[james444]

  Wouldn't mind an FXT90 follow-up/upgrade. Unfortunately JVC just keeps sending me more Xtreme Xplosives...

 
They seem to know your secret desires. 

 

[jant71]

   
They seem to know your secret desires. 

Joker the basshead! Keep that on the DL

 

  I haven't tried them myself but that^ seems reasonable. Wouldn't mind an FXT90 follow-up/upgrade. Unfortunately JVC just keeps sending me more Xtreme Xplosives...

Are they sending you the FR100X? The Elation is XX done right. Still pretty much a basshead phone but done right. The treble is polite and not peaky. The bass is also even handed and not obtrusive. Mids are only a slight bit U in the mix and quite enjoyable. With my 770C on Jazz and the bright HO they are actually not a basshead phone anymore and I was not unhappy to sell my E80 and buy the FXT200 as an upgrade(in my estimation) with more character; perhaps a more unique presentation.
 
I remember the E80 impressions from CES and they didn't seem that great but I realized when I bought them how much you need to ditch the stock tips to make them shine. The E80 and Titan 1 are both excellent phones but I like the Elation better than the DUNU(both in SQ overall and sound sig) and as much as the E80(E80 is better than the other two). I'll probably buy another E80 later on in the gold but, atm, I used those funds to buy something that would perform really well plus bring that engaging quality that takes you to a special place. E80 take you to excellent SQ land with a nice lower bass and mid-high treble focus but they don't have the Elation's sweet mids/vocals nor is their treble and bass hook as tasty as my modded PS20's which fall in between the JVC and E80.
 
My FXT apparently are in Jamaica, NY so I should have them for the weekend

which was not looking good since the Monday Japanese holiday made it seem like I might have to wait till Monday next to get them.
 
Also got this so I can resurrect my Kanen thread

 

[kova4a]

 

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Joker the basshead! Keep that on the DL

 

Are they sending you the FR100X? The Elation is XX done right. Still pretty much a basshead phone but done right. The treble is polite and not peaky. The bass is also even handed and not obtrusive. Mids are only a slight bit U in the mix and quite enjoyable. With my 770C on Jazz and the bright HO they are actually not a basshead phone anymore and I was not unhappy to sell my E80 and buy the FXT200 as an upgrade(in my estimation) with more character; perhaps a more unique presentation.
 
I remember the E80 impressions from CES and they didn't seem that great but I realized when I bought them how much you need to ditch the stock tips to make them shine. The E80 and Titan 1 are both excellent phones but I like the Elation better than the DUNU(both in SQ overall and sound sig) and as much as the E80(E80 is better than the other two). I'll probably buy another E80 later on in the gold but, atm, I used those funds to buy something that would perform really well plus bring that engaging quality that takes you to a special place. E80 take you to excellent SQ land with a nice lower bass and mid-high treble focus but they don't have the Elation's sweet mids/vocals nor is their treble and bass hook as tasty as my modded PS20's which fall in between the JVC and E80.
 
My FXT apparently are in Jamaica, NY so I should have them for the weekend

which was not looking good since the Monday Japanese holiday made it seem like I might have to wait till Monday next to get them.
 
Also got this so I can resurrect my Kanen thread

 

Hmm, that Kanen looks like a Sennheiser ie7 clone.

 

[jant71]

Yep, like the Kanen KM-902 which is said to be decent for around $4. Not sure if the KDJ model that also was suppose to use it was ever actually available. Kanen only use the IE6 and IE7 housings. The S30 is supposedly a rugged little sports type phone good as a knock-around/sports/bad weather job. Pretty much just got them to have a little fun as I have a Philips SDHQ5200 so those requirements are fillfilled outside of some isolation and a small size where the S30 can come in handy at times if decent enough sounding. If anything I get to bump the Kanen thread, see if they made something a bit better than before. Good to not worry about destroying or losing cause they can be had for $4.80 shipped  

 

[WhatToChoose]

Thanks for all your opinions guys, very insightful! It seems like the Earsonics velvets are getting quite a bit of recommendations. I especially like their changeable tuning. I will look into these more, hopefully they have sufficient quality and warranty and such. I also checked out the 1964 ears Qi. These seem nice as well, but not too many reviews praising their sound to the level that others get praised. Also looking at Noble, they are definitely on the radar....

 

[ljokerl]

   
They seem to know your secret desires. 

