[Brewmaster]

To make a long story short, I'm strugling to find an IEM that makes me really happy.

Brief History
E4C - I found these harsh sounding, and no lower end.
UM2 - I found these to be lacking in the upper frequencies.

I sold the UM2's and kept the E4's. Eventually I found that I could equalize the E4's to a point where they were acceptable, but not great. Some of the harshness gone, low end a bit better.

My E4's recently died and I bought the Shure 210's, and Super.fi pro 5's. I find the 210's don't do a great job at the low end, and there is just something lacking from the rest of the sound (body?). The Super.fi pro's are great on the low end, but lacking on the high end. I found I could equalize the SF's to the point where I find them better than my old E4's. The 210's I just couldn't reach a level of satisfaction.

My dillema is that my current player (Zune) has no custome EQ so I can't really use the SF's the way I would like (all EQ test were done on a PC).

So do I get a new DAP with a custom EQ, or go further down the IEM rabbit hole? But where to go from here?

Help!

All I want is my DarkVoice and 701's in my pocket. Is that too much to ask?

 

[OptionTrader]

I'm sure you may have already considered this, but is the fit of the IEMs you tried good? The low end is what suffers first with improper fit.

 

[devilsadvocate]

Triple.fi?

 

[navmau]

Quote:

Originally Posted by OptionTrader /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm sure you may have already considered this, but is the fit of the IEMs you tried good? The low end is what suffers first with improper fit.

The OP has mentioned that the SE210 do a good job with bottom end, so it seems the issue is not with the seal.
I personally got a Sony DAP with EQ and their "clear bass" technology, its fantastic, I EQ it to my liking and the bass is really good, no distortion and it doesn't interfere with the higher freqs.

 

[OptionTrader]

It was actually the 210s that the OP said did not do so well on the bottom and the Super.fi pros that were good. Furthermore, different IEMs will seal differently depending on the tip used.

But as you said, EQ could help.

 

[Jackson99]

If you don't mind shelling out the cash, the UE Triple.fis might be a good fit for you. I think they have the best upper mids and highs of any universal IEM I know of.

 

[Brewmaster]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jackson99 /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you don't mind shelling out the cash, the UE Triple.fis might be a good fit for you. I think they have the best upper mids and highs of any universal IEM I know of.

I'm a little tempted by the Triple.fi's. I may sell both pairs of IEM's I have and try this route.

I have no problem with seal with either the SF's or the Shure's. I've been able to find tips with both brands that give me a good seal. I'm somewhat suprised that some reports on IEM's don't seem to describe the massive difference between the various types. Sitching back and forwards between the Shure's and SF's is a completely different sonic experience.

I think if I go down the Triple.fi route I'll definately have to try the cable mod to use the Westone cable.

My ideal IEM (from those I've tried) would be
Fit of UM2 or E4
Cable of UM2
Low end and mids of SF 5
High end of E4

 

[Caribou679]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brewmaster /img/forum/go_quote.gif To make a long story short, I'm strugling to find an IEM that makes me really happy. Brief History E4C - I found these harsh sounding, and no lower end. UM2 - I found these to be lacking in the upper frequencies. I sold the UM2's and kept the E4's. Eventually I found that I could equalize the E4's to a point where they were acceptable, but not great. Some of the harshness gone, low end a bit better. My E4's recently died and I bought the Shure 210's, and Super.fi pro 5's. I find the 210's don't do a great job at the low end, and there is just something lacking from the rest of the sound (body?). The Super.fi pro's are great on the low end, but lacking on the high end. I found I could equalize the SF's to the point where I find them better than my old E4's. The 210's I just couldn't reach a level of satisfaction. My dillema is that my current player (Zune) has no custome EQ so I can't really use the SF's the way I would like (all EQ test were done on a PC). So do I get a new DAP with a custom EQ, or go further down the IEM rabbit hole? But where to go from here? Help! All I want is my DarkVoice and 701's in my pocket. Is that too much to ask?

Why don't you get the Atrio. m5 or M8. They sound like headphones/speakers. have very defined bass(not overwelming) , have warm and rich sound. Isolate like crazy and alot of members here hold them in high esteem.
check the last posts in this thread for more informations.
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/fut...rio-m5-232312/

also this new thread:
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/loo...-200-a-272919/

regards,

 

[Sieg9198]

The new Crossroad X3i. You have to listen to believe it.

50 hours of burn in minimum

 

[catscratch]

I was in exactly the same situation, and my views on existing universal-fit IEMs are pretty much the same as yours. Add to it the ER-4P and E500, neither of which fit the bill, and you've got my IEM history in a nutshell.

What I've found is that there isn't a single universal-fit IEM that sounds good to my ears. Each and every one involves some serious compromise that I'm not willing to make.

So far, I've found one IEM that sounds good to my ears - the custom Westone ES2. It has a very good midrange, a good bass and a treble that could definitely use some improvement. It's similar sonically to the UM2 but it has significantly more detail, much more control over the bass, and more extension and presense in the highs. It's a fairly well rounded sound that's full but not bloated, and it sounds very good without the need for EQ.

Honestly, I don't think there is a universal-fit solution on the market that will work for you if you do want something that is fully competitive with good full-size cans. You'll have to go custom. I don't know if the ES2 is such a good idea in light of what's on the market now - the UE11 - and what's coming soon - the Westome custom 3. But, I would suggest turning your research in this direction. Send a PM to "digihead," he's the only member I know of who owns pretty much every major custom IEM out there and will advise you well.

