Need help choosing CIEMs for female vocals, mostly in pop/ballad/rock genre.
Feb 26, 2013 at 10:49 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 22

BerryTwoC

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Hello ! I've decided to replace my existing universals, and will be transitioning to CIEMs, need some recommendations..
 
Here are some more details...
 
Budget : My budget will be about US$1450. This doesn't include the costs of ear impressions and shipping.
 
Usage : I'll be mainly using it on the go - eg, public transport or in school. I'll also be using them for performances in the future. 
 
Source : Currently, it will be my iPhone 4s with 320kbps files, but I'm planning on upgrading to a DX100. I probably won't have a lot of lossless files in the future too.
 
Song Genres : I mainly listen to Ballads, Asian Pop / Rock ( especially anime soundtracks ) , Rock ballads and Classical. 
 
Bass : I'm not a bass head, but I won't mind the extra bass ( since I play bass, tuba, and lead guitar ). My conditions are that it has to be " tight ", not sure how to describe that feeling... maybe controlled and full. Low sub-bass extension would be good
 
Mids/ Treble : Vocals. I'm looking for something which excels at female vocals, since it makes up about 80% of my library. It has to be detailed, and not laid back. I don't mind something mid forward, nor slightly neutral, but the presence has to be there. Apart from vocals, it has to have good instrument separation and detail ( like picking out a given instrument from the recording and listing to its part ) . I don't mind my music to sound " analytical ", actually I kinda enjoy it that way. Having a good treble extension will be a huge plus point.
 
Can't wait to see what recommendations will be given ! Thanks in advance !
 
Feb 26, 2013 at 11:49 AM Post #2 of 22
The Heir Audio 8A offers extended highs because extra drivers for upper high end details and bass, soundstage, imaging, details, vocals, built quality are pretty good on these(highly recommended). Westone ES5(slightly mids forwards, amazing with vocals, bass is deep and punchy superb imaging), JH13Pro(very balanced, neutral, great for vocal centred music, clean extended highs, highly detailed minds, tight punchy bass, superb imaging)/JH16Pro, UM Miracle(highly detailed amazing vocals, balanced neutral, great built quality)are also very good buy under this budget, JH16Pro offers extra punchy bass and bright extended highs with great vocal clarity and roomy sound stage.
 
Feb 26, 2013 at 12:23 PM Post #3 of 22
Wow ! Thanks for the recommendations. The Heir Audio 8.A and JH16 seem to have caught my attention....
 
For female vocals, should I get ciems that have a focus on mids or treble ? From what I've read, the 8.A. seems to be slightly mid centric with a neutral treble while the JH16 pro has a neutral mid but with more emphasis on treble.

 
 
Feb 26, 2013 at 4:03 PM Post #4 of 22
Wow IM Jelous lol very nice options :) I was going to buy another universal I currently have the shures 535 clear As my go to phones as well as etys er4ps..but after reading this I think im going to save more for some customs..beautiful :)
 
Feb 26, 2013 at 11:38 PM Post #5 of 22
Quote:
Wow IM Jelous lol very nice options :) I was going to buy another universal I currently have the shures 535 clear As my go to phones as well as etys er4ps..but after reading this I think im going to save more for some customs..beautiful :)

 
I have the SE535 too ! Pretty amazing vocals I must say, really intimate. I think customs will be the next suitable upgrade.... sigh, here comes the challenging part. 

I heard the To go ! 334 does well with Vocals, might consider too...
 

 
Someone... Anyone...

How does the JH16 and Heir 8.A. fair with vocals ?
 
Feb 27, 2013 at 3:27 AM Post #6 of 22
Quote:
 
I have the SE535 too ! Pretty amazing vocals I must say, really intimate. I think customs will be the next suitable upgrade.... sigh, here comes the challenging part. 

I heard the To go ! 334 does well with Vocals, might consider too...
 

 
Someone... Anyone...

How does the JH16 and Heir 8.A. fair with vocals ?

Based on reviews, the 8.A should be better with vocals. The 8.A is bass and mid-forward with relaxed treble, while the JH16 has most of its emphasis on both ends of the frequency spectrum with neutral midrange
 
Feb 27, 2013 at 7:44 AM Post #8 of 22
IMO you need CIEMs with slightly forward mids and better extention in upper mids so female vocal really sound good with this type of soundsignature. BTW UE create customs specificaly for vocals male or female(UE Vocal Reference Monitor) and they excel in this area and they are very highend CIEMs. To me 8A, ES5, JH16Pro vocals are amazingly clear and enjoyable and overall highly detailed with good punchy bass.
 
