Ultimate Ears TripleFi 10, Klipsch Custom 3's, Image X 10's or IE8's?
Sep 28, 2011 at 2:39 AM Post #3 of 15
TF10 has plenty of bass, especially when it's properly amped. The IE8 has decent treble detail, but it's often overshadowed by the huge midbass hump. I heard they are coming out with a new version of the IE8 (IE80 I believe) which apparently fixes almost all the flaws present in the existing IE8.
 
I can't comment on the Klipsch x10 or Custom 3's as I haven't heard them.
 
Oct 2, 2011 at 5:22 PM Post #5 of 15
Quote:
scaryfatkidgt said:
Has anyone heard the X10's?
Click to expand...

 

Have them in as I'm typing this my friend. The X10's are slightly thick and warm, but very fun and musical, with a good bit of sub-bass and mid-bass emphasis, though nothing overemphasized. Hence I wouldn't go as far as to say that they're bass-heavy, especially in comparison to, say, the FX700, Atrio M5, DDM2, or even the MTP series. Instead, they have just the right amount of weight/body/impact, especially when the track calls for it. This happens to be my favorite aspect of the X10's, in that they don't color every track with (at times) unnecessarily overemphasized bass.
 
Considering their minute size, I was quite surprised by the sound coming out of these tiny monitors. The highs are slightly laid back, while the mids and lows appear to be the focus of the X10's, both of which are ever so slightly a tad forward in nature. Fortunately, the lows steer clear of the mids, and hence, midrange bleed is next to nonexistent. Overall they're very fun and musical (easily rival the TF10's in that aspect), and comfort and fit is levels above either the TF10/IE8, though the latter two easily excel when it comes to bass quantity. I've never owned the Custom 3's, so I can't really comment there. In any case, the X10's are much more geared towards the listener who prefers an overall slightly warm, but very fun and musical sound. When it comes to small ears, I can't think of any other in-ears I'd recommend over the X10's. 
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Oct 9, 2011 at 9:43 PM Post #8 of 15
I've owned the TF10s, X10s, and IE8s. Of the three, the pair that's stayed with me are the Sennheisers. If I had to rank them in order of preference, it would be TF10 < X10 < IE8. The latter two have some treble roll off if compared to the TF10, but those just sounded unnatural to me. All three have emphasized bass IMO, the TF10s being quite U-shaped in their freq. response and the other two having very warm, rich mids.
 
The X10s are supremely comfortable because of the light weight and the tips, but quite difficult to wear over the ear and stick out a bit. The IE8s aren't far behind IMO and I prefer that they are more flat to the ear and can have the cable run over the ear. I'm sure if you've looked into it, you know about the fit problems many people have with the TF10s. They were fine for me if I didn't move around too much, otherwise the left earpiece would fall out 'cause my left ear is weird I guess.
 
Your music preferences will play a role as well, obviously. If you listen to a lot of electronic music, maybe the TF10s would be great. The IE8s have the best timbre accuracy I've heard in a universal, which is important to me.
 
Good luck with whatever choice you make. I don't know what you're coming from, but all of the ones you're looking at (that I've heard at least) are good. There are a lot of top tiers now, so don't neglect the other options.
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Oct 10, 2011 at 2:42 AM Post #9 of 15
When you talk about liking bass heavy, are you specifically asking for moderate bass emphasis or are you simply worried about getting an earphone that lacks bass?  For example, would you still seek more if you used an earphone will a well extended and well represented bass response?  Or, do you specifically prefer bass boost and bass dominance in the presentation?
 
The difference between these two things will influence your end result.
 
The Custom 3 is a better product than the X10.  Klipsch in their own words on their own forum have stated this plainly.  Is the Custom 3 a good choice?  In of itself the Custom 3 is an excellent earphone.  For the things you specifically seek, there are better options out there.  The Custom 3 is a product will a balanced bass response that is well represented, however treble is quite rolled off on the top end.  Most of the stuff above 10kHz is quite lacking, and EQing doesn't solve it.  This is strictly a mechanical limitation of the treble driver.
 
