Your favorite IEMs?

[johnk]

My all time favorite has been the Triple Fi 10 (not the custom).
I like the sound so much that I got rid of all my headphones including the K702 and DT-990.

I actually used them with the Comply foam. Some say it turns it into a muffled sounding mess, but I don't agree.

Since Ultimate Ears no longer makes earbuds is there anything else out there with a nearly identical sound signature?

I would really like to find something. I doubt you can buy the Triple Fi 10 still anywhere online.

PS It's weird seeing people say the TF10 has a "V" shaped sound signature. Maybe it does, but I never really had any problems with how it sounded.

I have a pair of TF10's as well. I have been trying to eq them, but I am struggling to come up with a good sound. I tried some of the autoeq settings, but nothing sounds quite right. Let me know if you have any good suggestions for the eq.

 

[RHO]

Favorite IEM: Moondrop Blessing 2 Dusk.
Personally I have no issue with the big nozzles. They fit my ears perfectly.

Yep still B2D as my favorites.
Now followed by KZ DQ6 with Xcessor silicone tips (red/black).
These are surprisingly good for the money.

 

[pwjazz]

That 8k peak may be a bit too intense. The Blessing is good, there's an old sony mh755 , think it was $6 , that garnered a cult following. If you can find them, and after a bargain, grab a pair.View attachment 135152

The peak throws off timbre but it's not as aggressive as Beyerdynamics. I EQ it down, along with some of the bass.

I have an MH755 and it's a good choice too. Vocals are more forward, bass is even more ridiculous and treble lacks a bit of air, and the short cable is a bit annoying, but it's a nice IEM.

 

[pwjazz]

I use my MH750 daily while my QKZ VK4 is collecting dust. The tips are also much better at maintaining a consistent seal.

I use Xelastec tips with the VK4 for comfort and sound.

 

[2M2B]

I don’t think they’ll get you to that same balance with the filters. The 4b was done with resistance and capacitance in the cable. I used the red filter in the B to reduce the pin a gain a couple dB.

If you got a ER4PT/ER3SE, Do 3KHz high shelf at 5db with a 0.3 Q which I got from 1990 on Reddit while back.

 

[markanini]

I use Xelastec tips with the VK4 for comfort and sound.

A great tip I'm sure, but is it not a bit much to ask of the consumer? Maybe if everyone owned their own IEC 60318-4 coupler+calibrated mic to track the FR changes.

 

[pwjazz]

A great tip I'm sure, but is it not a bit much to ask of the consumer? Maybe if everyone owned their own IEC 60318-4 coupler+calibrated mic to track the FR changes.

I own my own IEC coupler, tons of IEMs including expensive ones like the Andromeda, and more tips than is sane. I can tell you that as long as the tip seals, doesn't collapse on itself and is inserted to the same depth, the coupler will measure basically the same frequency response for all sorts of tips. The main reason different tips lead to perceived sound differences is because of how they interact with your individual anatomy, which you can't measure with a coupler and just requires trial and error.

The reason Xelastec tips help me personally is because my ear canals have an oval profile and most silicone tips can't conform enough to give a decent seal unless I go for deep insertion, which can sometimes lead to some occlusion or blocking of inside vents on earphones that have them. With the Xelastec tips I get a good seal and comfortable insertion depth with no occlusion, and they're pretty much my go to tips on most IEMs I own.

 

[Rottmannash]

Bought the Moondrop Blessing 2's from Headphones.com and have been surprised by them, TBH. Wasn't expecting much but they sound quite balanced and have very little harshness in the upper treble so like that I can crank up the volume, even on rock music and it isn't grating. Happy I am.

 

[2M2B]

Etymotic ER4SR. Love the flat sound but more so the fact they can be EQ'd to Harman(or something close) without any issues. They can really pump out some deep bass if you boost under 100Hz by +8db and not choke on fast music(Grind, Electronic) like most dynamic headphones do.

 

[Wegi76]

Bought the Moondrop Blessing 2's from Headphones.com and have been surprised by them, TBH. Wasn't expecting much but they sound quite balanced and have very little harshness in the upper treble so like that I can crank up the volume, even on rock music and it isn't grating. Happy I am.

These are my no. 1 IEMs so far as well (the Dusk version...) Very pleasing tonality and a solid & fun bass. My only complaint is the comfort. I think they don`t have any special "super power" but do everything on a very good level.

Waiting for Thieaudio Clairvoyances right now. Hope, the IEM journey ends there.

 

[RHO]

These are my no. 1 IEMs so far as well (the Dusk version...) Very pleasing tonality and a solid & fun bass. My only complaint is the comfort. I think they don`t have any special "super power" but do everything on a very good level.

Waiting for Thieaudio Clairvoyances right now. Hope, the IEM journey ends there.

I read a lot about people complaining about the comfort of the B2. It is actually the most comfortable for me. I totally agree with you about the tonality.

I'm also looking at ThieAudio for an upgrade. But looking at the Oracle or Excalibur.
Maybe the Variations by Moondrop once that is released. Very interested in reading reviews about it.

 

[Wegi76]

I think the problem is the thick nozzle. I feel a lot of pressure on the ear canal. Smaller tips don't give a good seal unfortunately. Didn't realize Oracle and Excalibur exist... Sounds like a better deal. Hmmm...

