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What if he/she just likes the music and all that of which it entails. What if he/she wants an IEM that reproduces the music as it was initially intended by the producers and engineers? Isn't it true that if you get an IEM that favors a particular instrument, that it will, more than likely, not favor another one?
That's what I don't understand when people suggest a particular IEM for a particular genre of music. If an IEM is an accurate reproducer of what is recorded, won't it be accurate across all genre's of music?
If that is a case, everyone should get ER4P or a UERM. Those IEMs are tuned perfectly flat, meaning that it has no boost in any frequency, giving the most accurate sound from a recording. However, many people prefer coloration to their music. I even sometimes prefer colored SE535 over UERM. Again, it's all matter of preference. For example, people like rock with forward mids and aggressive highs and rap with boosted bass. UERM doesn't cover all music, although it can cover most.
Yeah, pretty much what he said (except for the perfectly flat part).
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OH! Well in that case, then he/she should get the JH13 Pro Freqphase Edition! Easy, piece of cake!
Does one really have to spend that kind of money to get an IEM that doesn't favor one instrument over another?
Yes and no. There's no such thing as truly flat or neutral. It's all about how close we can get to that mark. And of course, the closer we want to get, the more it will cost. I'm sure you're familiar with the concept of diminishing returns, well the same applies here.
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I've heard many reviews on IEM's, such as the RE-400, that states that it's an IEM that goes well with just about all genre's of music, and that's only 100 bucks. It obviously won't do it as well as a JH-13PRO, but does it not get closer to what the engineers intended than an IEM that is designed to favor one instrument or musical genre of another?
The RE-400 is a very good balanced IEM, especially for $100. In fact, I recommend it quite often. However, it is not perfect, not even close. And for certain types of music (especially bass-heavy music) it is most likely not going to reproduce what the artist/engineer intended.
Um, you've heard them right? When you hear them, you'll understand what I mean.
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I mean, I totally get that there are many that like to salt and pepper their music, but there are many others who want to get as close to the original intent of the engineers and artist as possible and I would hate to think that the only way to even approach that is to have to spend 1300 bucks.
Perfection costs. That's not a Head-Fi axiom, but it really should be now that I think about it. Anyway, there are a few of things you should keep in mind.
First of all, not everybody hears the same way. It's quirky I know, but genetic diversity means that many of us have different ears. So even if there is one perfect and standardized piece of kit out there... what people ultimately hear might be different. So if someone has a sensitivity to treble, what sounds perfectly fine to you may in fact be painful to them (or at least different).
Secondly, yes people like coloration. This is especially true of people that listen to a select range of genres. Frankly, some might not be interested in something that really brings out the higher registers of a harp if it means that they gotta sacrifice the sub-bass that they need to massage their brains.
And finally, the search for audio transparency, neutrality, and ultimately purity is not an easy or cheap quest. Many of us here will spend a lifetime in pursuit of our unicorn rig, and ultimately die without ever having heard it. We accept this, albeit reluctantly. But whether we reach audio nirvana or not, we all understand that there will be a hefty monetary cost. If you've found a better solution... post it. I can assure you that it will be the most popular Head-Fi thread of all-time if you're right.
