[csholtmeier]

I've had the ADDIEM for quite a while now, longer than I've been a member here. After upgrading my home full-size setup, I decided it was time for a good portable set. I first tried the MTPC. I got them refurb, so I figured it was a small gamble. Not my cup of tea at all. Flabby bass, hit-and-miss midrange, and just plain "weird" treble. 
 
Next up was the ATH CK10. I had high hopes for this one. I used every conceivable tip with these, Sony Hybrid, Monster Triple Flange, Dual Flange, Comply... you name it, I tried it. While I did enjoy the added detail over the ADDIEM, the 10k treble spike was just too fatiguing to me. Many songs, even well recorded ones, became sibilant. They also had much less bass, with any tip, than the ADDIEM.
 
I will mainly be using these with my iPhone and iPad. I travel a bit, so having something easily driven by these iDevices would make my life easier. I enjoy having the mic and controls more than I thought I would, especially when traveling. My tastes in music are wide ranging. Right now I have Lamb of God, Derek Trucks, The Beatles, Death Cab, Bob Marley, Deadmau5, John Coltrane and a Tchaikovsky Living Presence album on my phone.
 
I'm thinking of giving Etymotic a shot, but I'm open to all suggestions. Price really isn't an issue, I just want something that works.

 

[Nightslayer]

Quote:

I've had the ADDIEM for quite a while now, longer than I've been a member here. After upgrading my home full-size setup, I decided it was time for a good portable set. I first tried the MTPC. I got them refurb, so I figured it was a small gamble. Not my cup of tea at all. Flabby bass, hit-and-miss midrange, and just plain "weird" treble. 
 
Next up was the ATH CK10. I had high hopes for this one. I used every conceivable tip with these, Sony Hybrid, Monster Triple Flange, Dual Flange, Comply... you name it, I tried it. While I did enjoy the added detail over the ADDIEM, the 10k treble spike was just too fatiguing to me. Many songs, even well recorded ones, became sibilant. They also had much less bass, with any tip, than the ADDIEM.
 
I will mainly be using these with my iPhone and iPad. I travel a bit, so having something easily driven by these iDevices would make my life easier. I enjoy having the mic and controls more than I thought I would, especially when traveling. My tastes in music are wide ranging. Right now I have Lamb of God, Derek Trucks, The Beatles, Death Cab, Bob Marley, Deadmau5, John Coltrane and a Tchaikovsky Living Presence album on my phone.
 
I'm thinking of giving Etymotic a shot, but I'm open to all suggestions. Price really isn't an issue, I just want something that works.

Going by the HF2s I have, Etymotic is very treble-oriented as well, in the vein of the CK10. You might want to look elsewhere. I would recommend you give the SM3 a try, I've had them for a while and while I find that they lack treble detail I'm a more treble-oriented listener so you might want to check them out. They have a nice tight bass (though a bit more on the quantity side) and very, very nice mids.
 

 

[goodvibes]

Addiems are also treble orientated so I don't think that's entirely it. I also suspect the HF2s aren't quite as hot as the CK10, whether one views that as good or bad. At a moderate price, I'd consider those HF2s or Phonak if you would prefer to stay away from deep insertion of triple flanges which is how the HF2s tend to perform best. The Phonak come with a second filter to warm them up and smooth the highs if you find them too snappy to start. I think the grey filters most neutral but if your source and files aren't up to that, the black filters usually work great. It's a nice product to not have buyers remorse with.

 

[csholtmeier]

The Phonaks look interesting. Is the remote just a single button, no volume control? Thanks for the replies.

 

[goodvibes]

Don't know. They're lighter and much more comfy/stable than your ADDIEMs.

 

[ZARIM]

The Fischer Audio DBA-02 shows good details in highs.

 

[csholtmeier]

Quote:

The Fischer Audio DBA-02 shows good details in highs.

I'm hesitant to try these, as they are often compared to the CK10.

 

[Nightslayer]

Quote:

The Fischer Audio DBA-02 shows good details in highs.

Have you heard them before? They have a lot of what he complained about in the CK10s..

 

[tinyman392]

Take a look at the Brainwavz B2.  From what I've read, they are supposed to sound like the DBA-02 with a much smaller treble spike. 

 

[csholtmeier]

I'm gonna throw the Hifiman Re-272 into the discussion. The thought of an easily-driven top-tier Hifiman IEM is intriguing.

 

[csholtmeier]

Update. Just got the RE-272s today. No burn-in yet, but these sound fantastic. I'm not going to bore anyone with a mini-review, but these just do so many things right. To my ears, these are just far superior to the CK10s. All the detail of the A-T, but with better bass both in quality and quantity. Oh, and no fatigue inducing 10k spike.