[Zaied]

Hey all!

Before I say anything I want to say I've read this forum to death about IEMs. After doing a lot of research I thought the ER6is would be a great fit for me since what was highlighted by most of you was the neutral sound signature and clarity but as soon as I popped them in and got a good seal I felt like the ER6is were a little to obright, the mids and highs a little to harsh for my ears, being driven by an iPod unamped. The lack of bass left me feeling quite unfufilled.I own a pair of PX100s and I like extended bass and how smooth and relaxed they are even if they do veil the highs a little, I find the sound signature to be non fatiguing.

In short im looking for some IEMS or Canal phones that are smooth and a little more rich. Extended bass would be a plus but the phones should be able to responsd to EQ adjustements. I like my bass but not bloated or subduing. They dont necessarily have to sound like PX100s, but ive found most IEMs are not very relaxing to listen to. After doing a lot of reading the im716s are supposed to be a good deal and they have some kind of bass mode which had me pulling out my wallet but some of you have also mentioned they they tend to lack in bass. is this true for an unamped ipod when these IEMs are in bass mode? I thought about orderings some d-Jays but they arent even out yet.

The most I am willing to spend is about $120 or so.

Thanks guys
-Zaied

 

[jon_m]

sennheisser cx300 have a warm sound, not harsh, and treble's a bit rolled-off compared to the etys. Isolation not so good as the etys, and don't 'stick' nearly as firmly in (my) ears, though. Not sure how they respond to EQ...

Oh yeah, cheap too

 

[azncookiecutter]

If you're lucky, you might be able to grab a pair of used E4Cs at that price, since everyone is getting E500 fever. They're pretty smooth.

 

[donunus]

yup cx300 for the low end and e500 for the high end are the smooth contenders. hehehe the ety style seems like its not for you and the altec is basically an ety clone

 

[Zaied]

As far as intensity goes, how would you compare the bass to the PX100? About the same amount?

 

[ckhirnigs113]

If you want smooth, then I can say that Westone UM2's are the ticket. They respond quite well to EQ. I have a 4G iPod and I use Treble Boost to bring out the highs and I am very satisfied.

I owned the ER6i's a while back and I can say the UM2's are much smoother and fuller sounding. I would definately take UM2's sound over the Ety sound anyday, but again this is just my opinion. -CK

 

[honda]

Hi Zaied,

I agree with everyone else. CX300 and UM2 are both very smooth compared to your ER-6i. Completely different price ranges but both are smooth. Although for people like me that grew to love the Etymotic clarity and detail, the CX300 and UM2 are warm, smooth, but lacking in the upper end. I don't mind at all in the case of the CX300, because of its price. But I find it unforgivable on the UM2.

Rather than making a decision now though, I recommend you spend about 2 months listening to the ER-6i. They will grow on you. Your ears will adjust to the sound and they will start sounding less sharp and edgy, and become more bright and detailed. The bass will start to come in, although not powerfully, but punchy, fast, and accurate. You will hear the low notes very clearly, probably much lower than you have ever heard before at this level of clarity, but you won't feel it reverberate throughout your body. Not until this point will you see what everyone is raving about with the Etymotic sound. Some people get there faster than others but it took me quite a while because I put them away and gave up on them for a few months before I revisted them and realized that at the beginning I was just not used to them yet. Balanced armature drivers sound very different from the more common dynamic drivers, so it takes a little bit of listening for your ears to adjust to them. I think it is worth the effort though. Also, new earphones need some time to burn in too. They get smoother over time. Happy listening!

 

[kugino]

honda and i have already discussed the UM2s and we're pretty much in agreement about its lack of a good high end. it's not that there isn't a good high end, rather that it's concealed. i don't want to have to EQ my music to bypass faults and my problem with the UM2 is that its bass simply overpowers everything else. it's a tight bass and i guess one could call it smooth, but it's still overwhelming.

what about the UM1? it's in your price range and the bass is bigger than on the etys.

 

[dave al'orange]

Quote:

Originally Posted by honda Rather than making a decision now though, I recommend you spend about 2 months listening to the ER-6i. They will grow on you. Your ears will adjust to the sound and they will start sounding less sharp and edgy, and become more bright and detailed. The bass will start to come in, although not powerfully, but punchy, fast, and accurate. You will hear the low notes very clearly, probably much lower than you have ever heard before at this level of clarity, but you won't feel it reverberate throughout your body. Not until this point will you see what everyone is raving about with the Etymotic sound.

Absolutely seconded. Learning to appeciate ER6is will deepen your appreciation for the listening experience, and help you learn what you truly are and are not looking for. The ER6is are, as nearly as I can tell, dead-accurate in terms of being true to the source without any embellishment. When I got mine, I struggled to enjoy them and went through a period of buyer's-remorse, but ultimately developed a real appreciation for what they had to offer. I ended up selling them eventually, but it was well worth spending enough time with them to understand what they were all about, imo.

 

[wirbeltier]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kugino what about the UM1? it's in your price range and the bass is bigger than on the etys.

...would second here. It is also in his price range and must be much more comfy than the etys

 

[Fatality_]

Hmm? Aren't CX300s sibilant? I've read that they are more sibilant than EP630s? Wouldn't call them 'smooth' if thats the case

 

[FIJI]

i find my e4's to be pretty smooth. haven't really heard many other IEM's besides a sony model.

 

[Wil]

I would say the E4.

Having owned the E2c and Etymotics ER4s, i would say the E4c is the smoothest . It sounds good unamped as well, and has a nice tight bass.

Highly recommended. Very fun sounding with all genres of music as well.