[suman134]

  I remember mine came with a metal slide case and also comply t100 was included in the package 

Definitely preferred the sound with comply tips or shure olives.

i use olivers , you can see them on my " being used one " , i love them with comply . and yeah , i would have loved that metal case .

 

[tan1415]

   
I don't understand, are you saying the BA100 is better than the q-JAYS? I did note that the BA100 was harsh/edgy at the top and I really don't think it's nearly as good as a q-JAYS.
 
I used the BA100 with generic single-flanges on the outer notch with several sources including the HM-901 with IEM card and Minibox card (my favorite).

 oops misread your review.To me the Qjays was way way better.  
Have not compared them to other BA iem.

 

[Lukalop]

I know it's a big ask, but does anyone know of an IEM that compnd quallity competes with the STAX SR-009 sound quality wise, or have we yet to advance that far with BA drivers? Obviously soundstage will not be fair to compare, so excluding this, what IEMs out there come close to the SR-009 or possibly even best it?

 

[modulor]

  I know it's a big ask, but does anyone know of an IEM that compnd quallity competes with the STAX SR-009 sound quality wise, or have we yet to advance that far with BA drivers? Obviously soundstage will not be fair to compare, so excluding this, what IEMs out there come close to the SR-009 or possibly even best it?

I think the short answer is going to be no, however this is something that should be expected due to the inherent limitations of IEMs.  That doesn't mean there aren't some phenomenal sounding IEMs out there that best full sized headphones, nor does it meant that the SR-009 is the best sounding headphone in existence (subjective opinions will greatly differ from person to person).  A good place to start reading into this would be David Mahler's 'Battle of the Flagships' thread, where he discusses current and former flagship headphones and IEMs and pits them against one another:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/634201/battle-of-the-flagships-58-headphones-compared-update-audeze-lcd-2-revision-2-6-4-13
 
The general consensus is that his impressions are relatively spot on, and I would say that is so for the most part for those on the list I've gotten to try.  There are a few that aren't technically flagships, so those are an additional point of reference.

 

[ljokerl]

Are two pin connectors durable or is an mmcx connector preferable? I am concerned that they don't have a locking mechanism and may detach with sudden movement, I am not fond if the Roxanne's proprietary connector as it is harder to get aftermarket cables, if there are any. What are your thoughts?

 
I haven't had a problem with either type of connector except for the very early Shure units that had defective MMCX F-connectors. I've had both types detach under stress, which is better than if they didn't detach and the cable snapped instead. 
 

Weren't you looking for a pair of the standard Samsung iems? I have a pair that came with my S3, I can send them your way, if you want.

 
If those are the white ones that Samsung also sells separately I wanted to give them a quick listen, yes

.
 

  Hey Joker. I agree with your take on the BA100. If you still have them, give a quick listen with a a few of your double flange tips pushed all the way down. The right one can take them up a notch.

 
That works for me to but not really better than the singles. I think the nozzle ending being so near the outlet of the bi-flanges doesn't work well with my ear canals. Maybe I'm trying to insert them too far..
 

  I know it's a big ask, but does anyone know of an IEM that compnd quallity competes with the STAX SR-009 sound quality wise, or have we yet to advance that far with BA drivers? Obviously soundstage will not be fair to compare, so excluding this, what IEMs out there come close to the SR-009 or possibly even best it?

 
I wish. Even the Stax IEMs sound pretty lackluster next to the SR-009.

 

[scootsit]

Weren't you looking for a pair of the standard Samsung iems? I have a pair that came with my S3, I can send them your way, if you want.

"If those are the white ones that Samsung also sells separately I wanted to give them a quick listen, yes "


I think I still have your address, I'll send them off next week.

 

[eke2k6]

  I know it's a big ask, but does anyone know of an IEM that compnd quallity competes with the STAX SR-009 sound quality wise, or have we yet to advance that far with BA drivers? Obviously soundstage will not be fair to compare, so excluding this, what IEMs out there come close to the SR-009 or possibly even best it?

 
Like the others said, No. 
 
But the Tralucent 1plus2 somewhat approximates the overall character of the SR-009. The Stax obviously transcends, but see if you can demo the 1plus2.

 

[ljokerl]

"If those are the white ones that Samsung also sells separately I wanted to give them a quick listen, yes

"


I think I still have your address, I'll send them off next week.

 
Thanks very much 

. Might not do a full review but they seem like they're definitely at least worth hearing. Quite a few people have said that budget aftermarket IEMs aren't really an improvement over those. 
 

