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Author Topic: IEM's vs headphones  (Read 18584 times)

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Offline noahbickart

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Re: IEM's vs headphones
« Reply #15 on: January 25, 2011, 11:41:43 AM »
I (unfortunately) need three sets of headphones.

1. AKG k701 (MuFi x24k> Mufi x-can) as part of my main home rig. This is what i use for late night listening & tuning out the wife & kids. They are large open backed headphones which sound (to my ears) as good as any transducer I've ever heard.

2. Westone Um-1 IEMs (I once had a pair of etys with the custom molds which I didn't like- gave me less noise separation than the foamies they came with. Bad mold?). I use this out of my iphone for listening on the subway, on airplanes, etc.

3. Beyer dt770 pro 250 ohm (creek obh-11) these sit at my desk in the library. Good sound, great bass and sealed cups so I don't bother anyone else.
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Offline bugg100

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Re: IEM's vs headphones
« Reply #16 on: January 30, 2011, 08:02:43 AM »


Bingo, it's like a hiss when it's just faint. With mid-fi headphones I didn't hear it, but with my IEMs I could pin point it. It was DAC/amp dependant as well, some performed much better than others, and with the IEMs I was able to figure out what of my gear paired well and had a very "black" background.

impedance mismatch.... many IEM's are very low impedance 5-20 ohm,  and very sensitive so high gain amps cause hissing.... some amps are worse about hissing with very low ohm sources than others.... so behaviour as you describe results.

http://jaben.net/forums/index.php?PHPSESSID=a9162e6a9b3c02476c6b7043a5b30bf4&topic=5375.msg85881#msg85881

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/531086/ie7-and-general-iem-hiss

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/392233/iem-hiss-in-ppa2

search for info on a impedance adapter, basically adding resistance to the cable to raise the ohm level of the IEM's to around a target of 75 or so...

http://headphonehaven.com/topic/392345/1/

Offline weroflu

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Re: IEM's vs headphones
« Reply #17 on: January 30, 2011, 09:45:14 AM »
can someone recommend a first pair of IEM's. I like a balanced/neutral sound.

triplefi seems like a good price on the used market but maybe not so neutral? the um3x seems like what i want but costs more.

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Re: IEM's vs headphones
« Reply #18 on: January 30, 2011, 03:58:30 PM »


Bingo, it's like a hiss when it's just faint. With mid-fi headphones I didn't hear it, but with my IEMs I could pin point it. It was DAC/amp dependant as well, some performed much better than others, and with the IEMs I was able to figure out what of my gear paired well and had a very "black" background.

impedance mismatch.... many IEM's are very low impedance 5-20 ohm,  and very sensitive so high gain amps cause hissing.... some amps are worse about hissing with very low ohm sources than others.... so behaviour as you describe results.

Yeah, valid points and what I thought it was at first as well, the but westones have an impedance in the upper 50s low 60s, actually higher than my current Denon full sized headphones. What I found to be the culprit in my case was shitty components used in the Dac/Amp. I had a choice of either upgrading the dac chip and signal path (which was known to be bad) up to the headphone amp section or junking it and starting anew.

There are a bunch of things that can go wrong.  :-\
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Offline RyanJ

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Re: IEM's vs headphones
« Reply #19 on: February 08, 2011, 08:11:53 PM »
I have been looking to get a pair of IEM's for awhile now. I have been looking at these:

http://ultimateears.com/en-us/products/4-pro#description

Would these be something that you would want to get? and could I listen to my tape as its being recorded to check everything sounds good?
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Offline page

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Re: IEM's vs headphones
« Reply #20 on: February 08, 2011, 08:25:56 PM »
I have been looking to get a pair of IEM's for awhile now. I have been looking at these:

http://ultimateears.com/en-us/products/4-pro#description

Would these be something that you would want to get? and could I listen to my tape as its being recorded to check everything sounds good?

That's basically what I had when I had my Westone set (comparable price even). A tip from my experience; since you will need molds done (based on the picture), consider getting 2 done and get a set of ear plugs as well so you only have to do one visit. I did my plugs first and did the IEMs later and while the charge wasn't bad, I wished I'd done it on the same day. While Westone would do both IEMs and ear plugs off of a single mold set, I think you'd have to send the molds to different places with UE, hence requiring 2 sets.

edit: and yes, you could use them to monitor your recording thanks to the isolation.
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Offline Brian E.

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Re: IEM's vs headphones
« Reply #21 on: April 14, 2011, 04:02:40 PM »
it's a different sound between open around ear headphones and closed sealed IEMs.  You don't "feel" the bass as much in IEMs, but the good ones still give a nice sense of direction.  I could never wear my Senn's on the train, so that's a big difference.  If all is equal I would probably choose my 650s, but since I usually listen on the go, my Shure 535's are what I usually listen to.

