[zhe90]

...I have just a few questions for the numerous 716 owners out there roaming the forums.

A little background: I'm coming from broken mdr71's...I'm sure many of you know how that is

. I will plan to use 716's mostly for commuting on buses and chillin' at home putting my H320 Rb'ed to work!

1. I use the small eartips on my 71's. Would the tri-flange be a semi-decent fit for me? The soft-foam won't work for me because I try not to have to keep buying or replacing stuff for my buds.

2. I'm not into replacing parts for a set of earbuds so how long will the filters last? If their life expectancy is too short, I may have to look into something else.

3. About the in-line volume control...After my experience with the sony's, I am now extremely wary of unwanted or undistributed weight that may cause damage to my buds. Is the volume control a hassle and/or could it cause damage?

4. Lastly, sometimes I'm on the go and may have to neglect the "packaging" and "storage" of the buds. Do you think these are too fragile or too expensive to stand for my neglect? The extremity would be quickly shoving it into a corner of my bag.

If you think that, due to the above, the iM716 is not for me, please suggest another earbud for less than $80 that does not degrade sound quality as much since they are one of the best in that range.
Thanks for your reply.

 

[derek8555]

Sorry I don't have IM716s but I have used other IEMs.

1. The tri-flange goes into your ear canal very deep, much deeper than those sony buds, and may cause discomfort for some people. Personally I find them okey. You might find them hard to fit; some say lifting your ears a bit would help putting them in.

2.Filters should last for a few months at least.

3.I think as long as you don't abuse it then it should be fine.

4.Hmmm, this could be a problem, you need to treat your IEMs with care. Even though I rarely put my own E4Cs in the carry bag, but they are built to last, and have much thicker cord than IM716s.

Sony EX71s are crap (performance-per-dollar wise) imo, glad you find Head-Fi

and sorry about your wallet. IM716s represent the best value in the sub$100 category. I bet you will have a hard time finding a substitute.

 

[Ikarios]

First of all, let's talk about what kind of music you like. Do you like detail? Clarity? Treble? If you're a bass-head, the 716 is definitely not for you. If you want detail and clarity, these are probably the best phones you can get for under $100.

In terms of fit... the triflanges on the iM716 are pretty big. I think I have big ear canals (E.A.R. Classics earplugs don't fill my ear completely, really...), and the triflanges are snug fit for me. I suggest you try it out, and if it's not for you, you can always do a bi-flange mod (cut off one of the flanges, but I wouldn't do this unless I was absolutely sure the triflanges were unuseable).

I've heard the filters last something like 4-6 months or so, and AL gives you a replacement pair. I guess it depends on how often you clean your tips and how much earwax you have

The volume pod is a bit of a hassle, and unless the 716s are seated deeply into my ears (only with the triflanges, the foamies make them stick out too much), the weight will pull down on the IEMs, making it uncomfortable. It does have a clip, though, so you can latch it onto your shirt in a convenient place.

So far, the iM716s have proved fairly durable, but I'm not sure if they would be able to stand being shoved into a bag... The hard case it comes with basically sucks, so I suggest finding some kind of case to keep them in (possibly a small mint tin, like Altoids).

 

[vYu223]

Sorry that I can't answer all of you questions right now, but I'll answer one.

The durability of the iM716's are questionable. I've owned a pair since June 13th, and they are still working fine. However, you should pm the user AtheisticFreedom on here, because he experienced problems.

The ER-6i's are more durable than the iM716's.

If you're just going to stuff them into the corner of a bag, I would not recommend these headphones to you.

EDIT: If you use an Altoids mint tin, or any other mint tin for that matter, make sure that you thoroughly clean out the tin, and line it with wax paper before you put your headphones inside. There may be some sharp edges in the mint tin that could damage your headphones.

Make sure you don't get the wires caught in the hinges.

 

[zhe90]

@ all: well...stuffing them into a bag is more like putting my DAP and the buds in an unorganized jumble in a isolated area of my bag. I think this would be the least of my problems due to the warranty and my somewhat paranoia to keep new expensive things new and still of value

@ Aflac: i listen to everything cept heavy metal, opera, and country. My favs would be in the area of Rap (50 cent, eminem, kanye west...basically nice "get up on your feet or pretend to be a rapper" kind of music), Rock (linkin park, chilli peppers, system of a down, papa roach, etc...), Jazz (everything lol), and more...

I've basically decided to make the purchase pretty soon, but I wanted to know how long is it from the volume control to the buds. I'm pretty short so it may be possible that I can clip it to my pants if it is long enough. Eureaka!!!!: I just had a brilliant idea. If you run the cord in front of you but inside your shirt, you can probably tape the control on your shirt! (But that would not let use it...

) Anyway, the last thing I'm worried about is the fit that I will have. If any of you can describe something that may resemble the tri-flange's dimensions, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again.

 

[TheMarchingMule]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vYu223 However, you should pm the user AtheisticFreedom on here, because he experienced problems.

