Inear Stagediver SD2 & SD3: The Universal Custom

Disclaimer: The StageDiver 2 and 3 were sent to me on loan for a period of 2 weeks and have been sent back to Inear.

 

Inear is a Germany-based company active in 4 fields: Monitoring, communication, hearing aids and hearing protection. While they also offer custom molded IEMs, they’re mostly known in the audiophile world for their universal IEMs called “StageDiver”.

I met the Inear team at the EU Canjam last year and after auditioning the StageDiver 2 and 3 for 15 minutes I was convinced I had to report back on these universals later. It’s taken a few months but we finally got around to reviewing them.

The Earphone

The StageDivers might look like a custom made IEM but they in fact are universal balanced armature units using a silicone ear tip. According to the Inear website the housing was developed by overlapping over 500 different scans from ear impressions, and should fit as good as anybody. I have small and weirdly formed ears that don’t like universals overall (they just don’t fit) but the StageDivers actually fit right in there. Of course they stick a bit out of my ears and they aren’t as comfortable as my customs but they fit better than any other “universal” IEM and I can use them for hours at a time without issues. There also is a special “S” version that is supposed to be slimmer. I had a friend over with even weirder ears and unfortunately for him they just didn’t fit his ears at all.

Image2

The StageDivers come in a nice Pelican case (without inlay), a couple of tips, cleaning cloths and a 3.5 to 6.3mm adapter. The cable used is a standard 3-way cable with a 90° connector and a quite long piece of “memory wire” that is a bit long for my ears. Of all the stock cables I’ve recently used I find the Cosmic Ears’ one to be the best one sound and fit wise but this cable doesn’t do anything wrong to be honest. I did try them with my favorite CIEM cable from Effect Audio but the following impressions were done with the stock cable.

Customization of the unit of course isn’t as possible like with real CIEMs but Inear now is offering wooden faceplates for the StageDiver (+80€) that look quite good. The StageDivers do come with replaceable earwax filters, something you don’t see very often. Marco from Inear showed me how easy it is to replace the filters and I would certainly recommend it to the PRO users or to listeners producing a lot of earwax. (Gross huh)

Image1

The Sound

According to Inear, the 2-way system has perfectly tuned drivers for bass, middle and high tones. An absolute picture perfect sound is achieved by using high-end parts that gives an incredible dynamic full sounding bass. The 2 driver models costs you 359€.

The SD2 has a clear sound that is linear from bass to treble. I find it neutrally tuned and it isn’t warm or especially smooth sounding. It gives you nice clarity and detail and a lovely correct uninfluenced sound. Tight quality bass, good mids and non-peaking treble. All are equally present and the sound stage is quite good (wider than it is deep). I can listen to the SD2 for hours, it’s non-fatiguing and doesn’t do anything wrong. I think a lot of audiophiles would be very impressed with this natural uninfluenced and correct sound.

sd

The 3-way system of course comes with three drivers per ear. Again, according to Inear, the StageDiver 3 has a bass boost that gives an extremely voluminous low-pitch auditory sound, balanced high defined middles and brilliant high tones The StageDiver 3 is especially recommended for fans of the bass and musicians out of the electronic sphere. The 3 driver version is available for 489€.

The SD3 focusses more on bass and is warmer tuned. Bass has a lot more body and is the focus of the SD3 together with the thick smooth mids. The SD3 is warmer sounding and because of the bass and mids, the treble is not the most present and a bit behind. Overall the sound still is very clear and detailed but you get the impression the sound stage is smaller because of the focus on bass and mids. The excellent left-right balance remains and you still get a good level of detail. The SD3 is easy to listen to but is surely more to the liking of the bass oriented listeners or professionals. I have to say I love the way guitars sound using the SD3, and with the extra bass I really enjoyed this unit with the heavier rock music and even dance music. I do find the SD3 to have a more centered sound with lesser space between the instruments than the SD2.

Click below to read the full size conclusion on the next page

4/5 - (35 votes)
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Lieven is living in Europe and he's the leader of the gang. He's running Headfonia as a side project next to his full time day job in Digital Marketing & Consultancy. He's a big fan of tube amps and custom inear monitors and has published hundreds of product reviews over the years.

83 Comments

  • Reply April 8, 2014

    Vasilis Rapanakis

    Got the SD-2 and it is really a revelation even compared to the RE-400/HF-5 with a rather enveloping and full sound with tons of detail especially with decent tracks and for me a good but not overwhelming amount of bass (I am no bass-head though).

