[iponderous]

^ Just four acupuncture sessions would more than cover the cost of a $400 plus earphone no?

 

[Anaxilus]

Hmmm, we have a $30 dollar acupuncture center around here.  Does your place price match?  

 
As for comparing the Golds to IE8's I don't think that's even fair.  The IE8's would seem to be on par w/ the Coppers which are fine for critical listening.  The Golds were designed to be euphonic not reference quality.  U pop them in your ear and go and play anything you want w/o issues like hiss and sibilance for example.  They are plug and play and get stuff done IEMs IMO.

 

[Kunlun]

Quote:

^ Just four acupuncture sessions would more than cover the cost of a $400 plus earphone no?

Yes, but there's more to life than earphones!
 
$400 can pay for 3 children's food, water, education and housing for an entire year in Nepal.
My tax people actually called to ask if there was some mistake when they saw what I had listened for charitable donations last year...
 
It's all perspective. Our money can buy this or that necessary or not-as-necessary thing, we can save it for our future, we can use it to benefit others. Everyone has their own balance.

 

 

[iponderous]

^ That's very commendable but not appropriate to this forum.  I find the needless and dare I say senseless accumulation of earphones, headphones and related paraphernalia that goes on here while poorer nations continue to languish, and our planet's natural resources are relentlessly exploited as its eco-systems degrade, a comforting reminder of the human condition.    

 

[Rip N' Burn]

 
Quote:

You love your ie8s! I bet you'd like it more than the sm3, too. Maybe over customs!
 
 
Many people thought the golds were equal or better than the ie8 and the coppers were clearly better, but everyone's ears are different.

 
Don't like them better than my TF18 custom! (TF10 upgraded to 6 drivers with 3 way crossover). Still, the IE8 has a bigger soundstage, but the TF18 is close.
 
The reason I got the gold's was because of the reviews comparing it to the IE8. I should have taken it with a grain of salt, because FOM iems always seem to get better reviews than older iems in general. I remember when people were claiming the JVC FX500 and Denon C710 were better than the IE8 and even the original turbine. I got them because of the reviews and was very dissapointed. Now I don't hear them being favorably compared to the IE8 anymore.
 
My iem addiction got the best of me again and I got the MTPG. They are a good iem and are very smooth with deep bass. Just didn't get the same enjoyment I have with the IE8. In fact, I like my IE7's and remolded Custom 3's better as well.
 
I saw a good deal here for some used MTPC and I got them. The bass is similar to the gold but the copper has a greater emphasis in mids and highs. One thing I will agree with that they are sonically better than the gold. No doubt about it. It did narrow the SQ gap between the IE8. However, it couldn't surpass my beloved IE8. It's a matter of personal preference.
 
Tip choice and insertion depth is also very important. When I switched over to the UE single flange tips for the IE8, they sounded the best I ever heard them. They sound worse using a tip with deeper insertion, which makes the mid bass too prominent. Same with the Gold and Copper, they sounded their best with Shure soft flex sleeves.
 
Following the current FOM iem trend, it's currently the SM3 and before that it was the MTPC. The Radius HP-TWF11 is the current top contender for FOM crown. It's no surprise that they are getting such rave reviews from the few usual suspects who always get the latest and greatest in the iem world. It's best to wait a bit for many more people to listen to them and give their impressions. This way, I getting a better understanding of the good versus the bad but sometimes, I just can't resist! I need more self control

 
 

 

 

[Kunlun]

TF18, wow.
 
Quote:

 
Following the current FOM iem trend, it's currently the SM3 and before that it was the MTPC. The Radius HP-TWF11 is the current top contender for FOM crown. It's no surprise that they are getting such rave reviews from the few usual suspects who always get the latest and greatest in the iem world. It's best to wait a bit for many more people to listen to them and give their impressions. This way, I getting a better understanding of the good versus the bad but sometimes, I just can't resist! I need more self control

 
 

 

Well, it's fun to get something new. I'm getting an amp and then I'm waiting at least a year before any new audio gear purchase.
 

 

[Kunlun]

Quote:

Hmmm, we have a $30 dollar acupuncture center around here.  Does your place price match?  

 

It's quality of care vs price.
Price matching is not so great an idea when it comes to one's health.
 

 

[Rip N' Burn]

Quote:

Well, it's fun to get something new. I'm getting an amp and then I'm waiting at least a year before any new audio gear purchase.
 

