[M Coupe]

Next up the migration to whites.  It will happen.  I bet you a cookie.

 

[dsincere]

Yeah he'll switch again I feel the blues don't let enough of the highs through compared to the mod blacks But it could just be me and maybe a few others....

 

[Loquah]

Yeah he'll switch again I feel the blues don't let enough of the highs through compared to the mod blacks But it could just be me and maybe a few others....

 
I'm trialling membership of team BlackMod today to see how I like it... so far so good!

 

[joey99]

  Since we both have the 846's and H3's do you find the bass on your 846's to be stronger or more prominent than H3's? I don't at all and I've tried them with lots of tips, including olives. I'm not looking for maximum bass - I find the Shure's base to be more accurate but I get more of that "vibration" with the H3's . What's your opinion?

You're right .. after listening to the 846 vs H3, the H3 definitely has more thump to it's bass and it does go deep but it's much looser then the bass of the 846. 
I'm not saying the H3s are not good.. they're really really good .. but when I A-B them it's like the H3 has a layer of marshmellows on it. On the bass anyway.

 

[moedawg140]

Yeah he'll switch again I feel the blues don't let enough of the highs through compared to the mod blacks But it could just be me and maybe a few others....

According to Shure, the frequency within the 1kHz - 8kHz range will change +2.5db when going from the blues to whites, so the effect will be similar going from the blues to the modded blacks. So technically, it isn't just you...you're correct regarding your observations between the two filters.

 

[moedawg140]

I'm trialling membership of team BlackMod today to see how I like it... so far so good!

Didn't you already try the modded black filters before? (Confused) lol

 

[Jensenchua]

Yeah he'll switch again I feel the blues don't let enough of the highs through compared to the mod blacks But it could just be me and maybe a few others....

Yeah the blue lack of little high but is a big improvement from the 535, while I found that the white high will sound a bit too sharp depends on the sources.

 

[dsincere]

Yeah the blue lack of little high but is a big improvement from the 535, while I found that the white high will sound a bit too sharp depends on the sources.

Ahhh I see, I've never owned the 535 looked at them a long time ago but the sales person at the store I saw them didn't seem very interested in showing them to me at the time....so I remember at the time I think I brought the Senn. iE80 at the time because the shop I normally dealt with didn't carry Shure phones... but it's ok because I went out of my way to buy the 846's didn't even listen to them first just knew I was going to have the new model this time so these are my first pair of Shures and seems there's no looking back....now if I can only decide which full size cans to buy in the near future that sound similar to the 8's 1540 or 1840

 

[IpodHappy]

I switched to the white filters about 8 weeks ago and haven't moved off of them. I value the extra detail of the whites. I once bought the SE535s and returned them, swallowing a 15% restocking fee, because the HF wasn't what I was hoping for. The 846s have the right stuff with the white filters. They make more than a +2.5db HF gain in my opinion. A couple hundred posts back in this thread there's a link to a frequency response chart showing the white filters tame the 20-1k range by about 5db without touching the HF contours. This corresponds to my ear's experience.

 

[Loquah]

Didn't you already try the modded black filters before? (Confused) lol

 
Yes I did...

 
I thought maybe I'd missed something after some of the glowing reports on the BlackMods yesterday. Having tried the BlackMods for a while today and switching between them and the whites I have decided that the whites are worth the occasional edge in the treble because sounds like the strike of a drum skin are just better with the whites (in my setup and to my ears). The BlackMods are definitely a great way to tame the treble just a tiny bit below the whites without going as far as the blues though.
 
I've just super-glued my nozzles in place to prevent further confusion!
 
Kidding

 

[moedawg140]

It sounds good that you found the filters you like the most, Loquah.

If you actually did super glue the nozzles shut, that would make your life with SE846 a little easier as you would be locked in your decision regarding filter choices...unless you use something that won't harm the SE846's housing, like warm soapy water to get the super glue off. :tongue_smile:

 

[CybDev]

Hmmm

Must be something very wrong with my hearing :rolleyes:

My SE535 broke down out of warranty, so I decided it was time to upgrade.
I was wondering if I should venture into CIEM territory, but the local dealer had the SE846 in stock so I decided to pull the trigger on a pair, since I was lucky enough to have a good fit with the SE535 I figured that was a pretty safe bet.

