[djvkool]

Quote:

TwinQY... You are a god among men.
Thank you for taking all this time to answer our questions. And you have said what I've been thinking for the past couple days as I've waited for something other than more questions to show up on this thread.
The forums don't feel quite as cold as they did before.

Thanks again.

 
Yep he's definitely good...
 
Keep the questions/queries coming guys, I'll do my best to help on daily basis too...

 

[djvkool]

Quote:

Hi I'm looking for a pair of IEM to really cancel out the noise while I study at school.
 
I need it to fit comfortably as I study for extended periods of time.  It needs to block out all types of sounds like talking, whispering, and loud typing.  I would rate noise cancelling ability over sound quality, but having both would be nice.
 
I'm currently looking at the etymotics hf5.
 
My price range is 150.
 
Thanks

 
What type of music you listen too?
 
If you can spend to $150, definitely consider these 2 TDK models, IE800 or BA200, IMHO IE800 is slightly more proficient technically, but it has a bright treble, so if you would like to get something that is non-fatiguing, or you can't handle bright treble, then get BA200 - both of them seal pretty damn well...

 

[djvkool]

Quote:

Hey guys,
 
So, a few months ago, my package containing replacement SE425's was stolen. As I'm looking for a replacement pair of headphones, I decided to *maybe* branch out and look for a few other models. Not wanting to spend a ton of money, I wound up with the GR07's from Vsonic. At first, I found them to be incredibly comfortable, but sound wise, they did not fit my needs at all. They sound qutie muddy, especially down low, even compared to my X10's. 
 
I think I've broken them in enough (about ~20-ish hours), but I'm willing to try breaking them in further.
 
However, in the mean time, it got me thinking into looking at other IEM's in the price range of about $250. I loved my SE425's (and I even paid a pretty penny to get them replaced since those ended up breaking). Things sounded really smooth and well put into place. Maybe my iPhone just couldn't the Vsonic's without an amp? I tried using my Fiio E17, but they sounded weak down in the bottom ranges.
 
As far as my needs go; I produce electronic music (trance, IDM, and a lot of other genres). I have monitors, and DT880's, but I do like to use my IEM's for production. The 425's obviously weren't the most natural pair of headphones, but I loved the kick to them. 
 
So I'm looking into suggestions. I did read the giant massive IEM thread, but personal suggestions are welcome as well. 
 
Thanks!
 
Neotriple

 
Umm OK so you need to be a bit more persistent with your GR07, I didn't like mine until about 6 months of continous use, then I LOVED IT!!!, you are saying it sounds muddier than X10? you have got to be joking Jose...

 
Anyway, my FOTM at the moment is Heir Audio 3.Ai, I also listen to a lot of EDM (trance/house) and this does EDM to perfection (almost), it is $350 shipped though, I sold my W3 to fund 3.Ai with a slight concern that I might regret it, but never did...

 

[djvkool]

Quote:

Hi guys, I'm new to all this technical stuff surrounding headphones and whatnot, so please be kind

I'm currently (or upto a week ago) using some Philips SHE5920's (loss of the earbuds forces my search). I love the sound of them, and they give me the bass I want. I am finding it hard to get some more at a reasonable price, $16.99 is the cheapest I've found them, but after factoring in the shipping from the US (I'm in the UK) it's just a silly price ($55).

So, my question is this. Can anyone recommend some bassy earphones with an in-line volume remote? Price limit of $45 or £30? Even this is a lot compared to the original £9.99 I paid for mine 5/6 years ago, and don't want the missus finding out I've spent more than even £20 on new ones.

As I say, I love the sound of the Philips, and believe that the surround sound dynamic that Philips have put into them has given it that feel that I like, but I'm willing to try others.

I have found the Philips SHE6000/10 which look similair and have the surround sound feature and I believe has the same size driver, for £20, but I just wondered what other options were out there

Thank you all in advance.

