[freemind]

have you thought about a new brand "narmoo"? they just released a S1 model which is also dual-driver, you can read some review about S1 here on headfi. I have both now, hard to tell which one I prefer, but with the headfi code, S1 is cheaper for sure.

 

[talleyrand890]

   
aggressive: Forward and bright sonic character.
 
sharp: piercing high pitched sound. Normally found at the Upper Midrange to lower treble registers. Related to the term "brilliance". 

Thanks for the definitions.  In contrast, I guess the term soft (lower mid-range for these earphone) means recessed and fuzzy-to-muddy sonic character, yes?
 
I should mention that I bought the M-Duos and am happy so far.  I could understand, though, if someone thought that the enhanced bass was too soft/muddy.  I happen to like my bass that way, and my wife like the bass presentation on her Earpods.

 

[L7D4N]

I will be purchasing a new pair of headphones today and after reading various reviews, I've drilled it down to either the SteelSeries Flux or the M-Duo.

Would anyone be able to comment on the differences between these two?

 

[talleyrand890]

I will be purchasing a new pair of headphones today and after reading various reviews, I've drilled it down to either the SteelSeries Flux or the M-Duo.

Would anyone be able to comment on the differences between these two?

It's odd that as a head-fi novice, I can offer my experience.  Please keep in mind that I'm not an audiophile by any means; all of my music is ripped at 128 kbps AAC, and I have some figure-ground discrimination problems.  Also, I listen mainly to acoustic jazz, where the bass plays a softer role in the music than in today's pop and hip-hop.
 
That said, I found that just out of the box, the SteelSeries Flux had almost no bass.  I had used only Apple's Earpods at that point, which aren't anyone's idea of a bass monster, and the Fluxes paled in comparison to even the Earpods.  I asked my wife (also not an audiophile) for her opinion, and her first comment was "Is there a bass adjustment on this thing?"  I predicted that even with an adequate burn-in period, I wasn't going to be satisfied with the amount of bass that the Fluxes produced, so I returned them.
 
I don't think I have to comment on the M-Duo's bass capabilities, except to say that even listening to acoustic jazz, I appreciate the depth and harmonics of the bass.  In fact, the ability to reproduce harmonics all up and down the listening frequency spectrum makes the M-Duos a pleasure to listen to.
 
I respect ljoker's perspective on IEMs — s/he's clearly a careful listener, does thorough listening tests, and she allows for an adequate burn-in period.  But his/her reviews come from an elite perspective: s/he obviously has very sensitive hearing and listens to a range of artists that exercise IEMs in a way that commoners like me won't ever do. It was based on his/her review and others on this forum that I bought the Fluxes, so I learned that my experience with any IEM would probably be more in line with Amazon.com's reviewers than headfi-org.'s.
 
Since you've homed in on two IEMs that interest you, I suggest you buy both and compare.  No amount of others' experiences will compare with your own.  The cost of returning the pair you don't like will pale in comparison to the listening pleasure over the long term of the pair you keep.

 

[L7D4N]

Awesome, thank you for the info!

Are the SteelSeries Flux you purchased the Mobile (dynamic) or the Pro (Balanced Armature) versions? I've read so many reviews of the Flux Mobile, including Jokers, and noticed the same trend that you reported in that some people say they have a large amount of bass while others say there's none at all. I'm curious if that's attributed to people not having a proper seal with the included tips or not, but I will be using Comply tips on whichever set I purchase to ensure I obtain as much of a seal, and subsequent bass, as possible.

I have 5 sets of T-400's laying around the house, so whichever way I decide to go I'll have Comply foam tips to use with them.

 

[talleyrand890]

Awesome, thank you for the info!

Are the SteelSeries Flux you purchased the Mobile (dynamic) or the Pro (Balanced Armature) versions? I've read so many reviews of the Flux Mobile, including Jokers, and noticed the same trend that you reported in that some people say they have a large amount of bass while others say there's none at all. I'm curious if that's attributed to people not having a proper seal with the included tips or not, but I will be using Comply tips on whichever set I purchase to ensure I obtain as much of a seal, and subsequent bass, as possible.

I have 5 sets of T-400's laying around the house, so whichever way I decide to go I'll have Comply foam tips to use with them.

I bought the mobile (dynamic) version, and I had only the vendor-supplied tips at the time.  So, your hunch might be right:  had I used the T-400s, my experience might be different.
 
When I bought the M-Duos, I also bought a package of T-400s, just to compare with the vendor-supplied tips.  The vendor-supplied tips provided a good seal, but the T-400s provided a great seal.  Now, I carry the vendor-supplied tips around for friends to try the cans.  I love the looks of astonishment I see when they plug them into their phones.
 
BTW, last I checked on Amazon, the M-Duos were only $40. 
 
Have fun with your evaluations!

 

[L7D4N]

I took the plunge for the M-Duo's from Amazon, so I will be able to check them out some time next week.

Thank you for the info, I sincerely appreciate it!

 

[talleyrand890]

I took the plunge for the M-Duo's from Amazon, so I will be able to check them out some time next week.

Thank you for the info, I sincerely appreciate it!

 
I'm glad I was able to help. 
 
My experience was that the M-Duos need about 20 hours for burn-in.  I used actual music instead of generated white/pink/brown/grey noise. 
 
Have fun.

 

[vipervick]

Anyone use other-than-stock tips for the M-Duo? I've only tried one of the included tips so far.

 

[Bansaku]

  Anyone use other-than-stock tips for the M-Duo? I've only tried one of the included tips so far.

Comply M400 work great.

 

[vipervick]

  Comply M400 work great.

Tried the T400 on the Monoprice 8320, but the IEM's are just a bit too big to be comfortable. Thanks. The tips might help, but I think I prefer neoprene.

 

[talleyrand890]

I keep the double-flanged pair in the case pocket in case I lose one of the Comply tips.  The OEM tips sound like crap, though, compared to the Comply tips.

 

[vaziyetu]

m-duo has the very best treble performance i have seen so far. in this price range of course. getting every detail you need, especially in movies which there is a lot different kind of sounds. the bass is not the best part of this earphone but it's there, exists at least. above moderate i can say. the worst part is obviously the soundstage/bass acoustic. the sound trapped into a small place.
 
if the soundstage is not important to you, you will get a very good treble and enough bass performance. the m-duo also has coming with 125-500hz frequency range boosted. which causes drums etc. ripping your head and ruins rock-metal type of songs with bass humming on high volume levels. keep your equalizer with you if you don't want any trouble...
 
for m-duo, my final decision is; slightly better treble is not making it...

 

[jankydude]

Just a repost but Amazon has these for $33 at least for the gold color. The others are a bit more expensive. I haven't had particularly nice sounding IEMs in a while but I might write something about these when I get 'em. 

 

[Apex Eight]

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.