[jaibautista]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mvw2 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I can give my take on them... Completely different focuses really but both really quite good. Both offer a sizable sound stage (relative to the other options). The TF10 focuses on the top end while the IE8 focuses on the low end. Both are largely well balanced in response with the IE8 having a slight bump around 100Hz and the TF10 a bump above 10kHz. The TF10 does roll off under 100Hz though. The IE8's bass is visceral. The TF10's treble is endless. I personally consider the IE8 to be slightly soft on detail. I also consider the TF10 to be slightly constrained on dynamics. I say these things relative to other products on the market. The IE8 is pleasant, natural, and visceral. A touch of EQing can cut down the midbass bump if desired. If I could change one thing with the IE8 it would be a little more edge/detail, personal preference really. If I could change one thing for the TF10 it would be a more extended bass response. It can get to 30Hz with a lot of EQing, but it'd be better if it could do it on its own. There isn't another IEM on the market that is as balanced and visceral as the IE8. There isn't another IEM on the market that is as balanced and refined as the TF10. ...all in my opinion of course.

mvw2,

I am also sitting on the fence regarding getting a pair of IE8s. Although I still am far from saving up the amount to get a pair, I'm already choosing between the UM3x and the IE8. Right now, as I'm typing this, I'm listening to my TF10s. Although I really haven't had the opportunity to test this against other high-end universals, all I can say is I fully concur with what you've said about the TF10s: yes, they are very, very balanced (although the mids are somewhat recessed, which works for me for a non-fatiguing listening experience and to give that impression of an even wider soundstage than it impresses at first glance) and the treble is to die for. When I listen to recordings that are heavy on cymbals, I can't help but stare at the distance...as if I'm lost in a transient haze. What's more impressive about the high frequency extension is that it hangs magically...and extends beyond your expectations.

If you're coming from the TF10s and you plan to perform a sidegrade, which is the more logical path: going through the IE8 or through the UM3x?

Thanks a lot!

 

[lucozade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by schneller /img/forum/go_quote.gif So how would you now rate the IE8 against the Triple.fi 10?

Well if were just talking about sound ,i allways really liked the triple fi 10, i think it is a really neutral sounding iem ,apart from the treble which is really extended which is ther best quality ,the detail in the treble is to die for ,cymbals and trianges and the like are put across so well on these they can hypnotize you .From what i remember of the tf10 the bass rolled of a little towards the bottom end.

Now i have my ie8s hooked up to my ibasso p3+ and have rolled the opamps to taylor the sound to suit them they have changed alot to my ears.The bass is so much tighter and better controlled now and
the upper mid base hump is gone which makes them not so warm resulting in the vocals sounding the way they should without being coloured and the top end has been brought out so much more making them much closer sounding to the triple fi 10 .If i was blind folded and did not know which one i was listening to i would find it very hard to tell them apart if it was just down to the treble.

Both are highly detailed and have good clarity and both handle fast involving music really well,both have large soundstages but ie8 is alot bigger than tf10's

i still like the triple fi 10 ,but to be fair ive not used them for a while and have yet to try them with my amp so they could well turn out to be fantastic although i would imagine ill have to change the opamp in my p3+ to one that highlights the bass freqencies as the one im using at the moment is perfect for the ie8 and the triple fi 10 does not need its treble extending.

when you take into consideration comfort and fit as well as sound im liking the ie8s more than the triple fi 10 by quite a wide margine now i think

I will be trying the triples with my amp in next couple of days so will report back here with my conclusions then.

 

[lucozade]

Well ive finally prized my sennheiser ie8s out of my ears today and popped my sennheiser ie7s in and hooked them up to heron p3+ portable amp,and ipod,ive been listening for arounnd 2 hrs now .
My first impressions of this combination is as follows.

The first thing i noticed was a deffenate drop in sound quality ,the ie8s sound much more refined than the ie7s although it seems there is deffenatly an improvement by amping them,but it is clear to me that to get the best out of this combination i would need to roll the opamps to find one a little more bass orinated and less bright, the current configuration i have in the p3+ is perfect for the ie8 but a bit too bright for the ie7's with there already more forward mids and vocals.

The bass has been thinned out as it was with the ie8, and while this was perfect for ie8s it has made the bass of the ie7 a bit too thin.
And just as with the ie8 the treble of the ie7s has been extended quite a bit making them more pleasing and natural to listen to although compared to the treble of the ie8 they still sound less refined and limited in what they can achive.

