[aljowen]

For a little background knowledge.

• First "proper" IEM's I had were Klipsch Image S4a2's, which died after about a year.
  
• Then I had Yamaha EPH100's. These are still going after about 3 years(?), however have reliability issues. I think they are gunked up a bit inside, and there isn't really any way I have found to clean them. There is a workaround where you take them apart and blow air into them. which isn't ideal. But that isn't really a great solution, since the drivers are enclosed with a 1mm(ish) hole. They do also gain condensation inside in cold weather, Overall I like how they sound, but with some songs they can be a little harsh on the ears. I wanted something that was overall a little more balanced and less fatiguing cause the EPH100's are very sparkle heavy.

So for this Christmas I got some HiFiMan RE400's. While the mids do sound fairly nice, it is a little like listening to music through a landline telephone. The highs seem a bit honky and The bass and highs are very recessed.
Now to be fair, I was expecting this a bit going from V shaped headphones to more neutral ones. However for me the RE400's don't sound neutral, they sound almost 'n' shaped, almost like someone has applied a band pass filter to music. For example, HiHats almost sound like a *highly* compressed MP3 file. The bass is there, maybe a little lacking compared to what I am used to, but I kinda expected that.

To be clear, the mids do sound pretty great (about the same as the EPH100's, but more present), its just everything else sounds a bit like £20 headphones.


So, I think I am probably going to return the RE400's. For the £40 they cost sold by Amazon (black Friday) they are probably a decent deal. But ultimately they are not right for my ears.

Does anyone have any recommendations for:

• Methods for cleaning drivers in enclosed spaces without damaging them (to revive the EPH100's)
  
• Reccomendations for headphones that are a bit closer to the Yamaha EPH100's, but with slightly less highs.

I mostly listen to liquid drum and bass. A budget of around £100 is where I would like to stay. But if there are options that cost more than that, that are likely to hit the spot, feel free to mention them.

To provide a little more context to what sound signatures I may enjoy. I have a Denon Envaya Mini bluetooth speaker which i really like the sound of. I also have Kanto YU2 computer speakers which are Frankensteined with a z5500 (The z5500 is less my jam, since the bass is a little too sloppy).

 

[redryder]

Hi,

Have you tried the RE400 amped? I own a pair of RE400s myself, and found the bass lacking at first especially for outdoor use. But at home, when put through the IFI Micro Black Label the RE400 really shines. The clarity is there, it sounds very spacious and vocals are smooth.

 

[aljowen]

I can't say I have. The only HiFiman headphones I have tried are the RE400 waterline headphones. I also can't say I tried them through any high end audio dac or amp (laptop & SnapDragon 820 integrated), but equally I can't say they have caused me any issues in the past. I don't see the value in buying £40 headphones if I have to then buy a dedicated media player for them, might as well buy a more expensive set of headphones that will sound good across a wiser range of devices, however that sort of thing varies from person to person ofc.

I guess I am in that strange valley, where I no longer feel comfortable buying any IEM's. Cause I don't use headphones as much as I used to, so don't want to spend huge sums, but equally, what's the point in listening to music if it is going to sound bad through a cheap pair of headphones. First world problems I guess

 

[Oscar-HiFi]

Have you looked into the Oriveti Basic, they may be to your liking. Otherwise if you want something a little cheaper, the Final E3000 are excellent

 

[aljowen]

Have you looked into the Oriveti Basic, they may be to your liking. Otherwise if you want something a little cheaper, the Final E3000 are excellent

Decided to have a little look around at reviews of the Final E3000 headphones. The review from audiophileon goes as far as to suggest that they sound similar to the EPH100 headphones that I already like, so I think I might have to put a pair of them on order and see what they are like.

 

[serman005]

If the E3000 doesn't work out, I would recommend that you take a look at a 1More Triple Driver and see what you think. Not sure if it sounds like an EPH100, but it is fairly well-made and doesn't suffer from any of the failings of your RE-400. Worth a look. If you wanted to keep the price lower, a SoundMAGIC E10 is a very solid choice as well.

 

[buke9]

Have the 1More Triple and Quad Drivers and the KZ ZS6 give them a run for the money. The bass is nice and tight and decent mids wish the highs had a bit more sparkle but not bad for $46 pretty darn good.

 

[aljowen]

The E3000's arrived earlier today. Overall I am very happy with them. Especially considering they are half the price of the EPH100's.

The fit is comfortable, to my ears the sound is good (nothing mind blowing, but perfectly pleasant to listen too).

To compare to the EPH-100's. They are similar in some ways but different in others. The bass on the Yamaha's is much more controlled, precise and punchy, the E3000's are a little muddy (but not unpleasantly so). The mids have a different sound to them, can't quite put my finger on it, the bass overpowers them a bit on some songs, but in most of what I have heard its fine. The highs are more prominent in some frequencies, less in others, so it makes a slightly different sound.

If Final Audio ever read this, a tactile bump on the left headphone would be a very nice feature to add.

Obviously this all comes with the disclaimer of "I have only owned about 3 'good' sets of IEM's, so I am no expert." so take the above for what it is

 

[Oscar-HiFi]

The E3000's arrived earlier today. Overall I am very happy with them. Especially considering they are half the price of the EPH100's.

The fit is comfortable, to my ears the sound is good (nothing mind blowing, but perfectly pleasant to listen too).

To compare to the EPH-100's. They are similar in some ways but different in others. The bass on the Yamaha's is much more controlled, precise and punchy, the E3000's are a little muddy (but not unpleasantly so). The mids have a different sound to them, can't quite put my finger on it, the bass overpowers them a bit on some songs, but in most of what I have heard its fine. The highs are more prominent in some frequencies, less in others, so it makes a slightly different sound.

