Coming from the DT880s(250ohm)...I'm torn between these three end game cans(HD 800 S, DCA E3, HE 1000SE). Which should I get?

[zonk]

Interesting!! If they're under 200 I might grab a pair just for shits and giggles to compliment my over the ears.

I would focus only on IEMs where we have reliable measurements. The reviews here have shown many times, that there is almost no correlation between price and sound quality in the IEM world. If someone heard something somewhere that's pure subjective.

 

[respice finem]

I would focus only on IEMs where we have reliable measurements. The reviews here have shown many times, that there is almost no correlation between price and sound quality in the IEM world. If someone heard something somewhere that's pure subjective.

This is right per se, but one caveat: Not everybody will tolerate IEMs well. I use mine for shorter sessions, for longer than 90 minutes they are tiresome subjectively, despite objectively being the best (by eliminating the outer ear variability). More or less, all headphones may have fitting problems. What doesn't fit the head/ears, ends up lying around rather sooner than later.

 

[zonk]

This is right per se, but one caveat: Not everybody will tolerate IEMs well. I use mine for shorter sessions, for longer than 90 minutes they are tiresome subjectively, despite objectively being the best (by eliminating the outer ear variability). More or less, all headphones may have fitting problems. What doesn't fit the head/ears, ends up lying around rather sooner than later.

After playing around with some IEMs I found for me the perfect fit and seal by trying different models, eartips and how to EQ to my liking. Now I can use them for long time.

But it's very hard to give recommendations because the fit is something very individual.

 

[respice finem]

I settled with the foam-type ones, good seal with less pressure. But still 90 minutes is the limit for me.

 

[Subob]

Interesting!! If they're under 200 I might grab a pair just for shits and giggles to compliment my over the ears.

Sorry, I'm forgetting you're in the US. I'm not sure how all your tariffs are affecting things?, but here in the UK the Spring 2 can be had for way under $200 new.

Like I say, I'm not too sure what the release price will be for the Winter II, except that it'll cost more than the Spring 2.

The build quality is great on BQEYZ, too. Comfort is superb for me, but I'm afraid comfort with any IEM is always a case of YMMV.

I'm recommending these two BQEYZ models as they fit what you're after, and I really really like them. They have other models, too, that don't float my boat as much as these two.

Honestly though, your choices are endless for good IEM's, even below the $100 mark. Also, if you're into EQing, then your choices are almost unlimited. Most well known models have a recommended EQ setting here... https://autoeq.app/

Good luck.

 

[Subob]

After playing around with some IEMs I found for me the perfect fit and seal by trying different models, eartips and how to EQ to my liking. Now I can use them for long time.

But it's very hard to give recommendations because the fit is something very individual.

Exactly this!

Also, for a lot of people going down the IEM rabbit hole, tip rolling becomes a thing, lol. I confess to having gone well down the tip rolling rabbit hole myself

 

[neRok]

I settled with the foam-type ones, good seal with less pressure. But still 90 minutes is the limit for me.

I've tried a few different IEM's, and regardless of tips, some sit in my ear better than others. The difference between good and bad seems to be the path that the cord takes out and away from the driver, as this affects the "torque" imparted on your ear-hole.

So in my pic, the little Moondrop CHU II's (bottom-right) fit great for me, but the 7Hz Crin Zero 2's (top-left) are not so good. I haven't tried the other 2 much (KZ EDC Pro and Tangzu Wan'er SE). I've been considering heating up the hard plastic mold on the various cords and seeing if I can change their angle, but I haven't got around to it.



BTW- all those IEM's wouldn't have even cost me $100USD.

 

[isamu99]

Damn, IEMs seem like an even bigger monster rabbit hole lol.
Dumb question, but do they make plainar magnetic IEMs?

 

[zonk]

Damn, IEMs seem like an even bigger monster rabbit hole lol.
Dumb question, but do they make plainar magnetic IEMs?

IMHO it's typical for planars that they don't have that perfect frequency response and usually have issues in higher frequencies. They defenitely need EQ.

