[oneula]

You can't go wrong with KZ ZS3E. It's practically an ear plug that plays music.

That's good news
I've got a pair packed away somewhere
moved away from KZ awhile ago

 

[loomisjohnson]

I need an inexpensive IEM (so I won't regret it if I lose it) with a design that will completely block out all external sounds, that's easy to drive and sounds super clear and (musical?) even with airplane noise and screaming kids nearby. I lost my Bose QC20s and need to find some IEMs to replace them for an business trip next week. A 10 hour flight over and back.
I have the Tape, BGVP DM6, BLON 03, TIN T2, **** ****, GuideRay GR-i18, RevoNext 202, and a bunch of others but only the Tape and the DM6 truly block external noise without having to crank up the volume. I was think of the Sony 755 or Final E1000 but they don't block out all noise like the other 2.
Been thinking of making some custom ear pieces to fit one of my IEMs into

Suggestions?

 

[Tonymac136]

Many many years ago I had a a HiFi system comprising of a Dual 505 turntable, a Musical Fidelity B1 amplifier and some very large stand mounted Tannoy Mercury speakers of that time. My bedroom was just a bed and some draws and a covered concrete floor, basically there were no furnishings. I had a vinyl LP of Peter Gabriel's 'Passion The Sources'. Track 9 was "Wedding Song" by Unknown Morrocan Musicians. Played loudly through the speaker in that room, the bass was like a punch in the guts...talk about visceral input. Since then I have had the 'Passion Sources' CD, digital track, streaming, all in a different furnished room with bassy floor mounted speakers but cannot recreate it. IEM's, buds, bassy headphones, and every method of transmitting sound, yet I cannot recreate that incredible empirical visceral experience. At just a couple of small concerts near the speaker systems I got it, but the sound was too loud for my ears and overwhelmed the visceral experience. So headphones, IEMs and buds cannot it in anyway, in my experience, or recreate even a facsimile of that visceral experience. So nowadays, CDs etc cannot do it for me. Perhaps there is someone with a vinyl setup who has all the room conditions that create that amazing wallop in the solar plexus? How do you get it? Do you get it?

I've got a vintage and a not so vintage hifi setup. Using my NAD 533 (Rebadged Planar 2) with my Wharfedale Pacific PI30 and NAD C350 doesn't do it. Yet my older Mission Cyrus 780 and Arcam Delta 290 do with the same turntable. Perhaps some kind of inaudible spike in the sub bass that doesn't get reproduced by more modern speakers, or maybe to do with cabinet size.

 

[zachmal]

I need an inexpensive IEM (so I won't regret it if I lose it) with a design that will completely block out all external sounds, that's easy to drive and sounds super clear and (musical?) even with airplane noise and screaming kids nearby. I lost my Bose QC20s and need to find some IEMs to replace them for an business trip next week. A 10 hour flight over and back.
I have the Tape, BGVP DM6, BLON 03, TIN T2, **** ****, GuideRay GR-i18, RevoNext 202, and a bunch of others but only the Tape and the DM6 truly block external noise without having to crank up the volume. I was think of the Sony 755 or Final E1000 but they don't block out all noise like the other 2.
Been thinking of making some custom ear pieces to fit one of my IEMs into

Suggestions?

potentially Audiosense T180, 260, 300

Tennmak Pro (or Piano) also might work [each of those costs around 10 bucks without cable]

 

[rayliam80]

I need an inexpensive IEM (so I won't regret it if I lose it) with a design that will completely block out all external sounds, that's easy to drive and sounds super clear and (musical?) even with airplane noise and screaming kids nearby. I lost my Bose QC20s and need to find some IEMs to replace them for an business trip next week. A 10 hour flight over and back.
I have the Tape, BGVP DM6, BLON 03, TIN T2, **** ****, GuideRay GR-i18, RevoNext 202, and a bunch of others but only the Tape and the DM6 truly block external noise without having to crank up the volume. I was think of the Sony 755 or Final E1000 but they don't block out all noise like the other 2.
Been thinking of making some custom ear pieces to fit one of my IEMs into

Suggestions?

During my last flight long-haul flight (14 hours), I used my KZ ZS10 Pro with the ear tips I usually use (Auvio wide bore) and then I took my 3M earmuffs (-28 db) and wore those over my ears. The low frequencies emitted by the engine noise still came through but once there was an audio signal (music/movies via in-flight entertainment), it was essentially drowned out. Human voices and a baby crying nearby were even more subdued compared to the engine noise. Of course, comfort is an issue with earmuffs and the heat build up but I'd take breaks every few hours during the flight. On previous long-haul flights, I have tried triple flange tips and those do a good job once an audio signal is present but I still feel like I'm increasing the volume to overcome the engine noise. I have the same flight coming up next week so this time I'm going to go with my silicone Auvio tips stuffed with 3M earplug foam (DIY Symbio) with a 3M earplug foam spacer to increase the isolation. I'll carry my CCA C12, my Blon BL-03 and my Hidizs AP80 in my jacket pocket. My CCA C12 has the same exact setup as my Blon BL-03. I still may carry my 3M earmuffs just in case. And I know, it's a lot of 'muff going on. I'm just not a big fan of ANC (active noise cancellation).

