[dissembled]

Thanks for the advice. Followed your advice so the oval tips are now errr..horizontal and they sound great. Less muffle. Also seals a bit further now without any repercussions.


Quote:

Originally Posted by kiwirugby /img/forum/go_quote.gif Before you insert the Klipsch gels give them a quarter turn. You may need to do this from time with extended listening if you take the IEMS out to listen to people wanting to talk with you.....like pesky flight attendants (unless they're really cute!....not many are anymore....!) and colleagues who just have to talk!

 

[tstarn06]

Quote:

Originally Posted by supern0va /img/forum/go_quote.gif Considering that many folks here feel that that UM3X lacks sparkle for its treble, are there any tips that can mitigate this problem? I am thinking that the Klipsch tips may help? 2nd question, are there any top-range IEM that have the treble sparkle of the PFEs (which I really like, grey tips)? Am thinking maybe Westone 3? Thanks.

I've owned both the W3 and the UM3X, and I don't find the latter to be lacking on treble, just not as pronounced. But the Klipsch tips and the modded tri-flanges do help, as do custom sleeves, from what some say.

Also, the Westone 3s are a very nice IEM, of course, but I could never get the treble sparkle unless I used the modded tri-flanges (stalk trimmed) and EQ'd the highs. Which is why I got the UM3X, which needs no EQ in my view.

 

[FYJX]

See this is where Customs come in...you don't have to have a big fuss with the Tips

 

[bakhtiar]

Getting to know and experience with several kind of tips also a good lesson. Not everybody can afford the custom sleeves. Also, not every IEMs can use the custom sleeves, so, there is no choice except to use the universal ear tips.

UM3X's treble is just laid-back, but not rolled off. This kind of sound signature is easy to ears and good for long hour listening.

If you want a better treble, get an amp with warm sound signature, or just boost several dBs around 5kHz with EQ.

TQ.

 

[tstarn06]

Bakhtiar, how much treble energy/difference is there between the custom sleeves and say, the tri-flanges, which tend to accentuate the treble? I know the Klipsch gels really deliver solid treble energy via the UM3X, much more so than the Complys, to my ears. Just wondering how much more benefit from customs, considering them are about $165 here. And why were you not satisfied with the flanges if they sounded best? Just curiosity?

Edit:

Wow, I tried an old pair of gray bi-flanges I had from the Ety ER4P, and they sound excellent. Even better treble extension than the Klipsch gels maybe. They certainly are great with isolation. I am going to mod down the tris I have left from the W3 as well, into bi-flanges with short stems (to meet the bottom of the larger flange) and see if they sound any different. But on balance, the Etys are very good. It's so weird how these odd tips work with IEMS they were not even made for in the first place.

And as you say, not recessed treble, but just laid back and never harsh, which is excellent.

 

[dissembled]

Treble is definitely present with the Samsung YP-K3. More so than the Sansa Clip (V2). Also sounds a bit less muffled with that source as well.

I've also noticed that the volume is usually set near the lowest setting with my DAPs. With the K3, it's set at around < 1/6. Are these phones really that sensitive? I've read somewhere that someone has it set to about 45% with their DAP. Just wondering if my pair is 'special' is all.

 

[bakhtiar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tstarn06 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Bakhtiar, how much treble energy/difference is there between the custom sleeves and say, the tri-flanges, which tend to accentuate the treble?

Compared to modded triple flanges, with the custom sleeves, the treble is like being controled, very well/efectively. Now I can hear the upper high (10kHz and beyond) better, and the upper mids or the lower high (4-7kHz), seem to be attenuated a bit, so no more harsh/sibilant and this bring a better overall treble clarity.

Quote:

Just wondering how much more benefit from customs, considering them are about $165 here. And why were you not satisfied with the flanges if they sounded best? Just curiosity?

Ok, mine is not the UM56s, and it cost just USD 36 (converted from MYR), so cost doesn't seem a big the matter to me.

I am really satisfied with the triple flanges, but, the custom sleeves do bring a better, cleaner and well controlled overall sound quality. Matched with warm sound signature of D10, I could not say anything more

.

Quote:

Edit: Wow, I tried an old pair of gray bi-flanges I had from the Ety ER4P, and they sound excellent. Even better treble extension than the Klipsch gels maybe. They certainly are great with isolation. I am going to mod down the tris I have left from the W3 as well, into bi-flanges with short stems (to meet the bottom of the larger flange) and see if they sound any different. But on balance, the Etys are very good. It's so weird how these odd tips work with IEMS they were not even made for in the first place.

Aha!, now you get it

. The problem is how to get the sound from the transducer as clean/direct as possible to the eardrums. Our ear's shapes do make thing difficult for universal tips. Our ear canal is not straight like the cylinder, but have curves and angles where the sound wave may canceled out each other, or even worse, it may resonating, which we may perceive it as sibilant or harsh. sound. Plaese correct me if I am wrong here.

