[DynamicEars]

The IER-M9 will sound fine out of any source even a laptop headphone. The neutral and smooth M9 is very forgiving when it comes to normal grade sound sources and don't sound harsh out of them.

The difference with high end sources is that you will get to hear the better detail retrieval, more accurate soundstaging and stronger transient response.

True, even from a phone, they sound fine but on Great sources, they are fantastic, but they already great IEM from the start. Just you need more volume than other V shaped IEMs, but only these types of IEM, so balance and smooth that you can crank up the volume without any some peaks of certain frequency drill your ear.
Same goes with M7, but not with Z1R, Z1R sounded flat and their dynamics are dead on weak source.

 

[tgx78]

True, even from a phone, they sound fine but on Great sources, they are fantastic, but they already great IEM from the start. Just you need more volume than other V shaped IEMs, but only these types of IEM, so balance and smooth that you can crank up the volume without any some peaks of certain frequency drill your ear.
Same goes with M7, but not with Z1R, Z1R sounded flat and their dynamics are dead on weak source.

I've been running my Z1R through the iphone dongle. I am missing out haha.

 

[DynamicEars]

I've been running my Z1R through the iphone dongle. I am missing out haha.

Have iphone dongle laying around just for measurement purpose, but from my LG V40, they sounded flat. Z1R is harder to drive than M7 and M9, I mean without that great dynamics that driven out from powerful DAP, the Z1R kinda lost their soul, sounded much flatter. In fact i prefer my M7 than Z1R if I must strictly use my phone.

 

[brazy001]

I have seen a few comparisons between m7, m9, z1r and oftentimes people have described what seems to be a FR response difference e.g. the mids are more recessed, highs sparkle/extend.

I am just curious to how that gels when looking at the FR graphs (I looked at crinacles) which show them all with a near identical curve. Particularly with The m7 and m9 both with BA drivers but the latter with 1 extra.

would a difference in 'accuracy' be a determining factor, i.e. ability of the transducer to accurately time and reflect the dynamic fluctuations.

Apologies for the ignorance if this is obvious.

comments specific to m9 cable: super soft as others have said but the big ear loop does protrude forward and doesn't really 'hook' the ear snugly. No real issue however the angle can change if the cable is pulled potentially putting pressure on the outer ear.

 

[Raketen]

I have seen a few comparisons between m7, m9, z1r and oftentimes people have described what seems to be a FR response difference e.g. the mids are more recessed, highs sparkle/extend.

I am just curious to how that gels when looking at the FR graphs (I looked at crinacles) which show them all with a near identical curve. Particularly with The m7 and m9 both with BA drivers but the latter with 1 extra.

would a difference in 'accuracy' be a determining factor, i.e. ability of the transducer to accurately time and reflect the dynamic fluctuations.

Apologies for the ignorance if this is obvious.

comments specific to m9 cable: super soft as others have said but the big ear loop does protrude forward and doesn't really 'hook' the ear snugly. No real issue however the angle can change if the cable is pulled potentially putting pressure on the outer ear.

IDK that "Accuracy" is the always correct word, but yes there are physical differences that aren't strictly accounted for. The linear graph of FR isn't the only way to measure/display information about headphones, for instance you can do impulse response or CSD graphs etc... AFAIK what we tend to attribute (perhaps sometimes incorrectly) as characteristic of particular driver types can be the result of their mechanical and electro-magnetic properties (and resultant source interaction) that don't necessarily show up in FR curves.

Not to mention how IEMs in particular can be affected by individual fit and personal hearing sensitivities.

While two IEMs with identical FR might not sound exactly alike, I'd also highlight how "near identical" does not equal identical. For isntance while M9 and z1r are quite similar overall, the z1r has a peak at 6khz that the M9 does not- to me this results in the m9 seeming to my ears to have more treble extension, in spite of the z1r having a brighter tuning. Even though it's only a few dB over the secondary peak at 8khz, the 6khz somewhat masks the higher treble (while m9 conversely has a comparative recession at 6khz)- at least for me, others might not experience the same.

 

[brazy001]

Thanks for the insight raketen!

I may not be using the term 'accuracy' correct. I would think that driver resonance could distort the proper FR sent by the source signal because the driver is impacted by movements other than the electrical signal.

Things like 'attack' and 'decay' should be baked into the recording and anything else is coloration from the transducer.

Again, I have no qualifications in this field and just applying my own 'logical' thinking to my limited understanding of the process.

I also agree that while similar, they are not identical FR curves between the three iems - which will impact the sound. The problem I find is when reading the comparisons is knowing how big these differences actually are (yes, the real answer is to just go and listen!). But the science/mechanics underpinning the technology gives these discussions some useful perspective.

