Audio IN-Earphones inside Rs.8000

dhiren9600gt

Disciple
Gonna buy a new in-earphone with my 1st salary,have researched many options like

fischer audio dba02,head direct re0,shure,brainwavz.

Still confused. Anyone tried or having any of these,pls help.

Am not extreme bass loving,just want good clarity and yes, durable.
 
At that price, you need to be clear what you want - unless you are experimenting with IEMs to get to know your taste.

Within 8K, you are looking at $150 IEMs. Do you want to source locally or open to buying it online from abroad? If you can buy from abroad, your choices multiply manifold, but then you may have to budget in shipping costs and probable customs duty. Locally, choices are severely restricted.

Are you open to buying them used?

Any idea how you want your treble / bass / mids / sound stage? What are the previous IEMs you have tried and which ones you like / dislike?

Some of the better IEMs within the $150 range would be Sony EX-600 (based on my experience with EX-1000 and comparisons I've read), JVC HA-FXT90 (more on the so-called "musical" side, but JVCs are still technically capable), VSonic GR07. Fischer DBA-02 has been discontinued and has been replaced by a slightly different sounding DBA-02 MK2 (aggressive vs more toned down and smooth). Each of them are different, but I prefer all of them to RE0 in a way. Another good choice would be Etymotic HF2/3/5 (which sound the same, but differ in the mic department), which is in the RE0 territory (clarity, treble, less bass quantity), but is much better to my ears. If you are after a non-fatiguing, but more mid-focused sound, Fischer Tandem can be considered. There is no "best" out there to make an easy recommendation, only those who fit your tastes and those that don't. Reading reviews for hours will only make you mad, so narrow down your preferences to make it easier. Start from the IEMs you have heard and what you liked. That might make this exercise easier.
 
At that price, you need to be clear what you want - unless you are experimenting with IEMs to get to know your taste.

Within 8K, you are looking at $150 IEMs. Do you want to source locally or open to buying it online from abroad? If you can buy from abroad, your choices multiply manifold, but then you may have to budget in shipping costs and probable customs duty. Locally, choices are severely restricted.

Are you open to buying them used?

Any idea how you want your treble / bass / mids / sound stage? What are the previous IEMs you have tried and which ones you like / dislike?

Some of the better IEMs within the $150 range would be Sony EX-600 (based on my experience with EX-1000 and comparisons I've read), JVC HA-FXT90 (more on the so-called "musical" side, but JVCs are still technically capable), VSonic GR07. Fischer DBA-02 has been discontinued and has been replaced by a slightly different sounding DBA-02 MK2 (aggressive vs more toned down and smooth). Each of them are different, but I prefer all of them to RE0 in a way. Another good choice would be Etymotic HF2/3/5 (which sound the same, but differ in the mic department), which is in the RE0 territory (clarity, treble, less bass quantity), but is much better to my ears. If you are after a non-fatiguing, but more mid-focused sound, Fischer Tandem can be considered. There is no "best" out there to make an easy recommendation, only those who fit your tastes and those that don't. Reading reviews for hours will only make you mad, so narrow down your preferences to make it easier. Start from the IEMs you have heard and what you liked. That might make this exercise easier.

Thanks for such a detailed reply, ya its kind of experimentation, even with the music that i listen, i had a much cheaper iem

before (soundmagic pl30 and have had pl50 too), its just that i want to try the next levels, also i am more looking forward to actually a good build quality ,having options like replaceable cable and all, wudnt bother me if i hav to spend 2k more to get

a better ,durable iem,(wanna stay with it for atleast 2 yrs),cant say much abt mids and highs,but i wud like a balanced iem

not much bassy, and not even very less bass

Wanna buy new only,maybe available on indian online stores. Any deals if u know wud be truly appreciated
<
 
The only IEM that I bought within 8K that had removable cable is the Panasonic HJE-900. But it's lack of availability has pushed prices far higher these days.

ASG-1 which is the current FOTM in head-fi is one such IEM which has a removable cable and said to hang out with the best of universals. However, judging by the description of sound as "colder SM3", I really don't think it will fit your tastes.

If you do not care that much for bass, but require a balanced / neutral / analytical presentation, then these would be my suggestions:

1) Etymotic HF2 (or HF3):

Reasonably well built, this series (HF2/3/5) all share the same driver. Etymotic stands for clarity and detail, good treble, great mids, bass lighter in quantity but good in quality. But, Etymotics lack sound stage. Even within the smaller space, the instruments are well separated, so it would never sound congested. The one thing you should be willing to live with is the requirement of deep fit with the tri-flanges. It's a major pain to get used to initially, but gets better with practice. Once done right, you would hear adequate quantity of bass and also get very good isolation.

