[bnupy]

I got mine too, but I don't like that it cannot covert he connector as stock cable, didn't notice that before buying.

Changing the plug ?

 

[gto88]

deleted, I misread your question, I think.

 

[gto88]

I encountered a problem last time I disconnect my M9.
I will be cautious if I were to do it again.

 

[excelion]

nope just from common sense and based on my personal experiences LL - L - ML - M - MS - S - SS diameter differences is subtle , normally on retail they sold in 3 size L M S, but for flagship IEMs, they came with extra sizes in between them. LL means "XL" if that easier to understand, same goes with SS is "XS"

@DynamicEars
Please stop, your common sense don't work with these SONY eartips.

@brazy001 who originally asked this question had the right answer to begin with.
SS is Small Short
MS is Medium Short
ML is Medium Long
LL is Large Long

Read the instruction manuals, the answer is already printed there!
https://www.sony.com/electronics/su...0d15300efbe823aae7613439ea954b6/47403542M.pdf

 

[shampoosuicide]

I very nearly listed my M9 for sale the same day I got them, but I'm grateful as hell now that I heeded the advice peppered throughout the thread regarding the importance of tip choice.

Tried Sony Hybrids and Symbio Peels first: dry, desiccated, flat, small soundstage + images, utterly uninvolving.

Switched to Acoustune AET07 with a dramatic difference: full, fluid, euphonic, expansive soundstage.

My primary drivers the past year have been the Z5, and with the right fit, the M9 offer a very similar tuning and tonality, with significantly better technicalities and much deeper, punchier, and tighter bass.

Highly recommended.

 

[DynamicEars]

@DynamicEars
Please stop, your common sense don't work with these SONY eartips.

@brazy001 who originally asked this question had the right answer to begin with.
SS is Small Short
MS is Medium Short
ML is Medium Long
LL is Large Long

Read the instruction manuals, the answer is already printed there!
https://www.sony.com/electronics/su...0d15300efbe823aae7613439ea954b6/47403542M.pdf

Thanks for clarification and pointed out, and i learned something new too.
Thought they were just the same like spiral dot's sizes ML M MS.
Great finding!

 

[shampoosuicide]

Late to the party... have had these for a little under a week, and here are my (very effusive) summary impressions.

My main drivers over the past year have been the 2014 Sony flagship XBA-Z5. Despite their age, I've yet to encounter anything around the $500 price point that matches their unique speaker-like presentation. I'm primarily a bass and soundstage head, so the Z5 fit the bill nicely, but I wanted to more out of them technically.

I bought the M9 blind, and kept my expectations checked, having read that they didn't match the Z5 in terms of soundstage, and having found the tonality of the all-BA Fearless S8F decidedly uninspiring despite its V-shaped tuning. I had also previously owned the AK T8iE MKII and extensively auditioned the Campfire Andromeda OG, and was frankly underwhelmed by their performance given their entry price.

Let’s just say the M9 has single-handedly disabused me of the notion that TOTL IEMs offer only “incremental refinements” above mid-fi units. To my ears, the M9 sit confidently in a class of their own, just below the IER-Z1R, and well above the AK T8iE MKII, Campfire Andromeda OG, and Fearless S8F.

Summary:

+ Superb fit and comfort. Extremely lightweight.
+ Superb isolation
+ Incredibly coherent and well-balanced
+ Versatile tuning
+ Vigorous DD-like bass. Robust, impactful, defined, taut, with near-DD decay. Significantly tauter, more defined, more authoritative, and more impactful than the Sony XBA-Z5.
+ Fantastic soundstage across all dimensions. Not quite as ‘out of your head’ as the IER-Z1R, but incredibly satisfactory nonetheless. Much larger than the Sony XBA-Z5 and Campfire Andromeda OG.
+ Open, spacious presentation
+ Ultra-precise imaging
+ Impressive instrument separation
+ Remarkably, effortlessly resolving
+ Great speed
+ Outstanding treble extension and detail; crisp, airy, and refined
+ Great value

x Somewhat hard to drive
x Sensitive to tip selection and insertion technique

As several folk have noted, the M9 are especially fit-sensitive. From my listening experience:

Non-ideal fit = Stuffy, overly-warm, thick, laidback, blunted transients, small soundstage

Ideal fit = Clean, quick, precise, open, airy soundstage, extended treble

Due credit to @CoryGillmore for the following tips:

1. Use the smallest sized tip that provides the deepest possible insertion and seal without creating a vacuum/suction effect
2. Pull the top of the ear up and back when inserting IEM—this minimises pressure from within the ear canal, and mitigates the vacuum/suction effect.

 

[Medikill]

I honestly hate these, they addictive to that point that i have to control how often i listen to them, like micro dosing crack. 3 weeks on and this is the best set of IEMs i have ever owned

 

[costas23]

@Medikill dude, don't tempt us lurkers so much

 

[Sonywalkmanuser]

IER-M9 and IER-M7 is also compared in this review:

 

[WavedOut]

Thanks to everyone for this informative thread, from another very-tempted lurker!

I've read some comments saying that less-powerful DAPs like the A105 won't be able to drive these very well. Can anyone confirm this?

 

[CoryGillmore]

Thanks to everyone for this informative thread, from another very-tempted lurker!

I've read some comments saying that less-powerful DAPs like the A105 won't be able to drive these very well. Can anyone confirm this?

I run them just fine from the 3.5mm of my ZX300, which is 50mw into 32 ohms I believe. Oddly enough I may even prefer the 3.5mm output to the more powerful (200mw) 4.4 balanced output. Sony recommends 100mw but like I said, the 3.5mm ouput of my ZX300 runs them just fine.

 

[surfgeorge]

Thanks to everyone for this informative thread, from another very-tempted lurker!

I've read some comments saying that less-powerful DAPs like the A105 won't be able to drive these very well. Can anyone confirm this?

M9 sounds as good as the source delivers and it scales really well with better signal quality.
I have 3 sources available, a $200 HiBy R3, $500 Chord Mojo and $2000 Chord Hugo 2
Each is a big step up, but going from Mojo to the Hugo 2 the M9 gains a lot of PRAT, energy, precision and the bass becomes significantly more textured, tighter and extended.

So IMO you need a really good source to hear what the M9 is capable of.
That should not stop you from getting it - it's rather an assurance that the M9 can keep up with improvements in your system.

 

[rlw6534]

Thanks to everyone for this informative thread, from another very-tempted lurker!

I've read some comments saying that less-powerful DAPs like the A105 won't be able to drive these very well. Can anyone confirm this?

I just tried my M9 with my A105 and it seems to run them fine. Volume 75/120 is somewhat loud normal listening for me. 95/120 is as loud as I can stand for more than a few seconds... I'm sure more power is better but it is certainly listenable. With that said, it's not a combination I would recommend for a critical listener.

FYI, my normal setup is IER-M9 with ZX507 (balanced) and Sony XBA-N3 with A105 (more portable).

 

[Sonywalkmanuser]

The IER-M9 will sound fine out of any source even a laptop's 3.5mm headphone out. 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.