IEM general discussion thread

Now that both the UERM and the Noble 4s have been "updated" and are no longer available, are there any other good options which share a similar sound signature and FR? I would prefer to stay under $1000. Custom or universal doesn't matter.

 

Jupiter.

 

Is the Savanah from Noble the new 4? Flat FR.

 

Si, Senior Warrior.

 

Really looking forward to hearing whether they actually tweaked the sound signature. The N4 is probably the best iem I've heard.

 

I auditioned the Savanah at CanJam and I was disappointed. It didn't sound like the N4 to me and I immediately regretted not getting the N4 before they were discontinued. I can't really describe how it sounds different other than to say it seemed like a much more relaxed sound and just not as good. YMMV of course.

 

Specifically with designs that use dynamic drivers, you tend to have ports in the housing to allow air to move behind the driver (or sometimes in front of the driver or internally) for both tuning and mechanical reasons.

As an example, I discovered the RE600 has a port in the housing behind the driver, but also some ports inside the chamber around the area that holds the driver in place. The Dunu Titan has a few ports in front of the driver, next to the angled nozzle. This ultimately results in lower isolation next to a comparable IEM that uses balanced armatures with same/similar tips, and in certain configurations can mean more or less comparable isolation next to another dynamic with different ports (RE600 >>> Titan). The tips also play a fairly big factor too, with foam tips isolating more than silicone tips, or multi-flange silicone isolating more than single flange ones due to insertion depth. The RE600/400 despite various porting, will isolate rather good with comparable foam tips next to some BAs.

Tip rolling does make a difference not just in isolation but in frequency response too, as the tip interacts with the output in various ways. If you want to just max isolation with any IEM, foam tips are generally recommended. An interesting observation - though the Mee Pinnacle is a dynamic driver, the size/positioning of the port (indicating that it's likely just for pressurization reasons) allows them to have higher isolation than any other dynamic I've tried to date...which is a nice feature. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Dunu Titan is likely one of the least isolating IEMs I've tried to date. Both benefit from Comply foam tips though compared to their silicone counterparts.

The best isolating universal IEM I've used was the InEar Stagediver 2, due to it's unique shell shape that allowed it to fit deep and secure (nearly like a custom) and lack of ports. For me, it was too much isolation for public transportation though...mostly for safety reasons like not wanting to get hit by buses haha. The P1 is a happy medium in this regard, isolating better than the likes of the Hifimans but less than the SD2.

 

Makes sense, thank you for the insight. I always throw comply tips on universals myself, since everything else is either too big or is uncomfortable.

 

If you're willing to go on the used market, you could buy a used UERM and get it reshelled. I did that in early March and had good results for a pretty fair price (since the used market for CIEMs can get to dirt cheap.).

 

What about the etymotic er4s? Doesn't get much flatter than that.

 

Flat to the DF target. Not the same as subjectively flat FR.
Read this: OJNeg on Campfire Jupiter.

 

I wonder if the slightly bass-lifted version of the er4 is ety's take on flat to the ear, subjectively?

Kinda makes sense that this is its reason to be, right? The other, reference, version will be the updated, slightly more accurate than before, diffuse field target match.

We'll see, but fingers crossed!

 

So are the Mee P1s considered the best like sub 2-300$ IEMs now? I don't see anywhere to purchase the Brainwavz B2s new anymore

 

It gets my vote and IIRC a few other members here praised them as being one of the best options (if not the best) in their price range, all things considered.

See my disorganized stream-of-consciousness overview below from a conversation with a friend that had just gotten the P1 and some others:

"The bass from the tiny transducers is going to be less natural by default (than the friend's speakers), this is unfortunately inherent of in-ears. You can simulate 'speaker type bass' by boosting from the mid (down) to sub-bass upward to move more air (or perceptively so when we're talking about BAs) but I'd say this is less accurate in actuality. So I understand him saying it's less natural sounding comparatively (than his speakers). Boosted bass in IEMs perceptively tilts the peaks and resonances in the upper mids/treble a tad as well as leeching into the lower mids, which I don't prefer. I'd rather let my brain adjust for the 'missing tactile feel' of the lower bass...to a degree of course. Bass-light they are not as the driver can still move air and has impact.

I will say the Pinnacle is very smooth overall considering how detailed and revealing it is in the upper mids/treble, despite being a dynamic in-ear. With the right tips and seal various frequency factors can fluctuate. They're revealing but not overly-analytical and they remain quite smooth overall regardless of tip choice I find. Hence, why they're generally said to be less fatiguing than other 'revealing' IEMs in the early impressions, also one reason why you may see some comparison to the HD600 or similar. The P1 being a well designed single driver system excels in cohesion, one reason why I love well-executed single driver dynamic IEMs in general.

