[Olliequic]

Hi all, 
 
I am having a bit of trouble deciding which headphones to go with. I can get the SE535s for £270 (and may decide to buy custom ACS sleeves for £90 so that in total is £360). In the past I have had SE210s and although I enjoyed their isolation with the foam olives the sound quality was poor, seemed flat and absolutely no bass - not exciting at all. I have read a lot of reviews on how the SE535s are a giant improvement. I also have thoughts on the T3s and T2s from ACS however I'm not sure I want to take the risk of custom phones without first having custom sleeves. The minority of reviews on the T3s haven't been great and the T2s are £150 more and are only dual drivers (compared to the triple on the 535s). Another question is the T2s will lie flat in the ear so you can rest your head while traveling - one major problem I hate about the 210s, is this still the case with the 535s? and will there be an improvement (e.g more flush) if I get custom sleeves on them?
 
I think I've answered my own question and it seems that the SE535s are the way to go at such a good price. Do you guys agree? any opinions that may help are greatly appreciated.
 
Thanks
 
Oh and by the way are other headphones of comparable quality I should be looking at in my price range (around £300)?
 
EDIT: this first post is now useless after a further 3 hours of reading reviews

 

[Kurdt-bada]

Yes there are headphones at least as good or better : westone 4, sm3 v2, pfe 232, sony ex1000, um3x, jvc fx 700, ck 100 pro...Or the latest heir audio 3ai or 4ai, it depends of what kind of music do you listen to and if you care about good isolation or average you should check the post of 200 iem reviews too

 

[Olliequic]

Well since my original post I have done none-stop research Currently I have original Bose IEs and contrary to popular belief that they are poor headphones I actually really like the sound they give - I find them very involving and the complete opposite of being flat and boring. Because of this I have crossed off the list all the of the shures and aren't going to go for customs just in case they don't suit me. Instead I have narrowed it down to Westone 3s or UM3X.
 
I listen to a lot of rock and alternative - Coldplay, U2, Hot Bodies in Motion (look at them on iTunes - one of my latest discoveries) etc... but also much of the pop chart music (in the UK) and dance/electronic like Madeon. I own some HD 558s and enjoy listening to them, the sound is warm, not tinny nor flat and sound is crisp and clear with kicky yet controlled bass.
 
Taking into consideration my love for the Bose IEs which have so called "muddy base" - although I don't consider myself to be a bass-head by any means - and my love for my 558s that is why I have narrowed it down to the 3s or the UM3xs. I am however stuck here. Comfort is probably as important as sound quality to me hence why I love my IEs as they are so light and comfortable, I find my 210s bearable but after a couple of hours it feels like my ears have swollen.
 
Any more advice? Thanks
 
EDIT: I am now also taking into consideration: IE80s with ACS tips and Minerva Mi-3s, I've also emailed ACS to see if they are able to make sleeves for W3s/UM3Xs.

 

[winkyeye]

W3 will better suit you. Going from a bass heavy IEM to something like the UM3X will give you a hard time adjusting