I also listen to them to monitor shows (sometimes have them in the whole show) because of the "plug" effect.
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Offline newscane

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Re: IEM's vs headphones
« Reply #22 on: April 14, 2011, 04:34:30 PM »
Since we're already talking IEMs, I thought I'd toss this out there.  I got a set of Ultimate Ears SuperFi 3s about 4 years ago, and they're now in need of replacement.  They have removable cords, and the cord is pretty loose in the left earphone.  Not good.  I called up Logitech (who now owns UE), and because I'm out of warranty, they offered me a 50% off coupon on a new set.  I'm primarily looking at either the SuperFi 5 (http://www.logitech.com/en-us/speakers-audio/earphones/devices/5655) or the Ultimate Ears 700 (http://www.logitech.com/en-us/speakers-audio/earphones/devices/7325).  Any thoughts?  I've been happy with my UEs, and I was considering Etys, but with the 50% off coupon, UE/Logitech is offering a pretty good deal...
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Offline hi and lo

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Re: IEM's vs headphones
« Reply #23 on: April 15, 2011, 12:15:01 PM »
Good earphones can have excellent sound quality. I love my Shure SCL4's (formerly E4c's - have owned both) and the UE triple-fi's are probably even better. A must have, especially for monitoring at gigs; much better, imo, than any pair of standard headphones.

However, earphones always seem to wear out and can be fragile. I've now had 3 pairs of Shures die on me, but if under warranty they'll send you a brand new pair without question. I'm willing to deal with this because of how good they sound.

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Re: IEM's vs headphones
« Reply #24 on: September 14, 2012, 11:45:15 AM »
i've been using some very cheap (but comfortable) Sony earbuds for several years with my iPod/iPhone.  the sound of the Sony's is pretty much horrible, but i've been hesitant to spend too much money on portable headphones.  i've finally grown tired of the Sony's and just can't stand to listen to them anymore. 

i couldn't bring myself to spend a lot of coin on IEM's, but i settled on a pair of Woodees iESW100L 24K Blues (http://www.headphone.com/selection-guide/woodees-iesw100l-24k-blues.php) based on the reviews.  they were $43 and change through Amazon.  anyone have any experience with Woodees?

the other IEMs that caught my eye were:

- Klipsch Image Reference S4i (http://www.headphone.com/selection-guide/klipsch-image-reference-s4i.php) $99.99
- Ultimate Ears UE700 (http://www.headphone.com/selection-guide/ultimate-ears-ue700.php) $149.99
- Sennheiser IE 60 (http://www.headphone.com/selection-guide/sennheiser-ie-60.php) $249.95
- Etymotic ER-4PT (http://www.headphone.com/selection-guide/etymotic-er-4pt.php) $299.99
- Shure SE425 (http://www.headphone.com/selection-guide/shure-se425.php) $299.99



     
« Last Edit: September 14, 2012, 12:03:55 PM by cashandkerouac »

Offline jlykos

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Re: IEM's vs headphones
« Reply #25 on: September 14, 2012, 06:21:59 PM »
i've been using some very cheap (but comfortable) Sony earbuds for several years with my iPod/iPhone.  the sound of the Sony's is pretty much horrible, but i've been hesitant to spend too much money on portable headphones.  i've finally grown tired of the Sony's and just can't stand to listen to them anymore. 

i couldn't bring myself to spend a lot of coin on IEM's, but i settled on a pair of Woodees iESW100L 24K Blues (http://www.headphone.com/selection-guide/woodees-iesw100l-24k-blues.php) based on the reviews.  they were $43 and change through Amazon.  anyone have any experience with Woodees?

the other IEMs that caught my eye were:

- Klipsch Image Reference S4i (http://www.headphone.com/selection-guide/klipsch-image-reference-s4i.php) $99.99
- Ultimate Ears UE700 (http://www.headphone.com/selection-guide/ultimate-ears-ue700.php) $149.99
- Sennheiser IE 60 (http://www.headphone.com/selection-guide/sennheiser-ie-60.php) $249.95
- Etymotic ER-4PT (http://www.headphone.com/selection-guide/etymotic-er-4pt.php) $299.99
- Shure SE425 (http://www.headphone.com/selection-guide/shure-se425.php) $299.99



   

I am not familiar with any of those IEMs, but look at the Westone UM2 in that price range.  I am a huge fan of Westone earphones in general.  Very accurate and comfortable.
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Offline TSNéa

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Re: IEM's vs headphones
« Reply #26 on: September 14, 2012, 08:23:10 PM »
Caveat: My hearing is no longer what it used to be (lower sensitivity and losses in frequencies…). But strangely  I happen to hear when something’s sounding bad… to my ears! So don’t ask me too much!

