[thornygravy]

Hey there, I'm looking for a bassy iem with good mids and reduced vocal sibilance.

I own the Super.fi 5 EBs, not only is the bass overwhelming but the highs are piercing to my ears. I'm currently using the Skullcandy Titans. The highs are still a tad harsh, but not as bad as the SF5 ebs..

Unfortunately when you go from a $200 iem to a $40 there's definitely a change in sound quality and though the titans are fun they're doing my music as much justice as I'd like.

My main concerns are sibilance, and good bass response. I was told to go with the Atrios M5. I'm looking to spend $100-$200.

I'll be mainly using an ipod nano 4th gen paired with a ibasso T4, 320kbps MP3s.

I'd like to get some other opinions before I shell out $180. Thanks!

 

[ceekay84]

If you can stretch your budget by a little, I'd suggest you try out the Monster Turbine Pros.

 

[Zalithian]

You can buy my Atrio's. Bass monsters with a good fit but my ears are just too tiny.

 

[semisight]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ceekay84 /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you can stretch your budget by a little, I'd suggest you try out the Monster Turbine Pros.

x2.

 

[ZARIM]

Sennheiser IE8 has warm dark soundsignature with big bass response(tuneable) but highs are smooth and it shows great details in mids, low end.

 

[thornygravy]

Those are out of my price range, but thanks for the input.

 

[jjmai]

I am loving the bass from my Fischer Audio Eterna

 

[dweaver]

IE7 may be more to your budget

 

[macshooter]

I own the Super.fi 5 EBs but I was not that impressed and gave then to my GF. I have been listening to SE530 for about 7 months and just recently got a pair of Audio Technica CKS70. Those are serious bass IEMs. Way heavy duty. I like mine, and I do not think I would like more bass than what they have. (I am the type that likes the thud of a 15 inch subwoofer, and thought the SE530 was lacking in bass quantity/impact.) The CKS70 are not lacking at all. They are heavy artillery in the bass department.

 

[thornygravy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by macshooter /img/forum/go_quote.gif They are heavy artillery in the bass department.

That sounds great for the bass, but how's the mids, highs and vocal sibilance?

 

[midoo1990]

a pair of senn. ie7 will fit you nicely.

 

[a_recording]

Quote:

Originally Posted by thornygravy /img/forum/go_quote.gif That sounds great for the bass, but how's the mids, highs and vocal sibilance?

The mids are okay but treble is severely recessed. There is no chance you will get fatigue from sibilance on the cks70s with no EQ lol. But they sound great with a good EQ! They however are a bit slow, so not great for overly complex music.

 

[macshooter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by thornygravy /img/forum/go_quote.gif That sounds great for the bass, but how's the mids, highs and vocal sibilance?

I have never experienced sibilance yet with any headphone/iem. I have PX100, HD212pro (more heavy bass artillery), SE530, and the CKS70.

There is a trade off in mids and highs with the CKS70, compared to the SE530, but what you gain in bass impact more than makes up for what you loose in mids and highs IMO. You can adjust to it without much trouble, but it is noticable. (Keep in mind we are talking about sub $100 IEMs here. I think they are an awesome bargain for what they deliver. Normally you wouldn't even talk about $90 IEMs in the same discussion with iems that cost 2 or 3 times more. They are pretty damn good for the money you spend)

I am the type of person that can live with slightly attenuated mids and highs much easier than I can live with attenuated or recessed bass impact. For me bass and bass impact is the trunk of the tree, so to speak. Without the trunk, the branches and the leaves won't stand by themselves.

The SE530 bugged me a bit in the bass impact dept. The bass was there, very high quality, tight accurate, but to me it seems "recessed" and maybe what others would call "flat." They just don't deliver the visceral punch I'm looking for. The CKS70 delivers in that in spades.

I suppose a lot depends on the type of music you listen to. If you listen to bass heavy stuff, with lots of sub bass, these will more than satisfy, with a slight trade off in the upper ends of the spectrum. Some are say that gets a little better with time. Mine are not broken in yet so I don't know. I have less than 20 hrs on them so far.

 

[fhuang]

you know there's not much basshead around. if you're a true basshead, you have to give up some treble. that's what super-fi eb does. one more tip, i really like my sr71a with my eb. the treble still weak but at least you can hear some. the bass, the most important part. harder, tighter and quicker. powerful bass all around. a hornet or a mustang also can do the job but i do prefer sr71a, with low gain. i know it's out of your budget but, i have yet to hear a better, or should i say more satisfying setup than my sr71a plus eb.

 

[cn11]

Quote:

Originally Posted by macshooter /img/forum/go_quote.gif I am the type of person that can live with slightly attenuated mids and highs much easier than I can live with attenuated or recessed bass impact. For me bass and bass impact is the trunk of the tree, so to speak. Without the trunk, the branches and the leaves won't stand by themselves.

That's a great analogy. I feel the same way about bass being so important to the rest of the music. I have always likened it to a solid home's foundation. Without it, the home could crumble. With it, it's permanent, impervious, and stable... and you just don't worry about it. If I listen to a phone that is anemic in the bass registers, it just makes music totally soulless for me. I've had that feeling with the Phonak PFE's, Ety's, and Sleeks. Just total no-go's...