    The two things I would like to note though is that although they are VERY easy to drive (easier than the HF-5 for sure) I can hear significant differences between my iP5 and my MBA (which I can’t on the HF-5) so I can only assume that a better DAC/Amp might have more of an impact than their efficiency suggests.

    The other problem is that the stock clear cable gets oxidised very quickly ( a few weeks time in a slightly humid place is enough ) and they turn green. Not being a cable expert I do not know if/how this affects sound but I have replaced my cable because I was not keen on the colour 🙂

    All that aside though give them some nice tracks and a half decent DAP and they will reward you handsomely. I am addicted to them to the point of walking as opposed to cycling to work many mornings for the opportunity to listen to them for an extra 30 or so minutes!

    • Reply April 8, 2014

      L.

      Thanks for your comment. The SD2 is nice indeed. The colored cable doesn’t change the sound. I agree with your DAP/amp remark, as I said in the review.

    • Reply November 15, 2016

      DJtheAudiophile

      Hello, would the Stagediver 2 be a great match with the Chord Mojo and iPod Touch?

  • Reply April 8, 2014

    Dimitry Kolbaskin

    “perfect sound is achieved by using high-end parts” what are those parts ? Is it secret ?

    • Reply April 8, 2014

      L.

      Yes, I’m afraid it is. to us also

  • Reply April 8, 2014

    Dimitry Kolbaskin

    If cables become green, it is means, that the isolation is sux… So the cables are garbage… So why should I pay 500$ for such simple device like this two drivers IEM ?

    • Reply April 8, 2014

      L.

      Do not mix up the units and the cable, that’s a wrong attitude you have. A lot of these iem cables turn green, just check online and you”ll find hundreds of people telling you this. It has nothing to do with Isolation or sound. It’s caused by sun light and it’s an easy to replace part, and imho they should offer black cables blocking out the light. Most producers companies nowadays offer mostly black cables or special treated ones.

      You should pay $500 to get great BA sound in a universal shell that fits like a custom. easy!

      • Reply April 9, 2014

        Dimitry Kolbaskin

        I got a two month before a ck100pro, triple driver armature, sounds amazing… for 330$ new (a flagship from Audio-Technica) … if those headphones where tagged about 300$, i was trying those for sure. even if the cable is junk.

        • Reply April 9, 2014

          L.

          I’m not saying yours are bad, I never heard them, but European/German craftsmanship tends to be a tad more expensive. However I do agree these are a bit expensive but that doesn’t mean they are bad. they are good

          • Reply April 9, 2014

            Dimitry Kolbaskin

            There is no doubts that those stagedives are superb, but I think that this market is overpriced. As a new company in HI-FI and personal audio-components market (I know that those guys have a good reputation and they are a professional company with good service) they should start with a staring price that can be competitive , cause the market is a full of good IEM. I realy wish a good luck to those guys cause the product is very good, but the starting price is prevents from many people to give them a chance… My audio-technica CK100PRO , is not the case here… But if I can buy a new IEM with tripple-driver armature, swiwel and detachable cable in pure titanium housing that made in JAPAN (not China) , that sounds just perfect for 300-400$, why should I try a product in acrylic house and 1$ cable with “only” two drivers for 500$ ?

            • Reply April 9, 2014

              George Lai

              Just like the megapixels race for cameras of some years ago, it is not the number of BAs or drivers that’s the sole or even key determinant. Have a listen of single driver Dita Truth/Answer, Fitear 111, Final Audio Design Pianofortes, etc in this price bracket. Also decades ago, Made In Japan was synonymous with shoddy products. We wouldn’t say that now and should therefore also not generalize regarding Made In China products, e.g. the iPhone. Chinese companies like Edifier and Lenovo to name but two own Stax and IBM PCs respectively.

              • Reply April 9, 2014

                Dimitry Kolbaskin

                Got a pianoforte before, the special there is a unique design and materials, those can rise the price, also the sound is very good. The cable is also special (in term of design) . They manufacture headphones for more than 30 years and very unique, Now I have also a very good sounded final, a heaven IV, but only for 140$ (japan price) , single driver, sounds very good. Offtopic : Made in China , can be good , But DESIGNED in CHINA , is almost always crap (if it is not a green tea), all new companies like UNIQUE MELODY, vsonic, etc… is a total crap and just a try to copy western technology.
                So in terms of sound and quality, the STAGEDIVE2/3 is much better than Chinese crap IEM, but still little bit expensive for what they are provided. IMHO.

