Ultimate Ears Triple Fi 10 Thread

[Fungus]

  Mine broke. The front part of the headphone that holds the tip just separated from the back part (the part with the metallic green paint). I've since purchased three new pairs of full size open headphones, which I enjoy, but I'm still left without a good IEM. 
 
The Triple.Fi 10s were definitely one of my favorite headphones I've had, and arguably the best value. 

That's why I've given up owning expensive iems and instead just play with a pair for a few weeks and sell it off knowing they won't last long. In general, iem don't last very long even if when taken care off. So many stories of balanced armature drivers failing for no reason.
 
Despite owning 3 pairs in the past, I never considered the tf10 to be all the great. For just music enjoyment they sound great but when compared similar priced iems, it's just meh. Yes it has decent sound stage and bass is tight is reaches low but lacks punch and the treble can get a little harsh sounding at times along with recessed mids and poor instrument separation. 

 

[abhinit90]

  That's why I've given up owning expensive iems and instead just play with a pair for a few weeks and sell it off knowing they won't last long. In general, iem don't last very long even if when taken care off. So many stories of balanced armature drivers failing for no reason.
 
Despite owning 3 pairs in the past, I never considered the tf10 to be all the great. For just music enjoyment they sound great but when compared similar priced iems, it's just meh. Yes it has decent sound stage and bass is tight is reaches low but lacks punch and the treble can get a little harsh sounding at times along with recessed mids and poor instrument separation. 

There's just something about the TF10 that makes it special, for me.

 

[drizek]

  That's why I've given up owning expensive iems and instead just play with a pair for a few weeks and sell it off knowing they won't last long. In general, iem don't last very long even if when taken care off. So many stories of balanced armature drivers failing for no reason.
 
Despite owning 3 pairs in the past, I never considered the tf10 to be all the great. For just music enjoyment they sound great but when compared similar priced iems, it's just meh. Yes it has decent sound stage and bass is tight is reaches low but lacks punch and the treble can get a little harsh sounding at times along with recessed mids and poor instrument separation. 

 
To be fair, i owned them for about 5 years before they broke (I did need 3 cable replacements though)
 
The bass is really quite good for an iem. Keep in mind, I came from an Ety ER4P. I also don't find the highs to be harsh, certainly nothing like a Beyerdynamic or AKG k701. 
 
And for the sound quality you get for $99,, it's hard to think of anything that can offer the same kind of value. I think if I had paid more for them I wouldn't be so attached to them, although they are easily worth at least $199 in my opinion. 

 

[HiFiChris]

They used to retail for ~ $400 (or even more? Can't recall the exact MRSP) in the beginning and were also worth it (back then). Even today, they aren't worth much less (imho of course).

According to an industry insider, the price they retailed for after production was stopped would just barely cover material and production costs.
Anyway, at that low price they were gifted sold for in the end, they were absolute no-brainers. Effing awesome deal if you ask me.

Yeah, there is still something magical about those Triple.Fi 10s.

 

[Fungus]

   
To be fair, i owned them for about 5 years before they broke (I did need 3 cable replacements though)
 
The bass is really quite good for an iem. Keep in mind, I came from an Ety ER4P. I also don't find the highs to be harsh, certainly nothing like a Beyerdynamic or AKG k701. 
 
And for the sound quality you get for $99,, it's hard to think of anything that can offer the same kind of value. I think if I had paid more for them I wouldn't be so attached to them, although they are easily worth at least $199 in my opinion. 

So you were one of lucky ones back then to grab a pair during black friday. Yeah for $100 no doubt they are a bargain particular when the us dollar was so low back then.  

 

[chapel]

So, last night, my dog chewed on the foam tips of my TF10s and destroyed the plastic that holds it.
I've had these IEMs since that $99 Amazon sale like 6 years ago
Should I re-shell them or are there better headphones for the cost of a re-shell?
Everyone still like Fisher?

 

[Poak]

hey guys,
 
My TF10's died like 2 years ago after using them for a few years. Those were my first 'high-end' IEM (and favourite IEM I ever tried) and when they died I replaced them with some eh 100$ sony headphones. I'm tired of those so I'm looking to buy a new high-end IEM. So far I'm planning on buying westone W40, anyone has recommandations other than the W40s?

