IEM recommendation for someone new to this hobby
May 29, 2019 at 10:00 AM Post #16 of 43
The thing is the price bracket does not completely quantify the extreme boost in audio quality which you are getting and the Kanas Pro's are truly stellar

And another thing is that a phone and iPod as source are limiting factors as well, especially when you are looking at those higher end IEMs.
You can get great sounding IEMs for $200-300 and save some for a DAP.
HiBy will release a new model, the R5, within this year, which looks very interesting
 
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May 29, 2019 at 2:46 PM Post #18 of 43
Thank you, I think I'll cancel the appointment I made to get my impressions done next week and keep looking on the forums. If I can grab the andromedas for around £600-700. Would that be worth it? Otherwise I'm still eyeing up the Fearless S8F and perhaps the Kanas Pro if I find a good deal on them
Try the Andromeda. If you don't like it, you can always resell it.
What iems are you currently using?
 
May 29, 2019 at 2:57 PM Post #19 of 43
Try the Andromeda. If you don't like it, you can always resell it.
What iems are you currently using?

I'm trying to find somewhere around me where I can demo some of these IEMs out (London UK) but I've not had much luck. I'm visiting a clinic next week which has all of the Custom Art models for demo so I can actually try them out and see what I think.

My current pair is the RHA T20i but they are kind of falling apart after 3 ish years of heavy usage.

Just kind of lost in the choice and world of IEMs currently and unable to decide.
 
May 29, 2019 at 3:29 PM Post #20 of 43
I'm trying to find somewhere around me where I can demo some of these IEMs out (London UK) but I've not had much luck. I'm visiting a clinic next week which has all of the Custom Art models for demo so I can actually try them out and see what I think.

My current pair is the RHA T20i but they are kind of falling apart after 3 ish years of heavy usage.

Just kind of lost in the choice and world of IEMs currently and unable to decide.
I had the RHA t20, loved em. They are very underrated dynamic driver iems.
I am currently using the RHA CL2.
stay with dynamic drivers, you might not like Balanced Armature drivers, they can sound weird if you are not used to them. Try looking into a used Campfire Vega or Atlas. I'll send some more suggestions in a bit. Give me till tomorrow.
 
May 29, 2019 at 4:00 PM Post #21 of 43
I had the RHA t20, loved em. They are very underrated dynamic driver iems.
I am currently using the RHA CL2.
stay with dynamic drivers, you might not like Balanced Armature drivers, they can sound weird if you are not used to them. Try looking into a used Campfire Vega or Atlas. I'll send some more suggestions in a bit. Give me till tomorrow.

Absolute lifesaver, thanks so much. Looking forward to these suggestions. My budget is probably maxed out at around £700. After doing a bit more digging into terms and descriptions of sound signatures I can safely say I enjoy a warm signature that has an enveloping sound. But I still want the overall quality to be balanced and not skew into V shaped territory. That's a starter at least. I'll try to define my tastes more tonight as I research more.
 
May 29, 2019 at 4:20 PM Post #22 of 43
Absolute lifesaver, thanks so much. Looking forward to these suggestions. My budget is probably maxed out at around £700. After doing a bit more digging into terms and descriptions of sound signatures I can safely say I enjoy a warm signature that has an enveloping sound. But I still want the overall quality to be balanced and not skew into V shaped territory. That's a starter at least. I'll try to define my tastes more tonight as I research more.

The AK T8iE should be a perfect match for that description.
I'll have mine Monday or Tuesday and report.
 
May 29, 2019 at 4:45 PM Post #23 of 43
The AK T8iE should be a perfect match for that description.
I'll have mine Monday or Tuesday and report.
Much appreciated as well, took a quick look at the ones you suggested. They look alright but seem a tad bit out of price range. Maybe if I can find a good deal 2nd hand. Really eyeing up some campfire models though.
 
