[Mageer]

Hi!
 
I have had the Monster Turbine Pro Gold IEM for almost a year now and I am starting to get somewhat tired of them.
I have decided to buy new IEM in this summer i.e. 2-3 months from now (I cannot buy before due to money issues).
 
From a large list of in ear headphones I have narrowed it down to 3 IEMs.
 

1. Westone 4
2. Shure SE530
3. Shure SE535

 
 
From what I have read it seems like there is no definitive answer to which headphone is the best. I would like headphones that sound different than the MTPG since when I listen to them it always sounds like something is missing in the music. I do not know how to describe what is missing, therefore I hoped that somebody on head-fi.org had listened to all/some of the headphones mentioned and could say which headphone I would like the most if I did not like the MTPG so much.
 
Is the difference between my MTPG and the headphones mentioned significant? Taking into consideration that they cost more than 1.5 times more, I would guess there should at least a significant improvement over the MTPG. 
 

1. Is it true that the SE530 and the SE535 has the exact same driver, that the SE535 is only smaller?
2. Does the 4 drivers in W4 actually play a significant role in the SQ or is it only for advertisement?
3. What headphone, in your opinion, is the most comfortable?
4. What headphone has the least microphonic cable, as the MTPG's cable is extremely annoying.
5. Could you please describe in detail the difference between each headphone?
6. Is the PTH function in the Shure SE530PTH usefull?
7. Lastly, is the mids in the Shures as overpowering as people tend to say they are, and the treble rolled off?

 
I listen mostly to Hip-Hop, RnB, Pop, Rap, Rock and Dubstep/Trance.
 
 
 
Please be nice and do not come with comments telling me that I am a noob as this is my first thread on head-fi.
 
Thanks in advance

 

[Mageer]

bump, + I believe that what I dislike about the MTPG is that the sound is too cold. The bass is nice and smooth, but I believe the mids are very weak, I am looking for warmer headphones.

 

[Anaxilus]

Quote:

bump, + I believe that what I dislike about the MTPG is that the sound is too cold. The bass is nice and smooth, but I believe the mids are very weak, I am looking for warmer headphones.

No offense but I think you don't know what you mean by warm and cold.  The MTPG is a warm phone and warmer than the other ones you asked about.
 

 

[Mageer]

no offense taken
 
As I said before I don't know how to describe what I dislike, I guess warm isn't the right word then. I just feel as if there is very little in between the bass and the treble, like there is a sudden jump, again very hard for me to explain.
Could you maybe tell me the MTPG's weaknesses? I also feel that in some songs, all the music just become noise with no spearation, while with other songs, all the sounds r extremely separated (instrument separation?). Is this something with the MTPG or the songs themselves?
 
I am very new to music terms and high end headphones, I hope that this thread will help me understand more.
 

 

[MacedonianHero]

I haven't voted yet as I'm trying to decide which I prefer the SE535 or Westone 4.

BTW, I prefer them both over the SE530s. Couple of flaws for me that I couldn't reconcile:

1.) Rolled off treble. Not pushed back or recessed...rolled of a cliff.
2.) Sound staging was "in my head"

The SE535s have fixed these issues.

Some of my thoughts so far on the SE535 vs. W4:

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/527694/westone-4-appreciation-thread-and-reviews-a-k-a-westone-4/1515

 

[Anaxilus]

Quote:

no offense taken
 
As I said before I don't know how to describe what I dislike, I guess warm isn't the right word then. I just feel as if there is very little in between the bass and the treble, like there is a sudden jump, again very hard for me to explain.
Could you maybe tell me the MTPG's weaknesses? I also feel that in some songs, all the music just become noise with no spearation, while with other songs, all the sounds r extremely separated (instrument separation?). Is this something with the MTPG or the songs themselves?
 
I am very new to music terms and high end headphones, I hope that this thread will help me understand more.
 

The mids are actually pretty decent on the Golds but to answer your question further.  The big weakness on the Golds and most of the Monster Pro lineup is speed.  Their slow decay is great for extended decay and reverb and genres that can highlight that.  You need speed to handle fast more complex passages or pieces.  Some dynamic drivers like the HJE900 and other more analytical sound phones do well with this.  Most balanced armatures have no problem w/ speed but they tend to fall out on timbre and sounding natural.  Of your 3 choices I would lean towards the W4 for your genres.  The Shure is a great performing phone but for me just a bit too clean or 'neat'.  Most don't have a problem either way.  
 
Check out the FX700, EX1000, EQ5, GR10, FI-BA-SB, FI-BA-SA, SM3, JH5, 1964 Trips or Quads.
 

 

[Mageer]

thanks for your replies.

I guess I will take Shure SE530 off the list, considering that MacedonianHero says the treble "rolled of a cliff"
Anaxilus, you are saying that the reason the MTPG sound so bad sometimes is because the driver's are too slow, resulting in all of the sound just collapsing together?

From what I am understanding, I will be pleased with either headphone I choose? btw is there a big jump in SQ between the MTPG and SE535/W4?

I will look into the other headphones you listed, just made the choice a lot harder now I guess
oh and I am mostly looking for headphones that look like the shures and W4, since I do not want headphones that stick out of my ear, looks very uncomfortable and doubt it would feel good if I was sleeping on a pillow.

 

[Anaxilus]

Quote:

oh and I am mostly looking for headphones that look like the shures and W4, since I do not want headphones that stick out of my ear, looks very uncomfortable and doubt it would feel good if I was sleeping on a pillow.

That just narrowed it down.
 
W4, 535, GR10, JH5 (customs), 1964 (customs) Trips or Quads.  Not sure how low profile or small the FI-BA-SB, FI-BA-SA are so maybe they are out as well.  SM3 is a bit rolled off on top also.
 

 

[Mageer]

Haven't even been able to check out all the headphones yet and you have already replied.
Will check out only the ones you said now.

How does the MTPG's bass compare to Shure SE535/W4? Really like the bass on the MTPG so hoped this would be something the other headphones also had.

thanks

edit: I do not live in the US, so I'm not sure how I would be able to get customs, wont the impressions get destroyed in the mail?

 

[fuzzy1969]

I dont like to compare top end iems, first you have to consider what the band were using and the producer. I have a few top end iems and i love them all, the shure 535's when listening to the prodigy 'invaders must die' loose all of that nonsense of lacking in bass and becoming very deep in that department and very revealing even compared to ie8's.