[IXIe]

I found the knowles green filter to have a better soundstage and it is close to the white shure filter. However the green is a little bit less heavier on the bass. For me the bass is at a premium in HP's and IEM since that is where I feel there is a big difference with respect to speakers. The 846 were a revelation in this respect where you don't feel anything missing in that department.

Now with the knowles filters I beg to differ with others. I tried the brown which is popular but felt it too bright and weak in the famous 846 bass. The green for me is better but still there is a small sacrifice in the bass compared eg to the shure white filter. I unfortunately did not foresee that I would need the red so I didn't get it just the white, brown and green. But to be honest what I see many people here touting as huge improvements in SQ is just increases in mid to high freq response which is exactly what the measurements show.
First of all the buds are more efficient with the knowles brown vs the blue shure and it might seem to some that there is a substantial quality improvement initially because the sound in the mid-range is a few db louder and the louder high freq give the impression of detail. I am surprised nobody felt a reduction in bass comparatively. So when changing filters you should tweak your output by 1 or 2 db to take account of the increase in efficiency in order to evaluate if the FR is to your taste.
I feel the shure white filter is for now a good compromise for my ears at least but I know everybody's tastes are very different. However I thought the soundstaging with the green was a bit more "spacious".

I totally agree with you.
I owned a SE846 and a ZX2 on a TRRS with a 8W Silver cable. Have been playing with green knowles for a while.
IMHO Blue Shure modded filter is the way to go.

At home I listen to my SE846 powered by PB2 on balanced

As always said, audio is very much a personal preference.

 

[TenderTendon]

Well, today was a good day. EBay ruled in my favor and I got refunded for the counterfeit SE846's I received. To make things even sweeter, Fedex just dropped off my authentic black 846's. First impression: The bass and midrange are magical. Extended high frequencies are a little laid back, but the fact that I stood next to rock drummer crash cymbals for 30 some years may have something to do with that Not sure if I can get used to the stiff over the ear cable though. Time will tell.

 

[natalieann]

846+mojo=heaven....It seriously is insane how good this pairing is

 

[csglinux]

 

  Going slightly off topic, I got a pair of Etymotic ER4XR today and compared them to my SE846, and wow, I'm impressed.
 
When I first listened to the my ER4XR I was underwhelmed, but as my ears adjusted I began to understand the hype.  They're like a microscope for listening to midrange frequencies, though they still sound balanced (after your ears adjust).  They bring out unheard details in many well known tracks, and sound incredible with many types of music.
 
I compared them briefly to some of the IEMs I own.  First I compared them to my Shure SE425 since they are similarly priced.  The ER4XR are far superior in every way, providing more detailed mids and more bass.  Next I compared them to my Shure SE846, which are quite a different beast, each with their own strengths.  The SE846 is superior in the bass (especially the sub-bass) region and have a "warmer" sound, but the ER4XR definitely wins in the midrange, which is so detailed and smooth. It would be hard to say which is overall "better" since I enjoy them both equally - which is impressive when comparing a $350 IEM to a $1000 IEM.  BTW, for testing I was using a Chord Mojo, though they both also sound good with just an iPhone 7 headphone adapter.  I'm using SpinFit CP800-M tips with both, which are comfortable and give a good seal for my ears.
 
I expect switching between the SE846 and ER4XR will take a little adjusting each time, but it's worth it for the diversity in sound.  I think I'm done buying IEMs for a long while, since between the two I feel my needs are well covered.

 
I finally got my pair of ER4XR I can echo most of what you said above. I'd previously parted with my trusty old ER4P as I just felt it lacked on the low end, particularly sub-bass. I feel Etymotic didn't want to stray too far from their signature sound to upset their current fans, but to my ears ER4XR is definitely a step in the right direction. Compared to the SE846, I find it does slightly better in terms of treble extension, at the expense of the sub-bass. I love SpinFit tips on the SE846, but I don't think they're the best pairing with the ER4XR - those Ety's need very deep insertion and (at least for my ears) I couldn't get that with my medium SpinFits (I've not yet tried the small size). I'm using Comply P series foams on the Etys. For a single BA driver which is 1/3rd the price of the SE846, it's a very impressive headphone.
 

