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Recommend me some IEM's

Victor ch

Victor ch

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 19, 2007
718
1
San José, Costa Rica
So, yeah its that time again were i'm buying audio stuff :p Now its with In-Ear Monitors (IEM) for day to day uses.

Now, take into account I use a pair of Grado's as my reference alongside my B&Os and my main hi-fi setup so I like to believe Im used to good sounding stuff (that and 75%+ of my library is Lossless goodness so...). Im sort of a self-proclaimed audiophile(more like a serious sound enthusiast ) and I'll be much more happier with somewhat 'precise' in-ears cans.

After some researching I've narrowed it down to several candidates all ranging the sub $200 range and that's where I'll dive in (price range I mean).

Amongst them:

Klipsch Custom 3

M-Audio's IE 10

Monster Turbine (not to fond of)

Shure E4C-n

Amongst others... thing is I'm leaning more towards the Klipsch's due to their alleged comfort, sound and extended warranty....

Any input is deeply appreciated, thanks :)
 
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What do you prefer in a sound signature? What kind of music do you listen to?

In that price range, the Turbines are actually very good from what I've read. I used to own a pair of Phonak Audeo PFEs, and those were amazing as well. I now have some Sennheiser IE7s.

It really comes down to what you prefer and what you like, since everyone has different tastes.
 
DeusInvictus7 said:
What do you prefer in a sound signature? What kind of music do you listen to?

In that price range, the Turbines are actually very good from what I've read. I used to own a pair of Phonak Audeo PFEs, and those were amazing as well. I now have some Sennheiser IE7s.

It really comes down to what you prefer and what you like, since everyone has different tastes.
Click to expand...

Pretty much everything, classical for reading, rock and alike sometimes, huge electronic music fan, dunno pretty much everything albeit hardcore trashy metal and $h!t, oh and reggaeton, hate it.

But, here's the thing, rock and electronic can be enjoyed on less "precise" systems per say, they're not as 'demanding' (don't bash me here, Im sure someone might understand), however, whenever I sit down and enjoy a couple of good ol' Bossa albums, vocals and midrange tonality better be as amazing as possible. That's why I hate my Bose's, Jobim's and Stan Getz's voices weren't breathtaking in them as they are in both my hi-fi setup and other headphones...

I'm pretty much decided for the Klipschs, still, please share thoughts and all. I shall sell my Bose's this week for about $150 (half the orig. price geez :() and theoretically order whatever IEM's i'll decide to get this weekend.

thanks
 
Aren't M-Audio stuff just rebadged, but pricier, Ultimate Ears IEMs? You'd just be paying for brand.


The best choice depends on the type of music you listen to, and whether you're looking for bass. Many of the decent IEMs tend to deliver little bass, or poor quality "fart" bass like Sennheiser's CX models. I don't think you'd get great highs, mids, and low end bass from IEMs if you're only spending $200, so you need to ask yourself whether bass is important. If it is, then Sennheiser CX500s may be a good choice.

I just purchased a pair of JAYS d-Jays. They don't produce a lot of bass, but are great at playing back music with a lot of detail. So when detailed highs and natural sounding mids are what you're after, then these are great. The q-Jays are an even better model, and in your price range.

Having said that, I really like dance rock, rap, and other music where bass is important, and in these cases, I wish I had something with more bass, and this means UE and Shure would be out. I already have JAYS. I have a pair of Sony EX85 semi-open IEMs, and the bass is awesome. Too bad about the muddy highs.


So anyway, it depends on what you listen to. The Monster Turbines are supposed to be decent, unlike their Dre headphones.
 
From what I've read/heard, the Monster Turbines are supposed to be real good. The great thing is you can always return one and use the money towards another. This will be time consuming but at least you can test out the different types. I'm in the same boat as to what to buy and I'm leaning towards these (Turbines). Good luck with your choice.
 
Well they're decent if you're more interested in bass. If you're looking for lots of detail, or a more balanced response because you listen to indie rock, folk, country, classical, jazz, etc, then the Turbines wouldn't be the best choice.

Besides, the Turbines are supposed to have good sound, but are supposedly a bit expensive for what you get. This doesn't mean I think they're bad, but you do pay a bit to Monster's marketing department. However, there are cheaper alternatives that may give you an equal or comparable sound.
 
Hmm thanks... My fear is that the Monsters and alike will produce what some mentioned as 'fart' bass and pay little attention on the higher freq. range... Somehow I get the feeling that the Klipsch's may actually be better suited for clarity against the other contenders due to their dual driver armature. Plus I've had good experience with their Reference line of speakers...

Thanks for the input though.
 
:D:cool::rolleyes::p

Thanks y'all
 

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DeusInvictus7 said:
No mini-review? :rolleyes: How are you liking them?
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I've been using them for the last couple of hours... so far I'm rather impressed, I thought the sound will be too damn boxy but it has proven me wrong... I'll write a better review in a week or so, once I'm fond of them and actually tested them a plenty.
 
Victor ch said:
I've been using them for the last couple of hours... so far I'm rather impressed, I thought the sound will be too damn boxy but it has proven me wrong... I'll write a better review in a week or so, once I'm fond of them and actually tested them a plenty.
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That's good to hear. I was gonna go with those, but I ended up with Senn IE7s instead, and am very impressed.

The C3s are dual drivers right? I might go with those for my next IEM, since I kinda want to try something with more than one driver, see how much of a change one more driver makes.

Can't wait for more impressions.
 
DeusInvictus7 said:
That's good to hear. I was gonna go with those, but I ended up with Senn IE7s instead, and am very impressed.

The C3s are dual drivers right? I might go with those for my next IEM, since I kinda want to try something with more than one driver, see how much of a change one more driver makes.

Can't wait for more impressions.
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Yup, dual driver with an electro-acoustic crossover... they're pretty darn good, vocals are just way too good to be closed-back earphones... still testing :p
 
the klpisch are an excellent choice, I am sure. when I was looking to make a splash in quality, not too expensive IEMs, I was deciding between the Klipsch Custom 1's and the Denon C551. I went for the Denons, but it was basically a coin flip. Klipsch makes great stuff. Enjoy!
 
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