Feb 27, 2013 at 8:32 AM Post #9 of 22
Quote:
IMO you need CIEMs with slightly forward mids and better extention in upper mids so female vocal really sound good with this type of soundsignature. BTW UE create customs specificaly for vocals male or female(UE Vocal Reference Monitor) and they excel in this area and they are very highend CIEMs. To me 8A, ES5, JH16Pro vocals are amazingly clear and enjoyable and overall highly detailed with good punchy bass.

Yeah,  I absolutely agree with forward mids and upper mid/treble extension.

Just checked out the vocal reference monitors, they seem more for stage use though...

I'm seriously considering the 8.A for its forward mids and JH16 for its treble. Average_Joe also recommended the " Rooth LS8". Seems really good as well.

Sigh... forward mids with neutral treble or neutral mid with emphasised treble... argh.... 
 
Feb 27, 2013 at 8:59 AM Post #10 of 22
I really don't think you can go wrong with either one..but if you liked the forward mids on the 535s then from what I can tell the 8.a is for you..and I think the are beautiful...I want a pair of customs to and like you I would have one hell of a time choosing which one..if I had the money and they were sum what as affordable as universals..I would have a few different pair lol..but I don't so for now my 535s are going to have to do..as I love the sound of them..I did a side by side comparison with the Westone 4s and they just didn't have any wow factor at all..that being said.when I do purchase some customs I'm really worried that they may be boring like the 4s..and or won't fit properly..I heard if that happens you can have them re fitted once..but what happens if that fails..your kinda stuck cause you can't really sell them cause they are fit to your ears...holy I worry allot.lol ..I Hope you really enjoy whatever you decide to get..that's why I love this stuff so much..its really such a personal thing.. :)
 
Feb 27, 2013 at 9:30 AM Post #11 of 22
Quote:
I really don't think you can go wrong with either one..but if you liked the forward mids on the 535s then from what I can tell the 8.a is for you..and I think the are beautiful...I want a pair of customs to and like you I would have one hell of a time choosing which one..if I had the money and they were sum what as affordable as universals..I would have a few different pair lol..but I don't so for now my 535s are going to have to do..as I love the sound of them..I did a side by side comparison with the Westone 4s and they just didn't have any wow factor at all..that being said.when I do purchase some customs I'm really worried that they may be boring like the 4s..and or won't fit properly..I heard if that happens you can have them re fitted once..but what happens if that fails..your kinda stuck cause you can't really sell them cause they are fit to your ears...holy I worry allot.lol ..I Hope you really enjoy whatever you decide to get..that's why I love this stuff so much..its really such a personal thing.. :)

Omg... I've had the same experience with the W4s... I was testing out the westones, TF10 and Shure. Tf10 sounded really addictive, but the forward mids of the 535 stole my heart. Didn't regret that decision. There is a 30 day refit policy, so you won't have to worry ~ The worry comes from not liking the sound signature I guess... Sigh....
 
 

Should I consider the TG334 too ? Read about vocals and instrumentation being amazing.
 
Feb 28, 2013 at 12:21 AM Post #13 of 22
Was recommended the Rooth LS8+. Can't seem to find much information about it, too many contradicting information I've seen, not sure which is correct... can someone post the specs or link a page ?
 
Feb 28, 2013 at 5:29 AM Post #14 of 22
Quote:
Was recommended the Rooth LS8+. Can't seem to find much information about it, too many contradicting information I've seen, not sure which is correct... can someone post the specs or link a page ?

 
It's difficult to find information about the LS8+ because Rooth is right now revamping their packaging, marketing materials, and website. Also, Rooth mostly only sells in countries in Asia, like Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan. There is also little information about the newer Rooth models the LS-X5 and LS8+ because these models were created in conjunction with HFI International. HFI now directs global development for the Rooth brand. If you want information about the LS8+, I suggest you contact Tomo at HFI. He's completely fluent in English, so don't worry about any language barriers.
 
If you're looking for user impressions, average_joe looked at the entire Rooth lineup with demos, including the LS8+ here, as did I, here. GoldenEars also measured the LS8+ here, with additional pictures here.
 
Feb 28, 2013 at 11:52 AM Post #15 of 22
My recommendations (in order of preference for your tastes):
 
1) Westone ES5
2) JH13
3) UM Miracle
 

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