iem that makes vocals sound as good as hd650
Jan 15, 2019 at 6:42 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 27

magicalmouse

500+ Head-Fier
Joined
Oct 21, 2013
Posts
890
Likes
211
Location
uk
hi i love the way the hd650 makes vocals sound (so detailed yet smooth) and i am looking for an iem that gets as close as possible to this sound.

i find my se535 almost there but wonder if nowadays there is a better choice.

thank you

david
 
Jan 15, 2019 at 7:38 AM Post #3 of 27
I can‘t pretend having a lot of experiences with IEMs but the KANAS Pro from Moondrop has changed my attitude to IEMs completely.
I normally use the Aduioquest NightHawks and NightOwl with Mojo, which have a lot in common with the HD650 IMHO.
The Kanas Pro, for $180, are offering a combination of clarity, detail, separation, extension and smoothness that makes the NightHawks/Owls sound muffled and muddy, and by a big margin. I honestly did not get expect that this was possible, and it makes me wonder what else it possible if you can get that SQ in a $180 IEM.
Mids are very good, but the Kanas are balanced, not mid-forward. They have everything, bass, mids and treble, and each part is clean and clear and still musical, never clinical.
 
Jan 15, 2019 at 8:41 AM Post #4 of 27
I can‘t pretend having a lot of experiences with IEMs but the KANAS Pro from Moondrop has changed my attitude to IEMs completely.
I normally use the Aduioquest NightHawks and NightOwl with Mojo, which have a lot in common with the HD650 IMHO.
The Kanas Pro, for $180, are offering a combination of clarity, detail, separation, extension and smoothness that makes the NightHawks/Owls sound muffled and muddy, and by a big margin. I honestly did not get expect that this was possible, and it makes me wonder what else it possible if you can get that SQ in a $180 IEM.
Mids are very good, but the Kanas are balanced, not mid-forward. They have everything, bass, mids and treble, and each part is clean and clear and still musical, never clinical.
off topic but the NH is the most muffled headphones I ever listened to, together with a Mojo which is pretty warm as well, I'm not surprised that yours Kanas Pro are like a breath of fresh air for you!
 
Jan 16, 2019 at 2:39 AM Post #7 of 27
May 24, 2020 at 8:02 PM Post #9 of 27
Wow, that bump spanned a lot of time. It‘s a whole new world of IEMs. Honestly, of all the ones I currently own, I still think the Shure se846 probably comes the closest, for vocals. Other IEMs to consider, that have particularly good female vocals are the JVC FD01/FDX1 and the Tanchjim Oxygen. For a good amount less, the Moondrop Starfield should be considered (alternative to Oxygen).

One that may fly under the radar due to it’s low price, is the Tin T2. It has quite a similar tuning, with rolled off sub bass and rich midrange. The treble is more prominent than that of the HD650 though. It is very smooth sounding, but doesn‘t reveal a lot of detail. For around $35, I think they’re worth a try.
 
May 24, 2020 at 8:13 PM Post #10 of 27
Actually, listening to the se846 and the Tin T2, the T2 probably comes a little closer to the HD650 tonally, plus it has the timbre of DDs.
 
May 25, 2020 at 12:04 PM Post #12 of 27
One of the users who reviewed a large amount of IEM's on reddit said BLON BL-03 were IEM equivalent of HD6XX/650. I ordered mine on Aliexpress, waiting.
The BL03 is a warm IEM, but I don’t find it similar. The mids on the BL03 are a little recessed, as opposed to very prominent on the HD650, and the BL03 has significantly boosted bass, with a lot of sub bass. I really like the BL03, but it has a very different tuning.
 
Jun 4, 2020 at 4:31 PM Post #14 of 27
TG334 have fantastic mids
Really great IEM

I was looking for a vocal centric IEM and the TG334 came up as one of the top choices, especially for male vocals.
QDC 4SS was another one, a little more universal. I bought this and liked it, but sold it to help pay for another puchase. Mid forward and detailed, high resolution, but enough balanced to be a good allrounder. BA timbre!

I still love the modded JVC FD02 (similar to modded FD01, FDX1) for vocals and in general, slightly better with female than male vocals but really musical, smooth, emotional, with a silky treble (with the right damping), clean mid bass and nice, tastefully elevated sub bass.

Sony IER-M7 should also be very good, but I heard it only briefly.

Moondrop Blessing 2, maybe more for females, have one coming and can report if there's interest
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top