[nikp]

Quote:

IE8s, good highs?! No try are way to recessed.
Also for the IE80 to be better than that EX1000 it will have to be one huge improvement, and I mean HUGE.
Also Kaffemman, what of the 3 IEMs have you tried.
I can tell you the EX1000 are true top tier and the IE8 is not. I think you shouted eliminate the Sennheisers altogether and add Westone 4 which from what I have heard is on the same level of EX1000.

 
The IE8 have smooth gently rolled off treble like the HD650. OP wants "an IEM that has the clarity and balance of the westone 4 but the bass and sound stage of the Sennheisers and from what iv read the IE8/80 and ex1000 are my best options." W4 is the one that should be eliminated given his requirements - bass and soundstage is not a strong point of the W4.
 

Haven't heard the EX1000 but looking at reviews, the EX1000 may sound better than the IE8/x. The EX1000 is a monitor, therefore I can safely assume that they are detailed and well balanced while still owning the bass and possibly soundstage of the IE8/x. But really price aside, the IE8 is still a top tier IEM and I like them better than the W4.​

 

[alexqd3]

Such a tough choice, both a great. Its all about preference. 

 

[Swimsonny]

Sound leakage on the ex1000s exists but is not awful. I was wearing next to my dad, talking do heads almost touching and he said he can here them. Since the I have worn them in public and. I one has said nothing or given me funny looks.

IE8 cable is the best I have ever had so agree with eke there.

However it is the only earphone survey to use a nikel jack and has a crackly entry to DAP.

 

[barid]

Quote:

Oh and EX1000 are very comfy with a super ergonomic fit, the ie8s have rough edges which I found painful after a while, of course different ears create different findings.

 
 
I won't argue the sonic characteristics of the ex1000.....but ergonomic with a comfy fit?  no way.  Especially vs the IE8/80, which to me is the comfiest IEM I've ever tried.  I suppose different ears do create different findings.

 

[Swimsonny]

Indeed different ears different comfort. Altough light, the straight edges dig my ears. The EX1000 sit nicely and don't ever fatigue personally.

 

[psun786]

Quote:

for the Sony's and the wind noise problem. would i be able to wear like ear muffs or something to keep the wind out but not effect the sound stage? also, since the Sony's have vents, how badly do they leak sound? one of the main reasons I'm switching to an IEM is to prevent disturbing others that might be in the room.

 
I own both ex1000 and ie80 with Nordost cable and can confirm ex1000 has better resolution and separation than ie80 with stock cable, which make it the perfect choice for instrumental music. Yoshio Kimura's 柳ケ濑ブルース on ex1000 sounded very close to a properly drived k702. But ie80 won in term of soundstage, isolation and bass penetration. I would prefer it over ex1000 for classical music or metal (which I almost never liste). In short, ex1000 has the sound signature of a balanced armature (w4r) while ie80 leaning toward a full size cans. But keep in mind that even the best IEM can't match a pair good full size cans in term of soundstage. Nor the best full size cans come close to a decent pair of speakers.
 
Regarding on the isolation, ex1000 is probably the worst IEMs I ever had in this respect (se535 > w4r > ie80 > ex1000). Its advantage (resolution and separation) became irrelevant when used outdoor. I also find it difficult to stay in my ears... NO, I don't have one of those irregular ears and both se535 and ie80 fits perfectly!
 
Final words, I think they both offer very good SG indoor, ex1000 has better seperation while ie80 excel in soundstage. The difference isn't very obvious unless you are AB testing. I think you should make decision base on whether you are going to take use this headphone outdoor or not. When used in a noise environment, I find ex1000 peform much worse than ie80 due to lack of good seal.

 

[NoLimitsOnLife]

well this has been a very hard decision for me and i appreciate everyone sharing their views and experiences with me. after hours of thinking about it i honestly cant decide which would be better for me. so iv decided to get both and do a side by side comparison. while i would rather not dump that amount of money into IEMs, even if temporary, its the only way i can see for myself and really balance the pros and cons of each from what i hear and feel.

 

[psun786]

well this has been a very hard decision for me and i appreciate everyone sharing their views and experiences with me. after hours of thinking about it i honestly cant decide which would be better for me. so iv decided to get both and do a side by side comparison. while i would rather not dump that amount of money into IEMs, even if temporary, its the only way i can see for myself and really balance the pros and cons of each from what i hear and feel.

Good call

I have a feeling that you are going to keep ie80 even you "were" leaning toward ex1000~ since you had hd650 for over two years. The sonic character of ex1000 is closer to k702 than hd650. Just make sure you get a genuine set from authorized dealer as 99% of ie80 from Asian seller are fake. Especially those from Singapore and Hong Kong... They are virtually indistinguishable except by serial # format.

 

[NoLimitsOnLife]

something interesting i found out today. after going through my itunes i found that a lot of my music bit rate is as low as 180kbps... which is crap. i guess something was lost when i moved my itunes from my desktop to my laptop. but anyway, after i re-synced it with my Cd's i found that the music sounded a lot less muddy and had a lot more warmth. the sound stage didn't really improve any or the bass but on my acoustic songs it sounded a lot more... intimate i guess is the word. before it was like my head was stuffed down the singer throat but now the sound comes from the front and its like they re singing directly to me. regardless though the bass and sound stage still aren't there for me.

 

[Swimsonny]

Have you re burned in apple lossless.

Oh and a cheaper earphone with IE8 wide soundstage is RedGiant A03.

 

[NoLimitsOnLife]

Quote:

Have you re burned in apple lossless.
Oh and a cheaper earphone with IE8 wide soundstage is RedGiant A03.

no i didnt. when i blind tested myself a few months ago with lossless and 320 mp3, i found that about about 65% of the time i picked the mp3 sounding better than the lossless.
 
i just read your review on the RedGiant A03 on here. while i would like a wide sound stage, i dont want to feel distant from the music. but at that price its worth a try