[Mini0510]

Quote:

I'm sure this is answered in the 1st post. I do at the very least try both a portable player and a portable player + portable amp with everything but the actual comparative listening happens with a reasonably-priced DAC/Amp combo.

 
I only use portable players like ipod touch or android phones (galaxy s3, galaxy note 2).
Then would there be a little or a significantly difference between AKG K3003 and JVC FX700 on a decently priced DAC/amp than a portable player/phone?

 

[Parmesan]

I have tried Shure SE535 after reading many recommendations on those pieces. I think there is a really good balance, however, I'm looking for a pair which have a bit more bass than se535. There are so many pieces out there that I'm having difficulties to decide. I'm using iphone 5 as device. My budget would be around $400. Inputs?

 

[Satanic Pope]

Hey Joker,

That concern of listening to music with certain quality and detail is kind of addictive you know and hence I yearn to test some of the best cans out there. In the end though, as you said, its still about music

Thanks for the recommendation man. I looked up to what you suggested and certain posts i read on the forum, I am finally willing to settle on JVC HA-FX101. I couldnt find any lucrative deals if I may say so within my budget on amazon/hifiman/lendmeurears/others. Amazon's golden box does list MEElectronics S6 for 25 bucks, however they dont come across to me as appealing as the 101's.

Some other which I thought were quite decent :
 
JVC HA-FX40B
Sennheiser MX470/471
"Black buds" HDSS
Sony MH1C
Philips SHE3580
Brainwavz R1
MH650

Your take? Should I settle down with JVC's? Also, are FX40 better than FX101. I'm looking for bass heavy IEM's since my pref is mostly metal and fusion.

 

[msmiller]

Hey Joker,  thank you for the outstanding IEM reviews!  I've spent hours going through the reviews, table and the rest of the thread.
 
I'm looking to replace Shure SE530s that I left on an airplane (d'oH!).  My listening, music and source:

1. Listening is primarily on airplanes, at the gym, and while skiing.  Comfort and isolation are two important factors here, and a must have is inline iPhone control and mic similar to Shure's.  All I need is the single button which allows answering/ending calls, starting/stoping music, and invoking Siri.  I don't need volume or track control.
2. Music is a bit eclectic but primarily pop, rock, some jazz ... no country.  I really liked the clarity and sound signature of the SE530s, but from the reviews it seems clear I can get better for the money.
3. Source is primarily iPhone

 
After reading the reviews I'm interested in perhaps doing customs 1964EARs 1964-V3 or perhaps the Alclair Reference.  Unfortunately neither have inline iPhone control or mic options.  I heard back from Alcair that they may have this option in the future.
 
Are there any customs that have inline iPhone control and mic?  If not customs, what universal IEM would you recommend that have excellent sound, good isolation, low microphonics ... and inline control and mic?
 
Thanks,
-MSM

 

[james444]

Quote:

Joker,
 
Is there an universal IEM equal to Westone 4 but with slightly punchier and flatter bass response extending well in to sub bass region such as UM3X or EPH-100? I like clear (slightly forward) mids with airy and sparkling treble extension.  For reference purposes; EPH-100 is perfect including bass,mids and soundstage however, highs could use a little bit more air and sparkle. I did not like UM3X or SM3 too much because of lack of clarity in the mids and they didn't do wonders with treble extension as well however, UM3X had strong bass response which I liked. I truly enjoyed the clear mids and airy/sparkling treble of Grado G10 but it didn't have the soundstage and bass response for me. Finally I bought W4s. They have fairly clear mids and airy treble with huge soundstage and they are slightly better than GR10s in bass response yet still not upto my taste. Thanks for all your help!

 
I hate to bring bad news to your wallet, but the IE800 sound pretty much like a love child of the EPH-100 and GR10. Same bass characteristics (with just a little less quantity) and wide soundstage as the Yamahas, similar ultra clear mids and airy highs to the Grados.
 
However, there are some oversights/shortcomings that shouldn't be there with a TOTL phone imo, and I suggest reading my early impressions, if you haven't already been scared off by their price tag.

 

[AstralStorm]

Yes, I concur, IE8/80/800 are very respectable if bass heavy and a bit expensive for what they are. Equalization is trivial. Their main drawbacks are that they do need a bass cut, minor highs boost and have low isolation.
Their problem is that many dynamic drivers on much lower shelf are reasonably comparable and some flat out beat them at quality.
One of the main advantages is lack of any resonance peaks, meaning they can be equalized perfectly as necessary. (Though the highest end >17k can require a lot of boost)

 

[atomikn00b]

Has anyone offered to send joker a burned in sony mh1c yet?
I have my own opinion of them but just curious how joker would rate/review them.
I have a guess what he'll think based on how he's reviewed other iems I've tried, but I'm especially curious considering the price.

 

[ljokerl]

Quote:

The GR06 has a cable cinch now. (Mine does, anyway-bought from lendmeurears on ebay)
How much burn in time do you recommend for it, and what do you do/how long?

 
I burn in everything for the same 100 hours using a pre-set mix of audio tracks, white noise, and pink noise. 
 
Good to know they added a cinch to the GR06. 
 
Quote:

 
I only use portable players like ipod touch or android phones (galaxy s3, galaxy note 2).
Then would there be a little or a significantly difference between AKG K3003 and JVC FX700 on a decently priced DAC/amp than a portable player/phone?