Craig

 
Brainwavz M4, M5 or R1, my favourite out of the 3 is the M4
 
MP4nation does a good sale/bargain every now and then, these 3 IEM's are they one that they put on special most often, so sign up to their email list

 

[djvkool]

Quote:

Hi.  This is my first post on Head Fi.  I am looking for a pair of earphones to use unamped with an iPhone 5 and iPod Classic (2nd generation).  I prefer a balanced sound signature with good instrument separation, treble that sparkles is a must, bass that is not bumped up, midrange that is not too forward although I prefer forward to recessed mids.  The earphones should sound good with all music genres as opposed to an earphone that is music genre specific.  The thing is I listen to all types of music although I tend to favor indie rock.  My music collection consists mostly of apple lossless (from ripped CD's), iTunes downloads and mp3 files (most of which are 320 kbps).  I prefer an earphone with a detachable cable.  Comfort and build quality are also important.  Accessories is the least important criteria.  I am looking to spend about $500.  
 
I've been on a mission since last fall to find two pairs of audiophile quality earphones.  The earphones I have auditioned and returned thus far: 
 
Etymotics 4PT (sounded too thin/rather uncomfortable, liked the accessories though)
Bowers & Wilkins C5 (too much bass, uncomfortable)
Sennheiser IE80 (too much bass even at the minimum setting although I liked the sound stage, very comfortable)
VSonic GR07 MK II (too much sibilance even after 100 hours of burn in, kind of ugly looking, no comfort issues though)
HiFiMan RE-272 (not enough bass, mushroom tips were the wrong size, too small, wouldn't fit on the stem, customer service sent another package of mushroom tips, again same problem, too small, mushroom tips would not fit on the stem.  Out of frustration I returned the earphones).  
 
Right now I have a pair of Shure SE-535 and the Westone 4R.  The Westone 4R are definitely keepers because overall I love the sound signature.  Also the Westone 4R are very comfortable.  I wanted to love the Shure SE-535's because Tyll of Inner Fidelity thinks they are awesome (usually agree with everything he says about audio).  Also I think the Shure SE-535 looks great especially the bronze ones.  The thing is I just can't find the sweet spot with the SE-535s.  I've tried various eartips to try to get the sparkle in the treble.  Only the yellow foamies bring out the sparkle to a certain degree but they are very uncomfortable.  The comply tips are the most comfortable but they hinder the treble.  I bought the 6N OFHC Silver Plated Shure upgrade cable hoping it would bring out the treble.  Big mistake.  The only difference I can hear between the aftermarket and stock cable is the aftermarket cable has annoying microphonics.  As a last resort I have used the Equalizer app to try to get the treble to sparkle.  Even that doesn't work.  Either the treble is rolled off on the SE-535 or my hearing is rolled off on the upper end.  I am 58 years old (lol).  The thing is the Westone 4R have plenty of sparkle in the treble, even without being EQ'd.
 
The Westone 4R are not without faults.  Sometimes I find the 4R a little boring, wishing it sounded a little more energetic, lively if that makes any sense.  So it all comes down to I just want an earphone to balance out the shortcomings I have with the Westone 4R.  Does anyone have any suggestions?  Any suggestions would be appreciated.  Thank you,.
 
 

 
Yep, get either Westone3, or Heir Audio 3.Ai - I've heard both and I definitely prefer Heir 3.Ai
 
Though if you love your W4, then perhaps W3 would suits you better, W3 and W4 will complement each other so well...

 

[TheJazzyH]

Hey guys, I'm trying to find some portable headphones for my brother. He's been complaining about the lack of noise isolation from his cheap Sony earbuds lately, so this could an opportunity for me to introduce him to good audio. 
 
Aside from good noise isolation, this is what I know about my brother's needs:
 
Budget - <$100. I want him to start small for now.
 
Source - Laptop and android phone (HTC MyTouch, to be more specific); he doesn't have an amp, and I'd rather not buy one right now.
 
Music - He says he listens to nearly everything, but I suspect that rock, j-pop, and electronic (likely from DDR and Beatmania) are the dominate genres in his library. Still, it would be safer if the headphones do most genres well. Also, he has some of his favorite music in YouTube rips, so the headphones should be somewhat forgiving of low-quality files.
 
Other - I don't think he would mind whether they are over-ear, on-ear, or in-ear, as long as they isolate well and are very comfortable to wear for hours. However, he doesn't really care for fashion, so the low profile of in-ears might be the best. For the phone, an android-compatible mic would also be very nice, although not necessary.
 
I'm currently looking at the Thinksound ts02 (preferably the +mic version).
 