                • Reply April 11, 2014

                  ohm image

                  Final Audio have not made headphones for more than 30 years, they have been around for more than 30 years, designing speakers. Headphones (earphones) are brand new, only from about 4 years ago. I like them, too, but they are also sacrificing their brand quality by catering to the large retailers with plastic fantastic stuff so that consumers see that, yes, Final make earphones, too.

                  • Reply January 21, 2015

                    Dimitry Kolbaskin

                    No man, it’s not “earphones, too”, the Metal Piano Forte IX/X is the most special and uniq sound EIM out there. Nothing is close it special qualities… NOTHNIG. all armatures, including the expesive fitear and JH, are flat , cold 2d sound if compared to the UNIQUE PIANO FORTE 3D.

                    • January 21, 2015

                      ohm image

                      Dimitri, I see. I had forgotten that Final Audio changed the name of the series. It used to be called 1601 (and initials for the material the housing was made from).

                      I think you will find that I agree wholeheartedly about the 1600 and their successors. In fact, I’m the lad that first discovered them for the non-Japanese world:

                      http://www.touchmyapps.com/2010/01/18/final-audio-design-fi-dc1601ss-inner-earphone-in-review

                      But Final have removed their brand image from the very top, very elite, and made it a consumer company that also makes hi-end products. No longer are they designing speakers that cost 600k USD, and they sell earphones for less than 50$ made of plastic.

                      Masterpieces exist, but at the expense of a poor set of low-end stuff.

                    • January 21, 2015

                      Dimitry Kolbaskin

                      Wow, great! Never saw this review. My IX was return and i’m still hypnotized.

                • Reply April 11, 2014

                  ohm image

                  Stage Driver earphones are made in much much lower quantities than any Final Audio earphone. Low quantities almost always means higher prices. The two cannot be compared.

                  • Reply April 13, 2014

                    Dimitry Kolbaskin

                    They just put the armature drivers inside the acrylic body, with 1$ cable.
                    two people can do it easily. So low quantities, shouldn’t mean higher prices, especially when two guys just working on 3D printer, with no need in expensive machines. Stagedives are not LEICA lenses, they just do a case for drivers.

            • Reply April 9, 2014

              L.

              Well more drivers doesn’t always mean more or better sound

              • Reply April 10, 2014

                Dimitry Kolbaskin

                That’s for sure.

            • Reply April 10, 2014

              dalethorn

              How could they be overpriced compared to the pianoforte you have? The pianoforte is nearly £3000 in Britain.

              • Reply April 10, 2014

                George Lai

                Hello Dale, the Piano Forte VIII (the cheapest of the trio VIII, IX, X) is only £400 here in Singapore.

                • Reply April 10, 2014

                  dalethorn

                  Well, I feel better George, but …. is the VIII that beautiful copper color I saw for the £3000 model, and does it feel as good to hold and show people?

                  • Reply April 10, 2014

                    George Lai

                    VIII – brass, IX – stainless steel, X – copper chrome. Interesting ear buds reminiscent of Klipsch horn speakers.

                    • April 10, 2014

                      dalethorn

                      So do you think the big price is just because of the copper, and they sound pretty much the same?

                    • April 11, 2014

                      George Lai

                      The material probably has some impact on the price though I’m not sure to how large an extent. I do know a friend who’s got all three so I guess he feels the differences in sound, and price, are justifiable.

              • Reply April 10, 2014

                Dimitry Kolbaskin

                I’m talking about the whole portable market, and yes, you can find a FORTE for less then 700$.

                • Reply April 10, 2014

                  L.

                  Unusable portable amps? Euhm? They are very much usable my good man.

                  • Reply April 10, 2014

                    Dimitry Kolbaskin

                    NO , they aren’t, if we are talking about portable players, (got ak100mk2+ak120), EVERY portable amplifier is a total waste, is kills airiness ,details and a 3D .Just an ak100/ak120 is more then enough for EVERY IEM on the market.The construction is bulk with amp, ugly and not comfortable as a portable… 100% tasteless . But more important it is stupid, cause it ruin the original sound of those wonderful players.

                    • April 10, 2014

                      dalethorn

                      What exactly ruins the sound of what? I don’t understand the details of what you’re saying.