Heehee, I'm honored somebody said my name in a good light

(If typing my full alias is too much, just call me AF)

Anyway, yes, if you look at a picture of the in-line module, you can see some of that 'anti-stress' plastic bendy stuff connected to the top and bottom of the module. In my experience and everybody else will agree, they do nothing. In fact, it is so stiff it probably contributed to my problem.

The wire just below that 'anti-stress' thing on the bottom shorted out; if I bend the wire to one side, it shorts out the...left side?

Anyway, I fixed by gently looping the wire up alongside the module, taping it, then hooking it back down inside that cheap lil metal clip. Works, but...it shouldn't be like this.

It was darn good while it lasted though. I was in love with it...and it broke my heart by breaking itself

 

[derek8555]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AtheisticFreedom Anyway, I fixed by gently looping the wire up alongside the module, taping it, then hooking it back down inside that cheap lil metal clip.

Ouch, that doesn't sound good

Quote:

Originally Posted by zhe90 My favs would be in the area of Rap (...), Rock (...), Jazz (everything lol), and more...

For rap and rock, hmmm, maybe Shure E2s? Super.Fi 5 EB/Pro (SF5Pros are seriously out of budget, ~$150) are out of your budget but they would sound MUCH better.

So what kind of sound you prefer? something like ex71 that has tons of bloated bass? or leaner but detailed? I know IM716 and other Ety IEMs don't have much bass, so this could be a problem for you.

In general, IEMs are more fragile than normal earbuds that's why they come with carrying cases. So if you are just gonna be throwing them around I don't know how long they will last...Hmmm, maybe you wanna get something like CX300 and save yourself $40 bucks

They sound vastly better than ex71.

 

[TheMarchingMule]

Well, see, the major focus of WHY I bought the iM716 was because:

1.) Supposedly derived off of the ER4 drivers
2.) waaay cheaper than the ER6i, which looked flimsy anyway
3.) Has an HD and Bass module; either one still has more detail and clarity than my 5 Pros

(then again, so does my 75)

So thus, as soon as I heard the iM716, even with my bleeding ears no thanks to those tacky triflanges (they really soften up/ears harden after three days), I knew...the Ety sound sig was for me.

I say get them, and you'll like them. I'm the only one here who suffered a problem, and I treated them kinda harshly (shoved into pockets was the only bad thing I did to it).

Good luck, and I expect to see your impressions in the threads soon!

 

[zhe90]

@ derek: my dap can boost the bass up so i don't think it will be that much a problem, as long as you can tap your toes to it

. Also, I believe for 10 more dollars, I'm getting a huge upgrade from the e2's.

thanks for everyone's support, i plan to head over to amazon in a few days
peace for now

 

[zhe90]

One last thing in addition to a shameless bump
For those who have burned-in the 716's, how did you do it and with what results? Would you recommend me to do the same?

 

[DJ e]

I think they sound great right out of the box, no burn-in needed.
You'll like them

.

Oh, and question; do the shure sleeves fit these? The soft flex sounds like just what I need.

 

[jSatch]

I've owned the iM716s way back when they were a steal on Amazon @ $119.

I've thrown them in my pockets and stuffed them in my (soft computer)briefcase pocket.

No worries yet.

However, I would advise you not to sleep with them.

 

[cire]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vYu223 The ER-6i's are more durable than the iM716's.

that's a lie. everytime i picked up my ER6i's, i was afraid that if i sneezed, the wires would get pulled out of the drivers; that's how flimsy they felt. the iM716s however feel much, much more sturdy. nowhere near as strong as my E4c, but close.

 

[vYu223]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cire that's a lie. everytime i picked up my ER6i's, i was afraid that if i sneezed, the wires would get pulled out of the drivers; that's how flimsy they felt. the iM716s however feel much, much more sturdy. nowhere near as strong as my E4c, but close.

Hmm... I see. I was wrong then. I've never owned the ER-6i's, and judging from others' opinions about the sturdiness of the ER-6i's and the design flaws of the iM716's, I assumed that the ER-6i's were more durable.

Thanks for the information, as now I am even happier to own my iM716's. They are still in great condition.

About sleeping in them... I agree. I woke up one day with them on, and it was way past the time to get up. Turns out the plug got yanked out of jack on the iPod, so I wasn't able to hear the alarm (recently played list) on the iPod.

You are never aware of what your body is doing when you are asleep...

 

[Laptopia]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vYu223 Sorry that I can't answer all of you questions right now, but I'll answer one. The durability of the iM716's are questionable. I've owned a pair since June 13th, and they are still working fine. However, you should pm the user AtheisticFreedom on here, because he experienced problems. The ER-6i's are more durable than the iM716's. If you're just going to stuff them into the corner of a bag, I would not recommend these headphones to you. EDIT: If you use an Altoids mint tin, or any other mint tin for that matter, make sure that you thoroughly clean out the tin, and line it with wax paper before you put your headphones inside. There may be some sharp edges in the mint tin that could damage your headphones. Make sure you don't get the wires caught in the hinges.

You know that clear plastic, clamshell-like bubble that shure sleeves/tips come in? Works great for storing fragile items, like iM716s. Word.