OP
gallionetech
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I'm also preferably looking for custom, which I haven't seen under $500
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Help me pick an endgame IEM
- Thread starter gallionetech
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I would say frequency response with IEMs is even more 'preference' driven compared to headphones due to outer ear anatomy being taken out of the equation entirely. If you want a list of IEMs that are quite close to harman target you can find them here halfway down the list: https://github.com/jaakkopasanen/AutoEq/blob/master/results/RANKING.md
I would ignore crinacle's "rating" system, the only really useful information he provides are his measurements. If the 'Truthear Crinacles' you have is in reference to the truthear x crinacle zero iems, you basically already have iems that are highly compliant to Harman and don't really need any or much eq at all.
Samsung Buds Pro 2 are also really great, have ANC and especially good if you want to be able to do practical stuff with them like travel, work out, etc.
I'm not too familiar with makers of custom IEMs but from what I've seen, virtually all of them have less than stellar responses.
I would ignore crinacle's "rating" system, the only really useful information he provides are his measurements. If the 'Truthear Crinacles' you have is in reference to the truthear x crinacle zero iems, you basically already have iems that are highly compliant to Harman and don't really need any or much eq at all.
Samsung Buds Pro 2 are also really great, have ANC and especially good if you want to be able to do practical stuff with them like travel, work out, etc.
I'm not too familiar with makers of custom IEMs but from what I've seen, virtually all of them have less than stellar responses.
Note that, Variations ships with inverted polarity, you will need to buy an aftermarket cable to reverse it to normal.
OP
gallionetech
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Tks
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I'd save myself the headache, and wallet. Go for something that's comfy and makes material sense (no heavy metal IEM's which also double as condensation prone failures during the winter season). Something like the Sennheiser IE 100 Pro. I think if you get them from the official website, they come with some bluetooth module if you care for that. If not, you can get them on Amazon for less than 100 bucks. They advertise sub 0.1% THD @ 1kHz (which I think is close enough to their other measured IEMs in the same family). Like the older IE 40 or the higher cost IE 400
Sennheiser has this odd business of selling the same thing in a slightly different shell for a massive monetary difference (HD6XX vs HD650 or HD600) or (HD660S vs HD58X). Save yourself the potential neurosis, and spring for the IE 100 Pro, and if you find it comfy, just call it a day there.
I have Moondrop Kanas Pro's (the IEM in my view that put Moondrop on the map) with their insanely low THD that hasn't been matched by any of their latest IEMs (so many that I can't even keep track of them anymore). But they've suffered a channel imbalance, and they've been discontinued for a long time for designs that are far simpler to manufacture. And also they're metal, thus annoying for long term use (certainly out and about use). So if that's a consideration, avoid metal like the plague as I mentioned prior. Dont worry over FR so much either honestly, your ears will acclimate to anything eventually, and if you have EQ access, then FR shouldn't matter at all if your THD is so low for all the frequencies you'll be EQing anyway.
Sennheiser has this odd business of selling the same thing in a slightly different shell for a massive monetary difference (HD6XX vs HD650 or HD600) or (HD660S vs HD58X). Save yourself the potential neurosis, and spring for the IE 100 Pro, and if you find it comfy, just call it a day there.
I have Moondrop Kanas Pro's (the IEM in my view that put Moondrop on the map) with their insanely low THD that hasn't been matched by any of their latest IEMs (so many that I can't even keep track of them anymore). But they've suffered a channel imbalance, and they've been discontinued for a long time for designs that are far simpler to manufacture. And also they're metal, thus annoying for long term use (certainly out and about use). So if that's a consideration, avoid metal like the plague as I mentioned prior. Dont worry over FR so much either honestly, your ears will acclimate to anything eventually, and if you have EQ access, then FR shouldn't matter at all if your THD is so low for all the frequencies you'll be EQing anyway.
Thanks for this, I haven't been able to find any CIEM's that are compliant with Harman.
At this time, I'm highly considering the ThieAudio Monarch Mk2's as they look very close to harman. If anyone has any feedback on these IEM's or knows of a great CIEM please do share
Honestly I would probably be EQing all of these to some degree, the zero looks the least problematic one out of the box when compared to the others.
There's the $15 usb-c Moondrop Quarks DSP available from shenzhenaudio and it has one of the best responses. That might be one to try with little risk since it's only $15 with free shipping, if you like that response it's quite similar to Moondrop Variations if you really had an itch to spend money on something more expensive. Even just comparing this to your existing ones might give you more insight in what responses may sound better to you
OP
gallionetech
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Welcome Aboard @gallionetech , and thank you for becoming a Donor Member!
Look into one of these and turn all your IEMs into endgame sets. Best $120 I ever spent on a little amp/DAC with Eq and PEQ. Game Changer.
