[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BloodSugar00 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks for the input dude. Wow, 440 hrs; I'm still a heck of a long way off that figure! This process makes you put the length of a day into a new perspective . By your experience and Decay's, might be best for me to do 500 hours...

I did post regular updates as they burned in, with what changed when - you could search for posts by HeadphoneAddict if you need more info.

 

[BloodSugar00]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif I did post regular updates as they burned in, with what changed when - you could search for posts by HeadphoneAddict if you need more info.

I do remember that, yeah (though I don't remember reading any of your mini-accounts beyond 250 hours when I stopped following the thread; I assume you kept it up, however, til the 440-450+ you ended up comissioning them through). Thanks for the tip! I'll check up on it should I need to and/or be interested as my burn-in process unfolds

 

[demo1]

Will I get better isolation/sound with the Sony Hybrid tips than the stock small bi-flanged tips I'm using now? From the stock selection, they fit me best. I'm just scared the Hybrids won't fit me/beat the stock bi-flange...Has anyone experienced this? (preferring the stock tips after having tried the sonys?)

:confused_face_2 :

 

[decay]

You HAVE to try them to be sure, hybrids didn't do it for me (only t400s does, meh)
but HPA likes them, average_joe use it on top of his comply and he loves them,
so if you can, buy a pack and see which size fits you, and if they seal better for you or not.
If budget is a concern, then I recommend that you stay with the stock until you have some
spare cash

 

[HONEYBOY]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BloodSugar00 /img/forum/go_quote.gif 2) Second query is perhaps more anwserable for most- at this stage, after plenty more discussion since I last visited, read or was active in this thread a month or so back, what is the general perception/understanding of how many hours of burn-in this IEM requires to reach 'full' fruition in it's sound reproduction? My impression was anywhere between 250-400 hrs but has this changed or evolved or become more understood in any way?

Hey BloodSugar00 am just a lowly noob around here and in no way propose to be an expert on the issue haha but I would whole heartedly advise that you dedicate some time in experimenting with the various tips/ angle and depth of insertion. This to me is as significant as "burning in" and in my experience was almost akin to EQing the IE8's. A word of advice that seems to have been overlooked by many is to NOT place these IEM's too far inside the ear canal. NO amount of burning in will change the fact that you get a very dark sound signature when you do so.

It takes time to get the right placement (perhaps the reason for the long touted burning hours). I'll advocate that instead of punishing these “bad boys”with pink noise that you listen to them. That way you may get accustomed to the sound signature (You either like it or you don't) and you may through constant fiddling consciously or unconsciously find the sweet spot placement within the ear.

Best of luck!!

 

[decay]

mmm.... I'm having success with a mod similar to average_joe's, instead of the shure olive
I have the Senn big foam underneath the T400s, and Sony hybrids on top of that. The
result is a pretty good isolation, and make me wonder if I should de-core another T400s
to place them under the senn foam...
Oh, can anyone confirm 2 bumps around 10khz in a frequency sweep? I'm hearing these
sudden increase in volume and feel somewhat distressing.

 

[Zalithian]

=603&graphID[1]=&graphID[2]=&graphID[3]=&graphType=0&buttonSelection=Compare+Headphones]http://www.headphone.com/technical/product-measurements/build-a-graph.php?graphID[0]=603&graphID[1]=&graphID[2]=&graphID[3]=&graphType=0&buttonSelection=Compare+Headphones

 

[decay]

Thank god... so it's only natural for those bumps *whew*
thanks, zalithian

 

[Zalithian]

No problem

 

[decay]

If anyone uses IE8 with foobar2000 on a PC, get George Yohng's VST Wrapper,
[size=xx-small]EnergyXT VST demo (not v2, not v2.5, v1 is what you want)[/size], (EnergyXT's demo don't allow save, period. so use
Acon Effect Chainer instead, it's a fully functional freeware) DDMF's IIEQ Pro and
LP10, and hdphx from Refined Audiometrics. Choose the folder where you
unzipped/installed the Acon Effect Chainer in the wrapper, then click on
show/hide plugin editor to open it up. Right click and choose manage VST
Folders..., choose where you put the EQs, click ok. Click on the empty row
with borders, go VST>VST, and then click on your EQ. IIEQ Pro and LP10
are equalizers that doesn't generate much latency while maintaining a degree of
accuracy, they color in different ways so I recommend that you try them both (you can
donate just 51 cents for each one if you want to, but...

