[MPSchenck]

Hello again Head-Fi, its been awhile
 
About a year and a half ago I started a thread looking for some good starter IEMs and ended up buying the Radius HP-TWF11R Pro DDMs.  And I loved them!  I cared for them like a baby until about a month ago while I was at work my 7 month old knocked them off my nightstand while my wife wasn't pay an enormous amount of attention and so I come home to see my Shih-tzu had made them his new chew toy.  I know the joys of a new baby and man's best friend far out weigh any IEMs, but I was crushed and really wanted to choke the dog with the cable and nubs he left of the monitors.  I didn't and just hoped the bits would be REALLY uncomfortable coming out the other end.
My search began for something new and exciting.  I have since tried the Meelectronics A151s, not wanting to drop a boatload of cash and they sounded really good, I guess, and they fit well, but the cord was seriously like 5 feet long.  I'm 6'1" and with them in my ears the plug was at my ankles.  I also thought they felt cheap. So back they went.  Then I thought clear and neutral was the ticket and ordered a set of Etymotic HF-5s  and they sounded spectacular although bass-light.  However, on the second day of wearing them while using the translucent triple flanges I'm pretty sure I poked my eardrum on the right side trying to get them to seal. The larger light grey triple flanges were a good fit, but they irritated my ear canal terribly, I can only describe it as itching crossed with tingling.  I could get no other tips to seal correctly and after a week of fiddling with them, I said screw it and back they went.
 
I've now read |joker|'s and ClieOS's review threads and checked out many appreciation threads and I think I've narrowed it down to a short list of possible replacements that will 1) be something new & different and 2) be a growing experience for me and 3) fit my budget (around $200)...
 
(In no particular order) 
 
Vsonic GR07
UE TripleFi 10
Westone 2
 
I know, right?  A dynamic, a dual balanced armature, and a triple balanced armature walk into a bar... haha sorry I couldn't resist.
 
Here's the thing I liked the clean sound of the armatures, but it was a little flat on the bass end for me or at least what I was used to in the DDMs.  I could have lived with the HF-5s if they fit better.  What better way to fix that flat bass problem than with separate drivers? All [read: most] of the reviews for the GR07s are just to good to pass up.  
 
So here is where I tell you my sources and preferred music styles, right?
 
On the go will be the iPhone 4 (or if the wife caves iPhone 5) sans amp. I really don't need a mic as I don't really make or receive that many calls. 
At home will mostly be straight out of an iPad 2 for movies and TV shows while the baby is asleep, but could be an iBasso D1 hooked to a Sony lappy, but usually that goes to my D2000s.   
 
Currently in my favorites queue with bold indicating particular favorites...
Bill Withers, Erland Oye (Norwegian Electronica), Death Cab for Cutie, Gnarls Barkley, Gordon Lightfoot, Gorillaz, Lady Gaga, Matt & Kim, Royksopp (Norwegian Electronica), Everything but the Girl, Luscious Jackson, Nujabes (Japanese Electronica mixed with R&B known for the Samurai Champloo soundtrack), Sneaker Pimps, Snow Patrol, Soul Coughing, Sun Kil Moon, Telepopmusik (French Electronica), The Killers, Eels, Cracker (Not Uncle Kracker), White Stripes, Warren Zevon, Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs, Zero 7, Hooverphonic (Belgian Electronica), but nothing can be compared to Portishead's Roseland NYC Live with the New York Philharmonic - Glory Box from that album is the reason I came here in search of better  sound. 
Final notes on sound.  Pretty much everything I listen to has vocals, primarily female vocals, but not all.  All recordings were ripped straight from the CD to ALAC. 
 
 
Almost done, I promise. 
I'm ordering something Sunday night so it gets hear ASAP 'cause I'm really sick of not having some IEMs at this point. 
 
Any and all comment appreciated and if I missed something I should consider please tell me about it. 

 

[Dissonant]

For your tastes, I am just going to throw out another option: Sony's EX600. Look for the appreciation thread, and you will find that it is comparable to the GR07, just with a slightly different sound suited for vocals/jazz/Nujabes. I came away very impressed by how it presented jazz especially, but my short-lived audition at a electronics exhibition meant that I could not actually do very critical listening. I can't speak for it's performance in electronica, but fans of it profess that it has a decent quantity of great bass. Only thing that kept me from buying it was the lack of accessories (EDIT: for the Asian package) and prohibitive price in Asia.
 
However, it is cheaper than the GR07 on Amazon (around $130, I believe?), so you should consider it for your tastes.
 
One caveat: in return for the fantastic, spacious soundstage, and amazing mids, the comfort is love-it-or-hate-it, and fit is crucial. Oh, and it does not isolate that well, so you may want to consider this 'flaw', so to speak.
 