 
 
They should know that the XX IEMs are just not bassy enough for me 

 
 

  Joker the basshead! Keep that on the DL

 

Are they sending you the FR100X? The Elation is XX done right. Still pretty much a basshead phone but done right. The treble is polite and not peaky. The bass is also even handed and not obtrusive. Mids are only a slight bit U in the mix and quite enjoyable. With my 770C on Jazz and the bright HO they are actually not a basshead phone anymore and I was not unhappy to sell my E80 and buy the FXT200 as an upgrade(in my estimation) with more character; perhaps a more unique presentation.
 
I remember the E80 impressions from CES and they didn't seem that great but I realized when I bought them how much you need to ditch the stock tips to make them shine. The E80 and Titan 1 are both excellent phones but I like the Elation better than the DUNU(both in SQ overall and sound sig) and as much as the E80(E80 is better than the other two). I'll probably buy another E80 later on in the gold but, atm, I used those funds to buy something that would perform really well plus bring that engaging quality that takes you to a special place. E80 take you to excellent SQ land with a nice lower bass and mid-high treble focus but they don't have the Elation's sweet mids/vocals nor is their treble and bass hook as tasty as my modded PS20's which fall in between the JVC and E80.
 
My FXT apparently are in Jamaica, NY so I should have them for the weekend

which was not looking good since the Monday Japanese holiday made it seem like I might have to wait till Monday next to get them.
 
Also got this so I can resurrect my Kanen thread

 
Yes, I'm happy with the Elation so far. Seems to be smoother than my old FX101/FR301 (harshness is my biggest issue with those). 
 
+1 on that being an IE7 clone. Not a bad thing, those were always comfy for me, assuming Kanen got the nozzle angle right.

 

[tomnyamkun]

Thanks all for the reply !
I'll do some more research

 

[CommunistJason]

Which IEM should i choose the Macaw GT100S or HiFiMAN RE 400? Any other suggestions in the price range would also be appreciated.

 

[suman134]

  Which IEM should i choose the Macaw GT100S or HiFiMAN RE 400? Any other suggestions in the price range would also be appreciated.

 
   Would be a nice comparison never the less, but would you take the RE-400 over the Macaw? If you have to chose one, go with you heart.

 

[Shawn71]

   
   Would be a nice comparison never the less, but would you take the RE-400 over the Macaw? If you have to chose one, go with you heart.

Nah, go with your ears....

jk! yeah I doubt Macaw wld be on par with waterlines, albeit it has tuning nozzles and there will be bass, BQ aside.

 

[suman134]

  Nah, go with your ears....

jk! yeah I doubt Macaw wld be on par with waterlines, albeit it has tuning nozzles and there will be bass, BQ aside.

What to do, people feel bad when they dont go with what they want and fell that they were right from unreliable sources? Sometimes one have to be diplomatic.
 
Cuz if you take my word, i still dont think an earphone under $100 can beat RE-400, still you have to take your ears where your signature meets.

. Cant tell a bass head to love RE-400.

 

[Shawn71]

 
What to do, people feel bad when they dont go with what they want and fell that they were right from unreliable sources? Sometimes one have to be diplomatic.
 
Cuz if you take my word, i still dont think an earphone under $100 can beat RE-400, still you have to take your ears where your signature meets.

. Cant tell a bass head to love RE-400.

yep that's what I meant......but yeah may be under $79, with their current RRP? just add an amp (E11) to the chain? voila!!! Boom.

 

[DecentLevi]

Hello guys, I'm posting here in hopes to get a suggestion for an IEM. After 500+ postings on head-fi, this is surprisingly my first post about IEMs. So maybe somebody can help me to 'come out of the closet' with IEMs... or even if the thread owner @ljokerl would chime in, I would be super tickled!
 
Last year I had studied the first half of this thread for sub $60 IEMs, and bought both the Soundmagic E30 and Maximo iMetal iM-590. Of these, I found the E30 to be too dark / muddy, and I like the iMetal, but one of the channels died and it sounded a tad too claustrophobic.
 
So here is what I'm looking for: An IEM under $250-ish, bullet or tube shape, that has fairly neutral FR, good clarity and punch. By bullet / tube shape, I like these as opposed to the full IEM 'hearing aid' type so it's much faster to put in / take out. And more on the sound signature I'm looking for: I like a decent amount of clarity / instrument separation / detail (yet not super analytical), and I like the frequency response to be fairly flat but maybe slightly V-shaped is OK - natural bass response but nothing even remotely resembling 'bass heavy' of 'basshead'; - closer to neutral.
 
