Latest Thread Images
Featured Sponsor Listings
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
When and why IEM became a thing for music listening?
- Thread starter gaex86
- Start date
Because BA & Planar digaphrams can handle much higher excursion force without micro deforming, Bass THD for the ER4XR & Sundara are <0.2% at 104db. They can cope with stop/start or droning bass because they don't rumble when not needed. Meaning they can actually hit much harder even acting as micro subwoofers because they can reproduce 15db under 100Hz.Who said that? How IEMs outperform EVERY dynamic headphones? And in which field they outperform that?
They act like ear plugs that pump out music, ER4XR can do 40db noise reduction making almost deaf to everything.I don’t have IEMs… I have AirPods. So I have a couple of dumb questions… Do IEMs have noise cancelling like buds? Do they have pass through on the noise cancelling so you can talk to someone while wearing them? Are they as easy to pop in and out as buds? Are they wireless? Can you adjust the volume and change noise cancelling modes on the IEM itself so you don’t have to pull out your phone? These are all features that are important to me.
MudEnjoyer
100+ Head-Fier
The real question is when people will finally give up with outdated tech such as headphones.
Speak for yourself. I have a good use-case for headphones and can't use IEMs, so for me headphones are not outdated technology at all.The real question is when people will finally give up with outdated tech such as headphones.
MudEnjoyer
100+ Head-Fier
The headphone market is so stale that if they released a Yamaha HP-1 from 48 years ago today people would go nuts about it.Speak for yourself. I have a good use-case for headphones and can't use IEMs, so for me headphones are not outdated technology at all.
castleofargh
Sound Science Forum Moderator
- Joined
- Jul 2, 2011
- Posts
- 10,886
- Likes
- 6,679
Because BA & Planar digaphrams can handle much higher excursion force without micro deforming


What is this? Excursion for ants?
It's only because we have a seal between the driver and the eardrum, involving a small volume of air, that a BA can achieve high SPL while not moving much.
Did you mean 2%? IDK for the Sundara, but if there is an ER4XR that remains below 0.2% at 104dB, that's nearly a miracle, and it probably would sell for quite a lot. My ER4SR goes well above 0.2% even at 90dB@1kHz, and the XR was usually measured to have more distos than the SR.Bass THD for the ER4XR & Sundara are <0.2% at 104db
It doesn't work like that, whatever "hits" is content at higher frequencies, meaning usually those feelings are about the overall FR instead of some damping level in the low freqs.They can cope with stop/start or droning bass because they don't rumble when not needed. Meaning they can actually hit much harder
No clue if you're now roasting the IEM or having typos in every other number.even acting as micro subwoofers because they can reproduce 15db under 100Hz.
It's been a few years, and you still haven't given up on any of the false statements you love to make about THD, driver speed, and planar and BA comparison for all the wrong reasons, even though many people have told you otherwise, me included. I remember having posted 2 etymotic impulse responses from my own pairs, one with a micro dynamic driver one with a BA to show that at similar scale there was no evidence of the BA being faster(I think it was the opposite in my anecdote).
Obviously, when you scale up, the bigger drivers will have a harder time moving all the extra air and that's a new design challenge.
Shawnb
1000+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Dec 2, 2012
- Posts
- 1,239
- Likes
- 1,379
The real question is when people will finally give up with outdated tech such as headphones.
In what way are they outdated?
ChrizzSouma
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Dec 6, 2008
- Posts
- 18
- Likes
- 8
Exactly! When it comes to portability, driveability, convenience, and often cost, IEMs tend to be a better option, especially in the budget range. They often outperform similarly priced headphones in terms of detail retrieval, which is a huge plus for people looking for clarity and precision in their audio. Plus, IEMs are generally more comfortable for many, though of course, comfort is subjective and depends on personal preference. It’s all about finding what works best for you, but IEMs definitely have some distinct advantages in certain areas.Portability, driveability, convenience, and typically cost. In the budget range, an iem will often outperform a similarly priced headphone at detail retrieval. Some also find iems more comfortable but it's completely subjective.
Users who are viewing this thread
Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)