I've never used the X10 personlly, so i can't comment on its details.  I will state that it is a single BA driver earphone and subsequently it will lack treble, bass, or both automatically.  There isn't a single BA driver product out there that covers the spectrum fully.  The ER4 doesn't.  The PFE doesn't.  Some of the better implementations come from a hybrid moving armature design used by Ortofon and Final Audio.  This technology does cover the entire spectrum better.  Dynamic driver earphones are also good at covering the spectrum well.  At the end of the day when we're talking about BA based products you absolutely need at least two drivers to fully cover the spectrum.  It just doesn't happen with one.  There is always some form of shortcoming on one end or the other or on both ends of the spectrum.  I would scratch the X10 off specifically for the fact that it's a single BA product as I know it won't cover the whole spectrum.
 
The Triple.Fi 10 is a mindlessly fun earphone.  It also has the frequency response extension that you seek.  The bass of the Triple.Fi 10 is actually well balanced, but the notes are thick and punchy which tends to make people feel it's a little bass heavy.  I could say there is emphasis due to the thickness of note, but from a frequency response point of view it's actually well balanced.  Treble on the other hand is emphasized a good bit and is mainly why people complain about recessed mids.  The treble is strong with this earphone.  It's dominant and energetic, but it's also sweet and not overly edgy.  This is just a really fun but colored earphone.
 
The IE8 is a neat product.  It's actually a pretty well balanced earphone with just a minor influence that gets a lot of attention.  The bass is emphasized.  However it's not like it's just a massive amount of bass.  There are worse offenders in this regard.  What really grates against people is how wide the bass hump is with this earphone.  It's centered at 100Hz and covers everything up to 1kHz.  This makes for an overall warm and bass focused sound.  The response is smooth though which actually helps things.  The bass knob is of no help.  The knob only affects the lower half, everything below 100Hz, so it does nothing for everything from 100Hz to 1kHz.  You can either have the bottom end or make the bottom end lacking.  The best fix is the bass knob at full and a wide EQ cut centered at 100Hz.  However, this isn't necessary.  You do get used to the bassy signature with time, and the overall balance and smooth response is quite good once you're accustomed.  The driver itself is quite good at extending both very low effortless as well as very high.  However, the driver is a touch sluggish on the top end.  The sensitivity is there, but the details start to get smoothed over just a little up top.  It's not bad though.
 
The FX700 was mentioned.  This is another earphone with a mild bass emphasis.  It's just slightly warm in signature.  The sound quality is extremely good.  I kind of view the FX700 as a superior earphone to the IE8 or Monster Turbine products.  For anyone thinking about those, they should just go straight to the FX700.  This earphone just does everything better.  The level of detail, texture, decay, sound stage, etc. are all excellent.  The frequency response isn't flat with a cut at 1khz, but it's smooth and likable.  The FX700 does roll off above 10kHz though and the presentation on the high end doesn't carry the same level of presence as the low end.  Treble doesn't end up sounding warm though, just lacking that top end air and sparkle.  Level of detail is quite high too, although it isn't as energetic as the lower end.  The result is simply a warmer overall signature with a stronger focus towards the low end.  It does do enough good to out weigh the shortcomings though, so it's hard to fault it unless you absolutely seek that top end bite and air.  
 
A common theme however is that most bass geared products often do lack top end performance, so it's somewhat rare to find a product that offers the shear breadth of response that can do everything from 20Hz to 20kHz really well with quality extension, detail, and energy throughout.  Very, very few products can do this well.  The only one that comes to mind is the Triple.Fi 10.  Mind you it is a colored sound, but EQing certainly can improve things if you do seek balance.  One of the bigger benefits of the Triple.Fi 10 is it's shear breadth of performance.  It just covers the spectrum so completely.  The low end is full and powerful and can dig deep.  The high end sparkles, bites, and carries high raw energy.  The midrange is actually quite excellent too, although most folks gloss over that and simply call it recessed.  Rather the treble sensitivity simply overshadows it to some degree.  If I were to suggest a product to you, I would certainly lean you towards the Triple.Fi 10 as an option.  The only reason I might shy you away from a pair is simply due to the coloration.  Balance is friends with everyone.  Coloration doesn't always get along with people or certain musical genres.  In this sense the color of the Triple.Fi 10 does bit itself in the rear sometimes depending on your preference or what you're listening to.  Now the fix is simple if you have the EQing processing, but if you don't you're stuck.  Being stuck's no fun, regardless of how enjoyable the Triple.Fi 10 sounds most of the time.  I do often prefer to lean somewhat towards a more balanced option.  For example I would certainly lean you towards the FX700 as an excellent option for overall balance as well as excellent overall sound quality.  It's just that you may still long for more top end, and the FX700 may just not cut it.  The IE8 could certainly be a runner up.  It does retain that top end extension even if the driver isn't the most articulate and detailed up there.  At least the sensitivity stays.
 
