[NoobAudio]

Firstly i will just mention that i had gotten the ie8's as good as they are the fit was awful for my ears, which led to me having blisters or spots. they just didn't fit right!

Now i have sent the Sennheiser ie8's back i have done some extensive research on my next pair, looking at bass, overall sound quality and aesthetics seeing as this was a down side when i had the ie8's.

I am looking at:

Klipsch X10 - Like the size, looks as though they would fit in no problem. supposedly good bass and good sound isolation, although not sure on overall sound quality.

Triple fi 10 - Great sound lows are good and highs are also. Haven't heard to much about the bass but i like how it uses triple armature drivers. It's been mentioned these are bad fitting for some which kinda puts me off.

Shure se530 - A lot of hype and many people say they are great, realistic sounding and the bass is punchy and counts when needed. The price is stretching my budget a little.

So what i am looking for is something i can use a lot for "out and about use". I like bass but not too much with sound quality, fit and isolation again something the ie8's lacked.

My genre of music is Rock, Classical, Electronic, Metal, Pop, Dance, Hip-hop. I think the reason it is hard for me to chose is because my listening is quite varied

 

[the search never ends]

What size are your ear canals.. I ask, because some of the best iem's are better suited to smaller or larger ear canals. The TF10's for instance don't fit small canals very well, the X10, works better with small canals, but the gels can bother some folks, and I don't think they stand up to the SQ of either the shure or UE...My 2 cents, Are you primarily focused ob those 3 iem's?

 

[ri_toast]

the x10s have a very smooth presentation, since fit seems to be primary importance, of those three that's what i would choose. they are all very good iems btw. you can find the x10s on ebay refurbished (170) from the klipschstore once in a while, i just checked; nothing there right now.

 

[iponderous]

I haven't heard the x10. I prefer the sound signature of the TF10 to the SE530, however the SE530 has a better ergonomic design and provides excellent noise attenuation.

 

[NoobAudio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by the search never ends /img/forum/go_quote.gif What size are your ear canals.. I ask, because some of the best iem's are better suited to smaller or larger ear canals. The TF10's for instance don't fit small canals very well, the X10, works better with small canals, but the gels can bother some folks, and I don't think they stand up to the SQ of either the shure or UE...My 2 cents, Are you primarily focused ob those 3 iem's?

My ear canals are large i figured this out when i try headphones i always end up using the larger pair of tips for the better fit. Although my outer ear is small, weird to imagine i know. This is probably why i had a bad experience with fitting the ie8's.

Yes i am primarily focused on the 3 although i am open to other suggestions. I would be happier getting either one of the three because of all the reading/research i have done on them, i also hear Ultimate ears give a 2 year warranty just like the sennheiser's not sure about the others.

Thank you for your advice with the large canal and small canal difference.

 

[mesasone]

Ultimate Ears products (at least the TF10) now come with a 1 year warranty, unfortunately. I think this change happened shortly after Logitech purchased the company.

I have the TF10s and really like them a lot - I listen to most of the genres (Classical, Metal, Electronica, Alt. Pop, Alt. Country, etc) you list and find they do fine with all of them. Aesthetically they look kind of neat until you put them in your ears, then you end up looking a bit like Shrek! The so called "flip-flop" (basically switch the left and right wiring around and wear them "backwards" - you get a deeper insertion and for many a better fit - and they don't stick out nearly as far!) mod takes care of this.

 

[big_sound]

Out of the 3 mentioned, the se530's hands down have the best fit, no matter what size ear they go in. The Klipsch x10 IMO doesn't have the same detail as the other two phones, but out of the other two I would prefer the Se530's because of their overall clarity.

 

[elnero]

Although I haven't heard them all side by side and it's been quite awhile since I've heard the X10's and even longer for the 530's I have owned all 3 so here's my take on them, it's not really a cut and dry answer though.

First is the 530's, as I said it's been quite awhile so my memory of exactly how the sound has faded, what I can say is when I owned them I was very happy with them sonically, they have a signature that leans towards warmth, nice bass and mids with a somewhat laid back treble. As with any IEM tip choice will play a big part in the overall sonic balance so experimentation is a must. I did have some minor fit issues in that one ear never quite felt right but I can't really explain it. Ultimately I ended up selling a replacement pair after I had cable cracking problems with my first pair. I believe these issues have been solved and the newer version having a replaceable cable which I think would be a must.

