[kiteki]

 
Haha, the point is if these have a Sennheiser IE6 driver in them, then the reshelling is logical, you will save over $100 straight away by not destroying the IE6, right?
 
 
We already know custom IEM's are expensive, someone reshelling an IE8, that's what, breaking a $300 IEM? and then about $300 for the reshell with UM, and they are still running the risk of the driver not fitting, lol.
 
If Hizaki-san wants value for money he can pick up a $100 BA IEM yeah, HF5 or UE700, but I thought these sounded like $100, I dunno haven't heard them yet. :/
 
 
EDIT: By the way I know almost all of you are American, so if any of you are interested in reshelling the 8320, you can contact Fisher Hearing or Kozee and ask, to keep the process stateside.

 

[sunspot]

Final impressions on my part:
 
Those are actually pretty good, I'm not skeptical anymore.
 
Against the GR07, they lack a certain lushness, probably because the midrange is not as proeminent (I'd say the monoprice is slightly V-shaped, but I'm not an expert.  But they do have relatively good detail.  Some sibilance (not very burned in yet though) but not enough that it drives me nuts.  It's not as if the GR07 doesn't have a bit either...
 
I've managed to fit them OK, but I'll file the protusions on the housing soon because they're the only thing left making them irritating.  I get the best fit with MEElec biflanges and would suggest biflanges to those having fit problems, as it puts some distance between the housing and the outer ear.
 
They do make me want to try more cheap IEMs such as the Focalprice mystery IEM (CK-700) and also this one: http://www.dealextreme.com/p/awei-es-600m-noise-isolating-hi-definition-in-ear-earphone-red-3-5mm-audio-jack-1-2m-cable-105753; I figure there must be some more manufacturers who luck out and manage decent sound despite cheap drivers
 
So for me, if the VSonic is 10/10 in terms of sound, I'd give those 7/10, mostly because I'm not a huge fan of the sound signature and they are a bit dry.  Build quality of the housing is not bad, but I really hate the tangling cable (although it may last longer than cheap rubberry... then again, maybe the wire will peak out from under the nylon sleeve).
 
I'm not sure how I'd score them on detail alone compared to the GR07, because the fit is so finicky I have a hard time doing A-B testing since my audio memory is not very good...

 

[kmhaynes]

Quote:

They do make me want to try more cheap IEMs such as the Focalprice mystery IEM (CK-700) and also this one: http://www.dealextreme.com/p/awei-es-600m-noise-isolating-hi-definition-in-ear-earphone-red-3-5mm-audio-jack-1-2m-cable-105753; I figure there must be some more manufacturers who luck out and manage decent sound despite cheap drivers
 

Those AWEI phones look just like the old SoundMagic PL-11 without the colors -- it was plain silver/chrome.
 
 

 

[Lurkumaural]

I'm in the category of people who doubt that the returns on re-shelling this driver are going to justify the cost. Some things to think about, though, if you have doubts too.

- Diminishing returns are the culmination of the audiophile pursuit. That last 10% or whatever is at the end of your rainbow is gonna be the most expensive. And you know some people here are okay with that.
- Unless someone knows what the MEP-933 driver is and what it's capable of, we are waiting for someone to find out for us.
- Mods costing more than the headphones they're being applied to are not uncommon. Some people want SPC or Cardas on their KSC75, and I do believe I've seen it done on these forums. And Stax pads to get your T50RP to new heights? Worth it? Probably.
- We're looking at a $9 product (shipped to CONUS). Hopefully we're all thinking it's okay to throw some money at making it more special. If someone has the budget for a re-shell, I think it's funny and extreme but I also think it's awesome. And because I personaly have a fit issue with these and potentially all IEMs because my ears are futuristic next-gen prototypes, the idea of getting customs for any decent microdriver may be my best solution.

 

[sunspot]

Quote:

Those AWEI phones look just like the old SoundMagic PL-11 without the colors -- it was plain silver/chrome.
 
 

Yes. However, the manufacturer does not claim "Super Bass" the way SoundMagic does, it's a third of the price, and the reviewer there (not that I know the guy, could be paid for it for all I know...) seems to suggest the bass is pretty clean... which is not really the case for the SoundMagic according to reviews.
 
