Reviewed October 2013
Details: Single BA model from Poland-based Custom Art, owned and operated by a long-time Head-Fi member piotrus-g
Base Price: €154 (approx. $170) from thecustomart.com
Specs: Driver: BA | Imp: 41Ω | Sens: 109 dB | Freq: 10-20k Hz | Cable: 4.2’ L-plug
Wear Style: Over-the-ear
Accessories (5/5) – Cleaning tool, Otterbox 1000 crushproof storage/carrying case, and compact clamshell carrying case
Build Quality (5/5) – The Music One is a full-shell silicone custom monitor with excellent shell quality. A fixed cable is standard, but detachable cabling is available as an option. The fixed cable lacks external strain relief but the silicone of the shells does the same job better. The cord itself is among my all-time favorites – very soft and slightly rubberized, it is resistant to both microphonics and tangling. There are also far more customization options available for the Music One than my other silicone customs, and Custom Art even offers themed visual designs dubbed “State of Art” at an extra cost. My unit has blue shells, clear tips, and color-coded nozzles, and came with a matching blue carrying case
Isolation (5/5) – Excellent, falling just behind my Spiral Ear 3-way Reference, which has a musician’s fit with longer canals
Microphonics (5/5) – None – the soft, rubbery cable is completely silent
Comfort (5/5) – The flexible, low-profile silicone shells of the Music One can be hard to grip and take slightly longer to insert and remove compared to more rigid acrylic customs, but are extremely comfortable and maintain seal better with changes to ear canal shape, such as while chewing or talking. Built around a single balanced armature driver, the Music One has the lowest profile of all my custom monitors and its soft cables are made more unobtrusive by the lack of a strain relief and memory wire. All in all, it is the most comfortable of all my earphones, custom-fit or otherwise
Sound (9.2/10) – From the first listen it was clear that the Custom Art Music One, which utilizes a vented balanced armature driver, is one of the best earphones in its class. It pursues a very coherent, natural sound that impresses with its weight and smoothness. The low end extends well and offers up good impact. It is tighter than the boomier, more mid-bassy 1964EARS 1964-V3 but, as with the other silicone customs I’ve reviewed thus far, there is a certain difficult-to-describe characteristic to the bass that makes the earphones seem more impactful while taking away slightly from the detail and texture, which I attribute to the silicone. This allows the Music One to maintain good bass control while providing ample presence – more than with the dynamic-driver HiFiMan RE-400 and the Ultimate Ears 600, for example – but also means it can’t quite keep up with the low-end resolution of, for example, the pricier EarSonics SM64.
The mids of the Music One are smooth and clear, with good note thickness and again a very natural presentation. The midrange is definitely one of the strengths of the earphone but doesn’t present as overly forward, likely due to the impactful bass. The HiFiMan RE-400 and Ultimate Ears 600 both seem a touch more mid-centric than the Music One, for example. Clarity is excellent as well, falling just a hair behind higher-priced sets such as the EarSonics SM64 and 1964EARS V3.
The treble of the Custom Art is a little less prominent but still remains in good balance with the overall sound, reminding me of the way recent HiFiMan releases have been tuned. It is not the most crisp-sounding, but tends to be natural and smooth. The same is true of the presentation – the Music One has a spacious sound, especially compared to the majority of other single-BA earphones. It also impresses with good soundstage depth and the ability to portray intimacy properly when necessary, further making it a great all-rounder.
Select Comparisons
The A161P is a single-armature earphone based on a Knowles ED transducer and tuned for a crisp and punchy sound. The A161P and Custom Art Music One are not exceedingly different in terms of balance, and on some tracks sound rather similar overall. With in-depth listening, however, it becomes clear that the Music One is a significantly more refined earphone.
While the A161P has good bass punch for a single-armature set, the Music One is more impactful and has a thicker, weightier note presentation. Its tone is warmer overall and it makes the A161P sound thin in comparison. The A161P tends to be brighter and, next to the rather smooth Music One, sounds somewhat harsh and grainy. The A161P is also more forward while the Music One offers a wider presentation with better depth and imaging.
