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

Not exactly my position to comment on this but Sennheiser said in their Q&A that they use the same driver since the IE800 due to their superior technicalities.

 

As usual, @james444 is on point in the DD quest. The 3DT are fantastic. They are the most technically capable, not too screwly tuned or incoherent IEMs with excellent timbre I've heard. They sound natural, lively and vivid. They image and layer very well, sound pretty spacious, have tight, controlled and textured DD bass. The mids sound neither thin nor thick to me and convey a lot of detail and texture. While the first time around I had them (I had to get them replaced), I did hear and was annoyed by the upper mids bump, I'm not now with a different cable and source. I still hear a little brightness, but not enough make listening unpleasant or fatiguing as previously could be the case. The only major weakness I hear is the lack of air. Treble for cymbals and other high frequency instruments or the sound of crowds is present and vivid though.

The 3DT like power, and sound fuller and less bright with more - they sound better balanced on my balanced sources, and I don't always find that to be true with IEMs.

Despite their large size, the 3DT are light and super comfortable for me, with good isolation. Stock tips have worked best for me.

The only other multi DD IEM I've heard were the TDK IE800 back in the day. I remember them sounding good too, but that's a long time ago. Maybe the quest for a single DD unicorn IEM was misguided and multi DDs are they way to go for us IEM timbre-heads? I'm not sure why they've been so few and far between, but hopefully the 3DTs do as well as they should and other manufacturers follow suit.

 

Yes, but the loaner will need some micropore strips and different tips because stock the 3DT is way too shouty.

With the micropore and non-stock tips, I’ve been using Spiral Dots, the 3DT is excellent. Smooth, detailed, reasonably spacious for an IEM, coherent, excellent bass resolution. The timbre is addicting, especially in the reproduction of stringed instruments, where every nuance seems to be revealed.

 

I was considering the IE900 but will be holding back due to some mixed reports I've been hearing. I'm quite interested in the new Oriolus Isabellae single DD that seems to be gathering positive word of mouth in Asia right now. Thanks to a Chinese review I google translated I've managed to deduce that it seems to have a good lower-mid/md-bass presence and is not overloaded in the upper mids/lower treble as so many IEMs these days seem to be. I'll be sure to share some thoughts here if I wind up getting my hands on one.

 

It took me about ten minutes of trial and error to mod mine, but I do get where you’re coming from and without the mods the 3DT is shrill.

 

@james444 said this about the 3DT near the end:

That plus messing around with modding to get something that is similar/slight upgrade to the FD01/FDX1 honestly is a waste of time/money resource for new equipment. I'm not willing to mess time around with tape when my cats are around the corner wanted to eat anything that is tape nowadays.

Normally I'm not a big fan of loaners that requires you to do minor adjustments on the modding side of things. Too many avenues for things to go wrong + lost warranty when shit breaks after a mod. A lost of funds is a lost of funds, but I'm conservative with other people's money.

Now if it was a finalized mod of an IEM that was on the same level of price/performance on the FD01/FDX1 (but different), then most likely I'll give it a go. I'm having a hard time with the 3DT here since to me it doesn't have the "magic sauce" that made people go saying holy shit when the mods for the FD01 were floating around.

 

I don't find mine shrill. What's your source?

 

Gungnir A1 with SW51+, GOV2+ Infinity line out to Liquid Carbon X, ZX300 balanced.

 

I think 3DT is loaner worthy, never heard the JVC but have dusk for another day or 2. I can see the upper mids comments opinions on 3dt after listening to dusk. Dusk seem muted in that area in comparison though. With 3DT tips make a diff, best sounding to me was with symbio peels. I might try some medical tape for shits and grins but 3DT is first IEM I really love the sound of.

 

Weird. The ZX300 is warmer than the Shanling I'm enjoying them immensely with. I honestly don't hear them as shrill now, but did with my first batch. I wonder if there's much unit variation. Silent revisions?

 

Or different tolerances for what we consider acceptable, different interactions with the ear canal?

 

The 3DT's stock sound is shrill. Anyone who considers the stock (undamped) FD01/FDX1 shrill, will likely have the same problem with the 3DT. Here's a FR comparison in the high range, pre vs. post mod:

(DF-compensated; red = FDX1 w/o filter, orange = FDX1 ref filter, dark blue = 3DT stock, light blue = 3DT modded)

The 3DT mod is very easy and reversible. Just stick a 3mm wide strip of micropore tape on top of the nozzle's metal grill and you're done. Takes only a few minutes and doesn't jeopardize the warranty.

 

But the modded3DT isn't too much of a difference over a regular FDX1?

 

Like I said in my first post on the 3DT, to me it's a subtle difference. But I tend to be rather conservative in my judgements and some folks who've heard both regard the 3DT as a definite upgrade to the FDX1.

Anyway, I think the modded 3DT would be well worth a try for FDX1 lovers, if you get the chance to hear them.

 

I think the modded 3DT is a clear step up in resolution and bass texture over the FDX1. The timbre is different enough that it’s worth hearing.

 

f**k.... @shotgunshane please provide guidance so we can end this discussion. You the almighty wise one.