[lamnidae]

   
With those IEMs you should get a pretty good idea of what you're looking at with just the stock tips.
 
 
I can't provide any feedback on most of the sets you're considering. The only ones I have heard are the 1964-V3, Westone UM3X, and the Cardas. I thought the Cardas was lacking in clarity for the price and can't recommend it at all. It's still sitting in my desk. The 1964-V3 has borderline basshead bass and doesn't seem like it would be a good fit for you, especially coming from an SE210. In that price range the Alclair Reference would be the custom I'd recommend but I still don't think it's a great fit for you. The SE535 would work better for you than all of those, although I haven't heard the SE535 SE.
 
From your requirements I would also suggest the StageDiver SD-2, which is not unlike the SE535 except that I didn't have as many nitpicks with its treble. It doesn't really have enhanced bass, but no less than the SE535. The mids are not forward, but not recessed either. Treble isn't bright and doesn't have too much sparkle, but again it's better than the SE535 I heard in that respect. Other than these reservations it ticks all of your boxes. 

 
 
Sorry for taking a while to get back to you, been away without a laptop for the last few days. Thanks for the response & recommendations! Really appreciate it mate.
 
I've had a look into the SD-2 & it does seem rather intriguing based on your review as well as others - certainly a strong contender next to the SE535 SE. It is the priciest option though, so I'm determined to find out how it measures up against the SE535 SE & some of the others before I make a final decision. How would you say it compares to the W4/W4R, as that was an option that I was initially considering? Following some more extensive research, I decided that the bass might not be quite fast & responsive enough for what I'm looking for straight out of the box, along with a lot of comments about it being somewhat 'flat' in a sense & was led to believe I would need an amp to really appreciate it's unique signature.
 
Also, how would you rate those the SD-2 & W4 against higher end custom models such as the 1964EARS V6 & Unique Melody Miracle purely in terms of sound quality since you've tried them as well?
 
Cheers

 

[lamnidae]

Hope you don't mind my jumping in here. Reading your explanation of what you're looking for I would recommend you give the Earsonics SM64 serious consideration. Joker rated them highly and you can read the various comments I've made by doing a search on my user name.

-Eric

 
Hey man no worries, thanks for the input! Really appreciate any & all info, advice & recommendations that I can get at the moment.
 
I did consider the SM3 V2 intially, but heard that the SM64 isn't necessarily a marked improvement for some. But it definitely gets plenty of good reviews & your comments only prove as further reinforcement of it's abilities. I may possibly have overlooked it a little.
 
Have you by any chance tried out or owned the Shure SE535 SE, InEar StageDiver SD-2, Westone W4 or 1964EARS Q such that you could give me a comparison of the SM64 to any of those?
 
Cheers

 

[ljokerl]

I guess we're among the last to reach the new year here in California.
 
Just want to wish everything a healthy, happy, and prosperous 2014 filled with great music! 

 

[derrickmarvel]

  I guess we're among the last to reach the new year here in California.
 
Just want to wish everything a healthy, happy, and prosperous 2014 filled with great music! 

Happy 2014 to you to |joker|!

 

[getclikinagas]

Happy New year to you too!
Can't believe its only been 4 years since this:
 

(5/9/09)

Thanks a lot for the comprehensive guide!

I'm pretty new here and only on my 2nd set of IEM's. This guide had pretty much everything I wanted to know (and sume stuff I didn't know I wanted).

 

to this :
 

Multi-IEM Review - 307 IEMs compared : Portables Reviewerus Prolificus"

Thank god for your long commutes 

 
 
Thank you from us all Mike!
 
What have been the highlights this year for 'you'? (iems, headphones, music)
 

 

[adriano86]

   
I agree with Pastapipo, for me 192kbps is the minimum. 320 is really rather good, especially for hip-hop, and I don't mind 320kbps files at all, especially on the go.
 
Also, I missed the mic requirement. In that case you might also want to consider the new JVC FRD80. It's the mic/remote version of the FXD80. Seems to be pretty cheap on ebay at the moment.
 
 
The Fidelios have more bass than the Flux Pro. It's the regular (non-pro) Flux that's the bassier SteelSeries earphones. 
 
 
I think it's a natural progression. Highly compressed mp3s were a concession caused by expensive digital storage and low internet bandwidths/speeds, even in the mainstream. Now we are course-correcting back to less compressed audio as low-bitrate files are becoming less common all around.
 
 
Sorry, as far as I know I've never even been in the same room as an AH-C300. 

Thanks for your reply and happy new year to you. Alright so I checked out the FXD80 and they seem promising based on your review. They are definately within my price range but can i trust ordering from ebay? I see most of those sellers are based in China so im afraid of cheap pirated copies...
 
Secondly, which would you say would suit me best Yamaha 100-SL or JVC FRD80 ? both has a mic it seems but I wonder if im able to order either of them from manufacturers website or something?
 
I guess i forgot to add that im striving for that full and richness sound so by what I read the Yamaha seem to be the better choice if im not wrong? 

 

[Love Music]

Happy New Year everyone!
 
Joker,
 
just wondering how the sd-2 compares to the UE900 in terms of mid, highs, soundstage, clarity, imaging and seperation?

 

[Solude]

One more kick of the can, anyone can feel free to chime in...
 
What iems, custom or universal, that has the tonal balance and character of the LCD-3 at these price points...
 
