Spec me some quality IEMs (UE TripleFi 10 replacements)

simisker

simisker

simisker

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I've finally had enough of my TripleFis.

Love the sound, but have had one too many near-misses with losing an enclosure due to the loose fit of the poorly-designed cable.

So I'm wondering if any newer, equally good/better IEMs have come out recently that I've missed that you guys would recommend.

Here's my picky criteria list:

  • Sound quality must be at least in the same ballpark as the TripleFis
  • Neutral to shallow V-shaped frequency response; detail is more important to me than weighty but imprecise bass
  • Cable may be replaceable/detachable, but it needs to be a more secure system than on the TripleFis
  • Jack must be right-angled [or allow for after-market right-angled cabling]
  • Over-ear cabling greatly preferred, ideally with malleable guides
  • Must be fairly rugged, will be used out and about [but not jogging - pff!]
  • Compatibility with some Comply foam tips preferred
  • Don't need remote functionality

Yeah, quite a set of restrictions, but luckily budget isn't really an issue; I'll happily pay hundreds if it ticks all them boxes/stars/bullets.

So: anything out there that fits the bill, chaps and chapesses?
 
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Cheers for the replies, guys :)

Cookeh: Yeah, I have... it's the faff of having moulds done and waiting that's putting me off. There's also a little bit of me that's old enough to remember NHS hearing aids, and every CIEM I've seen reminds me of those [albeit in cooler colours!]. Petty, I know, but it's an association I've not been able to shake yet :D

I'd like to know if there's something off-the-shelf first before going down the CIEM route.

Rids: Hadn't heard of these; will look into them further. Ta :)
 
If CIEMs are a no go, then Rids has made a decent suggestion - Im quite an advocate of Dunu headphones.

Another suggestion at around about £230 would be the Westone 2s, there is a review here, and the highly regarded Fidue A83 (Rids, I was expecting you to mention these, given you're getting along well with the A73! :)) - review here - though they dont have an angled connector.
 
The A83s are heavier on the bass and sub-bass then the Dunus, which have a faster and more precise bass - plus there's the whole 90 degree jack issue. :D
 
But replaceable cables negates that issue :p They are heavier than the Dunu's, but I'd still say they're more on the neutral side than bass monsters from reviews?
 
Oh yes, they are far closer to neutral than bass monsters and the extra bass they have is more sub-bass than mid-bass so they kick low and powerfully without bleeding into the mids.

As for the replaceable cable, it all depends on what you can replace it with.

While the Dunu DN-2000J doesn't pack as much of a punch low down, the quality of the bass it does have is even better than the A83 (which is pretty stellar anyway) and faster (and the A83 is no tortoise).
The biggest difference is the highs and in this area the Dunu is smoother, more like the A73 but more extended, while the A83 does have some rough edges in this area.
Overall, the sound signature of the DN-2000J is quite flat across the frequency spectrum, making them very neutral.

On the subject of the Fidues, the main difference is the almost two hundred pound price difference.
The A83 (£280) is a single dynamic driver and dual balanced armature hybrid, while the A73 (£90) is a single dynamic driver (10mm) and balanced armature hybrid.
The A83 has removable cables while the A73 doesn't.
Sound wise, the main difference is that the A73 has a smoother, more rolled off high end while the A83, with it's extra BA driver extends further but can sound quite hot and may experience sibilance when the A73 does not.

One thing about the Fidues, they are both very dependent on getting a good fit and seal, more so than a lot of IEMs.
I'm lucky in that I get a great seal with the large standard silicone flanges.
I can see where it could be a problem because the fit is quite shallow due to the shape of the body, which fits perfectly into the outer ear.
With me it's just a matter of placing the IEMs loosely into my ear and giving them a little twist and gentle push at the front and they will sit perfectly (and comfortably) for hours on end.

At the price the A73 goes for (£90) they really take some beating and I would say their main competitor is the Dunu DN-1000 which goes for £130.

At the £200 ~£300 price point I think I would go with the Dunu DN-2000J, even though I'm a huge fan of the Fidues.
 
I've had a pair of Etymotic ER4P for a long while now, probably 10 years.

I'm at moment thinking of getting new ones, and also not sure what to get. My ER4P are still working, and the only niggle I've had is the cable connection does go after usage, my last repair was a few years ago. To repair it's around $100 to ship to US and they'll do full service / cable replacement.

If you've never read about them / tried them... I would definitely say give it a go. They're certainly not the sexiest headphones out there, you wont get shining chrome / aluminium... but the sound I've always found great.

They have good bass, but it depends what you listen to, for me it's mainly vocal trance / piano. Some of the music I've listened to is simply phenominal with them, and you can hear things like keys depressing on piano, or clacking of drum sticks in other pieces!
 
Cheers for the continued input, guys!

Even though at one stage I was almost lured into the Sea Of Diminishing Returns by some Shure SE846s, I've decided to give the Dunu DN-2000Js a go. I would have preferred a detachable cable - and, for that matter, a flatter right-angle jack; the one thing the UE cables get right - and the FR graphs suggest that it's more of a V-shape 'phone than the TripleFis, but I've been hard pressed to find anything negative about them.

I discounted the A83s, partly because of the non-right-angled jack [though easily fixed with an after-market cable], but more because the FR graphs over on Inner Fidelity show a dip - well, more a chasm - in the 4-8k range. Just one set of measurements, I appreciate, and a graph doesn't tell the whole story but given that there was little else between them, I plumped for the Dunus.

I'll let you know how I get on once I've taken delivery and given them a road test. Thanks again :)

EDIT: rexeh - I tried some Ety 4Ps a few years ago, but didn't come away particularly impressed [more a feeling of fragility than any issues with the sound quality]. Having to send the phones back to the US if - or with my history, *when* - the cable fails puts them out of the running for me. But thanks for replying :)
 
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simisker said:
EDIT: rexeh - I tried some Ety 4Ps a few years ago, but didn't come away particularly impressed [more a feeling of fragility than any issues with the sound quality]. Having to send the phones back to the US if - or with my history, *when* - the cable fails puts them out of the running for me. But thanks for replying :)
Click to expand...

It's all good. I can understand when you hold them, they're so light you don't even know they're there.

The Dunu sound good let us know how you get on. Maybe will sway me to get those, or I just need to find some 3rd party cables and I can keep my etys going until they die :p
 
IE80s use a non-lockable straight 2-pin connection to the enclosures, similar to the TripleFis, though, right? That's what it looks like from photos, anyway.
 
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Ah yes, I see now - they're a bit different to the TripleFis, in that there's an outer sheath arrangement taking some of the grip; it's not totally reliant on the pins like the TripleFis are. That makes more sense.

I'll bear the IE80s in mind if the Dunus I've ordered end up disappointing. Thanks :)
 
The Dunu DN-2000Js arrived today.

I was expecting a tight match against the TripleFis.

Instead, it was a bloodbath, because it turns out the Dunus are in a completely different league.

Transient response, width, imaging, bass precision... all significantly better. Even the peaky top-end in the FR graphs doesn't give the painful stridency I was anticipating [either that, or my ears really have gone to **** through age :D].

They remind me of my HD800s, in that they've got that presence peak, but with some extra heft applied to the bottom end. Seriously impressed.

Huge thanks to you all, but especially Rids for bringing them to my attention. I owe you some beers, sir! :)
 
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