  Are you going to review the senn ie800s?

 
I wrote one over at InnerFidelity here: http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/sennheiser-ie-800-dynamic-ear-monitor . Haven't had a chance to transfer it over to this thread yet. 

 

[MoonYeol]

Weren't you looking for a pair of the standard Samsung iems? I have a pair that came with my S3, I can send them your way, if you want.

"If those are the white ones that Samsung also sells separately I wanted to give them a quick listen, yes "


I think I still have your address, I'll send them off next week.

The headset got reworked from GS3 to GS4. Just know that. The GS4 headset that's the DD one is ok but faaaar from the quality of MH1C. But the price comparison isn't really fair anyway. I think it sounds... well less crappy and decent at the price with comply tips (Ts400 stretched a bit or Ts500 should fit). They take away some of the harshness in the upper mids that I found kind of killed my ears. I think that Rin Choi stated that despite being marketed as having powerful bass, all you would hear was lower treble.

TLDR; GS3 was shipped with the old headset. GS4 ships with the dual dynamic one. To my ears it sounds ok with comply tips at the internet price but far from MH1C.

 

[SebsG]

What does warm and smooth/sweet mean?

 

[Lukalop]

Warm

What does warm and smooth/sweet mean?

Warm means there is an emphasis in the bass/mid-bass region. Smooth is the liquidity of the sound, rather to understand further as it is quite difficult to describe.

A roadworks drill would be classified as a very dry sound, as it alternates between two positions (up and down). This is similar to a speaker on a very basic level in that the speaker is also vibrating, however not between two places (in and out) but many points in between. The more levels (points in between) the smoother the sound. It is similar to how if you raise your hand above water and smack it as hard as you can, it is almost as if there are no levels in between, the hand moves (up to down) like with a road drill and creates a very sharp dry sound (although the water is wet, but that's not the point). If this is done slowly however it is like having more levels on a speaker diaphragm. And the sound is smooth as the hand slowly pushes the water in very much the same way a speaker does air.

I would advise to have a look at the definitions section here on head fi if you still don't understand, but for me an analogy always helps.

 

[ljokerl]

I'm quite curious to see your number reviews Haha

 
Sound-wise it's a little better than the Ultrasone IQ reviewed in this thread, but I was a little disappointed with the cable noise and the inability to wear them over-the-ear so they don't rank too high up the chart.
 

The headset got reworked from GS3 to GS4. Just know that. The GS4 headset that's the DD one is ok but faaaar from the quality of MH1C. But the price comparison isn't really fair anyway. I think it sounds... well less crappy and decent at the price with comply tips (Ts400 stretched a bit or Ts500 should fit). They take away some of the harshness in the upper mids that I found kind of killed my ears. I think that Rin Choi stated that despite being marketed as having powerful bass, all you would hear was lower treble.

TLDR; GS3 was shipped with the old headset. GS4 ships with the dual dynamic one. To my ears it sounds ok with comply tips at the internet price but far from MH1C.

 
Good to know! Still should make for a good starting point for GS3 owners seeking an upgrade.
 
 

What does warm and smooth/sweet mean?

 
On a basic level, warm usually just means emphasized at the low end and smooth usually just refers to a lack of peaks in the frequency response or lack of grain, distortion, and "sharpness" which is what Lukalop's analogy is describing. Over time you stop thinking of the definitions of these terms and just "hear" them as the sum of their parts, which is actually pretty hard to describe (I won't try - maybe someone more literary-minded can).  

 

[Tamirci]

Thanks for this most useful review thread.

I just wanted to know your suggestion for a true upgrade over TDK Ba200 and Ath im02.
İm02 sounds just the way I love but its fit is a little problem for me and so I am searching a better fitting iem (and better in every aspects) budget is around 600 usd.

Thanks

Ps: here is the original question

Though I love that Ath im02 sound, I know I'll move to a better one in the future.
How im02 sounds: Bright, clear, mid forward, spacious, fast and puchy, sufficent bass for even Dubstep on armatures.
Source: dx50

Anything you can recommend?

 

[Lukalop]

From what I understand so far, IEMs in the £1000 + region can effortlessly vastly outperform full sized headphones or even speakers for that matter. But how do the sub 500 compare? i.e W4R & SE535?

 

[rawrster]

vastly outperform? Where did you hear that from. I have yet to hear any custom that does that to any totl headphone.