They seem to use a very good transducer that is well implemented in the housing. It's tuning gives the perception of fairly vast dynamics and provides fairly accurate imaging overall. The soundstage isn't overblown or confined...it's quite realistic in overall perception IMO. All things considered, they performs very admirably for the price range. Honestly, nothing else I can think of gets close which is why after 2 weeks I made sure this was the one he got haha (the friend with the speakers).

Some have mentioned that compared to other presentations for IEMs these have a bit of a dip in the lower to middle-midrange which I also detect. I don't think any data is lost...just this region feels a tad bit further back in the mix. It's subtle though and necessary IMO for the rest of the presentation to work. This doesn't lend to the mids being thin either, they are satisfyingly full without needing to be overly forward. As a mid-head, I'd say they're very well done overall.

One potential downside of the P1 is in their absolute sub-bass extension. While they do go down relatively as deep as any other IEM I've heard (about 30hz, realistically speaking) it's not as forward so sometimes sub-bass can get lost in the mix of complex or multi-layered passages. The bass has a more mid-bass hump, though mild, which I feel more accurately emulates a 2 channel 2 driver speaker system or some dynamic headphones. Most speaker woofers and headphone transducers have limitations below 50Hz and have a natural roll-off there. I guess this is something you get used to, but I honestly don't think they'll disappoint with all but the most dedicated bassheads. I find more bass-oriented tracks to do really well on them regardless.

In sum with 95% of the music I listen to (and it's a wide variety) the P1 satisfies in the bass as it's very natural/textured/tactile and overall what I'd consider more realistic in presentation as a speaker fan. The midrange is very cohesive and intelligently tuned to be detailed, revealing, and musical...totally engaging and yet all while being non-fatiguing for longer listening sessions. The treble is just right in terms of controlling problematic peaks and dips (which are sometimes inherent to dynamic drivers that use certain diaphragm materials) thanks to the fantastic acoustic diffuser they've developed. It's ingenious, really...not a gimmick. Resolution without blasting your ears off haha.

The build quality leaves little to be desired. The zinc alloy casting and brushed/gloss finish is high grade, the primary cable is well constructed of high-quality supple braided SPC wire and molded connectors. The accessories are appropriately plentiful, including a TRS adapter and a second microphone-equipped cable. Many high quality tips are provided, Comply and silicone alike. They fit either over ear or down due to their cleverly designed housing. The shape of the body is such that it will comfortably rest in either position against the concha in all but the tiniest of ears. They benefit from some extra gain and voltage but due to the low sensitivity and what I suspect is fairly linear impedance across the frequency range, they'll never hiss unless the source/amp is bad or alter with high output impedance. They can take some serious power if you want to give it to them, but they'll impress either way."

 

haha thanks for the impressions, but since I lack almost any willpower i bought a set, should be here tomorrow

I really like the BT Matrix 2s, but the bluetooth has been having a not insignificant effect on my battery life, so I wanted to get back to some IEMs, but I can't afford to get a new set of CIEMs right now, so these were it.

 

Hmm, at this moment I would hesitate to put Mee P1 as the best-under-$300 IEM yet. Maybe I got a bad fit, but the P1 on my first serious listen was very, very sibliant and overly bright.

 

So which would you say were it?

Wirecutter seems to really like the Sony XBA H1s too

Edit: I will freely admit to being out of the universal IEM game for a very long time, ever since I got my first pair of customs back in 09, I haven't even paid any attention to universals. but once my girlfriends dog ate my JH13s, i can't afford to get new ones now. so i got the PM-3s to use as portable cans, and while they were awesome, i thought i didn't like the wire, so i got the BT cans, and now Im realizing that not having the wire helps, but I really want in ears again to wear out on the go, but again since I can't afford new TOTL Customs right now, I want the best universals in this lower price range that I can afford.

 

I did not roll a lot of tips on the P1 so I'm still not ruling out the possibility of a bad fit. Aside from the seemingly strange sibilance, the rest of the sound were quite impressive I would say. If after I roll some tips the P1 still displays such sibilance, then it would be a deal killer for me. If no, probably this is going to be one of the greatest if not the greatest IEM under $300.

 

Damn you guys. I feel like I need to get some of these now. I still want to try out the Cardas A8 and eventually the ER4X, so I don't know if I'm going to take the plunge.

Also, Campfire has their Nova out on Massdrop for $340 if anybody knows anything about that.