[dfrost]

Quote:

A quick question if one may , after reviewing this great amount of IEM`s , 
would you say an armature pair is (generally/technically) better than a dynamic one (or vice versa) ? 
I am pondering between the FXT90/RE262's and the DBA02-MKII 's and I have no idea which path to choose really .
 
Many thanks ,
 
Danny .

Danny,
 
You've already received some excellent advice in response to this question, especially Gilly87's suggestion to get examples of a few better bang-for-buck cheaper IEM's with different sound signatures, so that you can determine your own preference.
 
I'll just offer my personal experience with two of these (never heard any RE's of any type).
 
I have both FXT90's and DBA-02 Mk.I's. The latter were my long-time favorite for several years, and I still love them, but I find that there's something a bit more exciting about music through the FXT90's - I think that's the lush/thick sound of the JVC's coming through versus the Fischer's clear/dry/transparent sound. I am certainly not a basshead, and the FXT90's can sound overly bassy on tracks that have been mixed for heavy bass, but lots of folks like that emphasis. They are certainly more colored and not as accurate as the Fischers, which feel like they deliver the music exactly as it was mixed. BTW, the DBA's give me a good seal so the bass quantity seems adequate, but certainly light in comparison to the JVC's.
 
My ears are pretty old compared to most head-fi-ers, so I don't have any problem with sibilance, and the 'aggressive' nature of both these IEM's may actually offset any high frequency hearing loss.
 

 

[Gilly87]

I've always wondered if this might be why it seems people lean towards brighter phones as they progress in both audiophilia and age...
 
Quote:

My ears are pretty old compared to most head-fi-ers, so I don't have any problem with sibilance, and the 'aggressive' nature of both these IEM's may actually offset any high frequency hearing loss.
 

 

 

[olear]

Quote:

I've always wondered if this might be why it seems people lean towards brighter phones as they progress in both audiophilia and age...
 


 

Same thoughts on brighter phones and more neutral sounding phones.

 

[Gilly87]

...and thus the end of the superstition of the superiority of "mature" taste in sound 

 
ITS SCIENCE!

 

[heart banger-97]

hi
I received my amp (arrow 4G) few days ago.  but I found it a little dark in comparison with ipod touch 3G.
recently I want to upgrade my IEM ( I have shure se315)
do you think that westone 4 is suitable for me? or should I choose a bright IEM may be?, something like ath-ck100 or grado gr10 !!!
 
thanks
(sorry for my English)

 

[ljokerl]

 
Quote:

hi
I received my amp (arrow 4G) few days ago.  but I found it a little dark in comparison with ipod touch 3G.
recently I want to upgrade my IEM ( I have shure se315)
do you think that westone 4 is suitable for me? or should I choose a bright IEM may be, something like ath-ck100 or grado gr10?
 
thanks
(sorry for my English)

Unfortunately I've never heard the SE315 so I have no idea what you're coming from. The W4 is far from bright - it tends to be balanced with a very slight midrange emphasis. The CK100 generally pairs well with warmer/darker amps but its bass extension/impact is not as impressive as that of the W4. There is a new version of the CK100 - the CK100Pro - which I know nothing about. The Sony MDR-EX1000 might be something to check out as well if you don't need high isolation.
 

 

[Xinn3r]

Joker, do you have any tips on how to check for IEM failure/defect, especially when buying second-hand? Like channel imbalance or distortion,etc

 

[heart banger-97]

Quote:

 

Unfortunately I've never heard the SE315 so I have no idea what you're coming from. The W4 is far from bright - it tends to be balanced with a very slight midrange emphasis. The CK100 generally pairs well with warmer/darker amps but its bass extension/impact is not as impressive as that of the W4. There is a new version of the CK100 - the CK100Pro - which I know nothing about. The Sony MDR-EX1000 might be something to check out as well if you don't need high isolation.
 

thanks, do you think that ck100 (or ck-100pro or grado gr10) will benefit from an amp? or is it better to sell my amp and buy an IEM alone?
 
 

 

[tomscy2000]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ljokerl 

Unfortunately I've never heard the SE315 so I have no idea what you're coming from. The W4 is far from bright - it tends to be balanced with a very slight midrange emphasis. The CK100 generally pairs well with warmer/darker amps but its bass extension/impact is not as impressive as that of the W4. There is a new version of the CK100 - the CK100Pro - which I know nothing about. The Sony MDR-EX1000 might be something to check out as well if you don't need high isolation.

Quote:

Originally Posted by heart banger-97 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
thanks, do you think that ck100 (or ck-100pro or grado gr10) will benefit from an amp? or is it better to sell my amp and buy an IEM alone?

I haven't heard the SE315 either, but the CK100PRO is a neutral-to-bright IEM, without the same midrange emphasis as the CK100, though the GR10 is also a decent choice. I believe the CK100PRO is more technically proficient, but obviously more expensive. Joker's suggestion of the EX1000 is good too. And, I don't think any of them really need an amp, but it wouldn't hurt to have one. JM2C...

 

[heart banger-97]

Quote:

I haven't heard the SE315 either, but the CK100PRO is a neutral-to-bright IEM, without the same midrange emphasis as the CK100, though the GR10 is also a decent choice. I believe the CK100PRO is more technically proficient, but obviously more expensive. Joker's suggestion of the EX1000 is good too. And, I don't think any of them really need an amp, but it wouldn't hurt to have one. JM2C...

thanks
but ck100pro is too expensive (594$ from amazon)
 
sound isolation is important to me (so the ex1000 is not a proper choice)
 
about gr10; I terrify that gr10 would be too bright for me.

 

 

[ljokerl]

Quote:

Joker, do you have any tips on how to check for IEM failure/defect, especially when buying second-hand? Like channel imbalance or distortion,etc

For balance, just run a sine sweep. The 'source' should remain relatively centered - if it goes left or right significantly and consistently in a certain frequency range, you'll know the earphones are imbalanced. 

 

[sneaglebob]

Do a review of the bose IE2 or the sony MDR-EX10LP

 

[vwinter]

Quote:

Do a review of the bose IE2 or the sony MDR-EX10LP

Make me a sandwich
 

 

[Totally Dubbed]

Joker, you ain't reviewed the Grado GR8's by any chance have you?
 
I'll be receiving my pair from grado to review soon enough.
I'll PM you after I have gone through them, to send them to you for a review/test
 
How's that sound bro?

 

[tomscy2000]

Quote:

Joker, you ain't reviewed the Grado GR8's by any chance have you? I'll be receiving my pair from grado to review soon enough.

You can probably copy/paste some of the things you wrote on the PFEs...