The ie7's when amped retain there sound signiture of having a more forward middle section than the ie8
Its still amazed how big the soundstage is on these is.

all in all i think for there price range you get alot for your money with these
the more time i spend listening to them the more i like them ,they dont make me want to forget the ie8s but if these was the only iems i had i could be happy with them,

I found changing the tips from the medium silicon to the large rubber foam ones has put some umph back in to the bass which is most welcome and they have not blunted the treble response

UPDATE ON IE7'S PLUGGED INTO MY HERON P3+

So ive had my ie7s on all day now and they really are starting to sound pretty dam good, they are very much still in the burn in process with a little over 100hrs on them now,already i can hear an improvement from when i plugged them into my amp and my ears this morning

,as i said above the treble has been extended quite a bit by the amp and it is sounding alot smoother than it was this morning .vocals are still out front and abit to aggressive on some songs formy liking though.! there seems to be more air and spaciousness around the instrements than there was unamped.

 

[lucozade]

Ive now switched to my se420s

and have them plugged into my p3+ ,on first impressions it seems that amping this iem amplifys all the bad pionts of the se420 apart from the treble which is more extended than it was without the amp,so thats a good thing,infact its sounding quite sweet.
The vocals are still way out in front and seem even more anoying to me than when they were unamped ,bass is still very distant and uninspiring.
the other thing im noticing is the much smaller sounstage of these compaired to the sennhesier ie7/ie8s, im get a rather closed in feeling in my head when listening to these.
The sound signiture of this iem leaves alot to be desired for its price,but i have to say it isolates perfectly and the fit is very firm,it feels like it would take an explosion to nock these out of my ear.

 

[mvw2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaibautista /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you're coming from the TF10s and you plan to perform a sidegrade, which is the more logical path: going through the IE8 or through the UM3x?

It's really a side grade at this point. The TF10, IE8, and UM3X all do very little wrong. I've reviewed each along with the pile of other earphones I've used. I rank all 3 at 5/5 for SQ as none really fault heavily. It's a lot more like asking if you prefer vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry ice cream. They're all on the same level but simply have different flavors in sound. The TF10 is the most refined and balanced of anything I've listened to. The UM3X is the most analytical I've used and will show you information in the recordings you've never heard before. The UM3X is very in your face though relative to the TF10 and IE8, very on stage versus out in the stands. However, stage depth is limitless. The UM3X doesn't have the midbass hump like the IE8 yet does dig way down and get visceral like the IE8, just with a touch less emphasis. The UM3X has a lower treble hump that emphasizes highs a tiny bit and the top end is well extended. Frequency response is very good, but it doesn't quite seemlessly blend sounds between low, mid, and high like the TF10 or IE8. It comes across slightly less refined. The UM3X offers unmatched stage depth and placement versus the other two, and you could literal break out the tape measure and get exact distances. You just start in the middle of the stage though. The UM3X is also unmatched in terms of level of detail, dynamic range, and energy of note versus the other two. It sounds the most accurate and correct of the bunch but the least life-like. Something like the SE530 has the most realistic and life-like sound, but it also heavily lacks bottom end sensitivity, and the top end can come across slightly recessed relative to these other earphones. The SE530's dynamics are strong and sound analytical, but it does come across lacking body/weight of note. The only earphone that's done realism better for me has been my Ok1 earbuds. I do dislike the lack of frequency range of the SE530. I sort of see it as a mess up of being a multi-driver earphone to offer the same response a single driver can provide. More drivers should allow for a greater range of response, but the SE530 simply doesn't, and I consider it to be a major fault for what could technically be a lot better earphone if the low end was there. I did find the stage space to be goofy on the SE530 too. For example, on some songs the drummer could very well be placed in front of the singer, goofiness like that which showed up in none of the other earphones.

From a fun factor point of view, I'd pick the IE8 because nothing beats its visceral and big sound experience, and it's so well balanced to boot. From a logical point of view, I'd pick the TF10 because it really is the most balanced and most refined sound of the bunch. From an emotional point of view(a moving experience to listen to), I'd pick the UM3X because nothing else beats its dynamics and energy, but you do have to like a forward presentation. If I were to add the SE530 to the list, I'd pick it for realism of sound with it's very life like and natural signature, although I consider the SE530 to be somewhat faulted.

 

[lucozade]

mvw2
it sounds like from what you say above that the um3x is a souped up version of the westone 3, would you say that it has even greater detail and clarity than w3 ,i notice you say it still sounds as though the frequencies still seem to come at you seperatly ! making it a less fun sounding iem,I felt very much that way about the w3. How is the um3x bass compaired to w3 ? has it been cleaned up, i found the w3 bass to be one mass of bloated low end frequency and very dry soundin (no life to it) .

