[bhazard]

  I have a pair of Angies and they didn't wow me straight away. It took a couple of hours of listening for the brain burn in and then wowzers.
So if I heard them at a meet I wouldn't have been amazed after a quick listen. At first they sound a little warm and balanced and then hours later they open up and you're in the front row or in the studio with reference quality sound. Also they fit my signature which is equally important. They're not a fun iem strickly speaking but you get the fun out of the music instead out of colouration or enhanced bass etc. Sure they were expensive but if they last a long time it'll be well worth it. They're easily 10% better than anything i've heard. Running them balanced out of my M1s gives them a black af background too. So if you've ever wondered if the higher end is just a difference in price tag, I say probably sometimes but not in this case. In this case the price tag justifies the performance. My budget is not limitless but they cut down on my hunting for other iems significantly and once you put out the fire in the wallet the wallet becomes healthier after a while for less spending.

Sets like the Angies I'm better off never hearing. I cannot justify spending that much.The 10% comment is a generalization, not something that would be true for everything.
 
I've hand built my own home theater speakers with a flatter FR for less money (not a fair comparison, but more of a cost reference), so it would be very difficult for me to make the jump (until I run into a large sum of money).
 
I would say for those looking for sets slightly under $100 to make the jump to the K3 or A4 though. Lots of benefit in doing so to me.

 

[bhazard]

Haha I heard k3 pro is good also.
If money is no concern, what is the best sweet spot? I know what I said is redundant but you get the drift.

If money is no concern you get the absolute best, highest rated, custom set that is well reviewed or sponsored here. Lots of options with an unlimited wallet.

 

[notamethlab]

**** ue or **** 4 in 1?

Depends on what sound sig you're after. If you like treble go for the 4in1 if you want a more v-shaped sound go for the ue.

 

[notamethlab]

Hi. I'm looking for an 75$ IEM that has good to great build quality, with an easy on the ear sounds (no sibilance, no boomy bass, smooth sounding) and good isolation if possible. There's so many iem these days that it's can be overwhelming to search, but so far I have narrowed down to Vsonic VSD5S, Fiio EX1 2nd gen (great build quality but the sounds is too thin for my taste) and Brainwavz B100.

Advanced m4 would be a solid choice imo.

 

[Jimster480]

Honestly in what I have seen the LZ-A4 seems to demolish everything, atleast from just reading reviews.
 
But obviously its price is high and not for everyone.

 

[1TrickPony]

Haha I heard k3 pro is good also.
If money is no concern, what is the best sweet spot? I know what I said is redundant but you get the drift.

you decide ultimately. sweet spot is determined by the blow you're willing to take. it's a contract that you set up yourself-- our goal as a community is to help peeps make the best informed decision possible.

 

[notamethlab]

So currently I am enjoying the IEM, that is not to be mentioned here, however, I am having trouble with the fit, it seems like a lot of the recently recommended IEM's here are the bullet style type of IEM. I am trying to find something that fits like the Shure215 or tennmak Pro, even the KZ ZST to me is more comfortable, I am having trouble with the smaller ones becoming loose and not keeping a good seal. Any thoughts on something that is good in the style I am referring to? At first, I thought I was all about a Bright detailed IEM and have come to appreciate a more neutral sound signature, with Details. Favorite over ear headphone I have are the ZMF Ori's (OMNI).

Also... We need more pics on this thread, I like seeing styles and such of the Chinese IEM's afraid I'm getting to the point of first looking at the style, for fit and comfort and then thinking, "I wonder if it sounds good"

Thanks all,

James

If we're talking about the same iem I'd recommend these jvc tips. They give me a good seal, especially if I wear them over ear. I also switched cables, the stock cable is nice, but the weight of the cable was making them fall out.

Also fyi the tips come in S(10mm) M(12mm) L(14mm).

 

[yangian]

Advanced m4 would be a solid choice imo.

Exactly. M4 is one of best buy under $75.

 

[ph0n6]

Thanks for all the input guys. The K3 is way over my budget, and the M4 does looks intersting. I'm not really looking for a great sounding IEM (I doubt I would be doing any analytical listening outside), just decent relaxing sounds with great build quality. The B100 does have some nice input on sounds, but the upper cable from the Y split does makes me question the longevity of them. My dealer nearby does have some Vsonic IEM in stock so I will go check it out. Then there's the Radius stuff too, though their cheap offering aren't exactly cheap either compared to the chinese one.

