Your favorite IEMs?

[Harmonie]

if your stretch your budget you can get one of the very best imho. And for that price it is a steal.

And you make a great deal not only only sonically (and isolate you very well passively) but also financially at 78$ cause they used to cost 125$ or more before !

 

[Dealux]

Etymotic IEMs provide the best value for me personally. Sound quality is amazing but they sound a bit too relaxed in the treble. Clarity is better than ALL of full size headphones that I've heard. Actually, only a few of the Beyers come close to it.

 

[Blank Verse]

Just curious.

1. Etymotic ER2SE. IMHO perfect sq and a price/performance juggernaut

2. Fiio FH7: far from perfect but I just like it. Fun to use.

3. Sennheiser IE 300: super comfortable, can wear them for 12 hours without fatigue. Tasteful v shape with lots of raw power.

I'm really amped with the ER2SE, I got it from Adorama for a sing and a dance (and I didn't have to take my top off) and it should be here next week. What do you think about the soundstage?

I almost ordered the Sennheiser IE80S BT, but when I read about the Adorama deal here and all the flowing reviews I couldn't help myself.

 

[Blank Verse]

Etymotic IEMs provide the best value for me personally. Sound quality is amazing but they sound a bit too relaxed in the treble. Clarity is better than ALL of full size headphones that I've heard. Actually, only a few of the Beyers come close to it.

When you say relaxed do you mean they are not neutral on the high range, or are they just not emphasized? I don't like my eardrums to be bombarded with fake treble, but I like natural tone and treble is really key in capturing the true tone of instruments due to the harmonics, the ambience, etc. So many people say that the ER2SE is very clear and open, but then I hear some people like you say that it is "relaxed" in the upper registers and I wonder what that means. You mention the Beyers, but I believe the mid tier Beyers (DT770, 880, and 990) have piercing treble, don't they?

 

[Blank Verse]

I always scoffed at the idea of an IEM, and the only in-ears I have are a low level Sennheiser CX300 II that I got in a flight so that I could watch the movies in the plane with sound. I really didn't like it (too colored, lack of detail, etc). It is not completely unpleasant in a way, meaning that the overall tone is not disgusting. It is just not a good headphone overall. The fact that was my only experience with IEMs and the fact many people in sites like Amazon seemed to like them a lot made me think that maybe IEMs are not for me. It sounds like the ER2SE is a different thing though. I'm actually looking forward to it, and to experiment with soundstage plugins, eartip hacks, etc.

 

[Deleted member 27694]

I'm really amped with the ER2SE, I got it from Adorama for a sing and a dance (and I didn't have to take my top off) and it should be here next week. What do you think about the soundstage?

I almost ordered the Sennheiser IE80S BT, but when I read about the Adorama deal here and all the flowing reviews I couldn't help myself.

Congrats! I like everything about the ER2SE. I also own er2XR and er4xR (i am nuts ) ER2SE is imho closer to er4xr and i like 2se best. Especially if you consider the huge price difference. In general i strongly believe in the rule of diminishing returns. I very much like what Crinacle is doing but even if his ratings of “cheap” IEMs like ER2SE or Galaxy Buds are often favorable and he also “bashes” sometimes more expensive stuff like FH7 “strange tonality” the big picture is within his list more expensive equals better sound and and i don’t believe that to be true. For example: Vision Ears VE8 (here from Germany) is a >$2000 IEM it is rated „S“ ER2SE is „B+“ for me - without measurements just my own subjective experience- that is just not true. Ymmv

 

[Dealux]

When you say relaxed do you mean they are not neutral on the high range, or are they just not emphasized? I don't like my eardrums to be bombarded with fake treble, but I like natural tone and treble is really key in capturing the true tone of instruments due to the harmonics, the ambience, etc. So many people say that the ER2SE is very clear and open, but then I hear some people like you say that it is "relaxed" in the upper registers and I wonder what that means. You mention the Beyers, but I believe the mid tier Beyers (DT770, 880, and 990) have piercing treble, don't they?

Relaxed compared to dark sounding headphones like the HD600/650. The ER series also have an odd dip at 6-7K that is audible.

All Beyers are bright and kinda peaky but they have excellent clarity in the upper treble. The most balanced one is probably the 880 600 ohm.

