[mpgolfpro]

Ive been lurking around here for awhile but thought now would be a good time for me to jump in and get involved.  Im relatively new to higher end audio so hopefully I can get some advice from some more experienced people around here.
 
Im looking at getting a set of custom IEM's.  Particularly been looking at the JH-5 Pros and the UE 4 Pros.  Im open to the suggestion of other customs under $500 but those are the 2 sets I see talked about here most.  Since you aren't able to test customs Im a little leary about finally pulling the trigger and buying a set, since they cost so much and I can't afford the high end customs.
 
Up to this point, my best pair of headphones are a pair of Sennheiser HD280 Pros.  My other headphones are low end stuff like skull candy.
 
Im wondering if anyone can give me an idea of what I would expect out of the custom IEMs vs my HD280s.  I really want to get a pair of customs but I dont want to buy the low end ones and then have them be worse than my HD280 and then never use the customs.
 
Any help and advice would be great.  Thanks.

 

[albertnam]

There's some contention over this point but the general consensus seems to be that even an entry-level custom (like the JH5) will deliver better performance than any top-tier universal IEM. That should give you some perspective, but obviously the final choice is yours.
 
As for the comparison to full-size cans, the only real comparisons seem to be between full-size cans and high-end customs, where it is said that the performance of JH16s and UE18s compares favorably to or even exceeds that of high-end cans. 

 

[Fimbulvetr]

Really you see the UE4 talked about a lot here? IMO the 1964 ears triples seem the most popular and highly rated in their price range. (400$). I doubt the HD280 will compare to entry level customs; I tried the HD280 briefly and it wasn't even that impressive compared to my klipsch image s4, which is quite mediocre. 
 
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/519457/1964-ears-the-appreciation-thread this includes links to several detailed reviews of the 1964T  

 

[mpgolfpro]

Wow, thanks for the suggestion on the 1964 Triples.  I guess I hadn't read around enough to stumble upon those.  They look really solid and actually have me wondering why someone would spend almost double for a similar product from another company (JH or UE).  The reviews look really good for 1964 so I might seriously consider those.  Im guessing the 1964's are priced lower because they are a lesser known company?  The build quality looks fantastic so Im not too worried about the brand name.  If they perform, they perform.
 
Thanks again.

 

[Majin]

this might help
 
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/541494/custom-iem-resource-thread-summary-reviews-info-custom-iem-manufacturers

 

[TheAwesomesauceShow]

What about buying a used Ultimate Ears Triple fi 10 then have Fisher Hearing do a re-mold.  It might come out cheaper than your budget.  used TF10 = $100-150 and Fisher Hearing re-mold $90 that comes to $190-240.  Heck, you can buy a new TF10 from amazon for $190 + $90(re-mold) and still be under budget.

 

[albertnam]

Quote:

What about buying a used Ultimate Ears Triple fi 10 then have Fisher Hearing do a re-mold.  It might come out cheaper than your budget.  used TF10 = $100-150 and Fisher Hearing re-mold $90 that comes to $190-240.  Heck, you can buy a new TF10 from amazon for $190 + $90(re-mold) and still be under budget.

 
If the OP has already committed to stepping into the world of actual customs, then that's probably the way to go. The sound quality and cohesiveness will not be there with simply a remold.