In Ear Monitors Systems
IEMS – The Greatest Cheat in HIFI
How Music Works
The original idea of HIFI was to transport the live performance in space and time. You can now pretty convincingly simulate sound so that you do actually believe that a Miles Davies (who died in 1991) plays his trumpet in your living room.
We achieve that by recording the vibrations in the air via microphones and reproduce the same vibrations by generating impulses to the air by the transducer, located in our speakers or headphones.
So we basically move air.
How much air we need to move and how controllable the space we move it in is the whole issue of modern music reproduction.
Many speaker-using music lovers struggle with their room quite as much as with their wives and neighbours. A room has a lot of air and many walls and object can interfere with the sound.
And here comes the cheat: The Headphones reduce the air that need to be brought into motion by a factor of ca 500.000.000. So this is significantly less air to move in a much more predictable environment, namely room of the ear cups of you headphone. At Headphone Audition you can experience this with a wide selection of headphones.
So what happens if we reduce this by another factor of 300: The In Ear Monitor aka IEM only needs to move air of around 1 cubic centimetre. And this is why I call it the Super Cheat!
Welcome to a the world in which, for the price of a good bicycle you get to ride in a Supercar.
The Chain
It Starts At The Source – And Ends in your Heart
Top-End. Full Stop.
The Astell&Kern SP 4000 is the Pinnacle of what can be achieved in the field of Digital Audio Players.
Now also for most Over-Ear Headphones.
Top-End Rocket in the Pocket. Occasions are now ruling the Mid-Field!
The Astell&Kern SP 3000 is currently the best buy for every one who finds the SP4000 too big and heavy.
At the time of writing there are still a few last units in stock in the webshop and there are very interesting occasions available!
Non-Streaming Battleship
You don’t care for online music streaming, because you have all your all time faves on your SD card? The Lotoo PAW GT2 is the player you need!
Mid Ranger: Astell&Kern SP 3000 T
The T stands for the Tube and the 3000 for 2500, because of course this is not a SP3000 it’s more a SP2500 with tubes. Don’t expect the same performance – that’s all I’m saying.
But do expect to get the value for your money that this price point!
Compact Mid Ranger: Astell&Kern SP 3000 M
The M stands for the Size M and the 3000 for 2500, because again this is not a shrunken SP3000 it’s more a SP2500 in … well size M… It is a wonderful little piece of Musical Magic!
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DAP Entry Level: Fiio M23
For those who want a separate DAP at low cost and decent performance, the M23 is a quite obvious choice
Seven Wonders: The In-Ear Monitor
Top End …
Ultra High End IEMs at Headphone Auditions: Don’t believe the Hype but Listen to your Ears.
If you look around and can’t make sense of all the dozens of offerings on the Internet, please keep a couple of things in mind:
1. This Industry is tailored to the Asian Market. Enthousiasts there will typically buy many IEMs and switch them out quickly, which explains the speed quantity in which products are release.
2. There is a group of customers who will simply buy whichever model is the most expensive.
This is my explanation why some of the products in this niche will sound so strange that they really are not hifi anymore (= “I don’t have that sound signature in my collection yet!”). And why you see a new record price with every super-exotic release (= “Just give me the most expensive one, it must be the best”).
And IEM must fit like a glove, otherwise they can cause discomfort to a point of being simply unusable. Book your session to try them out.
Below you will find a few words on my favourite Top End IEMS.
Ultra High-End with an Invisibility Cloak: Empire Ears’ ODIN II
Although it looks quite massive with the real gold faceplate, the Odin II disappears. I simply don’t notice it anymore.
Contrary to the Empire Ears Tradition there is no boosting in the Bass. The Odin II is subtle and natural, everything is spot on.
If the Goal of HIFI is to make the Gear inaudible and only hear the music – we have arrived!
Mandatory partner: A&K SP4000/3000
Best Cable upgrade: Effect Audio Centurion II.
VOLK – Etoile
This Star is made to shine a light on the Music.
More opinionated than the most high-fidelity IEMs it never gets irritant or pushy. It will Show Off the Music to you and set it in the right light!
The Etoile is a Must-Audition.
Mandatory partner: A&K SP4000/3000
Best Cable upgrade: Effect Audio Centurion II.
