Going to test out some IEMs. Taking requests?

[fuzzybabybunny]

I'm in Osaka and the terrific e-earphones store has a branch here. They have lots and lots of headphones for testing and even though I don't plan on buying anything, I tried their Tokyo branch a month ago and lost all my notes from testing, so I'm going back and retesting and rewriting all my notes for future use.

Unfortunately I'm neither a musician nor have years of being an avid listener, so I'm not very well versed in audiophile vocabulary. I went with the Westone W60 for myself because it simply sounded the clearest to me - good vocals and no muddiness in any frequency range. I also don't have a good DAC or amp available and will be testing with FLAC files from my Samsung S5.

But despite all this... I'm still looking forward to checking it out, again.

I'm especially looking forward to checking out the Audeze iZine 20: http://www.e-earphone.jp/shopdetail/000000127316?used

 

[Muadib]

I'm in Osaka and the terrific e-earphones store has a branch here. They have lots and lots of headphones for testing and even though I don't plan on buying anything, I tried their Tokyo branch a month ago and lost all my notes from testing, so I'm going back and retesting and rewriting all my notes for future use.

Unfortunately I'm neither a musician nor have years of being an avid listener, so I'm not very well versed in audiophile vocabulary. I went with the Westone W60 for myself because it simply sounded the clearest to me - good vocals and no muddiness in any frequency range. I also don't have a good DAC or amp available and will be testing with FLAC files from my Samsung S5.

But despite all this... I'm still looking forward to checking it out, again.

I'm especially looking forward to checking out the Audeze iZine 20: http://www.e-earphone.jp/shopdetail/000000127316?used

I always wanted to do this. I look forward to your findings

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

I always wanted to do this. I look forward to your findings

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

I'm pretty psyched to try the iZine 20. Everything I read about it has stated it is flawless. Basically the soundstage, separation, and clarity of the best full-sized headphones but in a small package that a phone can drive. I'm predicting that it's basically a completely different listening experience compared to a traditional IEM - basically having BOTH the iZine 20 and a traditional IEM isn't really a stretch.

I had a go today at testing some cheap(er) IEMs and over-ear headphones in the $100 range (like Skullcandy). I'm sure that in the past I would have been OK with some of them, but I've become spoiled by the Westone W60s and the difference in audio fidelity is just staggering between the W60s and mainstream headphones.

 

[Chapbass]

I'm heading to Tokyo in early May. saw your other thread and now I'm totally heading to e-earphones when I'm there. Should be good! Been debating getting a pair of Custom Art Music Twos, but we'll see.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

So I went today.

First, the Audeze iSine 20s and 10s.

Unfortunately the seal of these things is a lot more finicky than I had anticipated. The store didn't have the earpieces on their demo pair, nor did they have different eartips since they're not your standard sized eartips. Lastly, the listening environment was bad - there was a store speaker playing some music about 10 feet away. Not too loud, but since these things aren't known to seal well, it affected things.

From what I could gather, the audio fidelity really is top notch. No distortion to speak of. No muddiness at all. No part of the frequency is overpowering. The iSine 20s have noticeably better bass and a fuller sound than the 10s. They can definitely rumble along. There was a bit of sparkle that I didn't appreciate though at 5500 Hz - not sure if that can be removed with an equalizer. The sound is definitely more airy and the soundstage is wider than an IEM, which isn't surprising. I had a few moments where the sound wrapped around me, but I wouldn't say that it's infinite as some other reviewers seem to think. Certainly no where close to, say, speakers. Or maybe I didn't have the right tracks. Not sure.

My S5 was able to drive them directly, but the volume was maybe at 80-85% to get a good listening level, so these would probably benefit from an amp.

My recommendation is that these are good for people who can guarantee they'll be using this predominantly in a quiet environment. Because they don't seal nearly as well as flush-fitting IEMs, I'm afraid that much of the audio fidelity and enjoyment would be lost in a noisy environment, such as walking around on the street, in the subway, etc. Plus they leak sound so they're not a good choice for libraries. But for the relatively cheaper price of $600, you've got $1000-level IEM sound quality.

Now for the Shure KSE1500. I had no idea what there were. I didn't even realize that they were IEMs. I thought they were over the ear headphones by their electrostatic technology, lol. I also didn't realize that they come paired with a dedicated DAC and amp with a special audio cable. And I also didn't realize they were $3,000....

