jjb3
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2010
- Posts
- 296
- Likes
- 151
I am a budding audiophile with a dark past. I knew good sound in my car. Not the trunk-shaking, tacky sound in most cars. Rather, the custom audio found in higher-end vehicles (think Bentley) and reserved for those with crazy-high credit card limits. Yes, I used to have a rather complex in-car stereo setup - it was balanced, had great separation and clarity, and met all my needs. But then I got married, and not to mention someone broke into my car twice in the same week. Needless to say, the equipment was sent on down the road. I sold it with the car (sad, sad day). I have now found, over the last 2 years, a new love in IEMs. I am intrigued by the technology in such small packages and the sound that can be produced from these things. To date, I have been through a list of them, and have a few loyal standbys. I started at the lower-end, and am slowing working my way to the higher-end, the idea being that I learn each brand's trademark sound and then decide exactly which high-end model is best for me (very scientific). So far, I am in the midrange IEMs. I offer the following short reviews based on what I have learned in my new romance.
1. Sound is personal. Don't let anyone (other than an audio engineer) tell you otherwise. You have to learn what you like. I used to be a basshead, but have become more refined and now appreciate a more balanced sound. I still appreciate bass. I know this about myself and keep this in mind as I shop.
2. You will never find a perfect IEM for you, especially if you love music, and love all music. Each IEM brand and each IEM has different characteristics, making each special. I have several because depending on my mood, one may fit better than another.
3. Do your research for a long time. Learn about acoustic characteristics, what the Hertz scale is, and how it all relates. Learn to read a frequency response graph. It will help you predict what a headphone will sound like and make shopping more enjoyable and fruitful.
4. Read reviews, like mine:
Shure. My first expensive IEM were the Shure E3s. I returned them the next day. Shure tends to skimp on the bass, at least to bassheads. While the mids and treble are accurate, the lack of bass (comparatively) makes for a hollow sound if you are used to a lot of bass. The only Shure I would ever consider now is the SE535. I understand it to be balanced, if not somewhat bass favoring.
UE. Then I got the UE Super.fi 5 Pros. I returned them a week later. Much better bass response than the Shures, but still too little for my tastes at the time. I wanted club-pounding bass. Yes, you can get that in an IEM with hard work and some imagination. The 5s were much more balanced and pleasant than the Shures. The highs were not as sharp and piercing as the Shures.
I then found my first love, the 5EBs. They are bass monsters. And yes, I believe in burn in, or the process whereby speakers loosen and break in. I have read that these EBs need anywhere from 50-200hrs of break in. I am at approx. 70hrs and there is a marked change in the sound. At first, the bass was bloated and bottom heavy with no real clarity. Now, the upper bass punches, and the lower bass is deep and even. The phones are still very muddy at times (mids and treble blend into and are overpowered by the bass) but usually pleasant on rap and trance tracks. However, the phones are not as 'fun' and have a flat feeling--there is not a deep soundstage and they sound very 2 dimensional. Overall, a good IEM for bassheads. I have read that there are better ones out there that preserve more clarity in the upper ranges, such as the Monster Turbine Pro Golds. I have not tried them, though. I am happy with the EBs as my only bass ogre.
Bose. I generally like Bose car audio and computer speakers but that's about it. I had their IEMs and returned them. No clarity, very muddy, bass heavy but in a bad way. Not worth the money in the case of their IEMs.
Sennheiser. Get the Sennheiser CX400-II before any Bose IEM. Cheaper, and bass is more controlled. At times it distorts, but not often. Mids and highs are very pleasant, and has a deeper soundstage than UE. I had the CX300-II but returned them for the 400s because I was not happy with the lack of clarity in the 300s. True, the 300s seem to have a bit more bass presence, but the 400s are clearer and still have a lot of bass (no where near the 5EBs, mind you). The 400s are fun IEMs and I really enjoy listening to them.
