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I recently bought a pair of iem's, I don't want to mention the brand, but they were about 50 dollars and well reviewed on headfi and by Guttenberg, who found their sound absolutely wonderful.
But to me, their sound is absolutely awful. Hollow, almost no bass at all, thin sounding at best. I'm running them off very good headphone amps.
The sound of these iem's compared to, say a pair of HD650's, is just awful, and frankly unlistenable. The Senns are a thousand times better!
I don't get it.. people, audiophiles included, seem to love iem's.
Could there be something about my ears,that don't get along with iem's?
Follow Ups:
$50 or $450?
I have Audio-Technica ATH-IM04. I tried several different types and sizes of Comply foam tips before I found something that worked pretty well. Even at that I can still make them sound better but putting my hands over my ears to put just the right pressure and direction on the IEM's. When I do that they sound quite good, but not as good as my Senn HD800 OTH headphones. But they are a bit bigger. LOL
The IEM's are convenient. I am sure if you have the right size and shape of ear canal they are great.
Are you sure you had them setted in your ears properly. Your description of the sound makes me think there was not a proper seal within your ears. If your earphones came with different ear plugs, then try different types/sizes to see which works best. I know for me, those squishy memory foam type ear plugs work best.
Just to update my post...
Newvinly was absolutely right. I didn't have the IEM's seated far enough into my ears. When I got them all the way in, with enough pressure, they sounded good enough to make me interested in something better.
So I bought a 60 dollar pair of Etymotics, and after a week, they are sounding just great. Such intimacy, detail, soundstage even, and they block outside noise better than any industrial earmuffs.
I even just now ordered a pair of TOTL Etymotics.
Try Dekoni or Comply soft tips for a good seal. As noted below, try different sizes to get the best seal. Things should improve, or at least you won't have spent huge $$.
Well...
When comparing HD650's to $50 anything one would typically expect to hear a difference.
I have the HD600's and have ER4 IEM's from Etymotic Research (about the same price range as the HD600's). While the sound is different, to my ears they are equally satisfying. Give the ER4's a look at Etymotic Research, they've been considered a classic IEM for many years.
The Filo's get great reviews, and the sound tonality is very appealing, but 450 bucks is a lot right now for something that may not work for me, as I have almost no experience with IEM's.
Is there anything at a more "reasonable" price that would come close?
BTW, the IEM's that are totally not working for me are the Hifiman RE-400.
I'd prefer closed IEM's over open. Thanks guys.
I've owned several different FiiO IEM models and they were all excellent. The FH7 IEM is their best and it sounds as good as just about any headphone regardless of price. I would imagine that Stax Electrostatic's probably sound better than the FiiO FH7 but my Koss ESP/950's don't sound any better and probably not quite as good. Anyway, check out other less expensive FiiO IEM models. They're all very good.
I own the FiiO FH5 IEM's and these are excellent, too .
I also own the FiiO F9 IEM's and they're also very good .
It would have helped us answer your question if you had identified the IEMs in question.So , without that information, there are two possible answers:
1. These are dreadful IEMs with no bass.
2. Bass with IEMs is largely dependant upon the coupling between the IEM's nozzles and the ear canal. You have given no information on that coupling. Are you using e.g. silicone tips, deformable foam etc? Have you tried types other than those supplied? Have you experimented with different sizes to find those that fit your ear canals best?
I would also add that there is a little skill involved in inserting the tips properly into your ear which, if you are new to it, needs some practice.
"We need less, but better" - Dieter Rams
Edits: 03/13/20
My guess is that fifty-dollars won't buy high-quality earphones regardless of whether they're IEMs or over-the-ear headphones. I own Koss ESP/950 electrostatic headphones and I also own FiiO FH7 IEMs. The FiiO IEMs sound as good or better than the Koss ESP/950's. My advice would be to buy the FiiO FH7 IEM earphones if you're truly interested in hearing what a quality IEM earphone sounds like. Once you hear the FiiO IEMs, I doubt you'll be happy with your Sennheiser's anymore.
Best regards,
John Elison
Just for giggles, you may want to try another amp?
I'm not an advanced headphone guy. I have a pair of On-Ear Grado which are fine for everything I want a headphone to do.
IEM style would probably make my ears too warm. I know my custom made Earplugs do. I run power equipment and good earplugs are a must to prevent hearing damage.....
Too much is never enough
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