 

[Sonywalkmanuser]

End of the day you don’t listen to measurement graphs or SNR charts. You listen to music and what matters most is how how much this iem/gear suits your music style and listening preferences.

For my usage of listening to a very wide genre of music for long hours, I like my iem to be more towards a neutral sound sig so as to be jack of all of trades on any music. I think the IER-M9 does fit my usage perfectly. It’s gentler sound signature allows me to listen fatigue free for long hours.

I think for the IER-M9 and M7, they are not as widely reviewed or as popular as other Chinese iems. These Sony’s certainly are not the cheapest iems around but they do offer a lot of really good build quality and sound quality all in one package. And I would recommend pairing them to a 4.4mm balanced Sony Walkman for even better synergy.

 

[brazy001]

Very true, however the lurkers in all forums are trying to match the subjective opinions and explanations with objective graphs & stats if they are buying blind.

My iem history is short (in terms of quantity of products) but the progression to my preferred signature. The oldest is going from poor memory but listing the reason to get something new:

Bundled iPhone 3 earbuds - hurt my ears, didn't fit well.

Sennheiser ie7 - overwhelming bass, muddy sound. Ended up using for exercise.

Atomic Floyd (hidefdrum?) - sound leakage, sibilant. (No isolation)

Vsonic Gr07 - nice clarity, but fatiguing highs and sibilant. Despite rotating nozzle, it wasn't the best seal/fit. Somewhat underwhelming bass.


Shure se215 - soft sound with flabby bass, great isolation and fit. EQ bass down helped. Still use for gym as sealed DD design and hasn't been ruined by sweat.

Phonak pfe112 - neutral sound without peaky highs, really enjoyed these with grey filters however did miss some bass sometimes. Best fit ever. Lost them unfortunately.

Ultimate ears UE900 - gives some bass but still neutral without sibilance. This was my go to for a long time. Isolation was good for public transport.

Westone w30 - from reading criticism of ue900 I wanted to venture into something more 'exciting'. These had nice added bass texture but was about disappointed with a worse sound stage and I would consider less refined.

Westone w60 - after generally liking the w30 but felt there was something missing, a gamble on the big brother. It paid off. Nice soundstage, similar tonality with more refinement and a sense of clarity. Felt like a more dynamic and upgrade to UE900 and still fit like a dream.

Ibasso it00 - upgrade gym pair from se215 as was tired of the dark, muddy sound. Better in that regard, unfortunately has driver flex and still on the safe side with treble. Vent holes facing inwards is great because no wind noise when Running etc.


Fiio FH3 - chifi and hype train enticed me to try something with a more forward upper mids that is quite popular but without straying from what I was used to. These are really good however vocals can seem shouty (too forward in lower treble) at higher volumes. Isolation is worse than all BA so higher volume needed on public transport. Decided the Harman/typical pinna gain is not for me. I still consider it a nice natural tuning though but not as lush and relaxed as w60.

Sony Ier-m9: saw a good deal (living in Aus) and some homework seemed like the tonality of these spit the difference of w60 and fiio fh3. Really fits the bill for me, giving a more forward mid range, bit more excitement, great isolation but fatigue free.

The shell shape and size sometimes gives outer ear discomfort while other times it feels fine. So trying to pay attention to this at the moment.

Pretty happy ending on the m9 and feels like it meets my preferences to stop the upgrade-itis.

The problem now is that I have all these iem's, still like some of them and unlikely to sell them but at the same time trying to figure out when to use the other pairs!

Do people have their favourite but still switch between sets?
Is it liberating to sell them all off and get the best value from the favourites?

At the moment it's
m9 for daily use (public transport to work)
It00 - exercise
Fh3 - work from home use (lower volumes at desk)
W60 - comfort, lounging/lying around
Ue900 - look at for memory sake.

 

[fsi22]

Very true, however the lurkers in all forums are trying to match the subjective opinions and explanations with objective graphs & stats if they are buying blind.

My iem history is short (in terms of quantity of products) but the progression to my preferred signature. The oldest is going from poor memory but listing the reason to get something new:

Bundled iPhone 3 earbuds - hurt my ears, didn't fit well.

Sennheiser ie7 - overwhelming bass, muddy sound. Ended up using for exercise.

Atomic Floyd (hidefdrum?) - sound leakage, sibilant. (No isolation)

Vsonic Gr07 - nice clarity, but fatiguing highs and sibilant. Despite rotating nozzle, it wasn't the best seal/fit. Somewhat underwhelming bass.


Shure se215 - soft sound with flabby bass, great isolation and fit. EQ bass down helped. Still use for gym as sealed DD design and hasn't been ruined by sweat.

