[cn11]

Yeah, what is that driver and membrane made of anyway?? Kryptonite?

 

[iponderous]

Four million years? Sennheiser's lab-coats must have revised there estimates down since I last read their weekly newsletter.

It's not that membrane that I'm worried about.

 

[cn11]

Maybe it's the grey matter membranes.... as in it's mental burn in!! Honestly, I think the biggest changes happened in the first 48 hours or so. I thought I heard some opening up of the treble detail around 200 hours though.

 

[dosley01]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sid-Fi /img/forum/go_quote.gif Still waiting on info as to where you got your custom molds done and ballpark costs :0. I'm pretty intrigued and considering going this route. I keep pulling up only UK companies in my searches though. I would appreciate it.

ListenHear

I actually purchased them through my Audiologist, but had been dealing directly with ListenHear. My particular Audiologist only sells them as kinda of a package deal. Basically it was $150 for the impressions, hearing evaluation and the molds. I gave ListenHear very specific instructions on what I wanted after allot of research in the ACS thread. If you want to move further, PM me and I will send you my contact at ListenHear, she knows exactly how these molds should be made for IE8s now.

 

[sebhuber]

Hey everyone, sorry I couldn't read through the whole thread. I was wondering if anyone else is using their IE8 with Comply T400?
I am still burning in my pair, but after I changed from large stock biflanges, the sound did improve a lot.

 

[ppau0822]

i really miss the details of the shure 530 that i had previously. i was recently considering changing my pmp to cowon s9 (the main reason for this over the X was flac). however i doubt that it would make a big change to the mids, which i find a bit muddy and not as separated as in the 530. someone suggested that i get an amp instead. is this the way to go? i dont really want to get another headphone as the bass is a big attraction for me but in some tracks the mids are the focus and i just wish that the ie8 could be improved more in that regard.

thanks for any suggestions

 

[Sid-Fi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ppau0822 /img/forum/go_quote.gif i really miss the details of the shure 530 that i had previously. i was recently considering changing my pmp to cowon s9 (the main reason for this over the X was flac). however i doubt that it would make a big change to the mids, which i find a bit muddy and not as separated as in the 530. someone suggested that i get an amp instead. is this the way to go? i dont really want to get another headphone as the bass is a big attraction for me but in some tracks the mids are the focus and i just wish that the ie8 could be improved more in that regard. thanks for any suggestions

How many hours do you have on your IE8? Many IE8 users, including myself, have found that recessed mids are one of the last areas to improve over the long burn-in IE8 seem to require. I'd say the average time range I have seen quoted is around 200-400 hours.

IE8 doesn't require an amp to be driven well or at very high volumes, but the right amp can help bring out the recessed mids and highs and reign in the bass a little for a more balanced overall sound. A good amp will also increase the soundstage pretty significantly. If you already have IE8 and like the bass, I would recommend you stick with it and get an amp for your next upgrade.

Many of the popular amps will not work that well with IE8 as they will enhance the already dominating bass. Popular economical choices that are said to go well with IE8 include Nuforce Mobile, Vivid V1, and Ibasso D10. I have the IBasso D10 with rolled op amps that go very well with IE8 and would recommend it. I can't speak for the others directly, but they are regarded as decent inexpensive options, although not quite to the level of D10.

 

[moseboy]

Actually, compared to the SE530, I'm personally shocked at how detailed the IE8 is (specifically the lows and the highs) considering it's a dynamic 'phone. But no, to me the IE8 doesn't touch the SE530's mids in terms of detail, quality, and quantity. (I'm talking, of course, to those who love the SE530's mids. If you don't like the SE530's mids, I would say there's a good chance you would like the IE8's.) See, before I got the IE8, I was given the impression (whether it was meant to be portrayed that way or not) that the IE8 is an "enhanced" SE530; that it corrects the faults of the SE530 leaving everything else pretty much the same. This was very ignorant of me to think. The fact is that they're two completely different 'phones utilizing two completely different technologies which leads to two completely different sounds. And after having the SE530 for so long, this took me quite a while to adjust to. But once I did, I learned to appreciate what each one does so well and look past their shortcomings.

 

[ZARIM]

I think it's(IE8) can get adjust if it has good synergy with source and to me IE8 need bright mid forward source like Iriver Clix2 and H10. But for AMPs use cable is important too and ALO 18AWG Creyo is great choice. Quote:

Originally Posted by ppau0822 /img/forum/go_quote.gif i really miss the details of the shure 530 that i had previously. i was recently considering changing my pmp to cowon s9 (the main reason for this over the X was flac). however i doubt that it would make a big change to the mids, which i find a bit muddy and not as separated as in the 530. someone suggested that i get an amp instead. is this the way to go? i dont really want to get another headphone as the bass is a big attraction for me but in some tracks the mids are the focus and i just wish that the ie8 could be improved more in that regard. thanks for any suggestions

 

[Sid-Fi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by moseboy /img/forum/go_quote.gif Actually, compared to the SE530, I'm personally shocked at how detailed the IE8 is (specifically the lows and the highs) considering it's a dynamic 'phone. But no, to me the IE8 doesn't touch the SE530's mids in terms of detail, quality, and quantity. (I'm talking, of course, to those who love the SE530's mids. If you don't like the SE530's mids, I would say there's a good chance you would like the IE8's.) See, before I got the IE8, I was given the impression (whether it was meant to be portrayed that way or not) that the IE8 is an "enhanced" SE530; that it corrects the faults of the SE530 leaving everything else pretty much the same. This was very ignorant of me to think. The fact is that they're two completely different 'phones utilizing two completely different technologies which leads to two completely different sounds. And after having the SE530 for so long, this took me quite a while to adjust to. But once I did, I learned to appreciate what each one does so well and look past their shortcomings.