  I found the knowles green filter to have a better soundstage and it is close to the white shure filter. However the green is a little bit less heavier on the bass. For me the bass is at a premium in HP's and IEM since that is where I feel there is a big difference with respect to speakers. The 846 were a revelation in this respect where you don't feel anything missing in that department.
 
Now with the knowles filters I beg to differ with others. I tried the brown which is popular but felt it too bright and weak in the famous 846 bass. The green for me is better but still there is a small sacrifice in the bass compared eg to the shure white filter. I unfortunately did not foresee that I would need the red so I didn't get it just the white, brown and green. But to be honest what I see many people here touting as huge improvements in SQ is just increases in mid to high freq response which is exactly what the measurements show.
First of all the buds are more efficient with the knowles brown vs the blue shure and it might seem to some that there is a substantial quality improvement initially because the sound in the mid-range is a few db louder and the louder high freq give the impression of detail. I am surprised nobody felt a reduction in bass comparatively. So when changing filters you should tweak your output by 1 or 2 db to take account of the increase in efficiency in order to evaluate if the FR is to your taste.
I feel the shure white filter is for now a good compromise for my ears at least but I know everybody's tastes are very different. However I thought the soundstaging with the green was a bit more "spacious".

 
Interesting comments. You may well be right about the differences in SPLs between Shure filters and the Knowles dampers. Doing a proper SPL-matched AB(X) with at most a couple of second gap between the A and the B is very difficult. I tried to do this (I have two pairs of SE846), but I didn't even consider the need to volume match. (This would introduce some ambiguity over what sine-wave frequency we'd use to match? 1 kHz is just arbitrary.) I will revisit that. In that regard, I don't know how legitimate my testing was, but to my ears, the differences were more than just changes in FR. I felt the Knowles dampers (all of them) sounded clearer. If indeed that was only because they were a couple of dB louder, that might in itself be telling us something. Muffling the output with fabric or foam is bound to have some negative repercussion on the sound. FWIW, I felt the brown Knowles dampers gave more bass than the modded blues, not less. Of course, this may all depend on your ears and eartips. (I used medium SpinFits.) But there are those out there, that are quite happy with a bit more treble and a bit less bass.  I'm not wanting to start a war here with the ER4 thread, but there are Ety fans who claim the ER4XR/SR are better than any Shure IEM, because all Shure IEMs lack treble extension. (Before you get your pitchforks out - these are their words, not mine!)

 

[TimeLord]

csglinux I won't quote the post but wanted to comment on the Shure treble extension. You won't see any pitchforks from me. Treble response is the one thing that I would like to be better on SE846. I'm running mine naked (no filter) and that has helped, but the 846 still has a warm signature.

If the Etymotic people make the claim that they have superior treble response than any Shure IEM, then they have not heard the KSE1500. That is an amazing IEM. It does not have the warm signature of the 846. It is very much neutral.

If the Etymotic people make that claim on the KSE1500 thread, the pitchforks may indeed come out.

 

[spook76]

csglinux I won't quote the post but wanted to comment on the Shure treble extension. You won't see any pitchforks from me. Treble response is the one thing that I would like to be better on SE846. I'm running mine naked (no filter) and that has helped, but the 846 still has a warm signature.

If the Etymotic people make the claim that they have superior treble response than any Shure IEM, then they have not heard the KSE1500. That is an amazing IEM. It does not have the warm signature of the 846. It is very much neutral.

If the Etymotic people make that claim on the KSE1500 thread, the pitchforks may indeed come out.

There will be no pitchforks from the KSE1500 thread. It has to be one of the quietest threads on Head-Fi. My theory as to why is that the KSE people, like me, do not care whether someone likes it or not nor do we feel the need justify our purchase.

After three years with the SE846 when I upgraded I am glad I stayed in the Shure family.

 

[Whazzzup]

 

@csglinux I won't quote the post but wanted to comment on the Shure treble extension. You won't see any pitchforks from me. Treble response is the one thing that I would like to be better on SE846. I'm running mine naked (no filter) and that has helped, but the 846 still has a warm signature.