). hdphx is a crude simulation
of speaker configuration and since it's free, give it a try!
SO if you are not satisfied with the overpowering bass, or recessed mids, or rolled-off highs,
with these professional grade eqs just tweak and you can enjoy, at a minimal cost of time and a few dollars.

 

[BloodSugar00]

Quote:

Originally Posted by decay /img/forum/go_quote.gif If anyone uses IE8 with foobar2000 on a PC, get George Yohng's VST Wrapper, EnergyXT VST demo (not v2, not v2.5, v1 is what you want), DDMF's IIEQ Pro and LP10, and hdphx from Refined Audiometrics. The demo version of EnergyXT can't save, but you CAN "set to default", which equates to load this next time. IIEQ Pro and LP10 are equalizers that doesn't generate much latency while maintaining a degree of accuracy, they color in different ways so I recommend that you try them both (you can donate just 51 cents for each one if you want to, but... ). hdphx is a crude simulation of speaker configuration and since it's free, give it a try! SO if you are not satisfied with the overpowering bass, or recessed mids, or rolled-off highs, with these professional grade eqs just tweak and you can enjoy, at a minimal cost of time and a few dollars.

Interesting tip, thanks (for sharing)! I'll be sure to check it out at the right time (after burn-in and then tip/fit experimentation)

.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HONEYBOY Hey BloodSugar00 am just a lowly noob around here and in no way propose to be an expert on the issue haha but I would whole heartedly advise that you dedicate some time in experimenting with the various tips/ angle and depth of insertion. This to me is as significant as "burning in" and in my experience was almost akin to EQing the IE8's. A word of advice that seems to have been overlooked by many is to NOT place these IEM's too far inside the ear canal. NO amount of burning in will change the fact that you get a very dark sound signature when you do so. It takes time to get the right placement (perhaps the reason for the long touted burning hours). I'll advocate that instead of punishing these “bad boys”with pink noise that you listen to them. That way you may get accustomed to the sound signature (You either like it or you don't) and you may through constant fiddling consciously or unconsciously find the sweet spot placement within the ear.

Thanks for the input HONEYBOY! Hadn't realised the IE8 were so sensitive to tips/fit/subtle changes in interface with ear shape and anatomy! I certainly don't recall that being widely observed, picked up upon or certainly conveyed in this thread (but a few months is a long time so I can easily imagine it's come more to the fore; also I have no reason to doubt the possibility given similar scenarios with the W3, for e.g.). I'll bear this in mind when I get to serious tips/fit experimentation after I've put the IE8 through the burn-in process I've started (potentially irrelevant or nt, I'd rather have just eliminate it as a possibility).

 

[average_joe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BloodSugar00 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hadn't realised the IE8 were so sensitive to tips/fit/subtle changes in interface with ear shape and anatomy! I certainly don't recall that being widely observed, picked up upon or certainly conveyed in this thread (but a few months is a long time so I can easily imagine it's come more to the fore; also I have no reason to doubt the possibility given similar scenarios with the W3, for e.g.). I'll bear this in mind when I get to serious tips/fit experimentation after I've put the IE8 through the burn-in process I've started (potentially irrelevant or nt, I'd rather have just eliminate it as a possibility).

Every IEM I own is sensitive to tips/fit/changes in placement. I think the IE8 is the least sensitive to ear placement (but it does matter) because the insertion depth, at least for me, is limited. My ADDIEMs need to be in the sweet spot, a little too deep and they become harsh, to shallow and they have no bass.

