[AfricanHunter]

Hi All,

I am in the market for a set of IEM's that I can use to answer calls with. Money, to a certain extent, is no object. My main non-mic set right now are SM3V2's and really enjoy the sound sig. Considering the following;

AKG K3003i
UE 900
Customs with a mic cable

Any others I should look at? From reviews it doesn't seem like there are IEM's that come with a mic and have a similar signature to the SM3's. A controller (track/volume) would be an ok feature but mainly need the mic. Also something which is readily available would be preferred.

Excluded the Shure 535's and Sony EX1000's because of signature and isolation respectively.

Thanks for the help.

 

[tinyman392]

Westone W4R + cable with mic (provided by either Westone or JH Audio).  All UE customs can have a mic'd cable as well (sold separately).  All IEMs that support the standard 2-pin connector can also use the Westone or JH Audio cable with mic (Heir Audio, Aurisonics, Unique Melody*).  I want to say the Phonak PFE232, but isolation isn't the best.  Shure SE846 (to come) might suite you better.  Denon AH-C400 might be another idea?  Ultrasone IQ is another.  Can't think of any others XD 
 
Why not just by a mic'd cable for your SM3?  They do exist (Westone or JH Audio both offer them).
 
*The Unique Melody 3DD is not compatible with the standard 2-pin (all other UM IEMs should be though).  It looks to use something similar to the custom UE connector (not the one on the UE 900).  If it does, UE does offer a cable with a mic for that.  Don't quote me on its compatibility though

 

[AfricanHunter]

Thanks. Will check them out.
 
On the cables, is one better than the other?

 

[AfricanHunter]

One other thing. I am leaning further towards the K3003i's
 
- Can anyone confirm they work with the ipad 3 and iphone 5?
- How long does AKG generally go before a model refresh/upgrade? Would hate to layout 1300 and have a new model come out in a few months
 

 

[tinyman392]

Quote:

Thanks. Will check them out.
 
On the cables, is one better than the other?

 
They are both copper cables from reputable companies.  I couldn't tell you which is better from a sonic standpoint though. 
 
Quote:

One other thing. I am leaning further towards the K3003i's
 
- Can anyone confirm they work with the ipad 3 and iphone 5?
- How long does AKG generally go before a model refresh/upgrade? Would hate to layout 1300 and have a new model come out in a few months
 

 
If I'm not mistaken the K3k3i is MiFi certified, so it should work properly with all Apple devices that support it (iPod Touch 2G and up as well as Macs and Macbooks).  As for model refresh and upgrade, I don't see this happening soon personally with the K3k3, it still seems pretty new on the market. 

 

[chanman]

Quote:

 Would hate to layout 1300 and have a new model come out in a few months

I would seriously reconsider dropping $1300 on universal IEMs, when you can get top-tier customs instead. There's not reason to leave comfort to chance with that amount to spend. I'm not quite sure what exactly you're looking for in a signature, as i'm not familiar with those IEMs, but I'm sure there's a custom with a sig you'd like. 
 
However, if you're really going with cost no-object. Ultimate ears makes a product that claims to allow you to have custom iems with a customized sound signature for $2000.  http://pro.ultimateears.com/en-us/home/ue-personal-reference-monitors  They seem to have a positive review on innerfidelity. http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/your-ears-only-logitech-ue-personal-reference-monitors. I'm not sure what the process is for getting one customized exactly. Pretty sure you can get a cable with a mic as well. It's something to look into anyway, since you're willing to drop some serious cash.

 

[AfricanHunter]

Thanks for the tip. I didn't know they did that. Also I am only about an hour from Irvine. I think I may take the plunge.

I ordered a set of UE 900's to tide me over while I do some due diligence and potentially go through the process.

 

[chanman]

The UE900's are a very nice IEM. You very well might be perfectly satisfied with them and not feel the need to spend a whole lot more money for marginal benefits.
That being said, if you do feel the need to upgrade further, feel free to send them my way.