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vong
262
Mar 7, 2018
Hmm, quite a bit of mixed reviews.
Scareactor
28
Mar 7, 2018
vongLet's be honest.. See my review! Don't buy it, if you are looking for a lifetime partner for headphones.
supasb
17
Mar 7, 2018
ScareactorI am looking for a lifetime partner iem what would you recommend? So far ive had ostry kc06a and kc09 and absolutely love the sound would like more soundstage and durability. Tried the massdrop noble x unamped on a decent dap as source and didnt really like the lacking mids.
Scareactor
28
Mar 7, 2018
supasbI haven't tried the ostrys, but they actually look cheap. I cannot recommend any iem that I actually listened to. I can just recall what I've heard from others.
I guess if you want the Ultimate Soundstage iem, go for SHURE, but they seem to lack in bass and crisp highs, if i recall correctly. Another good manufacturer seems to be campfire audio. Their Andromeda claims to be the iem endgame and they look pretty durable. The Polaris has many fans too.
Speaking cheap there is a company from sweden (degauss labs) that is manufacturing dual driver headphones for around 100 bucks; go for noir or higher. In my opinion their bass was to enormous, but people seem to like it. RHA pleased a friend of mine with build quality. And Sennheiser, of course, is always a good call.
Do yourself a favor and retreat from bose or beats or whatever shitty fancy brand. If you heard at least one good headphone you will banish them out of your sight, even if they are comfy.
Conclusion: buy something that doesn't look fancy or cool, but sleek and durable. This way you might be on your best way to a good headphone. Good manufacturers are interested in both. Sound and build quality. Another reason why I would retreat from this drop if I could..
Whatwhat77
6
Mar 10, 2018
ScareactorWhat would you recommend in the $300 price point?
beemerm635
6
Mar 12, 2018
Whatwhat77Definately give the LZ A4 a listen if you can, they’re absolutely brilliant, I’ve had mine for a year now and not a single issue with them, I use them for 2-6 hours most days and they’re well and truly life partners for me.
SchiitMyPants
47
Apr 7, 2018
beemerm635I'll endorse that recommendation. I've heard a lot of iems and the LZ A4 is peerless. Gently V-shaped in its stock form with plenty of leeway on either end of the FR graph with the tuning nozzles and rear filters. Definitely grab some comply foam tips though. I really couldn't get a fully satisfying experience without them.
FOBean
125
Apr 8, 2018
Whatwhat77I haven't heard as many IEM's as a lot of people on Massdrop, but for $300 or less, you can get the Westone UM Pro 30 V1 IEM's for $250 on sale at B+H and Sweetwater. I loved my pair so much that I spent $400 on the new version 2 UM Pro 30's. For my listening needs, they're amazing! Great treble and mids, and awesome low-end IMO😎👍😇😉🎧
Westone UM Pro 30 V1 https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1002502-REG/westone_78516_triple_driver_stereo_with.html
Westone UM Pro 30 V2 https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1339813-REG/westone_78394_um_pro30_triple.html
And they have a ridiculously high sensitivity of 124db, so you don't NEED a HP Amp to enjoy them from your phone or DAP!
I absolutely LOVE both pairs of mine, and they come with a great array of accessories too, including a kick-ass mini monitor vault polycarbonate case, and 10 different kinds of tips to get the Absolute BEST seal. I use my Comply Isolation+ tips anyway, but if you don't want to have to spend extra, their tips will keep you content for sure!
As always, EVERYONE hears things differently, and I'm sure that there are people who dislike them, but every review I've read online has been positive about them, and for me they're my "endgame" IEM's. I am STRICTLY listening to my own 24bit FLAC live Recordings from shows/concerts that I have made the last 20+ years, so my listening needs are different than most! But because they sound so good, and have a high sensitivity, they're the perfect IEM's for ME😉😎🎧👍
That said, I would like to have a pair of Cosmic Ears CE6P CIEM's at some point, because of their build quality, and their high sensitivity of 123db. But for now I'm as happy as can be, and my Westone UM Pro 30 (V1 & V2) sound amazing with my recordings coming out of my Sony NW-A35 Walkman!!!!!
And I splurged on an Estron Linum G2 Bax MMCX Cable for my Westone's and they sound even better with that, which I didn't think was even possible! So now I'm saving up the $250 for a Linum G2 SuperBax MMCX Cable Straight from the company in the UK/Denmark again!
https://www.linum.dk/products/linum-g2-bax/#
https://www.linum.dk/products/linum-g2-superbax/
JoshWebb
3
Apr 10, 2018
FOBeanso what's your take on Westone UM Pro 30 V1 vs V2?...durability and sound signature
FOBean
125
Apr 11, 2018
JoshWebbWell the V2 UM Pro 30's are supposedly more durable and they seem to have a thicker shell than the V1 IEM's, as well as a more robust MMCX connector, as far as build quality. And they are SLIGHTLY different when it comes to they're overall shape, and seem like they're more ergonomic as well, which makes them a little bit more comfortable too. But IMO you can't really go wrong with either pair!
As far as sound wise, they have the exact same specs and everything, but the driver arrangement is different. Personally, I can't hear a difference between the two though. They both sound sublime with the Estron Linum G2 Bax MMCX Cable, and just sound amazing with my live audio recordings and take me RIGHT back to the show/concert that I'm listening to. They still sound awesome with the stock Westone Epic MMCX Cable, but the Bax cable just has more Dynamics and a smoother high-end, and mids that bring the vocals up front in the mix a little bit more, as well as a slightly punchier low-end, but with great precision. That's why I'm saving up for the Linum G2 SuperBax MMCX Cable right now, and my current Bax cable will go on my V1 UM Pro 30's, while the new SuperBax will stay on my V2 UM Pro 30's FWIW.
But overall, at least to me and my live recordings, the UM Pro 30 IEM's are extremely well balanced throughout the whole frequency spectrum, and are extremely comfortable to wear! I find myself listening to them for 3-4 hours at a time, with little to no ear fatigue. I'm hearing things in my recordings that I've NEVER heard before, from my speakers, headphones or any previous IEM's I've listened to! And they have a great low-end response that none of my Nuforce Primo 8/HEM 2 or EDC IEM's have. They simply Sound "right" to me, no matter which Recording I'm listening to from the last 20+ years I've been "Taping" shows & concerts!!!
And another huge reason that I love them so much is their super high sensitivity of 124db, which means that I don't need to use my FiiO E11K HP Amp to get them loud enough Straight out of my Sony NW-A35 Walkman! I was thinking of getting the Westone UM Pro 50, or W40/W50 IEM's, but none of them have a sensitivity as high as the UM Pro 30 do! My live recordings don't have super high and compressed levels like regular albums do, so that extra sensitivity does a LOT for me specifically, and means I don't have to lug around a HP Amp to truly enjoy my live Recordings!
Sorry for the long response, and I hope that I helped you out in some way with my reply! Feel free to send me an email or text if you want to discuss the Westone's some more!
diskobean@gmail.com OR 724-678-1610
Sincerely, Brandon "Bean" Fisher
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