[vapman]

I hope the kicker is a little better on the treble than the 2.5? I'm by no means a brightness fan but it's the only IEM i have ever switched on the treble boost on my Arrow 5TX with.
 
One day I'll get the damn KL REF and have better bass than any other IEM on the planet
 
But yeah if you can afford the 2.5's you'll be happy with the bass, no question there. I'm probably in the vast minority here when I think the 2.5 doesn't have hardly any bass until it's amped and EQ'd but when it is you have a damn fine set of IEMs that can rumble really nicely.

 

[thejammonster]

I hope the kicker is a little better on the treble than the 2.5? I'm by no means a brightness fan but it's the only IEM i have ever switched on the treble boost on my Arrow 5TX with.

One day I'll get the damn KL REF and have better bass than any other IEM on the planet

But yeah if you can afford the 2.5's you'll be happy with the bass, no question there. I'm probably in the vast minority here when I think the 2.5 doesn't have hardly any bass until it's amped and EQ'd but when it is you have a damn fine set of IEMs that can rumble really nicely.

Personal opinion, but I think the 2.5 might slightly edge out the Kickers in treble. The 2.5 has a bigger soundstage which could contribute to that. You may be better off with the Forte if you want some treble.

 

[vapman]

Personal opinion, but I think the 2.5 might slightly edge out the Kickers in treble. The 2.5 has a bigger soundstage which could contribute to that. You may be better off with the Forte if you want some treble.

Thanks for the insight! I haven't considered the Forte seriously yet.

 

[thejammonster]

It seems like most haven't. Everyone goes for the Kicker or Harmony and skips over the Forte. The Harmony was too bright for me. The Forte didn't have enough bass to justify the purchase against the 2.5 but it may be just fine with amp and/or EQ. The whole Bravo series works better un-amped than the 2.5.

 

[jameswalker]

It seems like most haven't. Everyone goes for the Kicker or Harmony and skips over the Forte. The Harmony was too bright for me. The Forte didn't have enough bass to justify the purchase against the 2.5 but it may be just fine with amp and/or EQ. The whole Bravo series works better un-amped than the 2.5.

I don't suppose you have tried IE80 or wooduo2 to compare with? These have a wide enough stage for me as they are and enough treble. Does that mean I am likely to find the kicker acceptable and not need to jump to the 2.5 or forte? 
 
Just trying to decide what I actually require of the IEM. 

 

[thejammonster]

I would say the Kicker is an acceptable replacement for the 2.5 if you're willing to sacrifice some soundstage and detail. I've not tried the Wooduo 2 (due to durability issues) or the IE80 (had enough of Sennheiser back in the day).

 

[jameswalker]

For my genres I think you might be right. DnB, dubstep. Do I need to consider the forte, or just go straight for the kicker? 

 

[thejammonster]

For my genres I think you might be right. DnB, dubstep. Do I need to consider the forte, or just go straight for the kicker? 

I listen to a lot of EDM, mostly trap, and I think the Kicker would work well as a 2.5 stand-in. The Forte would probably help with female vocals and some airiness but I did not personally prefer them.

 

[vapman]

Having never heard any Aurisonics but the 2.5 the above sounds like wise advice.
 
I think I am going to get the kicker to hold myself over until I can get a KL-REF.

 

[Pacman123]

The 2.5s are amazing for trap and dubstep. I agree you need to amp and eq it to get ear shaking bass but when you get it right it puts a smile on your face.

2.5>5tx>PD. The best bass trio, great for commuting.

 

[vapman]

I must be missing something because in most cases I could get more bass out of a taped Ex800ST/7550 no matter where I had the bass port settings on the 2.5.
 
edit: At least with the Arrow 5TX. With the Project Polaris the 2.5 was great open clear bass all day. It would still get muddy at times though where you couldn't really tell what note it was, I think.

 

[jmills8]

And another vote for the 2.5 over the kicker! Seems to be a common trend. Then vapman chimes in and skews my view again

he hasnt heard the Kicker.Both are good.

 

[dragion]

I've been following this thread and trying to educate myself regarding all the different IEM's mentioned.

The only source I have is my LG V10 and I don't consider myself as a "true" basshead...at least I don't think I am.

I currently own both the XB90EX and EX800ST (taped) and find both to be satisfying my bass needs...thanks to vapman

I'm really intrigued with the 2.5s, but unsure if they are worth the cost for me...just the V10, PowerAmp Alpha and EQ's Sound Amplifier.

Any advice/suggestions will be appreciated.

 

[warrior1975]

dragion I am running similar setup, V10, V4A, and an amp (c5). I truly enjoy all of my IEMS and my Fostex Th900 even without the amp. With amp, all are better, but I get by without the amp. It'd not always idea with the amp obviously. For me, I always grab the Sony Xb90ex before all others. Even unamped, I'm quite happy.

 

[Hawaiibadboy]

I've been following this thread and trying to educate myself regarding all the different IEM's mentioned.

The only source I have is my LG V10 and I don't consider myself as a "true" basshead...at least I don't think I am.

I currently own both the XB90EX and EX800ST (taped) and find both to be satisfying my bass needs...thanks to vapman

I'm really intrigued with the 2.5s, but unsure if they are worth the cost for me...just the V10, PowerAmp Alpha and EQ's Sound Amplifier.

Any advice/suggestions will be appreciated.

I have listened to my 2.5   3 times in almost 2 months just for comparing with the ex800st. The bass on the ex800 with an amp is a whole new world. Get a Mojo for your ex800st and enjoy the high life The mojo will increase the detail and is very very ******* sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!!
 
2.5      Mojo