[eltebe]

Hey!
 
I need an advice. I owned so far Etymotic er6i + phonak audeo 112. Due to no replacement accessories unavailable at reasonable price in Poland I sold er6i. Phonak didn't fit so well. In er6i I was using triple flange small ones and even that was a tight fit if inserted deeper. My right ear canal is slightly smaller then left one. Now I want to go back to IEM world since SHR840 is not portable in any way and ath-ad700 are open . I use d2 with d2+ FW and don't plan to change player in near future.
 
I was considering hf5 or UE tripple.fi 10(70-200GBP). I've read that fitting UE can be problematic. Customs are rather out of my budged and can't buy any in Poland except Westone maybe at 2/3x my budget. I like clear natural sound without artificially boosted lows. I need good noise isolation as i travel in noisy environments and that's when i will use it the most.
When it comes to music i listen to anything from Einaudi to Katatonia . I don't like hip hop/rap, dance/techno/etc.
 
Thanks in advance
eltebe

 

[yello131]

For clear and natural sound look at ortofon e-Q5
Ortofons are new IEM made by Japanese Ortofon in Japan. (among few IEMs which are still made in Japan)
Here is a recent review from a fellow head -fier 
http://anythingbutipod.com/2011/01/ortofon-e-q5-review/
 
or read James444 comparison review on E-Q5, E-q7, FA SB and SS ....

 

[kingpintps]

Audio Technica CK10. They would fit nicely in your budget and offer great sound with exceptional build quality - as said by yello131 - Ortofon e-Q5 is another good option.

 

[eltebe]

I would like to avoid importing accessories (filters/ear tips) after 1 or 2 years of usage(I suppose thats how long new should last).
I take care of my audio gear. As an example I still use original sticker on screen as protector and I bought my D2 like 3 years ago.
But filters get dirty even if you clean your ears every day with time. If i find shop where I can order both phones and replacement accessories I might give it a try though.
There is an option of selling used ones and buying new ones in place as i think of it after 1 or 2 years.
 
I contacted one shop where there is an option of testing those phones:
ATH-CK10
SE425
IE8
 
and SE535, but that is over my budget i think, unless you think it will beat all above in both worlds(isolation,sound quality)

 

[yello131]

Get in contact with dimitri from Musica Acoustics. He offers competitive prices and ships worldwide with good after service support so if you need accessories it will be easy to get them through his shop..
www.musicaAcoustics.com

 

[kingpintps]

^ +1 Dimitri  is wonderful to deal with. You can email him about your requirement and he will send you all the details. Highly recommended unless you can find them at a better price locally.

I have compared both the 425 and CK10 and prefer the sound of CK10 a lot more..I have a preference for slightly sparkly treble..and in the case of 425 the top-end is rolls off quite a lot. Similar case with 535. I wouldn't pick either of the Shures over the CK10 or for that matter even the e-Q5 (based on reading only). 

My suggestion would be to try out the 3 you listed above and then decide on your own. There is no one that can predict the kind of sound you would like and be 100% sure about it. But yeah, the additional cost of the 535 should be worth the difference over CK10 or 425.

In terms of build quality none of the ones listed here can beat the CK10. It's quite a pleasure to own such a high quality Japan made hardware.

 

[eltebe]

I saw that it is possible to use ath-ck10 with shure tripple flange tips.
How do they compare to etymotic small ones anyone know?
Did anyone try some triple/double flange with e-Q5 and how big are those compared to ety small ones?
I loved er6i triple flange tips small but they required replacement and the new ones+filters+postal fee gave more then the used er6i were worth so i sold them.

 

[james444]

Hi eltebe, I wouldn't recommend the Ortofons for your small ears and neither the Final Audios because you need good isolation. I think your best bet would be the CK10 which are smaller and easier to fit, plus they offer decent isolation.

 

[eltebe]

It's not the problem with ears(i would say normal/average) rather ear canals
I visited shop I mentioned  before. They told they can break seal only if i buy it that day so I decided to hold on and check only opened ath-ck10.
basically ck10 even with S olives felt like they want to jump off in a second.
Only option to insert those quite firmly was over the ear otherwise olives didnt reach canal well
I ordered shure tripple flange to check those with ck10.
Maybe 2 years with er6i has something to do with it but I know now that only option are IEM's with tripple flange.
I don't mind deep insertion as long as it takes some effort to take it out and isolates outer sounds on high level.
 
 

 

[james444]

Ok, I meant ear canals when I said ears. Well I think the CK10 are designed to be worn over ears. One more thing you can try is put the olives onto the nozzle reversed, with the wider side to the front. That method gave me the firmest seal when I had the Atrios. Just a suggestion.