[sloowhand]

So I have a set of MEE Audio Pinnacle P1s on the way that will be my go-to IEMs for their balance and clarity and soundstage, but from what I've read they may be a bit lacking in bass. So on those occasions where I want to trade off for stronger bass support, which would be the better bet: the SE215s or the MA750s? I don't necessarily want or need it to be super hard hitting, I just want them to very confidently and competently reach down into those super low frequency ranges and deliver fullness and quality bass.
 
I also understand the limitations of what I'm asking given that these are both IEMs and in the $100 range.

 

[Slashfury99]

The SE215 has a slightly stronger bass than the MA750, well from memory at least.

 

[sloowhand]

The SE215 has a slightly stronger bass than the MA750, well from memory at least.

Does "stronger" mean "equal quality but more of it", or does it mean "more bass but sloppier"?

 

[Slashfury99]

Well, in my case it's more of it.

 

[sloowhand]

Well, in my case it's more of it.

So "more" as in "bass is of equal quality but more of it", or does it mean "more bass but sloppier"?

 

[Slashfury99]

This is coming off memory, so I lack the exact details but the bass of the SE215 has a stronger presence, and sub-bass impact. The MA750 sounded more balanced in comparison. The SE215 can sound muddy or dark at times, especially when switching over from a more neutral IEM, something the MA750 did not do. I don't remember which bass was faster, unfortunately.

 

[sloowhand]

Awesome! Thanks!

 

[Slashfury99]

Sure, no problem!

 

[PL4Y3R 0N3]

The ma750 has great sub bass, and it is very fast. Don't really remember how the se215's was, because I only tried them.

 

[castleofargh]

my pair of RHA750 had really strong trebles(way too harsh for my taste).


ok maybe not the brightest choice of colors

the se215 is the darker grey. aligned at 1khz for comparison purposes. click on the pic for fullsize.
as always, it's not god's law put on a graph, just me measuring in amateurish ways with cheap gears. the compensation is a vague imitation of what some real gears would show as raw values. what has value are the differences between both IEMs.
 
anyway those are the pairs I owned, maybe others would show significant changes, but on those 2 pairs, you can see the ma750 brighter by more than 5db(closer to 10 at some places) from about 3.5khz to almost 10khz and it's clearly audible. to me the se215 is a little too warm, and the ma750 is overall a little bright. I could very much notice a spike in the upper trebles even with my not getting younger ears so it's not an artifact of my cheap rig, and IMO it ruined the ma750. leaving it alone would just create fatigue and annoyance to me, and trying to EQ such a narrow spike with a DAP results in killing the all area. so I sent it back.  the SE215 is not my ideal signature either but it's not fatiguing so I tend to use it a lot for that very reason.
also the isolation or the ma750 is clearly not as good against cars and trains in case that matters to you. the SE215 like all Shure IEMs has a really good isolation as long as you get a fine seal. 
 
otherwise, the MA750 extends real well, and I'm totally biased but I always prefer dynamic driver bass to BA driver bass. so specifically for your question on bass, I preferred the MA750.
 
hope that helps a little.

 

[sloowhand]

  my pair of RHA750 had really strong trebles(way too harsh for my taste).


ok maybe not the brightest choice of colors

the se215 is the darker grey. aligned at 1khz for comparison purposes. click on the pic for fullsize.
as always, it's not god's law put on a graph, just me measuring in amateurish ways with cheap gears. the compensation is a vague imitation of what some real gears would show as raw values. what has value are the differences between both IEMs.
 