One of the many reasons the dynamic-driver VSonic GR07 has maintained its popularity over the past few years is that it can go toe to toe with many higher-priced sets. Pitted against the Custom Art Music One, it loses out in midrange and treble quality but partly makes up for it with great bass. The main differences lie in the midrange, where the Music One offers better presence and clarity. The GR07, in comparison, sounds slightly mid-recessed. This, in turn, accentuates the bass of the VSonics, which appears a little more impactful but also quicker compared to the Music One. The Custom Art unit offers smoother treble while the more energetic GR07 is susceptible to sibilance. The presentation of the GR07 tends to have good width and little else, while the Music One is more well-rounded and offers depth and imaging to match.
Long-time industry leader and innovator Etymotic Research first released the ER4 in 1991, and its ER4S tuning remains one of my all-time favorite universal-fit earphones. The Custom Art Music One and ER4S each have advantages over the other and it’s difficult to pick a clear winner here. The Music One definitely sounds fuller and warmer overall, thanks in part to its weightier low end. Despite the bass, however, it appears a bit more mid-centric overall. Its treble is less prominent and more forgiving, and its midrange – thicker and more attention-grabbing. The leaner ER4S can at times sound a touch clearer and has a small advantage in overall balance, while the Music One oftentimes sounds more natural thanks to its thicker, fuller sound.
ClearTuneMonitors CT-200 ($350)
The ClearTuneMonitors CT-200 is a dual-driver acrylic custom priced higher than the Custom Art Music One. It is a neutral-sounding earphone that rolls off gently at either end of the frequency spectrum. Compared to the CT-200, the Music One has an advantage in bass depth and impact. Its low end is more extended and powerful, and grants the earphone a warmer overall tone. The CT-200 is brighter overall, presenting more forward upper mids in comparison. It also sounds a touch clearer and its treble is more crisp, appearing a little more detailed as a result. In terms of presentation, the CT-200 is more spacious and open-sounding while the Music One tends to be slightly more intimate. Nonetheless, the Music One again sounds very natural in this comparison – arguably more so than the CT-200 thanks to its warmer, thicker sound.
The triple-driver, acrylic-shelled Alclair Reference is an accurate-sounding earphone that offers good presence across the entire frequency spectrum. It has similar bass depth and impact to the Custom Art Music One but tends to be a little tighter and more detailed. As with the VSonic GR07, its midrange is more recessed compared to the Music One, which has rather prominent mids. The Reference is still clearer, however, and seems more resolving as well. In general, the Alclair monitor sounds better up to the upper midrange, where it starts to display some stridency. Its treble is more prominent overall and tends to be peakier and more sibilant. The Music One, on the other hand, is smooth and far more forgiving, and sounds more natural overall in the treble region. Finally, the Reference is overall more spacious and images a little better than the Music One.
Value (10/10) – The Custom Art Music One is an excellent value, combining the noise isolation of custom-fit silicone shells with a single balanced armature driver delivering an organic, coherent sound. The ultra-light low-profile silicone shells of the Music One put its fit and comfort above not only universal monitors, but other customs as well. Lastly, in addition to great attention to detail spanning everything from the cable to the accessory pack, the Music One offers more customization options compared to other silicone CIEMs, making it an even tougher earphone to fault on any front.
Pros: Great isolation & comfort; fantastic cable; great audio performance
Cons: Low-profile shells can be tough to remove from ears
For another perspective, see average_joe’s review of the Music One
126 Responses
Hey Ljokerl,
First of all, thanks for that huge work you’ve been doing on this website, that is literally a gold mine for whoever is looking for some good information about headphones and so on 🙂
To prepare the question, i use a Shure SRH1840 with a MacbookPro (listening to flac 16&24bit music), and i used to also use iBasso dx90 + Westone W10 for my street music (unfortunately i got robbed). I appreciated the westone, though i recognized the sound wasn’t as clear as my shure’s.
I adore my Shure Headphones since the sound is purely clear, and very detailed, making the whole sound real (as in a real concert hall).
To replace my Westone, i would like to step up, and i’m currently hesitating between several items:
Custom Art Music One, Dunu Dn-2000j, Fidue A83 & Westone W20.
To precise, i listen to various kind of music: mainly Jazz & Classical, but also often Rock music & Electro music, so i would appreciate some polyvalent IEMs.
Could you help me making my choice? In my current state of mind, it should be between the Music One and the Dn-2000J.
