[thepiper92]

I agree, some IEM’s like the MEST and Trailii have great imaging and staging tho, I’d argue that they compete with some of the best headphones in those respects.

I'm sort of stuck with what I can find in Canada. Duty costs on US shipments and overseas is often terrible. I'm seeing a bunch of Campfire...not sure I wanna go back to them, and Earsonics Blade Hybrid for $250 off. Audeze Euclid, some stuff from Fiio, Empire Ears and Noble

 

[dissolvedluffy]

I'm sort of stuck with what I can find in Canada. Duty costs on US shipments and overseas is often terrible. I'm seeing a bunch of Campfire...not sure I wanna go back to them, and Earsonics Blade Hybrid for $250 off. Audeze Euclid, some stuff from Fiio, Empire Ears and Noble

Never tried any of those so I can’t speak about them. From what I’ve tried (U12t, Trailii, MEST, and Z1R), you can get a bunch out of an IEM if you know what you’re looking for.

 

[thepiper92]

Never tried any of those so I can’t speak about them. From what I’ve tried (U12t, Trailii, MEST, and Z1R), you can get a bunch out of an IEM if you know what you’re looking for.

Where do you typically buy them from? Are these all Chi-fi stuff?

 

[dissolvedluffy]

64 Audio is a US company, Sony is Japanese, pretty sure the MEST and Trailii are chifi

 

[thepiper92]

64 Audio is a US company, Sony is Japanese, pretty sure the MEST and Trailii are chifi

I'll check them out, I've never bought from them. I do have a 10% discount from Headphone Bar...which is a good $100 saving on the price range I'm looking at.

I'm still not sure I want to go back to IEM. Perhaps I won't like the closed in sound, and $1000 is a lot to spend. There are way too many options it seems.

 

[dissolvedluffy]

Yeah, I’d recommend buying used so it’s easy to resell — good luck!

 

[thepiper92]

Yeah, I’d recommend buying used so it’s easy to resell — good luck!

Now where can I find used?
I suppose I could sell my PM3s, apparently they are worth more than they were new lol

 

[dissolvedluffy]

Now where can I find used?
I suppose I could sell my PM3s, apparently they are worth more than they were new lol

https://www.head-fi.org/classifieds/
https://www.reddit.com/r/AVexchange/
Us audio mart
Headphone.com forum
Hifiguides

 

[dissolvedluffy]

Now where can I find used?
I suppose I could sell my PM3s, apparently they are worth more than they were new lol

You can make a wtb post or just lurk around

 

[silent-circuit]

The Bravado MK2 universal usually runs like $550-600 used, and you should be able to resell at about the same, so you're really only out shipping costs if you can find a used pair in Canada.

(I know, broken record over here, but I really do love these.)

 

[thepiper92]

The Bravado MK2 universal usually runs like $550-600 used, and you should be able to resell at about the same, so you're really only out shipping costs if you can find a used pair in Canada.

(I know, broken record over here, but I really do love these.)

How are they with something like a hip dac? 4 ohms is low!

 

[earmonger]

Way below your price range ($350 US), but pretty much exactly the signature you describe, are the Audio-Technica ATH-R70x, which someone also mentioned above.

They are open-backed headphones, light and ultra-comfortable, fairly flat with a slight bass boost, not sibilant, very outside-your-head soundstage. They do best with an amp. The specs have a frequency response of 5 Hz to 40 kHz, so if you want to pump up some extra bass those low frequencies are fully available.

Nothing bangs you over the head from these, in any range, and they won't blow you away instantly with boom and sizzle. But then, when you listen, every note is clear.

They do have an ultra-long cord, 9 feet.

There are a lot of reviews on Head-fi and elsewhere, to be taken with the usual YMMV.
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/audio-technica-ath-r70x-in-depth-review-impressions.765004/

(I am baffled at ones that don't hear an expansive soundstage. Try them with an amp, or for that matter try your own PM-3, on the Les Siecles recording of the Saint-Saens 3d symphony, fourth movement. Organ, orchestra, all going full-tilt, and you can hear where every violin or trumpet is.)

Meanwhile, the ever-cranky Crinacle gives them an A- on his site, up among the mostly four-figure 'phones.

Since Audio-Technica stuff is widely distributed, you can probably find them with a good return policy at Amazon or at pro-sound online stores (Canada must have the equivalent of US stores like B&H or Sweetwater), because they are aimed at recording-studio engineers. So you should be able to try them out too. I had listened to other AT models (the M series) and was completely unimpressed, but these are a whole different approach.

Mainly neutral, a touch of bass emphasis. One thing I don't like is silibance in the treble. Clear treble, but no painful areas.

I do like my PM3s a lot, with EQ applied similar to the Harman curve, some decrease to decrease bloating in mid bass.

I do like to up the bass on some music, such as rap and electronic, so it is important that I can EQ for this without distortion

 

[silent-circuit]

How are they with something like a hip dac? 4 ohms is low!

I mean, I run them off my phone (LG G8X) and my big bad desktop amp (Topping A90) and notice little to no real difference. Bass might be a bit tighter from the A90/D90 combo, but that could just as easily be in my head. They aren't super hard to drive.

I'll charge up the XB10 (haven't used it in a while) and let you know impressions. That should be pretty indicative of what you can expect.

 

[thepiper92]

I mean, I run them off my phone (LG G8X) and my big bad desktop amp (Topping A90) and notice little to no real difference. Bass might be a bit tighter from the A90/D90 combo, but that could just as easily be in my head. They aren't super hard to drive.

I'll charge up the XB10 (haven't used it in a while) and let you know impressions. That should be pretty indicative of what you can expect.

I have an Hidizs S9 Pro and have a HIP DAC 2 coming. My Samsung S21 doesn't have a headphone out.

 

[silent-circuit]

I have an Hidizs S9 Pro and have a HIP DAC 2 coming. My Samsung S21 doesn't have a headphone out.

Either should really do fine with them.