IEM for a stupidly small amount of money

Discussion in 'IEMs and Portable Gear' started by Rotijon, Jun 18, 2016.

  1. Tachikoma

    Tachikoma Almost "Made"

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    I think I heard the Shure SE215 once upon a time, and it fell within the "warm gooey mess take out of ears immediately" category for me.

    The funny thing about the TFZs is that we have people in the Malaysian forum complaining that the bass is overhyped i.e. there isn't enough of it, whereas the consensus here is exactly the opposite of that.

    As far as I'm concerned, its good enough to warrant me spending $80 on it.
     
  2. Kattefjaes

    Kattefjaes Mostly Harmless

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    Hah, straight out of my phone, I'd say that was bang on. Out of the Mojo, I can stand it without EQ, though it still seems quite soggy.

    So, have you heard the P1, out of interest? I'm mostly cluttering this thread up due to an interest in reasonably priced dynamic IEMs..
     
  3. Tachikoma

    Tachikoma Almost "Made"

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    Nope, I haven't. I'm more of a Stax person, if anyone cares about what my listening preferences are.

    That's where this thread should be headed for the most part tbh, i.e. realistic comparisons with similarly priced IEMs.
     
  4. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    One more question (to established members with significant IEM experience): Is this truly an "end-game IEM" as the thread title says?
     
  5. OJneg

    OJneg The Most Insufferable

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    lol we already know the answer to this
     
  6. Priidik

    Priidik MOT: Estelon

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    The tiny hole marked here with Paint. Poke there with a sharp thin needle. Too deep and she'll scream.
    More recommendations condensed from previous posts by James, Strato and others:
    - Remove grilles and stock filter
    - use largest opening tips you have
    - cover only up to 2/3 of the opening with alco swab, but use 2 or more layers
    - front venting can be sort of made with overhanging alco swab, but more might be needed with silicone strips
    [​IMG]
     
  7. sorrodje

    sorrodje Carla Bruni's other lover - Friend

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    End game is a so subjective thing.

    i'd say for people with an occasional use of iems on the go, this one could be a good end game. For Die Hard IEMs fans and users who are after the best sound , cost no object, I'd say no. I still feel my Very affordable CIEM ( Custom art Musi two) was better in almost everything.

    I personaly gave up with those cuz I couldn't find a good secure seal. I just bought something I fit much much better, that costs much much less and sounds good enough to be a end-game iem for my very occasional use with my phone :p
     
  8. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    LOL. Wanted to make sure.

    Thank you.

    I should have taken your advice before the HF train hit.

    Oh c'mon! You know what "end game" means here. This isn't CNET with Steve Guttenberg.


    I'm done and have said what I needed to say. This thread may now continue.
     
    Last edited: Sep 25, 2016
  9. stratocaster

    stratocaster Friend

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    Same for me, so even if they were end-game, which they definitely are not, I would not be able to use them over a longer period of time. The nozzles are just too large for me. This is also the reason why I am shying away from Andromeda or similar, because I am pretty sure they won't fit my ears.
     
  10. Madaboutaudio

    Madaboutaudio Friend

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    Ok let me put it explicitly loud(big font):

    Sennheiser Momemum In Ears sounds better to my ears(More high frequency details, layering, overall frequency balance) than my TFZ Series 3S with harakiri mod.

    TFZ(1/3/5) tonality is more darker(like LCD2 gen 1 kind of darkness) which some might find pleasant to listen to. The most laid back of them all is the Series 1.
    After modding, It's as bassy as IE80 if you ask me.
    I am pretty sure that the TFZ isn't close to HD6x0 technically(overall microdetail).
    Andromedia will kick the TFZ butt in everything(except bass depth/rumble).
    The most impressive thing about TFZ after modding, is the soundstage which seems far and wide.
    After using a metal pincer to remove the metal grille, it seem to remove the vibrating resonance that can be heard if you play it loud.
    Big bore JVC spiraldots tips works really well with this, go try it out.
    This iem(modded) has excellent power/loudness handling, it doesn't get too overly shouty.
     
    Last edited: Sep 25, 2016
  11. microCuts

    microCuts Acquaintance

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    Quite curious how would Marvey think about TFZ S5...
    I feel underwhelmed for this, Andromeda, K10U when most of them liked them alot.

    The only IEM I got "Wow" is Unique Melody Legacy 12 drivers BA which is exclusively available in Singapore.
     
  12. kepalafon

    kepalafon New

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    I have the SE215 and have just recently bought a P1. I'm a newbie at this and in no way an accomplished audiophile, but I can say this: I prefer the P1. To me, the SE215 sounds too bassy and bloated, while the P1 has just the right amount of bass. It's also very comfortable and feels more premium compared to the Shure. The SE215 makes my right ear scream bloody murder after about 10 minutes or so.

    For my intents and purposes, the P1 beats the Shure. YMMV.
     
  13. Madaboutaudio

    Madaboutaudio Friend

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    Another point to note, I don't think the TFZ 3S(modded) pairs too well with the Sony NW-ZX2 slightly darker house sound, airiness feel is almost non-existent.
    TFZ3S with Iphone6+Korg Iaudiogate sounds more lively with more air, also somehow the iphone6+korg also gives the TFZ3 extremely punchy but one note bass.
     