Thanks!

 

[RobDogg]

Hi everyone I am a long time lurker on this site but have just signed up. 
 
Until recently I did have Miles Davis Tributes however they broke and the replacement that was given to me were the Trumpets which I cannot get a good seal on at all & they just don't stay in so I am selling them and trying to make a decision of whether to get B&W C5's or UE900's. I am unsure which IEM to go for however. I have had a look at some frequency response graphs of both of them and I like that the C5's have lots of bass, however I cannot fully rely on a frequency graph to make my decision.
 
In case you are interested in seeing the graphs here they are...
 
C5's: http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/photogallery/measured-bowers-wilkins-c5-headphones
 
UE900: http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/photogallery/measured-logitech-ue-900-ear-headphone
 
 
Music I like to listen to are bands like, Rammstein, Incubus, koRn, Garbage, Bjork, Tool, Weezer, Dr Dre, Prince, Snoop Dogg, Limp Bizkit, Deftones, Beach Boys, Beatles, movie soundtracks like Inception, Dark Knight Rises, Batman (1989) etc. So kind of a broad spectrum of tunes. I can't stand listening to music which is just crap sounding and nothing but treble, I like having awesome sound quality. I really like hearing & feeling the bass on songs, drums etc and like my highs to have clarity and be clear, not muffled or ear piercing though. I also like good isolation & sound stage. I also tend to listen to music with  V shape EQ to boost the bass and treble.
 
I currently have a pair of V-Moda M100's which I cannot recommend enough, they are amazing! I luv the bass they produce as well as the clarity of the highs, they have such awesome sound quality. So I am kind of hoping that I can get something close to M100 sounding. 
 
I plan on using the IEM's with my Sony Walkman mp3 player.
 
So anyway enough of my rambling I think I have painted a picture as to what I am after as best as I can. So please any help or advice on deciding between the UE900 or C5's would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Neotriple]

Quote:

 
Umm OK so you need to be a bit more persistent with your GR07, I didn't like mine until about 6 months of continous use, then I LOVED IT!!!, you are saying it sounds muddier than X10? you have got to be joking Jose...

 
Anyway, my FOTM at the moment is Heir Audio 3.Ai, I also listen to a lot of EDM (trance/house) and this does EDM to perfection (almost), it is $350 shipped though, I sold my W3 to fund 3.Ai with a slight concern that I might regret it, but never did...

 
My only problem with having such a long break in time is that I won't get to return it if I don't like 'em. As far as 'muddier' goes, I think I've used the wrong set of words (and this is the complete opposite of what I mean by 'muddier'). I recently saw them described as having 'too much sibilance' and that may be an issue. For some reason, they feel really thin and wispy; almost so much that they feel muddy at times (more in the higher frequencies). 

 

[munchzilla]

hi! let's give this thread a chance! feels like I haven't updated myself on IEM's in years. 

more of a checking-the-waters atm, so if there are any new ones out soon that might fit well, please let me know.
 
so I'm looking for an IEM, with unfortunately rather strict requirements:
 
- either slightly mid-forward or as close to well-balanced as possible. 
- good sense of clarity/detail without being harsh, really don't like ringing upper mids/treble.
- bass I can compromise on a bit more, more important is that they don't have overpowering bass.
- comfort! I know tips and such are probably more important than the actual IEM, but I really can't stand Etymotic's shape. which is rather unfortunate because I think ER4 would be a nice sounding IEM to me.
- high durability and replaceable cables would be very nice, not required though.
 
some notes:
~$500 maximum.
will be driven with the latest generation iPad, and wouldn't mind getting a portable amplifier to go with it so amping should be no problems if needed.
non-fatiguing is the keyword, I'd like to use these for hours on end.
I have no idea how to do proper EQ with the iPad if there would be any need for it... 

would prefer to not use comply or bi/tri-flange. absolutely no customs though, even if it would be ideal.
 
I hope that covers everything... not expecting too much with my pickiness right now. just ended a journey of trying too many closed portable headphones that disappointed me. 

cheers

 

[AzatHead-Fier]

hi. I can't decide between several sub $150 IEMs! I really need an advice.
Usually I listen to classical music and soft rock. What is important for me are
 
1. big soundstage (also big in depth)
2. good imaging, seperation
3. neutral sound
4. low microphonics
 
Thanks in advance!

