Audio Bassy IEM with good overall sound as well

santhoshr

santhoshr

Disciple
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Hi,​
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I have tried some IEMs like CX300, S4i, SE215. Now I want to scale up and try a best IEM that doesn't fail on bass, many IEM or hp which has good rating comes up short on bass, same way IEM good on bass comes up short on mids/lows etc. So I really wanted to buy Shure SE535, but having experienced SE215 it not very practical for everyday use like in office due to cumbersome design, also the ear pressure is very high due which I have to take it out many times. You can suggest me anything meeting my requirements need not be expensive or it can be expensive, branded/unbranded/unknown/whatever. Also mention about the build quality.​
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Thanks​
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Santhosh R.​
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Please mention the budget

Also as you love bass try out the monster beat in ears, also sennheiser IE8 which gaving tuneble bass

Also the Klipsch Custom 3s are good options

Moreover many models from denons have good bass output
 
since I mentioned SE535 which cost ~25k I thought that would be the ultimate price to pay anything else should be below, so that's my top end, below could be anything I was suggested Soundmagic E10 which in ebay india cost below 2k, so I want the best IEM for bass not necessarily the expensive or inexpensive one. UE350 was one more option, as well as Superfi5 extended bass. Also I read good about HIppo VB. My constrains are easy plug in and out, low ear pressure, I even considered Yuin Pk2/3. Also no amp requirements I have FiiO E11, but I don't like to use it for IEMs so no PK1

allrounder799 said:
Please mention the budget

Also as you love bass try out the monster beat in ears, also sennheiser IE8 which gaving tuneble bass

Also the Klipsch Custom 3s are good options

Moreover many models from denons have good bass output
Click to expand...

Thanks for the options will check it out, any specific model in Denon?
 
I dont know about any specific model, but as your budget is high you can consider the sennheiser IE8s which are approx 18-19k

If I were you and had that much budget would have gone for shure but as you are bass lover also consider importing the beats from U.S.
 
allrounder799 said:
I dont know about any specific model, but as your budget is high you can consider the sennheiser IE8s which are approx 18-19k

If I were you and had that much budget would have gone for shure but as you are bass lover also consider importing the beats from U.S.
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I love shure too, still in my list, the problem is ear pressure, even after using SE215 I still suffer from it! Sennheiser never worked for me so all sennheiser even though they got excellent build quality, I will take a hard look
 
Easy to insert and remove? Do you want isolation as well? Those two don't usually go hand in hand.

Purely based on SQ, there are a few choices for bass heavy, but overall good sounding ones -
  • JVC HA-FX700 - One of my favorites and the only one of the four I've heard from this list. It offers better isolation than DDMs, but not too much. They are a little heavy on weight and shorter on cable length unless you use the extension.
  • Westone 3 (with proper fit)
  • Sennheiser IE8/80
  • JVC HA-FX500 - a little hot in treble or so I hear
  • Radius DDM-2 - good bass quantity and overall sound quality, but offers almost no isolation and not so great build quality. It takes a while to get used to it.
  • Monster Miles Davis Tribute - May be a smallish sound stage with intimate presentation. Build quality may be bad. But since it's being phased out, it is / will be available at $120-150 direct from Monster store, so may be worth a try. BTW, Monster probably has most fakes out there after Sennheiser
  • Monster Turbine Pro Gold
  • Klipsch X10
  • Atrio M5 with MG7 drivers - Not a 'bass monster', but has a terrific extension in bass. Has a not so exciting presentation, so not sure how it will go with your tastes.
  • Radius DDM-1 - No isolation, a lot harder to fit. It has a slightly weird presentation, which is hard to wrap your head around.

Coming back to your query, you should ideally stick with ear buds or headphones. Consider a D2000 / D5000 if you can use headphones in the office. Bass-head ear buds are hard to come by. They do not have the advantage of seal which IEM provides nor the bigger driver size of the headphones to move air. So, you may need to compromise a little bit either way (wearing a big headphone / giving up some of the desired bass quantity).

You should probably ask this question in Joker's thread - as long as you are willing to source them online / from US via a friend / head-fi used.
 
esanthosh said:
Easy to insert and remove? Do you want isolation as well? Those two don't usually go hand in hand.

