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Best IEMs for bass?
- Thread starter squeally dan
- Start date
I have Westone UM2's and had custom tips made. They are dual-driver units and I've never had a problem getting enough bass. The seal with your ear is the most important thing for that and custom molds are the only way to accomplish that.
They double as some pretty badass earbuds for music listening too...
They double as some pretty badass earbuds for music listening too...
Future Sonics! They use actual dynamic drivers that move air, not armature junk with a bunch of low mids to give the illusion of "bass". You'll feel like there's a sub in ur head as the vibrations couple to your jaw, it's awesome, but the tone is reference monitor quality across the whole spectrum. They really are top notch.
I've been using Etymotic Er-4 for a while and really got used to the analytical sound they give, but I recently was blessed with a pair of 1964 quads. These took a while to get used to -- not because of the fit, but the sound. My bass sounded soooo different through the in-ear system compared to what I was used to. These have such a punch in the low end...it's incredible. My bass sounds less mid-heavy than I'm used to (a bit sad because it really cut through the mix in my ear) but the overall tone and clarity is much improved.
Smoke and Trans. Purple = sexy
Smoke and Trans. Purple = sexy
Seems like the wireless gear is the best way to get a limiter into the chain. Which of these includes the best limiter? I'd be super hesitant to NOT have a reliable, accurate limiter.
I just ordered the 1964 Quads and plan to inch my way into this. Starting with my [sfx] Headphone Amp in the home studio to get used to these first. (And hoping they will do a better job than my headphones at blocking out sound from my wife's TV entertainment while I practice in the evenings....)
i just gota pair of Shure SE425's and love them! at first when i wanted to test them out on my iphone, and even my bass head, and i became concerned. once i used it in an IEM system, the magic arrived and all was good in the world!
I have the PSM 200. Which I am happy with. Make sure you check out the specs on frequency response. The cheaper brands have less than optimal response especially on the bass end-plus they are noisy. It does make a big difference. Mono is fine. What I did was one side for monitor send the other for bass.
The Rolls PM 351 is great if you don't move.
I have a pair of JH16's. I've owned a few before settling on them as my IEMs. Here's what I thought.
Future Sonics Atrio (First Generation) - Sounded decent with bass, scooped mids, not loud enough. I use IEM's at about the level of loud talking and I blew two sets and then just decided to switch brands.
Westone UM2 - Sounded good veering on the side of dark sounding. Large bore that I prevented me from getting a seal in my very narrow ear canals. Medium volume.
Sennheiser IE8 - Loved the adjustable low end. I had mine set in the middle. Goes from super clear to crazy sub bass. Small enough bore to get an OK seal for just about everyone. Medium to very loud depending on how the bass is set.
JH Pro JH13 - Clear on a different level, perfect seal (the joy of molded tips), loud enough to loosen molars. They're just about perfect.
JH Pro JH16 - Basically the JH13 with more subbass (>50hz). These are the one's I actually use live. They're the best I've come across yet. I'm fickle though and those 1964's are pretty interesting. Anyone compared them and the JH16's?
Future Sonics Atrio (First Generation) - Sounded decent with bass, scooped mids, not loud enough. I use IEM's at about the level of loud talking and I blew two sets and then just decided to switch brands.
Westone UM2 - Sounded good veering on the side of dark sounding. Large bore that I prevented me from getting a seal in my very narrow ear canals. Medium volume.
Sennheiser IE8 - Loved the adjustable low end. I had mine set in the middle. Goes from super clear to crazy sub bass. Small enough bore to get an OK seal for just about everyone. Medium to very loud depending on how the bass is set.
JH Pro JH13 - Clear on a different level, perfect seal (the joy of molded tips), loud enough to loosen molars. They're just about perfect.
JH Pro JH16 - Basically the JH13 with more subbass (>50hz). These are the one's I actually use live. They're the best I've come across yet. I'm fickle though and those 1964's are pretty interesting. Anyone compared them and the JH16's?