2) VSonic GR07

There was/is an ongoing clearance sale by some dealers which makes it a reasonable option to consider. When I think of the VSonics, I remember the great comfortable fit I had and then, the bass which was well extended and had quite a nice texture and quantity to it. They have a good set of accessories, a bit more than decent build quality and sound quality as well. They are balanced and can go with all genres of music. Of course, nothing is perfect and there are a couple of issues with them. One would be a little emphasized sibilance region which makes all "sss" or "fff" sung by vocalists razor sharp and harsh to hear. It can be tamed via EQ and "burn in". Though I burnt them in for over 200 hours, sibilance was still present. The second issue may be ear specific. I personally did not find them too involving due to the softer dynamics.

3) Fischer DBA-02 mkII

While DBA-02 original was clearly more like RE0 (I called it RE0 v1.5), the newer MKII is a little tamed down in aggression. It's a much smoother customer, has improved in build quality, easy to wear and fits very nicely, has a very small body and comes with a case and plenty of tips. Of course, it has a flat cable which is not exactly my preference, but I don't mind it too much. With DBA-02, you should expect not so much quantity of bass, but good mids (which were more forward in MK1 and a little backward in MK2) and great treble. Like I remember GR07 for bass, I'd remember DBA-02 for treble. The treble is lean, linear, quick and detailed. The mid range was a bit more aggressive with MK1 and a bit laid back and cold in MK2, but it retains the clarity and details. If you want MK1 (as reviewed by Joker), you can get Brainwavz B2 which is similar. MK2 is a bit costlier at $189 shipped from Musica Acoustics (may be slightly lower elsewhere). I have no chance to compare MK1 and MK2 (but Joker will soon), but I think they are both more similar than different.

4) Hifiman RE-ZERO

OK to deal with 'you know who'? RE-ZERO is balanced, but a tad dry sounding. It does not sound similar to RE0. With RE0, there is bass roll-off and a slight mid-bass hump. RE-ZERO cuts the hump, but has the same quantity of bass. RE-ZERO's mids are more forward and does not suffer from the leanness of RE0's mids (which makes vocals a bit anemic). I actually prefer the treble of RE-ZERO compared to RE0. RE-ZERO has better presentation too. Unfortunately, build quality is not one of the strong suits of Hifiman gear.

Of course, of the ones I've not heard, Sony EX-600 can be considered. It is generous with so many tips, great build quality, removable cables and has most of what makes EX-1000 my favorite IEM. If you can get it from US through someone for $130 or thereabouts, it may actually be the best choice for you.
 
The only IEM that I bought within 8K that had removable cable is the Panasonic HJE-900. But it's lack of availability has pushed prices far higher these days.

ASG-1 which is the current FOTM in head-fi is one such IEM which has a removable cable and said to hang out with the best of universals. However, judging by the description of sound as "colder SM3", I really don't think it will fit your tastes.

If you do not care that much for bass, but require a balanced / neutral / analytical presentation, then these would be my suggestions:

1) Etymotic HF2 (or HF3):

Reasonably well built, this series (HF2/3/5) all share the same driver. Etymotic stands for clarity and detail, good treble, great mids, bass lighter in quantity but good in quality. But, Etymotics lack sound stage. Even within the smaller space, the instruments are well separated, so it would never sound congested. The one thing you should be willing to live with is the requirement of deep fit with the tri-flanges. It's a major pain to get used to initially, but gets better with practice. Once done right, you would hear adequate quantity of bass and also get very good isolation.

2) VSonic GR07

There was/is an ongoing clearance sale by some dealers which makes it a reasonable option to consider. When I think of the VSonics, I remember the great comfortable fit I had and then, the bass which was well extended and had quite a nice texture and quantity to it. They have a good set of accessories, a bit more than decent build quality and sound quality as well. They are balanced and can go with all genres of music. Of course, nothing is perfect and there are a couple of issues with them. One would be a little emphasized sibilance region which makes all "sss" or "fff" sung by vocalists razor sharp and harsh to hear. It can be tamed via EQ and "burn in". Though I burnt them in for over 200 hours, sibilance was still present. The second issue may be ear specific. I personally did not find them too involving due to the softer dynamics.

