[modulor]

  Yes, I've seen that thread and am subscribed to it. That overwhelmingly positive feedback is what made me consider it, though I'm still a little worried it might just be hype.
I visit that thread quite frequently, though lately it seems like most of the "discoveries" have been a bit pricier. It does seem like a good resource, though.
 
Thanks for the replies everyone! I'll wait for a few more, since I'm horribly indecisive, but I'm leaning towards the Quadbeat 2 despite the flat cable.

 
I trust Inks opinion as his impressions on various things I've heard myself seem to be fairly accurate.  It is early on as they were recently released in Korea, so naturally you have to expect a bit of hype.  For me personally, the massive hype turned me off the MH1/MH1C when that was all anyone could talk about, so after it died down I decided to try them out.  Definitely a worthwhile investment - I am hoping the case is the same with the QB 2 as well.  If the cable is similar to the QB 1, it's not all that bad.  Also, I believe the mic/control has universal functionality with Android devices if that is any benefit to you.

 

[TooLazy]

   
I trust Inks opinion as his impressions on various things I've heard myself seem to be fairly accurate.  It is early on as they were recently released in Korea, so naturally you have to expect a bit of hype.  For me personally, the massive hype turned me off the MH1/MH1C when that was all anyone could talk about, so after it died down I decided to try them out.  Definitely a worthwhile investment - I am hoping the case is the same with the QB 2 as well.  If the cable is similar to the QB 1, it's not all that bad.  Also, I believe the mic/control has universal functionality with Android devices if that is any benefit to you.

That's good to hear. Judging from pictures, the cable does look similar to that of the first one. How is it in terms of microphonics (worn over the ear)?

 

[goodvibes]

I'm assuming that the Custom Art Music One is vented into a small interior chamber and not to the outside. Hard to tell from pics. 

 

[piotrus-g]

  I'm assuming that the Custom Art Music One is vented into a small interior chamber

That's correct

 

[modulor]

 
That's good to hear. Judging from pictures, the cable does look similar to that of the first one. How is it in terms of microphonics (worn over the ear)?

Microphonics are not bad when worn cable up but pretty noticeable cable down, like most flat cables I've tried.  Not nearly as bad as the stock MH1 cable, which had to go. 

 I will say that with the original QB, the large driver housing, shorter nozzle and odd silicone tips it can be a bit challenging to get them in, especially over ear.  Once they are in place though it's no problem.  The QB2 seems to resolve all those issues plus improve on the sound of the original and purportedly compete with much higher tier IEMs.  I am awaiting further impressions myself, but primarily holding off because I just got two MH1s and a QB1 in the past month.

 

[TooLazy]

  Microphonics are not bad when worn cable up but pretty noticeable cable down, like most flat cables I've tried.  Not nearly as bad as the stock MH1 cable, which had to go. 

 I will say that with the original QB, the large driver housing, shorter nozzle and odd silicone tips it can be a bit challenging to get them in, especially over ear.  Once they are in place though it's no problem.  The QB2 seems to resolve all those issues plus improve on the sound of the original and purportedly compete with much higher tier IEMs.  I am awaiting further impressions myself, but primarily holding off because I just got two MH1s and a QB1 in the past month.

I absolutely hate wearing IEMs cable down, so that's not a big problem. I'll probably take a chance and go for it, then. It's still pretty sad that the money spent on the FXD80 is down the drain, but not much I can do at this point, I think. :c
 
Thanks for the help! :>

 

[modulor]

  Added the Custom Art Music One 

Great write-up (as always) and these have caught my attention now.  This is the first time hearing about Custom Art, actually...reading up on the appreciation thread now.  I've been considering venturing into BA territory after hearing an HF5 recently and also tossing around the idea of cIEMs but as far as cost goes they've been a bit out of my range.  The Music One seems like it could bridge that gap and serve me well based on your description, and the prospect of silicone housing is appealing from a comfort standpoint. 

 

[modulor]

 
I absolutely hate wearing IEMs cable down, so that's not a big problem. I'll probably take a chance and go for it, then. It's still pretty sad that the money spent on the FXD80 is down the drain, but not much I can do at this point, I think. :c
 
Thanks for the help! :>

That is truly a shame on the JVCs, but hopefully the QB2 (or whatever you decide on) will serve you well.  They can be had on Ebay for $25-$30 shipped from Korea at the moment.  Definitely post your results on the QB2 thread if you decide to pull the trigger 

 

[Emre9110]

Patiently waiting your quadbeat 2 rewiev Joker

 

[ljokerl]

Looks like esteebin beat me to it, but my review of the VSD1 and VSD1S from VSonic, complete with measurements, has been posted on InnerFidelity: http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/more-less-vsonic-vsd1-and-vsd1s . I'll add them to this thread next month but the preliminary scoring puts them just above the Sony MH1C sound-wise. More than a little impressive for $50.
 
Also, RHA is holding a review giveaway for their MA650 and MA750 models. Seems like you nominate yourself and one other person to receive a sample, which is a great idea for a community like Head-Fi. Not sure about the MA650 but the MA750 is thus far a very fun listen with superb build quality. Anyone curious about it may want to give the thread a visit here: http://www.head-fi.org/t/687315/rhas-running-a-ma750-and-ma600-review-programme .
 

  I'm not surprised the Music One is a winner.  My Custom Art Pro 330 is absolutely excellent.

