Best Earphone for Mids?
Jun 6, 2011 at 5:49 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 14

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Hey Guys & Gals,
 
I've been looking at IEM reviews recently and I am wondering which earphones here is equal or better than the SE530 or Turbine Pro Gold  in mids and clarity(Ability to hear every single distinct detail in the song) ?
 
Any replies would be appreciated! 
 
Thank you!
 
 
 
 
Jun 6, 2011 at 6:12 AM Post #3 of 14
The Shures definitely have the best mids in the IEM business. I dont know why you listed the golds as they are more known for the bass than the mids, they have decent mids but the Coppers easily trounce them on that front.
 
The SE530/535 have the best mids of all IEMs imo. The RE262 should be up there as well
 
Jun 6, 2011 at 6:20 AM Post #5 of 14

Quote:
The Shures definitely have the best mids in the IEM business. I dont know why you listed the golds as they are more known for the bass than the mids, they have decent mids but the Coppers easily trounce them on that front.

 

The SE530/535 have the best mids of all IEMs imo. The RE262 should be up there as well

 
 
I've listed the Turbine Golds because they are my current earphones - would like to see how many options are out there for my upgrade. :)
 
@ KaliKot : How is the overall smoothness and warmness of the Shure 535s then? 
 
Thanks!
 
 
Jun 6, 2011 at 6:22 AM Post #6 of 14
RE262 - amped.
Shure or MTPC - unamped. EDIT: Shure mids are better, but I'd rather go with MTPC due to other factors.
 
Jun 6, 2011 at 6:42 AM Post #7 of 14
Smoothness and warmness are definitely some of the Shure's strengths :) they sound like live vocals when it comes to mids. They have good lows and highs which complement the mids well, but they arent really the main feature of its sound signature. If it's about mids then the Shures win. Good soundstage, just enough bass and treble to complement it. 
 
Very very good IEM for most genres and for mid lovers this is THE iem (SE530/535) to go. They won't win out in the bass department compared to the competition but they don't do anything bad other than the treble which could use a bit more sparkle and sizzle
 
Quote:
 
 
I've listed the Turbine Golds because they are my current earphones - would like to see how many options are out there for my upgrade. :)
 
@ KaliKot : How is the overall smoothness and warmness of the Shure 535s then? 
 
Thanks!
 



 
 
Jun 6, 2011 at 10:32 AM Post #10 of 14
O.O
 
They are all good choices based on the reviews I've read... Thinking of getting both the MTPC and SE535, maybe after that the Orthofons and RE0 together.
 
This definitely not a good place to be at 15 years old...
 
What about the Westone 4s? I have auditioned them myself and the mids are lush and veiled; would they be a good alternative? 
 
Especially since in the place I live in, Orthofons and RE0s are very hard to come by and a pain in the ass for warranty purposes.
The major earphone store has the SE535 going @ $730 and the Westones at $699.
 
Please advise :)
 
Thank you!
 
Jun 6, 2011 at 10:49 AM Post #11 of 14
I still think Shure SE530/535 have the best mids in universal IEMs, although I haven't tried RE262 amped (it doesn't sound as good as the Shures when unamped). e-Q7 also has really, really good mids as does the aforementioned RE262, even unamped. e-Q5 and FX700 also have beautiful mids. Actually, FX700 is the only IEM I tried that sometimes seemed to rival SE530/535 for mids quality. It's just that the midrange on this IEM is not as prominent as on the Shures and is a bit behind the bass and the treble. If you are looking for best balance with the best mids, I think e-Q7 may be the best option - it sounds great unamped and doesn't require a great fit to sound good. The Shures, although unparalleled in midrange reproduction fail to impress unfortunately, unless you can achieve a really good fit with them, which for me was next to impossible with universal tips. If you want a powerful, warm sound and like bass strong and punchy, the FX700 may be just what you are looking for although they don't isolate well, since they are an open back design. RE262 is probably only balanced sounding when amped, because unamped I found it severely lacking in the treble. e-Q5 may also be a good option if you want a neutral sound with a bit less overall detail than on the e-Q7, but better balance. Personally, for great mids I would go with the e-Q7 or FX700 though - the former for a more balanced sound, while the latter for a more V-shaped, fun sound. Actually, I think that technically FX700 is superior to e-Q7 overall - FX700 has a more refined treble, better soundstage and deeper bass, but if you really love your mids, then e-Q7 is really strong in that part of the frequency spectrum without sacrificing much in the lows and highs.
 
Jun 6, 2011 at 12:19 PM Post #12 of 14
GR10, UM3x, Westone 4, CK100, SA6, FX700, EQ7 and EX1000.
 
Jun 6, 2011 at 5:10 PM Post #13 of 14
Best mids on any IEM i've owned to date - e-Q7 without a doubt.
 
 
 
Jun 6, 2011 at 5:19 PM Post #14 of 14
SE530, SE535, or UM3X. The SE535 and UM3X will have better treble response than the SE530.
 

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