Then, there is the Stax SR-001 system which doesn't provide any isolation but sounds a good deal better than any universal-fit IEM I've heard thus far, and it's quite cheap for what it is ($239 from Audiocubes). It's not very portable or comfortable but if you want a warm, full, but very detailed sound on the move this is your best bet.

Or, you could save the money and just use the your K701 on the move. You'll look ridiculous but at least your ears will be happy. I do the same with my HD600 in a Sony D-NE920 --> MicroDAC --> Hornet --> HD600 rig when I get tired of the ES2 and it works well, except in a noisy environment. I don't know what portable amp works well with the K701, but Xin amps let you roll opamps easily, so you will be able to custom-tailor the sound to (theoretically) more closely reflect your Darkvoice.

 

[Brewmaster]

Quote:

Originally Posted by catscratch /img/forum/go_quote.gif I was in exactly the same situation, and my views on existing universal-fit IEMs are pretty much the same as yours. Add to it the ER-4P and E500, neither of which fit the bill, and you've got my IEM history in a nutshell. What I've found is that there isn't a single universal-fit IEM that sounds good to my ears. Each and every one involves some serious compromise that I'm not willing to make. So far, I've found one IEM that sounds good to my ears - the custom Westone ES2. It has a very good midrange, a good bass and a treble that could definitely use some improvement. It's similar sonically to the UM2 but it has significantly more detail, much more control over the bass, and more extension and presense in the highs. It's a fairly well rounded sound that's full but not bloated, and it sounds very good without the need for EQ. Honestly, I don't think there is a universal-fit solution on the market that will work for you if you do want something that is fully competitive with good full-size cans. You'll have to go custom. I don't know if the ES2 is such a good idea in light of what's on the market now - the UE11 - and what's coming soon - the Westome custom 3. But, I would suggest turning your research in this direction. Send a PM to "digihead," he's the only member I know of who owns pretty much every major custom IEM out there and will advise you well. Then, there is the Stax SR-001 system which doesn't provide any isolation but sounds a good deal better than any universal-fit IEM I've heard thus far, and it's quite cheap for what it is ($239 from Audiocubes). It's not very portable or comfortable but if you want a warm, full, but very detailed sound on the move this is your best bet. Or, you could save the money and just use the your K701 on the move. You'll look ridiculous but at least your ears will be happy. I do the same with my HD600 in a Sony D-NE920 --> MicroDAC --> Hornet --> HD600 rig when I get tired of the ES2 and it works well, except in a noisy environment. I don't know what portable amp works well with the K701, but Xin amps let you roll opamps easily, so you will be able to custom-tailor the sound to (theoretically) more closely reflect your Darkvoice.

Thanks for your insight. It definately gives me some avenues to look at, and some thinking to do. I'll also check out the IEM's mentioned in the previous posts. For a few reasons I don't think I'll go with the 701's on the go.

I do find IEM's quite frustrating, as the sound is much further from what I want than any of the full size cans I have heard, and actually can be unpleasant for some music. There also aren't any real options where you can audition the various IEM's.

The Triple.fi's may be an option based on some early research, but looks like I still have a lot of reasearch to go vs other IEM's and possible customs.

I'd just like to buy an IEM, be happy and put the search behind me for a while.

 

[tstarn06]

x2 on the Atrios. For IEMs, they really deliver a nice, warm balance to my ears. I prefer the PK1 sound overall (and the AL 716s have their place too), but I also have the Zune80 with no EQ and I could care less. The Atrios match up well and do not need an amp to do so.

 

[navmau]

Quote:

Originally Posted by OptionTrader /img/forum/go_quote.gif It was actually the 210s that the OP said did not do so well on the bottom and the Super.fi pros that were good. Furthermore, different IEMs will seal differently depending on the tip used. But as you said, EQ could help.

my bad...i misread the OP. But yes, I dint that the EQ helps a lot.

 

[freeone-j]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brewmaster /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks for your insight. It definately gives me some avenues to look at, and some thinking to do. I'll also check out the IEM's mentioned in the previous posts. For a few reasons I don't think I'll go with the 701's on the go. I do find IEM's quite frustrating, as the sound is much further from what I want than any of the full size cans I have heard, and actually can be unpleasant for some music. There also aren't any real options where you can audition the various IEM's. The Triple.fi's may be an option based on some early research, but looks like I still have a lot of reasearch to go vs other IEM's and possible customs. I'd just like to buy an IEM, be happy and put the search behind me for a while.

With a 30 day or money back deal, it doesn't hurt to try the Klipsch Image or wait to try the Custom-3, IMHO.

 

[LaBreaHead]

I second what Caribou said. Big sound at lower price than a lot of the other contenders in its class.

I travel with the M5s with a 2nd generation iPod nano, and the M5s seem to me to work quite well with a player on a flat setting.


__________________________
Phones (in order of purchase):
Sony MDR71, Sony MDR51, Etymotic ER6, Panasonic RP-HJ50, Shure E3C, Koss PortaPro 2, Creative EP630, Etymotic ER6i, Sennheiser PX-100, Sennheiser HD555, Future Sonics Atrio M5