Man, I really wish I hadn't listened to these. I won't say that they blow my W60s out of the water, but they're definitely noticeably cleaner sounding. It's hard for me to describe. Everything just sounds so.... clean. Take Adele's "Hello." The silent parts of a track are dead silent. Then her voice just breaks through in such a clear manner that the contrast is amazing. I can't get that with my W60s, even when listening on my laptop which has a better DAC than my S5.

No frequency range is overpowering. There is no annoying sparkle at 5500 Hz. I was able to hear down to 5Hz on my tone generator app (my hearing apparently tops out at 16,000 Hz). It can rumble nicely. It literally does everything well. Zero distortion anywhere.

The soundstage appeared a bit wider than my W60s, but I've read some reviewers who say it's super wide, which is strange to me, because I thought it was in standard IEM territory to be honest. Maybe I was listening to the wrong tracks?

So.... these are the best IEMs that I've ever heard, and I also tried the SE846, Ultimate Ears Reference Remaster, and Ultimate Ears UE18+Pro, BUT I didn't have the benefit of a crazy integrated DAC and amp when listening to these ones. For the price, I'm never going to own these. And since they come with a special audio cable that hooks into a special beefy-ish DAC that says it is only to be used with the KSE1500, I don't think I have much interest in owning them. I don't know how they would sound if they were just hooked up to a phone via a normal audio cable. It was just a nice experience while it lasted.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

I'll compile my other notes later. I randomly went around and tried things, mostly in the $400-800 range though. Unfortunately my notes are incredibly short for each and mostly focus on the cons. It's a minefield for me personally. There are quite a few that are $300-400 that I personally think are either unlistenable or have fatal flaws that make them the audio equivalent of taking your cash and burning it, which to me is shocking.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

These opinions are taken all in relation to my existing W60s. The songs I chose are simply songs I'm used to listening to for consistency's sake. Prices are in Japanese yen. Divide by ~100 to get a rough ballpark for USD. Note that prices in Japan might be different from the US, such as the Audeze ones which are way more expensive in Japan

Audeze iSine 20
75000 Y

Pretty bad insulation. Zero distortion and mud. Good bass. Can rumble.

Very clear mids and highs. More airy feeling. A tiny bit of sparkle.

The knock in Massive Attack - Teardrop is very crisp. Very crisp. So crisp.

Technically perfect, but because of isolation issues it drastically goes down in areas with outside sound. It really needs a quiet environment.

Much wider soundstage than W60. I wouldn't say its an infinite soundstage though.

Requires close to max volume to drive. Because it's so open and the sealing isn't great, things appear a lot more distant like vocals. Had a hard time understanding lyrics like Halsey - Young God.

Audeze iSine 10
Not as much bass as iSine 20. Not as full. Still very technically good.

Shure SE846
Boomier than the W60 with more sparkle. Still solid listening.

Heir Audio IEM 8.0
128,900 Y

Too sparkly. Right at 5.5 KHz.

JH Audio IEM-JH Rosie Siren Series
90,000 Y
Not as intimate sounding. Recessed vocals. Just an OK fit.
Not too impressed, especially for the price of $900.

JH Audio Layla II Universal Fit
250,000 Y
Everything is clear. Nothing to fault.

64 Audio U3
83,050 Y
Good overall, but female vocals hurt a bit like Alessia Cara.

Noble Audio Django
108,000 Y
Female vocals hurt a bit. Good overall.

Noble Audio Savanna
55,000 Y
Doesn't sound as full. Missing something. A bit anemic but still good.

Campfire Audio
Jupiter CK
80,000 Y
Full sound but a bit muddy in the middle.
Whoa. Alessia Cara's voice sounds different from what I'm used to. Like missing the middle range of her vocals. Fatal flaw.

Ultimate Ears Reference Remastered
129,000 Y
Excellent. Everything comes through. Great listening experience. Really really like these.

Ultimate Ears UE18+Pro
199,800 Y
Excellent. Halsey - Gasoline has such good vocal clarity, presence, and realism that it took me back. Volume almost 90% to drive. Better than UERR.

Aroma Witch Girl S
90,000 Y
Very sparkly. Very vocal forward.
Unlistenable. And $900.

Westone W80
198,000 Y
I think the demo is broken. Everything feels recessed, too sparkly. UERR so much better. It's gotta be broken.

Westone W30 for Japan Limited
38,680 Y
Heavily shrouded compared to W60. Don't like at all. Nothing is crisp. Bass has something off about it. Wouldn't buy at all.

Klipsch xR8i
35,720
Vocals not clear and SO boomy. SO BAD! Hardly anything cuts through the boominess. Basically listening to mud for $350.

