[jcr159]

Liking them so far, going to try and run them in overnight. The isolation SUCKS though! Ordered some comply isolation plus tips... We'll see.

As I said, I'm coming from Etymotic hf3's which are true hearing protection so to speak... I believe their claims about sound level reduction. Others probably won't be as critical as me about the isolation level...

I still like my hf3's better all the way around though. Their profile is brutally flat in my opinion though, and the bass is really picky about a good seal.

 

[smy1]

The nergy arent that bad I love them

 

[Ferv]

I own a pair of frost white N-ergy and a black matte pair of N-lites. I can't really notice any difference design or sound wise, except for the N-lite emblem which is the headphone Monster logo instead of the red N. I concur these are not for bass-heads or purists. They have a diferent approach which head monster Noel Lee corroborated in an interview. I googled "what is pure monster sound" and found he answered something like this:

 

[Ferv]

“Pure Monster Sound™ is kind of what we did after I did all the Beats stuff. We learned in phases. First up we got the low bass out of the headphones, and that’s what revolutionized. That’s what your kids want to hear, as bass is what moves you – whether you’re exercising or dancing – you gotta hear that low end. We did that with all of the Beats products; then we said, “What’s next besides the tight bass? And that’s when we said, “Let’s work on the mids, highs and the transparency of the soundSo instead of the goal of hearing what the recording engineers and producers hear, with Pure Monster Sound, I wanted to hear through the microphone. So up close to your ear, you’re hearing Alicia’s microphone, and the one on the piano. So I think we’ve got as close to that as anybody could.

 

[Ferv]

I agree they are very bass-light, but thats exactly what they were aiming for. They revamped their approach so they could achieve a unique sound signature with a clear and bright profile. I am a fan of bass heavy electronic music, and for that i use my UrBeats or Beats Tour 2.0 (yes, I know, they have very powerful bass) and thats where they shine. I like to see headphones as if they were clothes, you are not going to use a heavy elegant trench coat or sweater during summer or spring time, nor will you dress a t-shirt or silk skirt during winter. If i feel like acoustic or classical, i use my Nlites (N-ergy). If im in the mood for electronic or drum n bass then i go for my beats. Choose wisely and try to have an open mind as to explore and trully appreciate what these companies are trying to offer.

 

[jcr159]

So... Got the thread update email and figured it was time to drop back in with an update of my own. Coming from Etymotic headphones to these was a huge change in balance... To me these are bass heavy almost, so I guess I definitely have a preference for a neutral sound....

That being said, I don't dislike them, but would never choose them over my Ety's....

Updating on the sound isolation aspect. Out of box I give them maybe a 1 out of five rating?.... Apple earbuds being a .5.

I bought the comply isolation + tips to see if that improved things, and now I'd give them a 1.5 .... I honestly don't notice that much of a difference. In comparison, my Ety's I'd rate a 4 or 4.5 out of 5.

 

[Ferv]

Have you tried the tape mod? They change completely. The bass is dramatically increased and the rest of the sound range is smoothed out ever so slightly, leaving the crispness almost intact.

For the tape mod, I noticed there was a lot of flex drive, to the point of becoming an unbearable nuisance. To fix this, I used black electrical tape and a nail clipper to cut just the smallest possible piece, just enough to cover that vent hole. Voiala! Now you have a basshead set =)

Also, i wonder why they left that venthole there... Maybe they had a different idea at the start

 

[jcr159]

Have you tried the tape mod? They change completely. The bass is dramatically increased and the rest of the sound range is smoothed out ever so slightly, leaving the crispness almost intact.

For the tape mod, I noticed there was a lot of flex drive, to the point of becoming an unbearable nuisance. To fix this, I used black electrical tape and a nail clipper to cut just the smallest possible piece, just enough to cover that vent hole. Voiala! Now you have a basshead set =)

Also, i wonder why they left that venthole there... Maybe they had a different idea at the start

Hope, haven't tried it.... Sorry for any confusion, but I actually feel these are too prominent in the bass. Hence the Etymotic hf3 comments. Those are the buds that I was replacing with these several posts back...

That being said, the Etymotic sound definitely isn't for everyone either! Most would find them really light in the bass.

