Rank the IEM's you've heard
Oct 24, 2018 at 7:49 AM Post #1,787 of 5,055
Thanks! I actually have an EX1000 on the way - it should actually be waiting for me at home today - but was also curious about the 7550. If the fit on the EX1000 is okay, I’ll consider getting the 7550 as well.

For some reason, both are still available new where I live - I guess the distributor grabbed too many before they got discontinued haha

I’ll be a nice compliment to your Andromedas!
 
Oct 25, 2018 at 1:51 PM Post #1,788 of 5,055
Background: Have tried over 150 iems. Mostly CIEM demos and mid-fi to TOTL UIEMs. Preference is mostly reference/neutral, but I can enjoy an IEM that does something different but very well. Here goes...my list includes things I enjoy and only worth mentioning.

1) Hidition Viento Reference. Detailed and highly engaging. At the very edge of being too coloured.
2) Kumitate KL-Ref. Fantastic DD bass coupled with a typical Japanese upper midrange tuning. Highly fun and engaging whilst not being fatiguing. Separation and layering is done very well.
3) Vision Ears VE8. The IEM that got me trying more. Very easy to love with great technicalities.
4) P.EAR.S SH-3. Jack of all trades. Doesn't really have anything that stands out but the tonality is 10/10. Incredible level of separation and layering. A staging beast.
5) Jomo Samba. Very resolving and clear. V-shape can get a little tiring though.
6) QDC 8SS. Great reference monitor. Detailed but a little boring due to treble being slightly dark for my tastes.
7) Empire Ears Legend X. Fantastic resolution hindered by its bass.
8) Beyerdynamic Xelento. Warm with good treble response yet not tiring. One of the most refined sound signatures out there imo.
9) InEar Prophile 8. Too dark to be reference for my tastes but it has THE sound for studio monitoring use. Timbre is not for everyone.
10) Kumitate KL-Sirius. Thinner than SH-3 in terms of note weight but is the definition of Japanese tuning.
11) Sony EX1000. Odd timbre but has incredible resolution. Simply different as to how it does music.
12) Fitear TG334. Average technicalities but the midrange is simply heavenly.
13) Campfire Andromeda. Aggressive and unrefined. However pretty detailed with the right tips. I almost dont want to mention this IEM in the list.
14) Ultimate Ears Reference Remastered. Warm and dark. QDC does a similar signature better.
15) Etymotic ER4SR. Plastic timbre. Small soundstage. Good layering and detail though. The benchmark. Not sure whether to put this higher.

Update. Reshuffling everything up. From my favourites to (not-so) favourites.

Kumitate KL-REF: While not the cream of the crop in terms of technicalities, it does have great bass and an energetic uppermidrange well suited for electric guitars and female vocals.
QDC Gemini
Sony EX1000: Hate to say it but it has fantastic resolution. Vocals can/are nasal-ly though.
Canal Works L07QD+: Great imaging and positional cues. The added bass driver lends it some warmth and more bass presence while reducing the treble peak from the L05QD2.
Vision Ears VE8
Hidition Viento Ref
QDC 8SS? Or another 8 driver. Cant remember.
64 Audio N8: Thick, heavy, slow and textured. A memorable listen. If the midrange was a little more forward...
Jomo Samba
InEar Prophile 8
Sony EX800ST: Warmer and bassier version of the EX1K. Thicker and more pleasant to listen to.
PEARS SH-3: Still has one of the best timbres in my book. Lack of bass quantity holds it back.
Kumitate KL-Sirius
Hidition NT6: Airy and overall a nice listen.
Campfire Andromeda
Flipears Axis: Very thick and heavy. Bordering on mud. I like the tuning a lot though.
InEar StageDiver 5: Feels like a complete package. Good basslines, sweet mids and warm highs.
Fitear Monet 17: Fantastic BA basslines.
Empire Ears Legend X
Ultimate Ears Reference Remastered (UERR)
Fitear MH/TG334
Kumitate KL-Lakh: Great tonality and texture. Treble is a little too forward for my tastes.
Hyla CE5: One of the best bass response out there. Mids and highs have an odd tonality
Beyerdynamic Xelento: Relaxing yet a fun listen
Hidition NT6 Pro
Onkyo IEC3: Extremely thick and heavy. Most will say its mud. I like it. I don't know.
Empire Ears Phantom: IMO, the tonality of the highs are disjointed from the rest of the FR. Not very coherent in my book.
Etymotics ER4SR: Benchmark

It's a mix of technicalities and of personal preference.
 
