[agisthos]

I am an earphone newbie, so guys what is THE best IEM?
 
haha just kidding I know there is only personal preference, but it would be good to get a sense of what is considered the top models by head-fi members.

 

[guido]

ETY ER4s

 

[Soaa-]

JH16 is a recurring sight here.

 

[GGman05]

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/478568/multi-iem-review-182-iems-compared-soundmagic-e30-blue-ever-blue-866b-added-7-06

in addition to that:

As I know, nowadays  the IEM market has a great variety of good IEM's to offer ....

Companys like Shure , Sennheiser and Westone are longtime contenders in the iem market
with Etymotic research or fischer audio are being newcomers (there are a lot more, just read more threads or use the search button)

all of them produce very good iem's
so try them out


BUT there is no best iem.

different people prefer different sonic signatures so if ur thread gets 20 replies by head-fi users,
im sure that u'll get at least 10 different suggestions of so called "best IEMs".






 

 

[Naim.F.C]

Quote:

JH16 is a recurring sight here.

JH16's would probably be my cup of tea. Unfortunately I cannot afford them currently. That said, they are not a completely neutral or 'true' IEM so to speak, at least not from frequency graphs I've seen. They need to have a slight over emphasis on bass and around the 7k mark. Possibly to give them added vibrance. But I bet they do sound absolutely delicious. 

 

[mastershake2393]

EX1000, FX700, W4, SM3, e-Q5/7, ER-4P/S, MD Tribute...
 
Those are all top-tier universal IEM, and are said to be the best at what they do.

 

[Soaa-]

Quote:

JH16's would probably be my cup of tea. Unfortunately I cannot afford them currently. That said, they are not a completely neutral or 'true' IEM so to speak, at least not from frequency graphs I've seen. They need to have a slight over emphasis on bass and around the 7k mark. Possibly to give them added vibrance. But I bet they do sound absolutely delicious. 

I hear the JH13 is the more neutral version, having only one pair of low end drivers instead of two pairs like in the JH16. Funny how one will pay more for neutrality, and then even more for more bass. Likewise with the Reference Monitor and the 18 from Ultimate Ears.
 
wat is this I dont even

 

[ArrigoShred]

Well if you're looking at the mainstream brands eg JH, Westone and Ultimate ears.
JH16 if you're a bass head.
ES5s if you prefer neutral with a tinge of fowardness in vocals.
JH13 / UE18 for neutral tones.

If you're looking at Universals I would really say that the Um3x would probably be one of the most analytical IEMs.
The W3s / W4s would be pretty dynamic and clear.
Triple Fis are good, if u can stand the shape of it

 

[Soaa-]

Quote:

UE18 for neutral tones.
 

Really? I thought the Ultimate Ears Reference Monitors were the neutral ones, and the UE 18 has boosted bass.

 

[ArrigoShred]

I wouldn't say it has Boosted bass. I would say the Bass of the UE18 is a tiny bit more prominent than the JH13 but it really depends on whether or not you amp the UE18 haha

 

[Mormonsloot]

.

 

[Soaa-]

Quote:

All of these FOTM pump jobs on this forum are done by the companies themselves or people within the industry.  They do this because no real company will see their products, which is why they only sell them on eBay or some half-a$$ed foreign website.
 

By your logic, there is no legitimate new contender. Ever.
 
Large retailers always squeeze every last drop of money out of manufacturers. Ask any start up firm that offers a new product: it's a complete pain to get their products distributed via mainstream channels and usually not worth the effort. As such, they don't really have much viable choice other than to use smaller distribution channels, such as smaller online vendors or even distribute themselves on their own website and on eBay. Only through years of hard work and profit can a company gain the power to deal with larger retailers on fair grounds.

 

[Billyjoegunrack]

 
Quote:

By your logic, there is no legitimate new contender. Ever.
 
Large retailers always squeeze every last drop of money out of manufacturers. Ask any start up firm that offers a new product: it's a complete pain to get their products distributed via mainstream channels and usually not worth the effort. As such, they don't really have much viable choice other than to use smaller distribution channels, such as smaller online vendors or even distribute themselves on their own website and on eBay. Only through years of hard work and profit can a company gain the power to deal with larger retailers on fair grounds.

 
If people here really knew the truth about how much these things cost to manufacture, you would all be pretty outraged at the prices we are paying for this stuff. For what it costs to buy say, a W3, the fact that it is being made in China is a disgrace, and Westone is shameful for not doing it here at these prices. Having spent good part of my life taking all sorts products through the manufacturing process, I know what this stuff actually costs, and the profit margins on these IEMs are enormous. 

 

[Soaa-]

Indeed the profit margins are enormous. What's even more enormous is all the equipment necessary to even begin developing in-house a new set of IEMs. Tack on R&D time and you'll realize that you're not only paying for the materials that go into your IEMs but also all the development behind them that make them sound the way they do.

 

[Billyjoegunrack]

Quote:

Indeed the profit margins are enormous. What's even more enormous is all the equipment necessary to even begin developing in-house a new set of IEMs. Tack on R&D time and you'll realize that you're not only paying for the materials that go into your IEMs but also all the development behind them that make them sound the way they do.

Yes, I understand every bit of it, and your attempt to try and sugar coat and justify falls flat on its arse to me. I know exactly what is going on, so don't try and BS me. This is a freaking gravy train, and anyone who tries to tell you different is lying.