Hello all. This is my first post, so I hope I have put it in the correct section and provided adequate information. I need help deciding on some new IEMs.
Budget: I would like to stay around $500, but I’d entertain options up to ~$1K if there was a very compelling argument.
Music: I primarily listen to EDM with lots of bass/sub bass. Examples would include “Stronger” by TheFatRat, “Exhale” by Zhu, and “Zurna” by TroyBoi. I do occasionally listen to other genres (classical, electro-swing, jazz, and audio books), but 90% of the time it’s EDM.
Source: These would mostly be used with a FiiO BTR7 while traveling. They may occasionally be used at my (home) desk and connected to a Topping A90D/D90 stack.
Target Preferences: I’m looking for something with a decent bass emphasis and which conveys good bass texture. I’m somewhat sensitive to treble, so I don’t want anything that might come across as harsh. I’d be willing to run EQ if needed. My main headphone at the moment is the Hifiman Arya Stealth. I found the Arya to be a little lacking in the sub bass and a little crunchy on snare hits. I have EQ’ed the Arya to the Harman target with an additional -0.5 dB/Octave tilt, and this has generally made it more pleasant to listen to. Prior to the Arya, my main was a pair of HD650s connected to a Bottlehead Crack OTL with Speedball upgrade. I liked the warm and laid back sound of that combination, but always wanted more low end and better separation and sound stage. My current IEMs are the Etymotic ER4XRs. I don’t have any issue with the treble on Etymotics, and I think they provide good positioning/imaging. My biggest issue with them is that I find the fit uncomfortable after 1-2 hours, and the cable connections tend to cut out if they aren’t held in just the right angle (already replaced the cable once).
Other considerations: Since these will be travel/office IEMs a bit of isolation would be good. I don’t expect anything to isolate quite as much as the triple-flange Etys, but the more the better. My final concern is fitment. As noted, I find the Etys uncomfortable for long-term wear. I’m using the “small” triple flange tips and still find them to be a snug fit. I believe I have relatively small ear concha/canals.
Contenders: From my research, I think my top contender would be the Xenns Mangird Tops. I would likely turn these into a custom fit with a pair of adv-sound custom fit tips. The reviews indicate that they have good bass (more than the Variations) and Zeos described them as laid back. This sounds like a good combination to me. The other IEMs I have considered are the IE600, SA6 MKII, Monarch MKIII, and the Maestro Mini. I’m probably more interested in the Maesto Mini and Monarch MKIII as alternatives. My concern with the Maestro is that it might be too extreme, and the novelty would wear off after a while. The Monarch MKIII, on paper, looks similar to the Tops with a bit more and smoother treble, but I’m not sure if that justifies the 2x price tag.
Should I go for the Tops or should I be considering the Monarch or Maestro? Is there something else I might have overlooked?
Thanks in advance.