But I've got to say, even with the different filters, I could not find a way to tone down the bass to reasonable levels.
Nothing wrong with the bass in it self, excellent impact and resolution for an IEM, however way too much for me.

I guess I should mention I usually listen to SR-009/HD800, not much of a basshead to begin with.

After a week experimenting with filters, preferring the white, I returned the SE846 for a new pair of SE535's

(And it seems the SE535 now feature shells that feel "cheaper" than my old ones. My old SE535's reminded me more of the same type plastic that was used in the SE846, new ones are "foggier" and feels more brittle to the touch)

 

[davidmolliere]

  Well, back to the blues.... I've owned the 846's for over a month now. when I first got them I stuck with the installed blue filters but changed tips to Westone stars. I found the blues sounded a bit too aggressive for me and experimented a bit. I switched to the blacks - the blacks sounded more relaxed and warmer which I liked. I really doubted I would be making any other changes. Tonight I tried the whites and then the blues, trying to compare them to the blacks. Long story short, the blues seem to be giving me the best results right now. I seem to hear more of the music with them. For example on the Black Keys' Sinister Kid I can hear a lot more of the backup singer than I could with the blacks.
 
My theory is that initially my ears were a bit "overwhelmed" by the 846's with the blues but now that I've listened to them daily with the blacks, I can handle the more forward sounding blues better. Surprisingly the bass seems to hit harder with the blues as well but my understanding is that the bass isn't really changed by the filters - 
 
Maybe in another month i'll be ready for the whites 

 

 
Brain burn-in is certainly a factor, you need to get used to the level of details that the SE846 is rendering
 
About filters, my own take is that although bass shouldn't be affected the mids being more forward with the black filter make the bass take more of a back seat (so to speak) same goes for treble who are not lacking but less present. The white filter, now my favorite and most used, is very revealing. I never cared much for the blue, I know they're supposed to be neutral but I don't get the tuning on those, I find the bass are too present, the mids are wrong and the treble is not as sparkling as the white. They don't do justice to the SE846 IMHO.
 
I used the black filter a lot as well in the beginning was my favorite, but after a 100h or so, it was clearly the white. Blues is so gorgeous on the SE846 Yesterday I was listening to Muddy Waters "Long Distance Call", pure bliss!

 

[mathi8vadhanan]

Hmmm

Must be something very wrong with my hearing

My SE535 broke down out of warranty, so I decided it was time to upgrade.
I was wondering if I should venture into CIEM territory, but the local dealer had the SE846 in stock so I decided to pull the trigger on a pair, since I was lucky enough to have a good fit with the SE535 I figured that was a pretty safe bet.

But I've got to say, even with the different filters, I could not find a way to tone down the bass to reasonable levels.
Nothing wrong with the bass in it self, excellent impact and resolution for an IEM, however way too much for me.

I guess I should mention I usually listen to SR-009/HD800, not much of a basshead to begin with.

After a week experimenting with filters, preferring the white, I returned the SE846 for a new pair of SE535's

(And it seems the SE535 now feature shells that feel "cheaper" than my old ones. My old SE535's reminded me more of the same type plastic that was used in the SE846, new ones are "foggier" and feels more brittle to the touch)

Did you try different tips? Coming from HD700, I like the yellow foams the best. Not a big fan the air tight isolation provided by Shure olives and Silicones (shure and westone).

 

[CybDev]

Did you try different tips? Coming from HD700, I like the yellow foams the best. Not a big fan the air tight isolation provided by Shure olives and Silicones (shure and westone).

Well the isolation is very important to me, I only use these when I'm at work or mobile.
The medium dark foam tips are my favourite, having tried all the stock ones and some 3rd party comply ones as well, the original medium dark foam tips gives me the best seal.
(Yes, I know the silicone triple-flanges are supposed to give the best seal, but I can't get them to sit properly or something)
The SE846 and SE535 are very similar in build, the SE846 sticks a little further out because of their round shell shape where the SE535 is flatter.