High End CIEM/IEM Thread!

[proedros]

Hi,

Looking for opinion here.

Currently using a&k roxanne 2 with QP1R and dac/amp TEAC HA-p5.

Am thinking of getting a new TOTL iem/ciem, dap and dac/amp or dap with amp combo.

Budget is around 8k-10k usd.

Mostly listen to jazz 50% (miles davis, john coltrane, etc) and 50% pop and edm (maroon 5, the script, honne, ta-ku, etc)

Using the audiophile vocab accordingly, it seems that I like it bright, clean, with good seperation and analytical. I don't like warm sound signatures such as chord mojo, to me it makes the bass sounds too fat and not clear/full.

I will be using the set mostly when I'm stuck in traffic jam (2-4 hours everyday) as I'm based in Jakarta.

If you guys have any recommendation on headphone that you think might suit my taste, I'd like to know as well

Let me know any of your thoughts and opinion

 
i would go for the Empire Ears Zeus XR with adel modules and be done with it

expensive sure (2,5K) but you get 2 ciems in one , so the versatility is huge

and the consensus here is that it is the best ciem around (atm , who knows what will come out in a few months)

one ciem (zeus r) is kinda reference , the other (zeus xiv) is kinda midcentric 
 
i am unbiased here , i don't really care where you spend your hard earned money (nor it goes to my pocket) so this is the one i would get if i had 3K to kill

and you save the remaining 5K for something else 

 
 
 
the hype is bursting in here , so do some reading - but me ? this is the holy grail , imho
 
 
cheers

 

[Kerouac]

  I would go WM1A and Empire Ears Zeus XIV w/ Adel, personally.

 
Do you have or did you hear this combination yourself? If so, I would like to know how they match (synergy wise)

 
Quote:

Originally Posted by proedros /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
i would go for the Empire Ears Zeus XR with adel modules and be done with it

expensive sure (2,5K) but you get 2 ciems in one , so the versatility is huge

and the consensus here is that it is the best ciem around (atm , who knows what will come out in a few months)

one ciem (zeus r) is kinda reference , the other (zeus xiv) is kinda midcentric 

 
+1
 
I only have the Zeus XR (non Adel though) for a few days now, but I can honestly say that they have really impressed me so far...

Valid point on the 2 signatures for one price as well

 

 

[terrabyss]

Thanks for the reply guys!
 
it seems AK380cu/ss is the way to go for now for the DAP and amp.
 
Interested with katana prestige and the custom Zeus XR with Adel.
 
The Zeus XR with Adel seems tempting as the versatility is broad! Keen to try it and see how it sounds.
But I saw that it only had 2 low drivers, does it lack any "oomph" in the lows for those who've tried it?

 

[Kerouac]

  Thanks for the reply guys!
 
it seems AK380cu/ss is the way to go for now for the DAP and amp.
 
Interested with katana prestige and the custom Zeus XR with Adel.
 
The Zeus XR with Adel seems tempting as the versatility is broad! Keen to try it and see how it sounds.
But I saw that it only had 2 low drivers, does it lack any "oomph" in the lows for those who've tried it?

 
With some luck @flinkenick might jump in on this matter. Afaik he has AK380cu, Zeus XR Adel and the Katana

 
Like I said, I have the non Adel Zeus XR and although it has quite a bright signature (+ amazing high level of resolution) compared to my other ciems, it surely doesn't lack "oomph'' in the lows imo. My Solar has more (but less clean) bass in the signature, but the XR comes closer to the kind of (more holographic sounding) bass that normally only dynamic drivers can produce.
 
Whatever you choose, with this kinda budget you're in for a sonical treat anyway

 

 

[Barra]

  Thanks for the reply guys!
 
it seems AK380cu/ss is the way to go for now for the DAP and amp.
 
Interested with katana prestige and the custom Zeus XR with Adel.
 
The Zeus XR with Adel seems tempting as the versatility is broad! Keen to try it and see how it sounds.
But I saw that it only had 2 low drivers, does it lack any "oomph" in the lows for those who've tried it?

Got to listen to the Zeus R and the Zeus R ADEL at RMAF side by side with Jack. While I can say that neither was lacking in bass, the R had more bass resolution and the ADEL had more impact. This was an early ADEL prototype model which he has since perfected so i am anxious to hear it again. The ADEL modules also allow you to customize the sound further with an adjustable module and a bass emphasized module. Either way, I don't think you will be too concerned about the bass on either Zeus. I should also point out that not everyone believes that more drivers are better, especially in bass. I would much rather have 2x 12 inch subwoofers than 4x 6 inch subwoofers. Smaller woofers can approximate, but bigger are more natural and realistic in sound quality. Don't know how that applies to BAs vs. dynamic drivers, but the better CIEMs for bass that I have heard have had fewer and bigger BAs in the bass section.
 
