[mixolyd]

IMO, there are many excellent Planars that produce a much better quality bass than any IEM. I'd take my HE-500 or HE-560 over any IEM. The best IEMs I've heard are hybrid Dynamic/BA.

Of coarse course full size planars can beat iems for bass, that goes without saying. I'm not jumping aboard that train though because there are none in the HD600 price bracket, unless you count the HE400S which seem pretty divisive and are poorly built.

 

[StanD]

Of coarse course full size planars can beat iems for bass, that goes without saying. I'm not jumping aboard that train though because there are none in the HD600 price bracket, unless you count the HE400S which seem pretty divisive and are poorly built.

I've used EQ to bring up the sub bass of the HD600 with very good results. On Android, Neutron MP has a built-in Paramteric EQ and  USBAPP has a $2 add-in Paramteric EQ. Either of these do an excellent job.

 

[rgs9200m]

Listened to the new Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl CD on my HD600s yesterday. Mmmmm good. Just right. Exciting, full, natural, you-are-there, very raw and real.
I just can't get the sound and music out of my mind.

 

[Sonic Defender]

  IMO, there are many excellent Planars that produce a much better quality bass than any IEM. I'd take my HE-500 or HE-560 over any IEM. The best IEMs I've heard are hybrid Dynamic/BA.

Not to mention, at least in my view, IEMs lose the auditory cues we get through the delicate external bones/cartilage that surround our ear. It has always been my thought that when a driver excites these regions they assist in creating a sense of physical scale that something inside the ear canal may not do as well. I could be way off with that, but that is one of my "assumptions" and hence why when well done, larger driver designs tend to have that sense of scale and impact come together in a more convincing manner. Just IMO.

 

[Argyris]

  Listened to the new Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl CD on my HD600s yesterday. Mmmmm good. Just right. Exciting, full, natural, you-are-there, very raw and real.
I just can't get the sound and music out of my mind.

 
I often have that experience with my pair. It's the first time I've ever had a headphone that I put on and require no adjustment period for. It sounds natural, and it sounds like I hear the music in my head. A little under three months after I first bought my pair, I still marvel at this. I guess I'm just not used to gear purchases definitively satisfying my needs. This doesn't mean the HD 600 is objectively perfect, but it aligns perfectly with the qualities I feel are most important, as well as with my sonic preferences, so it's a perfect fit. The open back reference headphone is now a solved issue for me.

 

[Argyris]

  Not to mention, at least in my view, IEMs lose the auditory cues we get through the delicate external bones/cartilage that surround our ear. It has always been my thought that when a driver excites these regions they assist in creating a sense of physical scale that something inside the ear canal may not do as well. I could be way off with that, but that is one of my "assumptions" and hence why when well done, larger driver designs tend to have that sense of scale and impact come together in a more convincing manner. Just IMO.

 
I've had similar impressions for IEMs that stop up the ear canal (i.e. the vast majority of them). For something like a DUNU Titan 1, however, I feel that the effect is much less pronounced. Since it's a semi-open design, it doesn't produce that feeling of almost claustrophobic isolation, and it seems to project more of the sound outside the head. It's the closest I've ever heard an IEM come to a headphone-like presentation. I just wish its tuning were more similar to the HD 600. Like with many IEMs, DUNU went for a V-shaped response, and while it's nowhere near as brash as some IEMs in this regard, it nonetheless misses out a bit on the sort of vocal, guitar and string ensemble magic that the likes of the HD 600 do so effortlessly.

 

[Sonic Defender]

   
I've had similar impressions for IEMs that stop up the ear canal (i.e. the vast majority of them). For something like a DUNU Titan 1, however, I feel that the effect is much less pronounced. Since it's a semi-open design, it doesn't produce that feeling of almost claustrophobic isolation, and it seems to project more of the sound outside the head. It's the closest I've ever heard an IEM come to a headphone-like presentation. I just wish its tuning were more similar to the HD 600. Like with many IEMs, DUNU went for a V-shaped response, and while it's nowhere near as brash as some IEMs in this regard, it nonetheless misses out a bit on the sort of vocal, guitar and string ensemble magic that the likes of the HD 600 do so effortlessly.

Interesting and exactly why I have never been won over by IEMs. I just don't see the advantage even for portable use. I don't mind a modest sized headphone on the bus, and I do typically prefer to have my ear canal open. Still, I am always open to trying IEMs, but I just don't see them ever besting a proper portable headphone.