Thanks in advance for your time!
Nicolas
I use an Android phone and the OPPO instead of a DAP (prefer the interface of my phone to any “audiophile” DAP I’ve tried) so I can’t recommend a standalone unit. I do miss having something just for music, though. The Fiio DAPs look tempting but I can’t recommend them since I don’t use them myself.
You mean it isn’t a good idea to spend $300 for a DAC/amp to accompany a $120 IEM? 🙂 I meant a Digital Audio Player (DAP) so I could have more stored music choices went I am out. Plus, hopefully, a better DAC/amp than my phone.
They could help, but not enough to spend another $200-300 unless you’ll also get good use out of your amp otherwise (using it with your headphones and not just IEMs, using it as a DAC to bypass potentially noisy hardware, and so on). I always recommend going with a DAC/Amp over a DAC when possible because you don’t want to be double-amping (i.e. connecting an Amp the the headphone output on your phone or computer). The OPPO HA-2 is a favorite, and I believe it’s right in that price range. Very full-featured device.
I never resell so that won’t be a consideration. And, alas, the $80 deal only lasted a few hours and is now gone. I will watch for deals over the next week and get the HF2/HF5. Thank you for the recommendation. As I learn more about my sound taste over the next year, the Custom Art could come back on my short list.
By buying the HF2/HF5, I will be under budget. Any DAP or DAC/Amp recommendation(s) in the $200-$300 range? From what I have read, these could only help IEMs. Thanks again. Mike
You also have to keep in mind that a good condition ER4 will lose maybe 30% of its value if you decide to resell it (less if you got it at a discount to begin with). A custom monitor will lose a lot more.
And no, the M1 doesn’t need an amp – it’s a single-BA, and neither overly sensitive nor very hard to drive. It is better than the HF2/HF5 (those are identical, btw, but the HF2 also has a mic you can use with your phone), especially in terms of note body/fullness but again considering your experience is with inexpensive IEMs it’s hard to say if the difference will be noticeable. If you were already using a decent mid-high tier IEM with this type of sound signature (like a HiFiMan RE-400 or something), the M1 would make more sense as an upgrade than the HF2, but as is it’s a tough call. One thing is certain, the HF2 at $80 is a killer value. I don’t think there’s a better deal to be had on a reference-grade in-ear.
Addendum to my followup post: if that makes a difference, for a short time the HF2 is $80.49.
Wow! What a quick, detailed, and spot-on response. THANKS.
I will drop the V3 from my list. Currently, the M1 is $55 cheaper than the ER4PT ($234 v $289) that is why I was not hesitant on a custom. But I would need to add the cost of the audiologist fitting. Would the M1 need the amp for when I am away from my home AV center?
You brought up a good point about starting with a cheaper set. Right now on Amazon, the H2 is $129 (black) and the H5 $120 (cobalt). So basically, the same price. Between the two, which do you recommend as I am not sure which is supposed to be the better?
For “only” about $110 more (plus $$ for fitting) there is the M1. At these prices, do you still lean towards the H2/5?
Thank you for your assistance. I have no way to audition these devices so I gladly lean on your knowledge and will go with what you recommend. (BTW, no pressure on you because anything will be a great improvement over what I currently use.)
Glad you’ve been enjoying the website!
As far as I’m concerned there’s no 100% correct or accepted sound tuning for any particular genre – there might be some that the majority of listeners prefer, but there’s always a good chance another person may disagree.
Since your music tastes are fairly varied, why not start with something relatively balanced? It seems like you’re already going in that direction with most of the sets you’re looking at closely (the V3 being the exception).
I typically don’t recommend jumping off the deep end by getting a custom for your first high-end in-ear anyway. Of course you could do it and it could turn out great and take your listening experience to another level. But if you end up wishing it did this or that differently, you won’t have any recourse.
The ER4PT would therefore be my pick. I think it’s an earphone that everyone needs to try at least once, and it gives you an extremely potent example of one particular sound tuning.
You can also consider starting with the Ety HF5 or HF2 instead. You get most of the performance of the ER4 at a much lower cost. I usually recommend people take their time and try a few mid-tier IEMs and figure out their preferred sound before committing to a top-tier or a custom-fit product. This approach is less efficient in terms of time/money and takes some patience, but tends to have good results, and in this particular case with the HF5 and ER4 being so close in performance, it makes even more sense.