Klipsch. Not a fan of their home audio as it favors the upper end of the spectrum (not enough bass for me) but I do like their S4s. I like them as much as the Sennheiser 400s but for different reasons. The bass is a bit stronger and more present and better defined than in the Sennheiser 400s, but the mids and treble are clearer. They do not sound as deep of a soundstage as the Sennheisers, and are not as dynamic feeling, but are fun IEMs for casual listening. I recommend these over the 400s if you want more clarity and separation. For a funner and more dynamic listen, go with the Sennheiser 400s.
Denon. I have always respected the name, but never owned a product. The 710s are definitily a solid IEM. A lot of bass-very deep and detailed. Not as much bass as the UEs (about 25% less by my ears) but much tighter. I imagine the difference between the UEs and the 710s is the differene between a 12 inch sub and a 10 inch sub. The latter is tighter and punchier, but lacks resonance. The former could be sloppy at times, but is definitely broader, but less detailed. I prefer the 710s over the EBs for bass listening. The 710s have great mid definition, and treble is good. Not much if any bleed over even though still a bass heavy IEM. Plus, I like the very short cord on the 710s.
Westone. I impulsively got the UM2s after debating whether to get the UM1s or the Klipsch S4. I obviously got the S4s and not the UM1s. And I am not sorry. The S4s are great, but the UM2s are stellar. A good seal is key, but once you get it, wow. This is the most fun I have had since my car. Excellent separation, bass is only half as deep as the 710s, but is so well placed and well defined that it is al you need. The vocals are amazing, and the highs are not too piercing like I found in the Shures. I am regretting not getting the UM3Xs. These are so good I would pay an extra $100 for the chance that the UM3Xs were just as good, if not better. The soundstage is amazing and the deepest of all my IEMs. The separation is amazing. I cannot say it enough. Plus, they are so dynamic that I want to get up and dance. I could not stop smiling for hours after my first listen. Pricey, but worth it for fun listening.
My next purchase is going to be something on par with the UM2s. I may just go straight for the UM3Xs and be done with my quest. But that's no fun, so I will likely explore a bit more before becoming brand loyal. I want to try the Sennheiser IE7s as I understand them to be bass heavy but still a detailed listen. I am also in love with the UE10s because of their marketing, if nothing else.
If anyone has any suggestions on a UM2 - level IEM let me know. I am having fun exploring so don't want to go straight for the top end quite yet. I'd like to play with some more phones in the $200-300 range before dropping $400-500.
1. Sound is personal. Don't let anyone (other than an audio engineer) tell you otherwise. You have to learn what you like. I used to be a basshead, but have become more refined and now appreciate a more balanced sound. I still appreciate bass. I know this about myself and keep this in mind as I shop.
2. You will never find a perfect IEM for you, especially if you love music, and love all music. Each IEM brand and each IEM has different characteristics, making each special. I have several because depending on my mood, one may fit better than another.
3. Do your research for a long time. Learn about acoustic characteristics, what the Hertz scale is, and how it all relates. Learn to read a frequency response graph. It will help you predict what a headphone will sound like and make shopping more enjoyable and fruitful.
4. Read reviews, like mine:
Shure. My first expensive IEM were the Shure E3s. I returned them the next day. Shure tends to skimp on the bass, at least to bassheads. While the mids and treble are accurate, the lack of bass (comparatively) makes for a hollow sound if you are used to a lot of bass. The only Shure I would ever consider now is the SE535. I understand it to be balanced, if not somewhat bass favoring.
UE. Then I got the UE Super.fi 5 Pros. I returned them a week later. Much better bass response than the Shures, but still too little for my tastes at the time. I wanted club-pounding bass. Yes, you can get that in an IEM with hard work and some imagination. The 5s were much more balanced and pleasant than the Shures. The highs were not as sharp and piercing as the Shures.
