[newaudio46]

I’m interested In getting my first set of real in ear headphones.

I was looking at the fh7 that cost £500.
I can push my budget upto £1500.

In peoples opinion, is it worth spending the extra, upto £1500 or stick with the fh7?

What can people recommend above £500 peace range that would give me a decent upgrade.

I’ll be using my mojo as the main amp dac.

 

[FlowLikeWater]

i recommend getting Sony M9 - around $1000, and from reviews they r extremely hard to beat without spending a lot more

i dont recommend starting cheAp in headphones, because due to upgrade-itis, u will end up spending more money on multiple good IeMs, instead of one or two terrific ones.

check out Crinacle's ranking list, animus's ranking thread (aminus hates everything), and reviews in general to see what'll be good based on ur tastes

Another cool thing about >$1000 IEMs is that, if u dont like it, u can sell them at minimal loss

 

[newaudio46]

I’ll take a look now.
Thanks flow

 

[surfgeorge]

I use the Mojo too as my source and I have bought the IER-M9, but still waiting to get them which could take up to 2 more months since they are with a friend in Australia...

I heard the M9 once a year ago and they are good without a doubt, what makes them special is that they have been called "The most DD like BA IEM". This really attracts me, as I find BA's a little too fast to be natural, and like DD timbre better.

But it all comes down to what you are looking for.
Crinacle's list is a good starting point, then if you can name your priorities different picks will come out on top.
M9 - warmish allrounder
CA Andromeda - neutral soundstage monster with very good midrange and added upper treble sparkle
Sony EX1000 - veteran with amazing clarity and soundstage, a bit intense, amazing bass extension and texture
Sony IER-Z1R - American V8 muscle car sound, but also refined (M9 on steroids)
Moondrop S8 - Technical & musical https://crinacle.com/2020/01/08/cliffnotes-moondrop-s8-a8-wake-up-call/
Fearless S8F - V-shaped, bass-highs boosted detail, good value
Sony IER-M7 - M9 a little tamed, significantly cheaper
JVC FDX1 (or FD01 or FD02 if you mod them yourself) - Smooth allrounder and value king

To be honest - depending on your preferences I think each of them is a good option.
I'd consider getting a JVC FD02 from Amazon Japan for cheap (<€200 including importation) and use it as a beater IEM.
With a simple mod and cable upgrade they are very enjoyable and get a lot of listening time next to my more expensive IEMs.

Cheers!

 

[newaudio46]

Surfgeorge, thanks for the detailed reply.
I like warm headphones with good separation.
I’m not that good with very high peaks. I didn’t get on well with focal utopia or the hd800 but I did appreciate the wide soundstage .

When it comes to over ear, I like the lcd4z or the stax sr 007.

I’ll need to a bit more research on the subject.
I’ve looked and I can’t find anywhere to get the m9s in the U.K.

 

[surfgeorge]

It’s a shame but Sony does not sell the M7 and M9 in Europe, but you can order it from accessory jack. I heard you can also ask them to declare a lower value to reduce customs...

The M7 is the same without the super tweeter, so might also suit your needs.
Most agree that the M9 is better but the price difference makes the M7 better value, and it supposedly gets better with a cable upgrade.
But I am only repeating what I read, when I listened to them a year ago I personally clearly preferred the M9.

 

[Codename john]

Fh7 are a great way to dip your toe into more expensive gear. They sound as good as most twice their price. My only issue is vocals sound a bit off. You can't go wrong with Andromedas to be fair

 

[newaudio46]

How about the Solaris or the Solaris se

 

[FloofyBuffalo]

Not going to look into custom IEMs at that price range? Could take a look at the 64 Audio A6T or Alclair, Noble Audio, Empire Ears, JH Audio, etc.

 

[gerelmx1986]

I got both of my IER-Z1R (1500€) and IER-M7 (525€) from accessory Jack. Made the invoice trick of asking for low value and I ended paying 46€ and 38€ respectively for import duties in Germany last year

 

[davidcotton]

Not going to look into custom IEMs at that price range? Could take a look at the 64 Audio A6T or Alclair, Noble Audio, Empire Ears, JH Audio, etc.

Probably not the best time to look into custom iems as most if not all audiologists would be shut I imagine, or the companies would have long lead times.

 

[Tungy]

I’m interested In getting my first set of real in ear headphones.

I was looking at the fh7 that cost £500.
I can push my budget upto £1500.

In peoples opinion, is it worth spending the extra, upto £1500 or stick with the fh7?

What can people recommend above £500 peace range that would give me a decent upgrade.

I’ll be using my mojo as the main amp dac.

what do you have now?

 

[surfgeorge]

How about the Solaris or the Solaris se

Most rave about it, some statements about hollow midrange or something like that (Crinacle’s statement)
They are quite big and I didn’t like the fit, so only listened to them briefly, but found them pretty exciting.

 

[newaudio46]

I only have my lcd2f as my main headphones, I’ll be upgrading them probably to the lcd4z when I see a good deal. The stax are a bit out of my price range when you take into consideration the new amp and dac.

I wanted IEM’s for when I’m out and about but it might replace the lcds if I like them that much.

I’ve not began thinking about custom IEM’s. I’m newish to this part of the audio world, as I’ve always looked into over ear and speakers.

If I could get the import duties down it would be a help, they have a set of m9’s on eBay but with duties it works out to nearly £1300.

I like a good mid range and vocals, with nice separation, micro detail and sound stage would be a bonus.

It seems a lot harder to try out IEM’s than cans.

I appreciate all the help you guys are offering

 

[Wyville]

Surfgeorge, thanks for the detailed reply.
I like warm headphones with good separation.
I’m not that good with very high peaks. I didn’t get on well with focal utopia or the hd800 but I did appreciate the wide soundstage .

When it comes to over ear, I like the lcd4z or the stax sr 007.

I’ll need to a bit more research on the subject.
I’ve looked and I can’t find anywhere to get the m9s in the U.K.

Be careful with the FH7 if you have not demoed them and are sensitive to treble. Even though I felt they were quite good, I found them too bright for comfort. Best if you can find a place where you can demo, although at the moment that is going to be difficult, especially in the UK. I had a great audiologist in London, but I am not sure she is able to do much at the moment.