There are certainly a lot of other earphones that we also haven't listed yet that you may choose to include.  A simple example is the Westone 3 or maybe even 4 depending on your budget, the Ortofon e-Q7, or an option I got to listen to more recently Final Audio's FI-BA-SB (Heaven S).  The Westones are excellent products in their own right and extremely well liked.  I've only used the UM3X personally and while exceptional in performance, they are very colored and require a lot of EQing to transition from musician's tool to consumer listening device.  The Westone 3 and 4 are geared more readily towards consumer listening, but I haven't listened to either personally.  I would very, VERY much not overlook Westone as an option.  The 3 and 4 are high end and well loved products for a reason, so they very much better be on your short list somewhere.  The e-Q7 is an excellent product, very well balanced, well extended on both ends, and offers reasonable bass, although the focus is slightly towards the mids and treble.  It's just a really good comprehensive package that does a lot of things well.  The FI-BA-SB is likely a better match to you with a warmer, fuller sound and a much more naturally full and presented bass response.  Balance is good, but again treble is laid back and lacking (the e-Q7 being a little better in terms of total breadth).  In this sense, the SB is a lot like the FX700, warm, excellent low end presentation, but a more laid back and rolled off top end.  The FX700 is better textured and detailed.  The SB is more rounded but loose.  Both offer very high clarity, but I might offer a mild edge to the FX700.  .
 
At the end of the day, you really need to weigh your trade-offs.  That's sort of all there is to it.  Certain options offer certain traits, and you have to kind of decide of you can give up or make allowances for certain aspects in order to gain other aspects that are more important to you.  You also need to weigh what you have control over and if that will influence your results.  For example, if you have a music player with a 10 band graphic EQ, you aren't exactly bound to the stock frequency response of the earphone.  This gives you some freedom to take a more colored product like the Triple.Fi 10 and balance it out.  However, if you don't have that luxury but still definitely value good balance, you would need to aim for products that offer that better response right out of the box.
 
Nov 14, 2011 at 10:54 PM Post #11 of 15


Quote:
mvw2 said:
When you talk about liking bass heavy, are you specifically asking for moderate bass emphasis or are you simply worried about getting an earphone that lacks bass?  For example, would you still seek more if you used an earphone will a well extended and well represented bass response?  Or, do you specifically prefer bass boost and bass dominance in the presentation?
 
The difference between these two things will influence your end result.
 
The Custom 3 is a better product than the X10.  Klipsch in their own words on their own forum have stated this plainly.  Is the Custom 3 a good choice?  In of itself the Custom 3 is an excellent earphone.  For the things you specifically seek, there are better options out there.  The Custom 3 is a product will a balanced bass response that is well represented, however treble is quite rolled off on the top end.  Most of the stuff above 10kHz is quite lacking, and EQing doesn't solve it.  This is strictly a mechanical limitation of the treble driver.
 
I've never used the X10 personlly, so i can't comment on its details.  I will state that it is a single BA driver earphone and subsequently it will lack treble, bass, or both automatically.  There isn't a single BA driver product out there that covers the spectrum fully.  The ER4 doesn't.  The PFE doesn't.  Some of the better implementations come from a hybrid moving armature design used by Ortofon and Final Audio.  This technology does cover the entire spectrum better.  Dynamic driver earphones are also good at covering the spectrum well.  At the end of the day when we're talking about BA based products you absolutely need at least two drivers to fully cover the spectrum.  It just doesn't happen with one.  There is always some form of shortcoming on one end or the other or on both ends of the spectrum.  I would scratch the X10 off specifically for the fact that it's a single BA product as I know it won't cover the whole spectrum.
 
