Newbie Advice on new IEM's - Upgrade from S4's

[TheOneInYellow]

OK, read these threads, or click the first link, as I believe you will find an AWESOME IEM for about £109.99, though after Boxing Day, this deal will end and the price will be around £250, so be quick:
 
Ultimate Ears Triple.Fi 10 Pro for £109.99

 
Amazon UK & USA Cyber Monday (Boxing Day) UE Triple Fi 10 Pro Deals...
 
The IEM/Portable Headphones Deal Alerts Thread - No affiliate links permitted!
 
what in-ear headphones? up to 200 pounds
 
In essence, the IEM is the Ultimate Ears Triple.Fi 10 Pro, which has, as the name implies, triple armature divers. It's about six years old, and has been beaten by other triple-driver IEM's (such as the Shure SE535 or the Audio-Technica CK100), but with Amazon.co.uk (and Amazon.com, and any other Amazon website that observes Boxing Day) price of the Triple.Fi 10 at £109.99, you will NOT find a better earphone for yourself, especially dual or triple driver one's. BE QUICK!!!!!

 

[RokYa]

Thanks for the heads up TheOneInYellow
 
It does look like a fantastic deal, but can I put them in my ears where the cable is straight down? As I'm not a fan of the over-ear cable thing. I think I'll order it as it is a good deal and read up on them tonight and if I change my mind I can always cancel the order before they send it off. Again thanks for letting me know so quickly!

 

[Gilly87]

I have the x10 and they are great, I can't find any fault in them, the sound is fun and slightly warm with great bass, but it isn't overwhelming in the low end or screeching in the high end like the S4. The mids are great but higher voices in the upper mids aren't ideal. The treble is good, fairly airy and accurate, but doesn't QUITE really sing and if you will be walking around with them beneath clothing you should know that the microphonics are bad.

 

[TheOneInYellow]

@ RokYa: Yes! It's called the 'flip-flop' method...
 
Take the left earphone, move it to the right ear, and connect the right cable. DO the vice-versa for the right earphone; now, due to switching them, the cables can only fit underneath the earbuds, and so the cables run down rather than up-and-over your ears. This method also allows the earphones to have a smaller profile, as they will be angled towards your ears rather than sticking out (the UE label on the earphone will be upside down and will face your outer ear). Remember that its the cables that determine Left and Right signal from your source player; the earbuds don't. Do some search about the flip-flop method on this forum and the net for further information.
 
Or, you can do this, but the UE's will still stick out; the UE label on the earphones will be upside down (as the second pic indicates), but will face away (outward) from your outer ear:
 
Left Earphone Right-Way
Right Earphone Upside-Down
 
Enjoy! ^_^
 
@ Gilly87: Are you talking about the Klipsch X10 or X10i, or was that 'X' a typo and you meant the UE Triple.Fi 10 Pro?
Nevermind, I realised you were talking about the Klipsch. Sorry...

 

[Gilly87]

I was talking about the Klipsch X10

 

[TheOneInYellow]

Quote:

I was talking about the Klipsch X10

Yep, I corrected myself on my last post, so again, sorry...
The Klipsch always intrigued me, but I didn't like the SQ of their bottom ranges (Custom 2 or 3), so I never went for the X10's when they first appeared years ago.
 

 

[RokYa]

Gilly87: Would you say the X10 is a major upgrade from the S4? Because the price for them is quite high in the UK £170 ($260).
 
TheOneInYellow: Thanks for the help. I really hope I like the TF10's, although I'm slightly worried about how bulky they are going to be. Really looking forward to trying them out.

 

[Gilly87]

I don't think they would be worth $260 USD. They are great but I wouldn't pay that much for them; SQ wise they are definitely a huge jump from the S4, they match and in some places exceed my $200 Phiaton MS400 which I adore. But there are other factors, mainly the cable and microphonics, that make them not worth over $200 for sure, especially when I think about the quality of the cabling on, for example, my SE215 ($99, phenomenal cable, really thick and no microphonics, smooth on the outside for easy adjusting below clothing), the FA Eterna I owned ($70-ish, much better cabling than the x10). I have to admit though despite having read numerous complaints about the strain reliefs and musings of potential quality issues, the strain reliefs strike me as very cleverly designed and interestingly tapered. I am VERY happy having paid $98 USD; I would not be disappointed if I had paid around $150, maybe even $180, but $260 is too much for them IMO. If I used an iPhone, I would place the x10i at $200 appropriately.
 
