[7nationarmy]

Where do you live? It is actually best if you can demo them yourself with your favorite songs so that you can decide which one suits you better.
 
And 1964 V6 for 650 is a damn good deal (introductory price), and in the future the price will only rise by around 50. Still very reasonable, and 1964 has good reputation. Must wait for reviews first though.

 

[snappyaxolotl]

Quote:

Where do you live? It is actually best if you can demo them yourself with your favorite songs so that you can decide which one suits you better.
 
And 1964 V6 for 650 is a damn good deal (introductory price), and in the future the price will only rise by around 50. Still very reasonable, and 1964 has good reputation. Must wait for reviews first though.

 
I, unfortunately, do not live anywhere close to a 1964EARS or Unique Melody distributor.

 

[7nationarmy]

I read this from your profile : 60% Hip-hop/Pop, 30% of 60% rap, 30% Electronic/Techno, 10% Classical
 
Then Merlin might be the better choice even compared to Miracle in your case. I find Merlin (demo unit) to be very fun sounding that makes my hip-hop songs comes alive and very energetic. 

 

[Kunlun]

Quote:

Hello Head-Fi community,
 
I'm looking for custom IEMs <$350 <$850 that fit my requirements. Here's a little more about what I am looking for in my IEMS-
 
[size=10pt]-Build Quality: I want these in ears to last as long as possible, forever maybe, as I won’t be changing IEMs for a long time. I take good care of my headphones, but I will use them very often.[/size]
 
[size=10pt]-Noise Isolation: I don't need too much isolation; just average (like 3/5 on a scale of 1-5). It’s nice to filter out background noise, but it poses a safety threat, so I prefer average isolation.[/size]
 
[size=10pt]-Comfort: I will be wearing my headphones for many hours at a time, and can listen to 200+ songs without removing them. Sometimes, I sleep with my headphones on. I want a non-fatiguing sound, and I want to feel as if the headphones weren’t there or as they were cushioning my ear.[/size]
 
[size=10pt]-Song Genres: I listen to all genres. However I listen to classical, techno, trance, electronic, jazz, rap/hip-hop/pop, rock (occasionally), and popular songs most. It will also be used for to watch videos/movies, conferencing/calling, and video games.[/size]
 
[size=10pt]-Sound Signature: I like my sound to have resolution and seem 3D. Likewise, I value tonal accuracy, clarity, coherence and detail. Words to describe my preferred sound are rich, warm, organic and natural, realistic, transparent, and bright. Punchy bass and treble is important.[/size]
 
[size=10pt]-Other Important Information: The source of my audio is usually going to be my Sandisk Sansa Clip+, although at other times it will be my Asus N53SV-XV1 PC, and other times my Android phone (rarely an iPod or iPhone). Keep in mind that I will not be using an amplifier of any kind.[/size]
 
EDIT: While browsing through Head-Fi, I found the Unique Melody Merlins ($800) to be pretty good. Are they my best options, or are there better options?
 
[size=10pt]Really looking forward to hearing any feedback! Thanks to all helpful replies I receive![/size]

You're making a big mistake in not using an amp. As head-fi'er lee730 said so well, you're asking to buy a Lamborghini and drive it with cheap goodyear tires.
 
If you want to buy a nice custom but not hear how good it sounds, then go right ahead.
 
I can say that I was stuck with just my ipod for a few weeks and none of my top-tier custom iems sounded nearly as good as they could. It really brought home to me how important a good amp is.
 
Portable amps can be quite small and thin, look at the Apex Glacier just as one of many examples, some cheaper, some more expensive.
 
If you want a great custom, then budget for the right gear to run it, otherwise, stick with a cheaper custom (which still won't sound as good as it could) straight from your clip...

 

[snappyaxolotl]

I read this from your profile : 60% Hip-hop/Pop, 30% of 60% rap, 30% Electronic/Techno, 10% Classical
 
Then Merlin might be the better choice even compared to Miracle in your case. I find Merlin (demo unit) to be very fun sounding that makes my hip-hop songs comes alive and very energetic. 
 

 
I updated that today, didn't realize. Sorry.
 
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Kunlun /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
You're making a big mistake in not using an amp. As head-fi'er lee730 said so well, you're asking to buy a Lamborghini and drive it with cheap goodyear tires.
 