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Oct 28, 2018 at 3:25 AM Post #1,789 of 5,055
Disclaimer: I prefer a detailed & analytical reference signature which is why I rank the Dream & ESR highly.

Dita Dream
Sony IER-Z1R
Dita Twins
Empire Ears ESR
Campfire Andromeda
Noble Katana
Hifiman RE2000
Empire Ears Spartan IV
Sony IER-M9
Campfire Atlas
64 Audio U8
Massdrop Plus
Vsonic GR07
Shure SE535
 
Oct 28, 2018 at 11:18 AM Post #1,790 of 5,055
Disclaimer: I prefer a detailed & analytical reference signature which is why I rank the Dream & ESR highly.

Dita Dream
Sony IER-Z1R
Dita Twins
Empire Ears ESR
Campfire Andromeda
Noble Katana
Hifiman RE2000
Empire Ears Spartan IV
Sony IER-M9
Campfire Atlas
64 Audio U8
Massdrop Plus
Vsonic GR07
Shure SE535

You have to hear the KSE1500 IMO since it’s the holy grail of detailed and analytical signature
 
Nov 3, 2018 at 11:32 AM Post #1,791 of 5,055
Disclaimer: I have zero confidence I could re-create this list from scratch, and many of these I've only heard very briefly. This list is in many ways a "would I rather have X or Y" list, based on a random mix of perceived technical ability, personal preference, etc., and it's not a comprehensive list of IEMs I've tried.

Jomo Flamenco (BSK 2018)
Vision Ears VE8 (Store Demo)
Empire Ears Zeus XR/Effect Audio Arthur (Store Demo)
Shure KSE1500 (Store Demo)
64Audio U18t (Store Demo)
Jomo Samba (Uni: BSK 2018, CIEM: Mine!)
64Audio U12t (Store Demo)
Campfire Audio Andromeda (Mine!)
Hidition Viento-Reference (CIEM: Mine!)
Justear XJE-MH2 CS (Store Demo)
64Audio N8 (BSK 2018)
QDC Gemini (Store Demo)
Sony MDR-EX1000 (Mine!)
Hyla CE-5 (Store Demo)
64Audio Tia Trio (Store Demo)
Lime Ears Aether (Store Demo)
Sony IER-M9 (Store Demo)
InEar Prophile 8 (Store Demo)
64Audio Tia Fourte (Store Demo)
Audeze LCD-i4 (Store Demo)
Campfire Audio Vega (Store Demo)
Empire Ears Legend X (Store Demo)
Acoustune HS1650 (BSK 2018)
Empire Ears Spartan IV/Effect Audio Merlin (Store Demo)
CTM Da Vinci X (BSK 2018)
Beyerdynamic Xelento (Store Demo)
AAW W900 (Store Demo)
Rhapsodio Solar (Store Demo)
Justear XJE-MH2 LS/MS (Store Demo)
Custom Art Harmony 8.2 (Store Demo)
Ultimate Ears UE18+ Pro (BSK 2018)
Jomo Quatre (BSK 2018)
Empire Ears Phantom (Store Demo)
Lark Studio LSX (Store Demo)
AAW W500 (Store Demo)
Lime Ears Model X (Store Demo)
Dita Fidelity (BSK 2018)
CTM Da Vinci IX (BSK 2018)
Campfire Jupiter (Store Demo)
Campfire Polaris (Sold)
Noble Audio K10 Encore (Store Demo)
Custom Art FIBAE3 (Store Demo)
Aroma Audio Witch Girl S (Store Demo)
Westone W80 (Store Demo)
Moondrop Blessing (BSK 2018)
Etymotic ER4XR (Store Demo)
Etymotic ER4SR (Store Demo)
Custom Art FIBAE2 (Store Demo)
Periodic Audio Be (Store Demo)
Campfire Audio Dorado (Store Demo)
Campfire Audio Atlas (Store Demo)
Empire Ears Bravado (Store Demo)
Rhapsodio Zombie (Store Demo)
Aroma Audio Early (Store Demo)
Audeze iSine 20 (Store Demo)
Audeze iSine 10 (Store Demo)
Ultimate Ears Live (BSK 2018)
HUM Pristine (Store Demo)
Shure SE846 (Store Demo)
AAW AXH (Store Demo)
Campfire Audio Orion (Sold)
Oriolus Finschi (Store Demo)
Custom Art FIBAE1 (Store Demo)
Campfire Audio Comet (Store Demo)
Audio Technica ATH-LS200iS (Store Demo)
Campfire Audio Lyra II (Store Demo)
Campfire Audio Nova (Store Demo)
Periodic Audio Mg (Store Demo)
Simgot EN700 Pro (Store Demo)
Mee Audio Pinnacle P1 (Store Demo)
Ultimate Ears UE11 Pro (Store Demo)
1More Triple Driver (Store Demo)
1More Quad Driver (Store Demo)
AAW A1D (Store Demo)
AAW A2H (Store Demo)
 