 

[faheem]

Sony IER - M9 is the absolute best I've heard, followed by, in no particular order

64 Audio Tia Trio, U12T, Empire Ears Valkyrie, Etymotic ER2/4 XR

Biggest disappointments were Empire Ears Legend X ( Bass was too overpowering ), Campfire Solaris ( So much hype, but the Solaris midrange is weirdly scooped) and Sony Z1R ( Fit was impossible, treble was painful )

 

[wwenze]

Klipsch X10, now using X11 which has a cable that lasts way longer.

With Klipsch having discontinued them, the search for a replacement is going to be long if not impossible.

 

[scorePO]

For me, still the old and trusty Shure 535...

 

[pk500]

The Ety's are very nice IEMs with sublime sound. But the deep insertion required doesn't work for some people, including me. I just don't like anything jammed that deeply into my ear.

 

[Deleted member 27694]

The Ety's are very nice IEMs with sublime sound. But the deep insertion required doesn't work for some people, including me. I just don't like anything jammed that deeply into my ear.

Yes, that is the biggest caveat. Luckily for me no issue. Some people who experience discomfort in the beginning get used to it after a couple of times

The new double flange tips offer more comfort.

 

[DanTheMan]

Those ER2XR are awfully tempting. Doubt any piece of audio equipment beats them as far as bang for the buck is concerned. It’s not that they are TOTL, but not too far from it and cost very little comparatively. Too much isolation for me to feel comfortable walking the dog, but that’s obviously not an issue for everyone. The new small foam tips and the dual flange are very comfortable in my ears. I lust for these things but feel signing the divorce papers will be too big of a downer to have them. I may have them mailed to my neighbor...

The Drop JVC FDX1 are also nice for the money, but also a lot more money.

The Moondrop Aria look to be a great value as well. No deep insertion and a similar tuning to the ER2XR. Reports say they are not as detailed of a sound as the ER2, but not bad in those respects. They’d look decent with the Qudelix and you could really pimp them with the Moondrop Gold Cable lol. That’s big pimp-en.

the soon to exist Ety EVO should be interesting as well. I’ve started selling things to buy these already. That way there’s no divorce papers.

in truth though, the Etymotic ER4XR are probably the best I’ve heard, but their imaging is definitely earhole to earhole. They are just very detailed and clean and very well balanced with the red filters in use. The resolution just blows my mind.

My favorite to use are the FDX1. They also sound very clean and detailed, image well and are easy to remove and reinstall. They don’t seem to have quite the resolution of the ER4XR, but they are no slouch in that regard. I’ve owned a number of the older Shure models, Sennheiser, the Apple IEMs, Moondrop Spaceship, and the Etymotic ER4B (which are great for special uses and have the best Ety treble I’ve heard). anyway, that’s my take on the subject.

 

[zvukofor]

Etymotic ER4SR.
My job is sound engineering, i record and mix music and sound for movies, so headphones/IEMs are my tools, tho i love listening music on them, and do it a lot.

Etymotic are professionals in IEM, they’ve invented them, they do a lot of R&D, spare parts, and’ve been doing this for years with success. We all saw measurements and read their papers.

I use ER4SR when recording musicians in a studio and on a movie sets. I need to hear every detail to pay attention and record highest quality audio, and so far for my almost 20 years career i’ve have not used better tool for this task. I’ve heard the same from a very respectful engineers that record classical and jazz music too - that’s a good sign.

High isolation: you need less volume, so you have low distortions and no fatigue due to them and volume, and no frequency response bias due to high loudness (Fletcher-Munson).

Good frequency response: i really love that fact that what’ve heard on ER4SR during recording is the same what i hear on a big high quality monitors in a treated rooms. The bass they “lack” due to their DF-curve is not a problem, but when i need to use Harman (it is more useful for mixing), i just add nice little shelf to LF. They do “translates” well to big monitors, meaning i definitely can mix on them.

Low distortions: i can mix on them! They’re so good, it is much more easier to hear any distortions in sound on them comparing to regular near-field monitors, and you need a really good treated room with a very good speakers to get to the same level of quality.

The thing i like most when using Etymotics:
when i set mics in a studio live room for musicians, i use them to listen to the sound from the mics i place...and when i go back to a control room to big monitors - i hear exactly the same sound, no need to go back and correct the placement.
(BTW, I think “missing bass” is compensated in this situation with an actual bass acting on your body in a live room....)

 

[Deleted member 27694]

Etymotic ER4SR.
My job is sound engineering, i record and mix music and sound for movies, so headphones/IEMs are my tools, tho i love listening music on them, and do it a lot.