Purely based on SQ, there are a few choices for bass heavy, but overall good sounding ones -
  • JVC HA-FX700 - One of my favorites and the only one of the four I've heard from this list. It offers better isolation than DDMs, but not too much. They are a little heavy on weight and shorter on cable length unless you use the extension.
  • Westone 3 (with proper fit)
  • Sennheiser IE8/80
  • JVC HA-FX500 - a little hot in treble or so I hear
  • Radius DDM-2 - good bass quantity and overall sound quality, but offers almost no isolation and not so great build quality. It takes a while to get used to it.
  • Monster Miles Davis Tribute - May be a smallish sound stage with intimate presentation. Build quality may be bad. But since it's being phased out, it is / will be available at $120-150 direct from Monster store, so may be worth a try. BTW, Monster probably has most fakes out there after Sennheiser
  • Monster Turbine Pro Gold
  • Klipsch X10
  • Atrio M5 with MG7 drivers - Not a 'bass monster', but has a terrific extension in bass. Has a not so exciting presentation, so not sure how it will go with your tastes.
  • Radius DDM-1 - No isolation, a lot harder to fit. It has a slightly weird presentation, which is hard to wrap your head around.

Coming back to your query, you should ideally stick with ear buds or headphones. Consider a D2000 / D5000 if you can use headphones in the office. Bass-head ear buds are hard to come by. They do not have the advantage of seal which IEM provides nor the bigger driver size of the headphones to move air. So, you may need to compromise a little bit either way (wearing a big headphone / giving up some of the desired bass quantity).

You should probably ask this question in Joker's thread - as long as you are willing to source them online / from US via a friend / head-fi used.
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Santhosh, but which of the iems you listed are actually practical for outdoor use? I for one, do not use my fx500 outdoors.
 
That list was just based on SQ (based on what I've heard or read) and not tailored to OP's requirements.

Personally, for outside (daily) use, my selection of IEM would be based on

Isolation > Comfort > Price > Availability (or replaceable with an equivalent quickly) >>> SQ

So, none of them are likely to make the cut. CC51 was something that fitted in. It was not the best sounding IEM even in it's tier, but was comfortable, isolated well and did not require deeper insertion.

Even among ear buds I have, I mostly use OK1 when I want to listen to music, but take out something cheaper like a PAA-1 / Starsonic HDSS when I want to watch the occasional youtube video on my laptop or when I want to be aware of the surroundings (or pretend that I am listening to music when overhearing something
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) i.e., when usage typically lasts only a few minutes.

For OP's requirements, I feel that ear buds (which allows for easier removal, even just one ear if you need to) would do well. But, ear buds are not as comfortable as IEMs for longer periods because of their pressure on the outer ear - some ears are more suited than others. Headphones, especially under $100, which are smaller and comfortable could be better suited, IMO. If SQ is paramount, with his budget, he can sure aim for a D5000.
 
Sennheiser IE8 r no longer available but u can get the IE80, i'm personally using them,without tuning u get the perfect natural sound and when u maximize through the sound tuner u would get the thump that u just can't imagine,n they'll fall just in ur budget (23-25k).
 
esanthosh said:
Easy to insert and remove? Do you want isolation as well? Those two don't usually go hand in hand.

Purely based on SQ, there are a few choices for bass heavy, but overall good sounding ones -
  • JVC HA-FX700 - One of my favorites and the only one of the four I've heard from this list. It offers better isolation than DDMs, but not too much. They are a little heavy on weight and shorter on cable length unless you use the extension.
  • Westone 3 (with proper fit)
  • Sennheiser IE8/80
  • JVC HA-FX500 - a little hot in treble or so I hear
  • Radius DDM-2 - good bass quantity and overall sound quality, but offers almost no isolation and not so great build quality. It takes a while to get used to it.
  • Monster Miles Davis Tribute - May be a smallish sound stage with intimate presentation. Build quality may be bad. But since it's being phased out, it is / will be available at $120-150 direct from Monster store, so may be worth a try. BTW, Monster probably has most fakes out there after Sennheiser
  • Monster Turbine Pro Gold
  • Klipsch X10
  • Atrio M5 with MG7 drivers - Not a 'bass monster', but has a terrific extension in bass. Has a not so exciting presentation, so not sure how it will go with your tastes.
  • Radius DDM-1 - No isolation, a lot harder to fit. It has a slightly weird presentation, which is hard to wrap your head around.

Coming back to your query, you should ideally stick with ear buds or headphones. Consider a D2000 / D5000 if you can use headphones in the office. Bass-head ear buds are hard to come by. They do not have the advantage of seal which IEM provides nor the bigger driver size of the headphones to move air. So, you may need to compromise a little bit either way (wearing a big headphone / giving up some of the desired bass quantity).

You should probably ask this question in Joker's thread - as long as you are willing to source them online / from US via a friend / head-fi used.
Click to expand...

