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Hi chaps ... I could really do with some help, I'm really stuck with what sort of IEMss I should be buying. In the past, I've generally followed Joker's multi-IEM review at Head-Fi, but this time it's really tripped me up. Last time I bought a pair of IEMs, I checked Joker's reviews for the price range I could afford, picked the ones that had good value ratings and then read their reviews closely and picked the one that sounded the best, and in that instance I ended up buying a pair of VSonic GR06 IEMs. I actually really liked them, the mids were a little bit heavy for my liking, but the bass was just right and the higher end was fantastic. Unfortunately, they broke after only 8 months, so I decided to replace them with something different in the hope that they would last longer ... So I did the usual thing and ended up going for a pair of Brainwavz M2s, picked them up today and I found them to sound absolutely terrible. I don't really like mid heavy headphones, and with these, the midtones are so far forward and heavy that it just sounds like I'm listening to everything through an old timey radio, I absolutely can't stand it. I ended up tinkering with all the EQ settings on my iPod and I just couldn't make them sound nice. I'm really quite lost now, having had a pair of headphones that seem to have a good review and are picked out as great value turn up, and me having found them to sound so utterly dreadful ... at this point I'm at a loss at to what to go for next. I was thinking about just picking through ClieOS's list and finding the best rated pair I can afford that are in one of the categories that are furthest away from mid emphasis headphones (like Balanced or Analytical maybe? I don't really know). Any help would be greatly appreciated ... I'm really stuck!
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Aug 19, 2013 20:32
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| # ¿ Apr 29, 2024 01:33 |
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grack posted:What kind of music do you listen to and what's your price range? Sorry, I should have been more specific ... I'm willing to spend up to around £100 on a pair of good IEMs, though I'm a bit worried about the longevity of things, I've never had a pair that's lasted more than a year and a half. As for music, I listen to lots of different stuff, but a lot of heavy rock, punk, drone/ambient, jungle/breakcore and jazz. As an example, when I first took the Brainwavs headphones out I tested them on Faraquet, Melvins and Swans. I'm also a bit worried about the quality of my actual player too ... I'm using an old iPod Video (80Gb), is it actually worth spending much money on headphones with something like this? If not, are there any other alternative portable players with better sound quality that can store a good amount of music?
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Aug 19, 2013 21:07
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Thanks for the advice on the earbuds, so it looks like I'm currently choosing between the Audio-Technica ATH-CKM500 and JVC HA-FXT90 earbuds ... does anyone have any other thoughts on those two? I would have to wait a lot longer for the JVC pair and they cost about £30 more, but if they're a good amount better than the AT ones then it seems like they might be a good buy.
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Aug 27, 2013 14:05
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Hippie Hedgehog posted:I don't think those are earbuds. Read the OP again. You're looking for IEM's, right? Ah yes, you're correct hedgehog, sorry. I get so used to just calling them all earbuds I forget that IEM's are a separate category. As it turns out, the whole point is moot anyway, because in a surprising turn of events the warranty company that I bought an extended warranty for my VSonic GR06s with (Squaretrade) ended up actually managing to repair them! So now I don't need a new pair anymore!
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Aug 28, 2013 16:22
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Hey chaps, thought I'd pop by to get some advice on an upcoming purchase because your last tips were spot on, and I'm not sure what's currently out there since I last looked, plus I've got loads of concerns this time around ... So based on the template I've seen: Budget - ~$150 +/- $25 Source - iPod Classic 160Gb (current gen, no amp) Isolation Requirements - Need to be IEMs really for a number of reasons, isolation primarily. Preferred Type of Headphone - Definitely IEMs, typically used in bed, in the office and wandering around. Past Headphones - Probably better elaborate on this one ... Soundmagic E10 I thought these were really good for the price, I loved the V-shaped sound profile and they were absurdly good for the price. Unfortunately broke after just after a year or so (cable joins went at the headphone side). VSonic GR06 Found these weird to begin with because of the wear style and the slightly more balanced sound signature but I ended up growing to love them eventually, Kinda liked them having a sort of V shaped signature but with a little bit more midrange. Again, these broke after about a year and a half. Brainwavz M2 Absolutely hated these. Ended up returning them pretty much immediately, I couldn't stand the sound signature. The mid-tones were really pronounced and I found it horrible, sounded like listening to everything through a horrible tinny radio ... Audio Technica ATH-CKM500 This is the pair I'm currently using but they're on the way out, I've had to superglue them back together three or four times so far and I don't think they're going to last much longer. However, I do really like them, I love the sound signature and they've done a great job, although like all the others they've only lasted a year or so. Basically, I seem to really like V shaped sound signature headphones, and I'd really like to spend a good amount of money on a really nice pair considering how much usage they get. However, I'm really concerned that if I buy a decent pair they're just going to break in a year or so and it's going to be a big waste of cash. I tend to use rubber tips rather than foam ones as they seem to accentuate the treble more, where foam ones make the sound a bit warmer and muffled which I don't really like. Currently I'm thinking about a pair of JVC HA-FXT90s, but I'd be more than willing to entertain the idea of something more expensive if they're of good quality and are going to last. Just for clarity, I listen to lots of different stuff, but mostly heavy metal and noise rock with some electronic stuff thrown in. Any ideas?
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Oct 30, 2014 02:21
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| # ¿ Apr 29, 2024 01:33 |
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Righty, so I guess my question of which IEMs to get was a bit broad ... can you guys tell me which of the review sites in the OP is the most up to date for IEMs? There was a great site that basically listed the best ones in each price bracket for a particular sound signature (which was how I picked my last set) but it doesn't look like it's been updated in a while.
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Nov 2, 2014 05:23
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