[Niyologist]

I'm seriously contemplating on picking up a pair of these.
 
I think my preference for sound signature is V-shaped.
 
Here's why:
 
I like my Philips SHE3590. For their price, I think they're great. No strain reliefs or cable cinch though, and the cable itself is thin and microphonic.
 
I had the SE215. Revealed a bit more detail than the SHE3590, but sounded bloated. Returned.
 
I briefly had the JVC FXD80. Couldn't achieve a good seal. They are oddly shaped. Great detail and clarity. Seemed a bit hard to drive on just my phone (Nexus 5) and laptop though. I don't own an amp or anything like that. Returned.
 
So, based on that, do you guys think I should go for the M-Duo? They're currently $50 new from Amazon. 
 
I listen to a lot of electronic-based music, rock, and rap. 

Or you can go for the VSD3S for $45.

 

[Apex Eight]

Or you can go for the VSD3S for $45.

I've been considering the VSD3. Apparently it's more V-shaped than the VSD3S. But they don't seem as durable as the M-Duo and I think I'd have to send them to Singapore for a warranty claim if they were to break.
 
Would you consider the M-Duo bass to be tight? The SE215s really showed me that I don't like muddy, poorly controlled bass. 
 
After all of this, do you still like your M-Duo?

 

[Niyologist]

Or you can go for the VSD3S for $45.

I've been considering the VSD3. Apparently it's more V-shaped than the VSD3S. But they don't seem as durable as the M-Duo and I think I'd have to send them to Singapore for a warranty claim if they were to break.
 
Would you consider the M-Duo bass to be tight? The SE215s really showed me that I don't like muddy, poorly controlled bass. 
 
After all of this, do you still like your M-Duo?

I still like my M-DUO, but my J3 makes it feel a bit closed. That's why I'm upgrading to the new Xuelin IHIFI 770C.

 

[Apex Eight]

I still like my M-DUO, but my J3 makes it feel a bit closed. That's why I'm upgrading to the new Xuelin IHIFI 770C.

After reading some more reviews on both the M-Duo and the VSD3/S, I decided to go with the M-Duo. They seem to have everything I've been looking for: solid build, backed by the manufacturer, easy warranty claim process, fair price, cable cinch, decent strain reliefs, good cable, good V-shaped sound, simple design that are bound to fit well, etc. I bought a used pair through Amazon Warehouse Deals for $34 that are apparently "like-new" in original packaging except they said that the packaging might be damaged. If I don't end up liking them, I'll just return them, but I really hope that won't be the case! I'm not expecting these to be giant killers, just an upgrade to my SHE3590. I'm kinda new to world of quality audio equipment, and I feel like the M-Duo is a good, logical step forward. Sorry for the novel, I've just been debating on my next set of IEMs for a while and am just getting all of my thoughts down.
 
Anyway, they'll be here on the 18th so I'll be sure to give my impressions of them when I've given them a good listen. Thanks to you, Niyologist, for your review and starting this thread so that others could contribute their thoughts on them and such. It has all been the main driving force behind me going ahead and ordering them.

 

[Bansaku]

  I'm seriously contemplating on picking up a pair of these.
 
I think my preference for sound signature is V-shaped.
 
I listen to a lot of electronic-based music, rock, and rap. 

 
I think you will like the M-Duo, and $50 is a great price. Don't listen to rap, but rock and anything electronica sounds pretty darn good; lots of bass and treble energy.
 

 

[Apex Eight]

So I've been listening to the M-Duo over the past day and a half, and despite this limited listening, I must say they are quite nice. They are smaller than I thought they'd be and are pretty comfortable with their simple form-factor. I suspect that they'll work well with a lot of ears. My only gripe as far as comfort goes is that the metal housing has a tendency to make my inner ear sore after long periods of listening. They seem very well built although the cable feels a bit cheap but I guess you can't expect that much in this price range. 
 
