Multi-Custom In-Ear Monitor Review, Resource, Mfg List & Discussion (Check first post for review links & information)

[Kunlun]

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Hi Joe,
 
currently I have an Etymotic ER4 to listen to my Classical music. I was considering getting the Heir 8a as an upgrade. Would there be any other good option?
 
Thanks a lot for your help end this great post!
 

Hello. If you're looking at Heir Audio and would like a more musical take on a neutral sound as an upgrade to the ER4, the Heir 6.A might be a better choice than the 8.A, simply because the 8.A has quite a different signature than the ER4. The 6.A is superb.

 

[Sinocelt]

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That sounds to me like the Heir 4.A, though definitely continue reading Joe's reviews of the models you listed. 

 
+1 to both.

 

[kingice10]

Anyone here tried the Compact Stage3?.im currently in demo with their stage3, and omg it sounds like a miracle with a wide and deep soundstage. Better spatial cues compared to my JH16, more organic and with lighter bass. Great Clarity! I wonder if this is their reference? Coming from EM6, I was surprised with the product coming from a not so famous brand here in headfi.

 

[kingice10]

now  with stage4 it's thicker note presentation sounds more musical with the same wide and deep soundstage.

 

[7nationarmy]

I also tried the Stage 3 and Stage 4, and they are both different yet awesome! I feel like the Stage 3 is slight improvement to the JH13 which I used to like. Sounds on the neutral side, and still very musical. Clarity is top notch. The Stage 4 is darker, bassier and thicker. If I ever got the money, I am going to get the Stage 3, or maybe NT-6 (but can't find the demo).
 
I am also wondering why CM is not so popular here.

 

[tupac0306]

Yeah I also heard of that S3 is a good improvement over JH13.Hope I can listen to the demo too. I was surprised too why almost no one of head fi mention those products.

 

[Xymordos]

For some reason, the Stage 3 and Stage 4 sounded really fake to me, and I didn't seem to hear their big sound stage in their demos. 
 
Also, Joe, I felt that the IERM is neutral leaning to the cold side, what made you think it was leaning to the warm side? ><
 
The IERM's sound signature is surprisingly similar to my W5000s.

 

[average_joe]

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I will read your detailed reviews of:
SE-5
ACS T1
EM4 - Bass heavy
8.A - Bass heavy
SA-43 - Laid-back midrange
EM3 PRO - Thick and warm
X3 - Customer service issues and not the best performer
Mi3
Fabs
aud-5X
Alclair
DC4
 
I want a CIEM with (slightly) forward mids that is balanced and sounds engaging, natural, sweet and musical. I don't need a very spacious presentation but intimacy must be done very well. Vocals must sound convincing a well as stringed intruments. I like the way I can almost feel the strings being picked and feel lips move or subtle breaths are taken. I don't want an aggressive presentation, I prefer soft notes instead.

 
I have added comments above in red as to why I don't think they won't be the best fit for you.  With what you listed I would rate them as follows: 5-way, T1, Fabs, Alclair, Mi-3, 5X, DC4.  And there are some CIEMs others mentioned you may want to consider.  The Wizard (Heir Audio) does beautiful work!
 
Quote:

Anyone here tried the Compact Stage3?.im currently in demo with their stage3, and omg it sounds like a miracle with a wide and deep soundstage. Better spatial cues compared to my JH16, more organic and with lighter bass. Great Clarity! I wonder if this is their reference? Coming from EM6, I was surprised with the product coming from a not so famous brand here in headfi.

 
The biggest weakness of the JH16 is the spatial cues, which can be fixed in large part with an aftermarket cable, but it doesn't correct it 100%.  How does the EM6 compare?  
 
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Yeah I also heard of that S3 is a good improvement over JH13.Hope I can listen to the demo too. I was surprised too why almost no one of head fi mention those products.

 
I have contacted CM plenty of times with no response.
 
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For some reason, the Stage 3 and Stage 4 sounded really fake to me, and I didn't seem to hear their big sound stage in their demos. 
 
Also, Joe, I felt that the IERM is neutral leaning to the cold side, what made you think it was leaning to the warm side? ><
 
The IERM's sound signature is surprisingly similar to my W5000s.

 
The IERM is on the cold side in a note thickness sort of way, which I call analytical, but from a frequency response, I find it slightly on the warm side compared with some of the other reference monitors I own and have heard.  For example, there is more mid-bass than the NT-6 and LS6 as well as the ER4, but it is by no means warm like the 8.A or EM4.  

 

[Xymordos]

What I feel like is that it takes the sound signature of your amp. When I plug it into a slightly warmer amp like the m-Stage, the sound becomes quite warm, but if I plug it into my colder DIY amp, the sound becomes quite cold.
 
