[mnemonix]

So I'm used to my giant AT woodies, a decent desktop amp & dac but will be requiring something for travel purposes (mainly airplane). I'm looking at the IE8 and se530, but I don't want to spend 3 - $400 if I put them on for the first time and feel I'm having to accept too huge a compromise over full size phones - I'd probably rather just not bother. Trying them first doesn't seem to be an option where I live unfortunately.

I do have a pair of ESW9s btw, but lack of isolation & size means they're not really suitable for my needs.

Any thoughts?

 

[ka-boom]

I think it might be the opposite, sometimes. In ears (for me) provide a much more direct line of music with less room for outside noises compared to my "cans" over the ear headphones. I prefer the sound of in ears, but the look and feel of cans.

 

[Slides]

It depends which IEM and which full size cans you're using. It is a different experience having the sound inside your ear and takes getting used to at first, but begin to really appreciate it in noisy environments.

 

[ChroniCali]

Just don't expect too much and you will be OK. Especially if you are spending that much, getting a high end IEM will sound pretty comparable to full sized cans at times. But YMMV.

 

[Deulce]

u can't match fullsized cans....period.
but its not convenient to jog with hd800s now is it.

 

[GreatDane]

Go for it. IEMs link my brain directly to the recording. Intense detail and isolation are favorable advantages for me.

Let us now what you buy...oh, you will...YOU WILL.

 

[elnero]

It really depends, some people put a high value on big open staging that occurs more speaker-like out in front. These people rarely have much good to say about IEM's. Personally I think some of the best headphones I've heard are IEM's and generally I quite like that closer, more personal presentation.

 

[jleewach]

strickly in terms of sq, I think it's going to be pretty tough to find an iem with a comparable sound to that of high end full size phones. Personally, I just enjoy the isolation & portability of iems & hate the feel of full size phones on my big fat head.

 

[Deulce]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreatDane /img/forum/go_quote.gif Go for it. IEMs link my brain directly to the recording. Intense detail and isolation are favorable advantages for me. Let us now what you buy...oh, you will...YOU WILL.

i know what u mean, but recently i don't know....i haven't been hearing my cans (se530 beyerdt880)

imagine a pair of binoculars...the left eye is at the correct setting but the right eye is slightly outward which distorts the picture...
....

that is my analogy of the sound i get on my cans.

i can't get that one sound....or one picture...something isn't even or coming together right.
the last time i felt that link to my head feeling was with the bose triports in class.

((( and they're not even as good as my cans

btw...my vision is like that also...i'm only 23.. i'm all jacked up....


maybe im deaf

(((
i'll go get my ears checked in costco

 

[LordBread]

^You don't have hearing loss in one ear, right?
On topic: Never had full-size phones, but I hear the IE8's sound stage rival full-size ones, so those might be for you. I think the next step for me are custom iems.

 

[mnemonix]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LordBread /img/forum/go_quote.gif Never had full-size phones, but I hear the IE8's sound stage rival full-size ones, so those might be for you.

Soundstage isn't the end all for me, if it was I wouldn't use my home rig as much as I do - I have Quad speakers too. Headphones transport me to another world, that's what I've always loved about them, audiophile reasoning it might not be. That said my W11's and W5000's before them do have great imaging.

 

[jleewach]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mnemonix /img/forum/go_quote.gif Headphones transport me to another world, that's what I've always loved about them, audiophile reasoning it might not be.

I have the exact same opinion. If youre more into "escaping" than just simple raw sq stats, I think you would do well with a very detail-focused iem. For me, a high degree of detail, combined with excellent isolation is a one-two punch in terms of getting enveloped in one's music. I still maintain that the ety er4-p's have one of the most enjoyable & immersive experiences of ANY headphone; iem or full size.

 

[communic]

My biggest problem with iems is that typically the music doesn't get enough air to 'breathe' so to speak thus details are laid bare and everything sounds like its been squashed together. The two don't really compare but I find I can sometimes get more musical enjoyment from iems depending on what I'm listening to.

 

[IanK]

I'm really new here and don't know much, but I can't find a reason for why I'd want more "sound stage" for the type of music I listen to. I guess if you listen to classical it's fine, but for most types of modern music, you'd be more into the details in the sound and such, and IEMs seem to have no problem providing clear details for me.

That, and sound isolation keeps me immersed in my music. It's more important to me than a wide sound stage unless I'm listening to something like Dave Matthews Band (I don't), or possibly Portishead's 'Live from Roseland NYC'. Other than that and some acoustic albums, I don't know if headphones/earphones with a wide sound stage automatically makes them "better". In my case, it'll just be a different experience.

 

[abellaw]

Quote:

Originally Posted by IanK /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm really new here and don't know much, but I can't find a reason for why I'd want more "sound stage" for the type of music I listen to. I guess if you listen to classical it's fine, but for most types of modern music, you'd be more into the details in the sound and such, and IEMs seem to have no problem providing clear details for me. That, and sound isolation keeps me immersed in my music. It's more important to me than a wide sound stage unless I'm listening to something like Dave Matthews Band (I don't), or possibly Portishead's 'Live from Roseland NYC'. Other than that and some acoustic albums, I don't know if headphones/earphones with a wide sound stage automatically makes them "better". In my case, it'll just be a different experience.

I think that with something as subjective as music i dont think that there is any better or worse. Only what one prefers, i for one have a hard time with sound stage and even with the same headphones i find my impressions of the sound stage changing.

Well to kinda answer your question...the wider or bigger the soundstage the more life like the music that you are listening too is. Because live music isn't experienced through 2 channels from one ear to the other but it completely encompasses one body.

Personally i think sound-stage is important but not the most important thing about a headphone.

A lot of people on this forums are audiophiles and expect the most life like presentation of music as possible and therefore find sound stage to be the most important aspect of a headphone