[rd5rdm]

Hello everyone,

I have been trying to find a good set of IEM's to use with my Iphone 11 & ES100 at work. I have gone through a few IEM's (FA E2000, PA Be, Sony N3AP) to find that I am treble sensitive. I bought these IEM's based on good reviews (with slight V or Neutral with Bass Boost signature) but would find the signature a bit harsh for my taste (metallic, sibilant, harsh etc). I did not even know I was treble sensitive until I hated the iems that have gotten so much love.

So I am looking for iem recommendations for treble sensitive people like me. I see few threads on headphones but not on iems. Not sure if there is such a case but would like iem with laid back treble but still have good clarity, instrument separation and above average sound stage. I tried E4000 and I did not find it harsh for my liking except it would not do well with lot of instruments put together, it lacked separation and soundstage so it came off as congested ??

Any recommendations are greatly appreciated,

Budget ~$300
Music I like - Indian Music (lot of instruments)equivalent to Jazz, Pop, & Acoustic.

Thanks !

 

[theveterans]

Shure SE 215 or if you can get a used 846 or SE 535. They are definitely relaxed on the treble and should never give you listening fatigue

 

[kukkurovaca]

Hello everyone,

I have been trying to find a good set of IEM's to use with my Iphone 11 & ES100 at work. I have gone through a few IEM's (FA E2000, PA Be, Sony N3AP) to find that I am treble sensitive. I bought these IEM's based on good reviews (with slight V or Neutral with Bass Boost signature) but would find the signature a bit harsh for my taste (metallic, sibilant, harsh etc). I did not even know I was treble sensitive until I hated the iems that have gotten so much love.

So I am looking for iem recommendations for treble sensitive people like me. I see few threads on headphones but not on iems. Not sure if there is such a case but would like iem with laid back treble but still have good clarity, instrument separation and above average sound stage. I tried E4000 and I did not find it harsh for my liking except it would not do well with lot of instruments put together, it lacked separation and soundstage so it came off as congested ??

Any recommendations are greatly appreciated,

Budget ~$300
Music I like - Indian Music (lot of instruments)equivalent to Jazz, Pop, & Acoustic.

Thanks !

Since you have the ES100 you may want to try by experimenting with EQ on the IEMs you have now. The ES100’s EQ works great and is pretty easy to use. Best case, you don’t need to buy anything, but even if you decide you still need new IEMs you may be able to better quantify what you’re looking for.

My personal warm/dark L-shaped IEM is the Advanced Sound GT3 Superbass, but they might actually be too dark.

 

[joshnor713]

+1 on the SE846, if you can find a used one close to that budget. Has a slight roll-off in the treble. I have the same treble-sensitivity problem and it's my favorite IEM (for other reasons too - strong bass and lush mids).

 

[baskingshark]

Hello everyone,

I have been trying to find a good set of IEM's to use with my Iphone 11 & ES100 at work. I have gone through a few IEM's (FA E2000, PA Be, Sony N3AP) to find that I am treble sensitive. I bought these IEM's based on good reviews (with slight V or Neutral with Bass Boost signature) but would find the signature a bit harsh for my taste (metallic, sibilant, harsh etc). I did not even know I was treble sensitive until I hated the iems that have gotten so much love.

So I am looking for iem recommendations for treble sensitive people like me. I see few threads on headphones but not on iems. Not sure if there is such a case but would like iem with laid back treble but still have good clarity, instrument separation and above average sound stage. I tried E4000 and I did not find it harsh for my liking except it would not do well with lot of instruments put together, it lacked separation and soundstage so it came off as congested ??

Any recommendations are greatly appreciated,

Budget ~$300
Music I like - Indian Music (lot of instruments)equivalent to Jazz, Pop, & Acoustic.

Thanks !

Hi, my main genres I listen to are jazz and acoustic and instrumental, so I hope I can give some advise. I personally prefer a single DD type IEM for these genres, due to their better timbre and natural/coherent sound compared to the multi BA sets. Definitely the multi BA sets may win in terms of clarity and instrument separation, but some of them have an artificial timbre for acoustic instruments, so it really depends on what u prefer.

I can recommend 2 single DD sets that I use daily for such genres, that are very budget friendly and are not harsh on the treble:
1) Tonekine Nine tails - retails ~80ish USD during sales, usually 90 - 100 USD. Has 9 customizable tuning filter options, to give anything from basshead to V shaped to neutralish sound profile. Very good tonality and timbre. Soundstage is wide for an IEM, but won't beat open backed headphones of course. Isolation is a bit lacking. The design looks weird but it is very comfortable and I can use it for hours on end. Clarity and details and instrument separation are one of the better ones in a single DD IEM, but it won't beat multi BA/hybrids in this area.