Seems the way my IE8s are naturally placed in my ears with my tips is the perfect configuration for me. There have been more than one thread started on tips for the IE8, and there is a lot of info on the tips at the beginning of this thread and other dedicated threads (since none of the stock tips give a good seal for a few Head-fi members, me included).

It took me a while to find my current configuration (see sig). The T-400s seal well, but reduce treble and make it harsh. The Sony hybrid silicon (or whatever it is called) seemed to also reduce treble. Large single flange silicon didn't isolate well, and all the bi-flange didn't seal. All of the stock tips don't extend far enough out on the nozzle to give me a seal.

But with my tip configuration they have a beautiful balance from low to high (well, maybe a little more low end). The mids are forward, but not too forward and the treble extends well and is silky smooth. The stage very wide and 3D at the same time, and the better the source I use, the wider it gets (where as my other IEMs don't really widen much from a better source). With the added isolation of the comply's under the silicon the impact is fantastic, even at very low volume levels.

 

[gameboy115]

I did find shallow insertion make IE8 sound best. Inserting too deep, it is smooth but lacking of transparency. Shallow insertion slightly fix this up, but it kill bass impact a little. Seriously, who care a little less bass impact since IE8 has plenty of it

 

[decay]

To each his own ear canal

I currently use a combination of Senn big foam, with an original T400 on top (the core is
still in), then a S or SS Sony hybrid inserted into the T400 but the IE8's nozzle is not in the
hybrid's nozzle. This results in a very long tip that can reach deep into my canal when I'm
wearing wire down, with the boon that IE8 isn't inserted deep. SO good isolation, but
may down grade the SQ a bit since the hybrid's nozzle cover up the outter most side of
IE8's mesh.

Oh, on a side note concerning EQing on a PC. When you are listening to stuff and you
are not using foobar2000, and you still want to EQ (for whatever reason), or just tweak
in general:
1) find "Virtual Audio Cable", install it, change the primary sound device to "virtual cable 1".
2) find ASIO4All, install.
3) find VSTHost (www.hermannseib.com - /programs/beta/), unzip and run, click on
Devices then Wave..., change output to ASIO4All, close window. Click on Devices then
Asio control panel.
4) click on the wrench on the lower right corner, the first device on the left panel should
be your actual sound device, click on the + mark on the left and then click on the "In:"
part so it's dimmed, then click on the + mark on the left of "Virtual Audio Cable", the
click on + mark again for "Virtual Cable 1", this time click on the "Out:" to dim that.
Close the ASIO control panel
5) Click on Devices then ASIO channel selection, uncheck load all input/output paths,
then check the first one on each panel, close the window
6) Click on New Plugin (a icon) just below View, choose where you put your DDMF eqs
and double click on the dll.
7) Click on the new box that's displaying the name of that dll you chose, click on the
chain icon on the top left of that box, check 0:Engine input and click OK. If that one eq is all you
need, then click on the chain icon on the Engine Output box, uncheck the 0:Engine
input, and check the one from your eq. Click OK, then click on the gear icon below
Windows to run this thing.
9) If you hear stuttering, go to devices>wave and change the buffering to a larger one,
preferably a multiply of 256, then go to devices>asio control panel, drag the slide
toward the blue zone.

 

[mosso2000]

Hi all, I am slightly worried about the fit of my new pair of IE8s which is actually faulty at the jack, so I am going to return them but I could ask for a refund instead of an exhange.
Ok so here is my issue (see photo attached), I found that actually the phones fit ok in my ear canal when they are really upward, even slightly backwards. However, there is an angle on the headphone which makes this position very painful! Just to precise that, as pointed by the arrow on the picture, I have probably a bit more of skin at the front ear than most of people which makes things even more painful; you can see the constraint on it, imagine for minutes...!
I tried to hold them upside down also, but the seal is not so good...
So... I'm a bit stuck. I tried all supplied buds but none could allow a fit in a "normal" position. Any suggestion for a better fit, or due to the angle of my ear canal will this be hard to find a solution?
Thanks for your help!