bmtran
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2006
- Posts
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I've decided to get custom earphones. I don't mind paying a decent amount of money as long as I get a lot of value out of it. Any recommendations?
jh5.
bmtran, Start doing ALOT of research first.
jh5.
thanks. I've done quite a bit of research prior to making this post, regarding the actual construction of the devices to the parts used in them (which I found relatively difficult to do except by reading through long forum posts) to other people's impressions. What I want out of making this thread is everyone else's opinion. I'm somewhat well acquainted with the technology involved; I recently received a BS in electrical engineering, and I am working towards an advanced degree in acoustics. Where I'm at a loss is where marketing BS starts and in aspects of things like fit and customer service that basically require having purchased them before. I don't wanna buy something cheap just to jump back in and buy a more expensive one soon after.
so allow me to list my priorities
- Sound Quality. I hear this term get thrown around a lot without an actual definition as to what it is. For me, it is a products ability to allow its user to enjoy the music that its trying to represent in an enjoyable (and somewhat accurate) manner.
- Comfort, Convenience, Durability. This one's pretty self explanatory; I want to keep them in my ears for a long time, be able to take them in and out easily, be able to wear them at my desk and moving about, and for them to last me years (including the cords, i acknowledge the possible need for remolding).
- Cost. I don't wanna pay an extra $300 or even $5 for something that won't improve (1) or (2) noticeably.
I hope this helps. I just find it difficult to know what to look for when the models and companies don't seem to differentiate themselves very much. Thoughts and remarks in any of these areas would be welcome.
Goodvibes, do you own the JH5? I assume you do based on your recommendation, however, OP should also know that "value" is a highly subjective thought in these forums. More information should be provided or asked about such as build quality, customer service, sounds quality, etc etc. All of these may play a part in one’s own value built system. For instance, maybe build quality is more important to you, then I, thus you value Westone over JH if you think Westone builds better customs, on the whole. However, I if value JH over UE, it may be that I value their customer service or artwork. It goes on and on and on.
bmtran, Start doing ALOT of research first.
thanks. I've done quite a bit of research prior to making this post, regarding the actual construction of the devices to the parts used in them (which I found relatively difficult to do except by reading through long forum posts) to other people's impressions. What I want out of making this thread is everyone else's opinion. I'm somewhat well acquainted with the technology involved; I recently received a BS in electrical engineering, and I am working towards an advanced degree in acoustics. Where I'm at a loss is where marketing BS starts and in aspects of things like fit and customer service that basically require having purchased them before. I don't wanna buy something cheap just to jump back in and buy a more expensive one soon after.
so allow me to list my priorities
- Sound Quality. I hear this term get thrown around a lot without an actual definition as to what it is. For me, it is a products ability to allow its user to enjoy the music that its trying to represent in an enjoyable (and somewhat accurate) manner.
- Comfort, Convenience, Durability. This one's pretty self explanatory; I want to keep them in my ears for a long time, be able to take them in and out easily, be able to wear them at my desk and moving about, and for them to last me years (including the cords, i acknowledge the possible need for remolding).
- Cost. I don't wanna pay an extra $300 or even $5 for something that won't improve (1) or (2) noticeably.
I hope this helps. I just find it difficult to know what to look for when the models and companies don't seem to differentiate themselves very much. Thoughts and remarks in any of these areas would be welcome.
I do have a question for your OP. What gear will they be paired with? What are your sources and amps. I think how they are going to be connected could impact how far up you may want to go. I don't have a very expensive custom but they do scale up well but straight from my clip+ compared to top tier customs the difference isn't as big as from my dac/amp/
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