[SoulShocked123]

Hey, i started my audio enthusiast(enthusiast cause well i am no audiophile though i want to be in future ) adventure 3 months ago and i am really enjoy the fact that i am not fooled by markeeting thanks to this awesome forum and its people and i have decide to step up to Armature drivers.

To what i know armature drivers are better(than dynamic) in the mids and highs section and are not so good in the lows again in respect to dynamic drivers, but they cost alot more in contrast to dynamic drivers.
 
so let me get to the point, i want to buy a pair of armature drivers IEMs so what would be a good choice, i already have a great DAC and AMP so other accessories wont be needed. my budget is 200usd but i am willing to go to 250usd.
 
Some choices my friend (who works in an audio shop) recommended the Westone UM1 hows are they and are there any better choices thats in my buget.
 
Thanks alot

 

[n3wdisea5e]

custom acrylic molds make all the dif my first balanced armature set was ultimate ears super fi 3s i thought they were amazing single drivers till i bucked up and spent 200 on custiom alien ears c1000s there going on three years strong the custom mold makes universals sound like muck. im currently waiting on my alien ears quad drivers

 

[soundstige]

Are you in the USA? If so, pick up a distressed packaging Etymotic HF3 from Amazon.com for under $70. It's the best single-armature (and better than most dual-armatures) headphone you'll get anywhere for under $150.

 

[SoulShocked123]

No. sadly i live in italy so yea kinda cut off from great brands at great prices

 

[SoulShocked123]

I think i might get the Shure SE215 seen alot of good reviews and i am kinda of a bass head but thing is i like my lows not to bleed into the mid range so should i go with the Shure SE215 or try my luck with the monster turbines pro gold (my friend is selling at around the same price) i prefer clarity over bass

 

[Fimbulvetr]

I wouldn't go as to say armatures are always better than dynamics in mid/highs and always worse in bass. For example, my Sony EX 1000 pretty much destroys my (triple balance armature) Triple Fi 10 across the frequency spectrum and I prefer the EX 1000 over the Westone 4. 
 
I'll agree than the HF3 is pretty nice but has very little bass quantity. I've heard good things about the GR07 and W2s though. Also heard that that the Sony EX 600 is pretty close to the 1000 and would probably be in your price range.
 
From what I've heard (and my very brief impression), the Monster Pro Golds are not what you're looking for. Haven't heard the SE215 either but I don't think they're that great in terms of clarity. 
 
Edit:  I'd just get some triple fi 10s if you like bass; be prepared to get a custom replacement cable at some point though. 

 

[Disconnekt]

If you just want to sample a dual armature earphone to see if you like how they sound without spending too much, the previous generation Apple In-Ears (MA850G/B) can be had new on eBay for ~$30 US.  It's no Etymotic, but its high end is surprisingly smooth and well-extended, and it's as quick, precise, and detailed as you'd expect an armature to be.  The biggest downside is distortion around 3 kHz if you turn it up really loud, but I'm quite happy with mine.

 

[xaddictionx]

For start up I would suggest taking a look at the Triple Fi 10. It's a renowned entry level audiophile IEM that is really great for it's price. It features 3 BA drivers with 2 way crossover.

Sound wise it's more to a V shape sound signature with emphasis on lows and highs. It's soundstage is pretty large as well. Once a dynamic driver fan and bass head, I crossed over from the Hippo VB to TF10. But I wasn't disappointed with the bass of TF10. Clearly the sub bass doesn't rumble like the VBs but it's still abundant and pretty tight. Treble is energized making instruments sound "alive". The only downside is the slightly recessed mids and also some people have reported fit issues.

However, at it's price point, it's pretty much unbeatable.

 

[Zelda]

rock it sounds R-50 or Brainwavz B2

 

[bhima]

Rock-It R-50 for great analytical sound
TDK BA200 for a warmer sound

 

[Pianist]

In that price range, Etymotic ER4 P/S are the best IEMs I tired overall. They may lack some bass for many people, but the bass quality is unmatched by any other IEM I heard and the mids and highs are pretty much as clear and detailed as they can get for a headphone at anywhere near that price.

 

[cloudycloud]

Quote:

In that price range, Etymotic ER4 P/S are the best IEMs I tired overall. They may lack some bass for many people, but the bass quality is unmatched by any other IEM I heard and the mids and highs are pretty much as clear and detailed as they can get for a headphone at anywhere near that price.

This may be a dumb question, but is the ER4 P/S and ER4 P the same thing?  Is this the IEM you are talking about > http://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-ER-4P-Portable-In-Ear-Earphones/dp/B0007WZLDC

 

[Pianist]

Quote:

This may be a dumb question, but is the ER4 P/S and ER4 P the same thing?  Is this the IEM you are talking about > http://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-ER-4P-Portable-In-Ear-Earphones/dp/B0007WZLDC

 
The one in the link is ER4P - low impedance, easy to drive version of the ER4 for use with weak sources like most portable players and onboard soundcards. Then there's the higher impedance, harder to drive ER4S, which has a somewhat higher quality sound, but also requires a more powerful source to sound its best. You can successfully combine both P and S versions of the ER4 by using the ER4P with a 75 Ohm adapter, like this one, that turns it into the ER4S. Note, that you can only convert the P version to S and not vice versa. Also, some believe that the original ER4S sounds better than ER4P + resistor, due to the extra resistor with the latter introducing some distortions to the sound. I am not sure whether this is true or not, but I can tell you that, to my ears, the ER4P + the resistor still sounds quite a bit better than ER4P and personally I don't hear any distortions. Some people also prefer the sound of the P over the S, due to the former having a somewhat thicker, more upfront sound with more bass. So you should really try both and decide for yourself which one you like better.

 

[SoulShocked123]

Thx for all your help but i have decide to save up and buy custom IEM's. So how do i get Custom IEM exactly i read that you need to make an impression of your ear is that really expensive and are there any other thing required?

 

[Fimbulvetr]

I'd really like to persuade you not to buy custom IEMs right away.You're kind of stuck with your custom if you dont like how it sounds or if you dont like how customs feel. In addition, if you haven't tried universals, how do you know what you're looking for in sound signature, soundstage, decay, and imaging? 
 
If you must go customs, impressions don't seem expensive from what I've read. Impressions should be it for ordering customs. From what little I've read about customs, the 1964-V3 or quads may be what you're looking for since you like bass.