[sofastreamer]

first a short summary of the iems i already own(ed):
 
EP630, Koss The Plug , ue300, UE Super.fi 5 EB, IE8, UM2; TF10
 
from these i like my tf10 best. But usually i am listening to my shure srh-840 at home. I like the warmth and the great 3d-alike soundstage the Shures produce.
 
i thought the ie8 would fit my needs, but i was dissapointed in case of basscontour, each bassline sounds the same with these. also the mids were covered by the bass even with the lightest bassadjustment. they have absolutely no controll.
 
Most of the time i listen to electronic music, so i really enjoy if the sound comes from far away corners reaching my ears. i hate it, when everything comes straight in youre face (like for example the m50s i owned did).
 
So soundstage has to be quite wide and out of the head for me. The tf10 do a nice job, and sometimes they sound a little bit 3d-alike. but i wonder if there is an iem, that does a better job in this term.
 
overall  i like deep bass and recessed hight. the tf10 sound a little too cold and the highs are a little too pronounced.
 
Hope my description of what i am searching for gives you enough hints to help you giving me advice.
 
Which one should i choose if i would spend up to 400 $?
 
edit: my english seems  a little rusted over the years (i am from germany) would be nice, if you could check my mistakes an tell me about the corrections.

 

[BlueSwift]

Earsonics SM3?? 

 

[sofastreamer]

dont know the emoticon. maybe you could give some discription of the advantages of the sm3 vs. tf10

 

[lucozade]

I also feel the SM3 would fit your needs with its wider more 3d soundstage than the tf10 and also the treble is lighter and softer than on the tf10.

 

[SolidVictory]

SM3's soundstage is slightly larger than the IE8 and much more coherent/accurate in my opinion. The bass on the SM3's can punch whenever necessary (easily works with hip-hop and trance), without being too overpowering as with the IE8. I think it's a good IEM choice for your needs.

 

[Golden Monkey]

SM3's are great, but you're kind of asking for something that you really don't get with an IEM...by their very nature "out of the head" is a difficult thing to reproduce.  I'm not saying it doesn't exist, it's just that it isn't an IEM's strong suit.
 
BTW, your English is fantastic.

 

[Uncle00Jesse]

look at the Phiaton PS 200. they have one of the best soundstages in the mid to upper tier IEM range. They may suit your needs especially since you thought the IE-8 was too aggressive in the bass department, these are actually quite controlled and borderline bass-lean. they are going for $150 on amazon right now, down from the $250 msrp. definitely worth taking a look. Joker in his IEM ranking thread has more (better) insight on these.

 

[rangerid]

IE8s with tip extenders, also greatly reduces and tightens bass and improving all other sonic qualities

 

[Redmetal1897]

From my readings, generally the IE8, Earsonics SM3, JVC FX700 and Phiaton PS200 are considered to have the most out of the head experience from amongst IEMS

 

[ZARIM]

Radius DDM, JVC FX700, SM3, Westone 4 and Sony EX1000.

 

[dsf3g]

Quote:

SM3's are great, but you're kind of asking for something that you really don't get with an IEM...by their very nature "out of the head" is a difficult thing to reproduce.  I'm not saying it doesn't exist, it's just that it isn't an IEM's strong suit.
 
BTW, your English is fantastic.

What about using an amp that includes a crossfeed feature? Would that do the trick? From what I've read here that's sorta the point of crossfeed.

 

[Golden Monkey]

 
Quote:

Quote:

SM3's are great, but you're kind of asking for something that you really don't get with an IEM...by their very nature "out of the head" is a difficult thing to reproduce.  I'm not saying it doesn't exist, it's just that it isn't an IEM's strong suit.
 
BTW, your English is fantastic.

What about using an amp that includes a crossfeed feature? Would that do the trick? From what I've read here that's sorta the point of crossfeed.

Crossfeed certainly helps, for sure.  It removes the hard right or left feeling of separate channels, and presents a much more natural sense of soundstage.  It's not so much to give a huge "out of the head" sense as it's for alleviating the fatigue you get when your brain is trying to process where sound is coming from, and how it's hitting your ears.  A nice sidee effect can be a larger sense of space beyond your head, but it isn't quite like a surround effect.  There are some excellent portable amps that implement crossfeed very well, like my Arrow, but if you're on a budget the HeadRoom Total Airhead works great too...just not as well with sensitive IEMs (it can be a little hissy).  Check the Headroom site's FAQ section, as they have a great article on crossfeed and how it works. 

 

[sofastreamer]

 

In German HiFi Forum they Tell, that the sm3s soundstage is too Large in the Front, and too Flat to the Sides.

My Main Problem with the ie8 is the Lack of seal.

I älteste use a corda Headsix, and i Wont Exchange this. Crossfeed is Not the anwer to me.

 

[james444]

SM3 have a large soundstage but almost no forward projection. You'll hear sounds coming from all directions, even from behind. Some like that kind of presentation and call it involving, but it's not for everyone (including myself). Apart from these, out-of-head sound is usually better from vented IEMs with little or no isolation, like the Radius DDMs, JVC FX700 and Final Audio 1601. So the crucial question is whether you need isolation or not. Just my 2c.

 

[rangerid]

Check you my IE8s here the tip extender widens the already massive soundstage even more but more importantly, by distancing the driver further from the head, forward projection on these are second to none for IEMs I believe
 
http://assets.head-fi.org/1/17/17d6f49a_ie8.png