[Karrots]

Hi everyone.
I need some suggestion for my first pair of iem.

I’ll use it mainly commuting and studying in study hall so I need decent noise isolation.
The source will be Samsung galaxy s9 or my laptop.
I mostly listen to classical and rock music but also some jazz and metal.
Budget: I’d like to stay around 150€ but I can stretch it to 200€ (250USD) if it’s worth it

As a side note, do you recommend me to buy foam eartips (if not included) and whats your opinion about those usb-c to 3.5 dac?

 

[baskingshark]

Hi everyone.
I need some suggestion for my first pair of iem.

I’ll use it mainly commuting and studying in study hall so I need decent noise isolation.
The source will be Samsung galaxy s9 or my laptop.
I mostly listen to classical and rock music but also some jazz and metal.
Budget: I’d like to stay around 150 but I can stretch it to 200 if it’s worth it

As a side note, do you recommend me to buy foam eartips (if not included) and whats your opinion about those usb-c to 3.5 dac?

Are u referring to your budget in USD or Euros?

Anyway foam tips in general will tame the treble. And they generally ain't as durable as silicone tips. But u have to try them for yourself to see if your like them, as we all have different ear anatomies and preferences.

For USBC 3.5 mm dac, some are very good like the Tempotec Sonata HD Pro. They help eliminate hiss on certain lower end sources like laptops and smartphones for highly sensitive IEMs. They may also boost technicalities like soundstage, imaging, details, instrument separation to some extent. In fact, I see them as a cheaper option than buying a full fledged DAP. Only issues when using them with smartphones is that they use battery life and the limiting factor of memory space (especially if u have a lot of lossless files).

 

[Karrots]

Are u referring to your budget in USD or Euros?

I meant euros, stupid me i didn't specified... main thread corrected.

For USBC 3.5 mm dac, some are very good like the Tempotec Sonata HD Pro. They help eliminate hiss on certain lower end sources like laptops and smartphones for highly sensitive IEMs. They may also boost technicalities like soundstage, imaging, details, instrument separation to some extent. In fact, I see them as a cheaper option than buying a full fledged DAP. Only issues when using them with smartphones is that they use battery life and the limiting factor of memory space (especially if u have a lot of lossless files).

Happy to hear this, i thought they were a "scam". I think ill buy one in the near future

 

[baskingshark]

U can read about the TRI Starsea. It is a hybrid with 4 tuning switches, so it an be V shaped to U shaped to neutralish. Quite versatile as such. Very good fit and isolation, very good technicalities.

It has a very low impedance of 9ish ohms, so it pairs better with sources with < 1 ohm output impedance. If u get something like the Tempotec Sonata HD Pro dongle, that one has very low output impedance and will make a good pairing with the TRI Starsea.

 

[Karrots]

U can read about the TRI Starsea. It is a hybrid with 4 tuning switches, so it an be V shaped to U shaped to neutralish. Quite versatile as such. Very good fit and isolation, very good technicalities.

It has a very low impedance of 9ish ohms, so it pairs better with sources with < 1 ohm output impedance. If u get something like the Tempotec Sonata HD Pro dongle, that one has very low output impedance and will make a good pairing with the TRI Starsea.

It seems quite good but the only major complain is that it is quite source picky... if i plug it directly into the smarpthone the quality is decent or they become "unusable".
And about the dongle, are there any alternatives with a smaller form factor? (i found the hidizs s1 and s3 on 25% sale, opinions?)

 

[baskingshark]

It seems quite good but the only major complain is that it is quite source picky... if i plug it directly into the smarpthone the quality is decent or they become "unusable".
And about the dongle, are there any alternatives with a smaller form factor? (i found the hidizs s1 and s3 on 25% sale, opinions?)

Depends if your smartphone as an output impedance of < 1 ohm (some manufacturers publish the specs, sometimes they don't). If you have a higher output impedance source, the frequency response will be skewed and the Starsea will sound a bit bass light and hot in the treble/upper mids.

I haven't tried the dongles u mentioned, but perhaps u can ask the rest more in this dedicated thread for dongles: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/usb-c-to-3-5mm-adapters-dac-lets-find-the-best.908839/

 

[IEMusic]

If you’re not aversed to deep insertion of IEMs, Etymotic IEMs provide some of the absolute best isolation. If not wanting to use the multi-flange tips, you could use the included foam tips, or buy separate single flange tips that fit. The sound is neutral, and good for all types of music. I like the XR versions with a little boost in the bass. My recommendation is the ER2XR, which is often times on sale on Amazon for $100.

I think you should also look into the new ThieAudio Legacy 4.