                    • April 10, 2014

                      Dave Ulrich

                      I believe he is saying that portable amps ruin the sound of portable players. They kill the air in the treble, micro details and the 3d imaging.

                    • April 10, 2014

                      dalethorn

                      I have a PA2V2 cheap amp that I attach to my iPhone through the LOD, and it definitely improves the air, details, and imaging. No doubt about those 3 items.

                    • April 10, 2014

                      Dimitry Kolbaskin

                      Get a good DAP and matched IEM, and you will never need the PA&(#$_ or any other garbage that trying to amplify the sound that’s is already amplified.

                    • April 10, 2014

                      Dimitry Kolbaskin

                      If you taking the output, that already match every IEM (from ak100/120) on the market and amplified, that is super clean, you just ruined it with portable amplifier. It change the signature and it ALWAYS downgrade it , with EVERY portable amp. (if we are talking about portable rig). If you are using BIG headphones (300ohm and more, it is not a portable).

                    • April 10, 2014

                      dalethorn

                      So what you are saying is that since the AK120 already has an amp built in, that adding *another* amp to the output would ruin the sound? I definitely agree with that if that’s what you mean.

                    • April 10, 2014

                      Dimitry Kolbaskin

                      Absolutely. Thats what I mean, Its has a pretty powerful output, but super clean (same with the AK100/MKII). it drives every IEM i checked ,Grado gr08, with 120OHM, have absolutely no problem and sounds good and powerfull.

                    • April 10, 2014

                      Dave Ulrich

                      Isn’t that why you attach a portable amp to the line out and not the headphone out?

                    • April 10, 2014

                      Dimitry Kolbaskin

                      In terms of quality, my ak100/120, got a much more purest and cleanest headphone output , then every “true” line-out on the portable market (ibasso/fiio/etc/colorfly) IMHO 🙂

                    • April 10, 2014

                      dalethorn

                      But you are describing the quality at the end of the wire – the final output only. You are not describing the DAC and amplifier separately. It makes sense to use the AK120 that way, since it is a portable device, and attaching extra things to a portable when using as portable is not fun at all. But sometimes there are reasons, and some portable amps are better than the amp (not DAC) that is inside of the AK120. But I would do that only at a desk, and only then if the signal comes from the AK120 DAC without being processed through the internal amps.

                    • April 10, 2014

                      dalethorn

                      If the line out comes directly from the DAC, yes.

                    • April 10, 2014

                      dalethorn

                      So does the AK120 have an output that comes directly from the DAC, so you are *replacing* the amp, not adding another amp?

                    • April 10, 2014

                      Dimitry Kolbaskin

                      No, but who cares ? What I say, is that headphone output from ak100/120, is so clean, that it sounds better that line-out from concurrent players. So you just can call “a little bit amplified super-pure line-out” 🙂

                    • April 10, 2014

                      dalethorn

                      I do care to know exactly that information. It would save a lot of questions and time if you specified it before.

                    • April 10, 2014

                      L.

                      You should get a room with your AK120 😉

                  • Reply April 10, 2014

                    dalethorn

                    Headfonia recommended me the FiiO E07k – an outrageously good bargain.

                    • April 10, 2014

                      Dimitry Kolbaskin

                      They did not recommend it , they try to sell it to you. 🙂 But it 100% useless. What you need to amp ?

                    • April 10, 2014

                      dalethorn

                      Not useless. It’s the opposite. I connect the Line Out from my iPhone to the amp, and it greatly improves tone, detail, soundstage – everything. I don’t imagine that – I could hear those differences even if they were 10 times less.

                      You have to understand that the iPhone amp is not too good, so the external amp is better *if* it is connected from Line Out, not headphone jack.

                    • April 10, 2014

                      Dimitry Kolbaskin

                      So save the money, and get an ak100. You pay twice the price for just a mobile phone. ak100 is pure pleasure sound device.

                    • April 10, 2014

                      dalethorn

                      When I carry my phone and listen on the bus etc., I don’t need so “pure” a sound with massive background noise. But when I’m in a hotel the portable amp is valuable. Now the AK120 is good, but headphones are not perfect, and the AK120 does not have as good options to fix the imperfections as the iphone does. Carrying iphone and AK120 is not as convenient as carrying iphone alone. Better yet, carrying iphone and DAC/amp to hotel room is even better.