Not to mention that for a higher-end earphone the HF5 is relatively consistent between different sources and sounds good out of modern smartphones. Not being an ultra high-end and sensitive multi-BA earphone (like the 1964-V3, for instance) you can get away with just using your phone.
If your web view count rose the past couple weeks, then I’ll take the blame. Just discovered your site and I have been devouring the content; many of the pages over and over. Thank you. Your hard work is noted and greatly appreciated. These will be my first headphone purchase (ignoring low-cost buds and headphones) and I need help.
I have read your guides but I am still having problems defining my music enjoyment “sound signature”. I enjoy listening to symphonic classical music, smooth jazz, and music from the 60s and 70s; including Bossa Nova, acoustic guitar (ex. Ottmar Liebert), and trumpet (ex. Herb Alpert). From these genres, can you help me understand in the audiophile language what may be my preferred sound signature and what I should look for in earphones? I know, I am pushing the envelope with this question. Please excuse my ignorance.
From your reviews, I think that I may enjoy these Custom Art earphones. I am also considering the Etymotic Research ER4P-T, the Alclair Reference, and though somewhat over my budget of $300, the 1964EARS 1964v3. What are your thoughts?
Some of my listening will be while I am out-and-about. I have the Samsung Galaxy s5 smartphone. Will I need a DAC and/or amp? If so, what would you recommend in the lower budget range? Thanks, Mike
Unfortunately I haven’t tried the Music Twos, but the more enhanced-bass (compared to the Music One) CIEMs I have all fall above the $400 mark, so I don’t have any alternatives to recommend.
Hey |joker|. First of all, thanks for your reviews.
I am planning to buy my first customs. I will mostly be listening to metal (death, black, djent), but I also like prog rock (King Crimson, Wilson,…).
Due to a better bass Music Two were my first choice. However, I am wondering if there is anything better in similar price range(350-400$) or slightly above it (additional 100-150$) either from CA or some other manufacturer.
Thank you for your reply. It sounds like I will get them when I have some available funds. Thanks for the help, Joker.
You should be fine, the Music One is not too picky so your sources will be adequate. If you’d said “cheap Android phone and Lenovo laptop” I’d say you should get a DAC, but your hardware is quality.
Music Ones won’t be congested or bass-heavy, that’s for sure. They’re quite resolving, but short of “analytical”. Sounds like they should be a good compromise for you.
Hi Joker,
I was wondering about potential sources for the Music One. I listen to most of my music through a macbook pro or Fiio X1, so would either one be adequate to drive and match fairly well with the Music One? I’m not looking for perfection. However, if a portable amp would be better, what one(s) would match up the best for $120 or less? One last thing, my only headphone is the original Sennheiser Momentum (darker with some treble roll off), I like the sound of those pretty well, but sometimes I find them congested or bass heavy. Would the Music Ones be a very drastic change?
Thank you!
V3s are also quite different but at least they have an off-neutral sound with enhanced bass, like the W4s. The upper mids are more prominent on the 1964s and the treble is brighter and more sparkly. It’s a more lively and exciting sound, kind of like applying a “loudness” or Rock equalizer setting. Not a bad thing in my book, and basics like clarity and detailing are still well ahead of where the W4 is at.
Thanks for your reply!! So I’m thinking that I’ll pass on the Custom One’s then, I really loved the sound signature of the W4’s. Not that I’m unwilling to switch to a different sounding pair, I am, but I don’t want to switch to one that doesn’t have any coloration at all.
I’m thinking the 1964-V3’s are in my future. The distant future, but still, the future. I read all of the ‘select comparisons’ on the V3’s review page, but my only other experience is with the W4’s, which are not listed. Would you mind doing a comparison of the V3’s and the W4’s?
The overall sound quality is close but the tuning of the Custom One is very different from the W4. The Custom One is more of a reference monitor – very flat and smooth, no bass enhancement, not much coloration to the sound. The W4 has a moderate bass boost, warmer and darker tone, a slight dip in the upper midrange, and so on. As such, you can’t call either an upgrade to the other. Just two earphones with different sound signatures and purposes.
So, my dog ate my Westone 4’s… RIP.