Skullcandy
Dime Mic1
5,000 Y
Even more boomy than the Klipsch. But clearer highs. Boominess is crazy. Overpowers vocals. Missing the mids. Hurts the ears with 5,500 Hz. Turns to absolute mud with the boominess in complex tracks like Alessia Cara - Wild Things. Would be a total waste of money.

AKG N30
25,000 Y
Missing mids. Not much bass. The treble breaks through all the time. Lots of treble, especially 5500 Hz, and no mids and then a bit of bass.

AKG N40SIL
37,000 Y
Adele's voice is shrouded. Completely breaks down in Halsey - Gasoline in complex portion of track at 1:13

Dunu DN-2002
44,820 Y
A bit too much in the high mids. Halsey - Castle gets to be too much in the treble. Vocal clarity is also lost on this track at @1:15. Treble in upper mids is unbalanced. Tires ears out.

final
Heaven VIII
70,230 Y
Female vocals are missing something. Too much thickness at the bottom range of vocals. Adele isn't as clear sounding in Hello.

radius
HP-TWF41R
37,290 Y
Solid all around. Good listening but a bit shrouded compared to W60.

Donguri SYOU
37,800 Y
Missing the bass and too much sparkle in female vocals. Hurts.

Sony XBA-N3
37,670 Y
Shrouded. Can create some boom, but full. Fun listening despite the shrouding. Feels powerful in the bass department. Halsey - Castle @1:15 the cymbals get overpowered. U-shaped frequency response.

Sony XBA-N1
21,470 Y
Boomier than the N3. Halsey - Castle @1:15 too much mud. Cymbals not as overpowered, but it's just mud.

Sony MDR-EX1000
42,590
Feels anemic and treble is overpowering in cymbals.

Sony XBA-Z5
62,930 Y
Much more balanced. But a bit shrouded.

JVC HA-FW02
30,510 Y
Pretty solid, just shrouded overall.

Shure KSE1500 with amp and DAC included
350,000 Y
Crystal clear everywhere. Soundstage is the same as other IEMs. These are just so clear.

*** Second Trip ***

JVC
HA-FX101-A
1,430 Y
Way way way too hissy at high end. Hurts. Unlistenable.

JVC
HA-FX11XM-BR
3,040 Y
Way way too sharp. Hurts. Totally missing the mids.

DZAT
DR-10
2,680 Y
Some boom. Recessed mids. Less recessed highs.

MUIX IX1000
2,580 Y
Not bad.
Surprisingly clear and somewhat balanced from this price segment. Recessed mids.

1More
Piston Classic Pink E1003
Highs are too high.

Dragonfly Black DAC Amp
Noticeable difference on the S5. Vocals are way more crisp and real.

Dragonfly Red DAC Amp
WTF the volume is so low! Unusable and the manufacturer hasn't released an updated in 2017. The black has no problem. *edit* I've since bought the Red and found a fix for the low volume issue (involves root and running shell commands with Tasker to increase the hardware volume level). Prefer it to the Black because it's more detailed.

STAX srs-3170 (sr-307+srm-323S)
73,400 Y
Very clear and sharp highs. Everything is crisp. The highs back off just enough to not hurt.

Ultrasone Edition 8 EX with DFR
280,800 Y
Very sparkly. But very clear throughout. The upper mids really knock well.

Bowers and Wilkins P9 Signature with DragonFly Red (DFR)
106,920 Y
Too sparkly.

JVC HA-S500-Z
2,400 Y
Too sparkly with DFR
Without DFR it loses a lot of soundstage and clarity. But not bad.

Pioneer SE-MS5T-T with DFR
7,270 Y
Very thin and sparkly with DFR. Zero bass. Nothing in the 100-200Hz range to feel.

ATH-WS1100 with DFR
24,060 Y
Have to apply EQ to remove sparkle.
Nice bass. Rumbles. A little bit of shroud in the mids. Missing the clarity of the W60s.

AKG
K550MKII with DFR
25,150 Y
Pretty excellent everywhere. Missing some mids, not as crisp there.

Bose
QuietComfort 35 Wireless with DFR
Whoa. Recessed vocals. Recessed mids and bass. Don't like it at all. Missing fullness and it sounds not smooth.

Audio Technica
ATH-AD1000X with DFR
36,440 Y
Nice wide soundstage and bass that rumbles. Highs too high.

