[DynamicEars]

Yeah many reviewers and headfiers have said the KZ ZSX and CCA C12 are upgrades over the ZS10 pro, especially in the area of timbre and technicals, though I never bought them, so can't recommend to the OP something I've not tried for stage monitoring.

Maybe someone who has tried them can advise on the ZSX's and CCA C12's isolation properties? And fit/comfort? (it may be just me, but the ZSX looks a bit uncomfortable to wear for longer sessions due to the protruding fin?).

isolation a little bit better in ZSX, but comfort im not sure since I prefer ZS10 Pro because of that protrude on ZSX shell, not a big deal and actually giving secure fit to hold on your ear but can be hot or itchy or uncomfortable for long session

 

[eclein]

I think I’m done dealing with AE, I ordered a cable 12/4/19 and it’s apparently still in transit even though it last scanned 12/7/19. They refuse to refund my $11 and say wait........ I don’t really care about the $11 its just every order is a month wait to Pennsylvania or longer I’m staying with Amazon maybe Penon as they get stuff to me quickly.... I have had good luck with AE up until now but the stuff just takes too long anymore.
This will surely limit availability of new stuff, maybe even save me cash....lol.
Are there any other suppliers you folks use that are faster than AE?

 

[nraymond]

Are there any other suppliers you folks use that are faster than AE?

I'm in the US, and in my experience sellers on eBay have gotten me goods faster generally speaking than AliExpress. Like you mentioned, ordering direct from Penon is faster. Amazon is a lot faster of course (and when I order from Amazon stores in other countries, there's a shipping fee but it's not too high, and Amazon's global shipping network is very fast, often getting things to me in a few days from other countries). It's been a few years since I've ordered from them, but GearBest was pretty fast for me when I used them, and sometimes they'd stock things in a US warehouse for even quicker shipping, but last I checked their selection was limited for what I was looking for. There are other online stores I've seen that promise fast shipping, but I have no first hand experience with them and won't comment on them.

 

[FcConstruct]

Hi Guys. I promise I did a search first!

I'm looking for recommendations for a high isolation chifi IEM for use onstage. Standing next to percussionists on loud stages and wanting to preserve some remaining hearing.
I'm a trumpet player/singer, so I don't need lots of bass or really any sub bass. So I'm looking for a flat response.
Budget is about $60/£50 but would pay more (or less!) for the right product. If it's good hifi quality for personal use that would be nice too. Again, I listen to jazz and some acoustic/vocal/folk/indie so I'm not looking for big bass.

Any thoughts?

I can only suggest the Etymotics ER2, either their SE or XR variants, for stage use. I have quite a bit of experience with live music and the stage environment and simply put, nothing beats Etymotic for isolation. I've tried a lot of different ChiFi IEMs on stage before and they all fall way short of the Etymotics (I used the ER4SE).

The ER2 is perfect for this situation as it has a flat response and a dynamic driver that preserves the natural timbre of instruments. It's also a extremely well made with superb quality control. If I didn't already have the ER4, I wouldn't fuss with trying any other gear on stage. I'd go straight for the ER2.

 

[assassin10000]

I already have a pretty decent amount of music and general use burn-in time, but I really want to give them the official noise burn in, and 1more seemed legit.. except I was having issues.
I will take your advice, install the 1more app on my old tablet and just like you said, forget about them.
Thanks for the advice Slat =)

This is why I use the Jlab burn in. Just leave on repeat. It has sweeps/noise/static with silence recorded in the track.

It's available on their website.

 

[SoundChoice]

Hi Guys. I promise I did a search first!

I'm looking for recommendations for a high isolation chifi IEM for use onstage. Standing next to percussionists on loud stages and wanting to preserve some remaining hearing.
I'm a trumpet player/singer, so I don't need lots of bass or really any sub bass. So I'm looking for a flat response.
Budget is about $60/£50 but would pay more (or less!) for the right product. If it's good hifi quality for personal use that would be nice too. Again, I listen to jazz and some acoustic/vocal/folk/indie so I'm not looking for big bass.

I've found hiSenior B5+. Sound profile seems good and price is OK... but this review says it's isolation is only 'average'. Is that right?
I have some Rock Zircons, which I like the sound of (don't need quite so much bass, though) but the isolation is not enough.

I do like a bargain, too!

Any thoughts?

You'll probably want an all-BA (balanced armature) set, as those don't have vents for a DD and isolate better. On the budget end, KZ has some very affordable offerings that are all BA. The ZS3, for example, is very good fitting to most people and is compared to earplugs that play music. KZ is known for a V-shaped signature which does have more bass, but you can drop or pan that out in your mix. You can pay more for separations of vocals on higher end BA models if you need to hear harmonies, but the bargain KZs are a good place to start to get effective isolation and good sound.

 

[eclein]

This is why I use the Jlab burn in. Just leave on repeat. It has sweeps/noise/static with silence recorded in the track.

It's available on their website.

Whats the website address, I tried all kinds of entries but to no avail.
Can you send or post link...thanks bud!

 

[assassin10000]

Whats the website address, I tried all kinds of entries but to no avail.
Can you send or post link...thanks bud!

https://www.jlabaudio.com/pages/audio-burn-in-download

 

[Veyska]

I'm looking for recommendations for a high isolation chifi IEM for use onstage. Standing next to percussionists on loud stages and wanting to preserve some remaining hearing.
I'm a trumpet player/singer, so I don't need lots of bass or really any sub bass. So I'm looking for a flat response.
Budget is about $60/£50 but would pay more (or less!) for the right product. If it's good hifi quality for personal use that would be nice too. Again, I listen to jazz and some acoustic/vocal/folk/indie so I'm not looking for big bass.

