I don’t see why there can’t be IEMs that cover the basics excellently(extension, impact, detail, imaging, tonality). I don’t really care about ultimate performance in the fringe genres, like classical, JP, thrash metal. But those should still sound good on an IEM that nails the essentials, I would assume.
What I personally value most is spaciousness, spatial accuracy(gaming), bass, and no treble/fatigue problems. I listen to basically all genres, though mostly rock, electronic, soundtracks, smooth jazz, chiptunes, folk, ambient. Ideally the sound is nice & full, but also superbly clear & textured, with fantastic separation between bass/mids/treble, like FD5 but far better. HE-6 & LCD-3 blew me away, on the headphone side. For IEMs, I like FH3 & Tea pretty well(FH3>Tea kuz beefier bass & more engaging), or FD5/YBF for gaming.
Same here and I’d never look back or drop a tier in my audio quest, don’t get me wrong I still listen to my other sets but I probably wouldn’t spend less again than I did on the Z1R’s the next jump if I make it will be costly
Etymotic ER4SR, it remains a well made superbly accurate and neutral IEM with outstanding noise isolation. They’re not cheap but neither are they that expensive in todays market and I think they offer excellent value for money. I’d be quite happy for it to be my only IEM.
Sad to say, but it’s all subjective and what you find value in.
All I can say is this… Pricier products do not guarantee better sound or quality. I’ve had many $3,000.00 plus IEMs in my ears and many times, I’ve preferred IEMs that are less expensive. The big lesson learned is when you spend big bucks on an item you’re hoping will be your IEM gold, only to find out, you hate it.
You’ve gotta learn what you’re after, try to listen to everything you can, do as much research as possible and be smart about your choices. Just know this for a fact, there is no price-line you have to pay to automatically obtain audiophile heaven. It’s a voyage you have to take for yourself. Maybe for you, an $3,000.00 Empire Ears Odin will be IEM gold. For many, it was a $26.00 Blon 03.
Probably because they’ve never heard HE-6 or similar. =P I’ve heard that, but not SR-009 yet… Judging by the sound improvements I’ve heard from the 03 to Starlight 4, if Oracle doesn’t impress me, MEST will be my bottom barrel next IEM. But, I agree that LCD-3($1945) sounds better (to me) than Abyss 1266($5000), and SR-007($2205) & Ether 2($2299) may, also. HE-6/LCD-3 is the quality level I want.
The BL03 FR almost matches BGGAR’s preference curve to a tee. For some, that’s all you need.
As I said, it all comes down to personal preference and what is important to the individual. For some, that attractive FR and a $26.00 price tag is something the HE-6 can not touch.
I don’t think 03 can do a single thing better than HE-6, sound-wise. I’ll trade my 03 for one any day. I just don’t know what an HE-6 equivalent IEM might be yet. No more BLON’s for me; I’ve graduated. I like my YBF, but it’s just a skeleton of the sound it could ultimately be. A mere taste.
The BL-03s are one of the cheapest IEMs ever that gave me a form of mindfuck, therefore questioning myself back then on why I bought the Shure SE215s instead of the Tin T2s and BL-03s earlier back then xD
What a few might have personally felt were “top tier” a while ago, no longer appear to be and probably weren’t to begin with. But then again, this is all personal opinion. Some may not agree with my opinion, but this is they way I’ve felt for a long time and others here seem to agree.
That’s okay. In my opinion and with my tastes, I like them and that’s all that matters. That is what I was trying to tell OP. Find what traits matter to you and what you like, ignore tier lists because they are pointless. You were trying to say a similar message no? This is subjective, try to demo, and find things that matter best to you?
I think a lot of this will obviously come down to sound signature preferences, libraries and sources…synergy at this level can also play a big part but at the end of the day if you’re set jams with your library then
For some people, the holy grail of their preferred sound will never be attained. Being extremely particular in such things, makes it even more difficult to attain.
Minimal cost for real hi-fi satisfaction? For me, the Mangird Tea. They have shown me that I don’t need to spend exorbitant amounts of money to satisfy my hi-fi needs. Guess I’m a bit easier to please than some folks.
Tier means nothing to me, and it shouldn’t mean anything to anyone but the person making the list. It’s really useless, unless you find your ears completely agree with someone else’s.
Should I also mention that I still have and love the ibasso it00 and final a3000 within their price range? Did they blow me out of the water? No. Are they great for what they are, absolutely.
I completely agree. By the looks of BGGAR’s @hawaiibadboy reviews and tier list, I think he’d agree as well. I bring Chris up because he has more hands-on experience than anyone reviewing IEMs today probably other than Crin.
I guess the best answers are from the people who have heard things way at the top(which is why I’m asking, since I haven’t yet). I found Tea to be pretty nice overall. . . but also pretty dry, low res sounding, and lacking bass compared FH3. What have you heard above Tea so far?
I just want to know what is the lowest priced IEM that people have heard that really sounds full-stop high-end. Not what the definition of perfection might be, or how OK ultra-budget can sound. : |
