[germanturkey]

no one's mentioned Klipsch x10 yet?  very warm BA IEMs.

 

[james444]

^ Agreed, but soundstage is no better than on the Atrios.

 

[sofastreamer]

Quote:

 

I am in process or reviewing the Kozee Infinity X3 (with executive option) which is $620.  So, if that is in your price range, here it goes:
 
 
very wide and deep soundstage (just like ie8) - much much wider and more 3D
very prominent deep bass (like tf10, but maybe a tad more pronounced) - Amazing deep, enhanced bass
no westone midbass hump - It does have a mid-bass hump, but I haven't A/Bed with a Westone, so I can't compare.  But I think it is less than the IE8
mids creamy as i know them from my se530 - Close, but again, without a direct comparison I can't say.  However, the mids are close to the EM3 Pro, which is close to the SM3, but the X3 mids are slightly less liquid
recessed highs also the way the s530 give me. - highs laid back a little, but still there.  Not as smooth or refined as the EM3 Pro treble, but that is $400 more and has deep bass roll off.
allround somewhat warmish sound sig. but not as dark as sm3 - Warm sound sig, but not overly so.
 
I had my reshelled TF10 ($90 from Kozee) for a few days before I sent it back for adjustment to get the treble sparkle back from the stock TF10, so I can't say too much about it other than the mids were pulled more forward and the bass extended deeper.  Also, the fit was so much more comfortable than the stock TF10.  Talking with Adam of Kozee, I think he will be able to tune the treble to people's liking.  However, the overall sound quality still lagged far behind the X3, even when reshelled, meaning the drivers/crossovers/synergy of the TF10 just isn't what it is for the X3.

right now i have contact with adam and still wonder, if i should go for the x3. your impressions seem quite nice, but i am somewhat afraid, that they could sound too dark for me. thats why i hated the sm3. bass was nice, highs were nice, but the mids sounded like nightmare. and i really mean nightmare, they made me panik and feeling klaustrophobic. while the se530 sound a löot more friendly, like the shining sun, the sm3 sounded like night of the livin dead.
so what to expect from the x3?
 

 

[Dreamaurora]

Klipsch x10? I have one and I think it has a good balance of detail and fun. The driver is single armature and quite particular about the source.

 

[average_joe]

Quote:

right now i have contact with adam and still wonder, if i should go for the x3. your impressions seem quite nice, but i am somewhat afraid, that they could sound too dark for me. thats why i hated the sm3. bass was nice, highs were nice, but the mids sounded like nightmare. and i really mean nightmare, they made me panik and feeling klaustrophobic. while the se530 sound a löot more friendly, like the shining sun, the sm3 sounded like night of the livin dead.
so what to expect from the x3?

The X3 treble has seemed to change for me for whatever reason compared to my initial assessment.  Here is a bit from my upcoming review, comparing the X3 with the SM3:
"Comparing the X3 to the SM3 with custom sleeves, the presentation of the X3 is more forward across the spectrum, however the X3 is more spacious overall with more treble presence and sparkle along with more thunderous deep bass.  In addition, the X3 has more micro-detail than the SM3 along with a more exciting overall presentation.  I specifically compared the two with the Jheena Lodwick track from above and the SM3 is smoother at the expense of some detail, but also makes the voice sound a little deeper than it is.  The X3 will display some recording flaws the SM3 can hide.  To my ears, the X3 is a step up technically from the SM3, as it should be for the price, although the presentation is slightly different." 
 
And the Jheena Lodwick reference is to a little bit of grain in the vocals of the X3.  To me, they sound better overall when A/Bing, since they sound more feminine, natural and defined with the X3, but it is not perfect.

 

[Foress]

Quote:

Well, you've got me stumped

 Maybe try the monster turbine pro range.
 
edit: They're not BA, but the sound sig may be more your thing

gotta agree with this. try out the MTPC.
do you really need a BA-type iem?

 

[sofastreamer]

@average joe: thx for your feeback. so the x3 seem to be a winner.

@stage93: who did your tf10 reshell, ans what is the result of the added drivers?

 

[mvw2]

You're going to have a hell of a time without EQing.  I think there are a number of products close enough, but not right till you can reshape the response to your liking.
 
The SE530 and e-Q7 are not really alike.  The SE530 relies on very high dynamic range but has little note thickness and texturing.  It's more like the RE262 and PFE than anything else in how it presents notes.  The SE530 sounds kind of like a more refined PFE, and I wouldn't really step backwards to a PFE from it.  The e-Q7 relies on thicker texturing of the note and less so on high dynamic range and articulation.  It's flatter and more extended.  The high bass of the SE530 sounds strong, but it just rolls off way, way too early and requires a LOT of EQing to extend it all the way down.  The e-Q7 is flat down a lot lower but more even.  The better note thickness helps retain good low end presence, but it's still slightly lean overall yet the depth is there.
 