 

  But the Music One is exceptional because of its smooth natural sounding, without any harshness or sibilance. As far as I know it's hard to find such fun earphones among CIEMs.
|joker| thanks for the review! 

 
Thanks 

 

   
The CK100 is a really special iem indeed, I really like the way they present vocals. Really looking forward to your review on the CK100Pro's 

 
Maybe when Audio-Technica deems the US market worthy of their BA models again 

 

  I'm in search of a fairly good IEM in the price range of $20-25. I've been thinking about the Brainwavz Delta and the Quadbeat 2 - neither of which have reviews here, but the initial impressions make me think these would be the best choices - though obviously I'm open to new ideas. My preferred sound signature is a slight V-shape with a lot of detail, or at least as much as one can get in this price range.
 
Backstory: After a lot of hesitation, roughly two months ago I bought a JVC HA-FXD80, seeing a great offer for it. I was really impressed (though a slightly less recessed midrange would've been nice, but it was still alright), especially by their clarity, but two days ago they broke - the right side became incredibly quiet, barely audible. This happening after such a short time is really disappointing, but I don't see how I could get them repaired, since this doesn't seem to be a cable issue.
 
Thanks in advance. :x

 
From the measurements someone posted a few pages back it seems like the Quadbeat 2 is more v-shaped than the original Quadbeat. The original Quadbeat is actually rather well-balanced, just has a very mild v-shape to it. Certainly not as bad in that regard as the FXD80. Not knowing much about the Quadbeat 2 I would definitely recommend the original one for you.
 

  Yep, agree. Discontinued - like CC51 and CX21, a really good ones.
 
BTW , before a month bought my VC1000 and really  enjoy it ! Yesterday (or today?)  reed your Custom Art Music One review... So what to say , am I need one more pair of  IEM (rhetorical question....) ? 
1.) Never had a custom ones. 
2.) Poland is my neighborhood. 
3.) Price seems very affordable!. 
4.) My 55th birthday is very soon : in March...
5.) My wifes gift will be a pair of socks. 
Yes I need!
Waiting for your 333rd review. Congrats in advance!

 

 
I think you have more than enough excuses lined up.
 

  Love Music, that description is close to what many people say about Sony's MDR-7550. ljokerl or others care to comment?

 
Minus the treble sparkle it's a pretty good fit. Tends to be a little laid-back overall like all of these large-driver Sony IEMs. 
 

  Great write-up (as always) and these have caught my attention now.  This is the first time hearing about Custom Art, actually...reading up on the appreciation thread now.  I've been considering venturing into BA territory after hearing an HF5 recently and also tossing around the idea of cIEMs but as far as cost goes they've been a bit out of my range.  The Music One seems like it could bridge that gap and serve me well based on your description, and the prospect of silicone housing is appealing from a comfort standpoint. 

 
As far as I'm concerned you can't really beat a lightweight silicone-shelled earphone on the comfort front

. 
 

  Patiently waiting your quadbeat 2 rewiev Joker

Maybe if LG includes it with the Nexus 5...

 

[kamcok]

|joker| you're tempting me to buy the custom art music one now
I was gonna buy the V3 but i'm now stuck between the two hahaha

 

[quartertone]

A question about the ratings: I noticed that some of the higher scores have been slightly reduced, while others have not; the PFE232, for example, now has the same sound quality rating as the DBA-02. Are more scores still going to be lowered, or are these your final assessments?

 

[ljokerl]

  |joker| you're tempting me to buy the custom art music one now
I was gonna buy the V3 but i'm now stuck between the two hahaha

 
Different beasts - the V3 is way bassier and has more treble sparkle as well. It sounds more full-bodied but is also a little clearer except for the bass, which is a bit more bloated next.
 
The Custom Art is smooth and pretty neutral, with tighter bass as well. 
 

  A question about the ratings: I noticed that some of the higher scores have been slightly reduced, while others have not; the PFE232, for example, now has the same sound quality rating as the DBA-02. Are more scores still going to be lowered, or are these your final assessments?

Unfortunately there can't be final assessments, at least not until I've heard everything these is to hear (probably safe to say that's never going to happen). As I hear more stuff it makes sense to adjust things accordingly, e.g. if the JH13 gets knocked down from the 10/10 then I will have to readjust the upper end of the scale again. 

 

[quartertone]

  Unfortunately there can't be final assessments, at least not until I've heard everything these is to hear (probably safe to say that's never going to happen). As I hear more stuff it makes sense to adjust things accordingly, e.g. if the JH13 gets knocked down from the 10/10 then I will have to readjust the upper end of the scale again. 

Sure, obviously that's the idea - but I'm curious about the changes of distance between different phones, like the Fischer and Phonak now being on equal footing. Have you concluded that they're on the same level sonically, or do you still plan to lower the Fischer score in relation  to the Phonak?

 

[ljokerl]

  Sure, obviously that's the idea - but I'm curious about the changes of distance between different phones, like the Fischer and Phonak now being on equal footing. Have you concluded that they're on the same level sonically, or do you still plan to lower the Fischer score in relation  to the Phonak?

 
I just concluded that doing this was more representative of how I felt about the sound quality than the alternative (i.e. lowering the DBA-02 and other stuff that's equal to it). Won't be changing any more scores unless necessitated by new releases.