 
You would have to ask someone who owns those phones and has compared them to a decent DAC/amp. My HTC phone has terrible audio quality. 
 
Quote:

I have tried Shure SE535 after reading many recommendations on those pieces. I think there is a really good balance, however, I'm looking for a pair which have a bit more bass than se535. There are so many pieces out there that I'm having difficulties to decide. I'm using iphone 5 as device. My budget would be around $400. Inputs?

 
There are lots of earphones out there with more bass than the SE535. If you only want a bit more the UE900 should work for you as something iPhone-compatible at $400.
 
Quote:

Hey Joker,

That concern of listening to music with certain quality and detail is kind of addictive you know and hence I yearn to test some of the best cans out there. In the end though, as you said, its still about music

Thanks for the recommendation man. I looked up to what you suggested and certain posts i read on the forum, I am finally willing to settle on JVC HA-FX101. I couldnt find any lucrative deals if I may say so within my budget on amazon/hifiman/lendmeurears/others. Amazon's golden box does list MEElectronics S6 for 25 bucks, however they dont come across to me as appealing as the 101's.

Some other which I thought were quite decent :
 
JVC HA-FX40B
Sennheiser MX470/471
"Black buds" HDSS
Sony MH1C
Philips SHE3580
Brainwavz R1
MH650

Your take? Should I settle down with JVC's? Also, are FX40 better than FX101. I'm looking for bass heavy IEM's since my pref is mostly metal and fusion.

 
I've only tried the SHE3580, FX101, and FX40. I like the SHE3580 the best of those - it's decently balanced, has good but not overwhelming bass, and generally sounds clear and surprisingly refined. The FX101 has got a ton of bass and harsh treble but it's quite capable for the price. The FX40 is even more capable technically but I don't like the way it presents the midrange or treble. 
 
Quote:

Hey Joker,  thank you for the outstanding IEM reviews!  I've spent hours going through the reviews, table and the rest of the thread.
 
I'm looking to replace Shure SE530s that I left on an airplane (d'oH!).  My listening, music and source:

1. Listening is primarily on airplanes, at the gym, and while skiing.  Comfort and isolation are two important factors here, and a must have is inline iPhone control and mic similar to Shure's.  All I need is the single button which allows answering/ending calls, starting/stoping music, and invoking Siri.  I don't need volume or track control.
2. Music is a bit eclectic but primarily pop, rock, some jazz ... no country.  I really liked the clarity and sound signature of the SE530s, but from the reviews it seems clear I can get better for the money.
3. Source is primarily iPhone

 
After reading the reviews I'm interested in perhaps doing customs 1964EARs 1964-V3 or perhaps the Alclair Reference.  Unfortunately neither have inline iPhone control or mic options.  I heard back from Alcair that they may have this option in the future.
 
Are there any customs that have inline iPhone control and mic?  If not customs, what universal IEM would you recommend that have excellent sound, good isolation, low microphonics ... and inline control and mic?
 
Thanks,
-MSM

 
The good thing about customs is that the cable is (usually) detachable. With Alclair or 1964EARS you can just pick up a mic cable from Westone or JHAudio. They're pricy but may be worth it if you've got to have one. I think the V3 has the more easy-going signature tuned for everyday/casual listening while the Alclairs, as the name implies, are a more accurate and analytical product. The V3 is also incredibly efficient, not that the iPhone has an problem with lack of power. 
 
Quote:

Has anyone offered to send joker a burned in sony mh1c yet?
I have my own opinion of them but just curious how joker would rate/review them.
I have a guess what he'll think based on how he's reviewed other iems I've tried, but I'm especially curious considering the price.

Unfortunately I haven't had time to look into the MH1C yet.

 

[tomscy2000]

For the 334, are you just going to do a singular summary-type review, or are you planning to do a joint review with Tyll? I'd love to see Tyll give his thoughts on it, as well as impluse, square wave analysis...

 

[Nalin]

Hi joker

I have been following this thread since the starting and wanted to thank you for such an effort and dedication to Head-Fi.I have been using brainwavz r1 and wanted to to when are you going to add it's review as i am in a dilemma of swapping it by gr06 .

 

[lilboozy]

jvc marshmallow vs philips she3580?

 

[scootsit]

Quote:

jvc marshmallow vs philips she3580?

Probably the 3580, though if you're a bit of a basshead, you may wish to check out the Sony MH1C, they have gotten a lot of attention of late, and while I find them a bit dark for my liking, they are technically very impressive, certainly beating out my GR02, and some have put them roughly on par with the UE700. And, for the ~$20 that they go for on Amazon, the risk is not too big.

 

[Joe Bloggs]

Quote:

jvc marshmallow vs philips she3580?

 
The FX101 and FX40 should be quite a few steps above the marshmallows in JVC's line and joker says above that he prefers the SHE3580 to those two.

 

[WakiDabeast]

Hey joker  
I've been down and back with a few IEMs recently, and I was wondering if there were any IEM's you can think of that are extremely similar to the Tributes in sound? I have a pair, but one driver is substantially quieter than the other (assuming they are defective) and I but them used so the warranty won't be of use. I would buy another pair, but I honestly hated the weight of the driver coupled with the relatively insecure fit of the IEM. 
 
Essentially have you heard of IEMs with a similar sound signature and similar sound quality to the Miles Davis Tributes

 

[ozkan]

Hey Joker,
I'm dying for your R-50 review. When are you planning to review it?