 

[Slater]

During my last flight long-haul flight (14 hours)...

...Human voices and a baby crying nearby were even more subdued compared to the engine noise.

This is the ultimate test of noise cancelling on long flights:

 

[rayliam80]

This is the ultimate test of noise cancelling on long flights:

I do this long haul flight at least once a year now. And that just now convinced me that I totally need to bring my dorky 3M earmuffs in my carry on. Thanks Slater!

 

[kukkurovaca]

Ok but regardless, too much bass to try to recreate a "visceral" impact is bad for fidelity, it distorts the driver(s), bleeds into the mids etc.

For most of my tests, I'm not encountering driver distortion (modern drivers I think do a much better job not distorting these days, especially when they have nano carbon and DLC coatings). Certainly bass can "bleed" into the mids (i.e. overwhelm our perception of the mids at many listening volumes if the bass is too high in volume relative to the mids), and I try to find the best set of overall compromises when searching for the ideal balance, which I think is tricky.

"Too much bass" is bad, but how much is too much will depend on the drivers, the ears, the eartips, the genre(s) of music, and doubtless other factors. In terms of distortion specifically, it will definitely depend on the drivers. Some drivers can't do much bass quantity and quality at the same time, but there are absolutely drivers that can. (This is a nice thing about planar bass, you can push the output, even if you have to EQ it to do so, without getting distortion.) Some dynamic drivers can too, depending on materials/design/tuning.

Now, do you need a driver that can do that? Maybe. If you want to capture the feeling of a live performance in a genre where bass frequencies play a meaningful role (which includes some classical music, not just hip-hop or rock), the bass should at least not be rolled off relative to the mids and for many listeners should be somewhat elevated. But if your goal is to be able to listen analytically in other parts of the spectrum, then your needs may be totally different.

My personal preference is for increased subbass, which is less at risk for bleeding into the mids than an overall bass boost. This makes the bass feel a bit more visceral but not at the cost of detail. But horses for courses.

 

[citral23]

"Too much bass" is bad, but how much is too much will depend on the drivers, the ears, the eartips, the genre(s) of music, and doubtless other factors. In terms of distortion specifically, it will definitely depend on the drivers. Some drivers can't do much bass quantity and quality at the same time, but there are absolutely drivers that can. (This is a nice thing about planar bass, you can push the output, even if you have to EQ it to do so, without getting distortion.) Some dynamic drivers can too, depending on materials/design/tuning.

Now, do you need a driver that can do that? Maybe. If you want to capture the feeling of a live performance in a genre where bass frequencies play a meaningful role (which includes some classical music, not just hip-hop or rock), the bass should at least not be rolled off relative to the mids and for many listeners should be somewhat elevated. But if your goal is to be able to listen analytically in other parts of the spectrum, then your needs may be totally different.

My personal preference is for increased subbass, which is less at risk for bleeding into the mids than an overall bass boost. This makes the bass feel a bit more visceral but not at the cost of detail. But horses for courses.

Sensible answer here.

 

[citral23]

I wish I had a simple reply to a statement like that, but I don't... but let me give you an example of my process. I have found what for me is a good ear tip pairing for the BQYEZ Spring1. I also have the LZ A6mini. Someone had asked me to compare the two, I gave a quick comparison, based on the ideal (for me) Spring1 tips and the best tips I had found while using the black ("reference") filter set with the A6mini. After a few days I was reflecting on what I had written, I realized I should revisit my comparison since I hadn't really done comprehensive tests with the other A6mini tuning filters and all the ear tips I have (several dozen different varieties). I plan to follow up in the future, and I'm currently testing the red filters (3-7kHz -3dB cut) with different ear tips and I've found a combination that I think is much better than what I could get with the black filters. I've read a review or two of the A6mini that completely dismissed the red filters, but I don't recall either reviewer talking much about ear tips, which in my experience can make a great difference in the experience, especially in terms of bass (some of which I think is due to bass conduction, because the higher mass/greater density silicone ear tips give me a greater sense of bass impact, especially sub-bass). But there are also factors such as the length of the eartip which can create it's own resonances when coupled with the ear canal, and bass is also impacted by the inner diameter or bore size of the eartip. For most of my tests, I'm not encountering driver distortion (modern drivers I think do a much better job not distorting these days, especially when they have nano carbon and DLC coatings). Certainly bass can "bleed" into the mids (i.e. overwhelm our perception of the mids at many listening volumes if the bass is too high in volume relative to the mids), and I try to find the best set of overall compromises when searching for the ideal balance, which I think is tricky.

