Where is the IEM mid-market gone ?

[LeMat]

I'm a bit in a situation... my girlfriend put my short in the washer.....with my Westone W4R in the pocket.... you can imagine the result.
I now need a replacement but thing is, it seems the mid-market, universal IEM in the $500 price range, has significantly dried up. CIEM in the $1000 price range are all rage though !
I'm not fond of customs. I had one pair but I prefer the softer silicone tip (shure olive for example). 
I could turn this accident into an opportunity to improve on my W4R but I must admit I'm puzzled... what can I get for $400-$600 which would be good enough to please a long time headfier ? I like my iEM with deep and punchy bass (use it a lot to work out) and would like more powerful and crisper highs (the W4R where falling short in terms of definition).
W40 ? 1964 U4 ? used SE846 ? I can really use some advice here ! So many new brands and sky rocketing prices... 
Thanks !

 

[Dulalala]

I have no experience with the other 2 but the Shure SE846 has a great sub-bass and mids, however it may be lacking a bit in the highs. You can find them for about $750 new. At least that's how much I paid for them.

 

[JerseyD]

If you can, try to audition the Jays Q-Jays at $300 and the Grado GR-10 at $400. I think both offer outstanding sound at their price points.

 

[LeMat]

  If you can, try to audition the Jays Q-Jays at $300 and the Grado GR-10 at $400. I think both offer outstanding sound at their price points.

Thanks. I've read good things about the Jays. However they're using flange type of tips and am not sure they will hold well when working out. The foam tip on the Westone or my former SM3 where really top notch in that regard. Super comfy, block out all noise, stay in place no matter what. 

 

[JerseyD]

 
Thanks. I've read good things about the Jays. However they're using flange type of tips and am not sure they will hold well when working out. The foam tip on the Westone or my former SM3 where really top notch in that regard. Super comfy, block out all noise, stay in place no matter what. 

The Jays come with 5 sizes of silicon tips and a pair of Comply Foam tips. They are also designed to give you the option of wearing them with the cable up and over your ears (or down and out straight).  Snapped a photo of our demo pair's tip options for you.
 

 

[alffla]

check out the Noble Savannah; I just tried these yesterday.

Quite a warm impactful bass sound thats also quite clean - it doesn't bleed over into other frequencies at all and also has quite a crisp highs rendition as well.

and it's $499 so exactly within your price range .

Sent from my ONE E1003 using Tapatalk

 

[mikaveli06]

Aurisonics harmony possible

 

[alffla]

Aurisonics harmony possible

if he thinks the w4r highs weren't crisp enough, I don't think the harmony can match that either

Sent from my ONE E1003 using Tapatalk

 

[knopi]

Maybe Westone W40 with some Linum Bax cable which could help a little to highs or Campfire Nova or Rhapsodio RDB Mk.IV from secondhand though I read not much good with smartphones as some other iem.
Sure there are probably much more options...
Basicaly I agree headphones changed to a very expensive hobby unfortunately..

 

[LeMat]

check out the Noble Savannah; I just tried these yesterday.

Quite a warm impactful bass sound thats also quite clean - it doesn't bleed over into other frequencies at all and also has quite a crisp highs rendition as well.

and it's $499 so exactly within your price range .

Sent from my ONE E1003 using Tapatalk

Something is bugging me with Noble, the design... Couldn't they have sticked with something less... bold ? Wearing gold metal plated earphone.... can't wrap my head around this one Beside that, they are bit square and I wonder what the fit would be like. 
Too bad because they do amazing customs and I've read the sound is no slouch either. 
Right now I'm leaning toward the EM64 (despite I've told to myself, Earnosics never again... had a very poor customer experience) or the 1964 U3 with their new APEX tech. Thoughts ?

 

[Heir Apparent]

I'd look into the FLC 8s and Dunu 2000j. They're the mid-tier IEMs that I've seen get the most buzz recently outside the Noble line. Granted they're both around like 350 bucks but the Dunu 2000j is said to be almost identical to one of the AKG 3003 filters and a lot of people prefer the FLC 8s to the Dunu. The FLC also has multiple filters so you can get many different sound signatures out of it.

 

[alffla]

 
Something is bugging me with Noble, the design... Couldn't they have sticked with something less... bold ? Wearing gold metal plated earphone.... can't wrap my head around this one Beside that, they are bit square and I wonder what the fit would be like. 
Too bad because they do amazing customs and I've read the sound is no slouch either. 
Right now I'm leaning toward the EM64 (despite I've told to myself, Earnosics never again... had a very poor customer experience) or the 1964 U3 with their new APEX tech. Thoughts ?

Haven't tried the SM64 nor the U3, unfortunately. I've only tried the U5 and U12. from my limited testing of 64Audio products, it feels like even if their sound signature charts say emphasis on bass/highs, the sound always ends up to be quite polite sounding and on the neutral side. the ADEL/Apex tech I haven' tested enough to see how it affects the sound, but I can say that it helps with listening fatigue - even after demoing many iems for a long time the 64Audio products seem to not make me feel as tired after listening.

 

[LeMat]

  Basicaly I agree headphones changed to a very expensive hobby unfortunately..

What surprised me is the fact people didn't flinch and followed the price trend. Most of the reviews available are for the >$1000 models even though lower end/cheaper models are available from the same brand. For example, we have countless reviews of the Noble K10 but virtually none for the Trident. Same for the A12 from 64ears vs the A3 or A4. Not only there is now fewer "affordable" options but reviews are seldom too. 

 

[B9Scrambler]

Yup, FLC 8S is a great recommendation. Very solid earphone and the tuning options are mind-boggling, in a good way.

 

[FastAndClean]

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