[Erieg]

I just purchased a pair of Ultimate Ears TF10s and just spent the last three hours listening to them. They sound great but I ran into a few issues. The first is something I think I saw in a post or two which is that the mids are very recessed. The second issue is that I apparently don't care for piercing highs. Don't get me wrong, they sound really clear and crisp but after a while it felt like a spike through my ears. Lack of mids and really strong highs are not a good combo for me I guess.
 
My goal is to find a good IEM and get it re-shelled for comfort and isolation. I spend a lot of time on planes and really want to block everything out. 
 
I have gone through page after page of reviews on this site which is how I ended up buying the TF10s and I figured it might be prudent just to ask directly. I need to find some thing that has a fuller sound then the TF10s and preferably something that doesn't induce headaches from the highs. Due to the fact that re-shelling is going to be in the $150 range I really have to stick to around $200 for the IEMs. Now that I think about it, it is sorta strange to want to spend almost as much breaking brand new IEMs apart and reshaping them as I will on the original IEM to start with.
 
Any advice would be wonderful because If I keep buying things from amazon and returning them they are going to cut me off which would far more painful for me then kicking smoking... and I really like smoking.

 

[Erieg]

Ok. I am sure people are sick of posts asking for help. sorry about that. Somehow this keeps getting more and more expensive though. I have narrowed it down to 3 candidates.
 
Westone UM3X
Westone 3
SM3
 
All of which are twice as much as the TF10s. There goes my re shell. Anyways I have read all over this site and it sorta makes me confused. You can read two comments one after the other about the same product and the are completely different.
 
I am shooting for solid bass and mids and highs that will not shatter glass. I am leaning towards the UM3X. I have noticed something on Amazon I found interesting, almost every different set I look at has the TF10 as something that 30% or greater has purchased instead. Maybe I am just really messing up the seal? 

 

[rangerid]

Rather than shelling out another 200 for another set of IEMs, why don't you use that money and use it to reshell the TF10 with an ADDITIONAL mid driver which will achieve a very close sound sig to the UE11 for 279, I know, it's about the 200 mark but I think will be well worth it and far more superior to any other universals you can get. 
 
http://www.custom-iem.com/reshell-upgrade-to-4-drivers-p-623.html

 

[sari0n]

You can't base headphones only on the percentages that Amazon gives you.
What player are you using?  I've found that the TF10's respond very well to EQ, if you have a player with a good equalizer like cowon then you can easily fix your problem with custom EQ.
The seal is also a biggy on the TF10.  Try the foam and everything else that came with it because the seal does affect the sound hugely.
After you break-in the TF10's the sound may change more to your liking too.  Try leaving the headphones plugged into a computer overnight or for a few days with music playing on normal volumes.
Last of all, a different cable may also change the sound slightly.  A lot of people like the Westone ES cables.
 
A lot of people make not so true comments on the TF10 because it's difficult to get a good seal with it, and with a bad seal what you hear will vary hugely.  If you do get a proper seal then the sound should indeed be V-shaped with boosted bass and highs but a slightly recessed mid-range.  
 
I also think that your description is a little bit off.  In my opinion TF10's have a very "full" sound, you might want something more "neutral"
If you decide that you want to get something else then I'd go with the UM3x or SM3, they should both be relatively neutral.

 

[Erieg]

Sorry, the bit about Amazon was just interesting to me. I am not a big fan of using an EQ because frankly I am lazy. At least I am honest right? Anyways today I was doing yet more digging around the internet and found an application for my iPhone named EQu.
 
I am keeping the TF10s. It was an amazing difference.
 
I still hate the shells though. If I went outside with them on I would be in fear of getting struck by lightning. Yes, they are that big. I have an appointment with an Audiologist tomorrow to have impressions made of my ear and I am also having my hearing checked. I just want to make sure that all is well and there are not any issues.