One more thing - don't forget about the the Fetcher Munson Curve. That is, in human hearing as the actual loudness changes, the perceived loudness our brains hear will change at a different rate, depending on the frequency. On this forum we aren't level matching (i.e. making sure we're all listening at the same dB at our ears) when we talk about headphones or earphones, and the level we're listening at can make a big difference in terms of how much bass and treble we hear (and that's ignoring any other factors, like driver performance at a particular dB!) This makes equating our experiences even more tricky. For my part, I do my best to remember to test headphones and earphones at a range of dB as well as my preferred dB and then relate a kind of snapshot composite of that experience, so that it has the best chance of mapping to the widest range of other people's probable experiences (but it's not like we've collectively formalized a process for having a dialog on performance characterization here).

I just happen to have better taste than most so I'll just leave it at "the tin T2 has plenty of bass", not really interested in arguments trying to defend untasteful consumer oriented tunings, we're on head-fi after all not on "which Beats has he most brainless untextured bass with super slow decay to try to reproduce a crappy Dr Dre concert" forums.

Sorry if that sounds harsh but with the recent chifi boom there's an overload of ppl with no taste and ears whatsoever asserting with the greatest authority how their 30$ ultra v-shaped iem is everything one could ever wish for, and it's annoying.

 

[nraymond]

I just happen to have better taste than most so I'll just leave it at "the tin T2 has plenty of bass", not really interested in arguments trying to defend untasteful consumer oriented tunings, we're on head-fi after all not on "which Beats has he most brainless untextured bass with super slow decay to try to reproduce a crappy Dr Dre concert" forums.

Sorry if that sounds harsh but with the recent chifi boom there's an overload of ppl with no taste and ears whatsoever asserting with the greatest authority how their 30$ ultra v-shaped iem is everything one could ever wish for, and it's annoying.

It doesn't sound harsh, it just sounds like your ego is getting in the way of understanding the reality of the situation. I recommend watching this, and then extrapolating what they are saying about over-ear and on-ear headphones further to in-ear:



And I'm not saying some people don't have an irrational love of too much bass - that happens. Some people love too much treble and mistake that for detail, that happens too. Others love vocals too much. But I think it is likely impossible to make a headphone/earphone that is ideal for all people, and likewise it is hard to impossible to generate recommendations that will apply to everyone unless you know a person's head/torso/ear physical dimensions, hearing acuity, and preferred listening level.

 

[zachmal]

This is the ultimate test of noise cancelling on long flights:

good grief and

>Children are addicted to technology Screams for 8 hour flight because his mother couldn’t get the internet to work, the parents are not paying enough attention.

is the only description of that "non-issue", no one seems to care, to reprimand or teach the kid a lesson

how exactly is the kid to supposed to keep his emotions in control later in life ?

convinces me to get 3M earmuffs as well for the next flight and good sealing IEMs XD

 

[Adide]

I just happen to have better taste than most so I'll just leave it at "the tin T2 has plenty of bass", not really interested in arguments trying to defend untasteful consumer oriented tunings, we're on head-fi after all not on "which Beats has he most brainless untextured bass with super slow decay to try to reproduce a crappy Dr Dre concert" forums.

Sorry if that sounds harsh but with the recent chifi boom there's an overload of ppl with no taste and ears whatsoever asserting with the greatest authority how their 30$ ultra v-shaped iem is everything one could ever wish for, and it's annoying.

Wow man, how's the weather up there in your ivory tower?

Maybe try to understand to let go and agree that people's preferences and background are and will always be diverse and we are all here to learn from each other and not talk down tastes and personal experiences.

I like most of your posts but in some of them your are getting angry and patronizing for no reason really.

Cheers.

 

[silverfishla]

I just happen to have better taste than most so I'll just leave it at "the tin T2 has plenty of bass", not really interested in arguments trying to defend untasteful consumer oriented tunings, we're on head-fi after all not on "which Beats has he most brainless untextured bass with super slow decay to try to reproduce a crappy Dr Dre concert" forums.

Sorry if that sounds harsh but with the recent chifi boom there's an overload of ppl with no taste and ears whatsoever asserting with the greatest authority how their 30$ ultra v-shaped iem is everything one could ever wish for, and it's annoying.

I can agree with you. It is annoying, especially when every single Chi-Fi thread is littered with the same IEMs being talked about and ruminated over, again and again. It’s great that Blon released a good “broad stroke” iem that everybody seems to like. I like it too. Unfortunately, because it’s so popular (worse that it’s been hyped as a killer) means we’re going to see a flood of “generally good” IEMs being released this next year. Hopefully there will still be outliers out there willing to give something different a chance.

 

[ozziecook]

I just happen to have better taste than most so I'll just leave it at "the tin T2 has plenty of bass", not really interested in arguments trying to defend untasteful consumer oriented tunings, we're on head-fi after all not on "which Beats has he most brainless untextured bass with super slow decay to try to reproduce a crappy Dr Dre concert" forums.

Sorry if that sounds harsh but with the recent chifi boom there's an overload of ppl with no taste and ears whatsoever asserting with the greatest authority how their 30$ ultra v-shaped iem is everything one could ever wish for, and it's annoying.

Mate. Have a read back. Did you mean this? Really?