Phonak pfe112 - neutral sound without peaky highs, really enjoyed these with grey filters however did miss some bass sometimes. Best fit ever. Lost them unfortunately.

Ultimate ears UE900 - gives some bass but still neutral without sibilance. This was my go to for a long time. Isolation was good for public transport.

Westone w30 - from reading criticism of ue900 I wanted to venture into something more 'exciting'. These had nice added bass texture but was about disappointed with a worse sound stage and I would consider less refined.

Westone w60 - after generally liking the w30 but felt there was something missing, a gamble on the big brother. It paid off. Nice soundstage, similar tonality with more refinement and a sense of clarity. Felt like a more dynamic and upgrade to UE900 and still fit like a dream.

Ibasso it00 - upgrade gym pair from se215 as was tired of the dark, muddy sound. Better in that regard, unfortunately has driver flex and still on the safe side with treble. Vent holes facing inwards is great because no wind noise when Running etc.


Fiio FH3 - chifi and hype train enticed me to try something with a more forward upper mids that is quite popular but without straying from what I was used to. These are really good however vocals can seem shouty (too forward in lower treble) at higher volumes. Isolation is worse than all BA so higher volume needed on public transport. Decided the Harman/typical pinna gain is not for me. I still consider it a nice natural tuning though but not as lush and relaxed as w60.

Sony Ier-m9: saw a good deal (living in Aus) and some homework seemed like the tonality of these spit the difference of w60 and fiio fh3. Really fits the bill for me, giving a more forward mid range, bit more excitement, great isolation but fatigue free.

The shell shape and size sometimes gives outer ear discomfort while other times it feels fine. So trying to pay attention to this at the moment.

Pretty happy ending on the m9 and feels like it meets my preferences to stop the upgrade-itis.

The problem now is that I have all these iem's, still like some of them and unlikely to sell them but at the same time trying to figure out when to use the other pairs!

Do people have their favourite but still switch between sets?
Is it liberating to sell them all off and get the best value from the favourites?

At the moment it's
m9 for daily use (public transport to work)
It00 - exercise
Fh3 - work from home use (lower volumes at desk)
W60 - comfort, lounging/lying around
Ue900 - look at for memory sake.

IEE Valkyrie - When I'm in the mood for intensity or music that benefits from really hard hitting sub bass.
M9 - Everything else.
ER2XR - These are my reference iem, I use them if I'm auditioning something new.

 

[Sonywalkmanuser]

Consider doing iem tip rolling to address some of the treble or bass issues with your various iems in your collection. I find that there is quite a change in sound with different tip sizes and materials. Tips are quite cheap and reviews can be found online. For example I would highly recommend the Final Audio E-type tips if you are using the Sony Hybrid tips for your IER-M9, the E-type tips sound very similar to the Sony Hybrids, add abit more bass slam and improving on the treble clarity and it also resolves the air pressure/vacuum seal issue with the M9, making for a much more easier insertion and seal.

There is also the issue of equipment synergy. DAC/DAPs/Amplifier all have their own sound signature. A bright sounding iem paired to a bright sounding digital audio player will result in overwhelming treble. Also if your source is iphone or some smartphone, it is also likely that your highly resolving iem is revealing to you all the sonic issues and amplification weakness that exists with your source.

There’s also DSP and EQ, and even music app rolling that you can perform with certain equipment. Although they cannot polish a turd but they certainly work like cosmetics to make the iem sound better if you are not an audio source purist.

Also there is iem cable rolling, which will also affect how the iem sounds. It will cost more money and it is more of rollling a dice if you don’t have access to sample cables to test your iems.

 

[Overlord041]

I had a chance to compare the IER-M9 to the 64 audio U12t, U12t has deeper bass and the sound stage is wider. M9 is very detailed and the bass quality is very good compare to most IEMs at its price range, but the 64 audio simply sounded a bit better in terms of resolution and soundstage.

 

[fsi22]

I had a chance to compare the IER-M9 to the 64 audio U12t, U12t has deeper bass and the sound stage is wider. M9 is very detailed and the bass quality is very good compare to most IEMs at its price range, but the 64 audio simply sounded a bit better in terms of resolution and soundstage.

The U12T is a great sounding iem, I've tried the U12T and Trio. Enjoyed them both. They were also comfortable to use for an extended time.

 

[Sonywalkmanuser]

Quite a big jump in price for U12T vs M9

 

[GiullianSN]

Quite a big jump in price for U12T vs M9

3x times maybe. I had both and M9 is greqt for it's price, compared to the A12t.

 

[fsi22]

Quite a big jump in price for U12T vs M9

Yeah.... as great as the U12T was, I preferred the M9. Overall the balance suited me better, particularly the treble on the M9.