My friend got a pair of 1964 quads and previously owned the JH11...not JH16
But his comments were that 1964 ears had "just as good, if not better" build quality and far better clarity and overall sound. Not sure how they would stack up to the 16s though. If you're looking at the 16s, I'd suggest checking out the new 1964 ears V6-s model. I know they offer demo units with a modest deposit.And I'm pretty sure either the quads or V6-s would stack up well. Here is what someone over on HF had to say about the Triples!
From the Head-fi forum:
Originally Posted by Staal View Post
Picked up my 1964-V3 at the post office today. So far I am very impressed with both the build quality and sound. They surely do not sound like something costing less than half than my current JH16 and previous Heir 8.A. Also, the soft tips option was definitely the right way to go.
Originally Posted by Metalboy View Post
How close is it to your jh16?
Originally Posted by Staal View Post
Well, they're two different beasts, so I cannot really rate their "closeness". But I was surprised to hear how pleasant and full the V3 sounds is even out of an iPhone. I was fearing that me only having owned top-tier CIEMs (and the TWFK Starkey HF-2 which is at the other end of the scale) wouldn't really allow for me to appreciate a "simple" 3-driver setup. I certainly don't think that'll be the case and I can easily imagine myself using these for the sake of variation without feeling like I'm missing something.
And finally, here is a review between the V6 (not V6-s) and the JH16:
http://audio-head.com/1964-ears-v6-review/
I broke down and picked up a pair of Westone UMX3's for a good deal and I'm slowly getting used to them over the Atrios. The bug difference is wayyyy more mids than the Atrios. Not so much on the bottom end but it is still decent just not as hyped up. I might have to EQ some of the mids out because everything just sounds so middy and burpy that it's a bit tough to get the clarity I want.
They are much more sensitive to the smallest volume changes so I've had to do quite a bit of tweaking to my mix. Also I had to change from having a different feed in each ear to a dual mono. Had been running the bass feed in one ear and the aux mix in the other but I had to combine them it just sounded kind of hollow. This is my first experience with "real" IEM's all I've used the last 2 1/2 years are the Atrios.
I also ordered a set of mixed tips to try and the ones I like the best are the red Star tips. Also they fit over the ears a lot better than the Atrios and feel more solid overall and the cable is way better.
They are much more sensitive to the smallest volume changes so I've had to do quite a bit of tweaking to my mix. Also I had to change from having a different feed in each ear to a dual mono. Had been running the bass feed in one ear and the aux mix in the other but I had to combine them it just sounded kind of hollow. This is my first experience with "real" IEM's all I've used the last 2 1/2 years are the Atrios.
I also ordered a set of mixed tips to try and the ones I like the best are the red Star tips. Also they fit over the ears a lot better than the Atrios and feel more solid overall and the cable is way better.
I could never give up the true bass that the Atrios produce. All that mid bass that other companies use to compensate for the inferior design of armature drivers just sounds like butt. The Atrios are not just "all bass" either. They sound like a nice powered reference speaker system in your head.
Oh I was more than happy with the Atrios but they're discontinued now I didn't want to be stuck without anything on the road. We play 3-5 nights a week 3-4 sets a night so they get a lot of use. Even though I take really good care of them they will eventually break or wear out. I will keep them as a backup.
You can still find stock of them from online retailers if you wanted to buy a backup pair.
I ended up buying 1964's V6-Stage IEMs and really like them. They sound very balanced with lots of low-end booty. Had to send them back to have one of the IEMs slightly resized and they came back perfect. The folks at 1964 were very accommodating and a pleasure to work with.
Oh I know I just wanted to try something different. Eventually I want to get the 1964 ears customs just don't have that kind of cash right now I was lucky to get the Westones used.
CrashClint
I Play Bass therefore I Am
I've heard of periodic sales. You might contact them to learn when those sales occur or watch the Head-Fi.org list.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/519457/1964-ears-the-appreciation-thread