I think I want to use this tragic event as an excuse to jump to a custom. I’m not in the position to drop 5 benjies on 1964s like i want but i do want something comparable and/or better to the sound of the W4’s. What I’m trying to say is that I don’t want to downgrade on the sound – this pair only having one driver concerns me. What would be your thoughts on this pair vs the W4s in quality of sound?
Thanks!
I haven’t heard anything bad, which is usually a good sign :). The order process seems very straightforward and Custom Art has a good reputation on Head-Fi as far as I know. I’d also suggest straight up asking Custom Art for a delivery estimate before placing your order.
Joker,
Great review as always. Has me considering switching my upgrade to these Custom Ones instead of something like the Sennheiser Momentum 2s or Sony MDR-1As. That said, I’ve never placed an order for anything out of Europe before. Have you had much feedback on how well the order process works, as well as how long it takes to receive an order?
Not much brighter – while I would agree that the V3 has more treble energy on the whole, the MA750 may actually have more upper midrange boost than the V3, which many people are more sensitive too than higher frequencies.
The Music One has smoother treble compared to both the V3 and the MA750. If the MA750 feels about right, the Music One might be a little low on excitement in comparison.
I’ve only tried smoother CIEMs in a slightly higher price range – for instance the Gorilla Ears GX-4b: https://theheadphonelist.com/headphone_review/gorilla-ears-gx-4b/ . Nearer to Music One’s price bracket you run into the same issues – either the sound is more neutral than the MA750, in which case you might as well go with the Music One, or the top end is more prominent, in which case you might as well go with the 1964-V3.
I have one more question. I have read that the V3 has more treble energy than the ma750. I listen to a lot of EDM, predominantly deep house and electro house. I’m sensitive to bright treble and I would get listening fatigue after periods of extended listening. The ma750’s feels right with the foam tips.
How much brighter would the V3’s be compared to ma750? Are there other ciem/iem you would recommend me at this price range?
Thanks alot for your help really appreciate it!
Not as different as you may think coming from an MA750, which has pretty decent isolation and an over-ear fit. Better, of course, but it won’t completely change how you use your IEMs.
We have some general info on getting your first CIEM in our musicians monitors buyer’s guide: https://theheadphonelist.com/musicians-in-ear-monitors-buyers-guide/
Thanks, I’m thinking about buying the V3 but I have no experience with ciems. Are there things I should consider before purchasing?
Like how would the fit/comfort/isolation/portability be different compared to regular iems?
They do cost quite a bit so I’m not willing to take a gamble haha.
The V3 is definitely more of an MA750 upgrade. The Music One is a very different sort of sound – more focused on the midrange with significantly less bass and more relaxed upper mids. It’s a great earphone, but it has little in common with the MA750.
I would be curious to try the ei.3 but I don’t have a pair yet. I still haven’t published full reviews of my Pro330v2 and Harmony 8 Pro so if I do check it out it definitely won’t be very soon.
I’m considering buying my first pair of custom iem. Currently I own a pair of rha ma750i and I love it. I’m decided between the Music One and the 1964EARS V3. Since it is my first pair of customs, I don’t know whether I should go for the V3 right away or the Music One since it is a lot more expensive. How does the sound of the two compare to the ma750’s?
My bad, I meant ei.3s.
Hi |joker|,
This is a great review, as always. You’re my go-to on all matters IEM.
Do you have any plans to get your hands on the ei.8s? I feel like a comparison between the two would be really interesting, considering how new the ei.8s are and how similar their price points are. I myself am undecided between the two.
I’d be asking myself the same question. They’re really not that different – similar strengths, similar weaknesses. Unfortunately I don’t have the SE535 anymore to A:B them for you. My gut feel is that the SE535 will have a bit better bass quality/resolution and the same will be reversed in the treble.
Hi, |joker|,
I was asking myself what’s the main differance between those Music One and the Shure 535. I’ll have the possibility to reshell the last and am looking to see how wthe M1 compares to the 535?
Thanks!
There’s other factors that differentiate one balanced armature from another in these respects, such as overall response curve and note thickness. The Music One is about mid-pack for a BA – it won’t give you the speed and separation of a more “analytical” set like the Etymotic ER4S or VSonic VC1000, but it will have faster decay and better separation than many of the warmer, fuller-sounding BA sets (e.g. EarSonics SM2).