2) BLON BL-03 - the latest hypetrain in the headfi CHIFI thread. Retails $28 USD. Has the best timbre and tonality I have heard so far in an IEM (after owning or auditioning 30+ IEMs in the past 15 years). It is excellent for jazz, classical and acoustic. Tuned to the harman curve. Isolation, details, clarity and instrument separation are not the best, but I feel it is worth a punt at the cheap price. Some headfiers say it is not too far away in sound quality from more expensive sets like the JVC HA FDX01 and Moondrop KXXS, at a fraction of the price.

I have a 5 all BA knowles set, the Hisenior B5+, retails about $80 USD, it has good instrument separation, clarity, imaging, details. Timbre is good for an all BA set and it is very mid centric, good for vocals, acoustic, jazz, instrumental. Bass and treble have roll off. But it takes to EQ well, so u can boost the bass for bass forward music. Isolation is good.

All these sets have good timbre/tonality with no fatigue or harsh treble and are not harsh on the budget too. Hope u find what u are looking for!

 

[rd5rdm]

Shure SE 215 or if you can get a used 846 or SE 535. They are definitely relaxed on the treble and should never give you listening fatigue

thanks for the feedback, but both 535 and 846 are out of my budget . I have considered them in the past but you gotta stick to your budget no matter the temptation. I feel 846 might fit my needs but maybe for another day.

Since you have the ES100 you may want to try by experimenting with EQ on the IEMs you have now. The ES100’s EQ works great and is pretty easy to use. Best case, you don’t need to buy anything, but even if you decide you still need new IEMs you may be able to better quantify what you’re looking for.

My personal warm/dark L-shaped IEM is the Advanced Sound GT3 Superbass, but they might actually be too dark.

Thanks for your input. I did EQ quite bit on N3ap 5-8db on 4K and 8k peaks to get to something I liked. Since I can still return N3, I’d rather get something that I don’t need to EQ all the time. Also I’d like to be able to just take my phone and iem’s out sometimes without the amp.

+1 on the SE846, if you can find a used one close to that budget. Has a slight roll-off in the treble. I have the same treble-sensitivity problem and it's my favorite IEM (for other reasons too - strong bass and lush mids).

I’ll keep an eye out but don’t want to spent more than my budget which is already extended beyond when I started.

Hi, my main genres I listen to are jazz and acoustic and instrumental, so I hope I can give some advise. I personally prefer a single DD type IEM for these genres, due to their better timbre and natural/coherent sound compared to the multi BA sets. Definitely the multi BA sets may win in terms of clarity and instrument separation, but some of them have an artificial timbre for acoustic instruments, so it really depends on what u prefer.

I can recommend 2 single DD sets that I use daily for such genres, that are very budget friendly and are not harsh on the treble:
1) Tonekine Nine tails - retails ~80ish USD during sales, usually 90 - 100 USD. Has 9 customizable tuning filter options, to give anything from basshead to V shaped to neutralish sound profile. Very good tonality and timbre. Soundstage is wide for an IEM, but won't beat open backed headphones of course. Isolation is a bit lacking. The design looks weird but it is very comfortable and I can use it for hours on end. Clarity and details and instrument separation are one of the better ones in a single DD IEM, but it won't beat multi BA/hybrids in this area.

2) BLON BL-03 - the latest hypetrain in the headfi CHIFI thread. Retails $28 USD. Has the best timbre and tonality I have heard so far in an IEM (after owning or auditioning 30+ IEMs in the past 15 years). It is excellent for jazz, classical and acoustic. Tuned to the harman curve. Isolation, details, clarity and instrument separation are not the best, but I feel it is worth a punt at the cheap price. Some headfiers say it is not too far away in sound quality from more expensive sets like the JVC HA FDX01 and Moondrop KXXS, at a fraction of the price.

I have a 5 all BA knowles set, the Hisenior B5+, retails about $80 USD, it has good instrument separation, clarity, imaging, details. Timbre is good for an all BA set and it is very mid centric, good for vocals, acoustic, jazz, instrumental. Bass and treble have roll off. But it takes to EQ well, so u can boost the bass for bass forward music. Isolation is good.

All these sets have good timbre/tonality with no fatigue or harsh treble and are not harsh on the budget too. Hope u find what u are looking for!

Hi, my main genres I listen to are jazz and acoustic and instrumental, so I hope I can give some advise. I personally prefer a single DD type IEM for these genres, due to their better timbre and natural/coherent sound compared to the multi BA sets. Definitely the multi BA sets may win in terms of clarity and instrument separation, but some of them have an artificial timbre for acoustic instruments, so it really depends on what u prefer.