I really, really liked the X10's with their included bi-flanges but was only so so about them with any other tip. With the bi-flanges they had a similar balance to the 530's albeit they sounded quite different. With the bi-flanges I remember them having a really nice tonal quality which may be the best of the IEM's I've heard. I loved piano and acoustic guitar with them and they could rock out as well. With other tips though they seemed to lose this quality and the balance shifted a bit with the treble becoming more forward and ragged. Unfortunately I've not found a tip other than a foam tip that doesn't irritate my ears, I tried desperately with the X10's to get my ears used to the tips but ultimately I had to give up on them.

Another issue I potentially see as a problem for some people with the X10's is the cable. It's not terribly rugged, it's microphonic so if you're using them out and about it might be irritating and also they way they come off the body and angle down might irritate some ears. Outside of that though they were incredibly comfortable (aside from the irritation caused by the ear gels of course).

For me the Triple.Fi's are a strange beast. I borrowed a friends to try on a few occasions, with Comply tips I was duly impressed with their bass performance on some tracks but the mids came across as too recessed and the treble just bordering on being too much for me. My friend had fit issues with them so he was trying various solutions to overcome them, one thing he tried was an early Null Audio replacement cable. When he got the new cable he loaned them to me yet again to give them a whirl. I don't know if the difference could be categorized as huge but it was big enough for me to put the Triple.Fi's on top of all the other IEM's I've owned. With the recable the balance is now pretty close to my ideal. The mids were brought forward, the treble tamed just a touch and the bass may be slightly reduced having slightly less impact. Probably my one gripe with the Triple.Fi's is they are a bit on the dry side, less so with the recable but it's still noticeable in that they're missing a bit of the X10's richness that felt very right. Overall though because of their overall balance, detail and presentation they have kept me very happy and I've stopped looking for another universal, the only thing I might do next is top tier customs.

As for fit with the Triple.Fi's they're a bit bulky and awkward and take a bit of time to get used to inserting properly but overall I find I get a great fit and they're decently comfortable now. I seem to have medium to large outer canals if that makes a difference. Also, the way they're designed they stick out from your ear more so than being nestled in your ear which may or may not help with the irritation you were having with the IE8's.

 

[OPTiK]

Quote:

Originally Posted by elnero /img/forum/go_quote.gif I really, really liked the X10's with their included bi-flanges but was only so so about them with any other tip. With the bi-flanges they had a similar balance to the 530's albeit they sounded quite different. With the bi-flanges I remember them having a really nice tonal quality which may be the best of the IEM's I've heard. I loved piano and acoustic guitar with them and they could rock out as well. With other tips though they seemed to lose this quality and the balance shifted a bit with the treble becoming more forward and ragged. Unfortunately I've not found a tip other than a foam tip that doesn't irritate my ears, I tried desperately with the X10's to get my ears used to the tips but ultimately I had to give up on them. Another issue I potentially see as a problem for some people with the X10's is the cable. It's not terribly rugged, it's microphonic so if you're using them out and about it might be irritating and also they way they come off the body and angle down might irritate some ears. Outside of that though they were incredibly comfortable (aside from the irritation caused by the ear gels of course).

I agree completely. I haven't had issues with the tips, but the microphonics can get annoying sometimes. I really love my x10's, so much in fact that I'm thinking of getting them made into customs

 

[tnmike1]

owned both Trips and X10s. By far preferred the X10. Fit was phenomenal for me, especially using Shure Olives as tips, or even Complys. The supplied tips were OK but after an hour or so my ears started to itch. Sound is very crystalline, unshaded--what you record is whatyou hear nothing more nothing less.

Trips were horrible to fit and tried Shure, Comply, and all the supplied tips. Maybe myears are weird or small but found the nozzles totally irritating. Plus liked the Klipsch "house sound" better.

BTW: never listened to them unamped--used Pico/Hornet/Tomahawk/Predator during my ownership of the IEMs. Also listen to jazz and classical mostly symphonies. So with that caveat, really preferred the Klipsch. Have no idea what they may sound like with other genres of music or if used without an amp

 

[ThePandemonium]

I've tried all three of them before when I was in the market for some IEMs. The X10 was the way to go in my opinion. Super comfortable, the sound worked for all genres. The Shures were great, but I found that for more bass heavy stuff they could not keep up. Then with the TF10, comfort was a huge issue and the cable broke on me in a week. I think the X10 is the overall best contender.