Nov 3, 2018 at 12:14 PM Post #1,792 of 5,055
Ranking based on mixture of preference, technicality and value. These are IEMs that I actually enjoy, IEMs that I dislike will not be on my list.
1 qdc Gemini- Neutral with a magical midrange and very good resolution, on top not only on preference but on technicality as well, only con is the average soundstage.
2 qdc 8SH- Similar to the Gemini with a bit less warmth.
3 Campfire Andromeda- This high up due to its technicality and value, lacks a little sub bass and tightness in mid bass. Treble can be too sparkly and piercing for me (treble sensitive here) at some point.
4 qdc 3SH- Probably one of the more underrated IEM under $500. Basically a mini Gemini.
5 Oriolus MK2- Good value, pleasant hybrid sound with good a chunk of warmth.
6 UERR- Relatively balanced with slight treble roll off.
7 Etymotic ER4S- Balanced, good value.
8 Sony XBA A3- V Shaped with excellent treble extension and bass. Higher than the dita truth only due to value.
9 Dita The Truth- V shaped, similar to A3 but with better midrange than the A3. A3 Has better bass.
 
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Nov 7, 2018 at 1:52 PM Post #1,793 of 5,055
So I'm not sure if it's just the fact that they are planar and open, but I find the isine 10 to be quite similar to my he-6. In most technical aspects, I guessed the he-6 is better. But just from a frequency response and tonal standpoint they are similar.

Not like for like exactly, but quite similar. Biggest differences are the he-6 has a bit more weight and thump to the bass- isine 10 have a little more thick lower mids, kind of throaty in a sense but still airy and clear. It's a subtle difference. The isine 10 also has a bit less sparkle in the treble. Also, the he-6 sounds a little more liquid and "wet" while the isine 10 is a little more dry and smokey- true to the audeze house sound in that sense.

Really similar to my comparisons of the LCD-2f and he-6- e except the lcd2 had more bass kick and Less separation between instruments than the isine or he-6.

So with that here's my ranking

1 isine 10
1 Westone W60
2 Westone W40
2 JH AUDIO ANGIE UNI
2 Shure se846
2 JH AUDIO JH13PRO fp
2 JH AUDIO JH16PRO fp,
2 JH AUDIO ROXANNE UNI
2.5 ER4S
3 DREAM EARZ AUD-7X
3 JH AUDIO JH5PRO
3 SHURE SE535LTD
3 vsonic gr07x
3 mee audio pinnacle p1
3 phonak audeo pfe 232
3 vsonic gr07BE
3 JVC FX-850
4 klipsch s5i rugged/ S4
4 shure se215
5 bose in ear

I know as far as technicalities are concerned my list is off- but preferences override technical ability after you get past a certain resolution/clarity threshold.
Hi, are you using isine 10 with cipher cable. It's good to see that you've rated isine 10 well above se846. I am planning to buy isine 10 or flc8s but I don't wanna use it with àpple devices and ciper cable. I like neutral and natural sound but not too dry and cold. Which one is better in terms of accurate and natural sound reproduction throughout frequencies . Also recommend if anything is better than these under 400 dollars.
 
Nov 7, 2018 at 1:56 PM Post #1,794 of 5,055
Disclaimer: I have zero confidence I could re-create this list from scratch, and many of these I've only heard very briefly. This list is in many ways a "would I rather have X or Y" list, based on a random mix of perceived technical ability, personal preference, etc., and it's not a comprehensive list of IEMs I've tried.