anyway those are the pairs I owned, maybe others would show significant changes, but on those 2 pairs, you can see the ma750 brighter by more than 5db(closer to 10 at some places) from about 3.5khz to almost 10khz and it's clearly audible. to me the se215 is a little too warm, and the ma750 is overall a little bright. I could very much notice a spike in the upper trebles even with my not getting younger ears so it's not an artifact of my cheap rig, and IMO it ruined the ma750. leaving it alone would just create fatigue and annoyance to me, and trying to EQ such a narrow spike with a DAP results in killing the all area. so I sent it back.  the SE215 is not my ideal signature either but it's not fatiguing so I tend to use it a lot for that very reason.
also the isolation or the ma750 is clearly not as good against cars and trains in case that matters to you. the SE215 like all Shure IEMs has a really good isolation as long as you get a fine seal. 
 
otherwise, the MA750 extends real well, and I'm totally biased but I always prefer dynamic driver bass to BA driver bass. so specifically for your question on bass, I preferred the MA750.
 
hope that helps a little.

 
That's all great information! Thanks for taking the time.

 

[PL4Y3R 0N3]

  my pair of RHA750 had really strong trebles(way too harsh for my taste).
anyway those are the pairs I owned, maybe others would show significant changes, but on those 2 pairs, you can see the ma750 brighter by more than 5db(closer to 10 at some places) from about 3.5khz to almost 10khz and it's clearly audible. to me the se215 is a little too warm, and the ma750 is overall a little bright. I could very much notice a spike in the upper trebles even with my not getting younger ears so it's not an artifact of my cheap rig, and IMO it ruined the ma750. leaving it alone would just create fatigue and annoyance to me, and trying to EQ such a narrow spike with a DAP results in killing the all area. so I sent it back.  the SE215 is not my ideal signature either but it's not fatiguing so I tend to use it a lot for that very reason.
also the isolation or the ma750 is clearly not as good against cars and trains in case that matters to you. the SE215 like all Shure IEMs has a really good isolation as long as you get a fine seal. 
 
otherwise, the MA750 extends real well, and I'm totally biased but I always prefer dynamic driver bass to BA driver bass. so specifically for your question on bass, I preferred the MA750.
 
hope that helps a little.

 
Yeah, the ma750 definitely took some getting used to. I actually enjoyed the rather bright treble region though.That is why I really did not like the comply tips that were included. But I suppose all ears are different, and I am by far the outlier when it comes to the ma750's treble. Just out of curiosity, what tips did you use while taking measurements? 

 

[castleofargh]

I don't remember

. I usually try to use the default tip that comes with an IEM if I can achieve a satisfying seal with it. I didn't specify anything in the measurement file so there are 2 possibilities, it's indeed the default tip, or I'm a noob and I forgot to write it down

.
 
but in any case, don't read too much into the high freqs, even on good couplers it's a bad idea, and on mine it's really a very bad one. the only really relevant information is that there is indeed energy in the high freqs on this ma750 and it was clearly audible. the rest is at best the response inside the coupler, it will change in my ear, in yours, with insertion depth, and indeed it will also change with different tips. the relevant information to read in the upper frequencies is if there is energy, or if an IEM has long rolled off.

 

[PL4Y3R 0N3]

I don't remember . I usually try to use the default tip that comes with an IEM if I can achieve a satisfying seal with it. I didn't specify anything in the measurement file so there are 2 possibilities, it's indeed the default tip, or I'm a noob and I forgot to write it down:rolleyes: .

but in any case, don't read too much into the high freqs, even on good couplers it's a bad idea, and on mine it's really a very bad one. the only really relevant information is that there is indeed energy in the high freqs on this ma750 and it was clearly audible. the rest is at best the response inside the coupler, it will change in my ear, in yours, with insertion depth, and indeed it will also change with different tips. the relevant information to read in the upper frequencies is if there is energy, or if an IEM has long rolled off.

I could understand that. I would probably forget to write that down too, but I was just wondering because (from memory at least) the ma750 had much more sub bass than the se215, and the se215 had much more mid bass than the ma750. The graph doesn't really show that though, but I usually don't use graphs for anything but a reference. And I only tried the se215 for a very short period (with the shure foam tips that were included. Not what I would use now though) so more than likely I'm remembering things poorly as well.