 

[shiner980]

I've also tried all of them at this point, and I'll give you my opinions:
UE Triple.Fi 10 - If you pay more than $200 USD, you're nuts) They're the easiest to find at a cheap level and as for the inklings of time that the darned things stayed in my ear, it seemed to provide very clear treble, but something in the midrange was missing. The greatest problem though was the garbage fitting. The thing is huge, even the portion that goes in your ear, so if you've got nice large ear canals, these are good for you, but if you've got small ones (mine are rather small bordering medium) These will barely fit, or just repeatedly fall out. On the other hand it's got memory wire so wearing over the ear is easy, reducing microphonics.

Shure SE530's - Out of the three mentioned here, I'd say these would be the most balanced of the three. Also triple armature, the tip range is a bit more versatile regarding ear canal size, and the sound is well balanced. Balanced, though a teeny bit warm, they're made to please as many people as they can. They're clear across the spectrum, though if you're looking for a more "fun" presentation, I wouldn't exactly look here.

Klipsch X10's were the most recent things I tried before moving to the MTPG's I'm trying now. They're the exact opposite of the UE Triple.Fi's in a few ways. For one, they made for REALLY small ears. The line blurred between comfy fit and driven straight into the eardrum. I pretty much started from the medium, went large, then large double flanges, and all the time it was comfy (and very isolating) at first, but then I became very prone to them going too far into the ear, so much it started hurting. The presentation is muddier in the treble then the Triple Fi's or SE530's, and they're certainly no bargain unless you find one at a bargain (which actually isn't easy). They're rather warm, but certainly the most "mobile pair", tiny and light, they're a kind of refined elegance, though the sound isn't quite as refined as some of the other IEM's I've heard up to now.

If this is TL;DR
- UE Triple.Fi's - good potential, especially treble wise, but at the cost of general fit. OH user replaceable cables as well as memory wire are positives)
- Shure SE530's - Probably the most well balanced of the three choices at hand, will do for a wide variety of music with satisfaction
- Klipsch X10's - Chances are the most comfortable of the three, particularly for the small ear'ed in the world (myself oddly included yet excluded by X10's standards) Warm, decent bass reproduction, and rather classy look. Problem is microphonics are terrible on this set

My personal opinion is that you should expand your options beyond the three you've listed. The IE8's soundstaging is pretty damn hard to beat or even match, and there are quite a few other options. I shamelessly pitch the (admittedly gaudy looking) MTPG/C (probably C if you can get it at $320 or less) only because the bass is probably the best in class in terms of punch without loss of clarity, but the look will probably be off putting if it's an actual consideration. Out of the three, I'd say the SE530's would suit you best

 

[NoobAudio]

Thank you for your ideas i ended up choosing the ultimate ears because of my ears

Order Summary:
Delivery Details: : order will arrive in one delivery
Order #: 026-7339924-1350710
Delivery Method: One-Day Delivery
Delivery Preference:I want my items sooner. Dispatch them as soon as they become available.
Subtotal of Items: £170.20
Postage & Packing: £0.00
------
Total before VAT: £170.20
VAT: £29.79
------
Total: £199.99
Promotional Gift Certificates: -£0.00
------
Total for this order: £199.99


Delivery estimate: 13 Mar 2010
1 "Ultimate Ears Triple fi 10 Earphones - Metallic Blue"
Electronics; £199.99

Sold by: Amazon EU S.a.r.L.

 

[NoobAudio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoobAudio /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thank you for your ideas i ended up choosing the ultimate ears because of my ears Order Summary: Delivery Details: : order will arrive in one delivery Order #: 026-7339924-1350710 Delivery Method: One-Day Delivery Delivery Preference:I want my items sooner. Dispatch them as soon as they become available. Subtotal of Items: £170.20 Postage & Packing: £0.00 ------ Total before VAT: £170.20 VAT: £29.79 ------ Total: £199.99 Promotional Gift Certificates: -£0.00 ------ Total for this order: £199.99 Delivery estimate: 13 Mar 2010 1 "Ultimate Ears Triple fi 10 Earphones - Metallic Blue" Electronics; £199.99 Sold by: Amazon EU S.a.r.L.

Hello back again, well i got them in today and well they are great! but ****... what is with the cable and omg how big are these things ... really annoyed probably send them back by the end of the week for the klipsch x10's

 

[lucozade]

yes the sad thing about the tf10 is there size and fit, its easy to keep them on your ears with the memory wire,but very difficult to keep them from sliding out of your ear channels breaking the seal.