There aren't many earphones I've used that are like the Triple.Fi 10 in impact.  The Triple.Fi 10 offers a thick, heavily articulated note, and it caries a lot of energy and heft.  You get that powerful hit from this.  The only way to replicate it is to find another earphone with a thick note like that.  However, you're opening yourself up towards muddier sounding earphones doing so which is something you're also trying to shy away from.
 
I agree with you on the IE8.  Everything was good but just slightly tamed, slightly softened on edge that just took it down a half step from what it could have been.  Plus you have that broad hump centered around 100Hz that needed to be addressed.
 
I actually like the UM3X a lot.  I found the bass to be rather flat, but the mids rolled off a lot and made it sound bassy overall.  EQing does help here.  If you use the Comply tips, there will be this odd midbass thump.  It's a side-effect of the tip though and goes away with the rubber tip or stepping to Shure's foam tips as another foam alternative.
 
You might find the Custom 3 as an interesting option.  It's one of the few BA earphones with a good hearty note.  It has a lot of texturing and a very good amount of dynamic range.  It's implactful and detailed.  The sound is slightly smoothed though, so fine details get blurred over, but it offers something somewhat in between the Westones and Triple.Fi 10 in terms of note presentation.  The bass does roll off on the very bottom though but can be EQed.  It's good pricing makes it something you can simply try out and see what you think.
 
The Monster stuff may or may not be up your alley.  I've used the MPTG and found the bass to be quite good, well controlled, extended, and balanced, but the earphone overall was thick and sluggish.  With complex info it got a little muddy with the information, but it sounded good with simpler stuff.
 
The Eterna, at least the version 1, might be an interesting option.  The sound reminded me a lot of the SE530, but it's geared a lot more towards bass.  It has a fun presentation like the Triple.Fi 10, deep strong, driving, but it's also clean and spaced like the SE530.  It's a fun earphone, not the most balanced, but likable.  Frequency response is similar to the Triple.Fi 10 if you cut down the treble, which is what it sounds like you're looking for.  It's not the most detailed earphone out there, but it's clean and presents sound well enough not to care.
 
I do kind of understand what you're looking for, but I can't say I've used a product that I would specifically recommend to you.  Three I would add to your list simply to try out would be the e-Q7, Custom 3, and version 1 Eterna if you can find a pair.  These are options around what you're looking for, and you may find yourself really liking one of them.

 

[Confispect]

 
Quote:

The Eterna, at least the version 1, might be an interesting option.  The sound reminded me a lot of the SE530, but it's geared a lot more towards bass.  It has a fun presentation like the Triple.Fi 10, deep strong, driving, but it's also clean and spaced like the SE530.  It's a fun earphone, not the most balanced, but likable.  Frequency response is similar to the Triple.Fi 10 if you cut down the treble, which is what it sounds like you're looking for.  It's not the most detailed earphone out there, but it's clean and presents sound well enough not to care.
 

Agreed,
 
It's not the most detailed but definitely has transparency which is surprising because it is not a thin phone. Weight is one of the things is does best I would have loved to see this in the review. The Eterna is a solid performer if it had more detail it would be a even more solid performer. Not that is doesn't have alot but it could use some more....
 
It is clean and likable but....if it was more refined while keeping all its other good qualities but as is it's fine for what it does. 

 

[AhokZYashA]

nobody mention the JH16 yet..
 
its lowbass is one of the best

 

[average_joe]

Quote:

@average joe: thx for your feeback. so the x3 seem to be a winner.

@stage93: who did your tf10 reshell, ans what is the result of the added drivers?

 
I should have my review up anytime within the next several days here.  From my perspective, it is a winner if you want a custom with enhanced bass.  I am not sure if it is mainly because of the vented bass drivers, but I am a little surprised by the deep bass performance.
 
@ AhokZYashA - I should be getting a reshelled JH16 soon 

, but I am not sure if they will more bass than the X3 from my reading of the JH16 sound signature...
 

 

[Hydrocharged]

From what I've read of the JH16, the bass is monstrous. It also extends very, very low, and I'm personally planning on buying them in about 2 years. That is, unless the X3 Executive's extension, impact, and presence can beat the JH16, in which case I will go with those instead. Or, if something else with even better bass comes along within 2 years.

 

[AhokZYashA]

i've tried the JH16 universal.
its bass its monstrous, goes down deep, punchy and extremely detailed..
 
and its bass dont bleed up to the midrange.
and the treble is so smooth..
 
you should get them..

 

[Foress]

Quote:

@average joe: thx for your feeback. so the x3 seem to be a winner.

@stage93: who did your tf10 reshell, ans what is the result of the added drivers?

you meant @Foress? haha.
mine's done by Stage 93, which is a friend's upcoming IEM project.
I'll post up more information in here after it's done.

 

[chelboed]

Why are there so many people in this forum / this thread even that recommend something based on a review or a "someone said" type of situation? If you're going to make a suggestion, why don't you do it based on personal experience?
 
 
IMO