Astell and Kern AK T8iE and DFR
103,370 Y
Warm sound. Solid all around. Very nice bass. Not bright either. Would definitely consider buying. Very fun to listen to. Bass rumbles more than the W60 for sure. I feel like it's what the Shure 846 should have been (no sparkle).

Passing thoughts: why does my DFR make all the over-the-ear cans so sparkly? Possibly because it can't drive the higher impedance and bass?

*** KSE 1500 revisited ***

More KSE 1500 at another store.

All with the DFR and the built-in KSE amp DAC.

Everything is so clear and all sounds are coming from the ether.

There is no crunchy bass like my W60 and Layla II. Vocals are amazing. Halsey - Gasoline at 2:23 doesn't sound great. Missing the bass.

When the vocal is all there is, it's great. Breathtaking. But Lorde - Royals @0:36 "and everybody's like..." it gets really distorted on the KSE1500. And "we'll never be royals..." @0.45 as well. Sounds like a car window left cracked open in the back and there is a muffled buffeting sound. The snapping sound on Royals is more penetrating and crisp on the Layla than the W60, but the vocals are more forward on the W60.

The highs and mid highs are just so so crisp on the KSE1500.

The vocals are simply incredible. The noise floor is zero.

Lacks the warmth and thickness of the W60 and Layla.

Closer - Chainsmokers : the W60 vocals are way more recessed than the KSE1500, but it sounds way fuller. The Layla is not as warm as the W60 without the bass boost adjustment. The Layla is basically so very close to the W60. @1:31 "you look as good as the day..." Vocals On the Layla sounds recessed. Hands clapping / fingers snapping on the KSE1500 is so SO satisfying.

Massive Attack - Teardrop : the knock on the KSE1500 is satisfying. Not as sharp as the Audeze. Wow, gets distorted @0:45. The Layla and W60 don't.

The highs are crisper on the Layla than W60.

Coldplay - Lovers in Japan is still a complete mess on the KSE1500. Just a shitty song.

Owl City - Cave In: @0:15 the bass line sounds really crunchy and distorted on the KSE1500.

Sheppard - Geronimo: "So Say Geronimo..." definitely hear distortion on the KSE1500.

Lords - Team : KSE1500 @2:30 distorts after some amazing mind blowing vocals. Vocals sound like someone talking right next to you into your ear. Vocals sound crunchy after 2:30.

Layla not as warm as W60. The W60 might be a bit too warm.

Shure 846 has crisper highs. But again, a tad too crisp. More elevated mids. Not as much muffling feel.

UM Pro30 Clear
44,710 Y
Definitely a U-shaped frequency response. Gets muffled in the mids compared to the W60s for sure. Low end is too much, like constant muffling. The W60 has a similar muffling feel, but better mids that break through.

Shure SE425
27,940 Y
Wow. Missing so much from Adele's "Hello." SO MUCH. Replaying on W60 you just get taken aback by all the extra detail and immersion. Lacking lots of detail. Just... Bad.

Shure SE535-V-J
48,400 Y
Is better than SE425 but not by much.

UERR
Is like the W60 but without nearly as much muffling and crisper highs. Maybe a tad too crisp.

Shure SRH1840
Over ear
53,100 Y
Hurts. Too much highs.

 

[alcoholbob]

ISine 10/20 def blows away typical IEMs as its basically a full size headphone driver on an ear clip.

KSE1500 is probably the best IEMs but has major portability issues, as well as noise issues with the amp--different sources can cause EMI noise/buzzing. Too bad you cant remove the cables and make your own stax connector with these. The DAC/amp is a major bottleneck with them.

 

[darkswordsman17]

I'm assuming you didn't get to try out the portable Stax? It'd be kinda like a mix of the iSines and the Shure electrostat, in that it has it's own amp, but has an open baffle and kinda wonky fit like the iSines (even worse really though). Would have been interesting to see a comparison. I had the original version of the Stax and feel it was underrated/overlooked, not perfect by any means, but it just had a coherent smooth sound that you don't tend to get in most headphones. It allegedly was held back by the amp quite a bit, and I worry that it might would have been fragile in use. One feature I liked about it was that it was open but it seemed to not leak much sound while letting in some (but not too overly much when listening to things). Sounds like they improved it some with the newer one but still had a lot of the same issues (amp in eco mode apparently had some distortion or hiss or something; also the fit wasn't too comfortable, if you got it right it was fine, if you didn't it could become outright painful)

Will be interested in trying the iSines, but probably won't anytime soon just because I have other stuff and won't have the money to splurge to see how they fair. Also them being that open won't work for me I already know. But hopefully we'll see Audeze (or someone) try to make a planar one that makes more sense for portability. I wonder if they might be able to make some improvements by shaping the planar drivers (maybe make them dome or ring shaped or various shapes similar to dynamic driver designs only with the control that planar/ribbon designs offer), enabling them to make them smaller (and thus more efficient, possibly even faster/cleaner).

