Did I make a smart choice?. - ~$200 IEM with a lot of low end bass and clean loud High's
Jul 8, 2010 at 6:36 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 12

007E

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Hey guys my first post here. I have been lurking an awful lot here lately. I have read through countless threads, some containing more than a couple hundred posts. After all the reading I made an impulse buy and ordered the MTPG's from one call for about 200 (good price?). At the time it was very clear that these fit my tastes well but I have been reading more and more and I am now doubting my choice. There seems to be contradicting posts at times that make it difficult for me to really grasp the truth. I have not heard them  because I have not received them yet, they are due to arrive tomorrow.
 
I love my music with a lot of the deeper end bass with less (not without but less) of the mid bass or punchy sound but not muddy or overlapping. I like my highs crisp,clear and not (to) overpowered by the bass. Is there another set of IEM's that are in the same price range (not more) that fit this criteria? I will probably use these daily off of an ipod and perhaps while i work out.
 
TIA
 
 
 
I guess I will truly know if I made the right choice tomorrow.
 
BTW this forum is addicting, Originally came on here looking for cheap alternatives to Skullcandy's and I have now purchased the MTPG's. Now I'm considering buying a second pair and I haven't even received my first pair! I better hide my wallet.
 
Jul 8, 2010 at 7:57 PM Post #2 of 12
You can't really go wrong with the MTPG - like its hard to go wrong with any IEM around that price. From all the descriptions, they pretty much match your requirements. If they were IEMs that were around $200 dollars and still unsatisfying, then nobody would even discuss them here. It's all subjective after all - at a certain price point, it becomes a question of fine tuning to your musical preferences.
 
There of course will be other IEMs that are in your price range that may also meet your requirements, but take a little more from Column A and a little less from Column B. The ones I can think of in your price range are things like the DBA-02, the Radius DDM, the CK90Pro, and a few others I can't recall right at this moment. Considering you intend to use them in the gym, the Monsters might also be a good bet just because of their build quality.
 
Don't let the existence of other possibilities ruin the earphones that you have already bought though - that way lies dragons, and also constant purchases of new IEMs. Just use your first nice IEM for a while, decide what you do and don't like about it, and then start finding members with the same IEM and other options and ask about the differences. The contradicting opinions often come from the fact that very few people have heard all the options. ljokerl comes pretty close, which is why he font of knowledge and wisdom here - yet even he has not yet done a review of the Copper turbines or the DBA-02. (That might change?)
 
Yes it is addicting. Welcome to head-fi, sorry about your wallet :)
 
Jul 8, 2010 at 8:33 PM Post #3 of 12
The Monster IEM is certainly a good starting point.  Try it out and see what you think.  If you are happy, stay with it.  If you want something a little different, we can steer you to something else.
 
Jul 12, 2010 at 1:38 AM Post #4 of 12
OK. When I first got them it was a pain trying to find the right ear tip. Once i found one that would fit, My first impression was, "that's it!?" I was disappointed to say the least but I probably had high expectation for IEM's. I let them play all weekend (burn in?) and would put them on here and there, well I can say they started to grow on me. They reproduce most music very well. I especially found them to sound great with electro house music. Although I like much more bass I realized that these IEM's are actually pretty damn good quality. They do not distort when cranked up and reproduce the music beautifully and cleanly, highs mids and lows. Overall they're awesome but I wouldn't mind more bass but without sacrificing the clarity these Monsters have.
 
Jul 12, 2010 at 2:08 AM Post #5 of 12
If you don't have a solid seal, you will lose the deeper bass.
 
Break in can take some time with just normal listening.
 
Amping can be helpful for improving the control and dynamics of lower frequencies of most earphones.
 
In the end, the MTPG isn't really bass heavy.  It's well balanced and decently extended.  While it may not be the emphasis you originally sought, it isn't really lacking either.  Use them for a little while and decide if you still want something different.  If so, we can certainly point you in the right direction.
 
Jul 12, 2010 at 2:19 AM Post #6 of 12
I did get a good seal on them, although it took me some time i managed to get it. I would definitely have to agree with your statement, "It's well balanced and decently extended". That seems to fit accordingly to what I am hearing. Any thoughts on a pair that shows more shine in the highs and more bass? Although I wont be buying a new pair now its something too keep in mind for the future.
 
Thanks for the input.
 
EDIT: As I'm listening to them at this very moment I am noticing that some but not all of the problem may be in the quality of the song (file).
 
Jul 12, 2010 at 3:11 PM Post #9 of 12


Quote:
EDIT: As I'm listening to them at this very moment I am noticing that some but not all of the problem may be in the quality of the song (file).


It's very possible. I'd try ripping a few songs in ALAC (since you're using an iPod) and try to hear for any difference. Generally with higher quality earphones comes less forgiving sound.
 
