assume I have an iFi hip DAC or portable tube amp like the little bears (or better) and desktop gear like the Monolith LP and the Denafrips Ares II or something like the Asgard 3 with Multibit DAC.
what would you recommend in the $100 - $250, $250 - $500, $500 - $750 and $750 - $1000 range?
The two sets in my collection i’d pick are the Tin P1’s and the CF Andro’s I haven’t got any in-between those price point’s that i’d take over those two
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surely other IEM junkies can pipe in with suggestions!?!
where r u @RiceGuru???
Lol at work bud. But I’m not very experienced with iems that cost more than a $100 I would look to crinacle’s reviews as his ears for iems are pretty solid and pretty aggreable to my ears his headphone reviews though… that’s another story
Also for those genres I actually really like Harman tuned iems for that so… Uhhhh there is literally a sea of choices for that
LZ A6 for epic, orchestral or OSTs I prefer to have a big soundstage
I don’t have much experience with IEMs under $1000
Campfire Andromedas were a first thought for me, as well. They’re a good fit for orchestral / epic tunes. I’d like a little more bass for ambient electronica, but they wouldn’t ruin that.
Around the $250 mark, a buddy of mine has the Drop+JVC collabs, which Crinacle ranked quite highly and remarked that the blue nozzles were close to his own target curve for neutral. No idea how staging is on those, but they may be worth seeking additional opinions on.
I own the Drop+Empire Ears Zeus, which when they can be had on sale at $750, are an excellent cheaper alternative to Andromeda. Another highly recommended pair by Crinacle that started life as a $2000+ flagship, turned into a $1000 Drop collab and has been on sale for $750 fairly often lately. I got them for airy treble, which I appreciate for orchestral tracks. They’re not especially bassy (like Andros), but what’s there is tight, extended and well-controlled.
I’ve got to wonder with these 3 genres whether Atlas would be a good match or whether the bass would be too much for orchestral tracks. If you’re looking for music to fade into the background, something like Zeus is good (listening to deadmau5 - “Fall” now, and mids and details dominate; the beat is there, but not distracting). If this is more for fun and engaging purposes, I might like Atlas better for putting bass up front and bringing a sense of power to everything. Checking out Infinity War OST on Astros now, and these do bring out the “epicness.”
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I revised my price ranges…$100 - $250 now included as well. I realize I will have a hard time spending $$$ on IEM’s. something so easy to lose / break when put against comparable priced headphones. >.<
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I had a very hard time imagining spending a lot on IEMs until I heard Andromedas: “holy crap, IEMs can do that?” I’ve now revised my attitude to treat IEMs more like my wallet than casual possessions that I might easily misplace or mistreat.
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I’ve got small ear canal’s, so IEM’s have always been difficult for me, so much so that having them in feels abnormal, even if they do fit (like E2000’s).
Those things are tiny! So hang in there, thats rough