3) Fischer DBA-02 mkII

While DBA-02 original was clearly more like RE0 (I called it RE0 v1.5), the newer MKII is a little tamed down in aggression. It's a much smoother customer, has improved in build quality, easy to wear and fits very nicely, has a very small body and comes with a case and plenty of tips. Of course, it has a flat cable which is not exactly my preference, but I don't mind it too much. With DBA-02, you should expect not so much quantity of bass, but good mids (which were more forward in MK1 and a little backward in MK2) and great treble. Like I remember GR07 for bass, I'd remember DBA-02 for treble. The treble is lean, linear, quick and detailed. The mid range was a bit more aggressive with MK1 and a bit laid back and cold in MK2, but it retains the clarity and details. If you want MK1 (as reviewed by Joker), you can get Brainwavz B2 which is similar. MK2 is a bit costlier at $189 shipped from Musica Acoustics (may be slightly lower elsewhere). I have no chance to compare MK1 and MK2 (but Joker will soon), but I think they are both more similar than different.

4) Hifiman RE-ZERO

OK to deal with 'you know who'? RE-ZERO is balanced, but a tad dry sounding. It does not sound similar to RE0. With RE0, there is bass roll-off and a slight mid-bass hump. RE-ZERO cuts the hump, but has the same quantity of bass. RE-ZERO's mids are more forward and does not suffer from the leanness of RE0's mids (which makes vocals a bit anemic). I actually prefer the treble of RE-ZERO compared to RE0. RE-ZERO has better presentation too. Unfortunately, build quality is not one of the strong suits of Hifiman gear.

Of course, of the ones I've not heard, Sony EX-600 can be considered. It is generous with so many tips, great build quality, removable cables and has most of what makes EX-1000 my favorite IEM. If you can get it from US through someone for $130 or thereabouts, it may actually be the best choice for you.

Thanks so so much,most probably i will go for dba 02,

any online stores in india who sell it,coz i kind of cant wait after

i hav salary in my hand
<
,so probably want a faster shipping.

Also,shud i buy some buds differently, and fiio e5 amplifier maybe?,gonna use iem's with galaxy note.
 
No need to quote my whole post, makes me scroll too much
<


I don't think Fischer is officially available in India. You can get it from Musica Acoustics, Japan. Just E-mail Dimitri for the price quote. He will ship by EMS which will reach you in 4-5 days barring any custom inspections. I've bought most of my existing IEMs from him (CK10, FX700, DBA02MK2, Tandem and in the past, DDM-1 & e-Q5). I think it may be a bit costly than other international sellers, but he offers good after sale support (got my Tandem RMA-ed, my friend RMA-ed his DDM-1). The other reliable seller (but no personal experience) is Frogbeats in UK. Not sure they have DBA-02 in stock though.

I did not understand your query. Do you mean - is it better to have IEMs with different sound signatures? If you have the curiosity to know and have the money to spare, then yes! Otherwise, it's a hellhole for your wallet. The thing is none of the IEMs I have mentioned in my above post sound similar. Probably, FXT90 or EX-600 could act as a complement to a brighter DBA-02. Or something mid-centric / mid-focused like SM3, RE-262, Tandem (in that order) could provide the fatigue free listening you need. Something bass-heavy and v-shaped (with good sound stage) like FX700, TF10, FX500 could be alternatives to DBA-02 as well. It all depends on whether you find your 8K IEM (whatever that may be) better than your previous IEMs. If you feel the upgrade is worth the money, then yep! go for your second complementing IEM later on.

E5 wouldn't cut it even if you are looking only for bass boost. None of the IEMs I mentioned, barring RE262 need an amp. SM3 dislikes most amps, FX700 is very efficient and is meant for quieter volumes. So, don't go for an amp, may be get a Clip+ instead or buy nothing at all.

Almost all Samsung Galaxy devices have high output impedance, which will likely affect the sound (mostly in the bass region) of the BA IEMs like DBA-02 and TF10. If you have Galaxy Note 3G, you should do better as it's OI is only about 3.44. In general, it is desirable to have OI of less than one to enable the player to work with almost all kind of IEMs - high impedance (like RE262 which has 150 ohms) or low (like FXT90, which has Z of 14). Otherwise, the player will affect low impedance IEMs (as in it could sound harsh in treble or rolled off in bass), but would not affect the higher impedance ones. There's a 1:8 rule for determining optimal impedance of IEM to be used, which means that GN LTE will not affect the output of IEMs above 80 ohms, whereas anything over 28 ohms (many IEMs normally have 32 ohms) should do fine with Galaxy Note 3G. Of course, this is just technical. But, it's possible that even the so-called screwed up signature might just work out fine for you.
 
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