[ChrisSC]

Cool pics!  I thought you were just reviewing their demo universals, glad to see you got their customs 

 

[bmiamihk]

Which earphone would you say will make a basshead happier, the 5-Way or the EM4?

 

[average_joe]

Quote:

Cool pics!  I thought you were just reviewing their demo universals, glad to see you got their customs 

 
That is actually a demo, I use took the ear tips off for the pics.
 
Quote:

Which earphone would you say will make a basshead happier, the 5-Way or the EM4?

 
That is a tossup since the 5-way can outperform the EM4 in the bass region, but the EM4 isn't far behind and the bass is always enhanced, so you will be thumping even with George Straight when using the EM4!

 

[bmiamihk]

Haha so with the EM4 bass will always be present while with the 5-Way the bass can go lower but the track has to have that sort of bass and if that sort of bass is not present the 5-Way wont be bassy during those times?
Quote:

 
That is actually a demo, I use took the ear tips off for the pics.
 
 
That is a tossup since the 5-way can outperform the EM4 in the bass region, but the EM4 isn't far behind and the bass is always enhanced, so you will be thumping even with George Straight when using the EM4!

 

[bmiamihk]

So the EM4 will be more fun earphone while the 5-Way more serious?

 

[average_joe]

EM4 is more fun and the 5-way is whatever the recording engineer decided on.

 

[1Jason4U]

I too am stuck on which ones to buy. I've never really had "good" IEMs. I've been a classical musician most of my life (violin/viola) in different symphony orchestras. I mainly listen to ambient music, 80s rock, as well as classical music in my spare time, so I'm looking for IEMs that fit this profile (mainly at home listening, sometimes in public places). I've read great reviews on JH13/JH16 and the Heir Audios, but I'm overwhelmed at all the different companies!  I know that there are many other great IEMs out there, but I'm still stuck what to get. I'd say that I'm looking for clarity and crispness of sound more than anything, but I also like a warm sound. I do have picky ears, and I've listened to music where the bass was too overwhelming, or the treble sounded too tinny/bitey. It doesn't have to be "bassy" per say, it's just I'd like to hear the music the way the performers intended it to sound. I've been saving up, so price is not a factor. I'm looking for IEMs to last me years to come. ANY help would GREATLY be appreciated. Thanks!
 

 

[average_joe]

Quote:

I too am stuck on which ones to buy. I've never really had "good" IEMs. I've been a classical musician most of my life (violin/viola) in different symphony orchestras. I mainly listen to ambient music, 80s rock, as well as classical music in my spare time, so I'm looking for IEMs that fit this profile (mainly at home listening, sometimes in public places). I've read great reviews on JH13/JH16 and the Heir Audios, but I'm overwhelmed at all the different companies!  I know that there are many other great IEMs out there, but I'm still stuck what to get. I'd say that I'm looking for clarity and crispness of sound more than anything, but I also like a warm sound. I do have picky ears, and I've listened to music where the bass was too overwhelming, or the treble sounded too tinny/bitey. It doesn't have to be "bassy" per say, it's just I'd like to hear the music the way the performers intended it to sound. I've been saving up, so price is not a factor. I'm looking for IEMs to last me years to come. ANY help would GREATLY be appreciated. Thanks!

 
The first thing that came to mind reading your post was the LS8+, which I have a demo of and was doing some comparative listening last night (I will post about all the Rooth demos I have in a week or so).  I prefer a more laid back presentation for classical vs. a mid-forward presentation, and some others I think may be good fits include the Fabs and Alclair Reference at a lower price point, but the LS8+ outclasses them.  The UERM is another good options, and then there is the NT-6, but the UERM is warmer, but the quality of the NT-6 is higher.  
 
The LS8+ is on the bright side, so if you can let me know what headphones/IEMs you prefer, that could help me figure out if the sound signature is a good match.

 

[Aethernum]

I'm in a similar boat as an earlier poster. I used to have Shure SE420s, which were good universals but not great. Now I'm looking to step up to high end custom IEMs, and am a little overwhelmed by all of the information and companies. Where to start?
 