Etymotic are professionals in IEM, they’ve invented them, they do a lot of R&D, spare parts, and’ve been doing this for years with success. We all saw measurements and read their papers.

I use ER4SR when recording musicians in a studio and on a movie sets. I need to hear every detail to pay attention and record highest quality audio, and so far for my almost 20 years career i’ve have not used better tool for this task. I’ve heard the same from a very respectful engineers that record classical and jazz music too - that’s a good sign.

High isolation: you need less volume, so you have low distortions and no fatigue due to them and volume, and no frequency response bias due to high loudness (Fletcher-Munson).

Good frequency response: i really love that fact that what’ve heard on ER4SR during recording is the same what i hear on a big high quality monitors in a treated rooms. The bass they “lack” due to their DF-curve is not a problem, but when i need to use Harman (it is more useful for mixing), i just add nice little shelf to LF. They do “translates” well to big monitors, meaning i definitely can mix on them.

Low distortions: i can mix on them! They’re so good, it is much more easier to hear any distortions in sound on them comparing to regular near-field monitors, and you need a really good treated room with a very good speakers to get to the same level of quality.

The thing i like most when using Etymotics:
when i set mics in a studio live room for musicians, i use them to listen to the sound from the mics i place...and when i go back to a control room to big monitors - i hear exactly the same sound, no need to go back and correct the placement.
(BTW, I think “missing bass” is compensated in this situation with an actual bass acting on your body in a live room....)

Did you try other Etys?

 

[zvukofor]

Did you try other Etys?

You mean less expensive models?
No, i did not, but i’m pretty sure they are good, just maybe not as good as their top models, but good enough for an average consumers.

 

[Robonaut]

I've been using a Sennheiser IE 800 S for a few years now. There are possibly better sounding and more isolating IEMs, but I love how I don't have to jam them three inches up my ear canal in order to get fantastic sound. It was particularly good when I was still going into the office to work, since it was easily to pull them out when someone was talking to me.

 

[Blank Verse]

Congrats! I like everything about the ER2SE. I also own er2XR and er4xR (i am nuts ) ER2SE is imho closer to er4xr and i like 2se best. Especially if you consider the huge price difference. In general i strongly believe in the rule of diminishing returns. I very much like what Crinacle is doing but even if his ratings of “cheap” IEMs like ER2SE or Galaxy Buds are often favorable and he also “bashes” sometimes more expensive stuff like FH7 “strange tonality” the big picture is within his list more expensive equals better sound and and i don’t believe that to be true. For example: Vision Ears VE8 (here from Germany) is a >$2000 IEM it is rated „S“ ER2SE is „B+“ for me - without measurements just my own subjective experience- that is just not true. Ymmv

Thank you! Yes, you are absolutely right that reviews for more expensive (higher tier) audio equipment tends to be more favorable than lower tier audio equipment, given the same performance. This is not a new phenomenon, either. For example, it is hilarious in retrospect to see the Sennheiser HD540 Ref II classed two tiers below the HD600 by some prestigous German review magazine after the release of the HD600. This is not a realistic appraisal of the capabilities of those headphones (not meant as a demerit to the HD600, but the opposite).

I don't know if this is a product of confirmation bias from reviewers, some kind of conflict of interest due to magazines having to promote new equipment from manufacturers who advertise in them, or a combination of the two.

You are from Germany? Man, do I wish I lived in Germany too. I have gotten into vintage Sennheisers lately, and living in Germany my opportunities to acquire new headphones at reasonable prices would really open up.

 

[Deleted member 27694]

You mean less expensive models?
No, i did not, but i’m pretty sure they are good, just maybe not as good as their top models, but good enough for an average consumers.

I have the ER2SE ER2XR and ER4XR all exzellent. ER2SE is my favorite but all very similar 2xr has noticeable bass boost more so then 4xr imho

 

[Blank Verse]

I've been using a Sennheiser IE 800 S for a few years now. There are possibly better sounding and more isolating IEMs, but I love how I don't have to jam them three inches up my ear canal in order to get fantastic sound. It was particularly good when I was still going into the office to work, since it was easily to pull them out when someone was talking to me.

I have been looking into Sennheiser IEMs, but from what I see their sound signature tends to be too bass heavy. Even the 400 Pro, which is supposedly one of the most neutrals, has a frequency response closer to the Harman reference than I would like (unlike the Etymotics that are closer to the Diffuse Field reference). The Harman curve is to me just further confirmation that Harman is an evil company.