I have a KZ PRX that is a quite cheap planar, with EQ I like the sound very much. I don't EQ my IEMs to Harman, it's a good starting point, but it's a bit too spicy in the treble for my taste. This is my personal taste, some like Harman, some use it at a starting point for a bit of EQ to personal taste.

But KZ has quality issues, the cable connector on the left earphone unit has some play, it feels loose. And another user on here complained about same issue on other KZ model. And the seller of my IEM ignored my issue and after some mails back and forth he told me, he would repair my IEM but I have to pay for the parcel costs back and forth to China.

This is why I didn't recommend KZ IEMs at all.

Another planar IEMs worth to mention:
- Hidisz MP145
- Letshuoer S12 Pro

 

[zonk]

I settled with the foam-type ones, good seal with less pressure. But still 90 minutes is the limit for me.

You have a Truthear Zero RED, I like the sound but the nozzle is too big for my ears and not very comfortable for me. Everybody has other ear / ear channel dimensions. It's not anything good or bad, it's just how the ear dimensions are.

I need to use more compact IEMs like Moondrop Chu 2, Moondrop May, 7Hz x Salnotes Zero 2, Simgot EW300 and eartips in S-size. I like for example the KBEAR 07 eartips.

A user on here recommended Tripowin foam eartips for the Truthear Nova. I absolutley agree that it sounds wonderful, but is to big for me even in S-size to wear them long time. The size of the Nova is on the edge, it's smaller than the RED and I can use Nova with S-size silicon eartips, but not with foam eartips.

Other IEMs I can use without fit issues:
- Truthear Gate
- Tangzu Wan'er SG 2
- Truthear Hexa

The Truthear Zero/Zero RED are not comfortable for me, but for some they have perfect size. It's upon your individual ear dimensions.

I never had any issues with cables. Some come with very simple cable or not with preferred connector (2.5, 3.5, 4.4 mm). But there is a huge amount of replacement cables available if this is an issue (KBEAR, Tripowin, Xinhs etc.).

 

[respice finem]

I've tried a few different IEM's, and regardless of tips, some sit in my ear better than others. The difference between good and bad seems to be the path that the cord takes out and away from the driver, as this affects the "torque" imparted on your ear-hole.

So in my pic, the little Moondrop CHU II's (bottom-right) fit great for me, but the 7Hz Crin Zero 2's (top-left) are not so good. I haven't tried the other 2 much (KZ EDC Pro and Tangzu Wan'er SE). I've been considering heating up the hard plastic mold on the various cords and seeing if I can change their angle, but I haven't got around to it.

View attachment 474182

BTW- all those IEM's wouldn't have even cost me $100USD.

Yes some are really cheap, like my both Truthear. And I was apparently lucky, because their form fits my ears very well.
Theoretically I could even cycle with them, but I dont, preferring to stay alive in traffic.

 

[zonk]

Yes some are really cheap, like my both Truthear. And I was apparently lucky, because their form fits my ears very well.
Theoretically I could even cycle with them, but I dont, preferring to stay alive in traffic.

LOL better don't use in traffic.

I wrote all that, because in my opinion it's not that difficult to find a good sounding IEM, because there are some. The bigger challenge is to find one that has good fit and comfort.

 

[respice finem]

I first got the original Zero (blue) triggered by the ASR test. Later the RED, to check if I could hear the THD differences.
If these were over-ears, I wouldn't buy two, but with these prices it was tempting...

 

[zonk]

I first got the original Zero (blue) triggered by the ASR test. Later the RED, to check if I could hear the THD differences.
If these were over-ears, I wouldn't buy two, but with these prices it was tempting...

I started with IEMs exactly the same way and they sound great. But unfortunately they were too chunky for my ear.

And of course the prices are tempting to try and play around with other models. And finally I found some that fit better to my ears.

I would still consider myself as an IEM newbie, because there are lots users on here they have much more experience than me. I still use both Over-Ear and IEMs, because each has it's advantages. ASR rules.

