[Voltriant]

I've been interested in the a5000 too. Seems very good value

It is a very good value

Some time ago I did a comparison of the A5000 and the IE600 which I posted on the Watercooler thread.
There I concluded that for me the A5000 is very good for classical music.

After listening some hours on my new Final A5000 I compared it to the Sennheiser IE600. I'm using the IE600 with the Azla SednaEarfit Max tips and the stock cable. The IE600 is my current allrounder for listening. Out of my collection currently it has the longest listening time. The A5000 I'm using the stock Final E tips in black and the stock cable.



Disclaimer: I'm new to the hobby and currently learning to hear and to express my assessment in the right terminology And this is my first comparison of IEMs.

I compared the IEMs using the Fiio M11 Plus ESS (the DAP I own the longest time, set on mid gain) and the following tracks:

• In-Mood feat. Juliette - Childhood Dreams
  • IE600: nice female vocals more in the face or nearby, a little bit more musical for me, piano a little bit more in the background compared to A5000
  • A5000: balanced presentation of the music, bringing out nicely the violins and piano as well as the bass in a balanced way, piano more present compared to IE600, nice female vocals more out of head compared to IE600
  • Both: nice violins and bass presentation
• Die Fantastischen Vier - MFG
  • IE600: Better live feeling for me, better quality in bass, more controlled treble
  • A5000: a little bit too much in treble for me, brighter than IE600, better good and punchy bass, sometimes a little too much compare to IE600 which surprises me, more balanced presentation
  • Both: similar soundstage width
• Voyage - Paradise
  • IE600: great punchy bass/sub-bass and controlled treble, let's me just enjoy the music and dance
  • A5000: not that punchy bass/sub-bass, more controlled with better quality, more analytical listening with A5000, a little bit bright
• Nils Landgren Funk Unit - Funk is my religion
  • IE600: more musical presentation, nice trumpets and cymbals, trumpets better placed, male vocals more in front
  • A5000: emphasis on the highs/treble, nice cymbals, male vocals not in the head, a bit outside with a distance, I feel the trumpets are a little bit subdued
• Apocalyptica - Enter Sandman
  • IE600: a little bit of a presentation from a distance, sounds clean
  • A5000: brighter sound with more treble, more musical feeling being in the room, overall balanced presentation
• Alex Christensen & Berlin Orchestra - Rhythm is a dancer
  • IE600: little narrower soundstage than A5000, nice female vocals, feeling closer to the orchestra, good punchy bass, more musical presentation which lets me dance
  • A5000: good female vocals, wide soundstage, balanced presentation, good bass quality, less punchy than IE600, nice violins, lets the whole orchestra shine, feeling more distance to the orchestra
• Bon Jovi - Livin' on a prayer
  • IE600: good bass, nice male vocals, good treble, not too harsh, fun to listen to
  • A5000: brighter presentation - too bright for me, clearer treble compared to the IE600, less bass punch than IE600
• Münchner Symphoniker - Schumann - Symphonie No. 1
  • IE600: listen to the orchestra from row 1 in the concert hall, a little bit darker presentation compared to A5000
  • A5000: balanced presentation, wide stage and air, listen to the orchester from row 20 in the concert hall

My Summary
The IE600 is V shaped and I enjoy very much the sub bass and the treble of the IE600. I enjoy it more than A5000 with Jazz , EDM, Hip Hop, Rock, and 90s Dance Music.

The A5000 has a more balanced tuning with a better treble - I'm not sure if I can call this W shaped. Also the treble has more energy which sometimes can get harsh. In the bass region it is slightly reserved compared to the IE600, but for me the A5000 has a little more quality in the bass. On my ears the resolution and soundstage of both IEM are quite similar. I enjoy the A5000 with classical music, cinematic/movie music and pop music.

In conclusion there is a slight difference in the bass and the treble where I perceive A5000 being brighter than the IE600. Time will tell to which IEM I will reach most. Currently it's still the IE600 because of the quantity in bass and the feeling of "it lets me dance" for the genres mentioned above.


Edit: Inserted picture

 

[Luis Mad]

Here big classical music fan. Specially orquestral music: Brahms, Beethoven, Tchaicowski etc. To me the best iem for classical is the Etymotic Evo, incredible clarity and beautiful sound. Also the Etymotic ER4XR is pretty good but not as good imo as the Evo.

 

[Ohmboy]

If you’re serious about timbre and don’t need the sound isolation of an IEM then something like TGXear's Ripples Bud made and tuned by a classically trained musician might be worth a look

https://www.tgxear.com/

 

[andjar]

The Letshuoer S12 pro is an amazing planar IEM for under 200. Some say it's one of the best ones under 1000.
For classical(and not only) it almost ruined all my opened back dynamic headphones. It's that good !
It does need 10-12 hours for break-in. Don't judge it by the first audition.

I would also get a FiiO portable amp/dongle. The FA3 would be enough to make the S12 pro sound great .

And you would still have enough for some records and a Audio-Technica M50xBT2
for a quick turn-on , complimentary,non intrusive portable solution, which i think it's one of the very best Bluetooth HP for classical music... It gives amazing details even with the sbc codec. Gorgeous mid range, excellent treble and good enough bass treatment .Just the soundstage of this HP is kind of mediocre.

 

[jonmbarlow]

The Letshuoer S12 pro is an amazing planar IEM for under 200. Some say it's one of the best ones under 1000.
For classical(and not only) it almost ruined all my opened back dynamic headphones. It's that good !
It does need 10-12 hours for break-in. Don't judge it by the first audition.

I would also get a FiiO portable amp/dongle. The FA3 would be enough to make the S12 pro sound great .

And you would still have enough for some records and a Audio-Technica M50xBT2
for a quick turn-on , complimentary,non intrusive portable solution, which i think it's one of the very best Bluetooth HP for classical music... It gives amazing details even with the sbc codec. Gorgeous mid range, excellent treble and good enough bass treatment .Just the soundstage of this HP is kind of mediocre.

Literally just bought the S12 pro and pairing it with Cayin RU7…..sounds awesome so far