[tucker71]

I always wear both earpieces. Always.

I've never even experimented with wearing only one.

I send a full DRY mix to my ears. All the vox are piped in at the same volume. Many singers like to have their own voice a little louder. Not me. I like an even blend.
I also add: Kick drum, my bass, sequences and backing tracks, & guitars.

No audience. No effects.

 

[solvexyz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tucker71 I always wear both earpieces. Always. I've never even experimented with wearing only one. I send a full DRY mix to my ears. All the vox are piped in at the same volume. Many singers like to have their own voice a little louder. Not me. I like an even blend. I also add: Kick drum, my bass, sequences and backing tracks, & guitars. No audience. No effects.

It is very interesting read.

thanks.

 

[PiccoloNamek]

Quote:

but, would they be able to handle a full-on live mix every night??

Of course they would. Hundreds, if not thousands, of musicians use the UE-10 Pros for that very purpose.

Quote:

It should be stated that I have a (somewhat severe) sensitivity to treble freqs. I always find them piercing. In fact. In my entire life, I have NEVER boosted the treble on anything. Ever. I find it too painful.

Weirdo.

...

I wonder how the detail and treble extension are compared with the ER-4Ss.

 

[tucker71]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PiccoloNamek Of course they would. Hundreds, if not thousands, of musicians use the UE-10 Pros for that very purpose. .

My thinking was....I didn't want a Lamborghini, I wanted a Ford Truck.

In my opinion, there was a risk that the Ue10's would be a bit too "boutique".

 

[vii_haven]

what is that huge white dot thing on the futuresonics? is it some sort of audio filter? how does the futuresonics custom compare to the westone ES2?

 

[vii_haven]

no one?

 

[tucker71]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vii_haven what is that huge white dot thing on the futuresonics? is it some sort of audio filter? how does the futuresonics custom compare to the westone ES2?

The "dot thing" is what FS refers to as a "LFV" (low freq vent).
Those little LFV plugs are made out of a soft rubbery material.

They are removable and, FS provides you with 4 pairs. One pair is totally sealed (no opening) the other pairs have openings that get larger and larger.

LARGER OPENING = BIGGER BASS.



Something about the design of this IEM absolutely NEEDS to have an opening behind the driver. In other words....you will be VERY unhappy with the bass response if you choose to use the totally sealed LFV.

I use the LFV's with the medium sized hole.



There is a white cotton baffle thingie inside the earpiece and THAT is why these IEMS appear white. The actual earpieces really are clear. The white baffle is revealed so, yeah, in essence, the earpiece looks white.



I have not heard the Westones so, I can't comment.


However, I HAVE heard the Super.fi EB's and I think these custom FS's are waaaay better. More balanced. Less harsh. Punchy bass.

There is a chance that the UE Hybrids are better than my custom FS's but, in the end...I decided that I didn't need THAT much sizzle. The added armature for mids and highs might've been too much for me.

 

[Packgrog]

Hey, tucker. Thanks for the nicely informative review!

I assume that you use the EM3 for running now, correct? I suspect it would be much better with regards to preventing wind noise (I don't have issues like that when walking through Manhattan with my EM3).

I suspect the filter port serves the same function as the casing of the EM3 and the portion of the ear canal that the EM3 DOESN'T fill with regards to bass reproduction. I have always had the suspicion that they use that extra area for acoustics, providing more room for lower-frequency vibrations. Since it looks like the Ear Monitors fill more of the ear canal (I could be wrong), and they definitely don't seem to have room in the custom plugs themselves for a reverberation chamber, the port being needed for providing an increased "chamber" makes sense. Think about the holes in acoustic string instruments. Makes sense to me!

I may have to avoid the Ear Monitors, though, even if I do wind up with enough money to be able to afford them. I listen to music on the go, so that wind noise would be annoying during my commute. That said, that's only when I'm walking to and from the train, so maybe it wouldn't be as extreme an issue as I think... How's the sound isolation when no audio is playing? I use my EM3 as regular earplugs on the train so that I can sleep through chatty people next to me. Heheh.

By the way, did you ever get and try the Softer Wear sleeves for the EM3 prior to getting the Ear Monitors? I've been curious about those for a while, but I'm not sure if they'd be as comfortable for long-term use. I HATED the rubber tips on my Etymotics ER-6, so I'm not sure how any rubber/silicone in my ear would feel after an hour, even custom fit to my ear canal.

Thanks again for the review! Nice to read!

-Packgrog

 

[IPodPJ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JLai /img/forum/go_quote.gif Haha...this is awesome: "When you reach platinum, you can wear platinum." Bling Bling. http://www.futuresonics.com/earmonit....html#platinum

Yeah, I commented on that before, too. I think it's a joke. Obviously they feel the need to appeal to rap stars or the sort that would be impressed with jewelry on their IEMs. I have not heard them, so I can't comment on their SQ, but it sounds to me like they are more concerned with appearance than SQ. Getting a color or even a custom logo is one thing, but this is just ridiculous. Stupid s**t, IMO. Ah, well, I guess it's all the same though -- a logo, or jewelry... matter of preference really. Who am I to say anything.

I'm sure they sound great.... with or WITHOUT the "bling bling".

 

[PiccoloNamek]

I just went back to the website and read this:

Quote:

Why is this better? Because most other brands still use armature (hearing aid-type) drivers that cannot effectively reproduce frequencies below 100hz.

Since when were armatures bad at producing low bass frequencies? My ER4s can produce a 20hz tone, no problem. My E4Gs could as well.