Jomo Flamenco (BSK 2018)
Vision Ears VE8 (Store Demo)
Empire Ears Zeus XR/Effect Audio Arthur (Store Demo)
Shure KSE1500 (Store Demo)
64Audio U18t (Store Demo)
Jomo Samba (Uni: BSK 2018, CIEM: Mine!)
64Audio U12t (Store Demo)
Campfire Audio Andromeda (Mine!)
Hidition Viento-Reference (CIEM: Mine!)
Justear XJE-MH2 CS (Store Demo)
64Audio N8 (BSK 2018)
QDC Gemini (Store Demo)
Sony MDR-EX1000 (Mine!)
Hyla CE-5 (Store Demo)
64Audio Tia Trio (Store Demo)
Lime Ears Aether (Store Demo)
Sony IER-M9 (Store Demo)
InEar Prophile 8 (Store Demo)
64Audio Tia Fourte (Store Demo)
Audeze LCD-i4 (Store Demo)
Campfire Audio Vega (Store Demo)
Empire Ears Legend X (Store Demo)
Acoustune HS1650 (BSK 2018)
Empire Ears Spartan IV/Effect Audio Merlin (Store Demo)
CTM Da Vinci X (BSK 2018)
Beyerdynamic Xelento (Store Demo)
AAW W900 (Store Demo)
Rhapsodio Solar (Store Demo)
Justear XJE-MH2 LS/MS (Store Demo)
Custom Art Harmony 8.2 (Store Demo)
Ultimate Ears UE18+ Pro (BSK 2018)
Jomo Quatre (BSK 2018)
Empire Ears Phantom (Store Demo)
Lark Studio LSX (Store Demo)
AAW W500 (Store Demo)
Lime Ears Model X (Store Demo)
Dita Fidelity (BSK 2018)
CTM Da Vinci IX (BSK 2018)
Campfire Jupiter (Store Demo)
Campfire Polaris (Sold)
Noble Audio K10 Encore (Store Demo)
Custom Art FIBAE3 (Store Demo)
Aroma Audio Witch Girl S (Store Demo)
Westone W80 (Store Demo)
Moondrop Blessing (BSK 2018)
Etymotic ER4XR (Store Demo)
Etymotic ER4SR (Store Demo)
Custom Art FIBAE2 (Store Demo)
Periodic Audio Be (Store Demo)
Campfire Audio Dorado (Store Demo)
Campfire Audio Atlas (Store Demo)
Empire Ears Bravado (Store Demo)
Rhapsodio Zombie (Store Demo)
Aroma Audio Early (Store Demo)
Audeze iSine 20 (Store Demo)
Audeze iSine 10 (Store Demo)
Ultimate Ears Live (BSK 2018)
HUM Pristine (Store Demo)
Shure SE846 (Store Demo)
AAW AXH (Store Demo)
Campfire Audio Orion (Sold)
Oriolus Finschi (Store Demo)
Custom Art FIBAE1 (Store Demo)
Campfire Audio Comet (Store Demo)
Audio Technica ATH-LS200iS (Store Demo)
Campfire Audio Lyra II (Store Demo)
Campfire Audio Nova (Store Demo)
Periodic Audio Mg (Store Demo)
Simgot EN700 Pro (Store Demo)
Mee Audio Pinnacle P1 (Store Demo)
Ultimate Ears UE11 Pro (Store Demo)
1More Triple Driver (Store Demo)
1More Quad Driver (Store Demo)
AAW A1D (Store Demo)
AAW A2H (Store Demo)

That is quite a list. We must have similar taste because Flamenco > VE8 > Zeus > U18t > Andro is exactly how I would rank the top as well!
 
Nov 7, 2018 at 9:23 PM Post #1,796 of 5,055
That is quite a list. We must have similar taste because Flamenco > VE8 > Zeus > U18t > Andro is exactly how I would rank the top as well!

Perks of living in a country with a lot of audio stores! Biggest downside is that unlike in Japan, each specific store is usually limited in the brands it carries (making AB testing difficult).
 
Nov 8, 2018 at 12:28 AM Post #1,798 of 5,055
Tell us your full list :p

Ah it is so hard to rank them all.. but at the end of the day, nothing has dethroned Flamenco for me. Solaris puts up a good fight though. :)

Perks of living in a country with a lot of audio stores! Biggest downside is that unlike in Japan, each specific store is usually limited in the brands it carries (making AB testing difficult).

Singapore? Please go demo the Jomo Trinity and report back!
 
Nov 8, 2018 at 1:15 AM Post #1,799 of 5,055
Nah, Korea. I’m very interested in trying Solaris & Trinity though. (Is that just the third estat IEM out there after Stax and Shure?)
 
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