#Pradi, use the # <user name> - a much easier way to alert me / anybody else about replying
My reply is a little longer. Hope you have patience to read it...
On buying options
First off, EX-600 can be had for cheap from
eCom, which has a decent
Reseller rating too. I have seen them sold at $135 or so every now and then. So, if you are not in a hurry, you can wait and get them for about the same price as FXT90. With FXT90 and GR07, you must source it via eBay as I am not sure about their availability in the US. For FXT90, refer
this post. For GR07 - official reseller has it for
$159 and another has it for
$149 (I am not sure about the official seller status in the second case). So roughly, all of them are around the $150-160 range.
Which one to consider?
I have not personally heard the EX-600, so I am going to go by impressions which say that it is a slightly unrefined version of EX-1000. I would say that the three are more or less around the same region in terms of SQ. They differ in terms of signature and presentation, so there's no saying who will like which. But, as an upgrade from the lower tier IEMs, I think all three of them are a good step-up into/close to the 'top-tier' territory. In general, you cannot go wrong with any of them.
If you want something 'musical', go with either FXT90 or EX-600.
If you want something that looks like a premium product, go with EX-600.
When it comes to the question of fit, I agree that EX-1000 is a little weird when you look at it. I have no issues with the fit or comfort even when wearing for longer periods. It does look like an alien implanted ear extension when I look in the mirror, but then I have lived with the 'pink panther' AD700 which looked like a prop from "Mars Attacks". GR07 is by far one of the most comfortable IEMs I have ever used. It practically disappeared into my ears. I do not have issues with FXT90 either, but it does have a bit of driver flex on both sides with the stock tips I am using.
GR07 is a very good IEM which has a nice bass and mid range. But the sibilance was the issue for me i.e., whenever singer stresses 'sss', it strains your ears like a shrieking sound. It needs a very good EQ (plenty of related posts can be found on head-fi) and/or a foam (GR07 comes with one, IIRC). It's end to end impressive, but not so much for me to keep it around when I reduced my collection. I retained the FXT90 over it as I wanted some signature variety in what I have. CK10 is a better analytical IEM, RE272 is better balanced and plays nicely, EX-1000 is neutral as well as enjoyable, so GR07 had to go.
FXT90 is a good IEM, not as great as their flagship FX700, but a really good in it's own way especially considering it's price point. The reason I chose this over GR07 is that GR07, FWIW, is a little 'dry' in the timbre department compared to FXT90. By timbre, I mean instruments sound a bit more natural with FXT90 or for simplicity sake, sweeter sounding.
EX-600 will sound a little different from both. It has a wide sound stage - by which I mean, you will hear something like
this [Image posted below to save you a click]
Just imagine standing at the center of a large hall with sounds coming at you from corners of the hall - that might be closer to how you feel about the 'stage' of EX-600. If EX-1000 is any indication, it should be pretty good.
I would suggest you check out FXT90. If it bothers you after a while, may be you can switch to something better a year or two down the line.
Upgrading IEMs as a newbie
Everybody starts as a newbie. The art of buying an IEM is limited to knowing what you want clearly - as is the case with every purchase in every field. The reason most things get complicated when you start out is the need to wade through jargon much like financial literature. Just know that some of these things are important - you are better off knowing what's your taste about bass, how much treble you can take and how you like mids and sound stage. That will help you pick and choose your costlier upgrades easily. Unfortunately for us, the chance to audition different kinds of IEMs is very limited. Friends or fellow audiophiles on TE can be a good source for trying them out without needing to shell out money.
I personally took the route of buying and experiencing a few IEMs at every price point before moving on to the higher priced ones. It is good in one way as you have a rough idea of what each price range brings, the good options to consider at each price range, the law of diminishing returns and so on. On the other hand, it is costly, at times messy, unnecessary and downright evil for the wallet. I liked it because it is an educational experience for me - a costly one, but well worth it. I had the chance to experience different kinds of signature - thick and thin sounding, different kinds of balance (bass heavy, mid-centric, treble tilted), different kinds of sound stage - all of which helped me find my own signature preference and in a way, helped shape it better. Without all that wasteful expenditure, I would not have learned to like very different sounding IEMs.
Not everybody need to 'pay their dues' so to speak. You can directly buy a custom or a $200 IEM and be done with it rather than trying 4-5 IEMs at different price points. It cuts down on unnecessary costs and time factor. I'd suggest you stick to the plan unless you have an issue with your budget.