Well said Moseboy. I really wish I had the opportunity to test out SE530. I always heard rave reviews of it. I just joined Head-Fi a little over a month ago and went straight to IE8 from the Denon c751 I had for a couple of years. I really love my IE8, but sure wish I had experienced a few others to compare it too.

 

[ppau0822]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sid-Fi /img/forum/go_quote.gif How many hours do you have on your IE8? Many IE8 users, including myself, have found that recessed mids are one of the last areas to improve over the long burn-in IE8 seem to require. I'd say the average time range I have seen quoted is around 200-400 hours. IE8 doesn't require an amp to be driven well or at very high volumes, but the right amp can help bring out the recessed mids and highs and reign in the bass a little for a more balanced overall sound. A good amp will also increase the soundstage pretty significantly. If you already have IE8 and like the bass, I would recommend you stick with it and get an amp for your next upgrade. Many of the popular amps will not work that well with IE8 as they will enhance the already dominating bass. Popular economical choices that are said to go well with IE8 include Nuforce Mobile, Vivid V1, and Ibasso D10. I have the IBasso D10 with rolled op amps that go very well with IE8 and would recommend it. I can't speak for the others directly, but they are regarded as decent inexpensive options, although not quite to the level of D10.

i let my ie8s burn in for about 40 - 50 hours and since then i can confidently say that i have used it for more than 200 hrs.

im more confused about the amps tho. i was looking to get the RSA p-51...any ideas on how it is different from the ibasso D10? with an iem like the ie8 will there actually be a big difference using amps and if so will there be differences between amps?

cheers

 

[iponderous]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sid-Fi /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well said Moseboy. I really wish I had the opportunity to test out SE530. I always heard rave reviews of it. I just joined Head-Fi a little over a month ago and went straight to IE8 from the Denon c751 I had for a couple of years. I really love my IE8, but sure wish I had experienced a few others to compare it too.

I've enjoyed my SE530. It's a very easy phone to listen to for extended periods; not fatiguing in the slightest. But its suppressed higher frequencies that make it so, tend to have the effect of muting instruments. They lack life. There's an absence of sparkle and shimmer. It's as if everything is covered in a light fog to my ears.

By contrast, I found the clarity of the FX500 astonishing. It's a dynamic driver earphone, and it excels at detail retrieval. Its imaging and instrument separation is excellent. However, its mids are recessed and its overall sound signature is rather dry. The problem for me was that its treble presence was too acute for my ears.

I'm hoping the IE8 might strike a happy medium between the two.

 

[moseboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by iponderous /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've enjoyed my SE530. It's a very easy phone to listen to for extended periods; not fatiguing in the slightest. But its suppressed higher frequencies that make it so, tend to have the effect of muting instruments.

Mmhmmm. I completely agree.
Quote:

Originally Posted by iponderous /img/forum/go_quote.gif They lack life.

I don't agree.

Nah, you're right. In a lot of ways, they do kind of lack that "spark." And the IE8, to my ears, definitely has a lot of the sparkle that the SE530 doesn't have. But at the same time, I still love the SE530's mids, so I end up using, and appreciating, both of them. *shrugs*
Quote:

Originally Posted by iponderous /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm hoping the IE8 might strike a happy medium between the two.

I sincerely hope it does. Good luck.

 

[iponderous]

^ I'll be holding on to my SE530's. They're not going anywhere. I'm really quite fond of them and those magical mids are addictive. That was the first thing I noticed about the FX500 after staunching the ear-bleed from its rapier like highs. The mids were recessed and despite its crystalline sound and visceral bass, I just didn't find it as enjoyable to listen to as the SE530's. There was something stark about its sound signature to me.

I have a sneaking suspicion that the IE8 might be a little more euphonic than the FX500 and that I'll probably enjoy it much more. I also suspect that I'm more partial to how dynamic earphones render music than balanced armature IEMs do. I should be receiving the IE8's tomorrow so we'll see.

I've decided to pop them in the microwave in order to bypass the lengthy burn-in period that they require. I really don't have the time or the patience for such painstaking processes. I'm a very busy man you know.

 

[moseboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by iponderous /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've decided to pop them in the microwave in order to bypass the lengthy burn-in period that they require.

That's what I did: 2 1/2 minutes on high. Beats the crap out of 400 hours on pink noise, that's for damn sure.