IEM discussion thread (Part 1)

Oh you’re doing the Lord’s work. Having someone in your house that REALLY gets it, is just kinda amazing. I’d have SO MUCH fun if @Lcg842 could do IEMs, but the fact that she can use and enjoy my headphones/buds, and is clearly really trying to take to it is so nice.

Plus, you can teach the little guy how to avoid the worst pitfalls and all the bad headphones/sets as he gets older

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I would love two more entries in the Maestro series. A 2DD offering at < $200 would be awesome and something in between the Maestro SE and Mini thats maybe a 1x DD 2x BA 2xEST to really get that extension.

On a slightly related note I gotta call out how good the IE600 is. It’s amazing how much clarity and detail Sennheiser was able to produce with a 7mm DD while still getting great bass.

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Really? It looks flat from 20-40Hz but has a nice glide down afterwards

I would love to hear the ZP at some point since I have heard so much about their bass texture. I would be surprised if the IE200 has ZP texture as opposed to IE600 texture (which may not be all that different since again I haven’t heard the ZP).

You think? The way it looked to me is that its not an actual vent hole in the nozzle (like the DM) but instead a channel along the outside that gets unblocked when you put the tip in the first position. If that is the case I gotta imagine tapping it won’t change much if anything. Can’t wait for it to get into people’s hands so we can see some first hand impressions.

Also I don’t get why DMS said the two position thing is new. I feel like its misleading and confusing to people as the IE series has always had two positions, the only thing new is the vent channel that changes the tuning in different positions, which honestly might be an issue for some people who want the bass but a deeper fit like myself

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Linear bass rise.

It looks to me like it is acting like an inner vent. They placed it in the nozzle instead of being close to the nozzle on the shell like regular iems like this:

So basically when the tips (silicone or foam) is placed as deep as you can on the nozzle. It covers the vent. But since the tips isnt sealing the vent completely, it is the reason why putting tape on it (and thus sealing it completely) would increase the bass.
Basically having an effect like this:

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ahh okay. I was thinking it was acting more like your mod where you put a piece of micropore tape rolled up in between the nozzle and the tip so it acts as a vent there

nope, that one works differently.

So true - my wife hates IEMs and headphones in general so … gotta take the big guy down with me :face_holding_back_tears:

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That would be a exciting offering. But that 2DD for me, has to be tuned not so much according to Harman - but again, that’s just me. I’d love more warmth in the lower mids with the cross over coming around 250 Hz instead of 150 Hz + a more laid back pinna, with good extension on the treble side. Slap a god damned nozzle filter on that thing with the FatFREQ name and boom, you got your self a winner. Not sure if they have plans on playing with the budget sector but I definitely think that would be so cool. Maybe when they catch up with all of the Maestro orders and they can mass produce a set? I know they’re a small team over there and maybe them keeping that boutique business model separates them from the pack? Regardless - FatFREQ and Truthear have my attention and my wallet this coming year.

I will admit that the IE600 has never really interested me but there’s no doubt they must be a marvel of audio engineering considering the on paper specs compared to the actual real life performance. I’ve heard nothing but amazing things.

Totally, I was thinking 2DD tuned like the MM where one DD is the bass canon and the other covers the rest of the FR

They really are. If you like Lancer I think you will really like the IE600 as they have a lot of similarities. The IE600 pull ahead by being crazy detailed while not being harsh at all for my ears. On top of that they have an amazing bass quality that has really only been beat by the MM for me.

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Exactly! The IE600 is very detailed, without the details hitting you in the face, the details are always well diffused in the background, very masterfully done! The bass is also subtle and elegant, without being overpowered like the MM, with the IE600 this is not the purpose of the setup. The speed and texture are excellent, the transitions are like BA.
Some people don’t like them because of the intimate soundstage, but it has very good image distribution. :notes:

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Exactly - I think the company to actually accomplish it would be FatFREQ, with their bass cannon voodoo magic technology, but I do feel like it’s of redundant for them. Maybe it’ll be a way to bring their crazy tuning style to a more budget market. Regardless, I’m looking forward to companies playing around with the dual DD set up a little bit more for sure.

Man, I adored the Lancer. The saber was close, no doubt, but to my ears comparing them to the lancer they were a touch too sharp in the gain region and lower treble. Not to mention the mid bass on the Lancer was perfect for me. Well now I’m interested in hearing the IE600 one day … interesting. Maybe I shouldn’t have discounted them so much in the past :sweat_smile:

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Seeing a pair of used MiM OG Dark Magicians for $800 CAD ($597 USD as of 10:16 AM). I have no point of reference of pricing for these earlier versions. Is this a fair price?

I am intrigued to try them out but don’t want to get fleeced either.

Hard to gauge the second hand price of DMs unfortunately. The OGs weren’t made for very long so there are few examples out there I have to assume.

However, I’ve seen them sell for $300-$400 second-hand. $597 USD may be a bit steep but take this info with a grain of salt! GLWYS :handshake:

Edit; totally misread and thought your post said “selling” not seeing … $600 is far too high. A fair price would be $300-$400 for sure!

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Yep the graph definitely scared some folks away that’s for sure haha. As for FatFreq I think their maestro series is all about that bass canon so it would make sense for them to drop something in the budget range whatever the setup is. I doubt it will happen until they get bigger and can benefit from manufacturing at scale

They definitely succeed with that bass cannon theme, man because Jesus Christ :sweat_smile: I don’t have to tell you…

Once they expand a bit, which I have no doubt they will, we might see that budget offering. I think everyone deserves to hear what this tuning is all about - it’s audiophile life changing if you’re all about that bass, no doubt.

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For those that like bullet iems, here is a HUGE list.

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DM when they came out new were 600 USD. This price is high for second hand. Real price for these is around 350-400 dollars. So think it through and if possible ask them to lower the price.

Thanks to you and @domq422. Good to know what the precedents are. Realistically speaking, I am intrigued but not enough to overpay for an older set. I will see how it goes with seller but not holding my breath. There are just too many options to try in this hobby and new products keep coming out that I need to prioritize my hobby fund to just a few key convictions.

Maestro Minis are definitely the next priority on my list. :sweat_smile:

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You’re absolutely welcome, brother. With IEMs like the DMs it’s tough to resist the temptation considering their reputation. I have both the OG DMs and the Maestro Minis and I am truly lucky and so very fortunate to say that.

I can confidently say that these two are my most used and enjoyed sets as of right now and you genuinely can’t go wrong with either :handshake:

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$500+ is too much. I think they go for around $450-500 now, at least that’s what I would sell mine for (if I ever sell them probably not). Unless you get a sweet deal.

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