  14. Kattefjaes

    Kattefjaes Mostly Harmless

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    Yeah, pairing is an issue. See me ignore it above, doh.

    In my case, the SE215 sound sludgy and almost totally lacking in highs coming right out of my phone (an old Nexus 6), but out of my Mojo, it's much better-controlled, and the overall frequency response seems saner. Of course, that then just lets you hear the next set of problems more clearly, if you really want to- but it is at least listenable and somewhat enjoyable on the move.

    The SE535 do a lot better right out of the phone (they're much more sensitive, BA-based). They obviously sound a lot more satisfactory all-round; you'd hope so, for the RRP (which I didn't pay). However, I do suspect that a lot of their apparent detail comes from the exaggerated higher frequencies, I can't hear a ton of fine texture in the mids and lows, even out of the Mojo, in a lot of cases.

    I should remember to talk a bit about pairings when asking for impressions of IEMs, we do it for desktop amps, after all.
     
  15. kepalafon

    kepalafon New

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    What's the next set of problems with the SE215 once it's paired with a Mojo?
     
  16. Kattefjaes

    Kattefjaes Mostly Harmless

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    Overwhelming mediocrity, really- they sound like a pair of dynamic earbuds of about half the price.. Slow, bloomy bass, poor separation etc., if I had them about my person, I'd pop them back in and answer in detail, but there's almost no point- you can pretty much guess the answers without being too wide of the mark. Commuting, they still sound good enough out of the Mojo to not cause spoiled audio nerd drama, as long as I don't get to concentrate fully on the sound for too long. However, in this era of remarkable band for buck chi-fi, maybe that's not enough.

    I bought them in a hurry without poring over reviews, in my defence- years after a very nice-sounding pair of Shures disintegrated in my ear and needed picking out with tweezers, while standing on a railway platform. I boycotted them for about ten years, used some custom Etymotics with a non-removable cable, which died really fast (and Etymotic were painfully unhelpful so I gave up trying to get a warranty replacement). However, both those and the Shures did sound really decent.

    I made a bad assumption, that subsequent models wouldn't sound much worse. Silly me. However, I do get on really well with the fit, so when someone was selling some mint SE535 for a decent price, I grabbed them, subject to a bit of poking about, and am pretty happy with them overall. I still fancy a decent but not bank-breaking dynamic for an occasional change of pace, though. A good old pair of HD25s are an option on the train, too- but I do like something pocketable.

    End of boring explanation- but it means that I am haunting threads about affordable dynamics right now. Meantime, I have actually pulled the trigger on a pair of MEE Audio Pinnacle P1, to see how they are, hopefully they'll be here in a couple of days. I'm less keen to pick up the TFZs, even at a much lower price, until someone that I vaguely trust has measured them and made a few subjective observations.
     
    Last edited: Sep 26, 2016
  17. Tachikoma

    Tachikoma Almost "Made"

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    If you consider my impressions reliable, I'd say that TFZ is actively tweaking their line, or there is significant production variance. On my pair, I'm not really getting the overwhelming bass that everyone has been talking about. They sound quite clean to me, and the only thing that bugs me is a minor treble peak that I can't really place (not 6khz).

    Alternatively, I have funny ear canals that filter out excessive bass. Who knows really.
     
  18. Neal

    Neal Facebook Friend

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    I listened to these (Series 5, modded, original black cable version) next to HD650 out of Jotunheim yesterday. Sorry but they cant touch the 650s.

    Soundstage is surprisingly wide, but it's almost like there's a void in the center. Bass is good, not excessive to me. This seems to vary with amp however, I find them bassier straight out of my iPhone. In tone and clarity is where they really fall behind the 650s. There wasn't a single track I preferred with these over the 650s.

    However, I will say for the price I'm pretty happy with them. Definitely better than some of the other IEMs I've heard in this price range (1More Triple driver, Carbo Tenores). It's nice traveling with something you dont have to worry too much about losing. But definitely not end game for me.
     
  19. kepalafon

    kepalafon New

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    Thanks for the explanation. Well, since I don't own a Mojo, I'm unable to test the SE215 with it. I'm sure it sounds better than my current setup (Fiio X1+Q1). But yes, agreed that the SE215 can be a bit too overpowering in the lower frequencies. Bloody too, as you said.

    Just curious, which nice Shure IEM literally disintegrated in your ear while standing on a train platform? Really interested to hear how it happened and why.

    I've just bought the Pinnacle P1 last week, and I think you'll like it and find it to be way ahead of the SE215. Well, I know I do. Build quality is excellent, and SQ is just right to my ears. Adequate bass, not too lean as some have reported. I'm really enjoying listening to it at the mo.

    Sometime this week I'll be auditioning the TFZ Series 5. See if it lives up to the hype. If it doesn't, then I'll probably be getting a Trinity Vyrus.
     
  20. kepalafon

    kepalafon New

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    Is the Series 5 SUPPOSED to go up against the HD650? Aren't they in totally different leagues? Kinda mismatched if you ask me.

    What are your thoughts on the 1More Triple Driver?
     

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