 

[StanD]

Let's look at it in a simple way. You're in a headphone friendly environment. In front of you are a pair of HD600's and a pair of your favorite IEMs/earplugs. Which do you pick up to use.? My hands go right to the HD600's. To be fair I have a few pair of good IEMs (not cheapos) yet unless I'm in a portable situation, I am always drawn to good headphones,

 

[Vu Chau]

I used to love IEMs - I had a pair of the recent V-Moda Zn (costed more than a Senn HD 598) which gave a pretty big soundscape, when they were the only "headphones" I used.  Later on, I knew I had to get a pair of over-ear HP, so I went for the HD 598 and 600, and boy did they change my perspective.  After a week of listening to the big cans, I picked up my good old V-Moda Zn and the sound was all muffled and shallow.  If you use foobar2000 on desktop, the tube plugin pretty much demos that.  Now I'm only using my IEMs for non-music-related needs 

 

[Midgetguy]

  Interesting and exactly why I have never been won over by IEMs. I just don't see the advantage even for portable use. I don't mind a modest sized headphone on the bus, and I do typically prefer to have my ear canal open. Still, I am always open to trying IEMs, but I just don't see them ever besting a proper portable headphone.

The advantage for portable use is that IEMs fit in pockets, while portable headphones don't. No portable headphone fits in a pocket and sometimes that's exactly what needs to be able to happen because sometimes you don't want to have it just hanging around your neck and you don't have a pack with you. That's where IEMs come in because they have that "stuff it in your pocket" capability. That said, in a price bracket comparison of headphones vs IEMs, the headphones would win. You have to go pretty high up the IEM price ladder to get something that matches in quality compared to a headphone. I do really like IEMs though; a good one delivers great sound quality without having to have a full headphone on (which as a person with glasses, there are times when I don't feel like having a headphone on).
 

  Let's look at it in a simple way. You're in a headphone friendly environment. In front of you are a pair of HD600's and a pair of your favorite IEMs/earplugs. Which do you pick up to use.? My hands go right to the HD600's. To be fair I have a few pair of good IEMs (not cheapos) yet unless I'm in a portable situation, I am always drawn to good headphones,

My current headphone-friendly environment currently has speakers so that's what gets chosen more often than not

. Part of that has to do with glasses and the fact that having them means overear headphones are a tad more uncomfortable. But I'm in agreement, given a nice set of headphones and my current favorite IEM (JH16 Pro FP), I'd likely pick the headphone.

 

[rgs9200m]

Thank you Argyris.

 

[StanD]

  The advantage for portable use is that IEMs fit in pockets, while portable headphones don't. No portable headphone fits in a pocket and sometimes that's exactly what needs to be able to happen because sometimes you don't want to have it just hanging around your neck and you don't have a pack with you. That's where IEMs come in because they have that "stuff it in your pocket" capability. That said, in a price bracket comparison of headphones vs IEMs, the headphones would win. You have to go pretty high up the IEM price ladder to get something that matches in quality compared to a headphone. I do really like IEMs though; a good one delivers great sound quality without having to have a full headphone on (which as a person with glasses, there are times when I don't feel like having a headphone on).
 
My current headphone-friendly environment currently has speakers so that's what gets chosen more often than not

. Part of that has to do with glasses and the fact that having them means overear headphones are a tad more uncomfortable. But I'm in agreement, given a nice set of headphones and my current favorite IEM (JH16 Pro FP), I'd likely pick the headphone.

I wear glasses and find that the HD600 works well with them, for me.

 

[Marc Lian]

  I wear glasses and find that the HD600 works well with them, for me.

Ditto, HD600 are comfy even with glasses on.

 

[Marc Lian]

  Not to mention, at least in my view, IEMs lose the auditory cues we get through the delicate external bones/cartilage that surround our ear. It has always been my thought that when a driver excites these regions they assist in creating a sense of physical scale that something inside the ear canal may not do as well. I could be way off with that, but that is one of my "assumptions" and hence why when well done, larger driver designs tend to have that sense of scale and impact come together in a more convincing manner. Just IMO.

I feel the same way, it might be a small thing on paper (having sound hit your outer ear) but I think the sensation is an advantage for headphones.

 

[PinkyPowers]

I feel the same way, it might be a small thing on paper (having sound hit your outer ear) but I think the sensation is an advantage for headphones.

It truly is. The sound is so much more natural sounding with full-size headphones.

I love IEMs, though. I own three TOTL earphones. My latest pair is the closest thing I've ever come to the naturalness, air, soundstage and space of circumaural. That's the 64Audio ADEL U12. I think it must be because of the ADEL technology. You still don't get the interaction with the bones in the outer ear, but you do get the ease and comfort on your eardrum of not having an excess of pneumatic pressure. It makes a huge difference, adding to the sense of realism.