[Singhisking2011]

Dude what customs do you have how do the and mhm miracle are not for me then I guess

 

[kckc]

I have the Heir Audio 8.A, UM Merlin, JHAudio JH5. You should also consider the 8.A in addition to the JH16, they both boast 8 drivers/side and have big bass. Between the 8.A and Merlin, the 8.A has more midbass, smoother treble and more a recessed midrange. The Merlin has a bigger soundstage (even though the 8.A is no slouch either, but the Merlin is vented with it's dynamic/BA driver hybrid design), deeper subbass, and more crisp highs.
 
Edit: I should also mention that Heir has the ownership transfer service which allows you to have a higher resell value if you don't like them. It means potential 2nd and 3rd owners can have their customs remolded and inspected by Heir themselves for only $70 compared to the $100-$200 remold service by other companies. 

 

[Singhisking2011]

what would your advice be i just got offered the ie80s for £190 shall i skip that and buy some customs if so which one would you recommend most of my music is either hip hop, bollywood or bhangra a bit of vocals as well like adele and lionel richie and some rock you have good knowledge and so do the other people on here so what do you people think thanks

 

[kckc]

Well, as I already mentioned I don't think universals are any match for customs and it is reflected in the price difference. I have no doubt that the IE80 is a top tier universal, but it is still a universal. If you have not yet tried many universals and are unsure of what kind of sound you prefer yet, I think you should go for the IE80 because if you don't like it you can always sell it for close to what you paid. For the top sound quality in in-ears though, you've got to go with customs. With customs, you have to be prepared to play the waiting game while they are being built and the extra costs for ear impressions and shipping. 
 
It's going to be hard to find someone with many customs are they are expensive, but Average_Joe has reviewed over 17 pairs in his thread. For the customs I have heard, I would highly recommend both the Merlin and 8.A as they are both excellent especially for hip hop. 

 

[Singhisking2011]

ah brill well i did have the ie8s loved them but then they got lost got the turbine tried to enjoy them but couldnt also had denon ahc 750 and bose in ear and shure se515.. what about the ue 18 pro or the jha16, miracle mate anything about them if not merlin could be the one is there much different between 8 drivers and 6 and so on ??
 
thanks

 

[Staal]

More drivers doesn't necessarily mean better sound.
 
You really should try to listen to some demo's, as it's hard for kckc to know exactly what you want.
 
I personally own the JH16, and I love them. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about them.

 

[kckc]

Quote:

More drivers doesn't necessarily mean better sound.
 
You really should try to listen to some demo's, as it's hard for kckc to know exactly what you want.
 
I personally own the JH16, and I love them. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about them.

That is very true. Don't think that more drivers= better sound. All these customs you are looking into have great sound quality, but people may not like them because they realize after they get them that it is not the sound they are looking for. That's just the risk you take with customs. At this point, it really comes down to preferences and bassed on your previous descriptions, I'd recommend the Merlin for you. I suggest you go through some threads and read about what people has had to say about them before making a decision if you decide to go the customs route.
 

 

[Singhisking2011]

Ah. Brilliant how do I get demos I live in the uk you say well either merlins, 8.a or jh16 got help from average joe

Thanks a lot guys

 

[kckc]

I'm not sure about the UK as I'm in Canada, but I know AmpCity is the dealer for UM over there. I don't believe there are any 8.A available for demo but you can always shoot John (the Wizard) at Heir Audio an email to ask. 

 

[shonik12]

Hi Guys,
 
Rather than start a new post I thought I'd just restart this one as my question is exactly the same, only I'm not looking to spend more than £250 - i.e. I don't want to spend more than the price of the IE80s. Would it be worth getting a £250 set of customs over the IE80s (even if the customs were only single drivers)? If so which ones would you recommend? I mainly listen to ambient/trance/techno/liquid DnB/liquid dubstep (not sure if anyone would have heard of MrSuicideSheep's youtube channel?), and also some rap, RnB, hiphop, although the last three to a much lesser extent. One last thing, I'm a bit of a basshead. Also if there are any other universals that you think may be better suited than customs or the IE80s in this price range to my music tastes, that would also be great!
 
Thanks!

 

[Staal]

If the £250 has to cover impressions, shipping the impressions, the CIEM itself and having it shipped back to you, then no.
 
Take the Heir Audio 3.A - which is supposedly a great entry-level CIEM - then you're looking at $50-70 for impressions, $350 for the CIEM, $55 for having it shipped back and whatever shipping the impressions would set you back. Let's say $20, which is low. That's around $485 or £300 - and I haven't even taken VAT into account yet.
 
You could look into the Starkey HF-2 which will set you back around $275 + taxes, but I don't think it'll be able to rival the bass of the IE80.

 

[shonik12]

Thanks for the reply. How about if the £250 didn't have to cover impressions, shipping etc? What would the total price be in that case? 

 

[Staal]

Well, in that price range I would look into the Heir Audio 3.A or 4.A depending on what sound signature you prefer. Those are supposed to be great "bang-for-the-buck" products, and Heir's promotional pricing is still running.

 

[shonik12]

Would you say the heirs are a huge upgrade over the IE80s, and really worth the extra £100 they would cost in shipping, obtaining moulds etc? 

 

[Staal]

Well as I've heard neither the 3.A/4.A nor the IE80 I cannot really comment.