Ultra High-End Swiss Army Knife from Germany: Vision Ears Phönix
Everything sounds right with The Phönix!
The upgrade cable Leonidas Z8 from Effect Audio is something you should hear.
Mandatory partner: A&K SP4000/3000.
Best Cable upgrade: Effect Audio Centurion II.
Ultra High-End with a High Dining Approach: Empire Ears’ RAVEN
High Dining? The RAVEN is like if a 3 star Chef is cooking for you, achieving a wonderful twist to your Dish without taking away any of it’s natural flavour.
Mandatory partner: A&K SP4000/3000.
Matching Cable: Effect Audio Fusion One
Mid Range …
Since this industry is very much based on the Forum Business, where hypes are created, sometimes justified and sometimes not and reviewers are more often then not paid for their contributions, I see it as my role to curate a good collection of products so that you have a good starting point at your listening session.
Below you will find a few words on my favourite Mid Range IEM.
The Best Kept Secret in Head-Fi: InEar’s PMX
Based on hundreds of inner-ears this Universal IEM makes Customs redundant. And the voicing is neutral and yet full of soul.
In the HAA Exclusive Burlwood the PMX is the most Bang for Buck in all the land
Matching partners: From A&K HC4 to SP3000.
Matching Cable: Effect Audio Fusion One
The OPEN BACK IEM we have been waiting for: The Apostle from Elysian
Creating an open IEM design that is not loosing Bass is one of the most complex things to achieve and the Apostle did it
If at all it has a bit too much bass, but certainly not in a bad way.
The Apostle is loads of fun!
The Allrounder with High End Ambitions
With the EXT mark II, Vision Ears has transported the Superwide Stage and Super Live Like Sound of the somewhat combersome first generation EXT into a perfect fit design and still improved the sound.
It is the bargain ultra high end IEM you should have been looking for.
Entry Level …
Starting sometimes a low as $30, there is a world of cheap IEMs. And there a some pretty good ones at around 300. What stands out and what can be easily dismissed? You’ll have to find out for yourself.
Below you will find a few words on my favourite Entry Level IEMS.
The even Better Kept Secret in Head-Fi: The Chiara II
Born from a conversation with a female customer who just couldn’t find the service and the fit she was expecting, Marius from InEar Germany created the Chiara for me
A beautiful wooden 2 driver that does nothing wrong and is incredibly affordable. Also available in Small…
Matching partners: A&K HC4, Mojo 2.
True Wireless …
No cable to hang yourself with when stepping out of the train! Sounds good eh?
Yes it actually starts to sound good… True Wireless IEM come a long way and start to get seriously good:
… there is always the Devialet Gemini II
This french company revolutionised the book-shelf speakers with the Phantom Model and that skill: producing huge sound from small speaker seems to come in handy when you set out to make the best True Wireless IEM!
Noble pursuit: Make TW IEMs greater
Noble Audio Fokus Rex5 makes a lot of sense, comes in a small case and sounds the part.
Noble pursuit: Make TW IEMs greater again
Noble Audio Fokus Prestige Encore is the best performing TW effort yet.
CHIARA AIR V – The Best TW Sound So Far
Yes, I did create the Chiara Line with InEar Germany, and yes, it is within the realm of possibility that I might have a light bias, but Listening Sessions with innocent customers confirm: This is the best Sounding TW Set yet. The Combination Chiara V & IFI Go Air hits the Spot.
You should have a Listen.
You have to hear it for yourself!
What is true for every headphones is certainly true for ANC headphones: Since these mdoels are built for on the move, they will have a higher clamping force – you don’t wnat theh to fall off your head!
But wuth that higher pressure on your ears, the padding and general construction is even more important.
This means you have to not only hear but feel your new headphones to be sure you have the best fit for you!
Headphone Auditions Amsterdam &
Audiophile Artisans Amsterdam
Subsidiaries of HIFI Auditions BV
Rapenburg 56 H
1011TZ Amsterdam
M: +31 683909266
stefan@headphoneauditions.nl
K.v.K. Amsterdam 93434391
VAT-ID NL866398533B01
EORI: NL866398533
Speakers Corner Vinyl Available in the Shop