 

[HONEYBOY]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lucozade /img/forum/go_quote.gif mvw2 it sounds like from what you say above that the um3x is a souped up version of the westone 3, would you say that it has even greater detail and clarity than w3 ,i notice you say it still sounds as though the frequencies still seem to come at you seperatly ! making it a less fun sounding iem,I felt very much that way about the w3. How is the um3x bass compaired to w3 ? has it been cleaned up, i found the w3 bass to be one mass of bloated low end frequency and very dry sounding (no life to it) .

lucozade my experience with the W3 is very similar to yours. At first I was very impressed with the W3 for its remarkable detail retrieval, transparency and separation and reverb but I could never get lost in the music with them. For a short term listening its easy to get impressed but over a longer duration of listening when you've already acclimatised to their "muscular" sound projection they sounded less coherent and musical than the IE8 that I was comparing them to. In the end I thought they were trying to impress me too much and lost a bit of soul with the music. I guess that means I prefer a more laidback sound.

 

[lucozade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HONEYBOY /img/forum/go_quote.gif lucozade my experience with the W3 is very similar to yours. At first I was very impressed with the W3 for its remarkable detail retrieval, transparency and separation and reverb but I could never get lost in the music with them. For a short term listening its easy to get impressed but over a longer duration of listening when you've already acclimatised to their "muscular" sound projection they sounded less coherent and musical than the IE8 that I was comparing them to. In the end I thought they were trying to impress me too much and lost a bit of soul with the music. I guess that means I prefer a more laidback sound.

I second that honeyboy ! sounds like we hear the w3 in much the same way.

 

[mvw2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lucozade /img/forum/go_quote.gif mvw2 it sounds like from what you say above that the um3x is a souped up version of the westone 3, would you say that it has even greater detail and clarity than w3 ,i notice you say it still sounds as though the frequencies still seem to come at you seperatly ! making it a less fun sounding iem,I felt very much that way about the w3. How is the um3x bass compaired to w3 ? has it been cleaned up, i found the w3 bass to be one mass of bloated low end frequency and very dry soundin (no life to it) .

I've never listened to the W3 unfortunately. It's one I would have liked to try, but I had a hard time justifying buying both the W3 and UM3X. From reviews/comments I've read, the UM3X is the more balanced one of the two whereas the W3 is the more fun and exaggerated one to listen to. I like balance, so I opted for the UM3X only. I figured if I didn't like that one, the W3 would probably be worse. It's a bit incorrect as it's moreso different then it is worse, different BA drivers, different sound. Worse ends up being subjective based on flaw or preference.

The UM3X is dry sounding as well. I wouldn't say lifeless though. It is the more lively and engaging IEM of the bunch, more visceral, more emotional, even more so then the IE8 in my opinion. I wouldn't say the UM3X has a bloated low end either. It is less then the IE8 in the high bass and midbass and offers about the same extension on the bottom end. The low end is very flat in response, where I found the IE8 to have about a 4dB bump centered around 100Hz relative to the UM3X. There is a slight emphasis, few dB in the lower treble range on the UM3X that brings the high end forward slightly. Other then that, it's really well balanced. I hate the stock Comply tip though. It makes the midbass bloated and punchy and cuts out a sizable chunk of the high end almost making treble response recessed. I pretty much immediately used Shure Olive tips instead.

Yeah, the frequencies sound disconnected somewhat. It's odd because I don't know why it can do that but also do so well with stage presence. It's locational cues and placement are spot on. I could tell you the drumer was 10 degrees right and 13 feet back pretty much exactly. No other earphone I've used has had more spot on placement. The only other earphone I've used that showed similar characteristics was Etymotic's ER4S. It' isn't odd though. Westone seems to use the same BA in the ER4P in the UM2 along with an added bass driver. I wouldn't doubt Westone is gunning for Etymotic's sound and stage presence but with added extension in response and using what Etymotic's using. I get a very similar sense with the UM3X and the ER4S I had, although the ER4S was never as foward and upfront sounding.

If you liked the core aspects of the W3 but didn't like the frequency response, the UM3X might be a logical side step to try out. Find one used, and try it out. If you end up not liking it, simply resell it.

 

[SupaVahnB]

Thanks for the reviews - nice presentation - I might just have to try those Klipsch custom 3's if I can find a set.