I can recommend 2 single DD sets that I use daily for such genres, that are very budget friendly and are not harsh on the treble:
1) Tonekine Nine tails - retails ~80ish USD during sales, usually 90 - 100 USD. Has 9 customizable tuning filter options, to give anything from basshead to V shaped to neutralish sound profile. Very good tonality and timbre. Soundstage is wide for an IEM, but won't beat open backed headphones of course. Isolation is a bit lacking. The design looks weird but it is very comfortable and I can use it for hours on end. Clarity and details and instrument separation are one of the better ones in a single DD IEM, but it won't beat multi BA/hybrids in this area.

2) BLON BL-03 - the latest hypetrain in the headfi CHIFI thread. Retails $28 USD. Has the best timbre and tonality I have heard so far in an IEM (after owning or auditioning 30+ IEMs in the past 15 years). It is excellent for jazz, classical and acoustic. Tuned to the harman curve. Isolation, details, clarity and instrument separation are not the best, but I feel it is worth a punt at the cheap price. Some headfiers say it is not too far away in sound quality from more expensive sets like the JVC HA FDX01 and Moondrop KXXS, at a fraction of the price.

I have a 5 all BA knowles set, the Hisenior B5+, retails about $80 USD, it has good instrument separation, clarity, imaging, details. Timbre is good for an all BA set and it is very mid centric, good for vocals, acoustic, jazz, instrumental. Bass and treble have roll off. But it takes to EQ well, so u can boost the bass for bass forward music. Isolation is good.

All these sets have good timbre/tonality with no fatigue or harsh treble and are not harsh on the budget too. Hope u find what u are looking for!

thanks for your detailed reply. I had my eyes set on blon anyways but I fear I’ll find it harsh. I also find Harman curve quite harsh, I have Sony MH755 and N3ap at the moment and both need EQing for me

as an update I just received final audio E5000, and I have really liked them so far. I was quite worried about not being sensitive enough to be driven off iPhone 11 with the dongle but that $9 thing that Apple made is quite phenomenal. It drove the 5000 well at volume levels I like with Enough headroom, not to mention es100 has balanced and 2x current modes for the times I am at work. I believe I’m gonna end my search with 5000 for now and enjoy the warm, soothing, lush yet subtly detailed sound they put out. I have liked them well with vocals, acoustics and Jazz. THIS combined with the comfort level (best I have experiences so far), ability to use them worn down is an unbeatable combination. They literally disappear in my ears and make me disappear in them . The FR curve for these are look close to shure 846, so that might be something to look into later.

I really appreciate your guys inputs, happy listening !

 

[rd5rdm]

Hi, my main genres I listen to are jazz and acoustic and instrumental, so I hope I can give some advise. I personally prefer a single DD type IEM for these genres, due to their better timbre and natural/coherent sound compared to the multi BA sets. Definitely the multi BA sets may win in terms of clarity and instrument separation, but some of them have an artificial timbre for acoustic instruments, so it really depends on what u prefer.

I can recommend 2 single DD sets that I use daily for such genres, that are very budget friendly and are not harsh on the treble:
1) Tonekine Nine tails - retails ~80ish USD during sales, usually 90 - 100 USD. Has 9 customizable tuning filter options, to give anything from basshead to V shaped to neutralish sound profile. Very good tonality and timbre. Soundstage is wide for an IEM, but won't beat open backed headphones of course. Isolation is a bit lacking. The design looks weird but it is very comfortable and I can use it for hours on end. Clarity and details and instrument separation are one of the better ones in a single DD IEM, but it won't beat multi BA/hybrids in this area.

2) BLON BL-03 - the latest hypetrain in the headfi CHIFI thread. Retails $28 USD. Has the best timbre and tonality I have heard so far in an IEM (after owning or auditioning 30+ IEMs in the past 15 years). It is excellent for jazz, classical and acoustic. Tuned to the harman curve. Isolation, details, clarity and instrument separation are not the best, but I feel it is worth a punt at the cheap price. Some headfiers say it is not too far away in sound quality from more expensive sets like the JVC HA FDX01 and Moondrop KXXS, at a fraction of the price.

I have a 5 all BA knowles set, the Hisenior B5+, retails about $80 USD, it has good instrument separation, clarity, imaging, details. Timbre is good for an all BA set and it is very mid centric, good for vocals, acoustic, jazz, instrumental. Bass and treble have roll off. But it takes to EQ well, so u can boost the bass for bass forward music. Isolation is good.

All these sets have good timbre/tonality with no fatigue or harsh treble and are not harsh on the budget too. Hope u find what u are looking for!

i cant seem to find any Hisenior B+ on aliexpress. Is there any link to it ?