Thanks great options, particularly suggesting a headphones Denon 2k/5k instead of earbuds, never thought about it.

esanthosh said:
For OP's requirements, I feel that ear buds (which allows for easier removal, even just one ear if you need to) would do well. But, ear buds are not as comfortable as IEMs for longer periods because of their pressure on the outer ear - some ears are more suited than others. Headphones, especially under $100, which are smaller and comfortable could be better suited, IMO. If SQ is paramount, with his budget, he can sure aim for a D5000.
Click to expand...

What earbuds do you suggest, I will get a good bassy earbuds among many choice listed here including SE535 (most probably, I decided to compromise on comfort & portability!), FX700, IE80, etc...or try and get Denon 2k/5k or 1100! What earbud with bass for general use and light on pocket say < 4k like you mentioned in some other thread Hippo VB, I heard good things about Ultimate Ears 350 for bass but poor buid, Soundmagic E-10 etc? for outdoor office use, I like UE 350, in ebay there is a seller selling it for 1.5k one more guy 2k official site lists for 3.2k (logizmos) there is also weird option for ZAGG Smartbuds! available with fommy india.

siddharth said:
Sennheiser IE8 r no longer available but u can get the IE80, i'm personally using them,without tuning u get the perfect natural sound and when u maximize through the sound tuner u would get the thump that u just can't imagine,n they'll fall just in ur budget (23-25k).
Click to expand...

Thanks for suggesting
 
Shure SE535 is actually not that 'great' on bass (may be 'good'), especially coming from the likes of S4.Even SE215 may have more quantity. If you are looking for mids, then yes! SE53X (SE535 or SE535LTD) are a great choice. If you were specifically looking at Shure for brand name and build quality, better look at a Westone 3. There is at least one owner on TE to my memory.

My knowledge of headphones as well as earbuds is however, limited to what I've heard. A better person to approach for a earbud related query would be someone like clieOS because knowledge (and use) of earbuds is not as wide spread as IEMs or headphones. If you include IEMs, there are a few choices like SoundMagic E10, Fischer Eterna, Hippo VB, Fischer Consonance, Xears TDIII, Beyerdynamic DTX101 under $100. All of them may be a slight side-grade / upgrade to S4 at most depending on your preferences.Xears models should cost 38 EUR including shipping post coupon code, but they do not have build quality on their side. I had 7 of them and only one failed, but a few had got 3 and all 3 failed - so it's at best random. You may be better off with a portable headphone like Sony XB500/700, D1100, V-Moda V80, even M50 - as they would at least give you a different flavor (Refer Joker's portable headphone thread).

On the other hand, you can probably try Dunu Trident / Sony XB41-EX / SoundMagic E10 instead of UE350 (based on Joker's review). Trident should be better built, though comfort is not guaranteed due to the design. It's cheaper than most options (http://mp4nation.net/catalog/dunu-dn12-trident-iem-earphones-p-551.html) after some discount coupons that spring up from time to time. Won't exactly have the 'best SQ ever', but something just enough to sail through. Though available around a similar price range, I am a little weary of suggesting XEport 5010 (http://xeport.com/index.php?main_pa...s_id=6&zenid=5125f9516016b571cbbd1957d32459cb) since the only person who ordered it so far from TE has not got it after 45 days. But, at a smaller price tag, it may be worth taking the risk.
 
esanthosh said:
Shure SE535 is actually not that 'great' on bass (may be 'good'), especially coming from the likes of S4.Even SE215 may have more quantity. If you are looking for mids, then yes! SE53X (SE535 or SE535LTD) are a great choice. If you were specifically looking at Shure for brand name and build quality, better look at a Westone 3. There is at least one owner on TE to my memory.

My knowledge of headphones as well as earbuds is however, limited to what I've heard. A better person to approach for a earbud related query would be someone like clieOS because knowledge (and use) of earbuds is not as wide spread as IEMs or headphones. If you include IEMs, there are a few choices like SoundMagic E10, Fischer Eterna, Hippo VB, Fischer Consonance, Xears TDIII, Beyerdynamic DTX101 under $100. All of them may be a slight side-grade / upgrade to S4 at most depending on your preferences. You may be better off with a portable headphone like Sony XB500/700, D1100, V-Moda V80, even M50 - as they would at least give you a different flavor (Refer Joker's portable headphone thread).
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You are right man, the earbuds will be side-grade to my existing stuff, I'm really going nuts! over headphones for few days continuously I want to buy all kind! as you say headphone like Sony should do well for my requirements, thanks.
 
A short summary of options for you, so that I am clear...

Earbuds: If ease of removal is high priority, then choose earbuds. They won't attract attention, are easier to carry and store and in most cases, not costly. Bass is a slight thing to worry as it depends on fit with your outer ear and the positioning. They tend to move, so for a longer session like a day at the office, they may need constant adjustment to get that right kind of bass quantity and signature. You can buy some foams / donut foams / breppies to fit them, but not sure about comfort. Choices - need to ask earbud experts.