I would wager that having a dedicated DAC/amp for the KSE1500s is a big reason for some of the things you noticed. Laptops and smartphones in general can be quite noisy and IEMs especially are prone to showing it. I notice quite a bit of similarities in the epiphanies I had with audio to what you're seeing.

The Siren line seems like a mixed bag so not surprised to see you not too impressed with them. Seems like JH Audio was trying to voice them in particular manners and I don't think it really worked out. I seem to recall people wondering what they were thinking with the Roxanne and Layla. Because of that I got some Angie's and was pretty pleased with them. I didn't have much issue with fit (another common complaint, they had pretty large sound tube, and then were large so they weren't too ergonomic) though. I apparently have become more of a basshead as while I can listen to stuff with the cable all the way down, I find most things to be much more enjoyable with it turned up. Could be the music I listen to though. Because of that I have some JH-16FreqPhases being remolded by InEarz and am selling the Angies.

Quick recommendation, be sure to try different tips. For me, the like solid foam (as in not porous like a lot of foam tips) tips I got with ~$10 JVC Marshmallows 10 years ago are still the best tips across a range of IEMs. They've offered the best fit, comfortable and offering good seal (and thus good sound). Plus they have held up very well (because they're solid and not porous can clean them, and they don't go to pieces like stuff like the complys), I still have all 3 pairs (one on the Marshmallows themselves still, and then two that I've used on most others). They remind me of the Shure Olives in looks but not sure if they're that similar or not. Was tempted to buy some of the newer Marshmallows just for the tips but they were like $25 and I don't recall if they have the same tips (seems like they had some clear silicone tips).

 

[darkswordsman17]

Oh, if you find a good microphone cable be sure to post. I think you might be wanting a bluetooth solution though (Heir Audio or maybe Noble has a Bluetooth cable for $99 that might be worth checking out too). I'm more looking for a typical one (would actually prefer like a mic that could clip onto the normal cable and then just have a pass through jack). Seems like you can get a mic cable that's like the normal style of IEM cables that companies ship for ~$50 but they all look like they're not that good.

Actually just realized I think Westone is using the MMCX connector too, while I'm more on the older 2-pin style, so not sure if what you find would be suitable, but maybe there would be other choices for the style and if nothing else might help someone else.

 

[alcoholbob]

Fuzzy, how do you compare the JH Audio Layla 2 and the KSE1500? Because both are the same price.

Your description was a little short, and I think it would be a more interesting comparison because the Layla's are non-electrostats at a summit price range.

 

[Jodiuh]

I have some Westone UM Pro 30's and I cannot stand them.

On the one hand they're exceptionally clear and detailed. However, the low end is too much and the high end is too little.

My "fix" has been to use the treble booster EQ on an iPhone, but that can mess with other things.

I do think I'm in the minority's however as I've just gotten some Beyer 880's and LOVE them. But I see most folks think they have too little bass and sparkle too much. So maybe it's just me!

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Fuzzy, how do you compare the JH Audio Layla 2 and the KSE1500? Because both are the same price.

Your description was a little short, and I think it would be a more interesting comparison because the Layla's are non-electrostats at a summit price range.

Sorry, I'd definitely give the edge to the KSE1500. It's just too bad that they're bundled with that custom amp and stuff.

 

[LikeLinus]

I'm in Osaka and the terrific e-earphones store has a branch here.

Woah, wait a second. I'm going to be in Osaka in a few months for vacation. It'll be the second time i've been there and didn't realize there was a specialty headphones store!! Wife will roll her eyes, but I'm so there! Is it as awesome as it sounds?

I've got some decent HIFIMAN IEM that I like, but I'm always looking for more. I also enjoy my Grado for over ear and Sennheiser for my bluetooth needs.

Decisions, Decisions. I can either buy my wife an authentic Kimono (2k+) or a pair of amazing IEM. I guess I need to start saving for both

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Woah, wait a second. I'm going to be in Osaka in a few months for vacation. It'll be the second time i've been there and didn't realize there was a specialty headphones store!! Wife will roll her eyes, but I'm so there! Is it as awesome as it sounds?

