[Aardvarks]

Ok, this is likley to be the only thread that I ever start on here, so here goes.

I use a Zen Vision M, my first IEM were genuine CX300. I love the deep bass, and the comfort of wearing them but I need to improve the following.

1 Wooly bass
2 set back mids on vocals
3 grainy treble.

I would also like a very wide soundstage and lots of air.

I am a member over on Abi and have spoken at length with dfkt who is a real gent. He recommends the Atrio M5, however I have read many posts about the lack of comfort and the difficulty of obtaining a good seal and fit.

I want my next IEM purchase to last me a long time and give me much pleasure, to that end, I am not going to set a price limit.

So, what to do

Atrio M5?
wait for new Sennheiser range?
Denon AH C700
Shure E500/530
Livewires?
Ultimate ears?
Etymotics?

I listen to Blues, prog rock, indie, female vocals, world music, some classical, singer songwriter stuff like Ryan Adams. I want something that comes near my living room system for sheer enjoyability, top end sparkle, control and rich deep controlled bass. I also want to hear the emotion from the singer so bad that I can taste the sweat.

I will be listening in bed when I work away from home and also using them on long flights.

Oh, and a cherry on top would be nice

 

[intoflatlines]

You can take Etymotics off your list for bass. You can also take UE (SF5 I am assuming) off your list because it apparently lacks some mids. I find the SF5 Pro sounds great and has a good amount of bass, mids, and treble though.

 

[ClieOS]

For the price vs. performance, my personal choice will be Livewires.

 

[thread]

The Triple.fi's sound amazing. Oh and look, I have some for sale!

 

[Guarneri]

I have to admit, soundstage is something that is very difficult to get on IEMs due to their design. I have not heard the Atrios or the Livewires, but from my experience all IEMs have relatively close soundstages. Only the UE-10 pros have remotely the same type of soundstage as a full size can.

Out of the universal IEMs, the Triple.fi has the widest soundstage, great sound quality in all frequencies and would probably be a decent match for you. Comfort and fit aren't spectacular though. Westone UM2s have great bass and mids, as well as superb comfort and fit. However, the soundstage is quite close and personal. Livewires may be a good match for you. They are suppose to have a somewhat "large" soundstage for IEMs, although the bass may not be enough for you. I ordered some a while back, but due to a problem with my impressions, my phones have been delayed so I can't give you a direct comparison.

 

[TSi]

no price range? go customs!!!

 

[Aardvarks]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TSi /img/forum/go_quote.gif no price range? go customs!!!

The problem with customs is customs (HMRC) or Her Majesties Thieving Bastages.

I need to be able to buy in the UK.

How you seen the amount of import duty that we get nailed for on our little island.

My only option for Livewires would be to get them to ship to my cousin in Kansas and then get him to forward to me marked as a family gift.

The UE Triple.fi 10 pro can be bought from Amazon.co.uk for £195 shipped, that is about $380 US.

I am coming to Florida for our family vacation in August, and so I might be able to buy in the US, if I can find a B&M store in Orlando that keeps this kind of stuff.

Thanks for all the help so far, much appreciated

 

[TSi]

so basically, u have a choice to get them soon, or u have ot wait till later when u come for vacation.

I'd say, unless you heard the sound of some of them, dont make a big judgement, cause maybe in the end (after our advices) u might not like it. esp considering that u live in the UK, so u will get taxed like no tomrrow.

 

[lisnalee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aardvarks /img/forum/go_quote.gif The problem with customs is customs (HMRC) or Her Majesties Thieving Bastages. I need to be able to buy in the UK. How you seen the amount of import duty that we get nailed for on our little island. My only option for Livewires would be to get them to ship to my cousin in Kansas and then get him to forward to me marked as a family gift. The UE Triple.fi 10 pro can be bought from Amazon.co.uk for £195 shipped, that is about $380 US. I am coming to Florida for our family vacation in August, and so I might be able to buy in the US, if I can find a B&M store in Orlando that keeps this kind of stuff. Thanks for all the help so far, much appreciated

I wasn't charged any customs on my livewires when they arrived. Which is not like them as they have fleeced me £100 on 2 recent items.

Even if you had to pay the customs charge of say £30/40 they are still the cheapest custom IEM by a long shot, and well worth the risk

 

[Big Kev]

I have the Shure E500's and while they are a great pair of phones, the high's aren't the best and I was looking at the triple.fi option, but they stick out of the ear and aren't supposed to be the most comfortable anyway.

If you are prepared to wait a while, why not go for the Westone 3's, hopefully they'll be released in the near future, as they have separate drivers for the low/mid/high's, so could be the answer to both our prayers.

As for the customs, it is bloody annoying, especially with the relatively cheap dollar at the moment.

 

[pez]

seriously no price range? go livewire, and if you have no price range, just have them shipped to you, I'm sure it will be worth it.

 

[DKaz]

If you don't want customs, then I would go with the Denon C700. They have great loaws, mids, and highs. Search for the C700 impressions thread.

Denon AH-C700

 

[1012007]

The problem is living in the UK!!

Think about where you can get those you listed from? Rip-off site or US and get charges postage, customs etc

I have gone from CX300 to Mylarone X3i and what a change. For the price and sound quality especially, ill never look back