If the Etymotic people make the claim that they have superior treble response than any Shure IEM, then they have not heard the KSE1500. That is an amazing IEM. It does not have the warm signature of the 846. It is very much neutral.

If the Etymotic people make that claim on the KSE1500 thread, the pitchforks may indeed come out.

There will be no pitchforks from the KSE1500 thread. It has to be one of the quietest threads on Head-Fi. My theory as to why is that the KSE people, like me, do not care whether someone likes it or not nor do we feel the need justify our purchase.

After three years with the SE846 when I upgraded I am glad I stayed in the Shure family.

we can all get along. I just can't change my rig. kantana made me look up from my bowl of soup, but i keep slurping the 846 gruel happily 

 

[TimeLord]

There will be no pitchforks from the KSE1500 thread. It has to be one of the quietest threads on Head-Fi. My theory as to why is that the KSE people, like me, do not care whether someone likes it or not nor do we feel the need justify our purchase.

After three years with the SE846 when I upgraded I am glad I stayed in the Shure family.

IEMs are strictly road gear for me and as such I can't stomach the $3k price tag yet. Maybe when I'm done upgrading my home setup, I'll splurge on the KSE1500. Its sound is phenomenal.

 

[kino lau]

I really need to get my hands on some of the Knowles dampers. I've had an order in my cart a couple of times but got distracted. I know what is possible in regards to swapping out nozzle inserts, and the treble just isn't there enough for me to justify keeping them if those were my only tuning options. I've read good feedback about using the Knowles dampers, and I look forward to hearing them for myself. But my 846's have seen less than a hours use since I received this pair. 
 
@TenderTendon ... I'm a drummer myself and it's nearly impossible to find "audio gear" that is capable of reproducing the timbre of real cymbals. It's due to the recording...because my drum monitor has no problem at all sounding absolutely perfect with my e-cymbals. $8000 in home audio gear can't do it but a $700 monitor does it perfectly. Go figure... 

 

[spook76]

IEMs are strictly road gear for me and as such I can't stomach the $3k price tag yet. Maybe when I'm done upgrading my home setup, I'll splurge on the KSE1500. Its sound is phenomenal.

I agree that the KSE1500s sound fantastic but do not sell the SE846 short. I still reach for them on occasion especially for the euphoric bass. The KSE and the "8s" complement not compete with each other.

 

[csglinux]

There will be no pitchforks from the KSE1500 thread. It has to be one of the quietest threads on Head-Fi. My theory as to why is that the KSE people, like me, do not care whether someone likes it or not nor do we feel the need justify our purchase.
 

 
Here's the major flaw with the KSE1500 - not being able to swap filters, cables or amps means we have hardly anything to get into a heated argument over
 
BTW, thanks spook for your recommendations on Mei and Echolyn 2012! Enjoying those two albums a lot

 

[spook76]

Here's the major flaw with the KSE1500 - not being able to swap filters, cables or amps means we have hardly anything to get into a heated argument over

BTW, thanks spook for your recommendations on Mei and Echolyn 2012! Enjoying those two albums a lot

Hehe I agree and with Sensaphonics custom sleeves I cannot even argue about tip rolling.

As for echolyn I am really happy to read that my progressive friend. Now that you have conquered echolyn next move onto ANAKDOKEN's 'Until All The Ghosts Are Gone' it came out in 2015!!

 

[TimeLord]

Here's the major flaw with the KSE1500 - not being able to swap filters, cables or amps means we have hardly anything to get into a heated argument over

BTW, thanks spook for your recommendations on Mei and Echolyn 2012! Enjoying those two albums a lot

I think you've nailed the reason. It's like schools that make the students wear uniforms; there's no one wearing a "I'm with Stupid ------->" t-shirt to start a fight. Lol

You can't argue if everyone has the same thing.

Edit: the forum didn't like my arrow.

 

[RamGuy]

So I decided to contact my "local" CIEM manufacturer to get another pair of custom sleeve ear-tips. I made impressions of my ears about 1,5-2 years ago and got custom sleeves for my Westone 4R which got stolen about 4-5 months ago. That's when I decided to grab the Shure SE846 as a replacement.
 