It's fun and a bit discouraging at the same time. I get a new toy, but I spend too much money on these new toys. I hope delaying any purchases for a year works out for you. I tried something like that but this site always convinces me to buy more stuff I don't need! The key to head-fi sobriety is to stay away from this site as much as possible. It's more difficult than I thought it would be.

 

[cjkb90]

 
Quote:

Whenever I see a comment that puts the Golds and Coppers in similar proximity I just know they have to be inserting the tips too deep or having fit issues.  I had a similar experience till I read about how sensitive the Coppers were to insertion depth and tip choice.  Once I was able to pull them further out of my canal while maintaining a seal they really distanced themselves.  Or you could be right and his ears just dont match up to the Coppers.  

I had this same experience. I loved my Coppers from the beginning, but only recently did I start pulling them out a little bit more.

 
Quote:

You know the song "love the one you're with"? It's a kinda terrible song, really, when applied to people. But, I'm happy with the coppers, and unlike the song, they match what I want.

 

Haha this just made me laugh out loud.

 
Quote:

I tried something like that but this site always convinces me to buy more stuff I don't need! The key to head-fi sobriety is to stay away from this site as much as possible. It's more difficult than I thought it would be.

I second that. A year ago, if you asked me if I'd spend hundreds of dollars on earphones and audio gear, I would've thought you were crazy just bringing up a question like that.

 

[HONEYBOY]

After being burned a few times I decided I was going to treat every post on head fi as a joke and that the majority of headfiers are a bunch of drunk comedians making lame wallet jokes and using a peculiar ornate language designed to promote impetuousness amongst themselves.

 

[Omally]

Alright guys, I give up! I have been stalking this thread for quite some time now and its driving me mad. I would really like your help. All this searching, comparing and evaluating isn't doing me any good. I'm sort of a ghost on this forum, I have been here since 2006 and posted less than 10 times but I cant help it anymore.
 
I listen to a lot of bass heavy electronic music (dubstep) (deadmau5), hip-hop, trip-hop, and generally really bass dependent music. I also need decent mids and highs, radiohead is one of my favorite bands (Thom Yorke vocals!), and I love drum n bass music which needs good treble for the lightning quick snares they use. I am debating between, Westone 3, MTPC/G???, MD's, and even SM3 if I'm advised. I own TF10 and hate their sound signature, while I appreciate the detail, its way too hot on treble for my 20 year old ears and while the bass is articulate and deep, it just too quiet and gets deafened by the treble. And mid-range, what mid-range?
I would really like the Westones but I'm concerned the treble is too spiky (don't worry about the seal I can get any earphone to seal). I am really tempted by the bass on the Monster series so a comparison to westone 3 bass quantity/quality would be great if we could decide on which model to put against it (and which would suit my needs)!!! And if the SM3 will give me comparable bass I am sure I will love them and I don't mind the price.
 
Please help me make a decision, I have read many comparison by way of search but this thread seems to have made the most headway on giving the monster line a definitive verdict.
 
Thanks.

 

[iponderous]

Quote:

After being burned a few times I decided I was going to treat every post on head fi as a joke and that the majority of headfiers are a bunch of drunk comedians making lame wallet jokes and using a peculiar ornate language designed to promote impetuousness amongst themselves.

It is good isn't it? Sometimes I really slay myself.

 

[dweaver]

^^ ^^ From what I am reading, if you can afford the SM3 I can't imagine you will go wrong going all in. Having said that, I currently own a pair of Copper's and have another pair I will be reviewing shortly and I believe with proper burnin the Copper's can have massive bass, nice slightly warmer sounding mids, and very nice detailed treble. My original pair of Copper's were burned in with just standard music played at regular volume levels and that pair is very neutral with an almost recessed midrange and extremely bright treble. My new pair using my home cooked burnin song has almost twice the bass, and much warmer and more forward mids.

 

[JeFFz]

^ interesting... i would want my MTPC to have double the bass and warmer, and more importantly forward mids! What were the home-cooked burn in songs you used?

 

[dweaver]

I can't guarantee it will work on a pair that is already burned in but it can't hurt to try When I do my burnin I listen to some music and set the volume to a level slightly louder than what I find to be comfortable. Then switch to my burnin song and set it to loop (it has a 12 minute rest period built in to the song). Let the song run for 12-24hrs and see if your notice any change. Here is a link to the song, I have created a 256kbps MP3 version from my original wav file.