[martinmach]

Hi,

This is my first thread. I brought a D2 couple of days back. I tried using with Phillips SHS 8000 and Creative EP 630. The SHS 8000 has very good highs and mids but very weak bass. so I am looking for some good quality IEMs. Really got swept away by the shear amount of choices available.

I travel a lot and look for high amount of portability and sound isolation. I listen to a lot of podcasts,hip-hop,jazz,rock and hint of classical music. I am not much of a basshead, but certain amount of it is sure welcome. there is threat of misplacing them somewhere,so i want to keep to low priced ones to avoid worrying. my budget (70$). I read about the pros of the below IEM's and i need your advise over the cons:

Ultimate Ears Super.fi 3 Studio :
1. the cable is brittle, how long does it take for them to get a lot of wear.
2. low bass but i will Probably upgrade it with Shure Black Foam Sleeves
3. sound clarity wise, is it better than iM716?

Altec Lansing inMotion iM716 Headphones :
1. the power output is supposed to be weak. is this a major problem?
2. The filters are supposed to get dirty and should be replaced often. how often?
3. can I use the Shure Black Foam Sleeves on top of the filter?


Thanks in advance,
Martin

 

[Rob E.]

Quote:

Originally Posted by martinmach /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi, This is my first thread. I brought a D2 couple of days back. I tried using with Phillips SHS 8000 and Creative EP 630. The SHS 8000 has very good highs and mids but very weak bass. so I am looking for some good quality IEMs. Really got swept away by the shear amount of choices available. I travel a lot and look for high amount of portability and sound isolation. I listen to a lot of podcasts,hip-hop,jazz,rock and hint of classical music. I am not much of a basshead, but certain amount of it is sure welcome. there is threat of misplacing them somewhere,so i want to keep to low priced ones to avoid worrying. my budget (70$). I read about the pros of the below IEM's and i need your advise over the cons:

Ultimate Ears Super.fi 3 Studio :
1. the cable is brittle, how long does it take for them to get a lot of wear.
Wouldn't say brittle, just not a great cable. It's good enough.

2. low bass but i will Probably upgrade it with Shure Black Foam Sleeves
You can't improve the bass with shure foam sleeves. You can improve the seal which will give you more apparent bass.

3. sound clarity wise, is it better than iM716?
Not even close to the top-end extension & clarity of the iM716.

Altec Lansing inMotion iM716 Headphones :
1. the power output is supposed to be weak. is this a major problem?
Probably not a major problem with the D2.

2. The filters are supposed to get dirty and should be replaced often. how often?
How dirty do your ears get? You may or may not produce a lot of earwax.

3. can I use the Shure Black Foam Sleeves on top of the filter?
Yes.

Thanks in advance,
Martin

Just a suggestion... The D2's a quality DAP. You should probably consider the next level of IEM to get the most out of your source.

IMHO - iM716's are teriffic, but you NEED to do the podectomy to get the most out of them. Also their cable is very microphonic.

Either of your choices could work for you. It's a crapshoot (always).

 

[Anacondastan]

To these ears the UE 3 w/Shure foamies would force you to spend a lot more money for only minute improvements. Trust your ears!

 

[gnychis]

I owned iM716's for a while... I clean my ears every morning and I found that I was still replacing the filters every 2 months... meh

 

[martinmach]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob E. /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ultimate Ears Super.fi 3 Studio : Just a suggestion... The D2's a quality DAP. You should probably consider the next level of IEM to get the most out of your source. IMHO - iM716's are teriffic, but you NEED to do the podectomy to get the most out of them. Also their cable is very microphonic. Either of your choices could work for you. It's a crapshoot (always).

Any of the next level IEM's available for 100$ or less. Is bose IEM for 99$ a better choice than the super.fi?

 

[kite7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gnychis /img/forum/go_quote.gif I owned iM716's for a while... I clean my ears every morning and I found that I was still replacing the filters every 2 months... meh

I never clean my ears and I changed the filter in 5 months

I have the D2 and the im716 runs fine, I used volume 22-24 I forget. Soft flexes and Shure black foams work perfectly though I had to use some force to put on the foam because of the tube diameter.

 

[TSi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by martinmach /img/forum/go_quote.gif Any of the next level IEM's available for 100$ or less. Is bose IEM for 99$ a better choice than the super.fi?

i would never go bose lol!

 

[martinmach]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TSi /img/forum/go_quote.gif i would never go bose lol!

Why not?

 

[robojack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by martinmach /img/forum/go_quote.gif Why not?

Because they're garbage. Overmarketed junk that's all muddy bass and not much else. Don't be fooled by all the Bose ads, there's far better products to be had for under $100. Like most audiophiles, I tend to chuckle whenever I see someone wearing Bose headphones/earphones, cause it's evident they paid a fortune for them.

 

[goober-george]

Quote:

Originally Posted by martinmach /img/forum/go_quote.gif Why not?

They are considered over-priced by most of the head-fi community. *edit* Woops didn't refresh the thread so someone beat me to the punch.

 

[RedSky0]

Don't have any trouble powering the im716's from my H320 either.

I generally find any song that doesn't have a heavy base melody driving it sounds great on them. Don't listen to any hip-hop but they sound great for classical and acoustic particularly, some rock and anything that can showcase their intricacy. Something like say Liquid Tension Experiment sounds immaculate.

Also Shure olives go great with im716s, they're more sturdy than the 'single' foamies you get with the IEM and seem to give a better seal, meaning slightly more impacting base.

 

[DKaz]

I would definitely take a step up from your pirce range. You bought a D2 because you care about sound quality obviously. Spend the extra money and really hear what your D2 can do. Try the Denon C700.

Denon AH-C700

 

[Omega]

Younger members: Search!

Don't expect someone else to do your work for you, if you're not willing to give it a go first. Plenty of information on both 'phones here.

Here's a freebie:
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/min...photos-126552/

Super.fi 3's were disappointing to me, im716's can be excellent, but are very analytical and are not for everybody.

 

[scompton]

I've owned both. I like the im716 and still own them. I listen to the UM1 more because they're more comfortable, especially when hay fever season picks up. The im716 would probably be perfect for me if I could get the small Shure tips on them, but I can only get the medium tips on them with a lot of effort.

The nozzles on the SF3 were just too big for my ear canals. I tried all types of tips, including home made, and the FS mod. They caused too much pain after about 15 - 20 minutes. Since I have a 30-45 minute commute, the didn't work for me. The sound was OK, but I prefer the UM1 and im716. The im716 is often described as bass light, but they are perfect for me. But I think the the K501 has plenty of bass, so YMMV.

 

[johnanderson]

I prefer the im716 over the sf3 in everything except bass. Much better clarity, but then again mines are de-podded. I would say its a toss up between the two if you dont de-pod. Also the microphonics on the im716 are unbearable so if youre moving around alot you might want to consider something else.