[Ionme]

Currently I go by with some old shure se215 and the time has come for a much needed update. I like the se215's character very much. They are very crisp and quite clear with a bass that can be uneven at times but overall doesn't overpower. My music not being as bass heavy as most genres, I strive for a balanced well rounded sound. Sometimes I go for complex bordering on chaotic free jazz or Zeuhl and I also need something very detailed for it to not sound muddy.
These are the two I kind of settled at. They go both for the same price (about 200 euros) where I live so price won't really be a factor. I also considered Westone UM Pro 10 at some point but around 170 for them didn't seem too great of a deal.
Problem is I never tried any of these, and there is no such option so I think the forums are the next best thing.
So what do you think?

 

[pjones5]

Currently I go by with some old shure se215 and the time has come for a much needed update. I like the se215's character very much. They are very crisp and quite clear with a bass that can be uneven at times but overall doesn't overpower. My music not being as bass heavy as most genres, I strive for a balanced well rounded sound. Sometimes I go for complex bordering on chaotic free jazz or Zeuhl and I also need something very detailed for it to not sound muddy.
These are the two I kind of settled at. They go both for the same price (about 200 euros) where I live so price won't really be a factor. I also considered Westone UM Pro 10 at some point but around 170 for them didn't seem too great of a deal.
Problem is I never tried any of these, and there is no such option so I think the forums are the next best thing.
So what do you think?

I guess it really depends on how much you use your IEMs. I'm predominately an over-ear guy so my IEMs tend to take a backseat. I discovered chi-fi brands like KZ and Tin and I haven't even bothered looking at name brands (except some of FiiO's mid to upper range IEMs). My favorite for bassier music is the KZ ZS10 Pro and for more detailed music, the KZ ZSX "Terminator". I did pick up a pair of AKG N40s for a quarter of their typical price and, with some modding, have come to really enjoy those as well.

 

[Ionme]

I guess it really depends on how much you use your IEMs. I'm predominately an over-ear guy so my IEMs tend to take a backseat. I discovered chi-fi brands like KZ and Tin and I haven't even bothered looking at name brands (except some of FiiO's mid to upper range IEMs). My favorite for bassier music is the KZ ZS10 Pro and for more detailed music, the KZ ZSX "Terminator". I did pick up a pair of AKG N40s for a quarter of their typical price and, with some modding, have come to really enjoy those as well.

My lifestyle in gereral is much more friendly to IEMs. I usually my speaker setup and desktop when listening at home, but I do a lot of travelling, and I need the convenience and portability of IEMs. I looked some into chi-fi, and given the course it seems to take I reckon these might be my last mainstream earbuds, but for my main pair right now I will probably go with the safety of a big brand because there just isn't enough information about the reliability of chi-fi for me to feel totally safe in such an investment yet. Also given that I intend them to be my main pair, If I were to go with chi-fi wouldn't be scaling my budget down accordingly.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

It has been a while since I read it but I got the impression from Tyll that the 425s were kinda meh. I have the 215s and 535s but I only use them on planes so I miss a lot of details and can't really compare them. Mostly I use them because of the isolation.

 

[pjones5]

My lifestyle in gereral is much more friendly to IEMs. I usually my speaker setup and desktop when listening at home, but I do a lot of travelling, and I need the convenience and portability of IEMs. I looked some into chi-fi, and given the course it seems to take I reckon these might be my last mainstream earbuds, but for my main pair right now I will probably go with the safety of a big brand because there just isn't enough information about the reliability of chi-fi for me to feel totally safe in such an investment yet. Also given that I intend them to be my main pair, If I were to go with chi-fi wouldn't be scaling my budget down accordingly.

That makes sense!
I think the only other pair I would introduce into the mix just for consideration are the FiiO Fh5s.

 

[Ionme]

That makes sense!
I think the only other pair I would introduce into the mix just for consideration are the FiiO Fh5s.

Good option on paper but unfortunately these are a bit too pricey for me right now. They go for 300 here, and with the shipment costs ebay won't help either.

 

[Deolum]

Shure are crap, didn't try Sennheiser but i think they're crap too at the moment. I have a Fiio FH 5 for sale at the moment but not in your area i think. Those are good IEMs but have nothing to do with the shure sound for example. Would describe them as bassheavy and kinda mainstream tuning whereas the shure are just like... well absolutely no bass.

 

[Ionme]

It has been a while since I read it but I got the impression from Tyll that the 425s were kinda meh. I have the 215s and 535s but I only use them on planes so I miss a lot of details and can't really compare them. Mostly I use them because of the isolation.

I looked it up. He indeed recomended 215s for their value and 535s for their all around awesomeness, but 425s came out to be pretty good too, just not outstanding.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

I think if you compare the prices maybe it's worth it to skip the 425. I think that is what I concluded at the time.

 

[Ionme]

I think if you compare the prices maybe it's worth it to skip the 425. I think that is what I concluded at the time.

Have you tried the ie400s or you're generally not too fond of 425s?

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Have you tried the ie400s or you're generally not too fond of 425s?

I didn't hear either or them. I don't like IEMs and the only time I use them is on a plane. I fly around 12 times a year and I wanted something with good isolation. I did some research on what could work ok in a noisy plane environment and it seemed Shure was good for that and it was a name I knew from the 1970s in audio. The local shop gave me very good deals on the SE215s and 535s and I was done.

Just based on the price difference between levels it seemed like it would be worth paying a bit more for the 535s over the 425s. YMMV

 

[assassin10000]

I'd recommend trying some chi-fi offerings. Do you know if you like 'harman' type sound signature?

You could buy a <$10 sony MH755 (or mh750 which has more bass) to try it out.


If you do maybe the Moondrop Starfield or if you want to take a larger punt on something the Moondrop Blessing 2.