[Hanesu]

I find that if the KPEs lose a perfect airtight seal they lose their magic

100% agree! I am having very good results with Final tips. With their long stem they make KP`s sound tube even longer and let it slightly stick out of my ears, but seal is great and bass response is quite a lot better than with the original tips...at least to me.

 

[DynamicEars]

The KPEs midrange is so delicious detailed and alive and I don't find any lack of mid bass so I must be a Harman target lover too.
I find that if the KPEs lose a perfect airtight seal they lose their magic for me so I only use memory foam tips. I know it's against the general consensus here thinking that memory foam tips cut out treble and details but I think those of you who are feeling a lack of mid bass with your KPEs should try an extended listening session with some foam tips to see what these little gems are capable of.
I find that almost everything I listen to has details and an alive atmosphere that makes me feel like I'm in the studio or concert hall while the recording was made.

yes, so true. We have to get perfect seal and well burn in units to get KPEs real sound. A slight single leak will ruin everything.

100% agree! I am having very good results with Final tips. With their long stem they make KP sound tube even longer and let it slightly stick out of my ears, but the seal is grwat and bass response is quite a lot better than with the original tips...at least to me.

I did try with final E type eartips and did their jobs good, but the bass sound slightly (only slight) kinda bloated, like you have very big blow from the nozzle, but not enough big bore so the air couldn't go out fully at once. Just my subjective 2 cents, but when i was comparing with wide bore eartips, sub basses are more clean, if you can get great seal of course. But in trade off with lower quantity of mid bass (which is KPE already low in quantity - somebody might feel lack of mid bass).

Sedna earfits, jvc spiral dots sounds the best for me, but sometimes i like to use radius deep mount eartips for deeper insert and a bit more punch in mid bass + additional micro details but a bit sharp edges in the end because of more focus (trade off with wider soundstage that spiral dots provide).

 

[ScottPilgrim]

Spoiler: my current favourites

I should be satisfied by why is my hand itching, hehe

Using kpe with sednas and nozzle mod. Sounds lovely, my daily drivers. For home listening i use the titan 3.

 

[plo009]

Hey! kxxs and Kanas Pro have a tastefully tuned bass response. It is nowhere close to overpowering or fatiguing. Whizzer Kylin has what I call overpowering disjointed bass.

I think KP and kxxs are an easy buy. They have a sound signature which will please most. Of course if you are too nitpicky, there is no perfect IEM. But if you're in the market for a dynamic driver based IEM for around $180, get it and don't overthink it. Buyer's remorse is the worst! Ask me. Haha

If you want a balanced armature based IEM and can spend a bit more, get the Tansio Mirai TSMR-3 Pro for $220 which will give you some flexibility with their tuning switches..

I hope this makes it easy for you.

Thanks so much for the info, was leaning on the kxxs until you gave me more info XD now i'm completely overthinking it. Also read that moondrop has some earbuds called Liebesleid which may suit my sound preference better and the revision of it is coming soon. Though earbuds would have less sound isolation compared to IEM. Gonna have a read about the Tansio Mirai as well. Cheers

 

[CoiL]

Using kpe with sednas and nozzle mod.

What are sednas?

 

[DynamicEars]

What are sednas?

sedna earfit by azla project, wide bore eartips just like spiral dot, korean imported. I got them too

*edit : insert url https://www.azlaproject.com/sedna-eartips

 

[CoiL]

sedna earfit by azla project, wide bore eartips just like spiral dot, korean imported. I got them too

*edit : insert url https://www.azlaproject.com/sedna-eartips

Thanks, will try to get them in SS size along with Spinfit CP500-S.

Btw, forgot to add grph of KPE vs. IT01 here (both kinda modded though):

Spoiler: KPE (modded) vs. IT01 (modded)

 

[Toastybob]

yes, so true. We have to get perfect seal and well burn in units to get KPEs real sound. A slight single leak will ruin everything.



I did try with final E type eartips and did their jobs good, but the bass sound slightly (only slight) kinda bloated, like you have very big blow from the nozzle, but not enough big bore so the air couldn't go out fully at once. Just my subjective 2 cents, but when i was comparing with wide bore eartips, sub basses are more clean, if you can get great seal of course. But in trade off with lower quantity of mid bass (which is KPE already low in quantity - somebody might feel lack of mid bass).

Sedna earfits, jvc spiral dots sounds the best for me, but sometimes i like to use radius deep mount eartips for deeper insert and a bit more punch in mid bass + additional micro details but a bit sharp edges in the end because of more focus (trade off with wider soundstage that spiral dots provide).

How do you get Spiral Dots to fit without being pushed down the nozzle?

 

[jsmiller58]

How do you get Spiral Dots to fit without being pushed down the nozzle?

What I have done with my KPE is to cut the inner sleeve out of eartips I am not using, put those on first, then put whatever tips I want to use on afterwards. This is a trick that @CoiL has mentioned in a few places. Just be careful that the inner lining does not cover the vent close to the base of the KPE stem.

 

[DynamicEars]

How do you get Spiral Dots to fit without being pushed down the nozzle?

cut the inner stem of unused eartips, just 3 or 4 mm will be good enough, put the "ring" on your nozzle before putting the spiral dots. We call it "spacer"

 

[Toastybob]

What I have done with my KPE is to cut the inner sleeve out of eartips I am not using, put those on first, then put whatever tips I want to use on afterwards. This is a trick that @CoiL has mentioned in a few places. Just be careful that the inner lining does not cover the vent close to the base of the KPE stem.

Thanks. I've been trying something similar with ultra small tips, but the results have been inconsistent.

 

[jsmiller58]

Thanks. I've been trying something similar with ultra small tips, but the results have been inconsistent.

What do you mean by inconsistent? Sound? Fit?

 

[Toastybob]

What do you mean by inconsistent? Sound? Fit?

Fit. It was enough to get some tips to stay in place, but not others.

 

[jsmiller58]

Fit. It was enough to get some tips to stay in place, but not others.

The purpose of the “spacer” is not so much for fit, but rather to ensure the best bass by having overlap of the end of the tip and the end of the stem by preventing the tip from sliding all the way down the stem...

In fact the spacer may make getting a good fit and seal harder, since the big issue with the KPE is that it is a heavy IEM with a long stem so it represents a heavy weight at the end of the stem, creating leverage. If you push the tip down far you can get the IEM body to sit closer to your ear, but at some expense to sound quality.

That’s the theory, as I understand it, anyway.

 

[DynamicEars]

The purpose of the “spacer” is not so much for fit, but rather to ensure the best bass by having overlap of the end of the tip and the end of the stem by preventing the tip from sliding all the way down the stem...

In fact the spacer may make getting a good fit and seal harder, since the big issue with the KPE is that it is a heavy IEM with a long stem so it represents a heavy weight at the end of the stem, creating leverage. If you push the tip down far you can get the IEM body to sit closer to your ear, but at some expense to sound quality.

That’s the theory, as I understand it, anyway.

I want to emphasize that some people pushed the tips too deep, making the eartips end on same position with nozzle end, this will reduce bass by much, and make sounds overall brighter / harsher (KP is not harsh by any mean). Try to make it overlap to make a resonance tube or room for sound that come out from the nozzle. It will make sounds focus, more textured.
easy to say what the purpose of the dots on spiral dots if covered by nozzle stem, they suppose to smooths sound that come out from nozzle, go through that dots before you hear the sound.

Sorry its really hard to explain