From what I have read, I think the TF10 would be more like the classic audiophile upgrade from the S4: V shaped signature, the bass is more punchy than boomy, and the treble is more airy than sharp. If they don't have enough bass for you, I would look at the W3; again, I haven't heard them myself, but from what I've heard they have an aggressive signature like the S4 with strong, impactful bass and emphasized highs. They would seem more likely to be worth $260 or so, if you have that kind of cash I would look into them, especially if you think the S4 is close to your preferred signature.

 

[Gilly87]

No worries
 
The low range of the X10 is incredible IMO, emphasized but with realistic weight and good rumble without being overly dominant. The X10 does bass just how I like it; ideally I would like a little more impact, but its low end is really impressive to me, and I listen to a lot of dubstep. From what I've read the X10 is nothing like the Custom 2/3, probably a totally different driver.
 
Quote:

Yep, I corrected myself on my last post, so again, sorry...
The Klipsch always intrigued me, but I didn't like the SQ of their bottom ranges (Custom 2 or 3), so I never went for the X10's when they first appeared years ago.
 

 
 

 

[TheOneInYellow]

Quote:

Gilly87: Would you say the X10 is a major upgrade from the S4? Because the price for them is quite high in the UK £170 ($260).
 
TheOneInYellow: Thanks for the help. I really hope I like the TF10's, although I'm slightly worried about how bulky they are going to be. Really looking forward to trying them out.

 
They will be bulky. They are old earphones, and use the old case design that has been discontinued from other IEM's in the UE range. Yet, as I have said, you will not find better quality SQ triple-driver IEM's anywhere else for that price, and it is a logical upgrade from the S4. I wrote a short impression about my old UE Super.Fi 5 Pro, which describes the UE house sound, so take a look:
 
Shure se425 or Ultimate Ears TripleFi 10??
 
I would, however, read Gilly87's impressions about the Klipsch X10 for a different opinion, but as anyone can say, YMMV.

 
Quote:

I don't think they would be worth $260 USD. They are great but I wouldn't pay that much for them; SQ wise they are definitely a huge jump from the S4, they match and in some places exceed my $200 Phiaton MS400 which I adore. But there are other factors, mainly the cable and microphonics, that make them not worth over $200 for sure, especially when I think about the quality of the cabling on, for example, my SE215 ($99, phenomenal cable, really thick and no microphonics, smooth on the outside for easy adjusting below clothing), the FA Eterna I owned ($70-ish, much better cabling than the x10). I have to admit though despite having read numerous complaints about the strain reliefs and musings of potential quality issues, the strain reliefs strike me as very cleverly designed and interestingly tapered. I am VERY happy having paid $98 USD; I would not be disappointed if I had paid around $150, maybe even $180, but $260 is too much for them IMO. If I used an iPhone, I would place the x10i at $200 appropriately.
 
From what I have read, I think the TF10 would be more like the classic audiophile upgrade from the S4: V shaped signature, the bass is more punchy than boomy, and the treble is more airy than sharp. If they don't have enough bass for you, I would look at the W3; again, I haven't heard them myself, but from what I've heard they have an aggressive signature like the S4 with strong, impactful bass and emphasized highs. They would seem more likely to be worth $260 or so, if you have that kind of cash I would look into them, especially if you think the S4 is close to your preferred signature.

This is some nice advice, thanks Gilly87!. I agree that the X10 is very pricey in the UK, and the UE Triple.Fi 10 deal is hands-down better, but outside that deal, another IEM may need to be thought about for the OP (perhaps a Sennheiser or Audio-Technica model of some sort...). And RokYa, look at these websites:
 

1. Amazon.co.uk: Headphones & Earphones

2. Audio Affair

3. Advanced MP3 Players

4. iheadphones

5. Headphones & Earphones (hifiheadphones.co.uk)

 
Quote:

No worries
 
The low range of the X10 is incredible IMO, emphasized but with realistic weight and good rumble without being overly dominant. The X10 does bass just how I like it; ideally I would like a little more impact, but its low end is really impressive to me, and I listen to a lot of dubstep. From what I've read the X10 is nothing like the Custom 2/3, probably a totally different driver.

 
I was a bass-head when I was younger, but after obtaining my AKG K 701's and my speakers, JohnBlue AudioArt JB3, I started to appreciate bass more.

  I still hate my Etymotic ER-6i's for having almost no bass impact (but great bass detail and length), but I use my JDS Labs cMoy v2.01 custom headphone amplifier with bass boost to help the Ety have a little boost in the low-end (at the sacrifice of lower volume listening, since the armature driver will start to distort at medium or high volume SPL levels...

