[Carefree]

Hi,
 
Sorry for another vs. vs. vs. thread.
 
I am looking for a new pair of IEMs, my short history:
 
Q-Jays:  £60 - eBay
Pros:  Loved the detail, and the fit.  Sound signature took some getting used to, but I missed it when it was gone.
Cons:  Cable lengths didn't work for me, needs a clip in order to use extension.  Not great for rap due to the bright sound signature, but super for any guitar based music (IMO).
 
Monster Turbine:  Forgot how much I got them for.  Barely remember even having them.
 
Klipsch X10:  £100 - Amazon (after the X10i came out and they were getting rid of the old X10)
Pros:  Loved the warm sound signature, comfy
Cons:  Nothing really, I'd still be using them if my girlfriend didn't break them.  Microphonics not great.
 
RE0:  £60 head direct.
Pros:  Great value for money
Cons:  Not floored by them, I don't feel they do anything that I love (sorry, I know that heresy in this forum), just find them a bit boring.
 
I listen to metal, hip-hop, pop, rock, electronic, ad indie mostly.
 
Essentially, I like the detail and soundstage of the Q-Jays (at least how I understand soundstage: hearing the detail let me pick out all of the different instruments and pick scrapes, breathing etc., it felt intimate) and the warm sound of the X10.
 
Price is a factor to me.  I don't mind paying the extra money if something is worth it, but I don't like paying for nothing.  Going through lots of threads and comparisons etc. I have found 5 IEMs that I think will suit me:
 
Klipsch X10:  Found a UK site called everything Audio that has the X10 model for £70.  I'm not convinced about the site though, looks dodgy.  But for £70 for a pair of X10, I think it's worth some research.  But I'll probably pass.  The X10i is £150 on Amazon and I'm not sure they are worth it having read the reviews of the DBA-02 and GR07.  For that money I would get the ATH-CK10 (below).
 
DBA-02 MKII:  £100
 
VSonic GR07:  £100
 
UE TF10:  £120
 
Audio Technica ATH-CK10:  £180.  These looked to me like the pair I wanted from reading comparisons/reviews etc.  Didn't realize that they were out of production until I did a little more research.  Still some pairs floating around though, as you all know, and would cost me about £180 (+possibly some customs charges).
 
I should probably check out Etmotics as well, as they may be up my alley.
 
Recommendations/opinions?

 

[Jeremypsp]

Looks like you prefer a warmer signature. In that case you can go for the GR-07 or TF10 from which you listed. 

 

[Carefree]

Thanks.  I should have also added the IE8 as I may be able to get a pair of those for £120.  So many threads on the IE8 and TF10, have to narrow down the useful ones.

 

[Jeremypsp]

 
Quote:

Thanks.  I should have also added the IE8 as I may be able to get a pair of those for £120.  So many threads on the IE8 and TF10, have to narrow down the useful ones.

 
The IE8 is pretty good for those genres you listed. The DBA-02MKII and CK10(never tried it), would sound bright which you stated you did not really like. 

 

[Carefree]

It's not that I don't like bright signatures, I just liked the overall sound of the X10.  Having said that, I did love my Q-Jays too, and those were definitely bright to my ears.  I guess the problem I have when I read people's comparisons, is that I haven't tried a lot of IEMs (more than the average dude, but a neophyte in here).  All of these things are relative, I suppose.  Are Q-Jays considered to be bright or neutral?

 

[Xinn3r]

+1 to the GR07
 
If you didn't really like the RE0, you probably won't like the CK10... very flat and bright

 

[s0lar]

GR07, great allround and has most warm, mid-centric sound of your list. Sibilance can be a minor issue but is very low compared to dba-02 and ck10.
IE8 perhaps fits you even beter but is pricier and overall SQ is not at the level of GR07.

 

[Jeremypsp]

 
Quote:

It's not that I don't like bright signatures, I just liked the overall sound of the X10.  Having said that, I did love my Q-Jays too, and those were definitely bright to my ears.  I guess the problem I have when I read people's comparisons, is that I haven't tried a lot of IEMs (more than the average dude, but a neophyte in here).  All of these things are relative, I suppose.  Are Q-Jays considered to be bright or neutral?

 
I consider the Q-jays to be fairly bright. But since you prefer the dark and warm signature of the X10, isn't it wiser to go with something similar to that? And the IE8, GR-07 and TF10 will all have a wider soundstage than the X10. They also have a fairly dark and warm signature as well.

 

[Byakushiki]

 
Quote:

Thanks.  I should have also added the IE8 as I may be able to get a pair of those for £120.  So many threads on the IE8 and TF10, have to narrow down the useful ones.

 
TF10 is a fairly safe choice, although you won't get the same bass impact as a dynamic. Generally though, it's got a fun bass and good treble, in terms of extension an detail. Still maintains a sense of balance despite that.
 
IE8...At 120 quid for an IE8, I'd suspect it's fake. Too good to be true.
 
GR07...Nothing bad to say about it, nothing good either, since I haven't heard it. I question it being better than an IE8 though. Especially for bassheads.
 
 

 

[Techno Kid]

I have or have heard most of the IEM's you mentioned and for price vs. performance the best that I've heard is the Rockit Sounds R-50 (I know I'm fanboy'ing the hell out of these).  It has the same driver as the UE700, Q-Jays and CK10 but tuned a bit different from them.  It still has all the detail but they tuned it to be a little warmer than most TWFK based sets.  Has the good soundstage that most TWFK drivers are known for and the separation and imaging is really good also.  Just something you might want to checkout because it sounds a lot like the CK10 but its around $100 cheaper, the sell them shipped for $119.99 or about 75 British pounds.

 

[Carefree]

Thanks for all of the responses.  It seems like the GR07 is the overwhelming favourite, as well as the TF10.  I'll do some checking in to he R-50, haven't heard about them before.
 
I only really added the TF10s to the list because their price seems to be drastically reduced from what it was a year ago, half of the price.  Considering that they are now basically the same price as the GR07, and people are still picking the VSonics, then who was buying the TF10 at the old price (£250)?
 
I want to hear them all, is this how you develop an IEM habit?

 

[Jeremypsp]

 
Quote:

Thanks for all of the responses.  It seems like the GR07 is the overwhelming favourite, as well as the TF10.  I'll do some checking in to he R-50, haven't heard about them before.
 
I only really added the TF10s to the list because their price seems to be drastically reduced from what it was a year ago, half of the price.  Considering that they are now basically the same price as the GR07, and people are still picking the VSonics, then who was buying the TF10 at the old price (£250)?
 
I want to hear them all, is this how you develop an IEM habit?

 
I would say that the TF10 very well competes with those at it's price range (old price). It's a worthy competitor of the Westone 3. The GR-07 is picked more often because of the better fit and because it really is one of the most bang-for-buck IEMs as in it's worth more than you pay for. Both are very well worth it as the now price.

Well, listening to lots of IEM and headphones will eventually lead to you finding your favourite signature. (I did, but that was until I bought Westone 4R and found out they weren't my favourite signature, but still like them nonetheless).