that came with the box. Like you said, people should refrain from using the stocks tips and go for tips which offers more comfort with a wider opening.
 
 
I came from the Tenore, which like you said, is a much more detailed and balanced sounding IEM. I understand the appeal of the IM50, it's got a big bass that works great with a variety of tracks, but I just can't get over the boomy nature of the lower mid/upper bass. The main reason I bought this was to replace my fairly worn out pair of Tenore, because I wanted something with a similar sound signature but with a more weight and a more intimate sound. The IM50 sort of accomplishes this with a similar midrange/upper mid performance but then I find the mid bass to be a bit intrusive and makes a lot of things sound so unnaturally thick. 

Sorry to come off all negative and sounding like I absolutely hate them, it's just that I'm kinda disappointed. I do have to say that I'm quite impressed with the build quality of this thing, combined with an excellent cable and the fact that it's replaceable gives me a peace of mind that I don't get often when buying headphones.
 
On that note, I'd like to ask what other IEM under or around $100 would fit my preferred sound? I'm looking for something in between the Tenore and IM50, something with a rounded bass with a very intimate and present midrange without that bloated sound. 
 

 
IM70 would be what you are looking for. Or MK5 which has less mid bass, same forward and detailed midrange and more present treble with more detail.

 

[AudioAw2015]

   
IM70 would be what you are looking for. Or MK5 which has less mid bass, same forward and detailed midrange and more present treble with more detail.

 
How does the 70 compare to the 50? A lot of comments suggests that the 50 is the better buy because the difference between it and the 70 doesn't justify the price difference. And too bad it only comes in red 

 
 
I'm more interested in the MK5 because looking at the graphs, it reminds me of my broken pair of ATH-ES55 portable headphones (it's just sitting on my shelf waiting for me to fix) which I absolutely loved for it's crystal clear, forward sound.