May 29, 2019 at 5:28 PM Post #24 of 43
with commute I think sealed designs and comfort before any consideration of sound. even more so if you spend hours that way. a good seal means listening at lower level and it's a real win in the long run in term of fatigue and ear damage. it's also a pretty easy improvement on fidelity to just lower massive background noises.

when I travel it's with cheap Etymotic stuff or with the some old Shure SE215. Etys are all brain probes and some people just don't have the ear canal to handle the deep insertion needed for pretty balanced sound and great isolation. the Shure stuff have the annoying wired cable on the part that goes over the ear. again, some people like that, some can't stand it. so comfort is a subjective notion. I still have an old pair of custom IEMs but I never use them on long trips, other people will tell you the opposite perhaps, but they take more place, I'm always afraid to put them down and forget them, or drop them(it's strange how a price increase seems to change the laws of physics and make me think that any choc is a big dangerous one^_^). I just can't have peace of mind when I put my customs aside even for a second. but I guess that's me.

about preferences in sound or actual fidelity, again, with a noisy environment we're really discussing homeopathic fidelity. whatever quality gear you use, most of it is wasted in a noisy place. IMO a nice EQ, maybe some DSP you enjoy, and most IEMs can become fun. the main drawback of strong isolation is that in most cases, the bass will kind of suck. I love a good dynamic driver rumbling real low, but this is something I give up when commuting because isolation is just more important to me(basically I love my ears more than I love good loud music on a train).
 
May 29, 2019 at 5:39 PM Post #25 of 43
I listen to the RHA CL2 while driving my car, and the windows rolled down, with almost zero loss of details or bass.
I would have recommended that iem, but it needs a good DAP and a decent aftermarket cable to sound it's best. $$$$
I had the Vega, and isolation was really nice, I don't think commuting and outside noise would be an issue. Atlas is in the same ballpark, and is very isolating. The AKt8ie and Xelento have very poor isolation, as the nozzles are very short, so I would cross that off the list.
Spiral dots are great isolating ear tips, they are my go to with almost every iem that they fit on, and I would really recommend them here.
The good thing about buying used is that you can try these iems (at a substantial discount), and not lose very much money if you turn around and sell it.
 
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May 29, 2019 at 6:39 PM Post #26 of 43
I listen to the RHA CL2 while driving my car, and the windows rolled down, with almost zero loss of details or bass.
I would have recommended that iem, but it needs a good DAP and a decent aftermarket cable to sound it's best. $$$$
I had the Vega, and isolation was really nice, I don't think commuting and outside noise would be an issue. Atlas is in the same ballpark, and is very isolating. The AKt8ie and Xelento have very poor isolation, as the nozzles are very short, so I would cross that off the list.
Spiral dots are great isolating ear tips, they are my go to with almost every iem that they fit on, and I would really recommend them here.
The good thing about buying used is that you can try these iems (at a substantial discount), and not lose very much money if you turn around and sell it.

I'm starting to hard lean towards the Vega. Seems like everything I want in an IEM.
 
May 29, 2019 at 6:44 PM Post #27 of 43
The AKt8ie and Xelento have very poor isolation, as the nozzles are very short, so I would cross that off the list.
Is this first hand experience or an assumption? I heard they are better insulating than the Andromeda, much more comfortable and on a similar level in SQ...
Spiral dots are great! Also my favorites for concha fit.
Spinfits are another tip that works very well for me
 
May 29, 2019 at 6:52 PM Post #28 of 43
Is this first hand experience or an assumption? I heard they are better insulating than the Andromeda, much more comfortable and on a similar level in SQ...
Spiral dots are great! Also my favorites for concha fit.
Spinfits are another tip that works very well for me
First hand. I have listened to the xelento, and it is not very isolating, comfortable yes, but not isolating. The AKT8ie is a better headphone than the xelento, but design is the same. (People who I trust and have heard both the xelento and the AKT8IE, much preferred the tuning of the T8ie)
Add: Xelento to my ears just sounded shrill, and tubby.
 
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May 29, 2019 at 6:54 PM Post #29 of 43
I'm starting to hard lean towards the Vega. Seems like everything I want in an IEM.
Vega is a very nice iem, you won't go wrong with that one.
Down the road, maybe you might wanna invest in a decent DAP, I would be very happy even if the Vega was my only earphone.
 
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May 29, 2019 at 7:57 PM Post #30 of 43
Vega is a very nice iem, you won't go wrong with that one.
Down the road, maybe you might wanna invest in a decent DAP, I would be very happy even if the Vega was my only earphone.

I absolutely plan on getting a great DAP to go with it, just currently I need the IEM far more. I can probably get the DAP in about a month or two. Would the Vega be driven well enough by my phone (S9+)/iPod?
 

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