Sound-wise they are quite bassy-heavy. They work great with electronic music but can be a bit overbearing with rock. Mids are subdued. Upper mids have nice detail. Treble is nicely extended without being harsh. It rolls of slightly without jumping off a cliff; I actually like it quite a bit. Cymbals, claps, and snaps come out crisp and clear with good decay. Soundstage seems wider than average, and slightly deeper than my SHE3590. Nothing incredible and still unnatural sounding, but still good. These pretty much hit my expectations, but I also feel like they aren't that much of an upgrade to my SHE3590. Yes, in comparison, the SHE3590 are way warmer and slightly more congested, but with the M-Duo coming in at $50 right now, I don't think it's a necessary upgrade for someone like me that already has a good budget V-shaped IEM. If I didn't already have the SHE3590, I'd definitely keep these as a gym/commuting IEM, but I'll be returning them for an IEM with a different sound signature; I'm thinking balanced and the RE-400 has caught my eye. Anyway, that's my two cents. Hope it helps someone out. I hope it doesn't seem like I'm understating these. At $50 currently, I think they area solid buy. At there original $80 or $90 price tag, I'm not quite sure. But yes, they do sound quite good; definitely a step up from the bare budget IEMs and I would be glad to recommend them to someone looking into their first pair of $50 earphones!

 

 

[Louis8ball]

So, just for clarification (in case it hasn't already been addressed here), does anyone know if the M-Duo will be shrill or sibilant on the high end (even) after sufficient burn-in?

Or will the treble sound crystal clear?

 

[vipervick]

So, just for clarification (in case it hasn't already been addressed here), does anyone know if the M-Duo will be shrill or sibilant on the high end (even) after sufficient burn-in?

Or will the treble sound crystal clear?

Sounds pretty darn clear to me. But, I listen to Metal. Hardly ever any sibilance. 

 

[Bansaku]

So, just for clarification (in case it hasn't already been addressed here), does anyone know if the M-Duo will be shrill or sibilant on the high end (even) after sufficient burn-in?

Or will the treble sound crystal clear?

Depends on the recording. They don't add but they definitely don't mask either.
 

 

[Apex Eight]

So, just for clarification (in case it hasn't already been addressed here), does anyone know if the M-Duo will be shrill or sibilant on the high end (even) after sufficient burn-in?

Or will the treble sound crystal clear?

They aren't shrill but they can be slightly sibilant, nothing compared to the sibilance I got from the JVC FXD80 though. I personally think the treble is one of the strong points of the M-Duo. They have just the right amount of brightness to them with good decay on cymbals, snaps, and claps.

 

[Louis8ball]

Cool. Thank you, that's great to hear, as I'm thinking about getting me a pair of these.

Thanks to everyone who responded!!

 

[SliceOfPierce]

I currently have Audio-Technica's IM50's and I love the sound of them, but I was wondering how the M-DUO compares in terms of bass?

 

[MDFMK]

The M Duo's treble isn't especially harsh, but it is a little edgy and aggressive.  Not an earphone for the treble sensitive, but at a reasonable volume it's fine. 

 

[sgosh]

These really are quite good for the price, and deliver solid value.

Bass is exaggerated, as the target market would expect. However, it is accurate and precise (muscular, not flabby).

Disappointing, however, is the high end. It's a bit harsh, and because it's also boosted (or perhaps it's more that mids are attenuated), sibilance becomes prominent, especially at higher volumes. Anything past 9KHz or so is mostly absent; it's a sudden and sharp roll-off.

If you're a daily train or bus commuter, these are cheap enough to abuse a bit, but sound okay in a noisy environment.

These are good for the price, but know that they do have noticeable performance limitations, which will constantly remind you what they cost.

And no, "burn in" did not help. This thing sounded pretty much the same from day one onwards.

 

[FSUnoles]

These really are quite good for the price, and deliver solid value.

Bass is exaggerated, as the target market would expect. However, it is accurate and precise (muscular, not flabby).

Disappointing, however, is the high end. It's a bit harsh, and because it's also boosted (or perhaps it's more that mids are attenuated), sibilance becomes prominent, especially at higher volumes. Anything past 9KHz or so is mostly absent; it's a sudden and sharp roll-off.

If you're a daily train or bus commuter, these are cheap enough to abuse a bit, but sound okay in a noisy environment.

These are good for the price, but know that they do have noticeable performance limitations, which will constantly remind you what they cost.

And no, "burn in" did not help. This thing sounded pretty much the same from day one onwards.

Anything you suggest in the under $50 range