[krismusic]

I don't know how you can compare an IEM to "floorstanding speakers" or any speaker for that matter. Completely different experience IMO. I think you are getting a bit carried away in this thread.

 

[mvw2]

Actually, calling an earphone akin to a floor standing stereo isn't all that far-fetched. In the end, the earphone must capture the sensation, energy, space that a room setup portrays. Now an earphone can't completely action like a room system, but some can sound like that. The Westone UM3X is a good example of this. The sound is robust and energetic. There's good body and texture to notes. It's not quite transparent but also not directed right to the earphone. The presentation as best as I can describe it is very much like standing in front of a pair of good floor standing speakers. It's a very similar sound.

Side note, I just got a pair of Klipsch Custom 3s. Initial impressions are good. The drivers Klipsch picked seem to operate nicely: clean, detailed, revealing, balanced. At the going rate of around $150 they sell for now, they're quite the deal, despite Klipsch no longer making them. I can't say I'd put them quite on par with some of the top tier IEMs like the Westone or Ultimate Ears. The Custom 3 is very well balanced, well extended, and don't do anything inherently wrong, all good things. They just aren't quite...special. The sound stage is small-medium and lacks specific locational cues, layering, or a good sense of space and breadth. Nothing's muddied together, but there isn't a great sense of multi-dimensional space. It's not something I really ask from an earphone at the midrange price point these sell at though. If you compare it to things like the PFE or RE0, those too offer a lot of good qualities but also fall short on stage presentation. This is simply an aspect I particularly look for after using the ER4S some time ago and realizing the advantage to having a good sound stage presentation. Top end earphones aren't perfect either. The IE8 has such a big sound that it lacks a good sense of layering and distance. Everything is just big and far away. The SE530, while it puts sounds in an exact place, lacks distancing. For example, I've had songs where the drummer sounded in front of the singer. The Custom 3 is a mild mannered earphone, not subtle but also not outgoing. It's enjoyable without any effort. I would put it at a half step below these top teir IEMs though. It simply is a step down in a lot of ways: stage presentation, dynamics, energy, breadth. What the Custom 3 has that is great is its flat and well extended frequency response that isn't lacking on the top end or bottom end, its natural and clean sound, its good amount of detail, its lack of any major fault. It just doesn't do anything amazing. There is no "OMG these are amazing" kind of feeling from them. They simply operating competently. As good as this should be, it doesn't really make it a top level IEM.

The ultimate goal of any earphone is to convey music in a way that promotes an emotional connection to the music. The earphone must portray energy and dynamics, emotional context of the artist. So few earphones I've used has ever been capable of being emotionally involving. I still own my Yuin OK1 because they are the most realistic earphones I've used and are capable of conveying emotional context in music. The only other earphone that I've used that could pull me into the music enough to care was the UM3X.

 

[Vladimir_F1]

Nice review

i have never heard any armature driver iem (beside apple in ear...)
and i think that ie8 is the perfect choise for me

seems like i dont like armature sound.

 

[mvw2]

It's tough to call BA earphones "a sound." They do vary significantly.

 

[DaeO]

@ Lucozade - can you let me know why you choose the D3+? The D4 is getting has some really positive comments on another thread, and they both seem similar to me (price/size/availability). Interested in your thoughts

 

[lucozade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaeO /img/forum/go_quote.gif @ Lucozade - can you let me know why you choose the D3+? The D4 is getting has some really positive comments on another thread, and they both seem similar to me (price/size/availability). Interested in your thoughts

hi daeo from what i can tell from the specs the p3+ is a slightly better amp than the d4, the p3+ has a higher power output rated at 250m/w as compaired to the d4's 230m/w

the p3+ really is a very versatile little amp but im shure the d4 is very nearly as good with the added bonus of a dac if you happen to listen to music from your pc.
Also i did not require the dac as i do not listen to music from my computer, all my music is in apple lossless codac on my ipod
plus the p3+ uses aaa batterys which i already had a set of rechargable ones and the d4 uses a different battery which i would have had to buy a different charger for it.

 

[DaeO]

^ Thanks for that.

