[jeejack]

Fiio Q3 can drive 400,500,600ohm. Balanced output plus gain switch "on" , will give them more than enough power and they will shine. Anyway
... with 130ohm Bery you certainly won't go wrong. 64ohm Ti has two versions: Full Ti coat and composite (PU+Ti). Full Ti required serious tuning to sound right but it's not better than 130ohm Bery. I don't have any DIY 150ohm 15.4mm, only PK1 150ohm "red film" and some branded buds

Thank you ! I will buy 130ohm Bery. Any recomandation from you guys?

 

[furyossa]

Thank you ! I will buy 130ohm Bery. Any recomandation from you ?

Recomandation for what? I love to use and experiment with different shells and for high impendance drivers I mostly use metal shells for many reasons: looks, fit and comfort, over-ear wearing, non-resonant, mmcx etc. I suggest medium cavity-size shell (in my "inventory" you can find #1, #2, #3 examples for 130ohm driver) which has similar inner volume size like MX500

 

[Themilkman46290]

Thank you ! I will buy 130ohm Bery. Any recomandation from you guys?

If you want to try clean mids and sweet highs, try the 68ohm
If you want to try some crazy rumbly, worldshaking sub bass, tri the 64ohm composite ti
But you won't go wrong with 130ohm, there one of my favorites

 

[jeejack]

If you want to try clean mids and sweet highs, try the 68ohm
If you want to try some crazy rumbly, worldshaking sub bass, tri the 64ohm composite ti
But you won't go wrong with 130ohm, there one of my favorites

Got it ! I will ask for help to tuning them ! Thank you!

 

[furyossa]

If you want to try clean mids and sweet highs, try the 68ohm
If you want to try some crazy rumbly, worldshaking sub bass, tri the 64ohm composite ti
But you won't go wrong with 130ohm, there one of my favorites

They could have advertised this driver a little better, in their style: The strongest 6-pack ever! aka "Lady killer"
Edit: Use it with transparent shells to impress ladies!!!
@Themilkman46290 knows what I'm talking about

 

[furyossa]

I use EVA foam for my coupler to reduce resonance from a plastic tube. EVA foam is like human skin, it's soft and act like absorber.
I noticed that by reducing the internal volume, it has a lot of effect on the final measurement. Also, we need to use "lightly" seal, as close as possible to the natural way of wearing earbuds.
The average length of the ear canal is around 25mm and the diameter is around 7mm. Now what is also important?
The section of the ear canal has an elliptical shape and not circular like an ordinary tube. The second and perhaps most important thing is that the ear canal is curved in length and changes its diameter.
This is my analysis and re-design tor iMM6 DIY coupler

This is the current version #3.
#4 will be curved model

iMM-6 coupler: re-design #4
This little experiment shows how much the curvature of the ear canal affects the change of frequency response relative to the standard cylindrical coupler

(1.) This coupler has an organic shape and tries to mimic the ear canal. I sculpt it using polymer clay. This material is very reminiscent of Blu-Tack and after baking it becomes very firm and slightly elastic.
I use this image as reference for my coupler

(2.) The earbud holds nicely in it but due to the uneven surface, the sealing is not ideal as is the case when the earbud is placed in the ear.
This is the difference between measurement for standard cylindrical (#3) and ear canal coupler (#4). I use ShoonTH ESEP-01BL buds for testing.

(3.) Unlike IEM's, which have a direct ear canal flow (the front sound wave goes directly in the ear canal), earbuds due to their size at a normal ear size have an average of 30-60% direct ear canal flow. The image below shows the orientation of the earbud (a.) if the earbud is placed at this angle then direct ear canal flow is less than 50%
(b.) if the bug is placed at this angle (ear canal direction) then direct ear canal flow is more than 50%.

In both cases, a certain part of the ear blocks the direct sound wave. To achieve similar conditions I inserted a small piece of EVA foam that
slightly crosses the canal entrance. What I noticed is: if I cover the opening at the canal entrance more, the peak that is now at 7.2K moves to the left (6.9-7.0K) and by opening the whole entrance than the peak shifts to the right at 7.7-7.8K.
I will test this setup a bit more with different buds. Also, I plan to create compensation files to check if measurements with this coupler are correct.
If all this goes well, probably 3D print will be the final version

 

[The3DCie]

iMM-6 coupler: re-design #4
This little experiment shows how much the curvature of the ear canal affects the change of frequency response relative to the standard cylindrical coupler


(1.) This coupler has an organic shape and tries to mimic the ear canal. I sculpt it using polymer clay. This material is very reminiscent of Blu-Tack and after baking it becomes very firm and slightly elastic.
I use this image as reference for my coupler


(2.) The earbud holds nicely in it but due to the uneven surface, the sealing is not ideal as is the case when the earbud is placed in the ear.
This is the difference between measurement for standard cylindrical (#3) and ear canal coupler (#4). I use ShoonTH ESEP-01BL buds for testing.