 

[Packgrog]

You're missing the key word "effectively". Etymotics have wimpy bass. They may be closer to reference, but not to the genuine feel of live music. tucker71's original description for why he chose the Future Sonics over the UE10 pretty much sums it up. The bass response feels mure natural on the Future Sonics. They were designed for live performance rather than studio reference.

That said, Bitches Brew sounds *****ing amazing on these things.

 

[PiccoloNamek]

The ER4s only have exactly as much bass as the recording itself. That's what it means to have a flat bass response. That is what they were designed for. Anyway, that is totally irrelevant. I'm defending armature-based drivers in general. I only used the ER4 as an example because that is what I have. But I have owned others, (The super.fi 5 Pro and the E4G) and all had no trouble at all producing very deep bass frequencies. Futuresonics claims that armature-based drivers (which means virtually all IEMS) cannot effectively produce bass frequencies below 100hz, and I'm calling BS on that claim. If anything, balanced armature drivers are very effective at producing deep bass frequencies.

 

[Packgrog]

Well, my first "real" IEM was the ER-6, and the bass was non-existant. Well, bass was produced, but without any real impact or warmth. Perhaps this is due to not being amped enough, perhaps it's due to a lack of effective acoustics in the device and ear, or perhaps it really is due to the electronics itself. But I found the Etys to be incredibly flat and lifeless with lower wavelengths.

I think you'd need to try both to understand the difference. Some people (myself included on first listen) have complained that Future Sonics can almost have too much bass. There is a subtle but distinct difference between them, though. The Etys may be able to produce the wavelength, but they do so without the full impact. I do have a feeling that my EM3s have settled down with age (burn-in) and are more detailed with more controlled bass, rather than simply bass overload.

I will, of course, try my Etys again once I get an amp (I dropped my name on the Tomahawk waiting list, so here's hoping), but I'd be willing to bet that even after burn-in, the Etys won't be able to touch the bass reproduction of the Future Sonics.

All that being said, the Etys definitely are more detailed. They're just kind of sterile. They're probably better for reference, but not as effective for creating a warm listening environment. At least from my (admittedly limited) experience. To each their own, though!

 

[tstarn06]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Packgrog /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hey, tucker. Thanks for the nicely informative review! I assume that you use the EM3 for running now, correct? I suspect it would be much better with regards to preventing wind noise (I don't have issues like that when walking through Manhattan with my EM3). I suspect the filter port serves the same function as the casing of the EM3 and the portion of the ear canal that the EM3 DOESN'T fill with regards to bass reproduction. I have always had the suspicion that they use that extra area for acoustics, providing more room for lower-frequency vibrations. Since it looks like the Ear Monitors fill more of the ear canal (I could be wrong), and they definitely don't seem to have room in the custom plugs themselves for a reverberation chamber, the port being needed for providing an increased "chamber" makes sense. Think about the holes in acoustic string instruments. Makes sense to me! I may have to avoid the Ear Monitors, though, even if I do wind up with enough money to be able to afford them. I listen to music on the go, so that wind noise would be annoying during my commute. That said, that's only when I'm walking to and from the train, so maybe it wouldn't be as extreme an issue as I think... How's the sound isolation when no audio is playing? I use my EM3 as regular earplugs on the train so that I can sleep through chatty people next to me. Heheh. By the way, did you ever get and try the Softer Wear sleeves for the EM3 prior to getting the Ear Monitors? I've been curious about those for a while, but I'm not sure if they'd be as comfortable for long-term use. I HATED the rubber tips on my Etymotics ER-6, so I'm not sure how any rubber/silicone in my ear would feel after an hour, even custom fit to my ear canal. Thanks again for the review! Nice to read! -Packgrog

FYI, I have the EM3s with the soft custom sleeves (sleeves wound up costing $185 with the trip to the audiologist), and I have to say, I abandoned them about 10 mos. ago. Just don't like the muddy sound of the EM3s. Maybe I need to mess with EQ more, but I found them lacking compared to ER6is, WM1s, on the highs (and like the WM1s the most of those two IEMs). The custom sleeves are great, don't get me wrong. And the rubber material is not a problem for me. But I just wish I could use them with other IEMs (I tried them with my UM1s, but not a match). Also, if you break, lose or otherwise can't listen with the EM3s, what do you do with the sleeves? It seemed like a good idea at the time.

I have been through several pairs of IEMs in the meantime, and just ordered a pair of ER4Ps as well as a pair of V-Moda Vibes (for use at the poker table in AC). I sold my ER6i IEMs to fund a little part of the ER4 purchase.

I guess it's as you say, different strokes for different folks. But I won't part with my EM3s. Hard to sell a $99 set of IEMs that have $135 sleeves.

 

[Jelle Schrijver]

@ tucker71

Hoping this threads still reaches him after 2 years:
Thanks for the great info! Is you're FS the one with the MG4+ driver? Or is it the older model (multi balanced armuture)? It was fun to read that the bass could be customised with the bassports. Didn't know that (how could I

).

About the windnoise. How about using a little silicon to add a small rim to the front of the port so the wind does not blow straight over anymore. Ore use a piece of cloth/stocking/old earbud cover to wrap around the top of the port (and putting it back in place again holding the fabric in place).

I am also a bassplayer with a IEM love, but haven't fond the right one yet. Still have to make the decision between the FS and the ohrundmore.de swing. Also have a look over here about the things i found enhancing the IEM experience. Hope it could be of use.