[jimbones]

I just got a Fiio X3 for Christmas but unfortunately the IEMs I have don't sound all that great with the X3 (Senn 686 and Klipsch Si4). I need some suggestions first for the appropriate price range of IEM for the X3 and then the IEM itself. I saw this brand DuNu? Not sure if they are good. Thanks.

[ajzepp]

I bought a pair of Dunu titans last year and like them quite a bit. For the price they are very solid. My personal favorites are the Flare Audio R2. They were a kickstarter effort last year, and even though Im not a huge IEM guy, I went ahead and gave them a go. They sound quite a bit better than anything else I've heard in an IEM, but I'm more of a headphone/speaker guy, admittedly.

[ernest787]

I have a pair of hifiman IEM that are nice. The mids sound really good but unfortunately the right ear piece recently separated from the body and then ultimately stopped working.

I now have a pair of RHA IEMs. I just received them for Xmas so I have not had a lot of time with them yet but so far they are great. The bass response on them is unreal. I listened to a track by queens of the Stone Age and the drums sounded better than any IEM I've ever heard.

I need to spend more time with the RHA headphones but at this point I'd recommend either of the above as a solid option.

[jimbones]

There are so many brands. I have to wonder if there are really only a handful of driver manufacturers that are OEM and everyone put them in their own  housing and wires them 

[dB Cooper]

Virtually all balanced armature elements are made by two companies: Knowles or Sonion. Don't know about dynamic (moving coil) type IEM headphone transducers.

FWIW, most drivers for loudspeakers are made by a relatively small number of manufacturers too, although sometimes to spec.

[ctsooner]

It's all about implementation. I just got a pair of Noble Savants and love them. They aren't for bass heads but they are the best IEM I've heard and I have heard nearly all the 1k plus IEM's while in Japan recently. We all hear differently but it's one of the few iem's that most feel sound so natural without fatigue.

[jimbones]

OK so I am learning. i see that balanced armature have very good mid/treble accuracy but bass tends to be lean. I new to this.

[randytsuch]

https://brianli.com/in-ear-monitors-balanced-armature-drivers-vs-dynamic-drivers/

Dynamic drivers usually have better low end, ba are known for accuracy and detail.

There are probably just a few driver manufacturers, I've seen guys try to make their own iems, but there is crossover and enclosure design which will affect the final sound.

What don't you like about the iem's you have?

It comes down to compromises, and what you want, and what you're willing to sacrifice.

I have a few iem's, my favs are TDK BA200's from the ones I have.

There's a really long review thread at headfi, where someone has reviewed and compared a ton of IEMs.
I'll find it when I get a chance.


edit  link to head fi review thread
http://www.head-fi.org/t/478568/multi-iem-review-349-iems-compared-life-headphones-added-12-30-15-p-1096

[jimbones]

Whoa thats some list 

The senn 686 seem to have bloated bass and rough mid/highs. Not refined at all. The Klipsch are leaner but decent bass and cleaner on the mid/highs. Overall a decent ism, not great. They are the only 2 decent iems I have. I read very good reviews of the X3 yet I find it only sounds "OK". I was expecting better and I suspect it may be because I need better iems? 

[randytsuch]

Whoa thats some list 

The senn 686 seem to have bloated bass and rough mid/highs. Not refined at all. The Klipsch are leaner but decent bass and cleaner on the mid/highs. Overall a decent ism, not great. They are the only 2 decent iems I have. I read very good reviews of the X3 yet I find it only sounds "OK". I was expecting better and I suspect it may be because I need better iems?

The 686 was not reviewed by Joker, not a good sign.

The Klipsh was reviewed, and has a decent review for it's price point.  Sounds like it is lacking in the high end.

You can get a better iem, but it depends how much you want to spend.

But if you get a really good iem, you might want a better dac 

Randy

[woodsyi]

I use X5 with Westone W40 -- best exercise buddy I have bought.     They are not hot or boomy -- I can crank them up when I am pushing myself without hurting my ears. 

Sonic Electronix is running 25% off sale on selected Westone IEMs.  I like my W40.

[dB Cooper]

OK so I am learning. i see that balanced armature have very good mid/treble accuracy but bass tends to be lean. I new to this.

Bass on a good BA IEM is just fine (as long as you're not looking for that Dr. Dreadful "boom car" bass) but a good seal in the ear is absolutely crucial. Many OEM gel tips don't give you one. Choice of tip, style of tip, even how you insert it can affect this. A little experimentation will pay off big time. I suggest memory foam tips as the best blend of comfort and seal-ability. If they don't come with your set, visit complyfoam.com.

My etymotics, which have kind of a rep for 'weak bass', play excellent fast, tight, deep bass with Comply foam or custom tips. They are easy to use and the Comply tips are reasonably priced (the custom tips are easy to use but expensive).

Exaggerated bass seems to be 'the new normal' unfortunately so a lot of people expect that but if accurate, satisfying bass is what you want, don't rule out BA's en masse.

[Letitroll98]

I like my Thinksound Rain IEMs with Comply tips added.  Reasonable pricing with a nice sound.

[timind]

After going through a lot of IEMs a few years ago I stopped searching with the Shure SE115. I have a pair of the Klipsch Si4s but don't use them anymore. Others I tried were Klipsch X10s, Shure SE210, SE315 and Etymotic ER4(something). I could live with any of the IEMs I tried except the Etymotics, just awful.
To my ear the Shures have the best balance of bass and detail, very pleasant.

[eclein]

I'm using the DUNU DN1000 Hybrid IEM with an ibasso DX90 and the DUNU's are the best IEM I have ever heard. I just saw on Amazon they are now like $159, each side has three drivers (2 Balanced armature and 1 Dynamic).

The combo is flatout the best sounding equipment I've ever owned. DUNU is coming out soon, I hope, with a whole bunch of new hybrids some with 5 drivers a side. I love IEMs and always have felt they are the best way to listen to portables and now with all the high def DAP's easily attainable the combo I hit on would be fine for me until whenever. I'm a big time Hybrid fan, the use of the 2 different types of driver just sounds perfect to me and they can be bought relatively cheaply.

Enjoy your X3 I have one from the first generation and it sounds great also........fun fun here in my cave!!!!!