Have not heard the Katana to compare, but where the Zeus stands out is in sound stage that gives it a very holographic 3D sound quality. Jack accomplished something special here to align all those drivers to achieve this. Have to believe that the overabundance of crossovers adds tremendously too.
 
BTW, even if you like the brighter DAP signatures, you owe it to yourself to hear the Sony WM1Z/A DAP first before making this size of a purchase to hear and decide for yourself. There is something special about the new Sony. For reference, the A version is significantly less in cost than the Z and less warm toward your stated liking.

 

[kimvictor]

What do you guys think about high end headphones vs CIEMS? I'm finding myself always reaching for my HD800 instead of my UERM. My CIEMs are great, but I'm convinced that the HD800 triumphs any CIEMs I've heard up to date. And that's coming from an IEM enthusiast. 

 

[cycle53x12]

  What do you guys think about high end headphones vs CIEMS? I'm finding myself always reaching for my HD800 instead of my UERM. My CIEMs are great, but I'm convinced that the HD800 triumphs any CIEMs I've heard up to date. And that's coming from an IEM enthusiast. 

I love both but the comparison of my SE846 to my HD800 is not fair. The HD is so spacious on the soundstage side. The SE's are very good but they stay in your head sound wise, excellent for what they are but not on the same level of a Open high end can setup in my opinion..

 

[pfurey89]

I would say to get similar performance as a $1,000 headphone, you need to spend nearly $2,000 (retail) on IEMs. My u12 ADEL can go head to head with any full size cans I've heard.

 

[MikePortnoy]

Canal Works L71 PSTS review is online. It includes Katana, UM Maestro, and Spiral Ear SE5 comparisons. 
 
http://theheadphonelist.com/canal-works-cw-l71-psts-review/
 
To see its score please click below:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/799470/mikeportnoys-custom-monitor-list-canalworks-l71psts-added-full-reviews-scores-and-signature-descriptions

 

[kimvictor]

  Canal Works L71 PSTS review is online. It includes Katana, UM Maestro, and Spiral Ear SE5 comparisons. 
 
http://theheadphonelist.com/canal-works-cw-l71-psts-review/
 
To see its score please click below:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/799470/mikeportnoys-custom-monitor-list-canalworks-l71psts-added-full-reviews-scores-and-signature-descriptions

That resistor idea is super cool. How big is the difference between the resistors? Does it also alter the impedance curve?

 

[MikePortnoy]

  That resistor idea is super cool. How big is the difference between the resistors? Does it also alter the impedance curve?

 
It is a stepped difference. For example, between 33 OHM and 39 OHM, the difference is not big. On the other hand, there is a significant difference between 33 OHM and 3.3 OHM. 

 

[Dimitris]

  I would say to get similar performance as a $1,000 headphone, you need to spend nearly $2,000 (retail) on IEMs. My u12 ADEL can go head to head with any full size cans I've heard.

 
I somehow doubt that any CIEM can beat or come even close to what a full size headphone can give you. YMMV. 

 

[pfurey89]

I somehow doubt that any CIEM can beat or come even close to what a full size headphone can give you. YMMV. 

I've had both and heard many. They're very close and plenty of IEMs are technically superior to me than fullsize cans.

 

[kimvictor]

I just don't see how it would be physically possible for IEMs to have the same staging and imaging capability as full sized headphones. I find my UERM to excel at imaging and staging, but it's no where near the HD800 in terms of staging. 

 

[pfurey89]

  I just don't see how it would be physically possible for IEMs to have the same staging and imaging capability as full sized headphones. I find my UERM to excel at imaging and staging, but it's no where near the HD800 in terms of staging. 

Staging, sure, but to be honest most full size headphones can't even compete with HD800s in that regard. 
 
In terms of bass, transparency, speed, resolution, and to some extent, soundstage, good IEMs are still extremely close. The Tia Forte or u18 are amongst the best I've ever heard, full size cans included. Noble's Encore is up there, the u12 is insanely wide soundstage wise, the Oriolus v2 is also very wide in stage. Lots of fun things to compare to. I find outside of a few select cans (HD800S, HEX v2, Focal Utopia/Elear) that I strongly prefer TOTL IEMs to TOTL cans in many ways. I don't feel like I'm missing out on much.