[Gandasaputra]

  Really? 4 bass drivers Sony, I didn't know its existence 

 I knew about the hybrids though
 
I noticed that with the ATH-IM04, it almost sounds like listening music in a car lol...

 
The XBA-40 was discontinued long before the hybrids were released. I think Sony engineers learned the BA woofer does not perform as good as the dynamics. In another word, the Sony's still retains metallic or artificial notes when played loud.
 
What do you mean by "Listening music in a car"? I could think of being congested, intimate, veiled, thick sounding...

 

[laelle]

   
The XBA-40 was discontinued long before the hybrids were released. I think Sony engineers learned the BA woofer does not perform as good as the dynamics. In another word, the Sony's still retains metallic or artificial notes when played loud.
 
What do you mean by "Listening music in a car"? I could think of being congested, intimate, veiled, thick sounding...

Yes, the XBA-40 was very high sounding compared.
 
Listening in a car, I meant; It's about the resonance. It's very reminiscent of listening to the radio or music in a car, enclosure type-wise, speaker size, sound field and and yes, intimacy, veil, thickness!
 
Honestly the ATH-IM04 is my darkest fullest sounding earphone... I don't know if there's better at this!

 

[Cheesedoodle]

Denon AH-C400, dual balanced armature.

 

[Bandooken]

  Denon AH-C400, dual balanced armature.

i said the same thing def underrated.

 

[laelle]

  Denon AH-C400, dual balanced armature.

 

  i said the same thing def underrated.

Thanks!
 
... but is there a quad balanced armature that defies the ATH-IM04 in terms of warmness, fullness and low end?

 

[Berkovajazz]

Number of drivers are not the main point of the good or even top sound.

 

[Akmola Lola]

Final Audio Design - Heaven II for me, cant afford higher end yet.

 

[laelle]

  Number of drivers are not the main point of the good or even top sound.

I've seen 12 drivers per ear

 

[Gandasaputra]

I've seen 12 drivers per ear

google empire ears zeus. Those are 14 drovers per side. $2000.

 

[Jack Vang]

google empire ears zeus. Those are 14 drovers per side. $2000.

 

 
 
We get a lot of flack on here for the number of drivers being used in Zeus so I encourage folks to give it a listen before judging it. We also have several other capable in-ear models with far less drivers but that's all besides the point. Different signatures for different preferences. Zeus isn't for everyone but we did what was necessary to achieve the desired end result. Happy listening!

 

[Cheesedoodle]

  i said the same thing def underrated.

 
Cool. Yes, the Denon AHC-400 are great sounding, true audiophile IEMs. Amazingly flat but detailed throughout the spectrum. I find that balanced armatures are often tuned too brightly on the high end. These are not. They are perfect in the mids and highs, when you have a good seal.

 

[audio123]

FI-BA-SS vs EMPIRE EARS ZEUS vs VE5

 

[pacman46]

i said the same thing def underrated.

it is very good iem and I agree it is very underrated!

 

[audio123]

We get a lot of flack on here for the number of drivers being used in Zeus so I encourage folks to give it a listen before judging it. We also have several other capable in-ear models with far less drivers but that's all besides the point. Different signatures for different preferences. Zeus isn't for everyone but we did what was necessary to achieve the desired end result. Happy listening!

zeus is the most coherent multiple drivers iem. Before there was zeus, there are no >4 drivers iems that impress me but Zeus did. Marvellous job by the team at Empire Ears

 

[lmfboy01]

My fav's: Shure E500, Westone UM2, UM Melody 
All 3 were fairly balanced with the E500 a little bass heavy.