[Ntropic]

When I bought my Super.fi 3s, I knew I'd be buying something in the same price range as my A700s, but would be sonically inferior (less bass, emphasized mid/high). I mean, that's how IEMs work.

But my question is, how much do you need to spend before you catch up to full-size headphones? Can you even catch up at all?

 

[decay]

High-end customs such as ES3X, Ear Monitor, JH13Pro, UE11Pro will give amazing sound that
could rival a good full-sized headphone rig, as for universals, IE8 gets mentioned a lot for
sounding similar to a full-sized can.

But my question is, how much are you willing to spend before you decide that you are hearing
something that can match the sound of full-size headphones? Can you stop shrinking your wallet?

 

[steviebee]

How much?


Squillions upon tetrasquillions......and a penny.



Full-size headphones?! We don' need no stinkin'.......etc.

 

[Get_Zwole]

Im getting my w3's this week and ive heard they rival some full sized cans as well. I cant wait to get them these are my first good pair of IEM's.

 

[Ntropic]

Quote:

how much are you willing to spend before you decide that you are hearing something that can match the sound of full-size headphones

When they sound like full-sized headphones. But most IEMs won't be capable of producing that same feeling full-sized headphones can get, no?

 

[decay]

Nor can full-sized headphone replicate IEMs' sound, no?

It all comes down to whether you are willing enough to forget what transducers you are listening to
and let music embrace you; aural nirvana is the goal, headphones and IEMs and speakers and live concerts are merely the means.

 

[mark2410]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ntropic /img/forum/go_quote.gif When I bought my Super.fi 3s, I knew I'd be buying something in the same price range as my A700s, but would be sonically inferior (less bass, emphasized mid/high). I mean, that's how IEMs work. But my question is, how much do you need to spend before you catch up to full-size headphones? Can you even catch up at all?

erm less bass does not mean sonically inferior.

it just means you didint like the sound signature

 

[Ntropic]

Yes. Sound signature. That's the word I wanted. But is it a sound signature unique to IEMs?

Quote:

It all comes down to whether you are willing enough to forget what transducers you are listening to and let music embrace you

Yeah, that's right. Maybe it's the kind of music I listen to. You've got to get the whole thing right or the song doesn't move you at all.

 

[r@mside]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ntropic /img/forum/go_quote.gif When they sound like full-sized headphones. But most IEMs won't be capable of producing that same feeling full-sized headphones can get, no?

There's more than one owner of high end closed headphones suggesting that custom IEMs are a viable replacement.

There is a move towards introducing an 'open' design to IEMs that will provide a soundstage to compare with full sized headphones.

The trade off will be against isolation, but I see IEMs are being taken up for more than just use on the subway/bus/plane etc.

 

[steviebee]

I suggest you (if possible) get a listen to Westone 3, Victor FX500, Triple Fi 10, Sennheiser IE8....all of which bass presentation would perhaps surprise you if your only experience of a universal IEM leads you to think they all have 'less bass, emphasized mid/high' on general principles. Among those 4 IEMs you will find different sigs (Triples have more treble/IE8 less/colder/warmer etc) but you will find a damn fine bass presentation. And I agree with decay -forget the transducer. Feel the music.

Where IEM's find it harder to compete is soundstage. But listen to Triple Fi/IE8 in particular - you may be in for a nice surprise.

 

[Ntropic]

And that's where I hit a brick wall.

I thought the D2 Boa I'm looking for was hard on my wallet...

 

[r@mside]

I find that buying a couple of new CDs keeps me away from the urges brought on from reading this forum - for a while at least.

 

[Pianist]

When fitted properly and driven by a reasonably good source, UE Super.fi 3 beats any sealed full-sized can that I heard below $150 in terms of pure sound quality, including my M-Audio Q40 and ATH-M50 and stock Sennheiser HD25-1 and rivals those in the $200 price range, like my German Maestro GMP 8.35 D. It's clarity and speed is the best there is for the price and it also has surprisingly good dynamics and richness of sound for a budget single balanced armature IEM.

 

[steviebee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ntropic /img/forum/go_quote.gif And that's where I hit a brick wall. I thought the D2 Boa I'm looking for was hard on my wallet...

Hey, this is Head Fi! Sorry about your wallet & all that

But, and it's an important but, you probably can find a sound quality you're more than happy with for a whole lot less than the hardcore junkies here (OK, maybe not aural nirvana as decay described it, but who knows?) ....Once you've found it tho, run away. Leave this place. Fast.

Unless of course you're good at resisting toyshops at Christmas. I'm not.
Reviews & heads-ups are like drugs here....we all mainline em.

 

[Get_Zwole]

Quote:

Originally Posted by steviebee /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hey, this is Head Fi! Sorry about your wallet & all that But, and it's an important but, you probably can find a sound quality you're more than happy with for a whole lot less than the hardcore junkies here (OK, maybe not aural nirvana as decay described it, but who knows?) ....Once you've found it tho, run away. Leave this place. Fast. Unless of course you're good at resisting toyshops at Christmas. I'm not. Reviews & heads-ups are like drugs here....we all mainline em.

I agree with this man big time. I stuck around for the last few weeks debating on my first pair of iem's. Was gonna go under 50 bucks probably the ne-7m well monday i ended up spending roughly 250 on a used set of w3's. Run far far away lol this place just does something to you

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