[Hard Head]

Hi all,

I typically don't wear earbuds or IEM's, and my only experience so far was a failed try with a JH16Pro FreqPhase. I couldn't get a good fit/seal, and I didn't like the (what I thought was) bass-heavy signature. I prefer a more analytical sound, with more forward mids and good soundstage. For reference, I'm currently enjoying the heck out of a bone-stock Denon D7200 paired with a DX220, and a DP-X1A, before that (which I still have and use, occasionally). Prior to the D7200 was a modded D5000. Initially, I thought I had made a huge mistake with the D7200... I put it back in the box and had intended to sell it, but I brought it back out, bought a different (balanced) cable for it and tried it again. Boy, am I glad I did.

So... given that I'm going to be taking a few cross-country trips, I need something that's reasonably close in signature, in a universal (no customs, please!).

Oh, I should also mention that I suffer from somewhat narrow ear canals, which makes fit an issue. I'm lieaning towards the Campfire Andromeda, but I've read that the nozzle is a bit on the large side, which concerns me.

What say the more experienced here?

 

[BananaOoyoo]

If you prefer forward mids, the Andro S might be a better option than the regular Andromeda. Fit issues could definitely be a problem, depending on the ear structure. That said, neither the D5000 nor the D7200 are bass light, so it's possible you might prefer a warmer sound signature as well.

In addition to the Andromeda, some other IEMs you might want to take a look into are the Oriolus Reborn, Lime Ears Model X, Custom Art Harmony 8.2 (used), and IER-M9.

 

[Hard Head]

Thanks for the recommendations!

If I were willing to push the purchase price a bit, is there something lurking just above my $1k limit that would be a stand-out, "next-level" IEM? I'm also curious to know if a hybrid w/dynamic driver IEM might be more to my liking.