[Egaku]

Hello,
 
I'm looking for some neutral IEM recommendations.
My budget is ~220 USD.
I do not own a portable DAC/AMP yet, it is not a priority right now.
 
I have a decent setup for home use (HD600 w/ Audio-gd FUN), but I've been using cheapo Sony earphones that came with my phone.
I used to own Soundmagic PL50's until the left channel went out, those were alright.. comfort was great, sound signature was boring for some reason.
 
I was about to jump the gun on Custom Art Music One's.. but then I decided that I couldn't wait for the manufacturing process.
I wanted more money to be focused on performance as well, rather than the shell.
 
Things to note in order of importance:
 
- Please don't recommend IEMs known to have sibilance
- Must be comfortable, would prefer over-ear
- I prefer a neutral sound (I understand that I won't get HD600 neutrality for this price)
- While bass is important, I value mids and highs much more
- Somewhat decent isolation (will mostly be used in subway/bus)
- I live in Canada
 
Sorry if I missed anything,
 
Thanks!

 

[Russs]

Have you looked at the Mee audio Pinnacle P1? Check out the reviews. It's been "compared" to HD600 sound in IEM form. Currently $199.99 usd on Amazon ($260 CAD on Amazon.ca)
 
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[Egaku]

Hey there,
 
Yes I have looked at the Pinnacle P1. I was debating on either the Pinnacle P1 or ATH IM02.
 
I don't recall where, but I read that the finish on the Pinnacle P1 peels and scratches easily.. if anyone reading this owns a pair, can you please confirm?

 

[Raketen]

IM02 highly recommmended as long as they fit you, can be a little source tricky. Also recommend Q-Jays (my current daily iem), different approach to neutral, a bit more than your price range (around $260-280), but much easier to fit imo (no memory wire but can wear over ear -the cable is a little short so you might need an extension if you have a long torso), less source picky and fantastic build quality.

I should say both of those can produce sibilance, but with IEM's often sibilance is the result of a suboptimal fit, the shape of your ear canal or can vary from source to source. For instance with Q-Jays using foam tips completely removes it for me. I haven't used customs but that alone might be a good reason to consider them.

Zero Audio Carbo Doppio isn't so neutral sounding to me and not quite as good in presentation but much cheaper and I never experienced any sibilance with them. Future Sonics G10 is a good option if you like live monitor style immense bass with otherwise flat sound.

Some stuff I haven't used but might be worth reading up on - Sony ex800ST/mdr-7550 is marketed for monitoring (supposedly little brother of my favorite ex1000 without the treble emphasis). The famous Fischer DBA mk ii seems to be available again. Sometimes you can find Etymotics ER4 at this price, though the new models are more expensive - I believe they are generally regarded as the gold standard of IEM neutrality.

 

[PinkyPowers]

The Pinnacle P1 sounds like what you are looking for.

In the past, I would have suggested the IM02, but the P1 has gotten such amazing reviews on Head-Fi, it's certainly an alluring product. I plan to buy a set eventually.

 

[Egaku]

Thanks for the recommendations guys.
 
The Pinnacle P1 may have some build issues, some reviews and pictures on reddit show that the cable unwinds at the housing, as well as the finish wearing off very easily.
Of course, it could just mean those P1 owners don't know how to handle IEMs. I just feel like if I'm going to spend this much money on an IEM, I shouldn't have to worry about build quality.
 
On the other hand, the IM02 is quite sensitive, and pretty much every review says they're very picky with sources. I'm going to run headphones from my phone for a while, so that will be a problem.
 
I guess I will have to wait for a sale on either of these..
 
Any other recommendations?
 
Thanks