About the mid bass, I don't seem to hear a boost in mid bass of the IERM though. From the frequency response it is also flat all the way down to around 30hz. 

 

[average_joe]

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What I feel like is that it takes the sound signature of your amp. When I plug it into a slightly warmer amp like the m-Stage, the sound becomes quite warm, but if I plug it into my colder DIY amp, the sound becomes quite cold.
 
About the mid bass, I don't seem to hear a boost in mid bass of the IERM though. From the frequency response it is also flat all the way down to around 30hz. 

 
Slightly different fit and resulting sound or a matter of perspective, I find the IERM to have a slight warmth to it that is always present regardless of the source I use.  Also, mine starts to roll off at 37 Hz and doesn't reproduce sound below 25 Hz.
 
Edit: I also wanted to say that the IERM is transparent and is respectable among the CIEMs in my collection, but not the best.  It does impart more of a sound signature than say the NT-6 or 5-way, but less than the JH16.

 

[kingice10]

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For some reason, the Stage 3 and Stage 4 sounded really fake to me, and I didn't seem to hear their big sound stage in their demos. 
 
Also, Joe, I felt that the IERM is neutral leaning to the cold side, what made you think it was leaning to the warm side? ><
 
The IERM's sound signature is surprisingly similar to my W5000s.

a defective demo perhaps?...I got my whole arsenal of iems when I tested yesterday. Maybe coming from JH, the Stage3/4 seemed to be better imo.
 
And Stage3 is more balanced sounding than the Stage4.
 
I demoed the heir 8a, EM4, EM6 and the T1 Live but only the Stage3 got me satisfied. I was actually hoping that it will perform less others which I know got some great reviews here. And I stayed their listening for 1 hour. They reminded me of the tonality of the UM Miracles with a bit better resolution and wider soundstage.
 
t

 

[kingice10]

the EM6 has a milder bass than the EM4 and both have creamy mids, thicker note than the rest of the ciems. The soundstage of EM6 is also very wide, not intimate. It's has a very unique tone which I cannot compare to other iems. Resolution is also very good. The EM6 would have been my first choice coz I still like my sm3 sound if only I havent heard the Compact ciems. But im not deciding yet, maybe a couple more auditions .
Then the salesguy told me that my decision will be very difficult because they are also.going to offer fitears next month. 

 

[7nationarmy]

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the EM6 has a milder bass than the EM4 and both have creamy mids, thicker note than the rest of the ciems. The soundstage of EM6 is also very wide, not intimate. It's has a very unique tone which I cannot compare to other iems. Resolution is also very good. The EM6 would have been my first choice coz I still like my sm3 sound if only I havent heard the Compact ciems. But im not deciding yet, maybe a couple more auditions .
Then the salesguy told me that my decision will be very difficult because they are also.going to offer fitears next month. 

Seems we have similar problem for CIEMs man. Choices, choices everywhere. The only diff is that I cant afford them for now  
 
And yes, Stage 3 (demo) is the best IEM I have ever heard so far. Although I am scared if I am gonna miss thick and warm mids I used to hear. 

 

[Xymordos]

From the test tones downloaded online, I can definitely hear 20hz clearly, just at a lower volume due to roll off. I can even hear up to 19khz tone, but at a very very low volume. 18khz tone is very clear however. 
 
Indeed, Stage3 is more balanced than STage4 even in the demos. But they had an unnatural tone to it when I listened to them, thats why I chose the IERM over them.

 

[s0lar]

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I have added comments above in red as to why I don't think they won't be the best fit for you.  With what you listed I would rate them as follows: 5-way, T1, Fabs, Alclair, Mi-3, 5X, DC4.  And there are some CIEMs others mentioned you may want to consider.  The Wizard (Heir Audio) does beautiful work!
 
 

 
Thanks!
 
I have gone through your reviews and considering price, source matching and what I wanted most, I am leaning to the Alclair Reference and the Fabs most.
 
I also noticed that the Rocoo Power doesn't match well with the list of CIEMs you presented me. You haven't mentioned the DX100 for all CIEMs, can I assume that it does well with every (C)IEM?
 
At this moment, I guess I can either opt to buy the DX100 and have an upgrade for all my IEMs or go for a CIEM that matches very well with my Clip+ and that produces the kind of sound I like. The CIEM will beat all existing IEMs I own (at least technically) and if I would opt for a CIEM that matches my source (Clip+), I have the ability to be very portable with an amazing rig!
 
The 4.A(i) seems to be quite the (c)IEM in existing reviews. How does it match with the Clip+?
 
Will adding an amp, like Corda MOVE in between the Clip and the Alclair Reference, make the setup sound better (detail, soundstage, ...)? Have you tried the Alclair with the O2, fed by ODAC o any other DAC? Or by iBasso D4/D10, DAC and/or AMP?