Rec for basshead?

Looking for IEMs (<800$) that can slam hard without overshadowing the rest of the spectrum too much.

The options I’ve found so far: Metalure Wave , IMR Ozar , IMR Elan , CA Mammoth. Any thoughts on these?

IKKO Obsidian OH10 for less than $180

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slam hard and <800$… Xenns UP and EE Bravado MKII come to mind

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Only found the Bravado MK.1 in EU for 720$ (shipping not included). I forgot to mention that I don’t plan to buy from stores outside EU.

I have one 2nd hand MK1 bravado with empire audio Ares II cable available at my local Polish forum for CIR 330 EUR. I can help out with translation if needed :slight_smile:

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send a mail to Thomas at headphonecompany.com , he is an official EE reseller in EU. don’t search in the online shop, send a mail, he will just get what you ask typically with a decent discount.

I have never listened to MK1, from what I read on forums it is very different from MKII. Bravado MKII is a little gem if you want an “audiophile level” basshead IEM

Thanks, I’ll look into it. I narrowed it down to only the IMR Elan from the options I listed and now I’m interested into the Bravados as well.
Some cheaper options that I came across were Focus EDM and TFZ No.3 but they are only sold outside EU and I can’t imagine them being more than a sidegrade to my current IEMs (CA Honeydew).

If you’re choosing between the Focus EDM and the TFZ no.3, definitely go with the EDM. Its got better bass and sounds better overall, IMO.

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Had about 2 weeks with Xenns Up so far and I think a true basshead would be disappointed in quantity.

To me IEMs that graph with less bass quantity sounds like they have more than the zip. Bass quality is top notch though! A driver well implemented. To me its balance is very similar to my Serial which is often considered “neutral with bass boost “

Their overall feel being so very similar if given alternate days or listening sessions, I’ll most likely be keeping the Serial. Even with the Up having been bought at an amazing price, I think the returns are still far too diminished.

There was a member here who was hardcore into their bass and found that the Dunu Zen with heavy EQing, which it can take, was what finally satisfied their slam itch.

An IEM that I let go partly because it gave me bass fatigue is the Penon Fan. A little dark, definitely a V shaped offering (fairly lush mids though) but the bass is quite powerful. Great used prices, perhaps not quite worth its new tag.

An affordable IEM I found a little too dark but with a surprisingly high sub bass amount is the QoA Vesper. Also only worth it used, for maximum value. I’d consider either a fun side set rather than a jack of all trades main set that can do most of it all.

One I haven’t heard with my own ears that might be right up your street is the CA Vega. Several were $300-$400 in classifieds lately.

I’ve heard some IMR sets (EDP and Elysium) and although bass quantity is no slouch (especially depending on tip, filter, and nozzle configurations) I never found the texture too impressive. The EDP was a planar dynamic hybrid, the Elysium had some bone conduction involved too.

If you want something you can tune to be absurdly bassy though, it would be possible with IMR sets.

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Bought the IMR Elan used (400$).I think sub-bass is deeper and more authoritive on them than it is on my CFA Honeydew. The Honeydews have more mid to upperbass which make them sound more bloated in comparison. The imaging and details coming from the Elan are enough to justify the upgrade. They’re a bit harsh in the treble but I haven’t tinkered with the different tuning filters yet so there’s room to improve (they’re currently tuned for max bass & treble).
Overall happy with the new addition to my IEM collection.

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