(3.) Unlike IEM's, which have a direct ear canal flow (the front sound wave goes directly in the ear canal), earbuds due to their size at a normal ear size have an average of 30-60% direct ear canal flow. The image below shows the orientation of the earbud (a.) if the earbud is placed at this angle then direct ear canal flow is less than 50%
(b.) if the bug is placed at this angle (ear canal direction) then direct ear canal flow is more than 50%.


In both cases, a certain part of the ear blocks the direct sound wave. To achieve similar conditions I inserted a small piece of EVA foam that
slightly crosses the canal entrance. What I noticed is: if I cover the opening at the canal entrance more, the peak that is now at 7.2K moves to the left (6.9-7.0K) and by opening the whole entrance than the peak shifts to the right at 7.7-7.8K.
I will test this setup a bit more with different buds. Also, I plan to create compensation files to check if measurements with this coupler are correct.
If all this goes well, probably 3D print will be the final version

Great post @furyossa !

The only thing is that the first photo is of MEMT T5, which is Earpods like (semi in-ear? ) and the sound flow is in fact directed to the ear canal and not he other way like your image shows.

 

[usergate]

If you want to try clean mids and sweet highs, try the 68ohm

Wrap them up, I'll take them to go.

If you don't plan to spend slot of time tuning, I would recommend it very much over the 400ohm but if you are willing to tinker with it for a while, and plan on tuning it and modifying the shells then I would recommend the 400ohm.

I want to buy something with high impedance. A little confused by the frequency response graph for 400 Ohm:

500 Ohm:

I love clean and airy high frequencies. I miss them in Smabat 10s gold. How about them at 400 ohms, 500 ohms? Or other drivers? Thank you.

 

[assassin10000]

Wrap them up, I'll take them to go.

I want to buy something with high impedance. A little confused by the frequency response graph for 400 Ohm:

500 Ohm:

I love clean and airy high frequencies. I miss them in Smabat 10s gold. How about them at 400 ohms, 500 ohms? Or other drivers? Thank you.

Going by the graphs the 500ohm have more treble.


When looking at MFG graphs like this, it appears they place the driver in a sealed tube with the microphone. That is why the bass is basically a shelf that rolls downwards into the upper mids/treble if you are used to looking at IEM graphs.

 

[furyossa]

Great post @furyossa !

The only thing is that the first photo is of MEMT T5, which is Earpods like (semi in-ear? ) and the sound flow is in fact directed to the ear canal and not he other way like your image shows.

I honestly didn’t know MEMT T5 was using AirPods cover. Here I just wanted to show the orientation of the shell in the ear and classic Mx500 "like" cover

 

[The3DCie]

I honestly didn’t know MEMT T5 was using AirPods cover. Here I just wanted to show the orientation of the shell in the ear and classic Mx500 "like" cover

I know it wasn't intentional and for the purpose of your demonstration this photo is telling a lot, so no worries!
It was just to mention that they are indeed Earpods like, that's why it looks weirdly directed on that particular photo!
The fact that I'm using foams with them doesn't help to see the bud itself...

 

[furyossa]

I know it wasn't intentional and for the purpose of your demonstration this photo is telling a lot, so no worries!
It was just to mention that they are indeed Earpods like, that's why it looks weirdly directed on that particular photo!
The fact that I'm using foams with them doesn't help to see the bud itself...

You trick me for sure Honestly I’m not a fan of AirPods style of front cover. I use only "flat head" or "nozzle" style buds

 

[usergate]

The cheapest 130-bery? https://aliexpress.com/item/4000051991677.html

 

[Themilkman46290]

Wrap them up, I'll take them to go.

I want to buy something with high impedance. A little confused by the frequency response graph for 400 Ohm:

500 Ohm:

I love clean and airy high frequencies. I miss them in Smabat 10s gold. How about them at 400 ohms, 500 ohms? Or other drivers? Thank you.

So far, for me, the 500 are good but polite (not so rolled off like the 600ohm) the 400 are good but not the best in the highs against the 130ohm

If you need the highs, I would g
Say the 130ohm, then the 500ohm, then the 400

But the 68ohm is a pretty good contender, haven't got it tuned yet but it's focus is in the high and mids
So for mids I would say the best are between the 600ohm and the 68ohm

For highs, 130ohm

Overall I still feel the 400ohm is best

64ohm ti composite and 400ohm are the sub bass monsters

 

[jeejack]

Witch one you chose between 64 ohm and 400 ohm ?