 

[Subob]

Damn, IEMs seem like an even bigger monster rabbit hole lol.
Dumb question, but do they make plainar magnetic IEMs?

Correct on your first point, lol.

Yes, on your question. I have the original Letshouer S12. There have been other Planar IEMs since. The S12 is not my most favourite set, but YMMV.

 

[Rayman30]

Having heard and owned a lot of various headphones, for a good soundstage and all around performer I would just grab a Hifiman Arya Stealth and a Topping DX5 II (It has built in PEQ and a VU Meter, and a remote) measures very well and is only $299. Then down the road swap the terrible Hifiman cable for something nicer, maybe a balanced 4.4MM from Hart. That's a DAC/AMP combo and very capable headphone for nearly half the cost of the HD800S.

 

[zonk]

Now you got lots of useful tips and recommendations.

First you should be able to PEQ your music. There are some options for applying PEQ depending on the hardware that you use for streaming. For example EAPO on a pc/laptop. Or you can use a DAC/Amp that is PEQ capable.

With the capability of PEQ you could first EQ your DT880 and see if you get the improvement you are looking for (here a link to DT880 measurements). Oratory gives further information which filters should be adjusted for your personal preferences.

After PEQ your DT880 and in case you still want to replace the DT880 there are several options at certain price points.

Up to 400
- Hifiman Sundara 220
- Sennheiser HD490 Pro (incl. mixing and producing earpads) 350

Up to 700
- Hifiman Edition XS (if you don't care about the bratwurst headband) 270
- Hifiman Arya Stealth 600

Up to 1500
- Dan Clark Audio Noire X (geschlossen) 1100
- Dan Clark Audio Noire XO (offen) 1400
- Sennheiser HD800S 1400

If you want to spend that amount of money you could go with HD800S (1400) or Dan Clark (1100-1400). The Hifiman Arya (600) and Edition XS (270) are nice options too. I suppose the difference in sound between the Arya and Edition XS is not very big. But I am not a fan of the bratwurst headband of the Edition XS.

Recommended DAC/Amp combos. You mentioned in your first post the RME.
- Topping DX5 II (300)
- RME ADI-2 DAC FS (850)
- RME ADI-2 Pro FS R (1600)
The RMEs have very advanced DSP features (for example crossfeed, loudness, PEQ) compared to DX5II plus the RME ADI-2 Pro has additionally balanced headphone output, balanced/unbalanced analog input. And the remote control is good compared to the very basic of the Topping.
The Topping is a very powerful DAC/Combo with PEQ features. It's very attractive at it's price point. The remote control is very basic. If it has all the features that you need, it could be your choice.

If you are interested in IEMs....
There is a long list of possible driver combinations used in IEMs (single DD, dual DD, single Planar, 1DD+3BA, 2DD+2BA+2planar, 1DD+1Planar+PZT etc.). The more complex the configuration is, the more it looks attractive on paper and from a marketing perspective but finally a good implementation makes an IEMs to sound "good" and not only number of drivers or driver types. Multiple drivers in an IEM can have advantages but not necessarily. The planar only has not an advantage over other concepts.

 

[isamu99]

Now you got lots of useful tips and recommendations.

First you should be able to PEQ your music. There are some options for applying PEQ depending on the hardware that you use for streaming. For example EAPO on a pc/laptop. Or you can use a DAC/Amp that is PEQ capable.

With the capability of PEQ you could first EQ your DT880 and see if you get the improvement you are looking for (here a link to DT880 measurements). Oratory gives further information which filters should be adjusted for your personal preferences.

View attachment 474509

After PEQ your DT880 and in case you still want to replace the DT880 there are several options at certain price points.

