[quintron]

Hi,
I have decided to buy a new IEM to complement my Ety ER4p for my portable rig.
My  PMP are Cowon J3 and D2. I have a Meier Corda portable amplifier but usually I don't use it very much. So usually iems will  be directly driven by the players.
I really like ER4P but would like to have something with a different sound signature with more bass.
My options are:
- Sennheiser IE8 (normal street price is 280 euro but found them at 180)
- Denon AH-C751 - 180 euro
- Monster Turbine PRO Gold - 225 euro (coppers are 399!  that's too much)
 
These are all dynamic drivers and on the bassy side.
I have to say that the possibility of getting IE8 at a very good price is tempting me...
Let me know your opinions and suggestions, thanks in advance
 

 

[Mad Max]

I highly recommend MTP Coppers if you can get them at a better price, if not, get the Golds. 

 
I've read the Radius DDM is a another good, bassy dynamic.

 

[mvw2]

The IE8 sounds like a better C751.  They're technically a little different in sound signature, the C751 very dynamic, articulate, but veiled compared to the IE8.  The IE8 has better note presentation but a similar bassy sound.  The C751 is small in sound stage but with excellent placement/layering while the IE8 is distant and big but with vague layering (close is far, far is far).
 
The MTPG isn't really close to either.  The MTPG is well balanced, thick in note, slightly muddy, smooth treble.
 
I might point you to the Ortofon e-Q5 as a possible choice,  I have the e-Q7 myself, but the e-Q5 runs the same driver in a slightly more budgeted package.  The e-Q7 has a very flat frequency response, slightly warm signature, decently thick and textured note that's not muddy.  It has excellent bass depth and impact but isn't overpowering (actually very slightly lower midrange emphasized).  Treble is natural, slightly rolled off on the very top.  Dynamics are slightly laid back, but the presentation remains energetic.  Coming from the ER4P, it will be less of a shock versus the other earphones you were looking at but will offer more bass yet still retain good overall balance like the ER4P.  It's a good step in the direction you want to go without taking as massive of a leap as things like the IE8, C751, or MTPG would offer.
 
I would also suggest the RE252 as another option.  It is one of the few other earphones on the market that I view as a "reference" product like the ER4.  It is extremely well balanced, very detailed, very good quality sound.  Overall, I would put the RE252 and e-Q7 on par, but they offer different things.  I think you would enjoy the e-Q5 better, so I kind of lean you to that, although the RE252 is a better tool at being starkly correct.  Because you kind of sound like you want to step away from the ER4P, the RE252 may not be enough of a deviation for you.  I will note they do sound quite a bit different from each other, but they are geared in a very similar way.  In this sense it is more of a duplication rather than a deviation and again why I might lean you towards the e-Q5 as a better deviation from what you already have but without taking a massive leap towards something completely different.

 

[Mad Max]

RE252 isn't bassy as he wants.
 
But its mids may convince him to put down that ER4. 

 

[quintron]

Thanks,
I limited my option to a few IEMS which I could buy in local shops or from Amazon.it. (IE8) Otherwise I'd considered also Westone 3 or Ortophone Q5/Q7, but I should order them from sellers in the UK.
I understand that IE8 is overall a better IEM compared to Denon and at the moment my ranking beetween the 3 IEMS is
1) IE8
2) MTPG
2) AH-C751
 
 
A further option could be Jays q5 (priced 180 euro) but I read about some building quality/ reliability issues.

 

[mvw2]

Don't shy away from buying from fellow Head-Fiers.  Most of us who sell on this forum are plenty happy to ship internationally, plus you can hop into a pair cheaper than you can buying new.
 
As for the IE8 and C751 debate, I want to clarify slightly.  The IE8's notes are more clean and open than the C751.  Frankly it makes the C751 sound veiled and slightly grainy in comparison.  But, the C751's presentation is better overall in terms of dynamics, articulation, sound stage, and realism of sound.  The C751 has been an earphone that has been impressively good every time I've used it over the years (my brother owns a C700, same thing, less accessories, and I listen to it on random occasion).  The IE8 had a huge sound stage, and is technically very good, but it is less impressive.  It's an earphone that does some things really well, but there are some things that could be better.  Mind you it is still a top level product, but I could very well argue that the C751 is more technically correct in presentation.  This isn't to say that I would buy the C751 over the IE8 if money wasn't a concern.  The C751 is technically around 40% the price of the IE8.  If you're willing to spend the money for a IE8, you can pretty much grab a used Westone 3 by that point too which is a slightly better offering.