If you want to buy a nice custom but not hear how good it sounds, then go right ahead.
 
I can say that I was stuck with just my ipod for a few weeks and none of my top-tier custom iems sounded nearly as good as they could. It really brought home to me how important a good amp is.
 
Portable amps can be quite small and thin, look at the Apex Glacier just as one of many examples, some cheaper, some more expensive.
 
If you want a great custom, then budget for the right gear to run it, otherwise, stick with a cheaper custom (which still won't sound as good as it could) straight from your clip...
 

 
I've heard from others that customs like the 4A and the SE 5-Way don't really need an amp, but I heard an amp is good for making it sound better.

 

[rroseperry]

Kunlun's got a point. A lot depends on the impedence on the phone you get. I've got the UM Mage, which has a higher one that my 1964-Ears T and it definitely does better with an amp than not.

Project86 has the V6 and has posted something about it on the 1964-Ears Appreciation thread. I'm not altogether sure that customs are what you need. You can get as good isolation with any phone that's got the triple baffle, like the etymotics. I don't think you're going to find them all that comfortable, especially to sleep in. This is hard acrylic that sits in your ear. It won't move when you do and can be pretty snug. Some people don't mind that. I certainly don't.

You'll have a lot more options for a comfortable phone, with exactly the sound signature you want, if you stick with universals, imo.

 

[Kunlun]

Quote:

 
I've heard from others that customs like the 4A and the SE 5-Way don't really require an amp...

I don't think this is ever really true. In my experience, every custom or really any decent iem I've tried does better with an amp. I listen at moderate levels and the usual player just doesn't have the juice, particularly for multi-armature and dynamic iems. The 6.A and 8.A definitely do better with an amp, no question. The 4.A will be similar, if you really want to hear the best bass and treble extension, detail, etc. from it. As for the 5-way, if you read a little more, people actually have trouble making sure it's properly powered--see the discussion about impedance matching issues, not surprising given the number of crossovers/drivers. Good luck thinking a $1500 5-driver earphone is going to sound right out of your sansa.

 

[snappyaxolotl]

Quote:

I don't think this is ever really true. In my experience, every custom or really any decent iem I've tried does better with an amp. I listen at moderate levels and the usual player just doesn't have the juice, particularly for multi-armature and dynamic iems. The 6.A and 8.A definitely do better with an amp, no question. The 4.A will be similar, if you really want to hear the best bass and treble extension, detail, etc. from it. As for the 5-way, if you read a little more, people actually have trouble making sure it's properly powered--see the discussion about impedance matching issues, not surprising given the number of crossovers/drivers. Good luck thinking a $1500 5-driver earphone is going to sound right out of your sansa.

 
I spending $800 on a universal custom, and I don't know how much good the Merlins or the v6 will sound without an amp. I'll need a really small one though...

 

[planx]

Quote:

 
I spending $800 on a universal custom, and I don't know how much good the Merlins or the v6 will sound without an amp. I'll need a really small one though...

 
Once you go amping, you never go back 

 

[ayaflo]

i've not heard any of these customs ... was just going through to learn what people think ..
 
eitherway you can try getting the 1964 v6 and then get a tralucent t1  ..mostly will come within 850-900 dollars

 

[snappyaxolotl]

Quote:

 
Once you go amping, you never go back 

 
Hmm...after some further research, I think I might add a Fiio E3/E5 to my Sansa Clip+, although the only reason I didn't want an amp before was because it made the Clip+ look bulky.

 

[planx]

In life, you always have to make sacrifices 

 

[Kunlun]

Dont buy the cheapest amp you can find, either. 

 

[planx]

Quote:

Dont buy the cheapest amp you can find, either. 

 
But with that said, Cheap doesn't necessarily mean bad. I still regularly use my Fiio E11 because the reality is, it works superbly for portable use. It's not that I can't afford other high-tier portable amps, I just find that it's good enough for my tastes. And as an ultraportable solution, the E6 will work well. Doesn't sound as good as the E11 or E17 from Fiio, but still an improvement over the Clip. I'm not too familiar with the Clip so I don't remember if there's a LOD available for Clips.

 

[snappyaxolotl]

Quote:

Dont buy the cheapest amp you can find, either. 

 
I chose the E5 for portability