Qudelix-5K Bluetooth DAC & Headphone Amp
This is a review and detailed measurements of the Qudelix-5K USB DAC and balanced headphone amplifier with Bluetooth receiver. I purchased this myself but a member kindly donated one third of the cost. The Qudelix 5K costs US $110 on Amazon including shipping. The Qudelix comes in a nice...
www.audiosciencereview.com
Just curious, as I'm no IEM expert, but as long as you have decently good IEMs couldn't you just use some PEQ filters or something like the Wavelet app to make the match the Harmon preference curve or basically any curve you want? The Moondrop Blessings are already very good.
Exactly yes. You just have to be aware of distortion levels at and around the areas you prefer to boost. For instance I’m a bass head. So low distortion measurements need to be low in the 20-100 hz range for me. There is a learning curve with IEM’s just like everything Audio.
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gallionetech
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Thanks! I actually have one of these but I swapped over to Android so I could use a ddHifi tc44a so I didn't have to charge anything extra. Do you know if there is any performance difference between the two?Welcome Aboard @gallionetech , and thank you for becoming a Donor Member!
Look into one of these and turn all your IEMs into endgame sets. Best $120 I ever spent on a little amp/DAC with Eq and PEQ. Game Changer.
Qudelix-5K Bluetooth DAC & Headphone Amp
This is a review and detailed measurements of the Qudelix-5K USB DAC and balanced headphone amplifier with Bluetooth receiver. I purchased this myself but a member kindly donated one third of the cost. The Qudelix 5K costs US $110 on Amazon including shipping. The Qudelix comes in a nice...
Like others said, the Blessings punch way above their weight. Ignore the upgrade itch for a few months and enjoy them! The accessories suck, but add some SpinFits CP145 and a decent cable and you are not too far from the ThieAudio or Softears offerings. If I had to buy something now, I would probably go with the FiiO FH9 because of their build quality (and I don’t mind taming the FiiO bass a bit with EQ).
You can try https://squig.link or crinacle's database site: https://crinacle.com/graphs/iems/graphtool/?share=Harman_IE_2019_v2_Target (scroll down) etc for these graphs. Can also use them to generate EQ profiles etc
What is the original oratory PEQ and what geq values are you using for poweramp and wavelet?
Soria Moria
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julian_hughes
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All the above are interdependent. You can't have isolation without the right fit. You won't get true deep bass without some isolation. I think by your criteria you ought to look at the Etymotic ER#XR range. Personally I hate them as I find them extraordinarily uncomfortable but some people don't and those people who can wear them happily seem to swear by them. Otherwise why not go for custom Ultimate Ears reference in custom fit?
The best isolation I've experienced in an IEM so far has been by taking the plastic tube out of some foam tips, pushing them over my £10 Moondrop Quarks, and then adding unmodified foam tips in the usual way. Very, very comfy too, and no microphonics. Autoeq to fix the frequency response and the result is ridiculously good. Unfortunately not endgame as the Quarks are not made to last and other IEMs are better in some aspects. My interpretation is that you're really looking to spend big on some highly functional bling, but if you just want some seriously good IEMs with great deep bass then the Truthear Crinacle is great and with the same extra foam hack it also gets *very* decent isolation. This easily matches all your criteria but you don't get the thrill of spending huge bucks. They're only US $50 and about another $10 for a bunch of foam tips.
Attaching a pic of my super isolating Quarks as an example. Not pretty but brilliantly effective:
edit: just want to add that I'm not one of those people who thinks the expensive stuff is a waste of money. I have a few IEMs worth hundreds of pounds each and I like them and use them, and have spent plenty over the years. But by your criteria, or any reasonable criteria, the Truthears are a good match.
Keith_W
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I hear that the newer Etymotics have a different tuning to the one I used to own. Mine was an ER4P which I bought about 15 years ago. It was thin sounding and lacked bass, even when a proper seal was achieved.
I would also second your recommendation for proper foam tips which fit. Getting a good fit on an IEM is even more important than its published frequency response or any other criteria! This is because failing to seal your ear canal will result in a FR which is all over the place, not to mention sound leakage and the likelihood it will fall out. Also, there is no guarantee that published IEM freq response will match how they will perform in your ears and with your auditory canal.
This is my approach when buying IEM's:
- Because you will be tuning the frequency response to your liking, a starting FR which approximates your goal is important, but not as important as low distortion. Published specs gets you into the ballpark, but you must listen and try them on before buying. Try on as many IEM's as possible, or if not - buy from a seller who accepts returns.
- Higher sensitivity IEM's as a rule are more versatile
- The first thing you should buy after your IEM are a pair of COMPLY foam tips - check if your IEM is compatible on their website. These provide the best fit in my experience.
- Cables with these features are important: (1) detachable because the most common point of failure is from the solder joint which attaches it to the IEM, (2) non-microphonic, (3) correct connector - you can sometimes get more volume from balanced connectors (depending on your DAP) which might help if your IEM's are low sensitivity, (4) stiffness - I find softer cables easier to tangle itself into a spaghetti like mess which is annoying when you pull it out of its case, and (5) if the IEM is heavy, an ear loop helps it stay secure.