I have used Comply Foam T and S, or now known as Isolation and Comfort series and the Shure Olives for the past few months. I do enjoy Comply Foam a whole lot, I feel they provide great seal combined with great comfort. The problem is they don't last for very long.. It only takes about 2-3 weeks before they start to loosen up and not provide a great seal anymore, and the more they loosen up the more uncomfortable they get as I feel the need to pull them in and out of my ears all the time as I feel the compound gets warn and makes me entire ear canal warm.
 
Replacing them every 2-4 weeks is nonsensical due to their price.. The Shure Olives fares much better, they last for way longer but they don't provide the same great seal and comfort as Comply Foam. I find the Olives to be good, but not great. The seal is great unless I'm moving, laying down or using/moving my mouth. There is so little that needs to be done for the seal to break slightly. I don't find them as comfortable as they seems to push and irritate my ear canals a bit more compared to Comply Foam. The huge positive with the Shure Olives is the fact that they last for ages, at least compared to Comply Foam. I can use the Olives for months without their fit and feel starting to loosen up and they still look, feel and behaves like they are relatively new.
 
I also tried the foam offerings that came with my Westone 4R as they fit the Shure SE846 perfectly and some people seem to claim that the Westone ones strikes a balance between Comply Foam and Shure Olives. To be they simply felt like a inferior Shure Olives. They seem to have the same coating, ensuring that they will last way longer than Comply Foam, but I didn't feel like the Westone ones did anything better in terms of seal, fit and comfort compared to the Shure Olives and just like the Olives they did not provide the same seal, fit and comfort as Comply Foam.
 
 
I did also try the Triple Flange Tips and they just feel horrible in my ears. They do provide a great seal, not matter how much I move, no matter how much I talk and move my mouth the Triple Flange provides a perfect seal all the time. That doesn't really help when it feels like they turn my ear and head into a vacuum boiler.. I can't use them for more than a few minutes before I feel ill. I tried the trick of cutting of the third piece, making them into a Double Flange Tip but that didn't really help me much. It's not the length of the Triple Flange causing the issues for me, it's more due to how the silicon does not seem to fit my ear canals at all making them push way too hard all over my ear canal.
 
 
 
So long story short; I decided to get myself another set of custom sleeves. Yeah, it cost a lot but hey! They work great. It's not like custom sleeves provides 100% perfect seal all the time, they also have issues while laying down and when I move my mouth too much. But they provide a great seal and great comfort 95% of the time, and they have absolutely no issues with durability. I'd much rather pay for custom sleeves, instead of having to replace Comply Foams every 2-4 weeks thus ending up at the same price as simply buying custom sleeves after a short time.
 
 
 
I use a manufacturer called "Hantek". They are a Norwegian manufacturer that specialises in hearing aids and custom ear pieces. They have a deal or partnership with ACS for true custom in-ear monitors if you want something from the ground-up.
 
They still have my impressions so they can make me some new custom sleeves in no time. They are not entirely certain whether I would want to use my old impressions or get some new ones done. They claim they normally recommend taking new impressions every five years as the ear canals tend to change over time. But they admit that changes to the ear canal is less common when you get past the age of 20-22 and I did my impressions at the age of 24. Most changes comes at the result in fluctuation in weight etc.. But I've been the same weight for as long as I can remember. Should I get a new set of impressions done? That adds a lot of hassle on my part as getting to Hantek is easier said than done and it adds to the cost.
 
They do also sell Shure IEM's so they have much greater experience with sleeves for Shure compared to Westone so they even claim they can reshell my SE846 into a true custom IEM if I want.
 
 
 
I have no experience with reshelling IEM's. How "safe" is it? It sounds like risky business if you ask me. How can I be sure they manage to keep the same tonality and sound quality?

 

[ThomasHK]

  So I decided to contact my "local" CIEM manufacturer to get another pair of custom sleeve ear-tips. I made impressions of my ears about 1,5-2 years ago and got custom sleeves for my Westone 4R which got stolen about 4-5 months ago. That's when I decided to grab the Shure SE846 as a replacement.
 
