TheHound
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2010
- Posts
- 35
- Likes
- 12
Hi guys. I’m looking to upgrade my Panasonic HJE900 to a top-level universal IEM, but I’m finding it hard to make a choice, especially given how hard it is to audition all the candidates. Hopefully some of the knowledgeable people here can lend me some of their experience. I had been thinking of the Shure SE846 or the Earsonics S-EM6 but there might be others (available in the UK) I should think of too. The 1plus2s sound like they're great, too.
Main source is an unamped Cowon J3 (to also be upgraded down the line – ‘phones first though) and FLACs.
Music ranges from hard/classic/progressive rock (Zeppelin, Floyd, Beatles, Dream Theater to pick four big and fairly differing ones) to classical (orchestral, chamber and in particular solo piano) to showtunes to various other things.
They need to be hard-hitting with stuff like Zep and DT while also detailed across the range, with treble that is smoother and less fatiguing than the Panasonics while still providing the requisite energy and sparkle required for those violins and electric guitars, with mids that bring out the best in the vocals in something like Les Mis.
I really liked my Ortofon e-Q7s before they broke (particularly their detail), except that they were just a bit too relaxed. I mitigated this to an extent with the J3’s EQ but I know I can do better. I like what I hear about the Sony EX1000, but the apparent isolation issue puts me off them, as I will do a lot of walking with these in and would have problems with wind noise.
I am actually open-minded about different sound signatures, but I guess an ideal might be close to a very mild V. Enough bass to give a good kick and sense of body without getting to basshead proportions, and enough treble to justice to the energy and top-end detail of the music without getting too bright and tiring. And ideally no recession in the mids. A nice compromise between analytical and musical.
Asking a lot, but at this kind of price point I don’t think it’s unreasonable to do so. But where should my money go? Help me please Head-Fi!