Quote:

And as you say, not recessed treble, but just laid back and never harsh, which is excellent.

Yes, there is no or very little sibilant/harsh with custom sleeves. So I can enjoying long hour listening without fatiguing or ear ringing. Yes, I do missed the 'brightness' but, I can adapt to it, as my new sound preferences.


Thank you.

Ref:
http://books.google.com/books?id=UqX...0canal&f=false

 

[bakhtiar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dissembled /img/forum/go_quote.gif Treble is definitely present with the Samsung YP-K3. More so than the Sansa Clip (V2). Also sounds a bit less muffled with that source as well. I've also noticed that the volume is usually set near the lowest setting with my DAPs. With the K3, it's set at around < 1/6. Are these phones really that sensitive? I've read somewhere that someone has it set to about 45% with their DAP. Just wondering if my pair is 'special' is all.

It depends on the source. There are recordings with low than average volume level, so we need to increase the volume up to our liking. Even, with the same recording, some times I also really like to hear it loud, because of the mood or health condition. No to mention the aging process

. So, there are many parameters/variables/conditions how much the sound level we like to hear.

Thank you.

 

[Cosmic Fool]

The UM3X sure is picky when it comes to lower-bitrate files. 192 kb/s sound very dull. Luckily most of my (portable) music is ripped at 256/320 kb/s. However, the difference with my lossless songs on my Mac Mini is much bigger than with any other IEM or headphone I've ever had. Too bad my DAP (Cowon 7, 8gb) doesn't support Apple Lossless. Is there any user-friendly and free software that rips to FLAC that you guys use?

 

[bakhtiar]

Mainly I am using the command line version of flac,
FLAC - Free Lossless Audio Codec

There are several front ends to the program that you can try.
FLAC - download

Thank you.

 

[Cosmic Fool]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bakhtiar /img/forum/go_quote.gif Mainly I am using the command line version of flac, FLAC - Free Lossless Audio Codec There are several front ends to the program that you can try. FLAC - download Thank you.

Thanks, bakhtiar! I'll try it and let you know if it worked.

Edit: I've downloaded 'Max' and it works great! And, more importantly, the flac-files sound amazing on my DAP!

 

[gameboy115]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bakhtiar /img/forum/go_quote.gif Compared to modded triple flanges, with the custom sleeves, the treble is like being controled, very well/efectively. Now I can hear the upper high (10kHz and beyond) better, and the upper mids or the lower high (4-7kHz), seem to be attenuated a bit, so no more harsh/sibilant and this bring a better overall treble clarity. Ok, mine is not the UM56s, and it cost just USD 36 (converted from MYR), so cost doesn't seem a big the matter to me. I am really satisfied with the triple flanges, but, the custom sleeves do bring a better, cleaner and well controlled overall sound quality. Matched with warm sound signature of D10, I could not say anything more . Aha!, now you get it . The problem is how to get the sound from the transducer as clean/direct as possible to the eardrums. Our ear's shapes do make thing difficult for universal tips. Our ear canal is not straight like the cylinder, but have curves and angles where the sound wave may canceled out each other, or even worse, it may resonating, which we may perceive it as sibilant or harsh. sound. Plaese correct me if I am wrong here. Yes, there is no or very little sibilant/harsh with custom sleeves. So I can enjoying long hour listening without fatiguing or ear ringing. Yes, I do missed the 'brightness' but, I can adapt to it, as my new sound preferences. Thank you. Ref: Essentials of audiology - Google Books

Custom tips for 36USD? Sounds good to me. Mind telling me where you get it?

 

[pyrokid]

I just got a pair of these, and wow, they rock.
they sound great, and they seem durable as hell too.

plus, out of my d2+, I can get a comfortable listening volume at like 6 volume.

but I would like some more treble, so I'll likely be getting a pair of shure triple flanges... good idea, right? and then trim them down?

the one major downside is that it takes me about a minute to get them in... I take it there's a learning curve, like with KSCs, right?

 

[tstarn06]

Yep, the white Shure tri-flanges are the ones. About $13 for 3 pair on ebay.

 

[wakeup.sir]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tstarn06 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yep, the white Shure tri-flanges are the ones. About $13 for 3 pair on ebay.

I'm really liking these - trimmed flange & stalk

. They really bring the highs forward. They sort of remind me of the grey flex silicone but much better improved all around, maybe because they sit deeper.

edit: After spending more time with these tips, I find that while modded tri-flange bring out more treble energy, in return, you lose bass impact and some texture in the mids. Losing that slam makes for a pretty unexciting presentation. Modded complys are still king-at-the-moment tips for me.