I've got some decent HIFIMAN IEM that I like, but I'm always looking for more. I also enjoy my Grado for over ear and Sennheiser for my bluetooth needs.

Decisions, Decisions. I can either buy my wife an authentic Kimono (2k+) or a pair of amazing IEM. I guess I need to start saving for both

There are actually two e-earphones stores in Osaka. I would suggest going to the Tokyo store if you're able to though because that one is set up to waive the 8% sales tax if you're a foreigner with a passport. The Osaka branches aren't set up to waive the 8% tax. You can look at the inventory of all the stores from their website and they can ship items from one store to the next. Takes two days.

http://www.e-earphone.jp

And absolutely be sure to check out their second hand section because the discounts can be very helpful, inter-store shipping is free, and they also qualify for the 8% foreigner tax waiver.

Second-hand section:

http://www.e-earphone.jp/shopbrand/ct2557

 

[LikeLinus]

I will most certainly visit the Toyko store. We are going for 2 weeks and spending 1/2 of our time in Tokyo and the other half in Osaka/Kyoto. We need to decide what other cities we want to visit, but most of them are within an hour train ride from both cities. I love Kyoto and Osaka prefecture.

THANK YOU for the info on the Tokyo store. I will certainly visit that one, for sure. The second hand store looks awesome as well. Just another spot to add to our travel list

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

I will most certainly visit the Toyko store. We are going for 2 weeks and spending 1/2 of our time in Tokyo and the other half in Osaka/Kyoto. We need to decide what other cities we want to visit, but most of them are within an hour train ride from both cities. I love Kyoto and Osaka prefecture.

THANK YOU for the info on the Tokyo store. I will certainly visit that one, for sure. The second hand store looks awesome as well. Just another spot to add to our travel list

Cool. Some more tips:

The website has all the used items and info on which of their stores have them. If you find something you like just ask the people there to order it in for you if its in another store.

I suggest allocating several HOURS or even an entire day at the store. There are literally a couple hundred headphones, from cheap $5 ones to $3,000+ ones with full-on standalone amps and DACs hooked up. IEMs, over the ears, dynamic, electrostatics, you name it.

If you don't find it on the shelf, ask one of the guys. It's most likely in a glass case somewhere and you can still listen to it... case in point being the KSE1500 and some DACs like the Mojo.

Maybe compile a list beforehand of the ones you want to try so as to use your time better.

And also prep some FLAC songs you know by heart, bring a good DAC, and plenty of battery charge for your music device.

 

[LikeLinus]

Great suggestions. Honestly, I'm not sure I want to go in with a preconceived idea of what I want or a list. I'd rather take a few FLAC files on my phone and see what strikes me. I'm not opposed to have to purchase a DAC. I think it would be a fun opportunity to hear my songs of various headphones and see what pops for me! I don't want to spend a whole day there, so I'll restrict it to higher end (expensive) headphones and see where that takes me.

 

[alcoholbob]

There were quite a few high end IEMs at Socal Canjam, including 64 Audio Tia ($3500), Ultimate Ears18Pro+ ($1500), Campfire Audio Vega ($1300), Hifiman RE2000 ($2000), JH Layla ($3000).

For how much shit that Hifiman gets, I was surprised at the RE2000's performance. Outside of lacking deep bass, it was easily the best IEM in terms of vocal and treble smoothness. I believe Fang Bian was hinting in Head-fi it was actually a vapor deposited carbon (CVD) driver, i.e. a diamond dynamic driver. I'm not sure if that was the case, but if it is, then it would explain it's performance.

The KSE1500 at $3000 might seem pricey, but it easily runs roughshod over all of the IEMs I heard at Canjam, including the $3500 Tia which really shouldn't command that price. They did give one pair away at the show.

Also Audeze had some prototype models of the LCD i3 (on-ear planar magnetic headphone, high end version of the iSine with a smaller version of the Audeze LCD-4 driver) which is supposed to retail at $2,500ish later on. They weren't available to listen to for the public, but some media members got to listen to them, which peeved some people

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

I went back two more times, one time to check out the DragonFly Red and Black and the third time to test out the KSE1500 in more detail, and the Layla II.

I had some serious distortion anomalies with the KSE1500, so beware. The earpieces were a *tad* small, but they still sealed and I pressed lightly on them into my ears as I listened to them. The vocals on the KSE1500 blow the Layla II out the water. And really any balanced armature IEM that I've ever tested. It's friggin' insane. But the rest is lacking, as detailed below.