 

[quintron]

Thanks,  at the moment I could buy C751 and IE8 at the same price because I found IE8 at 180 euro on Amazon.it which is  a very good price compared to normal street price in here Italy  (280). At the same price (160 -170 euro) you can usually get a IE7.

 

[mark2410]

while i like the C751 its not in the same league as the IE8, not even close.  the IE8 is the one to go for

 

[quintron]

TX, 
From what I read until now, the winner is IE8. I'll take a couple a days to reflect on my buying decision and at the end of the week I'll pull the trigger.

 

[DrHouse]

As well as sounding better than the denon (maybe the Monster as well?), the IE8 are better practically than the other 2. My issues with the turbine series (this should also apply for those denons) is that their weight means small tugs or movement on the cable can break a good seal, ruling them out for any activities requiring movement. The IE8 is lightweight and fits securely in addition to looping the cable over the ear, and i have found them great for the most vigorous movement e.g. headbanging. The Denon and Monster have metal housing.
 
PS the IE8 cable is replaceable and has very little microphonics

 

[mvw2]

The biggest problems I had with the IE8 was the bass emphasis that required EQing to fix (bass knob only adjust the bottom half of the bump, i.e. not useful enough), that the driver is slightly sluggish on the top end which smooths off the details some (sensitivity is there but not the fidelity), dynamic emphasis is slightly tamed, and that the sound stage was always distant even for things that sound be close meaning layering and separation suffers.
 
The biggest problems I had with the MTPG was that the driver is rather smooth and bordline muddy and does not handle complex passages well without moderate blurring of information, and the treble is rather smoothed over which may or may not matter depending on preference.
 
The biggest problems I had with the C751 was that the bass is poorly controlled at higher volumes (amping helps partially), it has zero and I do mean zero isolation for an IEM format, the quality of sound is clean but a little grainy in nature, and the frequency response is quite sensitive to tip choice (stock, small, single flange tip not the best choice).
 
The biggest benefits of the IE8 are that the quality of sound, short the top end, is very good (clean, well defined, natural), the driver is a monster with very high throw and remains remarkably clean to painfully high volumes, bass is among the best (athough I still prefer the UM3X bass), and the sound stage is massive relative to most other products out there which is fun to listen to.
 
The biggest benefits of the MTPG is its very good frequency response balance and extension, hearty and well textured note, surprisingly open and almost airy sound (especially for a thick note), and mild top end (if you like that).
 
The biggest benefits of the C751 is that the driver is effortlessly articulate and dynamic with well defined texturing and details, has a very realistic sound, and the sound stage is pinpoint and well defined.
 
The IE8 does sound quality better than the other two.  The actual presentation of the note is cleaner.
 
The MTPG does balance better than the other two.  The frequency response is quite flat and extended.  Bass is deep yet very well controlled, almost tight.  Mids are even with the rest (almost forward if you're not used to something that doesn't have a V shaped response).  Treble is actually extended, but smooth in nature but remains well balanced with the rest.
 
The Denon does note development and sound stage better than the other two.  Dynamic range is effortless and large.  Notes are more chiseled and clear cut than the other two (articulated).  Realism of sound is better than the other two.  The sound stage is better with location, distance, and layering versus the other two.
 
 
 
What makes which one the best is up to what you deem important.  All I can really say is the IE8 is a neat earphone.  It's quite good really and is definitely a top tier product.  I personally can't live with one without EQing.  It also needs a powerful amp to really push.  I almost top out my Meier 2Move before it even reaches its mechanical limits,   It is a beast of a driver.  The funny thing is it's also quite happy off squat for power too and doesn't noticeably sound bad doing it, but the driver is power hungry if you have the wattage for it.  The MTPG was a pleasant surprise when I borrowed a pair for a while.  I was actually expecting worse.  It's a good product but with key shortcomings.  For a high end product, I really can't forgive a muddy presentation.  It's not a wattage issue, so the driver is simply built wrong, and that's just dumb.  There are better ways to get the sound signature without creating a muddy earphone.  The Denon C751 impresses me every time I use it.  The sound quality isn't top notch, but it does everything else amazingly well.  Very few earphones out there can match the effortless dynamics, articulation of note, nor realism of sound.  Despite all the high end earphones I've used, I still really like the C751.  It is very easy to drive, but I find amping helps control the bass.  It's still an earphone I could be happy with on a daily basis, more than the other two, but some of that is personal preference and what I personally want an earphone to do.