shotgunshane’s IEM (custom and universal) recommendations, favorites and classics

Discussion in 'IEMs and Portable Gear' started by shotgunshane, Jun 7, 2016.

  1. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

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  2. Stuff Jones

    Stuff Jones Friend

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    I think the biggest improvement is staging and layering. The FDX1 sounds a little closed in and 2D in comparison to the 3Dt.
     
  3. jafnvaegi

    jafnvaegi Friend

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    Are there 2 versions/variants of the 3DT? I see them for sale in a few different places with a 'convex' or raised 2-pin socket and a 'flat' 2-pin socket, where each appear to have different coloring but that is likely only aesthetic. Otherwise, it seems the same in other specs but just wondering because the UM site only shows one type.
     
  4. james444

    james444 Mad IEM modding wizard level 99

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    Seems like the original version is the one with 2pin flat socket. Here's their announcement on head-fi:
    https://www.head-fi.org/threads/uni...3dt-announcement-thread.949402/#post-16030385

    I concur, the current model with 2pin convex socket is likely just an aesthetically improved version:
    https://www.uniquemelody.org/products/um-3d-terminator-3dt

    Thanks for pointing this out. I've seen both versions before, but never noticed the difference in 2pin sockets.
     
  5. Stuff Jones

    Stuff Jones Friend

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    As far as I can tell, the convex teal version is the China/Asia version and the 2 pin blue/yellow version is the US version. If you order from Musicteck as I did, you'll get the 2 pin blue/yellow version.
     
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  6. Merrick

    Merrick A lidless ear

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    I’ve not been overly effusive on the UM 3DT but last night I put on Purple Rain and listened to it via my chain of Pi2AES>Gungnir A1>Mjolnir 1 and I was amazed at how the 3DT reproduced the sound. I’ve listened to Purple Rain literally hundreds of times and I truly was hearing details I’d never heard before. For example, at the end of “Let’s Go Crazy” the whole band goes into a freak out and normally I hear the drums as this generally cacophonous noise, but with the 3DT I was able to clearly make out the individual kicks of the kick drum. I’m sure this is due to having two dedicated bass drivers in the IEM, as the drum reproduction in general was so realistic, it was as if I could feel the air around the drums vibrate when they were struck (there are plenty of full size over ear headphones that cannot reproduce this by the way). And while the 3DT doesn’t have the most bass slam I’ve ever heard, the texture and resolution of bass in songs is remarkable. I could even discern the bass line distinctly on songs where the bass was buried in the mix.

    Additionally impressive is that the mids and highs sound just as detailed and accurate, with the Mjolnir bringing a precision to the sound that allowed me to pinpoint each element within the song distinctly, and yet it all held together and the musicality was retained.

    The caveats here are that you do need to do a minimal amount of modding to get the best tuning on the 3DT. Out of the box they made me want to rip them out of my ears. Also, they will sound good with lesser sources but I did not experience the level of performance I just described until I hooked it up to a high level system. The 3DT certainly sounds nice out of my ZX300 but it’s not giving me those same qualities I got out of the Mjolnir.

    I think more people should indeed hear these properly modded. For ~$300 they feel like a steal.
     
    Last edited: Jun 3, 2021
  7. Stuff Jones

    Stuff Jones Friend

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    I think the best part of the 3DT is their bass. Going with the smaller DDs seems to give them faster, less boomy bass than most DDs setups with larger drivers. But it's still got that great DD bass timbre. Win win.
     
  8. Merrick

    Merrick A lidless ear

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    Yes, the bass resolution and detail is some of the best I’ve ever heard. Incredibly tactile.
     
  9. Poleepkwa

    Poleepkwa Friend

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    I liked the JVC, but they where difficult to get a proper fit for my ears. I seems to have better luck with this kinda form factor.
    How is the isolation?
    Would it fit smaller ears?
    My reference for comfort and fit is the Stagediver, Prophile shape pieces.
     
    Last edited: Jun 27, 2021
  10. james444

    james444 Mad IEM modding wizard level 99

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    To me, the 3DT is comfier and slightly more isolating than the FDX1.

    However, I have large ears, so I don't really feel qualified to comment on potential fit issues. I talked to someone with small ears on HF, who initially seemed to have problems, but solved them with the Sennheiser gel tips I recommended to him: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/uni...-3dt-announcement-thread.949402/post-16326208
     
  11. Stuff Jones

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    Has anyone heard the new Drop/JVC FWX1? Its a revision of the FW1500/1800, which reigns in the bass. I've heard the latter and they sounded v shaped indeed, but had that great JVC wood series timbre.
     
    Last edited: Sep 11, 2021
  12. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

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    Would be cool to try it but the graphs scares me a bit. Still might have too much low end for the price.

    @rhythmdevils and @shotgunshane, thoughts? Maybe for fun @rhythmdevils can get a loaner in this if there is any interest.
     
  13. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    im trying to work out getting loaners from Drop. They’re setup all beurocratic for all the idiot YouTube reviewers wanting demo units. Those dumbasses make it much more difficult for me to get loaners for us. MOTs are often inundated with requests and don’t realize that SBAF is different.

    I’ll add this to the HD8XX
     
  14. shotgunshane

    shotgunshane Floridian Falcon

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    Shouldn’t be scary for anyone who appreciates the FDX1.

    I gave some proto feedback a long time ago on the 1500/1800. Assuming this is similar, the added warmth over the FDX1 masks the upper mid hotness a touch. Bass is definitely bigger but reigned in from stock. Decay lingers a lot longer than the FDX1 giving the feeling of richer bass. The warmth of that proto was a bit too much for me but I imagine it was very consumer friendly. But… I have no idea if this is based on the proto I heard. I never heard anything after providing feedback.
     
  15. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

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    I thought bass is perfect with the green filters. I'm not too sure if I can handle more than that.....

    Only way to see if good is hearing one.
     
  16. Stuff Jones

    Stuff Jones Friend

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    Yeah the slow decay gave the FW1500 a very appealing live sound to me. I find the FDX1's fast decay to be a little too sterile and studio like - almost a BA sound. The one thing about the woodies I've heard (FW01 and FW1500) is that the upper mids/ treble is kind of uneven and raspy, which gets overlooked because of domineering boomy bass. Wonder if these fix that too. But that timbre and slow decay live sound is addictive.

    One thing to keep in mind is that these are very vented and don't isolate well at all, if the FW1500s are any indication.
     
  17. Claud

    Claud Living the ORFAS dream

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    Have you thought about the new Moondrop Kato, or the two new Vision Ears. They might be more available. Another of our members has the two Vision Ears on their way to him for a Canadian tour.
     
  18. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    Plese post ideas in my loaner gear request thread so I can keep track of them! I want to hear all your ideas.
     
  19. jaker782

    jaker782 Friend

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    Not sure this belongs here, but wanted to ask whether anyone has had much experience with iems containing bone conducting drivers? This is present in the very well received (on Head-Fi...) UM Mest, and more recently the Mest MK2. Now I see IMR Acoustics jumping on the bone conducting motor thing in a few of their iems as well. This seems like a gimmick to me, but have not tried them for myself. Just curious if any SBAFers had any experience with these iems.
     
  20. Claud

    Claud Living the ORFAS dream

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    The Mest Mk 11 is one of my favorite IEMs . Although its not bone conducting teck, ThieAudio Monarch and its siblings are damn good if you put a good cable on them. I changed my Monarch's cable to my PW Audio 1950s Century cable and it just blew my mind. I am almost done buying IEMs. I want a good VE set.
     

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