As the decade fades away.......what have been the greatest IEMs you came in contact with? Price is irrelevant, as well as rarity. Remember too there is no right or wrong list but simply subjective opinions and needs. Strangely too your list can even have IEMs older than 10 years old. Go to town!
1) Sony IER-Z1R
2) qdc Anole VX
3) Noble Audio Encore
4) Sony XBA-Z5
I don't want to limit myself to the current TOTLs since obviously the "best" are going to be the most recent models given the progress of IEM technology over the years. Instead I'll try to isolate the IEMs that had been significant over their own time periods.
4. FitEar MH334: Arguably the first to establish a decent tuning in the CIEMsphere and the Japanese IEM to get in the Western market for many, many years. 3. Sony MDR-EX1000: One of the few born out of a "no compromises" approach in tuning dynamics. A rarity in its time but all-too-common these days. 2. Ultimate Ears Triple.Fi 10 (TF10):The One who brought multi-driver IEMs into the mainstream. Could've been had for $100 back in the day and has aged pretty well. 1. Etymotic ER4S: The original, the alpha, the Grand-daddy; whatever you call it, it remains as the benchmark ever since its release in 1991.
(Only including Etymotic because of the loose requirement in OP's post)
I guess this counts as a more "personal" list considering how few of the other ranked IEMs that I have heard.
-Jays Q-Jays mkii- I don't think anyone has designed/built a better universal IEM to date, and the sound aint' half bad.
-JVC FXT90/ATH-IM02 - Gateway drugs. FXT90 - a lot of people's entry point into 'fancy' IEMs because the possibilities it hinted at- Also must hold a record for most cloned IEM design. IM02 (with a little zOut), I loved this signature immediately, and from a certain perspective every IEM I have bought since was effectively in the search of a more comfortable IM02.
-EX1000- Still my top. Still haven't heard better bass. Ironically became one of the best values in IEMs by the time it was discontinued. RIP.
-Honorable mention: Dunu 2000/2000J - Must be among the earliest somewhat affordable & palatable hybrids? First I was aware of at any rate.
I don't want to limit myself to the current TOTLs since obviously the "best" are going to be the most recent models given the progress of IEM technology over the years. Instead I'll try to isolate the IEMs that had been significant over their own time periods.
4. FitEar MH334: Arguably the first to establish a decent tuning in the CIEMsphere and the Japanese IEM to get in the Western market for many, many years. 3. Sony MDR-EX1000: One of the few born out of a "no compromises" approach in tuning dynamics. A rarity in its time but all-too-common these days. 2. Ultimate Ears Triple.Fi 10 (TF10):The One who brought multi-driver IEMs into the mainstream. Could've been had for $100 back in the day and has aged pretty well. 1. Etymotic ER4S: The original, the alpha, the Grand-daddy; whatever you call it, it remains as the benchmark ever since its release in 1991.
(Only including Etymotic because of the loose requirement in OP's post)
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