 

[HiFiChris]

  hey guys,
 
My TF10's died like 2 years ago after using them for a few years. Those were my first 'high-end' IEM (and favourite IEM I ever tried) and when they died I replaced them with some eh 100$ sony headphones. I'm tired of those so I'm looking to buy a new high-end IEM. So far I'm planning on buying westone W40, anyone has recommandations other than the W40s?

The W40 has got a completely different sound signature.

 

[Zenifyx]

  So, last night, my dog chewed on the foam tips of my TF10s and destroyed the plastic that holds it.
I've had these IEMs since that $99 Amazon sale like 6 years ago
Should I re-shell them or are there better headphones for the cost of a re-shell?
Everyone still like Fisher?

 
The tf10s are well past their heyday, and your tf10 drivers are 6 years old by now.
You'd do well in getting a new pair of IEM/CIEMs rather than gambling that your tf10 drivers would survive another 4 years.

 

[chapel]

What's similar in sonic quality these days?

 

[Poak]

 

The W40 has got a completely different sound signature.

Do you have any IEM recommandation that has similar sound signature to TF10s but is more recent? 200-500$ price range
 
Surely I could get used to a different sound signature, but it would suck to spend 450$ on W40s to end up disliking them.
 
Edit: I saw UE released UE 900 that are suposed to replace TF10s but I'm not sure they would be a good purchase

 

[HiFiChris]

@Poak

The UE900 also sound different, much more balanced (but very good in-ears on their own, though not with the TF10-sound). 

 
 
Your location may make it a bit hard to grab a pair for demo, but I think the Fischer Amps FA-3(E) XB and FA-4E XB could match. Both have got a bit more bass than the Triple.Fi and also more ground-tone, but also have the overall better resolution (esp. the 4E XB), though bass is a bit softer (back-vented woofers vs closed-back Triple.Fi 10 woofers). If you want that typical Triple.Fi 10 feeling (rather cold mids, "dirtiness" in the treble), I would go for the 3(E) XB. With a more natural mid-range and and overall better resolution, the FA-4E would be an upgrade (sound signature is basically just like the FA-3(E) XB, but with a slightly differently tuned mid-range), but loses that typical "Triple.Fi 10-feeling" - it's like a more mature, grown-up version of the Triple.Fis, despite having a bit more bass.

If you want to try something else that isn't as good as the Triple.Fi 10 but a really nice set of dynamic in-ears, you could give the DUNU Titan 5 a try. Bass is almost identical to the Triple.Fi 10 in terms of tonality, but mids are different (more prominent) and the treble is also different (TF10 = recessed lower + middle treble, upper treble peak; Titan 5 = normal lower treble + broad-banded upper middle treble peak, no peak in the upper treble). I don't know if they still take applications, but afaIk, there is a Canadian review-tour of the Titan 5 going on atm.


By the way, what source are you using? It might be that your TF10 don't sound as intended at the moment (source's output impedance); they have more treble on a low-impedance source and lose sparkle the higher the output impedance gets.

 

[Poak]

@HiFiChris thanks for the detailed reply
 
My source is my cellphone and occasionally my computer. That's not the issue with my TF10s I think. 
 
The problem with my TF10s is really weird. When I first put them on they work OK, but the left earphone gradually loses volume as I keep them on, or if I keep taking them off and back on. I think the issue is related to the pressure in the earphone or something if that makes any sense. When I put them on they completely seal my ear canal which changes the pressure in the IEM. 
 
It's not the cable, I tried changing that. 
 
Anyways, I googled the models you suggested and there seems to be little info about them. I also can't find any canada or US based shop that sells them online

 

[chapel]

how are the Ultimate Ears Pro4s or UE900s?

 

[AeroSatan]

Do you have any IEM recommandation that has similar sound signature to TF10s but is more recent? 200-500$ price range

Surely I could get used to a different sound signature, but it would suck to spend 450$ on W40s to end up disliking them.

Edit: I saw UE released UE 900 that are suposed to replace TF10s but I'm not sure they would be a good purchase

Sony XBA Z5's. Incredibly better in every way. Look no further.