[Acreo Aeneas]

I just got my MEElectronics M9's from Overstock in the mail and decided to plug them into my Cowon S9 and blow through a few tunes.  The one overriding thing that bothers me right now is that the sound seems recessed and very veiled.  My goal was to completely ditch my UE SF3's in favor of the M9, but now I'm not so sure.  The M9 doesn't seem to have the same clarity and forwardness my SF3s do.
 
I've read a lot of reviews on here about these M9s and many say they have amazing highs, good bass, and quite a few say they blow the SF3s out of the water. 
 
So that brings me to the general question:
 
Are these M9's supposed to lack the same clarity and forwardness as my SF3's? 
 
Or do I need to burn them in for another 30-40 hours first before making up my mind on how these sound?

 

[DJGeorgeT]

If you like the SF3, then the MEElectronic headphones are probably not for you. I have a pair of M6's and I hate them. I also have a pair of SF3, which I love. I use the Etymotic P->S adapter and it adds clarity to it. Thanks.

 

[Acreo Aeneas]

Quote:

If you like the SF3, then the MEElectronic headphones are probably not for you. I have a pair of M6's and I hate them. I also have a pair of SF3, which I love. I use the Etymotic P->S adapter and it adds clarity to it. Thanks.

Ah a little late for that now.  It was only $15 and I just can't stand the memory wire/cord of my SF3 anymore.  Putting them on and having the whole cord curl and stick out from my shoulder boards as if it was an extra *ahem* appendage. 
 
Would burning them in for another 20 hours bring more clarity?

 

[kmhaynes]

Burning in the M9 will help smooth it out some, but if you are wanting good details, you won't get too much from the M9 -- it's more a "party" IEM, fun and dynamic.  I use it for noisy chores like mowing, vacuuming, etc!!  I have never heard any of the UE phones, so I don't know what to tell you to look to get something better than the SF3, but it will probably be in the $50-100 range to get pretty good sound and details.

 

[Acreo Aeneas]

What would have been a good replacement for my SF3 then (if the M9 wasn't the one)?

 

[goodvibes]

Brainwaves M1.

 

[xtasi]

Also, what did you expect? M9 are less than $20...For clarity, you might want to look at etymotics.

 

[DJGeorgeT]

Actually for that price, I would be hunting down a pair of JVC FX33 Marshmallows. They rock and are under $20. Whenever I listen to the M6, I get an urge to vomit. I do not know why. The sound is all wrong.

 

[KimChee]

I definately wasnt very happy with my M6's when I got them.  They are very warm and not as detailed as I was expecting.  On the other hand they do sound good for $35 IEMs, but I prefer the sound of my RE2 to them.

 

[Acreo Aeneas]

Just my luck...the right bud just gave out on me.  I get no sound through the right bud now and I haven't even had it for more than a week and have put in less than 20 hours.  And here I thought the 2nd generation's "improved cabling...and durability" meant the cables wouldn't disconnect from the buds (which is probably what happened here to me though the cable and relief are still attached).
 
Should I attempt a RMA through MEElectronics or try a replacement through Overstock (where I bought these)?
 
Edit:  Looks like I'm returning it for a refund to Overstock.   Free pre-paid shipping label and a full refund.  Now that's customer service and I spent like 5 mins on the phone, not 30 mins like elsewhere.
 
Are there any good IEMs/canalphones at the $20-$30 price range that would offer better sound than the M9s but are halfway to my old SF3 pair?
 
Also, sort of related, but how good are the Sony MDR-NC7's?

 

[Maxvla]

The only redeeming qualities of the M9 are it's 3D effect sound stage and monstrous bass. Everything else is quite bad, but we're also talking a $15 IEM...

 

[Acreo Aeneas]

No one else has suggestions?

 

[Acreo Aeneas]

Thought I'd update the thread in case anyone else is in the same boat as I am.
 
I ended up ordering a pair of Soundmagic PL18's to replace the MEElec M9's and as a alternative to my Ultimate Ears Super.fi 3's.  They've had a total burn in of about 10 hours through a wide range of music, audio dramas, etc.
 
Likes:
 
Clarity
 
I must say these aren't supposed to be analytical like my balanced armature SF3's, but these provide outstanding clarity.  The bass/lows don't overwhelm the mids or push the mids back like they do on the M9's.  I'd say these have 70%-80% of the clarity of my SF3's.
 
Bass/Lows
 
These have less bass than the M9's, but more than enough to make the low end much more enjoyable than my SF3's.  Headfiers who own the PL18's say these then to get warmer as they get burned in.  I'm hoping they don't lose the clarity or gain too much of the boomy smei-bloated bass the M9's have.  Bass has some thump and some boom, but gives off enough of both that I feel it gives a nice round thump-boom.  On some of the heavier bass pieces I have, it seems it overpowers the mids somewhat.  I wish the bass was just a bit tighter.  Perhaps it will be after a bit more burn-in.
 
Overall Sound Signature
 
Great.  They might not have all of the clarity of my SF3's, but given how clear they are, the more forward soundstage, the non-recessed mids, and the extra bass (compared to my SF3's), I'd say I just found a great alternative.
 
Dislikes:
 
Tips
 
They are not that great.  Definitely of the cheaper variety.  Not only are they the thin silicone type, but they have a lot of wiggle movement when on the housings.  In fact, the combination of the wiggle room and thinness of the tips themselves, I have to fidget and re-insert them a lot to get a good seal.
 
I have to look for thicker tips and fit more snugly.  If anyone has suggestions, I welcome them!
 
Iffy:
 
Cord
 
The cord has a great rubbery feel and texture to them, but they tangle so easily.  Although the strain reliefs seem to be adaquate (housing and plug), it seems a bit thin and definitely doesn't have the same tough feel the very memory-ish cord on my SF3.  These still have a semi-memory feel to them (prob due to the rubber coating), but nowhere near as annoying and bad as my UE's.  I wish I could easily remove the clip, but it's pretty tedious to get it off without damaging the cord itself (so far I haven't had any luck).

 

[ZV3]

Quite honestly, I probably would not use these with your nice Cowon S9, but I have these and for the price they sound really good. Great for movies and such.

 

[Acreo Aeneas]

Quote:

Quite honestly, I probably would not use these with your nice Cowon S9, but I have these and for the price they sound really good. Great for movies and such.

Are you talking about the MEElec M9's or the Soundmagic PL18's?