 

[yangian]

  Thanks for all the input guys. The K3 is way over my budget, and the M4 does looks intersting. I'm not really looking for a great sounding IEM (I doubt I would be doing any analytical listening outside), just decent relaxing sounds with great build quality. The B100 does have some nice input on sounds, but the upper cable from the Y split does makes me question the longevity of them. My dealer nearby does have some Vsonic IEM in stock so I will go check it out. Then there's the Radius stuff too, though their cheap offering aren't exactly cheap either compared to the chinese one.

 
M4 has three years warranty. BTW, B100 is balanced armature and M4 is dynamic driver.

 

[ph0n6]

   
M4 has three years warranty. BTW, B100 is balanced armature and M4 is dynamic driver.

 
Yes I know about the BA and Dynamic drivers. Personally I prefer BA driver, but I wouldn't sacrifice build quality for it. Btw I don't see much Vsonics stuff reccomended anymore, are there any problems with them?

 

[yangian]

Yes I know about the BA and Dynamic drivers. Personally I prefer BA driver, but I wouldn't sacrifice build quality for it. Btw I don't see much Vsonics stuff reccomended anymore, are there any problems with them?

Actually M4 has a ba sound more or less.
Sorry, haven't heard any vsosmic staff.

 

[eaglearrow]

  Thanks for all the input guys. The K3 is way over my budget, and the M4 does looks intersting. I'm not really looking for a great sounding IEM (I doubt I would be doing any analytical listening outside), just decent relaxing sounds with great build quality. The B100 does have some nice input on sounds, but the upper cable from the Y split does makes me question the longevity of them. My dealer nearby does have some Vsonic IEM in stock so I will go check it out. Then there's the Radius stuff too, though their cheap offering aren't exactly cheap either compared to the chinese one.

If longevity is something you are looking for, i suggest you stay away from Vsonic's. I had 4 vsonic iem's, 07BE, VSD5, AN16 & Vsd2. All except the vsd2 started failing near the cable strain relief area(either iem side or jack side). And honestly, i take real good care of my iem, always keep them in a pouch, never take them out of my house too. 
Off the top, the iem that comes to my mind for relaxed listening are the carbo tenores. Really great and they cost just about 35 bucks. However, again you need to take good care of them as the cable feels too fragile. That said, ive had a pair for more than a year now and they are still going strong. 
 
P.S: Vsonic's sound great. The Gr07BE is a masterpiece to this date and the VSD5 isn't far behind. However, they are not for relaxed listening as they are quite extended and HOT in the treble region.

 

[ph0n6]

  If longevity is something you are looking for, i suggest you stay away from Vsonic's. I had 4 vsonic iem's, 07BE, VSD5, AN16 & Vsd2. All except the vsd2 started failing near the cable strain relief area(either iem side or jack side). And honestly, i take real good care of my iem, always keep them in a pouch, never take them out of my house too. 
Off the top, the iem that comes to my mind for relaxed listening are the carbo tenores. Really great and they cost just about 35 bucks. However, again you need to take good care of them as the cable feels too fragile. That said, ive had a pair for more than a year now and they are still going strong. 
 
P.S: Vsonic's sound great. The Gr07BE is a masterpiece to this date and the VSD5 isn't far behind. However, they are not for relaxed listening as they are quite extended and HOT in the treble region.

Yes I did check out the Vsonic thread. It seems that they have released a new version for the VSD3S and VSD5S to address to QC issues of the old one. On picture they do look nice, but Vsonic does seems to be notorious for their QC issues so I'm still pretty skeptical. On the carbo tenores, my friend do have a pair, I like the sound but the build quality is not up to my standard.

 

[s4tch]

If we're talking about the same iem I'd recommend these jvc tips. They give me a good seal, especially if I wear them over ear. I also switched cables, the stock cable is nice, but the weight of the cable was making them fall out.

Also fyi the tips come in S(10mm) M(12mm) L(14mm).

where do you buy those?
 
btw i've heard from a local guy having a great arsenal of earphones that the best tips are the spiral dots. how do these compare to the sd tips?