Hey, thanks for the reply |joker|.
Another question I do have about the Music One is that should I automatically assume it has a fast decay and good instrument separation due to it being a vented balanced armature design, or should I expect otherwise? Coming from an Audio Technica IM50, I am a bit weary of its mushy presentation of complex passages.
Hmm.. the Music One is a great starter custom but since you’ve tried the UERM and are looking for that sort of sound, I’d probably peg it as being a little too smooth and relaxed. The UERM definitely has a brighter, more energetic sound – more like an Ortofon e-Q5 or VSonic VC1000 or something. The Music One would make a decent compliment to the UERM, providing a rather different approach to a “balanced” sound signature, but it’s not that great a placeholder for the UEs.
Hey |joker|, I’m currently considering getting the Music Ones as a placeholder whilst I wait for my end-of-year bonus, which I intend to spend on the UERMs. I have auditioned the demo version of the UERM quite a number of times already, and each time it left me just wanting it even more. So, does the Music One’s sound signature bear any resemblance to that of the UERMs, or should I just hold off until I get the one I really want?
This is a tough one, because while the Custom Art and VC1000 are both close to neutral, they are two different approaches to getting there. I’m leaning towards recommending that you stick with a brighter earphone than the Music One. The sparkle of the VC1000 is not really there with the Custom Art – they’re obviously a long way from dx.com earbuds, but to me they sounded more like an RE-400 than the VC1000 in the treble region. Likewise, crispness is one of the VC1000’s greatest strengths, and that’s hard for the thicker-sounding Music One to compete with. If you wanted a little more body and note weight than the VC1000 then sure, the Custom Art is the way to go. But with those specific requirements I’d probably find a different upgrade direction.
Hi! First of all, thanks for your amazing reviews. It’s close to impossible to find any other source of neutral non-populistic reviews.
I’m thinking about going custom after my VC1000 broke in half twice in the course of a month. I totally loved them, especially the clean upper-mid/lower-treble. I love 10kHz+ sparkle and 1kHz(ish) midness, on the other hand I deeply resent harshness (á Meelectronics M6/some Shure SE IEM’s). One of the reasons I love the Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro.
I’m just wondering how open they are. When I hear less highs, I’m thinking about boomy $10 dx.com in ears who make you feel like you’re looked up in a closet. My questions about these are mainly:
– When you say they’re mid-focused, do you mean 1 kHZ or 2-4kHz? By looking at the frequency response on their webpage, it looks like they’re pretty heavy around 2kHz+ (on the other hand, heavy on the treble too). I suspect the graph is A-weighted…
– When it comes to treble, would you describe them as a VC1000 with a lowpass filter (just less 10kHz+)? Do you still kind of feel like you’re in a big space and not in a closet? Are the cymbals still crisp?
I’m not too particular about the bass, just that it’s not boomy. I’ll be using them for casual listening (all genres the are basically) and stage monitoring.
Apologies for the abstract questions, it’s just hard to know what to ask lol. Thanks!!
Either one should be good enough to stave off the urge to upgrade for a long time. Enjoy!
Thank you to both of you, you’ve been a great help! I’ll target the Harmony 8 Pro, but keep the V6-Stage in mind as a fallback if money ends up coming a bit shorter than I expect it to. Thank you, in particular, Joker – when this is done, your reviews will have sent me in the direction of both of my endgame headphones, I suspect.
Yes, the isolation of the Viento-R isn’t the best because of the porting, which gives extra airiness to the sound. I think the overall presentation (note thickness and spatial qualities) of the Viento-R is very good, but the 4.5 represents a bit lower isolation than a typical acrylic shelled CIEM. If isolation is important, it is hard to bet silicone.
I think that’s a nice bit of savings for just checking one box.
Yes, I would say that’s very consistent with my impressions of them. Pretty small differences in bass quality and presentation in favor of the Custom Art, and a slightly larger difference in treble refinement, again in favor of the Custom Art. The V6-Stage sneaks in a few punches and I still very much like it (especially for the price), but if forced to pick one as my sole IEM, I’d take the Harmony 8 Pro.
…man, am I ever a bonehead. Thank you very much for pointing that one out.