$300
$500
$700
$1100
$1600

 

[ElcomeSoft]

Tried the Westone TruFit tips with my Brainwavz B's and they're good, don't get me wrong, but I didn't quite enjoy them and found them difficult to get a good fit/seal so they're consigned to the back burner for the moment (may self-mod them to see if I can make them more usable for me).
 
The Comply tips that they use are the 100 Series. I've had the T-series before and the B2's came with a set of T-100's which are good but I am wondering whether the Tx-100 versions would be worth the extra cash. They only seem to offer a small wax guard over the standard T-100's.
 
Any opinions on the T Vs the Tx Complys? Main concern is any change in sound from the wax guard. If that's fine, secondary concern would be "apart from the wax guard, what else does my extra money buy me?",
 
Many thanks!

 

[MoonYeol]

The filter potentially takes away from the highs. It should do to some small amount but not sure how much.

 

[adriano86]

Why is it impossible to find Yamaha EPH-100SL ? I mean it seems to be such a shortage of retailers selling themm.. whyyyy!?!?!?! Gah going nuts..

 

[Deviltooth]

  Why is it impossible to find Yamaha EPH-100SL ? I mean it seems to be such a shortage of retailers selling themm.. whyyyy!?!?!?! Gah going nuts..

It's not impossible, try Amazon.com

 

[ozkan]

You can also check ebay. http://www.ebay.com/ctg/Yamaha-EPH-100-In-Ear-only-Headphones-Silver-Black-/114560858

 

[TR3v]

So I have had 3 pairs of ue500s break in the past 10 months. Pretty lame imo. When is someone going to a truly durable IEM? Detachable cables are going to be a must for my next purchase.

 

[ljokerl]

  Sorry for taking a while to get back to you, been away without a laptop for the last few days. Thanks for the response & recommendations! Really appreciate it mate.
 
I've had a look into the SD-2 & it does seem rather intriguing based on your review as well as others - certainly a strong contender next to the SE535 SE. It is the priciest option though, so I'm determined to find out how it measures up against the SE535 SE & some of the others before I make a final decision. How would you say it compares to the W4/W4R, as that was an option that I was initially considering? Following some more extensive research, I decided that the bass might not be quite fast & responsive enough for what I'm looking for straight out of the box, along with a lot of comments about it being somewhat 'flat' in a sense & was led to believe I would need an amp to really appreciate it's unique signature.
 
Also, how would you rate those the SD-2 & W4 against higher end custom models such as the 1964EARS V6 & Unique Melody Miracle purely in terms of sound quality since you've tried them as well?
 
Cheers

 
The SD-2 is more balanced than the W4 IMO. Its bass is more level with no real subbass roll-off and no mid-bass lift. I liked the mids on the Westones so I don't think either really has an advantage there. Treble-wise the SD-2 again sounded more linear to me. The W4 maybe a had a little more energy but wasn't as extended.
 
I stopped my A:B between the Miracle and SD-2 short. There really wasn't much of a comparison. The Miracle is much clearer, much more 3-dimensional, and sounded more neutral and more natural. The V6-Stage (the only V6 I've tried) is pretty close to the Miracle.
 

  Happy New year to you too!
Can't believe its only been 4 years since this:
 
to this :
 

Multi-IEM Review - 307 IEMs compared : Portables Reviewerus Prolificus"

Thank god for your long commutes 

 
 
Thank you from us all Mike!
 
What have been the highlights this year for 'you'? (iems, headphones, music)
 

 
Wow, imagine that

. I totally don't remember making that comment but it was well-deserved by ClieOS. Never in a million years could I have predicted what my time on Head-Fi would be like. I also vaguely remember a thread I started the day I heard a set of Etys for the first time. That was an eye-opening experience for me

.
 
Aside from the sets that had redefined (for me) price/performance this year and all of my new favorites (e.g. RE-400, VSD1S, JH13) my highlight this year was finally getting the interactive table off the ground. That's been a long time coming.
 
Happy new year 

 
 

  Thanks for your reply and happy new year to you. Alright so I checked out the FXD80 and they seem promising based on your review. They are definately within my price range but can i trust ordering from ebay? I see most of those sellers are based in China so im afraid of cheap pirated copies...
 
Secondly, which would you say would suit me best Yamaha 100-SL or JVC FRD80 ? both has a mic it seems but I wonder if im able to order either of them from manufacturers website or something?
 
I guess i forgot to add that im striving for that full and richness sound so by what I read the Yamaha seem to be the better choice if im not wrong? 

 
Do the Yamahas have a mic version? I thought they didn't. If they do, I still think the EPH-100 fits your requirements better sound-wise. 
 

  Happy New Year everyone!
 
Joker,
 
just wondering how the sd-2 compares to the UE900 in terms of mid, highs, soundstage, clarity, imaging and seperation?

 
I thought the SD-2 sounded smoother and had a little more bass impact with similar extension. Its mids are more prominent overall and it sounded more natural to me. Not much technical difference in presentation or overall clarity. The UE900 seemed to have slightly better treble extension and is brighter/has more treble energy but I liked the SD-2 better overall. 
 

  One more kick of the can, anyone can feel free to chime in...
 
What iems, custom or universal, that has the tonal balance and character of the LCD-3 at these price points...
 
$300
$500
$700
$1100
$1600

 
I personally haven't tried the LCD-3.