I then found my first love, the 5EBs. They are bass monsters. And yes, I believe in burn in, or the process whereby speakers loosen and break in. I have read that these EBs need anywhere from 50-200hrs of break in. I am at approx. 70hrs and there is a marked change in the sound. At first, the bass was bloated and bottom heavy with no real clarity. Now, the upper bass punches, and the lower bass is deep and even. The phones are still very muddy at times (mids and treble blend into and are overpowered by the bass) but usually pleasant on rap and trance tracks. However, the phones are not as 'fun' and have a flat feeling--there is not a deep soundstage and they sound very 2 dimensional. Overall, a good IEM for bassheads. I have read that there are better ones out there that preserve more clarity in the upper ranges, such as the Monster Turbine Pro Golds. I have not tried them, though. I am happy with the EBs as my only bass ogre.
Bose. I generally like Bose car audio and computer speakers but that's about it. I had their IEMs and returned them. No clarity, very muddy, bass heavy but in a bad way. Not worth the money in the case of their IEMs.
Sennheiser. Get the Sennheiser CX400-II before any Bose IEM. Cheaper, and bass is more controlled. At times it distorts, but not often. Mids and highs are very pleasant, and has a deeper soundstage than UE. I had the CX300-II but returned them for the 400s because I was not happy with the lack of clarity in the 300s. True, the 300s seem to have a bit more bass presence, but the 400s are clearer and still have a lot of bass (no where near the 5EBs, mind you). The 400s are fun IEMs and I really enjoy listening to them.
Klipsch. Not a fan of their home audio as it favors the upper end of the spectrum (not enough bass for me) but I do like their S4s. I like them as much as the Sennheiser 400s but for different reasons. The bass is a bit stronger and more present and better defined than in the Sennheiser 400s, but the mids and treble are clearer. They do not sound as deep of a soundstage as the Sennheisers, and are not as dynamic feeling, but are fun IEMs for casual listening. I recommend these over the 400s if you want more clarity and separation. For a funner and more dynamic listen, go with the Sennheiser 400s.
Denon. I have always respected the name, but never owned a product. The 710s are definitily a solid IEM. A lot of bass-very deep and detailed. Not as much bass as the UEs (about 25% less by my ears) but much tighter. I imagine the difference between the UEs and the 710s is the differene between a 12 inch sub and a 10 inch sub. The latter is tighter and punchier, but lacks resonance. The former could be sloppy at times, but is definitely broader, but less detailed. I prefer the 710s over the EBs for bass listening. The 710s have great mid definition, and treble is good. Not much if any bleed over even though still a bass heavy IEM. Plus, I like the very short cord on the 710s.
Westone. I impulsively got the UM2s after debating whether to get the UM1s or the Klipsch S4. I obviously got the S4s and not the UM1s. And I am not sorry. The S4s are great, but the UM2s are stellar. A good seal is key, but once you get it, wow. This is the most fun I have had since my car. Excellent separation, bass is only half as deep as the 710s, but is so well placed and well defined that it is al you need. The vocals are amazing, and the highs are not too piercing like I found in the Shures. I am regretting not getting the UM3Xs. These are so good I would pay an extra $100 for the chance that the UM3Xs were just as good, if not better. The soundstage is amazing and the deepest of all my IEMs. The separation is amazing. I cannot say it enough. Plus, they are so dynamic that I want to get up and dance. I could not stop smiling for hours after my first listen. Pricey, but worth it for fun listening.
My next purchase is going to be something on par with the UM2s. I may just go straight for the UM3Xs and be done with my quest. But that's no fun, so I will likely explore a bit more before becoming brand loyal. I want to try the Sennheiser IE7s as I understand them to be bass heavy but still a detailed listen. I am also in love with the UE10s because of their marketing, if nothing else.
If anyone has any suggestions on a UM2 - level IEM let me know. I am having fun exploring so don't want to go straight for the top end quite yet. I'd like to play with some more phones in the $200-300 range before dropping $400-500.