Portable Headphones: They are likely to give you both comfort and ease of removal along with good SQ. There are several good choices in the bass-heavy, but overall good SQ category to consider. You should be able to save much of your budgeted amount too! They are a little bulkier to store than IEMs and earphones.

IEMs: If SQ is more important than ease of removal, IEMs at the top-end (my list and other choices) can be considered. Isolation depends on the IEM chosen as is the sound signature. You can hit close to the budget mark with some of the choices due to their cost and shipping. Portability aspect is however preserved. With good SQ, the constant need to remove and re-insert could become even more of a pain - which is something to keep in mind.

You can also choose to go for cheap-replace-whenever-I-want kind of IEMs. They may be a step-down from the option of getting better sounding IEMS, as you not only endure the same pain of re-insertion and re-re-removal, but also not as great a SQ. This option though works for me as I do not want my 'precious' collection to be lost.

Full size headphones: They can solve everything at one go. They should be comfortable and also relatively easier to remove / switch off the music to strike a conversation than IEMs. SQ should be very good as well. They might however be bigger than you desire to carry / keep safely for office use. Secondly, you may want/need to use an amp with them - if not now, in the future. Those are two things to consider.
 
^^^ well done, to me these will be my first choice:

Earbuds:

Yuin : Best SQ, low marks for Build

Ultimate Ears : Same as above not as best as Yuin

There are many others!

Portable Headphones: Koss Portapro, Sennheiser PX series

IEMs: So many! To me these stand out Shure, Phonek Audeo, Klipsch, Etymotic, etc

Full Size: Again there are many types like Full, Semi circumaural, etc : Denon, AKG, Audio Technica

These are not the best as there are so many headphones available based on requirements. Thats why I have this thread
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Ok, I rounded on my option, even though I got so many nice options, in the final analysis Shure SE535 is what I wanted, bass or no bass, but I heard it has dedicated driver for bass !?
 
Another misconception. Dedicated driver for bass or no driver for bass, it still won't do as well as dynamic drivers. Westone 4 has dual drivers for bass, but I don't think it will beat FX700 / IE8 for bass. TF10 has a single bass driver, but I guess it does better than either. SE53X from what I understand can produce test tones down to 25Hz, but it's presentation of sub-bass was found to be inadequate by Joker. If it reminded him of Earsonics, quantity wise, it may not be bad at all.

Bass is just not as simple. There's quantity, extension, tightness, thickness of note, attack and decay, soft / punchy presentation, detail, cleanliness, mid range bleed, frequency response within the bass region (flat / sub-bass emphasis / mid bass emphasis). Each of us like a certain kind of bass and have preference towards some of these factors. The final 'mix' of these factors may or may not be to our liking. A typical 'consumer sound' has plenty of mid-bass emphasis + bass bleed into mids + usually not as clean or detailed. An "audiophile" might like a lower quantity, even rolled off at the lows, but tighter, cleaner, detailed, quicker bass - though not "audiophiles" are alike. BA drivers usually do the second kind of bass well, though there are always exceptions and variances. Dynamics can do both quantity and quality.

Just a quick look at my list - only 2 of them are BA (W3 and X10).
 
esanthosh said:
Bass is just not as simple. There's quantity, extension, tightness, thickness of note, attack and decay, soft / punchy presentation, detail, cleanliness, mid range bleed, frequency response within the bass region (flat / sub-bass emphasis / mid bass emphasis). Each of us like a certain kind of bass and have preference towards some of these factors. The final 'mix' of these factors may or may not be to our liking. A typical 'consumer sound' has plenty of mid-bass emphasis + bass bleed into mids + usually not as clean or detailed. An "audiophile" might like a lower quantity, even rolled off at the lows, but tighter, cleaner, detailed, quicker bass - though not "audiophiles" are alike.
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OMG, there are so much to bass! but I can understand what you are saying, I really liked the way S4i bass sounded which kind of rounded bass, so it has nice feel to it, what I feel rounded should be something in the above terms I guess...
 
Yep! Audiophile terms can go on and on. But, understand this - while they are useful, too much of technical jargon is never useful. Look what financial jargon did in 2008
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The more you know, the more confused you get. Best way to read reviews is to get a reference point - an IEM which you hear the same way as the reviewer. I have plenty of reference points with Joker, so whenever he compares A to B, C and D, I can understand who A sounds as long as I have B or C or D. Otherwise, if I have only X, I'd post a question asking him to compare A to X. That's how it works best.
 
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