IEMs for classical

IEMs / Other In-Ear Monitors (IEM)
116

The buzz around the Tin2 had everything to do with the price. I enjoy mine, and they are fun, but I feel certain there’s better now esp for classical music. I’d be tempted by the Starfield or the Ety.

I use my T2s with Shure Bluetooth adapters, which I use when I run or mowing the lawn or something. BC they are adequate and I won’t cry if I lose them. That said, I bought the Shure adapters with intention of mating them with my Shure 425. Those are neutral and natural sound and great for classical…except they have zero bass, I realized. Not enough even for classical. So I switched them out for the Tin.

117

yeah, price and a lack of other option if one didnt want the other option, which was mainly V-shaped iems lol.

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118

I actually meant the NM2. The NM2+ is over $100.

The Etymotic ER2, ER3, ER4 SE/SR versions are diffuse field neutral, and are reference tuned. If you don’t want much bass, you can’t go wrong with them, and they can still be a reference IEM, even if you eventually buy $3000 IEMs. The Etymotic ER2 is my recommendation, as it has a DD, and has the most natural sound, plus it is the least expensive.

ER2SE is less than $100 now on Amazon US. https://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-Research-ER2SE-Studio-Earphones/dp/B07NSQBK1X

You can find inexpensive IEMs that aren’t HARMAN, such as every IEM I previously mentioned.

2 Likes
119

oh, I havent heard much about the regular NM2.

120

When in doubt and you need warm sounds, BLON BL03s! Don’t forget to replace the cables and ear tips of those though, since the stock parts are not that really good. But yeah, this is my go to multi-genre IEM, BL03s when in doubt.

121

The 03 certainly has very very good timbre. But tonality wise, it is a bit too warm for violins which are very important for acoustic music. And it might not be technical enough for those music since there is a lot of things going on.

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122

Do you guys think that Starfields are good timber/tonality-wise if I listen mainly to classical music? Going to be driven with Apple dongle and directly from phone. If drivability is an issue, any recommendations with good timbre/natural sound for about the same price?

No experience in IEM’s so this is going to be my first and I have absolutely no clue lol

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123

The starfield probably lacks some brightness to go for the violins. They are seen as a jack of all trades master of none kinda iem. HZ heart mirror is cheaper and should be better suited for you.

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124

Okay thank you i’ll check them out. How’s the drivability on these? Can they be driven from phone and dongle directly with decent performance? Since IEMs will mostly be for portable uses

125

they should be fine with any source

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126

To my mind there’s no excuse for budget IEMs that require an amp. And I doubt there are many.

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127

well, there shouldnt be really sensitive neither,
imagine plugging some picky ones into a dirty onboard audio

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128

Good point, although I guess that’s why eventually one has to jump up to a dac, even just a cheap dongle dac can clean that up, no?

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129

You can get the sonata hd pro dongle. Should be a big jump for a small price.

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130

I have one. And it does a fine job. I stopped using it when I got first an ES100 and then a BTR5 after the es100 died. But only because they do more things.

131

If you got the btr5, you should be fine.

Unless you go up to the 300 usd range for iems, then you might want a better source. Like the ifi hip dac.

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132

and unless tin P1 happens

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133

Haha, yeah. But that one is one of the exceptions lol.

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134

Tripowin TC-01 for $50.

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135

A bit late to the party, but…

Considering the majority of my library is classical music (Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Early & Late Romantic), pipe organ, orchestral and symphonic, I have to say that these BGVP DM8’s with the W01 “Vocal” ear tips installed are strongest with this type of music.

I grew up with classical music in my blood, worked on and played the pipe organ, also played the upright bass in orchestra for 6+ years, as well as the cello, viola and violin, and the piano.

Over the years I’ve had a number of Sennheiser HD600’s, 650’s, AKG K701’s, a couple different Grado’s and Byerdynamic’s 880’s and 990’s, and Dan Clark’s original Mr Speakers Mad Dog’s with his upgraded pads.

Out of all of those, the K701’s were the best for all classical music and only lacked a bit in the bass department when it came to pipe organ. With that being said, these DM8’s even best the K701’s as far as a neutral presentation is concerned, and the DM8’s excel in detail and dynamics. They even do really good with those extremely low pedal notes on the organ. Considering these are an all BA design, that’s saying something.

Unfortunately, these DM8’s really don’t get the recognition that I think they deserve.

Yes, these are my first IEM’s and I know there’s others out there that will better these, but at what cost I don’t know. I know good sound, I know good sounding headphones, and I know these DM8’s sound considerably better than any of the headphones I’ve had in the past, and those were all powered with either a Cary Audio Sli80, an extremely modified and hot-rodded tube headphone amp or a Headamp Cosmic Reference. So those cans weren’t lacking quality amplification at all.

Anywho, just thought I put in my 2 cents.

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