My bigger issue is probably with sound isolation and that's where I was scoring things. Basically, buy active noise cancelling (yuck), or buy some Etymotic's.... Otherwise there really isn't any noise isolation going on. But I think you need to try the Etymotic to understand how big the difference is in that aspect. To most that part isn't as big a deal. For me, I use the buds as a combo hearing protection and earbud while operating power equipment. Partially ok sound isolation damages my hearing in my case. If you are looking to take the edge off of you cube mates nail clipping or conversations, you aren't in the same market as me for isolation And that's ok!

Just wanted folks to have a different perspective, just like I thought yours was very helpful coming from someone with a preference for stronger bass

 

[Ferv]

Oh wow i didnt know the Etymotic were also bass light, sorry im still new to the audiophile community. Ok, now we're on the same page LOL.

That being said, I found it very strange that u thought the nergys were heavy on bass. If thats the cse then im also very interested in the etymotics.. By the way, I dont use the tape mod, i am auite fine with the nergy's signature

 

[jcr159]

Oh wow i didnt know the Etymotic were also bass light, sorry im still new to the audiophile community. Ok, now we're on the same page LOL.

That being said, I found it very strange that u thought the nergys were heavy on bass. If thats the cse then im also very interested in the etymotics.. By the way, I dont use the tape mod, i am auite fine with the nergy's signature

No worries!

If anything, the Ety's are neutral/flat to a fault...

Some really dislike the sound signature and vice versa. For me, I pick up detail that I miss in the nergy's, but I don't have the listening experience that a lot of others have here. I like my, now broken, Etymotic's and Grado sr60's quite a lot... Don't listen enough on cans to step up to the next level though.

 

[gopats1479]

Just to pitch in a little, as someone who has used the Nergys for over a year now, I don't pick them because they're accurate or because they have a nice, warm midrange. I pick them on a regular basis because they're fun. Granted, they're about to move back in my rotation because I'm picking up a new pair from a crowdfunding project in December and because they're pretty well-worn at this point, but I loved how they worked in portable environments. I have better sounding pairs of in-ears (mostly just the SE 215s), but they're just too fun. Plus, their bass is (to my ears, at least) pretty tight and punchy, even if it is emphasized. The tape mod's driver flex was just too much for me, and now that my preferred signature has changed to something a little more bass-light, I don't think I'll go back to it. 

 

[jcr159]

Just to pitch in a little, as someone who has used the Nergys for over a year now, I don't pick them because they're accurate or because they have a nice, warm midrange. I pick them on a regular basis because they're fun. Granted, they're about to move back in my rotation because I'm picking up a new pair from a crowdfunding project in December and because they're pretty well-worn at this point, but I loved how they worked in portable environments. I have better sounding pairs of in-ears (mostly just the SE 215s), but they're just too fun. Plus, their bass is (to my ears, at least) pretty tight and punchy, even if it is emphasized. The tape mod's driver flex was just too much for me, and now that my preferred signature has changed to something a little more bass-light, I don't think I'll go back to it. 

Make no mistake, I'm not knocking the bass reproduction... I think it is very solid, just emphasized.... Certainly nothing I would call bloated or one note, or sloppy. And they are easy to drive from a portable device with it distortion and plenty of volume for most.

I don't regret my purchase either.

 

[smy1]

I think that the etys are one of the best noise isolation iem that's prob why you rate isolation so low on the nergy

 

[Ferv]

I noticed this thread was created awhile ago, back when the N-ergys were 59.99. Then the N-lites came out at the same price and I guess they didnt sell well because now they're on rollback in Walmart for 39.00. This was a complete steal for me and my first high-end iem. I believe the N-lites are the same as the Nergy's but I guess monster wanted to distance themselves from their partnership with Nick Cannon, hence the identical design..

 

[smy1]

I noticed this thread was created awhile ago, back when the N-ergys were 59.99. Then the N-lites came out at the same price and I guess they didnt sell well because now they're on rollback in Walmart for 39.00. This was a complete steal for me and my first high-end iem. I believe the N-lites are the same as the Nergy's but I guess monster wanted to distance themselves from their partnership with Nick Cannon, hence the identical design..

i bought them for $15 used