Well, that takes the Harmony 8 Pro much closer to the V6 Stage than I’d expected it to be – it looks to be about a $250-300 gap when all’s said an done, to my math. Obviously, not being a oracle, you can’t tell me if that’s worthwhile, but what would you say the difference is between the two in terms of sound? The impression I got from your comparison was that it was a pretty small gap, with both of them being neutral/mild v-shapes, the V6 Stage being slightly brighter and less smooth/natural, but not too far behind. Would that be accurate?
You’re still looking at the +VAT price. Check the non-EU box at the top of the order form: https://theheadphonelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/CustomArt2.png
Isolation of the V6 is similar to a VC1000 at its best (deep-sealing foam or triple-flange tips). Silicone still has an advantage there.
Joe: I had looked at the Hidition NT-6, but I hadn’t heard much about the Viento-R. It definitely looks interesting, but I note that you scored it as a 4.5/10 in isolation, versus the 9 of the Harmony 8 Pro. Being as isolation is a fairly major focus for me here, would you still reckon it’s worth serious consideration? I don’t really need more than a deep-insertion universal fit level of isolation, but I admit that the score being below the median kind of worries me.
Joker: Ah, I think I know what it is: http://i.imgur.com/wVK4SMG.png It’s the fees and shipping that get the price up there, specifically because I’m only looking at the detachable cabled model. Between the two, they add around 250 PLN, which explains the disparity.
The V6-Stage looks pretty darn interesting, and I’m actually located in the Pacific Northwest, so I suppose it’d be easy to resolve any fit issues/warranty things with 1964 ears than with Custom Art in Poland, but as with the Viento and Joe, I note that you rated it a bit lower on your scale than I’d expect from a custom in terms of isolation. Would you say that the V6 is still in the same range as the VC1000, an Ety, or other higher-isolation universal IEMs?
Thank you both for your advice so far!
You should also take a look at the Hidition Viento-R which is a relatively neutral choice with more warmth than the NT-6. Also, the EarWerkz Legend-R is a different take on neutral, possibly similar to the 4S. I was impressed with the overall sound.
Yeah, very weird. I see 1999: https://theheadphonelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/CustomArt.png
At $1000 for neutral sound, the only other sets I would consider are the Noble 4S and 1964 V6-Stage. The Noble 4S is interesting because it has a different approach to neutral sound (think HiFiMan RE-400 vs a VC1000; both are pretty neutral, but they sound quite different). I have no doubt that some listeners will ultimately prefer the smoother, more midrange-focused Noble. However, with your stated anti-Tyll leanings, I would probably keep the Harmony 8 Pro as the #1 contender and the similar but slightly less refined V6-Stage at #2.
I missed your last reply, my apologies! The Pro 330v2 is still consistently coming up at 2550 PLN for me, though.
However, fortune has smiled upon me (to a rather ludicrous degree, frankly) and I have quite a bit more to throw at an IEM now – over $1000, if needed. Having read your and Joe’s reviews of the Harmony 8 Pro, it’s currently the top of my list, but I was curious if there were any other IEMs in that range I should consider, my requirements being the same (that is, comfort of upmost importance, particularly for long listening sessions, then isolation, with sound quality ideally matching my HE-560, if not necessarily having quite the same tuning).
That’s odd, when I fill out the form (http://www.thecustomart.com/formiem.php) I get a price of 2012 PLN with the optional detachable cable, which is about $540. Without the detachable cable it’s closer to $475 shipped.
Wow, the Pro 330v2 looks pretty stellar, but also quite costly. I am located outside the EU (USA, specifically, so I have both no VAT and exchange rates in my favour), but unfortunately the Pro 330v2 seems to be about 2600 zloty shipped, which is roughly $700 USD. $600 was already pretty much the most I could justify paying, so unfortunately that puts me over too far, particularly if the performance is pretty close.
The cheaper Alclair looks pretty darn nice, but based on your review of it, I think I’ll stick with silicon. Comfort and isolation are my paramount considerations in IEMs, so I’m willing to accept a sound that’s not quite the best I could get if it means doing better in those areas. I’ll probably end up going the way of the Music Ones and start a savings fund for an eventual Harmony 8 or something along those lines. Thank you very much for your advice!