Not sure if any of you guys have heard them but I quite like the Soundmagic PL50 IEM's. Very comfortable, warm sound, decent detail levels and good price of around $70.

It sounds thick to the point of being unclear. The cables are somewhat stiff with too much memory. The housings feel really cheap. The only thing it has going for it is a certain sweetness in the mids.

I'm surprised to see the UE Reference Monitors on the leader board since my experience with them has not been a happy one. Sure fit and build quality is fine and parts of the sound is OK IMHO but bass is really not there. At least in mine. Mailed UE about that but they didn't think anything was wrong so maybe they agree, just suggested that I would buy another model. NO thanks.

Mine roll off the bass from about 80-100 Hz (subjective listening), hardly "reference quality". Mine need a lot of eq for everyday listening.

Is this in line with your experience? Is something wrong with mine?

cheers
Ferrum

Nope. Kick drums sound accurate and that's around 60hz. Something is wrong with yours or your fit/seal is off. Do you have other customs to know what a proper fit should be like. You could have proper shells but bad impressions.

I'll have more to say about the UERM experience later.

No, sadly I don't have any more IEM's to compare with but isolation is fine and however hard I push them in seal doesn't change and I interpreted that as the seal should be Ok. Can I check something else?

As to reference in bass I use all kinds of Choir where male bass singers consistently take two steps back on the soundstage with these compared to my ATC monitors (pictures in my members presentation) or Focal Spirit headphones I bought to replace the UERM. Also checked against both Audeze LCD2 & 3 and they are maybe a step in the opposite direction. Choir simply isn't balanced in my view.

But the same apply with A Perfect Circle - the Noose or David Thomas Peacock - Retribution or Elenor MCEvoy - I got you to see me through, all tracks contain a fair amount of deep bass that are clearly reduced in level.

Do they want a higher output impedance from the amp? Could that be it?

cheers
Ferrum

Slighter higher impedance amps of a few ohms may do the trick for you. The reference for UERMs were the Yamaha NS10s. Those monitors were kinda bright and people put toilet paper over the tweeters. The FSP are bassy compared ot the UERMs.

Thanks guys

So what I'm hearing is true since the NS10 have no real bass, ie NOT neutral. Natural music or choir do contain bass so maybe a slight rewording could be considered? Something like Since they are based on the Yamaha NS10, very close to their voicing, therefore match with appropriate gear. One of the most coherent and together sounding multi-driver CIEMs. Every other founding pyrate owns this.

Ferrum

I think your vocabulary is off wrt 'neutral' 'real bass' etc. The idea that the UERMs have no real bass or has 'severe' roll off after 100hz is absurd. I'm wondering if you are simply used to more elevated bass than neutral or you listen at low volumes for your hrtf out of a weak amp or dap?

If THX speakers might be neutral to you, then our reference curves are simply different.