[Broncos11]

I am currently looking to purchase a new pair of IEM's. I am currently looking at the Sennheiser IE8 and the Ulitmate Ears triplefi 10. I have found the Sennheiser IE8 for $230 dollars, which makes me feel like the IE8 might be the better purchase (I made sure that the seller of the IE8 is an authorized dealer because I have heard of fakes). I have also found the triplefi 10 for about $250 ( I do not want to spend for money than the $250). I do, however, have concerns about both IEM's. My first concern is sound isolation. I will be using these earbuds in loud environments (like a gym) so I will need fairly good sound isolation. I also am concerned about the fit mainly on the Ultimate Ears triplefi 10. I, however, like both of these headphones because they have replaceable cables and they seem to get great reviews. I will be listening to a wide variety of music. I mainly listen to Rock, Hip-Hop, Rap, and  Alternative. I will be using these IEM's with my 2nd Generation Ipod touch and my macbook. I would greatly appreciate it if some people left some of there impressions on which pair of IEM  I should get. Also if someone could explain to me the benefits of the triple driver design and some of the benefits of a single driver design of the IE8 that would be greatly appreciated. 

 

[MKang25]

 
Quote:

I am currently looking to purchase a new pair of IEM's. I am currently looking at the Sennheiser IE8 and the Ulitmate Ears triplefi 10. I have found the Sennheiser IE8 for $230 dollars, which makes me feel like the IE8 might be the better purchase (I made sure that the seller of the IE8 is an authorized dealer because I have heard of fakes). I have also found the triplefi 10 for about $250 ( I do not want to spend for money than the $250). I do, however, have concerns about both IEM's. My first concern is sound isolation. I will be using these earbuds in loud environments (like a gym) so I will need fairly good sound isolation. I also am concerned about the fit mainly on the Ultimate Ears triplefi 10. I, however, like both of these headphones because they have replaceable cables and they seem to get great reviews. I will be listening to a wide variety of music. I mainly listen to Rock, Hip-Hop, Rap, and  Alternative. I will be using these IEM's with my 2nd Generation Ipod touch and my macbook. I would greatly appreciate it if some people left some of there impressions on which pair of IEM  I should get. Also if someone could explain to me the benefits of the triple driver design and some of the benefits of a single driver design of the IE8 that would be greatly appreciated. 

 
More drivers aren't what makes it better. Its how they are programmed and how the crossover works. For example the Orotofon e-Q7 is 1 driver BA IEM that is up there with all the triple driver BA IEMs. The Sennheisers are dynamic drivers Most high end dynamic drivers are all single drivers, the only exception is the Radius DDM (Dual Dynamic Monitor).
 

 

[rawrster]

In terms of isolation the IE8 offers less isolation due to it's design and the TF10 is about average or maybe a bit above average if you can get it to fit properly and varies depending on tips used.

 

[earthpeople]

I would look more towards the TF10s in your case, since the IE8s aren't very good as far as isolation. The TF10s will also do your genres well.
 
Having had both of them myself at the same time, I preferred the IE8s (listen mostly to hip-hop, classical, classic rock), but they are both great IEMs. I don't think you would be disappointed with either of them if this is your first step into higher end IEMs.

 

[IpodHappy]

Since there are so many reviews of these IEMs on this site, I'll just give you some thumbnail sketches of these two:
 
The Triple.Fi 10s have better isolation than the IE8s which aren't completely sealed due to the bass porting screw.  I use Comply tips on both to get the best isolation.
 
The IE8s have better ergonomics than the Triple.Fi 10s since they fit closer to the head and don't have memory wires which I personally don't like.  Both have a fairly large sound nozzle, so if you have tiny ear canals, you might have troubles.
 
The Triple.Fi 10s don't have the bass power of the IE8s.  The Triple.Fi 10s have a much more pronounced high frequency response than the IE8s.  Generally, the Triple.Fi 10s are much more neutral, or naturally balanced, than the IE8s, which are bass heavy.
 
The IE8s have a broader sound stage than the Triple.Fi 10s, but the Triple.Fi 10s are not narrow by any stretch of the imagination.
 
Both can easily be driven by the Ipods.
 
The IE8s have a dynamic driver compared to the Triple.Fi 10s balanced armature drivers.  Since it's hard to cover the entire sound spectrum with one driver, an option is to use drivers optimized for different frequency ranges.  This is what the Triple.Fi 10s do.  They also require a crossover network to split the sound to the different drivers.  The use of multiple drivers can result in phase differences between the frequency ranges.  Some find balanced drivers a bit metallic, or digital sounding, while they find dynamic drivers to sound more natural or analog sounding.  This might be due to different diaphragm distortion signatures when they are driven.  The "digital" vs. "analog" characteristics are minor at most.  You can check these differences out for yourself later if you choose to delve deeper into IEMs.
 

 

[Broncos11]

How bad is the isolation on the IE8 is it about average way below average or what? Also does it make a significant difference and is it much worse than the tripleFi 10's?

 

[jussssss]

simple solution, get a SM3 instead

 

[rawrster]

The isolation on the IE8 isn't bad but it's not great compared to most earphones out there but that's due to the design of the IE8. The TF10 is better when I used sony hybrid tips however those are shallow inserting earphones so it was about average or a bit better than average. However I'm not sure if I had a good fit with the TF10. I had to do the flip mod to get them to stay in my ears without causing too much pain to my ears. They were fine for commute but a bit less than what I was used expecting.

 

[yliu]

Quote:

How bad is the isolation on the IE8 is it about average way below average or what? Also does it make a significant difference and is it much worse than the tripleFi 10's?

Worse than the CX300. You can still hear almost everything. but it's good if ur using it outdoors, so you don't get hit by cars.

 

[j57park]

oh ya IE8 isolation is pretty bad but I actually prefer it a lot of times because it's outdoor-friendly....my shures almost killed me

 

[buster100]

Could you please tell me where did you find the ie8 for $230? i'm thinking about buying them but haven't found a trustworthy source with a good price yet
 
Thanks

 

[mark2410]

both are excellent but if isolation is important to you then you want the triples

 

[beamthegreat]

Quote:

Could you please tell me where did you find the ie8 for $230? i'm thinking about buying them but haven't found a trustworthy source with a good price yet
 
Thanks

+1

 

[dlbernau]

I don't have the IE8's so I can't comment on those but I do have the Triples. Isolation is decent, sound qualty is great, although fit/ergonomics leave a bit to be desired. Even with Comply tips I find the seal a little problematic. They have one , in my mind big advantage, over the Senns. You can get the vi version, which enables you to use the clicker to change tracks. Very handy for the gym in my opinion.

You might also consider the Monster Turbine Pro Golds, especially for the gym. Sound quality is a little inferior to the triples IMHO , but they are much more secure and comfortable if you are going to be using them at the grm. They are also available with Control Talk, which allows track and volume control, and they are within your price range.

Good luck!

 

[scrane]

Since isolation with thr ie8 is poor, and fit with the tf10 is often problematic I think I would try to find a cheap set of Shure 530s.