Up to 400
- Hifiman Sundara 220
- Sennheiser HD490 Pro (incl. mixing and producing earpads) 350

Up to 700
- Hifiman Edition XS (if you don't care about the bratwurst headband) 270
- Hifiman Arya Stealth 600

Up to 1500
- Dan Clark Audio Noire X (geschlossen) 1100
- Dan Clark Audio Noire XO (offen) 1400
- Sennheiser HD800S 1400

If you want to spend that amount of money you could go with HD800S (1400) or Dan Clark (1100-1400). The Hifiman Arya (600) and Edition XS (270) are nice options too. I suppose the difference in sound between the Arya and Edition XS is not very big. But I am not a fan of the bratwurst headband of the Edition XS.

Recommended DAC/Amp combos. You mentioned in your first post the RME.
- Topping DX5 II (300)
- RME ADI-2 DAC FS (850)
- RME ADI-2 Pro FS R (1600)
The RMEs have very advanced DSP features (for example crossfeed, loudness, PEQ) compared to DX5II plus the RME ADI-2 Pro has additionally balanced headphone output, balanced/unbalanced analog input. And the remote control is good compared to the very basic of the Topping.
The Topping is a very powerful DAC/Combo with PEQ features. It's very attractive at it's price point. The remote control is very basic. If it has all the features that you need, it could be your choice.

If you are interested in IEMs....
There is a long list of possible driver combinations used in IEMs (single DD, dual DD, single Planar, 1DD+3BA, 2DD+2BA+2planar, 1DD+1Planar+PZT etc.). The more complex the configuration is, the more it looks attractive on paper and from a marketing perspective but finally a good implementation makes an IEMs to sound "good" and not only number of drivers or driver types. Multiple drivers in an IEM can have advantages but not necessarily. The planar only has not an advantage over other concepts.

Excellent post and thanks for those tips Zonk! Yup, I just discovered Equalizer APO and will tinkering around with it. Way ahead of you on the dac/amp combo brother. Already made plans to pull the trigger on an ADI-2 PRO FS R BE, and will probably pair it with an iFI Audio Pro iCAN Signature SS/Tube hybrid.

As for a headphone update, I'm probably gonna go with the HEKUV's. That is, unless this other guy I'm in communication with decides to let go of his Tungstens(he's leaning towards keeping them).

So we'll see.

 

[Brian Hall]

I have an HD800S and a Stealth Arya. If I could only keep one, I would pick the HD800S. On some songs the wider soundstage still really stands out. Very clear / detailed too.

I add a bit of bass boost and they sound perfect to me.

You should really give IEMs a try too. With the right ear tips, even the cheap ones sound great.

 

[zonk]

Excellent post and thanks for those tips Zonk! Yup, I just discovered Equalizer APO and will tinkering around with it. Way ahead of you on the dac/amp combo brother. Already made plans to pull the trigger on an ADI-2 PRO FS R BE, and will probably pair it with an iFI Audio Pro iCAN Signature SS/Tube hybrid.

As for a headphone update, I'm probably gonna go with the HEKUV's. That is, unless this other guy I'm in communication with decides to let go of his Tungstens(he's leaning towards keeping them).

So we'll see.

Of course using EAPO (Equalizer APO) is probably the preferred tool if you use a pc or laptop for streaming. I already mentioned EAPO in my post and I use it for some years.

To be honest I am a bit afraid that the Hifiman HE1000 Unveiled (HEKUV) measure and sound not much better than a HE400SE (100 Euros), Sundara (220 Euros) or an Edition XS (270 Euros). Amir measured expensive Hifiman here and result was disappointing. The best measured Hifiman models were the entry models like HE400SE, Sundara and Arya Stealth was still ok.
Here two examples:
Hifiman HE-RP10 (5000 Euros)
Hifiman Susvara (6000 Euros)

In my opinion the problem with Hifiman is, that even after many iterations (V1, V2 Stealth, V3 Nano etc.) these headphones suffer still by the same weaknessess. I don't see a real progress, it's all just marketing. And even the price policy ist questionable. When the Arya Stealth was released at a price of 1500 and last week I saw it on Amazon for 470.

The development of Over-Ear-headphones has very slow pace. Some very old models from Sennheiser have still reference character. The only company that made recently something innovative was Dan Clark. That's my personal opinion.

But seems you like subjective opinions.