The Triple.Fi 10 is a mindlessly fun earphone.  It also has the frequency response extension that you seek.  The bass of the Triple.Fi 10 is actually well balanced, but the notes are thick and punchy which tends to make people feel it's a little bass heavy.  I could say there is emphasis due to the thickness of note, but from a frequency response point of view it's actually well balanced.  Treble on the other hand is emphasized a good bit and is mainly why people complain about recessed mids.  The treble is strong with this earphone.  It's dominant and energetic, but it's also sweet and not overly edgy.  This is just a really fun but colored earphone.
 
The IE8 is a neat product.  It's actually a pretty well balanced earphone with just a minor influence that gets a lot of attention.  The bass is emphasized.  However it's not like it's just a massive amount of bass.  There are worse offenders in this regard.  What really grates against people is how wide the bass hump is with this earphone.  It's centered at 100Hz and covers everything up to 1kHz.  This makes for an overall warm and bass focused sound.  The response is smooth though which actually helps things.  The bass knob is of no help.  The knob only affects the lower half, everything below 100Hz, so it does nothing for everything from 100Hz to 1kHz.  You can either have the bottom end or make the bottom end lacking.  The best fix is the bass knob at full and a wide EQ cut centered at 100Hz.  However, this isn't necessary.  You do get used to the bassy signature with time, and the overall balance and smooth response is quite good once you're accustomed.  The driver itself is quite good at extending both very low effortless as well as very high.  However, the driver is a touch sluggish on the top end.  The sensitivity is there, but the details start to get smoothed over just a little up top.  It's not bad though.
 
The FX700 was mentioned.  This is another earphone with a mild bass emphasis.  It's just slightly warm in signature.  The sound quality is extremely good.  I kind of view the FX700 as a superior earphone to the IE8 or Monster Turbine products.  For anyone thinking about those, they should just go straight to the FX700.  This earphone just does everything better.  The level of detail, texture, decay, sound stage, etc. are all excellent.  The frequency response isn't flat with a cut at 1khz, but it's smooth and likable.  The FX700 does roll off above 10kHz though and the presentation on the high end doesn't carry the same level of presence as the low end.  Treble doesn't end up sounding warm though, just lacking that top end air and sparkle.  Level of detail is quite high too, although it isn't as energetic as the lower end.  The result is simply a warmer overall signature with a stronger focus towards the low end.  It does do enough good to out weigh the shortcomings though, so it's hard to fault it unless you absolutely seek that top end bite and air.  
 
A common theme however is that most bass geared products often do lack top end performance, so it's somewhat rare to find a product that offers the shear breadth of response that can do everything from 20Hz to 20kHz really well with quality extension, detail, and energy throughout.  Very, very few products can do this well.  The only one that comes to mind is the Triple.Fi 10.  Mind you it is a colored sound, but EQing certainly can improve things if you do seek balance.  One of the bigger benefits of the Triple.Fi 10 is it's shear breadth of performance.  It just covers the spectrum so completely.  The low end is full and powerful and can dig deep.  The high end sparkles, bites, and carries high raw energy.  The midrange is actually quite excellent too, although most folks gloss over that and simply call it recessed.  Rather the treble sensitivity simply overshadows it to some degree.  If I were to suggest a product to you, I would certainly lean you towards the Triple.Fi 10 as an option.  The only reason I might shy you away from a pair is simply due to the coloration.  Balance is friends with everyone.  Coloration doesn't always get along with people or certain musical genres.  In this sense the color of the Triple.Fi 10 does bit itself in the rear sometimes depending on your preference or what you're listening to.  Now the fix is simple if you have the EQing processing, but if you don't you're stuck.  Being stuck's no fun, regardless of how enjoyable the Triple.Fi 10 sounds most of the time.  I do often prefer to lean somewhat towards a more balanced option.  For example I would certainly lean you towards the FX700 as an excellent option for overall balance as well as excellent overall sound quality.  It's just that you may still long for more top end, and the FX700 may just not cut it.  The IE8 could certainly be a runner up.  It does retain that top end extension even if the driver isn't the most articulate and detailed up there.  At least the sensitivity stays.
 