I can't speak for the Westone 2 or Triple.fi though, so I'll leave it for someone else.

 

[shureThing]

I would probably go for the Vsonic GR07 because it seems only to get positive review, and you might have fit problems with the TF10s. But I think the TF10s are extremely good value for that price, with their awesome PRaT, bass slam and fun nature.

 

[MPSchenck]

Sweet I've only had time to preliminarily checkout the Sony EX600 but it sounds like a pretty good substitute to the GR07.

 

[ZARIM]

The Dynamic drivers IEMs like EX600(highely recommended, uses dome type dynamic drivers and soundquality is amazing), GR07, MTP Gold, RE262, RE272( highely recommended), RE0(highely recommended, sound close to HF5 and improve when pair with AMPs like Fiio E7, E11, T3d, Nuforce Icon Mobile) and BA IEMs like CK10, DBA-02, TF10Pro, SM2, Westone 2.

 

[MPSchenck]

Quote:

The Dynamic drivers IEMs like EX600(highely recommended, uses dome type dynamic drivers and soundquality is amazing), GR07, MTP Gold, RE262, RE272( highely recommended), RE0(highely recommended, sound close to HF5 and improve when pair with AMPs like Fiio E11) and BA IEMs like CK10, DBA-02, TF10Pro, SM2, Westone 2.

EX600 - I'm currently reading up and considering this one as an alternative to the GR07.
 
GR07 - Highly considering.
MTPG - I don't know. It just seems very "paparazzi" to me
RE262 - I read a lot about build quality issues and it seems like most of the Hifiman stuff needs an amp.  I'm unwilling to carry around an amp for my iPhone 4.
RE272 - I haven't read anything about this I don't think or don't remember. I'll read up on it, but again if it needs an amp I'm out. And now that I look at it it's out of my price range.     
RE0 - "improve when pair with AMPs like Fiio E11" no thank you, sorry. 
 
CX10 - It's out of my price range.
DBA-02 - Reviews of the sound make it seem fantastic but the build quality issues scare me away.
TF10Pro - If I new it would fit I would be ordering this one.  I don't have small ear canals, I think, so I'm highly considering this one.  
SM2 - Out of my price range.
Westone 2 - I'm just considering. 

 

[eke2k6]

I recommend getting the GR07. What I love so much about them is the fact that they sound amazing with every genre I throw at them. From reggae and jamaican dancehall, all the way to classical  music, nothing slows these babies down. I've heard the EX1000, the bigger brother of the EX600, and they sound great. BUT (notice the caps), the fit and isolation are atrocious IMO. They are definitely unique in shape. However, due to the size and shape of the Vsonics, they just disappear after a while. A big difference is price and availability. The GR07 costs $50 more retail, and takes about 2 weeks to be shipped to the US. The EX600 costs $130, and with Amazon prime you can have the at your door in 2 days. So it's really a matter of preference...Happy Shopping!

 

[MPSchenck]

I think for me it is coming down to the GR07s and the UE TF 10s, and I'm leaning towards the UE TF 10s because of the detachable cable and the so often seen description "fun". 
 
Someone who has heard both tell I'm wrong or I'm making a huge mistake.  

 

[mark2410]

haveing read through your post i think ill have to say go for the GR07.  the TF10 is better but it rather needs an amp to come alive and you dont want that.  with that in mind your probably as well to go with the cheaper GR07.

 

[dbdynsty25]

I'd definitely pick the Gr07 over the ex600 just for the fit alone.  You said you're going to be listening or watching movies at home out of your ipad so I'd imagine you'd be using them in bed.  I definitely wouldn't want to fall asleep with the 600s in my ears (they stick out WAY too far).  The Gr07s are the best fitting headphones I've ever had and given that they are comparable to the 600s, why wouldn't you get the most comfortable pair...especially when they sound so darn good.

 

[MPSchenck]

Everybody thanks for the input!  
 
I just pulled the trigger on the GR07s.  Now the waiting begins..... 

 

[dbdynsty25]

Quote:

Everybody thanks for the input!  
 
I just pulled the trigger on the GR07s.  Now the waiting begins..... 

The wait, the anticipation and then the sound, the life of a GR07 orderer...welcome to the club.

 

[MPSchenck]

So I was about to pull out of the drive because I'm going out of town until Saturday when the mailman pulled up and I thought I saw him put a package in the mailbox. So I went to see what it was and low and behold it was my new GR07s.  
 
Some of you may be wondering how I got these so quickly?
 
There was a pair listed on Amazon for $175.00 and the estimated time of arrival was sometime October 20th-something so I figured it was still being shipped from somewhere in Asia, but I got them.  
 
There is a Jaben sticker on the box and the box was still sealing in a crispy shrink wrap.
 
Ok, so I gotta go but I'll post first impression when I return.   

 

[eke2k6]