I was in search of cheap IEM to replace “what came with my Sansa Clip” (which his perfect for me, the Sansa Clip I mean, not the "thing") and I started with Thomann’s online shop, looking for Superlux. I found this, very reasonably priced but without details as usual with Thomann:
http://www.thomann.de/gb/superlux_hd_381.htm

So I checked the Superlux site and discovered that there was three different models offering “3 distinctive sound profiles”:
http://www.superlux.com.tw/index.do (enter HD381 in the search box)
(if it comes in Chinese, there is a pop down menu in the upper right corner of the page where you can choose English). I don’t give the full direct link because it seems that my whole life is described in it!

I found this review :
http://www.head-fi.org/t/493052/superlux-hd381-series-mini-review-comparisons

And I wanted to try the HD381F (the “flat” one) and I looked for a source. Eventually I came to a Chinese search engine in English (http://www.englishtaobao.com) and I picked three from this shop (plenty of others…):
http://www.englishtaobao.com/product/9467600827/Jumper+loss+Shu+Bole+%3Cspan+class%3DH%3Esuperlux+%3C+span%3E+HD+381f+hd381f+ear+plugs+ear+headphones+such+as+refunding
I got them in a decent delay (within two weeks I guess), well packed. I kept two for me and offered the third one.
And I’m happy with them… But I am in no way an expert!

It is my first experience with IEM and I am very surprised by the quality of the HD381: I appreciate not to have to press them into my head like I had to with standard earphones to hear some basses. They fit perfectly and they sound good to me: I happened to look around for my phone hearing a phone ring in a movie…

I read somewhere they look very similar to some Sony’s: some Duckduckgoing later, it could be : Sony MDR EX 85XL, Sony-MDR-EX90SL but also Brainwavz Beta:
http://www.amazon.com/Brainwavz-Beta-Noise-Isolating-Headphones/dp/B005IF3CE8/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1347662700&sr=1-2&keywords=Brainwavz
Superlux has two reputations:  to be a copier (see the debates about the S502 or some field mixers) or to be an OEM (what they say in their home page): I won’t discuss it.

There is another surprise from Superlux:
http://www.headfonia.com/superlux-hd668b/
I had a pianist friend buy it and she seems to recognize her piano… so it is not so bad for the price:
http://www.thomann.de/gb/superlux_hd668_b.htm
I agree with her and I may buy one for me for home listening as my HD25 is uncomfortable on a long period (except when I use it when recording on location, which is what it was made for).

FWIW…
« Last Edit: September 14, 2012, 08:30:51 PM by TSNéa »

cashandkerouac

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Re: IEM's vs headphones
« Reply #27 on: September 20, 2012, 06:44:29 PM »
i've been using some very cheap (but comfortable) Sony earbuds for several years with my iPod/iPhone.  the sound of the Sony's is pretty much horrible, but i've been hesitant to spend too much money on portable headphones.  i've finally grown tired of the Sony's and just can't stand to listen to them anymore. 

i couldn't bring myself to spend a lot of coin on IEM's, but i settled on a pair of Woodees iESW100L 24K Blues (http://www.headphone.com/selection-guide/woodees-iesw100l-24k-blues.php) based on the reviews.  they were $43 and change through Amazon.  anyone have any experience with Woodees?

the other IEMs that caught my eye were:

- Klipsch Image Reference S4i (http://www.headphone.com/selection-guide/klipsch-image-reference-s4i.php) $99.99
- Ultimate Ears UE700 (http://www.headphone.com/selection-guide/ultimate-ears-ue700.php) $149.99
- Sennheiser IE 60 (http://www.headphone.com/selection-guide/sennheiser-ie-60.php) $249.95
- Etymotic ER-4PT (http://www.headphone.com/selection-guide/etymotic-er-4pt.php) $299.99
- Shure SE425 (http://www.headphone.com/selection-guide/shure-se425.php) $299.99


the Woodees arrived yesterday.  my first reaction was absolute horror :'(  these things sound terrible.  harsh brittle highs and no bass.  i've been running pink noise through the headphones all day to see if they improve at all.  this purchase may have been a waste of $43, but i'm keeping an open mind and remaining optimistic that they just need some break-in time.  we'll see.

Offline George

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Re: IEM's vs headphones
« Reply #28 on: September 22, 2012, 11:50:31 AM »
Generally, you will know if you like the sound of a newly acquired pair of cans or iems right off the bat. I'm not familiar with the woodees, but I would recommend the soniq se500's. I picked up a pair for $50 and think they sound great.   And this is coming from someone who has owned the shure se530's and se535's. 
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Offline Red Boink

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Re: IEM's vs headphones
« Reply #29 on: September 27, 2012, 01:41:43 AM »
+1 for westone.  The comply tips fit well and isolate as well.  I use the um 2 and have a pair um 1 for doing the dirty work, must be around 4 years daily service, still holding up well.  I have senn hd600 and beyer 770 and sometimes like to use them.  They all sound better at different times when getting signal from ray samuels hd amp.

 

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