[reeza]

Hello everybody!

Let me just start off with apologies to this post as it may be a longish and written by a newbie and also really has (4) questions. Please don’t feel you need to answer everything, and thank you in advance.

1) I’m looking to get my first set of IEMs to pair with (my future) and first DAP the Hidiz AP200 (pending reviews) (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/873263862/hidizs-ap200-the-next-generation-android-hifi-musi)

My budget is around $200+/-. I listen to many different genres of music, but if I had to pick something, it would be hard rock to metal being the most listen to.

2) Not set in stone at all, but after a lot of reading and research, I’m liking the UE900s (http://pro.ultimateears.com/ue-900s) and 1More E1010 Quads (https://usa.1more.com/products/1more-quad-driver-in-ear-headphones)

They both seem to fit the budget v quality, would love opinions on these and as per question 1, more then happy for recommendations of different IEMs.

3) In regards to the 1More and any dynamic driver+balanced armatures setups, there are people who seem to say the mix of the two “drivers types” can give a “odd sound” signature that isn’t pleasant. Should such a setup be avoided?

4) I’ve noticed within my budget you seem to get a lot of “musicians” IEMs. Like the UE900 and items from Westone and others. These seem to be marketed at musicians as onstage/ live monitors, If you’re not a musician and using them for playback only, are you better off staying away from these or it makes no real difference?
Hopefully I’ve made some sense here and covered everything I need to know about my first IEM purchase, please let me know if I have missed anything.

Thank you again. Cheers. rEEzA.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

1) I’m looking to get my first set of IEMs to pair with (my future) and first DAP the Hidiz AP200 (pending reviews) (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/873263862/hidizs-ap200-the-next-generation-android-hifi-musi)

My budget is around $200+/-. I listen to many different genres of music, but if I had to pick something, it would be hard rock to metal being the most listen to.

2) Not set in stone at all, but after a lot of reading and research, I’m liking the UE900s (http://pro.ultimateears.com/ue-900s) and 1More E1010 Quads (https://usa.1more.com/products/1more-quad-driver-in-ear-headphones)

They both seem to fit the budget v quality, would love opinions on these and as per question 1, more then happy for recommendations of different IEMs.

Since you'll get a DAP anyway (which means amplification won't be an issue), try some cheaper IEMs first so you can get a handle on what ergonomics you might be comfortable with and what sound you'd want to improve. Since you'd have a baseline there, it would be a little bit easier for other people here to guess what you need to try out next.

Maybe try the KZ ZS3. It's only $20 from Amazon.

3) In regards to the 1More and any dynamic driver+balanced armatures setups, there are people who seem to say the mix of the two “drivers types” can give a “odd sound” signature that isn’t pleasant. Should such a setup be avoided?

I'd chalk that up to specific designs with crappy crossover settings, bore shape, or specific driver combinations than about combining different driver types per se. A lot of speakers (primarily, look up the brand Aurum Cantus) combine dynamic driver designs for the lows and mids while using something that moves more similar to a BA driver for the treble (since these need to move very fast, a vibrating driver tends to be better than something that pumps hard back and forth).

4) I’ve noticed within my budget you seem to get a lot of “musicians” IEMs. Like the UE900 and items from Westone and others. These seem to be marketed at musicians as onstage/ live monitors, If you’re not a musician and using them for playback only, are you better off staying away from these or it makes no real difference?

Some pro products are deliberately skewed depending on who they're marketed for. For example, the W2 is flatter for most of the range than the UM2 which in turn has a bit of boost to the upper bass. If you prefer a more hi-fi presenttion then you have to get the UM2; if you're a vocalist who needs to hear the beat to cue you in on the measure/timing, or you want a bit of boost (maybe to compensate for a noisier environment), get the UM2; if you're a sound engineer working live, get the UM2, but if you're working in a studio, the W2 would likely be the better choice.

 

[smy1]

You can save some money and go for chi fi headphones like the KZ zs3 like the one mentioned above, you also get the KZ zs5, and there is a lot of hype on the zse for $10.

If you really want to get a $200 iem you can look into the dunu dn 1000 or dunu dn 2000

 

[serman005]

+1 on the Dunus and the 1More Quads.