IEM refs (own): Senn IE-8, Shure SE530, EC2, Teclast R8 (came "free" with T51 DAP).   This is a work-in-progress review. I'm waiting for sonove or Inner Fidelity or other unbiased 3rd-party (= those who don't profit from the sale of this 'phone) to measure them before I write a detailed review; scientific metrics/measurements are extremely important for double-checking one's hearing ;-) IAC, lots of other reviews of the SM3 already ... so no point re-reviewing (note: I mostly disagree with others' positive (esp. rave) reviews of this model -- I...

Own several "high-end" tradl. 'phones (Senn 650, 600, 580, bd 880 Pro; AKG701, Grado 325i; etc.) and IEMs (SM3v2, SE530).     >> The IE8s are my go-to cans for any use. <<   Some one else noted (and I agree) "tunable bass port is almost useless". Even at min., there is almost too much bass (which is non-tight and a bit muddy). This feature is a gimmick. Sennheiser should invest our $$ into other aspects of IEM design (isolation, better tips, etc). Better yet, get rid of this gimmick, and all that worthless packaging/boxing, and reduce the...