). In any case, it was the bass detail that annoyed me with the Klipsch Custom 1, 2 and 3's, so the X10 was, at the time, not worth considering, especially given its retail price (even if it housed a different driver).
On top of that, I hardly listen to any hip-hop, RnB, or rap, but I do listen to some dubstep (more err, or bias, towards electronica dubstep), and I loved my old UE Super.FI 5 Pro's for that, so the Triple.Fi 10 Pro's will continue that love <3

 
 

 

[OskarWells]

Hi RokYa,
just sharing some impressions on the X10 here (newbie to newbie
Got mine few months ago as my first 'decent' IEMs (got in there through the ADDIEM). I just had the chance to listen to some Westone 2 and Miles Davis as comparison, and even if the X10 can't compete on all levels with them, I really like their signature. Not even close to the amount of bass of the Miles Davis for example, but they do have very controlled deep bass, and a very good soundstage in my opinion. But at the end, what did the trick for me was the confort of these very small little beasts: I like to have a complete seal and isolation (which I couldn't find anywhere so far, except with the Sure triple flanges tips on the ADDIEM, but they are a bit painful), and I don't mind deep tips in my ears, so the Klipsch double flanges tips on the tiny X10 monitors suits me perfectly for every day use (even several hours strait, very light, no pain...). Well set with the X10 sealed in place, I'm on for podcast in the bus, movies on the iPhone, and any music on a better source (even better with a simple DAC/AMP like iBasso D-Zero).
Just had one problem with them though, the rubber strain relief of the left phone had started to split, exactly the way it is presented on the Klipsch forum: http://forums.klipsch.com/forums/t/142502.aspx?PageIndex=1. But Klipsch sent me new ones through the retailer without any problem, so I'm taking extra care of these now, and so far no more issue...
I'd consider that the fit for my ears, confort, seal, in addition to very good sound were worth the fairly high price of these (250 AUD down under).
Hope you find your perfect match!

 

[RokYa]

Hi guys,
 
I've managed to find an X10 for the same price as the TF10 (£110). Do you think that this might be a good deal?
 
TheOneInYellow: Thanks for the links and info, these are some great sites, and I read your views on the UE sound. I definitely want to give the TF10 a try.
 
OskarWells: Thanks for the impression on the X10. Because I already love the S4 I think I'd be pleased by the X10 but I'm just concered that it might not be a major 'step up' form the S4, particularly when such a high price is involved.
 
Thanks guys.

 

[RokYa]

Hi guys
 
I thought I'd update this thread as I now have both the TripleFi 10's and the X10's and have been testing them for a while. I must say I was rather disappointed with the X10. I really hoped it would be better than my S4 but it wasn't. They most definitely are a 'step-down' from the S4's. They did offer a slightly more 'tighter' bass response but I felt that the low-end was inadequate for me, almost bass-light but not like the UE700. I mean I'd like a little more bass but I could live with it. The mids feel slightly 'held back' and the treble doesn't feel like it reaches the heights that the S4 does, although they don't have sibilance issues as the S4's does at times. The separation is quite similar to the S4 but the soundstage feels more congested with the X10. Some aspects are better than the S4, for example the build quality feels better, it certainly is a better looking earphone and I felt that it was more comfortable, in fact its the most comfortable phones I've ever tried. You almost forget they were in your ears! But overall I felt the X10 is inferior to the S4.
 
Now as for the TF10, a whole different story. Firstly I want to thank TheOneInYellow for telling me about the amazon offer on these phones which I think is still available in the UK. The sound on the TF10 was simply amazing. The bass is natural in both quantity and quality. It is powerful and detailed and the same time. The mids are very good, not too far off from the S4's but certainly more clean. The treble was tremendous, highly detailed without the harshness of the S4. The separation is the best I've ever heard. You can literally pick out each instrument the moment they start playing. And the Soundstage is second to none. You just feel like you are wrapped around by the sound you're hearing. I mean to sum it up the TF10's are the best things I have ever heard. However for me they have a major flaw, and that is their size and comfort. The earphones are rather large and because of this they do not have a comfortable feel to them when they are in your ears. They stick out way too much and it takes a while to insert them, whereas the X10 is almost instantaneous and highly comfortable. Overall they sound phenomenal but I need phones that are comfortable as I will be using them for traveling and the TF10's are not the most ideal in this aspect.
 
So I think I'm going to sell the X10's and most likely the TF10's as well, however if I don't find anything near their sound quality then I may just keep them as I got it for a very good price.
 
The earphones I'm considering now is the Atrio MG7, JVC FXT90, Audio Technica CK90Pro and Sony MDR-EX700. I wanted to know if anyone has tried out any of these? And how they compare to the TF10's? Or is there any 'smaller' and more comfortable earphones that compare to the TF10's in terms of sound quality? Note that I'm looking for earphones that are worn straight-down and don't prefer them worn over-the-ears.
 
Thank you guys.