Im not sure if I read right, but did you buy from hifiheadphones? I've read up on their website, and am slightly worried with the P3+ in regards to the opamp kits (Im rubbish with electrics and the like), and am confused as to whether its silver of black (it says something about a "black slide on the enclosure" - could mean side?). Can you shed any light on this?

Cheers

 

[lucozade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaeO /img/forum/go_quote.gif ^ Thanks for that. Im not sure if I read right, but did you buy from hifiheadphones? I've read up on their website, and am slightly worried with the P3+ in regards to the opamp kits (Im rubbish with electrics and the like), and am confused as to whether its silver of black (it says something about a "black slide on the enclosure" - could mean side?). Can you shed any light on this? Cheers

hi, what queston do you have about the oamp kit, yes i got it from hifiheadphones ,the p3+ comes with an all silver enclosure and also a all black enclosure so you can choose which one you use when you have it

 

[DaeO]

The opamp rolling kit - what does it mean? I understand that you can swap things around, but how easy is it, and why would you need to? It might seem a stupid question, but I have no knowledge at all about these!!

Cheers

 

[lucozade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaeO /img/forum/go_quote.gif The opamp rolling kit - what does it mean? I understand that you can swap things around, but how easy is it, and why would you need to? It might seem a stupid question, but I have no knowledge at all about these!! Cheers

the opamp and buffers are small circit boards with different micro chips on them , each one has different sound signiture , so this lets you taylior the sound of the amp to your own liking, the p3+ has 4 channel , so there are quite a few combinations you can try, this is what makes this amp so versitile
they are very easy to change ,plug and play really , but its best to have a pair of tweezers for this as they are quite small and the the amps motherboard is quite full with eletronic components.

 

[DaeO]

Is it just the sound, or do they also help with different types of earphones/headphones?

If is just the sound, is it like adusting the EQ, or is it something different?

Cheers

 

[lucozade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaeO /img/forum/go_quote.gif Is it just the sound, or do they also help with different types of earphones/headphones? If is just the sound, is it like adusting the EQ, or is it something different? Cheers

yes they do help with different headphones,the westone 3 for instance was so sibilent that i just could not bear to listen to it unamped, bet with the right combination of opamps and buffers i have eliminated the sibilence, but it does take a bit of trial and error,as some combinations didnt help or even made them worse
and another combination eliminated the upper mid bass hump on my ie8s

in terms of sound ,i gess the different opamps are a bit like preset eq setting, but they seem to change the amount of space between instrements and imaging ,they even affect the soundstage of a phone a little so its not just a case of adding bass or treble or bringing the mids forward in the mix
there is a set of single opamps that gives the amp a more analouge sound
one to enhance the bass
one to enhance the treble
one to enhance the mids
and a few others
and adaptors which seem to make the sound more dymanic if you place a opamp on these

 

[DaeO]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lucozade /img/forum/go_quote.gif yes they do help with different headphones,the westone 3 for instance was so sibilent that i just could not bear to listen to it unamped, bet with the right combination of opamps and buffers i have eliminated the sibilence, but it does take a bit of trial and error,as some combinations didnt help or even made them worse and another combination eliminated the upper mid bass hump on my ie8s in terms of sound ,i gess the different opamps are a bit like preset eq setting, but they seem to change the amount of space between instrements and imaging ,they even affect the soundstage of a phone a little so its not just a case of adding bass or treble or bringing the mids forward in the mix there is a set of single opamps that gives the amp a more analouge sound one to enhance the bass one to enhance the treble one to enhance the mids and a few others and adaptors which seem to make the sound more dymanic if you place a opamp on these

 

[lucozade]

DaeO, just wondering if you have got yourself eny iem's yet ?

 

[okur]

Hi lucozade,

I appreciate all you've done so far on this thread! It was totally awsome.

I want to ask you a few;
1-Is it possible to get rid of that earhooks on Custom 3?
2-What do you think about how Custom 3 will respond to progressive and vocal trance, if you are listening to/be able to test these music genre? Which would sound a smarter choice between this and IE7? At least an opinion can make me happy.