 

[lucozade]

Ive had my tf 10's in my ears for around an hour so far tonight,

so far im not hearing alot of difference now that these are plugged into my portable amp apart from being louder of course,this coupled with my previous testing of my se420 leads me to beleive that ba driver phones dont benifit from being amped as much as dymanic phones do, although its early days yet,i will continue listening for the rest of the evening then report back here.
I am however noticing just how netural sounding these phones are compaired to the ie8s/ie7s/se420 all of which ive had in my ears over the last few days,im not sure if thats a good thing or not, i can't really say that the tf 10s sound is doing much for me at the moment, i seem to remember them sounding a lot more engaging than this,it maybe that they just dont go well my heron p3+, or they may just sound better unamped,More experementaion is needed on this one i think

 

[mvw2]

Low wattage requirements for BA drivers is sort of half untrue. It really depends on the drivers used. It's just that the TF10 uses so little wattage to work. However, something like the ER4S likes a lot of wattage. The PFE also benefited noticeably from amping. I've also run dynamic earphones that required squat for power, example, Nuforce NE-7M or Denon C751. It just varies a good bit. I will agree on the large that BA drivers operate well off less power, but it's really just a matter of design. If you buy any low ohm, high sensitivity earphone, it will use squat for power to get loud. You buy any high ohm, low sensitivity earphone, it will like the juice.

 

[lucozade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lucozade /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ive had my tf 10's in my ears for around an hour so far tonight, so far im not hearing alot of difference now that these are plugged into my portable amp apart from being louder of course,this coupled with my previous testing of my se420 leads me to beleive that ba driver phones dont benifit from being amped as much as dymanic phones do, although its early days yet,i will continue listening for the rest of the evening then report back here. I am however noticing just how netural sounding these phones are compaired to the ie8s/ie7s/se420 all of which ive had in my ears over the last few days,im not sure if thats a good thing or not, i can't really say that the tf 10s sound is doing much for me at the moment, i seem to remember them sounding a lot more engaging than this,it maybe that they just dont go well my heron p3+, or they may just sound better unamped,More experementaion is needed on this one i think

WoW, i been listening to the triple fi 10s all evening now,at first they didnt seem to gain alot form being run from my ibasso p3+ apart from being louder ,infact i was pretty uninspired by the bland netural sound coming out of them , so i decided to roll the opamps in the p3+, so i removed the opamp that i had in the l/r channel, which sounded so perfect with the ie8s and i also removed the 2 dummy buffers from the g/v channel and put a duel opamp in them and also decided to swap the transistor buffers which was in the buffer channel with the buf634p buffers ,and WoW the sound of the triple fi 10 is now stunning,i was quite amazed how the triple fi respond to one set of opamps so well and the ie8s require a totally different combination to sound fantastic.

I can virtually feel as well as hear the instrements playing on the triple fi 10s now. I can feel the slap of the double bass ,the drum sticks pounding on the drums, the resonaince of the guitar strings being plucked ,the timbre of the brass sections,the high pitch of the fiddle, its all so vibrant on these now.
Im really enjoying this hobby the more i play around with my iems and the amp, rolling the opamps,this is really quite addictive !

 

[lucozade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spyromezzo /img/forum/go_quote.gif IE8 does have the advantage of having a bass control nob on each ear piece ,so you can taylor the bass response to your liking ,deciousons,deciousons ! choosing which phones to go for next is half the fun of this hobby

Just like you say! It's fun, but it's big dilemma also. I want to get the BEST for my taste. But there are still 3-5 contenders

If price would decide: C3

If warranty: IE8

If design: IE8

If love: W3

If sq: ??

i should get all of them...and sleep under the bridge that night.

[/QUOTE]

Hi spyromezzo
how's your search going for your perfect iem, have you decided which one your goning to get yet?

 

[lucozade]

After 2 days i still have my triple fi 10s in my ears ,hooked up to my heron p3+ and ive totaly fallen in love with them ,being able to roll the opamps on the heron to taylor the sound of the amp to bring out the best qualitys of the tf10 really does make them sound fantastic, the heron did the same for my ie8s with a different set of opamps.
when i first got the tf10s 6 months ago i found it impossible to keep them from sliding out of my ears breaking the seal every few minutes no matter what tip i had on them, now i have the medium silicon tips on and they have not moved at all, i think my ears have got used to having iems in them over the last 6 months so this is no longer a problem.
i thought both the tf10 and ie8 was great phones in themselfs but both are supurb phones when hooked up to my heron,they both do things there own unique way and im finding it very hard to decide which one i like the best