If Final Audio ever read this, a tactile bump on the left headphone would be a very nice feature to add.

Obviously this all comes with the disclaimer of "I have only owned about 3 'good' sets of IEM's, so I am no expert." so take the above for what it is

I'm glad you are enjoying them, they may clear up a little bit after some burn-in, but they are still very good value for money. And yes I know what you mean about having a bump on the left side, it would be helpful.

 

[archy121]

The E3000's arrived earlier today. Overall I am very happy with them. Especially considering they are half the price of the EPH100's.

The fit is comfortable, to my ears the sound is good (nothing mind blowing, but perfectly pleasant to listen too).

To compare to the EPH-100's. They are similar in some ways but different in others. The bass on the Yamaha's is much more controlled, precise and punchy, the E3000's are a little muddy (but not unpleasantly so). The mids have a different sound to them, can't quite put my finger on it, the bass overpowers them a bit on some songs, but in most of what I have heard its fine. The highs are more prominent in some frequencies, less in others, so it makes a slightly different sound.

If Final Audio ever read this, a tactile bump on the left headphone would be a very nice feature to add.

Obviously this all comes with the disclaimer of "I have only owned about 3 'good' sets of IEM's, so I am no expert." so take the above for what it is

Any chance of an updated comparison as I’m also looking at the e3000 for its likeness to eph100 ?

Particularly wondering if extended plat time has changed the bass end. Also I really loved the out of head soundstage and 3D like sound the eph100 created with EDM. Can the e3000 create the same ?

 

[aljowen]

Any chance of an updated comparison as I’m also looking at the e3000 for its likeness to eph100 ?

Particularly wondering if extended plat time has changed the bass end. Also I really loved the out of head soundstage and 3D like sound the eph100 created with EDM. Can the e3000 create the same ?

Altogether, I have been quite happy with them. However there is one caveat to remember, the EPH100's were £100 headphones, these E3000's are £50 headphones.
So the overall sound is similar, but certainly not the same (way way closer than the RE-400's that I initially had). The EPH-100's seal more (double flanged tips, closed design), while with the E3000's you can hear more of the outside world.

In terms of sound signature, the below image describes what I hear in general.
Update: I definitely put the mids too low on the EPH-100

So the E3000's don't have the depth or punch of the EPH-100's, bass doesn't sound so tight, lower bass frequencies are not that well represented on the E3000's, almost like they roll off in comparison (so perhaps the above "graph" should show a perceived bass roll off). They also lack the clarity of the EPH-100's, with a bit of muddiness to them (this is probably due to much finer tuning of frequencies than a simple diagram though). They do however maintain a fairly open sound stage. I find the E3000's less fatiguing to listen to, which is nice though.

I think the big difference is overall clarity, that is what the EPH100's delivered on in spades. Which is where the E3000's lack in comparison. But compared to other cheap IEM's, they seem to do pretty well. It would take some proper kit and someone far more qualified than myself to identify exactly what makes the EPH100's sound so much clearer at all frequencies.

For £50, they are great. But if I had paid £100 for them, I wouldn't be so happy. At the end of the day they deliver 80% of the sound for 50% of the price, which is a good deal if that is what you are looking for. But if you are looking for equal or upgrade, you probably need to spend quite a bit more.

 

[archy121]

Altogether, I have been quite happy with them. However there is one caveat to remember, the EPH100's were £100 headphones, these E3000's are £50 headphones.
So the overall sound is similar, but certainly not the same (way way closer than the RE-400's that I initially had). The EPH-100's seal more (double flanged tips, closed design), while with the E3000's you can hear more of the outside world.
....

Thanks for your extended response. Its been very useful and made me realise it doesn’t offer anything more than what I already have from my current IEMS. I already have the Tenore and Fidue A73 iem’s that aren’t doing a bad job compared to my now defunct eph100. Tenore really punch high. I have also just bought the Fidelio X2 which I’m really enjoying these very much across all genre of music and is a shame they are so big that I wouldn4 feel comfortable wearing outside. I think I prefer open back or semi open back design as it makes the music sound more airy and natural. I had thought the E3000 might do this with its vents and same time offer a sound signature close to eph100.
It seems we possibly appreciate the same taste in sound signatures. What else are you considering atm ?

Have you considered the ibasso it01or the cheap KZ range ?

 

[aljowen]

Thanks for your extended response. Its been very useful and made me realise it doesn’t offer anything more than what I already have from my current IEMS. I already have the Tenore and Fidue A73 iem’s that aren’t doing a bad job compared to my now defunct eph100. Tenore really punch high. I have also just bought the Fidelio X2 which I’m really enjoying these very much across all genre of music and is a shame they are so big that I wouldn4 feel comfortable wearing outside. I think I prefer open back or semi open back design as it makes the music sound more airy and natural. I had thought the E3000 might do this with its vents and same time offer a sound signature close to eph100.
It seems we possibly appreciate the same taste in sound signatures. What else are you considering atm ?

Have you considered the ibasso it01or the cheap KZ range ?

Currently I don't have any plans for purchases. The E3000's work, and are cheap enough to not worry about.

As long as I don't use anything nicer than them I won't know what I am missing xD

Obviously the above sentence is not ideal, but I am currently saving up for other things in life. I am about to finish uni and am gonna need to find a place to live and possibly a form of transportation. So as lovely as a really nice set of IEM's would be, I can't really justify them atm, especially since I usually use speakers and only use the IEM's for long train rides and occasionally while working in the uni labs.

I will keep those brands in mind though just in case the E3000's die any times soon. So thanks for the recommendations.