 

[auralmania]

Quote:

Sweet! Thanks a ton mate. 
 
The iphone controls are a must have as I will be using these while commuting. I'm more than happy spending some decent $$ for a pair that I'll truly like. Sadly, local retailers here price-gouge the crap out of you if you're into audio-gear (and most other things ).
 
I'll take a look at RE-272 and the e-Q5 (also eager to hear your impressions). My budget of $300 is a bit malleable if there is something pretty phenomenal for a tad more.
 
Thanks.

 
Any more suggestions folks? Still really keen on the iphone controls.  

 

[TwinQY]

^^ I actually did write a response for you. (See part 4...later). Problem is that 1. I'm very slow to update the whole thing since I still have quite a bit to edit. 2. The time in between it would take for me to finish all the response, and the actual quality of the response (which would be quite low) is likely not worth it. (for the benefit of anyone else reading)
 
Long story short: eQ-5...quite a departure from the RE0. UE900 if that budget is really malleable, mic is a necessity, and you don't mind losing some upper mids. GR01 or the ER4P (iffy) otherwise. (Mics at this price, and with that kind of sig, sadly, will limit the stuff available unless it's a UE-compatible removable socket and you buy a mic-capable custom cable)

 

[auralmania]

Quote:

^^ I actually did write a response for you. (See part 4...later). Problem is that 1. I'm very slow to update the whole thing since I still have quite a bit to edit. 2. The time in between it would take for me to finish all the response, and the actual quality of the response (which would be quite low) is likely not worth it. (for the benefit of anyone else reading)
 
Long story short: eQ-5...quite a departure from the RE0. UE900 if that budget is really malleable, mic is a necessity, and you don't mind losing some upper mids. GR01 or the ER4P (iffy) otherwise. (Mics at this price, and with that kind of sig, sadly, will limit the stuff available unless it's a UE-compatible removable socket and you buy a mic-capable custom cable)

Mate you're an absolute legend. Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to me. Now that I have some options I'll do further research and report back on what I've finally chosen.  
 
Thanks again. Wish there was a rep system here.

 

[TwinQY]

Quote:

Mate you're an absolute legend. Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to me. Now that I have some options I'll do further research and report back on what I've finally chosen.  
 
Thanks again. Wish there was a rep system here.

There is: 
Just that the rankings only show up on the ranking page, it's not cumulative for users, usually it's a "like-because-funny-or-hyped" thing, and my ego isn't that big  
 
Sadly probably can't upload the other 3 parts tomorrow because it's almost morning here, I haven't slept, and there's a plane flight due tomorrow night. Will try my best when I land Tuesday/Wednesday. Sigh.

 

[djvkool]

Quote:

Hey guys, I'm trying to find some portable headphones for my brother. He's been complaining about the lack of noise isolation from his cheap Sony earbuds lately, so this could an opportunity for me to introduce him to good audio. 
 
Aside from good noise isolation, this is what I know about my brother's needs:
 
Budget - <$100. I want him to start small for now.
 
Source - Laptop and android phone (HTC MyTouch, to be more specific); he doesn't have an amp, and I'd rather not buy one right now.
 
Music - He says he listens to nearly everything, but I suspect that rock, j-pop, and electronic (likely from DDR and Beatmania) are the dominate genres in his library. Still, it would be safer if the headphones do most genres well. Also, he has some of his favorite music in YouTube rips, so the headphones should be somewhat forgiving of low-quality files.
 
Other - I don't think he would mind whether they are over-ear, on-ear, or in-ear, as long as they isolate well and are very comfortable to wear for hours. However, he doesn't really care for fashion, so the low profile of in-ears might be the best. For the phone, an android-compatible mic would also be very nice, although not necessary.
 
I'm currently looking at the Thinksound ts02 (preferably the +mic version).
 
Thanks!

 
in-ear are the best for isolation, and IMHO the best that you can get for less than $100 is Klipsch X10, it would be perfect for the genres that he listens to...
 
X10 can be had for around $85 these days from Amazon, problem is that's the non-mic version, the one with mic (X10i) generally costs in the region of $150 I think...