I tend to listen more to classical music than any other genre, but my library includes a large amount of jazz, classic rock, hard rock, metal, choral, electronic, broadway, marching/drum corp, and other types of music. So I'm looking for an IEM which performs well in all genres, but particularly in classical. The Shure SE420s had good treble sound, but lacked bass for me. I think what I'm looking for is a V-shaped signature - good bass (low brass, drums, double bass, etc.), but not so bass-heavy that it overpowered the good treble, which is most important for me (violins, violas, woodwinds, etc.) 
 
I, too, have been saving for a while, so budget isn't too much of an issue. However, for the Shure SE420s, I just used a plain old iPod as my source. Which was fine for those IEMs. But I'm thinking with a high end custom I'm going to need something more substantial for my source, and/or for an amp.
 
Do you have a recommendation for me for an IEM? And what kind of source/amp would I need to get the best sound? Thanks.

 

[Cassadian]

Quote:

I'm in a similar boat as an earlier poster. I used to have Shure SE420s, which were good universals but not great. Now I'm looking to step up to high end custom IEMs, and am a little overwhelmed by all of the information and companies. Where to start?
 
I tend to listen more to classical music than any other genre, but my library includes a large amount of jazz, classic rock, hard rock, metal, choral, electronic, broadway, marching/drum corp, and other types of music. So I'm looking for an IEM which performs well in all genres, but particularly in classical. The Shure SE420s had good treble sound, but lacked bass for me. I think what I'm looking for is a V-shaped signature - good bass (low brass, drums, double bass, etc.), but not so bass-heavy that it overpowered the good treble, which is most important for me (violins, violas, woodwinds, etc.) 
 
I, too, have been saving for a while, so budget isn't too much of an issue. However, for the Shure SE420s, I just used a plain old iPod as my source. Which was fine for those IEMs. But I'm thinking with a high end custom I'm going to need something more substantial for my source, and/or for an amp.
 
Do you have a recommendation for me for an IEM? And what kind of source/amp would I need to get the best sound? Thanks.

 
Honestly, you don't need an expensive amplifier rather than a better source.  And even then, you don't need the Anedio D1 or any similarly priced DAC or amplifier.  Sure you may get a better sound but at the point its just tiny nuances and minute details that you'll be picking up on.  I'm no expert on this, but I'm sure anyone would agree that past a certain point there are diminishing marginal returns.

 

[Aethernum]

That's helpful, thanks! I said budget isn't really a concern, and it's not. But, if I would need a high end DAC or amp in order to get the sound I'm paying for out of a higher end custom, then obviously budget does become a concern, because I'm paying for one or two other pieces of equipment, too. Any thoughts on the custom that would best suit what I'm looking for?

 

[project86]

Diminishing returns can be argued to be different for each user. Some people would say anything past a FiiO setup is wasteful. Others would say my Anedio D2 ($1470) is still considered a "budget" DAC. Most of us fall somewhere in between. 
 
Are you intending to listen mostly on the go? Or mostly at home? Because there is quite a distinction between the two, so it would be helpful to know your intent prior to giving recommendations. 

 

[Aethernum]

Quote:

Diminishing returns can be argued to be different for each user. Some people would say anything past a FiiO setup is wasteful. Others would say my Anedio D2 ($1470) is still considered a "budget" DAC. Most of us fall somewhere in between. 
 
Are you intending to listen mostly on the go? Or mostly at home? Because there is quite a distinction between the two, so it would be helpful to know your intent prior to giving recommendations. 

Pretty much all of my listening will be on the go. Or in music practice rooms, where I won't have access to any sort of setup besides what I can carry with me (I'm a music student going into performance next year at the Bienen School of Music in Chicago). 

 

[GL1TCH3D]

Definitely a great thread! I'll be reading all of this before my upcoming purchase.

 

[Cassadian]

Quote:

Diminishing returns can be argued to be different for each user. Some people would say anything past a FiiO setup is wasteful. Others would say my Anedio D2 ($1470) is still considered a "budget" DAC. Most of us fall somewhere in between. 
 
Are you intending to listen mostly on the go? Or mostly at home? Because there is quite a distinction between the two, so it would be helpful to know your intent prior to giving recommendations. 

 
Well.  Diminishing marginal returns only mandates that as you continue to put more resources into the input the output amount decreases.  You can still have a substantial upgrade from per say a dedicated DAC ranging from 300-400 dollars like the Yulong D100 MKii to the Anedio D2, it's just that it requires a significantly higher investment in order to attain the same amount of output.