*** Second Trip ***

JVC
HA-FX101-A
1,430 Y
Way way way too hissy at high end. Hurts. Unlistenable.

JVC
HA-FX11XM-BR
3,040 Y
Way way too sharp. Hurts. Totally missing the mids.

DZAT
DR-10
2,680 Y
Some boom. Recessed mids. Less recessed highs.

MUIX IX1000
2,580 Y
Not bad.
Surprisingly clear and somewhat balanced from this price segment. Recessed mids.

1More
Piston Classic Pink E1003
Highs are too high.

Dragonfly Black DAC Amp
Noticeable difference on the S5. Vocals are way more crisp and real.

Dragonfly Red DAC Amp
WTF the volume is so low! Unusable and the manufacturer hasn't released an updated in 2017. The black has no problem. *edit* I've since bought the Red and found a fix for the low volume issue (involves root and running shell commands with Tasker to increase the hardware volume level). Prefer it to the Black because it's more detailed.

STAX srs-3170 (sr-307+srm-323S)
73,400 Y
Very clear and sharp highs. Everything is crisp. The highs back off just enough to not hurt.

Ultrasone Edition 8 EX with DFR
280,800 Y
Very sparkly. But very clear throughout. The upper mids really knock well.

Bowers and Wilkins P9 Signature with DragonFly Red (DFR)
106,920 Y
Too sparkly.

JVC HA-S500-Z
2,400 Y
Too sparkly with DFR
Without DFR it loses a lot of soundstage and clarity. But not bad.

Pioneer SE-MS5T-T with DFR
7,270 Y
Very thin and sparkly with DFR. Zero bass. Nothing in the 100-200Hz range to feel.

ATH-WS1100 with DFR
24,060 Y
Have to apply EQ to remove sparkle.
Nice bass. Rumbles. A little bit of shroud in the mids. Missing the clarity of the W60s.

AKG
K550MKII with DFR
25,150 Y
Pretty excellent everywhere. Missing some mids, not as crisp there.

Bose
QuietComfort 35 Wireless with DFR
Whoa. Recessed vocals. Recessed mids and bass. Don't like it at all. Missing fullness and it sounds not smooth.

Audio Technica
ATH-AD1000X with DFR
36,440 Y
Nice wide soundstage and bass that rumbles. Highs too high.

Astell and Kern AK T8iE and DFR
103,370 Y
Warm sound. Solid all around. Very nice bass. Not bright either. Would definitely consider buying. Very fun to listen to. Bass rumbles more than the W60 for sure. I feel like it's what the Shure 846 should have been (no sparkle).

Passing thoughts: why does my DFR make all the over-the-ear cans so sparkly? Possibly because it can't drive the higher impedance and bass?

*** KSE 1500 revisited ***

More KSE 1500 at another store.

All with the DFR and the built-in KSE amp DAC.

Adele - Hello : Everything is so clear and all sounds are coming from the ether.

Vocals are amazing. Halsey - Gasoline at 2:23 doesn't sound great. Missing the bass.

When the vocal is all there is, it's great. Breathtaking. But Lorde - Royals @0:36 "and everybody's like..." it gets really distorted on the KSE1500. And "we'll never be royals..." @0.45 as well. Sounds like a car window left cracked open in the back and there is a muffled buffeting sound. The snapping sound on Royals is more penetrating and crisp on the Layla than the W60, but the vocals are more forward on the W60.

The highs and mid highs are just so so crisp on the KSE1500.

The vocals are simply incredible. The noise floor is zero.

Lacks the warmth and thickness of the W60 and Layla.

Closer - Chainsmokers : the W60 vocals are way more recessed than the KSE1500, but it sounds way fuller. The Layla is not as warm as the W60 without the bass boost adjustment. The Layla is basically so very close to the W60. @1:31 "you look as good as the day..." Vocals On the Layla sounds recessed. Hands clapping / fingers snapping on the KSE1500 is so SO satisfying.

Massive Attack - Teardrop : the knock on the KSE1500 is satisfying. Not as sharp as the Audeze. Wow, gets distorted @0:45. The Layla and W60 don't.

The highs are crisper on the Layla than W60.

Coldplay - Lovers in Japan is still a complete mess on the KSE1500. Just a shitty song.

Owl City - Cave In: @0:15 the bass line sounds really crunchy and distorted on the KSE1500.

Sheppard - Geronimo: "So Say Geronimo..." definitely hear distortion on the KSE1500.