Jul 12, 2010 at 8:55 PM Post #11 of 12
I do agree on the Triple.Fi 10 comment.  If you want some emphasis on bass and emphasis on treble, the Triple.Fi 10 is a very well balance and blended earphone with a mild V profile.  A good foam Comply T-500 tip can tame the top end down a little and make the fit a whole lot easier to work with as they can't be inserted deeply.  Tip choice is very important to being happy with fitment and seal.  The presentation is very "club" like in nature, enveloping and robust.  It's just plain fun to listen to.  Treble is one of the most extended and detailed out there, but it's a sweet type of treble that's just nice to listen to, even if exaggerated.  Bass is thick but clean (yay for BAs), and robust.  It doesn't dig supper deep without EQing, but it's enough not to desire more.  It does respond well to EQing though.  It rolls off at 50Hz kind of sharply, but it can do 30Hz fine (some simply lack capability regardless of EQing).  The pricing is good for the performance it offers.  It was outstanding last winter.  It does offer good bang for the buck, but some folks don't like the fitment issues.  I just suggest grabbing a S/M/L pack of Comply T-500 tips and making it easy.
 
The MTPG is a neat earphone.  From a general standpoint is a very good earphone.  It's well balanced.  It has a clean extended response on both ends.  Bass is well controlled and tidy.  Mids are smooth and natural.  Treble is smooth and subtle.  I can see why you might want a bit more treble emphasis, because that is a preferential shortcoming of the MTPG.  Treble is just kind of soft, and a good number of people would probably seek a little more edge and sparkle.
 
While you do seek more treble, I would like to suggest the Fischer Audio Eterna, mainly the v1.  It offers the bass aspect you're looking for with excellent emphasis and extension.  It's a looser bass than the MTPG which helps provide a fullness and body to the notes.  It reminds me a lot of what you would think of as a car audio setup with a sub in the trunk.  Now the Eterna doesn't really offer a lot different in terms of mids and treble.  It is again well balanced and with good extension, but it's still mild mannered.  They don't have the thickness and texture of note the Monster has, but there's better separation and sound stage to Eterna.  Outside of the IE8 and UM3X IEMs I haven't used another with as well extended of bass with the emphasis you would prefer.  The benefit to the Eterna is that it's quite cheap, so there isn't much harm in just trying it out.  The v2 is more balanced than the v1, but the few who have tried both do think the v1 has more fun factor to it and more pronounced bass.  I've EQed down the Eterna and flattened out the response, and they do lose some of that fun sense to them.  I can see why the v2 is perceived more mild mannered.  Should you just buy the v2 or try and find a v1?  I don't know.  It's not like they're vastly different from each other.  Since you do want bass emphasis, it might be desirable to find a v1 in the for sale section.
 
I may also lean you towards trying to find a used IE8 as well.  Because you do want bass emphasis, I do think you might really enjoy the IE8.  There's more edge and energy than the MTPG, and it sounds like that's what you seek.  The bass is well emphasized, but it seems you do want to be geared in that direction.  The mid and treble are well balanced like the MTPG, but the bass emphasis, while centered at 100Hz, does extend up to 1kHz which creates a warm presence.  The presentation is less smoothed, but with the bass gearing of the driver, the top end treble does start to smear in detail a little.  It still comes across crisp and extended, but it does become obvious that the driver just doesn't have the speed above 10kHz to articulate everything.  The actual extension is very good though.  My hearing ends around 15kHz-16kHz, but it does extend to that just fine.  The sound stage is massive, just a big sound.  It's one of the enduring traits of the IE8 and one of the most liked.  The only downside is everything is distanced.  Far away sounds are far away.  Close sounds are far away.  There's excellent separation, but layering is minimal due to the type of presentation.  It's like watching a concert in the grandstands.  Some other earphones put up a lot closer to the stage or some right on the stage.  Sometimes the presentation is preferred.  Sometimes it is not.  For a high end earphone of a similar value to the MTPG, it's certainly one I would suggest looking at.  Pricing has been pretty darn good with these earphones with an excellent sale every now and then.  Using pricing is very good too.  The Sennheiser and Shure earphones are a couple of the most what I'll call luxurious brands out there.  The fit and finish is just excellent.  There are a lot of fakes out there though, so there needs to be care when purchasing them.  The big give away is the S logo on the earphone.  The real is clean and tight in design.  The fakes are sloppier, more rounded, and with more gapping between the box lines going around the S.  This earphone needs to be broken in to get loosened up.  It will sound a little tight and constrained until done so.  It doesn't need an amp to sound good, but they LOVE wattage and will use it up if you have it.  They have a ton of output capability, and the bass cleanliness, control, and extension is some of the best.  A mild, very wide EQ cut at 100Hz with the bass knob all the way full will balance out the response perfection, and it will run you from 20Hz to 16kHz no problem.  While I do consider something like the Triple.Fi 10 a slightly better product, some will argue against this, the IE8 is more natural sounding and impressive out of the box.  Something like the Eterna is a great, cheap option that kind of mimics what the IE8 offers, so the Eterna is a great option itself, different but the same kind of gearing.  The IE8 just feels special though, and it does certain things amazingly well.
 
Jul 12, 2010 at 10:52 PM Post #12 of 12
mvw2
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Awesome post, THanks!
 
So I tried messing with all the eartips again and finally got the black foam set that came with the MTPG's to fit real good in my ear (only one other reg. silicone set fit my ear). I guess the trick, for me, was to smash the buds, put them in my ear and wait for them to expand as I held them in my ear. I'm definitely getting a little better bass response! I'll probably be looking into some of the earphones listed above in the next few months for more bass and highs. Does anybody know where I can get more of the black foam buds? What size are they?
 
Thanks for the responses guys they are greatly appreciated, I'm learning and catching on to a lot.
 

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