I have used Comply Foam T and S, or now known as Isolation and Comfort series and the Shure Olives for the past few months. I do enjoy Comply Foam a whole lot, I feel they provide great seal combined with great comfort. The problem is they don't last for very long.. It only takes about 2-3 weeks before they start to loosen up and not provide a great seal anymore, and the more they loosen up the more uncomfortable they get as I feel the need to pull them in and out of my ears all the time as I feel the compound gets warn and makes me entire ear canal warm.
 
Replacing them every 2-4 weeks is nonsensical due to their price.. The Shure Olives fares much better, they last for way longer but they don't provide the same great seal and comfort as Comply Foam. I find the Olives to be good, but not great. The seal is great unless I'm moving, laying down or using/moving my mouth. There is so little that needs to be done for the seal to break slightly. I don't find them as comfortable as they seems to push and irritate my ear canals a bit more compared to Comply Foam. The huge positive with the Shure Olives is the fact that they last for ages, at least compared to Comply Foam. I can use the Olives for months without their fit and feel starting to loosen up and they still look, feel and behaves like they are relatively new.
 
I also tried the foam offerings that came with my Westone 4R as they fit the Shure SE846 perfectly and some people seem to claim that the Westone ones strikes a balance between Comply Foam and Shure Olives. To be they simply felt like a inferior Shure Olives. They seem to have the same coating, ensuring that they will last way longer than Comply Foam, but I didn't feel like the Westone ones did anything better in terms of seal, fit and comfort compared to the Shure Olives and just like the Olives they did not provide the same seal, fit and comfort as Comply Foam.
 
 
I did also try the Triple Flange Tips and they just feel horrible in my ears. They do provide a great seal, not matter how much I move, no matter how much I talk and move my mouth the Triple Flange provides a perfect seal all the time. That doesn't really help when it feels like they turn my ear and head into a vacuum boiler.. I can't use them for more than a few minutes before I feel ill. I tried the trick of cutting of the third piece, making them into a Double Flange Tip but that didn't really help me much. It's not the length of the Triple Flange causing the issues for me, it's more due to how the silicon does not seem to fit my ear canals at all making them push way too hard all over my ear canal.
 
 
 
So long story short; I decided to get myself another set of custom sleeves. Yeah, it cost a lot but hey! They work great. It's not like custom sleeves provides 100% perfect seal all the time, they also have issues while laying down and when I move my mouth too much. But they provide a great seal and great comfort 95% of the time, and they have absolutely no issues with durability. I'd much rather pay for custom sleeves, instead of having to replace Comply Foams every 2-4 weeks thus ending up at the same price as simply buying custom sleeves after a short time.
 
 
 
I use a manufacturer called "Hantek". They are a Norwegian manufacturer that specialises in hearing aids and custom ear pieces. They have a deal or partnership with ACS for true custom in-ear monitors if you want something from the ground-up.
 
They still have my impressions so they can make me some new custom sleeves in no time. They are not entirely certain whether I would want to use my old impressions or get some new ones done. They claim they normally recommend taking new impressions every five years as the ear canals tend to change over time. But they admit that changes to the ear canal is less common when you get past the age of 20-22 and I did my impressions at the age of 24. Most changes comes at the result in fluctuation in weight etc.. But I've been the same weight for as long as I can remember. Should I get a new set of impressions done? That adds a lot of hassle on my part as getting to Hantek is easier said than done and it adds to the cost.
 
They do also sell Shure IEM's so they have much greater experience with sleeves for Shure compared to Westone so they even claim they can reshell my SE846 into a true custom IEM if I want.
 
 
 
I have no experience with reshelling IEM's. How "safe" is it? It sounds like risky business if you ask me. How can I be sure they manage to keep the same tonality and sound quality?

 
I have no experience either, but here's a few thoughts on the whole thing:
 
- BA earphones or any earphones frequency responses in general are extremely sensitive to tube length and diameter. The reshelled version WILL sound different, no question. 
- If you reshell it, is that it? No turning back? The housing of the SE846 seems glued together, not sure you can redo that easily without visible damage.
- Forget about one of the best features of this product... filter tuning
 
I think you have to take those into careful consideration and see if the pros outweigh the cons.