For reference with full size 'cans, I love the sound of the Senn. HD 650 and Stax SR-009, I like the DT 880, but am not into the Audeze LCD2 or Ether headphones sound which seem too 'dark' for me.
Thanks in advance!

 

[getclikinagas]

  Hello guys, I'm posting here in hopes to get a suggestion for an IEM. After 500+ postings on head-fi, this is surprisingly my first post about IEMs. So maybe somebody can help me to 'come out of the closet' with IEMs... or even if the thread owner @ljokerl would chime in, I would be super tickled!
 
Last year I had studied the first half of this thread for sub $60 IEMs, and bought both the Soundmagic E30 and Maximo iMetal iM-590. Of these, I found the E30 to be too dark / muddy, and I like the iMetal, but one of the channels died and it sounded a tad too claustrophobic.
 
So here is what I'm looking for: An IEM under $250-ish, bullet or tube shape, that has fairly neutral FR, good clarity and punch. By bullet / tube shape, I like these as opposed to the full IEM 'hearing aid' type so it's much faster to put in / take out. And more on the sound signature I'm looking for: I like a decent amount of clarity / instrument separation / detail (yet not super analytical), and I like the frequency response to be fairly flat but maybe slightly V-shaped is OK - natural bass response but nothing even remotely resembling 'bass heavy' of 'basshead'; - closer to neutral.
 
For reference with full size 'cans, I love the sound of the Senn. HD 650 and Stax SR-009, I like the DT 880, but am not into the Audeze LCD2 or Ether headphones sound which seem too 'dark' for me.
Thanks in advance!

Hi @DecentLevi. Out of the IEMs I have heard(not many), the following two IEMs come close to what you are looking for.

Category	Requirement	DUNU Titan 1​	HiFiMAN RE400​
Price	Under 250$	~115$​	~79$​
Form factor	Bullet or tube shape	Half in-ear; cable down​	Very small, tube shape; cable down​
Clarity, Detail	Decent amount	Very clear, highly detailed, Upfront with detail, attention grabbing.​	Transparent Midrange, forgiving highs, very tight bass, more laid back with details but present nonetheless​
Instrument separation	Decent amount	Very natural sonic space, imaging, placement is natural, sound-stage wider than taller,​	Layering is excellent and separation is very good, sound-stage is average without sounding congested,​
Sound signature	Fairly flat but maybe slightly V-shaped	Slight V shape, emphasis begins in upper midrange and increases slightly into the highs, no clear bass hump, extends deep. Organic comes to mind.​	Warm lilt to a Neutral signature, Slightly forward midrange, laid back treble, tight bass that extends deep but loses some presence in sub-bass.​
Bass	Natural bass response	Bass takes advantage of airiness, right amount of decay to sound organic, in the slight V- bass levels climbs a little into lower midrange but not distracting​	Beautifully crafted mid-bass but loses some natural feel due to low sub-bass presence​
Reference	Love -Senn. HD 650 and Stax SR-009 Like - DT880, Maximo iMetal iM-590 Not into - LCD2/Ether/Soundmagic E30	Sadly have not heard any of your reference IEMs/HPs enough to give you a comparison.​	Sadly have not heard any of your references IEMs/HPs enough to give you a comparison.​

 
My experience above 150$ is limited, so there may be better options for you around the 250$ mark.
There is a lot of experience here to tap into, and I am sure people(including ljokerl) will help you soon. Best of luck with your first third IEM purchase
 
PS: Try to get an audition of the DUNU Titan 1. It comes close to your criteria. The half in ear design may seem off-putting but I find it easy to put-in/take-out. Let me know if you have any further questions.

 

[DecentLevi]

Hello, thanks for your helpful response. I'm not sure about the DUNU Titan 1 because of its' shape. From experience it seems as if deep-insertion can give a better sound, but this one looks like it may not go in deep enough. And what are those vent holes on it?
 
For the RE-400 this seems nice, but I've not been a fan of the general Hifiman 'house sound' from their full size 'cans, except for the HE-6 which was phenomenal. By any chance would you be able to post which full size headphone the RE-400 sounds most similar to - Hifiman or any brand? Thanks, and I still hope LjokerL can jump in on this too