I may give it a shot for science and do a "attack of the (cheap) clones" thread
 
 

 

[John In Cali]

I guess reshelling it wouldn't be that strange, if:
You are on a really tight budget but need a custom(fit, isolation, comfort, whatevs)
The custom shell improves the sound a smudge.
In these cases they are almost like Beats, sure you can get better quality for the price, but with Beats it has the addition of "style" and these are comfortable.

 

[kmhaynes]

Quote:

Yes. However, the manufacturer does not claim "Super Bass" the way SoundMagic does, it's a third of the price, and the reviewer there (not that I know the guy, could be paid for it for all I know...) seems to suggest the bass is pretty clean... which is not really the case for the SoundMagic according to reviews.
 
I may give it a shot for science and do a "attack of the (cheap) clones" thread
 

Yeah, I know nothing about the AWEI phones -- and wasn't impressed with the PL-11 -- gave it away after a week.  The AWEI may be another hidden gem like the Monoprice!
 

 

[Astrozombie]

So i just got these free Brainwavz Beta with a Nationite N2 and i think i like these better so far, and they actually stay inside my ears

+ 3 different tips. Still thinking of picking up the MEE M6 since now that i let people try good earphones they keep asking me "hey can i borrow some spare earphones you have around"

 
Quote:

Way better than m9

Depends if you want bass...

 

[dweaver]

I also prefer the brainwave beta, not quite as neutral though but definitely more ergonomic. I think these have a better cable than the brainwavz though.

 

[SoundFreaq]

Just got my Westone 3 in the mail. *sigh*
 
As far as Trance authority, there's no contest, the W3 trounces the MP. All over it. 
 
I've heard the W3 is a bit smoother than the TF10. If so, I can understand why the TF10 would sound like "getting double-teamed in the ears." 
 
The W3 has more everything. More bass, more high-end, more clarity. Once you get used to the sort of artificial sound, you can get sucked into the very wide soundstage and highly resolving sound. As far as the bass goes, it's incredibly accurate, and there's so much of it, it MIGHT make up for the fact that it's not dynamic. I STILL prefer the way the bass feels on the MP. Notice I say feels. 
 
BIG PROBLEM. The W3 are sibilant as HELL on Trance vocals, which are the most sibilant-lending vocals in all genres of music, in my opinion. The sibilance is low to moderate on other genres,and bearable. Hugely disappointed. I've tried every tip I own. 
 
In the end, I don't know what I'd reach for when wanting a pure trance session. I don't know if I can get over the harsh sibilance. The MP are definitely more natural sounding. That's a good thing. It takes me a second to get used to the W3 sound, but when I do I like it for the most part. Except the ruining sibilance. Unbearable. Seriously, it's a $300+ earphone. Ugh. 

 

[Chacobo]

There're too many positive feedbacks to not buy a pair for myself...

 

[sunspot]

After spending more time with them, I've realized that they are not very smooth... somewhat fatiguing.  Nice detail, but not very refined and that makes them unsuited for long sessions, especially with such an inconvenient housing.  So I'd lower my assesment to 6.5/10 for now.  Granted, I'm comparing those to the GR07 which is designed for fatigue-free listening, but it's my own scale and I'll darn well make it as arbitrary as I want
 
Possibly some burn-in will help, I'll do that and see.
 
They did make me realize that I can't tolerate earphones with huge bass without EQing anymore.  Sad because my throwaways tend to have big bass.  Now I have to get more throwaways, unless burn-in improves this pair.
 
Ah, well, wallet in danger again... I'd forgotten the sensation

 

[nipit]

Just got them. They sound good, but bass is not enough for me. Guess I'll have to EQ, or maybe after burn in bass will appear?

 

[Kumaazu]

Does anyone else notice a ton of sibilance? Mine are absolutely terrible with some singers.

 

[SoundFreaq]

That's weird. Maybe not fitting them in right? Or you have canals bad for sibilance? The MP are the most unsibilant IEM I've heard. Have you had experience with other IEMs?