Lords - Team : KSE1500 @2:30 distorts after some amazing mind blowing vocals. Vocals sound like someone talking right next to you into your ear. Vocals sound crunchy after 2:30.

Layla not as warm as W60. The W60 might be a bit too warm.

Shure 846 has crisper highs. But again, a tad too crisp. More elevated mids. Not as much muffling feel.

UM Pro30 Clear
44,710 Y
Definitely a U-shaped frequency response. Gets muffled in the mids compared to the W60s for sure. Low end is too much, like constant muffling. The W60 has a similar muffling feel, but better mids that break through.

Shure SE425
27,940 Y
Wow. Missing so much from Adele's "Hello." SO MUCH. Replaying on W60 you just get taken aback by all the extra detail and immersion. Lacking lots of detail. Just... Bad.

Shure SE535-V-J
48,400 Y
Is better than SE425 but not by much.

UERR
Is like the W60 but without nearly as much muffling and crisper highs. Maybe a tad too crisp.

Shure SRH1840
Over ear
53,100 Y
Hurts. Too much highs.

 

[alcoholbob]

Shure's KSE1500 has real competition now:

Audeze has released the LCD-i4. The same driver as their LCD-4 (500 nanometers thick--1/2000th the thickness of a human hair).

https://www.audeze.com/products/lcdi-series/lcdi4-ear-headphone

The only downside will be that it's open back, so it's definitely going to be primarily an indoor model, but then again, the KSE1500 was so unwieldy with its DAC/AMP it was mostly relegated to indoor use as well.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Shure's KSE1500 has real competition now:

Audeze has released the LCD-i4. The same driver as their LCD-4 (500 nanometers thick--1/2000th the thickness of a human hair).

https://www.audeze.com/products/lcdi-series/lcdi4-ear-headphone

The only downside will be that it's open back, so it's definitely going to be primarily an indoor model, but then again, the KSE1500 was so unwieldy with its DAC/AMP it was mostly relegated to indoor use as well.

Guhhhhh I have a really hard time getting worked up over the Audeze open backed headphones. They might be amazing in a quiet environment, but throw them into any kind of public space and they will sound like crap because there's no isolation. Even testing them out in the store was difficult.

The KSE1500s on the other hand don't care. They're not nearly as susceptible to environmental noise as the Audeze, so while they will be more unwieldy to carry around with you than the Audeze, they will absolutely sound better when carried around. I absolutely dread what I imagine the sound of the Audeze would be like on a bus, on an airplane ride, in a cafe, and uh, walking outside...

Traditional over the ear headphones that entirely cover the ear isolate way better than the Audeze as well, so for general use, I'd always go for either a high end IEM or a high end over the ear headphone. What good is excellent audio quality if literally everything else can be heard as well?

 

[MrSquished]

I find the Dunu DN-2000J's to be amazing .

Also the FLC8S are top notch for $400

 

[alcoholbob]

Guhhhhh I have a really hard time getting worked up over the Audeze open backed headphones. They might be amazing in a quiet environment, but throw them into any kind of public space and they will sound like crap because there's no isolation. Even testing them out in the store was difficult.

The KSE1500s on the other hand don't care. They're not nearly as susceptible to environmental noise as the Audeze, so while they will be more unwieldy to carry around with you than the Audeze, they will absolutely sound better when carried around. I absolutely dread what I imagine the sound of the Audeze would be like on a bus, on an airplane ride, in a cafe, and uh, walking outside...

Traditional over the ear headphones that entirely cover the ear isolate way better than the Audeze as well, so for general use, I'd always go for either a high end IEM or a high end over the ear headphone. What good is excellent audio quality if literally everything else can be heard as well?

I have the Isine 20s. It's no good in any outdoor urban environment I agree, or windy environments. But if you live in a quiet area (suburbs, exurbs, rural area), then it should be fine for walking around and being able to hear your surroundings. It's also decent if you are just going shopping in a supermarket. It's definitely more limited than IEMs, but it's great for indoor use as well during the summer when wearing a full size headphone with earpads would generate too much sweat.

I do suspect most people getting LCD-i4s will be using them for indoor use.

I think most audiophiles looking for TOTL portables will skip the KSE1500 due to the bulky amp, and non-detachable cable, and get a BA/Dynamic IEM like 64 Audio Tia Fourte or JH Audio Layla II.

 

[alcoholbob]

HF took the LCD-i4 to an anechoic chamber to test it against the KSE1500. Looks like most of the impressions are that it's just as resolving, but has more bass and a bigger sound stage. Could be a real game changer for in-ear products.