 

[baskingshark]

i cant seem to find any Hisenior B+ on aliexpress. Is there any link to it ?

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32799766077.html

I wrote a small amateur review for it on headfi if u are interested: https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/hisenior-b5.23688/reviews#review-22637

There's a huge aliexpress sale coming up on 11/11 if u can wait, chances are it will be even cheaper.
I found that if you use the aliexpress app, most products are cheaper than from desktop version; and if u follow certain stores on aliexpress, they do give a fan exclusive discount on their products.

The Hisenior company has inhouse audio engineers and their rep says they can actually tune their IEMs for u depending on your preferred sound signature at no additional cost. And they can even do custom shells for u if u require.

Do note this IEM's nozzle is slightly short, so some folks may need longer eartips than the stock ones for a better fit/seal. I use spinfits with my Hisenior B5+ and am actually listening to them now as I'm typing this.

 

[rd5rdm]

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32799766077.html

I wrote a small amateur review for it on headfi if u are interested: https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/hisenior-b5.23688/reviews#review-22637

There's a huge aliexpress sale coming up on 11/11 if u can wait, chances are it will be even cheaper.
I found that if you use the aliexpress app, most products are cheaper than from desktop version; and if u follow certain stores on aliexpress, they do give a fan exclusive discount, including this IEM actually.

The Hisenior company has inhouse audio engineers and their rep says they can actually tune their IEMs for u depending on your preferred sound signature at no additional cost. And they can even do custom shells for u if u require.

Do note this IEM's nozzle is slightly short, so some folks may need longer eartips than the stock ones for a better fit/seal. I use spinfits with my Hisenior B5+ and am actually listening to them now as I'm typing this.

I am actually looking to purchase it during the sale . I settled on final 4000 and would like BA IEM as a second set to hopefully complement what E4000 struggles with as times.

Is B5 same as B5+ ? Also have you measured the nozzle diameter ? I have smallish ears, while the length of the nozzle is not a concern for me, diameter is.

Any place I can find the FR curve for these ?

thanks !

 

[baskingshark]

I am actually looking to purchase it during the sale . I settled on final 4000 and would like BA IEM as a second set to hopefully complement what E4000 struggles with as times.

Is B5 same as B5+ ? Also have you measured the nozzle diameter ? I have smallish ears, while the length of the nozzle is not a concern for me, diameter is.

thanks !

B5 is same as B5+, that's what their rep told me. I just measured diameter of nozzle and it is 4 mm.

The B5+ is quite a polarizing IEM due to the tuning, those that like bass forward music like EDM may find it boring.
I actually am a basshead and I EQ my subbass and bass up a few dB and the B5+'s perfect for me.
If u like vocals, especially male vocals, jazz and acoustic, this set is splendid IMHO. It is very atypical from the usual consumer tuning that features V shaped or harman curve profile.

Hope u get a good deal on 11/11!

 

[baskingshark]

I am actually looking to purchase it during the sale . I settled on final 4000 and would like BA IEM as a second set to hopefully complement what E4000 struggles with as times.

Is B5 same as B5+ ? Also have you measured the nozzle diameter ? I have smallish ears, while the length of the nozzle is not a concern for me, diameter is.

Any place I can find the FR curve for these ?

thanks !

This site has a graph for the Hisenior B5+ :
https://pulauseribu-marina.com/prod...lar-de-dhl-fedex-que-envia-libremente-gratis/

Couldn't find other graphs online and I don't have any measuring rigs unfortunately.
It has a very atypical tuning of boosted mids, which don't have the usual 2 - 4 kHz harsh/fatiguing peak in most CHIFI IEMs.

 

[Zenhp]

Hello everyone,

I have been trying to find a good set of IEM's to use with my Iphone 11 & ES100 at work. I have gone through a few IEM's (FA E2000, PA Be, Sony N3AP) to find that I am treble sensitive. I bought these IEM's based on good reviews (with slight V or Neutral with Bass Boost signature) but would find the signature a bit harsh for my taste (metallic, sibilant, harsh etc). I did not even know I was treble sensitive until I hated the iems that have gotten so much love.

So I am looking for iem recommendations for treble sensitive people like me. I see few threads on headphones but not on iems. Not sure if there is such a case but would like iem with laid back treble but still have good clarity, instrument separation and above average sound stage. I tried E4000 and I did not find it harsh for my liking except it would not do well with lot of instruments put together, it lacked separation and soundstage so it came off as congested ??

Any recommendations are greatly appreciated,

Budget ~$300
Music I like - Indian Music (lot of instruments)equivalent to Jazz, Pop, & Acoustic.

Thanks !

Pioneer se ch9t, it has no harsh treble at all, great mid, super clean punchy bass

 

[rearis]

.