There are certainly a lot of other earphones that we also haven't listed yet that you may choose to include.  A simple example is the Westone 3 or maybe even 4 depending on your budget, the Ortofon e-Q7, or an option I got to listen to more recently Final Audio's FI-BA-SB (Heaven S).  The Westones are excellent products in their own right and extremely well liked.  I've only used the UM3X personally and while exceptional in performance, they are very colored and require a lot of EQing to transition from musician's tool to consumer listening device.  The Westone 3 and 4 are geared more readily towards consumer listening, but I haven't listened to either personally.  I would very, VERY much not overlook Westone as an option.  The 3 and 4 are high end and well loved products for a reason, so they very much better be on your short list somewhere.  The e-Q7 is an excellent product, very well balanced, well extended on both ends, and offers reasonable bass, although the focus is slightly towards the mids and treble.  It's just a really good comprehensive package that does a lot of things well.  The FI-BA-SB is likely a better match to you with a warmer, fuller sound and a much more naturally full and presented bass response.  Balance is good, but again treble is laid back and lacking (the e-Q7 being a little better in terms of total breadth).  In this sense, the SB is a lot like the FX700, warm, excellent low end presentation, but a more laid back and rolled off top end.  The FX700 is better textured and detailed.  The SB is more rounded but loose.  Both offer very high clarity, but I might offer a mild edge to the FX700.  .
 
At the end of the day, you really need to weigh your trade-offs.  That's sort of all there is to it.  Certain options offer certain traits, and you have to kind of decide of you can give up or make allowances for certain aspects in order to gain other aspects that are more important to you.  You also need to weigh what you have control over and if that will influence your results.  For example, if you have a music player with a 10 band graphic EQ, you aren't exactly bound to the stock frequency response of the earphone.  This gives you some freedom to take a more colored product like the Triple.Fi 10 and balance it out.  However, if you don't have that luxury but still definitely value good balance, you would need to aim for products that offer that better response right out of the box.
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I deffenatly want the bass enfesized from a total flat response but it is also how much they can put out for example both my Image S4's and Image ONE's can put out how ever little or stupidly skull crushing amount of bass I want where my Shure SRH840's have the perfect amount of base for me in critical listening but if I am listening to them in a car or noisy area it seems like they have no bass at all and boosting the bass does nothing for them.
 
I really like the bass extention and level/response of the S4's but I think what I don't like about them is the increase from 5k to 10k http://www.headphone.com/headphones/klipsch-image-s4i.php I beleave this is what makes them sound very good for classical, acustic, techno ect but it makes the guitars and cymblas in heavy metal sound like marbles in a blender. Unfortunatly (as you said) this 10k area is where most other bass heavy headphone dive bomb to nothing in response.
 
The X10's don't seem bad at all except for bombing at 14ishk (bass looks similar to the S4's) http://www.headphone.com/headphones/klipsch-x-10i.php
 
I don't think I would like the IE8's or Westone 3's because of there upper bass boost, I'm looking for more mid/subbass (<100hz) the IE8's start there boost arouns 1000hz but idk I might like them its hard to know without listening.
 
I would also preffer a replaceable cable but its not required. What did you mean by "I've only used the UM3X personally and while exceptional in performance, they are very colored and require a lot of EQing to transition from musician's tool to consumer listening device."
 
Nov 14, 2011 at 11:34 PM Post #12 of 15
TF10 is still my favorite universal of all time, for the above mentioned reasons.
 
Nov 28, 2011 at 10:07 PM Post #13 of 15
Are the Shure SE215 and 315's single BA's? I'm confused on the packaging it says the 215's only go to 17.5kHz but here there graph goes higher than even the 535's http://www.headphone.com/headphones/shure-se215.php
 
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