[david8090]

Hello all,
 
I have been using my Shure SE215 for over a year now and after they are burned in.. the sound quality is AMAZING for the buck. The build-quality is really good, great isolation. Much better than my old Brainwavz B3 in terms of isolation, build quality and SQ. (B3 is too sharp and too less bass. Great clarity though..)
 
Anyway.. I want to give the Shures to my girlfriend and get myself a pair of even better IEMS. Budget: €/$ 400
 
Problem is; you can't really try IEMs before you buy them.. So I have to ask you soundfreaks what the best choice will be for my music taste. 
 
I am going to use them with my iPhone. I do not want to mess around with an AMP.
 
I like various kinds of music. Especially classic Rock. I'm looking for a warm sound with a decent amount of bass (not a bass-head, but I do like some good base, though), Immersive vocals and a broad range!
 
I often listen to:
 
Queen
Adele
Nirvana
Rolling Stones
Led Zeppelin
Simple Minds
Phil Collins
Oasis
Red hot chili peppers
Pop music
Classical
 
Almost no hiphop/R&B
 
 
 
One of my favorite numbers to test sound quality is Adele - Rolling In The Deep. This is a true HD song with a lot of mids, highs and lows. Awesome vocals!!!! I have thrown an uncompressed version online for you! https://app.box.com/s/78teukzh44i1ozudg2bq
 
I think the Sure SE425 will do the job pretty good. I really love the over-ear construction Shure uses. The IEMS fit so well in my ears.. 
 
Thanks in advance! 

 

[squallkiercosa]

Be aware, you won't find what you're looking for among the shure top of the line. I recall countless threads about people complaining precisely for that matter.
Bass heavy IEMs within that price range:
 
Vsonic gr07 BE
Sennheiser IE80
Westone 3
JVC HA-FXZ200

 

[david8090]

thanks bud.
 
You're saying Shure SE425 does have weaker bass?

 

[Kunlun]

The shure se 425 used to be a joke answer to "what's the best earphone" by people who hated it.

So, you might want to look elsewhere.

 

[squallkiercosa]

I had the shures se215, and they're bassy. I haven't tried the 425 to be honest
 
Although I don't think graphs can't explain everything, they can give you an idea of the sound signature.
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/shure-ear-series-se215-se315-se425-and-se535-page-2

 

[david8090]

Thanks for the suggestions. I wil check reviews for these IEMs
 
se215 are bassy indeed. But I really like the amount. 10-15% less would be just perfect. But the B3 didn't have any bass at all.. I had do manually add bass with my EQ..
 
The sony mdr-7550 has drawn my attention too... 

 

[H20Fidelity]

As mentioned I think Westone 3 should definitely be considered, especially with it's discounted prices turning up recently.

Going for $159 right now on Amazon, which members are snapping up like wild fire.

Possibly SM3 V2 although the build leaves a little to be desired.

 

[KimChee]

Westone 3 is awesome for rock theres one for sale on the forum now for 120...

 

[jesussongs]

1964V3 is a good choice. but its bass may not the bass you want, although its bass is good enough in BA.

 

[JoeDoe]

+1 for the GR07 BE and Westone 3. You also may want to check out the TDK BA200. Wouldn't call it bassy, but it does have a good mid-bass boost and it's slightly warm signature lends it well to rock-oriented musics.

 

[Mooses9]

I would go for the w3 over the se425...If you are going to try to get a shure go for Se 535 it's much better than the se425. W3 is a nice choice though.

 

[caracara08]

Maybe contact dimitri from musica acoustics see if he has any more of the Aurisonics asg2 for 399.

 

[Sonichaos]

Are customs on the table? If so, +1 to the 1964 V3s. They sound like what you want: mildly forward mids with good but not overpowering bass. Otherwise the most common universal choices in the range are TF10s, IE8s, and the (now discounted) Westone 3s.

 

[zombywoof]

I was in the same boat as you 3 month ago, looking for an upgrade to the 215's.  I chose the 535's over the 425's.  I spent a good deal of time with both, and believe that the 535's are worth every penny of the additional $$$.  I would not consider the 215's to be a bass head's IEM.  I will concede that the bass is prominent, but more importantly, of good quality.  Overall, I would say that the bass in the 535's is excellent.  The 425's sound great, but if you like the sound of the 215's, I believe the 535's are a better choice.  I have not spent a significant amount of time listening to the W3's (and they can be had for a great price since they are being discontinued due to introduction of new model...W30), but I preferred the SQ of the 535's...coming from the SE215's as you are.

 

[Darkseth]

Maybe you're also interested in my story
i owned the se 215 since 1.5 years, and replaced them almost 2 months ago with the Logitech UE 900 (surpising, because those 2 have a very different sounding). Mainly, because the price droped from 399€ (350€ at amazon etc) to 199€ and took my change.
i Also was using a DT 880, which i replaced with a T90, and used Studio Speakers. So pretty much neutral natural sounding, while my inears were very bassy. But i never pushed them too much into my ear, so the amount of bass maybe wasnt so "high" like on others. It depends how deep you push them in.
 
Anyway. i pretty much like a more natural sounding, maybe just slightly bassy, and i really enjoy the UE 900 over the SE 215. Despite the ue 900 beeing technicaly better, "cheaper produced songs" sound better on the ue 900 than on the se 215 in my Opinion. I think the reason was this evil "peak" in the mids, which let the SE 215 kinda... "scream into my face".
Compared to this, the ue 900 are much smoother, nothing goes on my nerves, like everything is hearable.
 
Sounding:
SE 215:
 
UE 900: http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/LogitechUE900.pdf
 
You see, alot less bass. In fact, VERY neutral, like a perfect Line in the bass, and mids.
i personally like the subbass much more. dont know why. Its not "too much" but its still very clear and there, and has a very awesome punch. It doesnt even seem to me like "less fun". Its almost "deeper". But, because its not so much, it sounds MUCH cleared, smoother, without a single deficite in the deepest sub-bass you can hear.
 
I also have a simliar taste in Music like you, and enjoy that with the ue 900. Rolling in the Deep also sounds awesome to me.
 
i'm not saying the ue 900 would be the best for you But you might be surprised, and a neutral sounding might fit you better in the end.
 
Anyway, i would maybe suggest, UE 900, or maybe Westone UM3. They have a warmer sounding which might fit well.
 
On what device are you using them? Those multi-BA inears need a low output impendance. On a Galaxy S2 with 10 ohm or so, it won't sound well ^^"