 

[Berwhale]

1. Moondrop Starfields (with Comply foam tips & balanced cable connected to Radsone ES100)
2. Galaxy Buds+ (because they are so easy to wear, especially for walking the dog and they sound really quite good)
3. MEEAudio Pinnacle P1 (they sound fine after EQ and are built like tanks)

I bought a pair of Galaxy Buds Live last week because they were very cheap with Samsungs current cashback offer in the UK. They sound OK, but i'm used to full isolation of IEMs (especially with Comply tips), so I think they'll be going to my partner.

 

[JanesJr1]

If you can try out the ER2XR. I could imagine that you‘d like them very much.

The Ety ER4XR's are for sale by Amazon for $166. Yes, the ER4XR's...I've never seen them at such a low price. and bought them, even though I already have ER3Xr's that are close to the same thing and that I love.

 

[markanini]

The main reason different tips lead to perceived sound differences is because of how they interact with your individual anatomy, which you can't measure with a coupler and just requires trial and error.

Do they not modify the tube length in the case it differs from stock? That should have some affect on FR beyond insertion depth.

 

[RHO]

I think the problem is the thick nozzle. I feel a lot of pressure on the ear canal. Smaller tips don't give a good seal unfortunately. Didn't realize Oracle and Excalibur exist... Sounds like a better deal. Hmmm...

I can see how that can bother you.
With some IEMs I have the opposite problem. No tip is big enough to get a decent seal.

 

[DanTheMan]

If you got a ER4PT/ER3SE, Do 3KHz high shelf at 5db with a 0.3 Q which I got from 1990 on Reddit while back.

No longer have any Etymotic products regrettably.

 

[Deleted member 27694]

The Ety ER4XR's are for sale by Amazon for $166. Yes, the ER4XR's...I've never seen them at such a low price. and bought them, even though I already have ER3Xr's that are close to the same thing and that I love.

That is a no brainer. Excellent price/performance ratio. Btw I was curious and bought the Comply Foam P-Series. I like it very much for - my ears - much better then the included foam tips.

 

[pwjazz]

Do they not modify the tube length in the case it differs from stock? That should have some affect on FR beyond insertion depth.

Good question. My understanding is that when inserted, the tube basically acts like an extension of the ear canal and what matters in terms of the ear canal resonance frequency is that total length of tube + canal.

You inspired me to do some measuring of the VK4 using various tips. I took 3 measurements with each of these tips:

1. Stock medium (small was too small to get a seal on the coupler)
2. Xelastec medium (hard to get a consistent insertion depth because my smallest xelastecs are a little too large for the coupler)
3. MH755 small and medium (both seal well but get different insertion depths)
4. Cheap foam tips

All below results are smoothed to 1/48 octave to remove squiggles.

Each tip was measured 3 times, removing and reinserting between each measurement.

First a comparison of the averages of each tip:

Then a look at the amount of variability just for the Xelastec tip

And lastly a focused comparison of MH755 small and medium:

There are definitely differences in the treble, though based on what I see with the Xelastec tip and the MH755 small vs medium, those differences may largely be due to differences in insertion. The one thing that does seem to be a clear outlier is that the stock tip (which I think has the hardest silicone) has more of a 16 KHz peak than any of the other tips, and the foam tip is by far the most subdued at 16 KHz. So perhaps material differences do make a bit of a difference with reflection/absorption in the very high treble? That said, I believe these IEC couplers are not particularly accurate in the highest treble frequencies, so take that with a grain of salt.

EDIT - One other observation, the MH755 tip comparison shows how deeper insertion moves the ear canal resonance up in frequency and down in level, so getting the right fit and insertion is definitely important, regardless of which tip you use.

 

[markanini]

Good question. My understanding is that when inserted, the tube basically acts like an extension of the ear canal and what matters in terms of the ear canal resonance frequency is that total length of tube + canal.

You inspired me to do some measuring of the VK4 using various tips. I took 3 measurements with each of these tips:

1. Stock medium (small was too small to get a seal on the coupler)
2. Xelastec medium (hard to get a consistent insertion depth because my smallest xelastecs are a little too large for the coupler)
3. MH755 small and medium (both seal well but get different insertion depths)
4. Cheap foam tips

All below results are smoothed to 1/48 octave to remove squiggles.

Each tip was measured 3 times, removing and reinserting between each measurement.

First a comparison of the averages of each tip:

View attachment 135325

Then a look at the amount of variability just for the Xelastec tip

View attachment 135326

And lastly a focused comparison of MH755 small and medium:

View attachment 135328

There are definitely differences in the treble, though based on what I see with the Xelastec tip and the MH755 small vs medium, those differences may largely be due to differences in insertion. The one thing that does seem to be a clear outlier is that the stock tip (which I think has the hardest silicone) has more of a 16 KHz peak than any of the other tips, and the foam tip is by far the most subdued at 16 KHz. So perhaps material differences do make a bit of a difference with reflection/absorption in the very high treble? That said, I believe these IEC couplers are not particularly accurate in the highest treble frequencies, so take that with a grain of salt.

EDIT - One other observation, the MH755 tip comparison shows how deeper insertion moves the ear canal resonance up in frequency and down in level, so getting the right fit and insertion is definitely important, regardless of which tip you use.

Thanks for sharing your data.