I have the B5+ and it isolates very well as there is no venting. The Audiosense T180 pro may suit what you need as well as it's cheaper and isolates very well.

You'll probably want an all-BA (balanced armature) set, as those don't have vents for a DD and isolate better. On the budget end, KZ has some very affordable offerings that are all BA. The ZS3, for example, is very good fitting to most people and is compared to earplugs that play music. KZ is known for a V-shaped signature which does have more bass, but you can drop or pan that out in your mix. You can pay more for separations of vocals on higher end BA models if you need to hear harmonies, but the bargain KZs are a good place to start to get effective isolation and good sound.

Seconding both the T180 and KZ ZS3 (or ZS3E or ZS4, same shell) recommendations, though of the lot IMO the T180 is by far the better in sound and I just realized I still haven't unearthed my KZ ZS3E to compare to the T180 for isolation... The ZS3/ZS3E are single DDs, the ZS4 is a DD/BA combo, FWIW.

 

[Pizzawizard]

I'm looking for recommendations on a sub $100 IEM. My requirements are a neutral profile and also a 2 pin connector (not MMCX). My main pair of headphones that I have been using for years is the Senheiser HD598 and would like a similarish sound profile. I very much dislike headphones with emphasized bass. I tried a pair of Tin T2s and I really liked the sound profile of them, but after returning 2 pairs due to shotty MMCX connections I am completely turned off to any headphone with MMCX. It just seems like a flawed design to me no matter how well it is made.

So basically I am looking for a similar sound to the Tin T2, but with a 2 pin connection. Right now I have my eyes on the Moondrop Starfield, which is the upper end of my price range but I'm willing to stretch a bit. The Moondrops look like they may be more bass heavy than I'm used to, but they are getting great reviews, and I love the look of them, so I am intrigued. I've looked into the TRN V90 and the Blon BL-03 and I believe those look even more bass heavy than the Moondrop starfield, so I don't think I should consider them.

Any ideas?

 

[DynamicEars]

I'm looking for recommendations on a sub $100 IEM. My requirements are a neutral profile and also a 2 pin connector (not MMCX). My main pair of headphones that I have been using for years is the Senheiser HD598 and would like a similarish sound profile. I very much dislike headphones with emphasized bass. I tried a pair of Tin T2s and I really liked the sound profile of them, but after returning 2 pairs due to shotty MMCX connections I am completely turned off to any headphone with MMCX. It just seems like a flawed design to me no matter how well it is made.

So basically I am looking for a similar sound to the Tin T2, but with a 2 pin connection. Right now I have my eyes on the Moondrop Starfield, which is the upper end of my price range but I'm willing to stretch a bit. The Moondrops look like they may be more bass heavy than I'm used to, but they are getting great reviews, and I love the look of them, so I am intrigued. I've looked into the TRN V90 and the Blon BL-03 and I believe those look even more bass heavy than the Moondrop starfield, so I don't think I should consider them.

Any ideas?

TRN BA5
Moondrop Starfield, big sub bass but not muddying mids
Etymotic ER2XR (MMCX but i think better QC)

 

[eclein]

I like neutral myself with enough low end that the kick drum is heard.(drummer myself) everything I have that sounds how I like has MMCX. I’m gonna check out the Starfields myself next check that comes in, too many folks here that I agree with most of the time recommend them. Somebody here that currently listens to them a bunch will have to tell you about the bass. They look very nice and I really don’t have any single dynamics with current tech or Moondrop IEMs. Good luck

 

[Pizzawizard]

TRN BA5
Moondrop Starfield, big sub bass but not muddying mids
Etymotic ER2XR (MMCX but i think better QC)

Thanks. I have actually looked into the Etymotics and they seem about what I'm looking for but I'm not sure about the deep insertion eartips. Maybe I will get the etymotics earplugs that are the same style to see if they are comfortable.

 

[Dobrescu George]

Is anyone a fan of KB Ear or TRI Audio around here?

 

[yorosello]

I'm looking for recommendations on a sub $100 IEM. My requirements are a neutral profile and also a 2 pin connector (not MMCX). My main pair of headphones that I have been using for years is the Senheiser HD598 and would like a similarish sound profile. I very much dislike headphones with emphasized bass. I tried a pair of Tin T2s and I really liked the sound profile of them, but after returning 2 pairs due to shotty MMCX connections I am completely turned off to any headphone with MMCX. It just seems like a flawed design to me no matter how well it is made.

So basically I am looking for a similar sound to the Tin T2, but with a 2 pin connection. Right now I have my eyes on the Moondrop Starfield, which is the upper end of my price range but I'm willing to stretch a bit. The Moondrops look like they may be more bass-heavy than I'm used to, but they are getting great reviews, and I love the look of them, so I am intrigued. I've looked into the TRN V90 and the Blon BL-03 and I believe those look even more bass-heavy than the Moondrop starfield, so I don't think I should consider them.

Any ideas?

Starfield does have a lot of bass, but not in the basshead level of bass. It's still in the pretty tight side. It's just that, compared to other IEMs by Moondrop, they are sure sound a tad warmer.

I have compared it to my true bass-heavy iem such as the TFZ T2 & TFZ No. 3, Starfield's is far more tone down & no muddiness on the mids like them at all. The mid is still forwarded & treble is not fatiguing too.

As far for the v90 & Blon, you are right that they have much more bass than Starfield so I don't think it will suit you if you are looking for neutral sounding iem.