Headphones to In-Ear

N

Nielo TM

Gawd
Joined
Aug 27, 2006
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997
Has anyone switched from headphones to in-ear and never looked back?

People have always stated that the only way to experience expansive soundstage with accurate audio positioning is via open-back headphones, which was why I ended-up getting the AD700 four years ago. Early last year I got hold of the Image S4 on sale and I was surprised by its sound quality (better than AD700). It did take a while for the metallic treble to subside but it was a minor issue. Soundstage was slightly narrower than the AD700 but the audio positioning was much better. Soon after I retired my AD700 and started using the S4 as my main listening gear.

Few months later I've started searching for IEMs that can match open-back's soundstange while retaining all the benefit of the closed-back. After a very long search I managed to find two armature IEMs that matched my requirements: the PFE112 and PFE012. Luckily, Amazon had the PFE012 on sale so I've decided to try them out. From the start I was amazing how good it sounded (it was that obvious). Completely flat sound (no need for EQ), highly detailed thanks to its excellent separation and best of all its soundstage is comparable to the AD700. I've heard detail in base and treble I've never heard before and the sound positioning is spot on. I can also increase the volume without risking audible distortion, which was a problem on the AD700. Safe to say I'll never go back to headphones.
 
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The comfort and convenience factor would keep me from ditching open-back cans. I bought my first pair of IEMs a couple years ago (Etymotic HF5) just for amazing noise isolation. If it was illegal to use them outside an airliner, they'd still be worth the money... but they fit like earplugs and you have to get a good seal for them to sound right. That's a bit of a hassle compared to regular headphones. Even if I had some IEMs that were flat out superior to big cans, I'd still keep my regular headphones.
 
If you go with Custom IEMs like JH 13s then they are super comfy because they are custom, and the sound quality is about as good as any headphone can get. Though another benefit is you don't need as expensive of amplification for IEMs as you would with say a pair of Sennheiser HD800s

HD800 = $1400
Capable dac/amplification to really drive HD800s to their full potential = $600-1000

So total cost is over $2000.

Compared to a set of JH 13s = $1050.
And $200-300 would be more than sufficient for a dac/amplification for IEMs like that. It's nearly half the cost for what many would argue sounds just as good.

Not to mention that you then have the option to drive your IEMs from a portable device like a smartphone. An option you don't even have with full-size headphones without yet another expensive portable amp to have to carry around and keep charged.
 
So far I only get the occasional itch. To me the PFE012 is more comfortable than the AD700.
 
I went with my JH13's and never went back - to other IEMs, but I stll use my HD595's and Ultrasonne 750's. The 595's are great for casual TV (as they are so light) and VoIP since they are open-backed. The Ultrasone's are great for movies and games due to their S-Logic (works for me). My JH13's don't have that great of a soundstage so tend not to be used for game/movies but when the quality of the audio is worth the tradeoff of lessened sounstage I totally bust them out. However they don't get used much at home fore other reason's as well, you can't really each with IEM's and they are not as convenient to take on and off as a single headband is, thought the customs are muuuuch better then foamies.
 
Haven't tried customs yet, might get those $100 custom tips for my Ety hf3 for a taste of what a fully custom IEM would feel like...

I generally find IEM to be pretty easy to wear, I guess I have a big ear canal, I can use foam tips just as well as double or triple flange silicon tips. Having said that, I don't think I'd enjoy having my ears plugged for the stretches of time that I normally tend to wear headphones, probably wouldn't even be healthy. It's a pretty subjective thing though.

If you're looking at the really high end hifi market then yeah, you can view it as a value proposition as SirMaster said. At the mid to low end tho, sound cards and even many budget amps will have an easier time with headphones than with IEM due to output impedance, noise floor, etc.

If you need isolation from your environment along with good positioning tho, a good IEM can probably manage that better than mid to low end closed headphones. The AD700 aren't exactly hard to outclass tho... Sound stage's the only thing they excel at.
 
Hah, I went the other way around, from in-ear to headphones and never looked back. At home, its over-ear. On the go, it's on ear. For me, the deciding factor was longevity/durability. IEMs break too easy.

Cant wear a hat when you have on-ear headphones.... I guess you can't have it all though.
 
You can wear beanies and that kinda stuff with clip ons like the Koss KSC75.
 
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