                      Please, to save time and confusion, if you could address those concerns and not just dismiss them, we can have a better discussion.

                    • April 10, 2014

                      L.

                      I don’t appreciate these kind of insinuations. be nice like we all are trying to be. We do not agree with your point of view but we accept it, you should accept ours.

            • Reply April 13, 2014

              ohm image

              Dimitry: you are talking about Audio Technica, one of the world’s largest headphone manufacturers. If you wanted to put them on even footing, compare them with Sennheiser. They do things very differently: Sennheiser doesn’t churn a tenth of the products AT does. But that is European VS Japanese manufacturing style. Obviously you like the idea of a single company over saturating the market with stuff that has little to now value only so that the brand is inflated. That’s fine. It’s how it is here.

              The CK100Pro are not a 300$ earphone. They came out nearly at 600$ (conversion from yen at the time) and dropped to half in less than a year. There is no German manufacturer that will leave early customers out on a limb so badly. No German customer will basically fry their early adopters by destroying market price.

              AT, being one of the largest in the world, can afford to drop prices, manufacture hundreds of thousands of earphones, and profit by volume. If you want to see a great, artisan company from Japan, that would compare with InEar, look at FitEar, or Ocharaku. FitEar use a cheap cable in their 111 model, a SINGLE driver earphone that costs 400$. They are Japanese.

              Ocharaku sell single-driver earphones for up to 500$ and dual driver models for about 1000$. Final Audio the same thing, except that they are much larger than InEar.

              It is economy of scale, and a willingness to destroy market value that keeps Japanese companies doing what they do. Please, don’t put AT on a pedestal. They make some awesome phones, but their business practices are poor. If you want to praise a Japanese company, praise a company that actually is doing something different or excellent. Praise Ocharaku, STAX, MASS KOBO, or a bunch of other smaller companies that would compare with InEar and deliver prices that are on a parallel.

              I know you will pipe back with incomprehensible logic, so I this will be my last post. Just know that AT are NOT the Japanese company that represents what Japan is capable of, and indeed, represents unfortunately, part of Japan’s past that is ruining the economy now.

              • Reply April 13, 2014

                George Lai

                Every country has the good, the bad and the ugly. As consumers we can decide what we want to buy and that’s the end of the story. A lot of us must be nuts to buy single driver/BA Fitears, Final Audio Design, Dita, et al but I don’t think so.

          • Reply April 10, 2014

            ohm image

            L: actually, Japan is a hyper market economy. Usually prices start out astronomically high with ‘open prices’ and then fall off to 50% or less within a year. It is a horrible way of doing business that traps almost every Japanese manufacturer into an image of making ‘cheap’ and ‘throwaway’ stuff. Very few exceptions exist to this rule. It is awful.

            • Reply April 10, 2014

              Dimitry Kolbaskin

              ck100pro , isn’t cheep and doesn’t belongs to ‘throwaway’ stuff… For 330$ , I still think they are little bit overpriced… So if they are overpriced, the “REAL” price for stagediver2, should be about 170$… not 500$, so if japanes are fare, and after two years , I can get them for 50% , the Germans will ask twice the price after two years.

              • Reply April 11, 2014

                ohm image

                Dimitry: I actually love the CK100Pro, what I hate is the Japanese market, which overprices things that are mass marketed, and even so, puts out double or treble the number of models that any German company does. It’s like an unwritten rule: if you don’t output 50 or 100 models per year, you are worthless to the market.

                It’s one reason that not a single large Japanese earphone maker has any prestige left. They are considered the mass marketers of the market. And it shows. They make new models just to flog on shelves so that the AT or the Sony section of shops can be larger than another manufacturer.

                And they heavily punish early adopters with prices up to 60% over market value. It is a sick Japanese practice that punishes the consumer. Worse yet, all imported stuff is subject to heavy markups so that almost no importer can make money.

                Your Westone that costs 400$ in Europe will cost 700$ here. And the Japanese stuff literally takes up hundreds of spots just so that it can take up hundreds of spots:

                “Look everyone, we can make a hundred headphone models in one year!”

                Is the idea. Why? What good does that do? They are not making better earphones, they are just making more. And in the mass of utter crap, a few great earphones like the CK100Pro show up, but because they are surrounded by crap, they can’t hold value because the brand is considered crap.

                Japanese brands need to start making smart, not making ‘lots’.

                • Reply April 13, 2014

                  Dimitry Kolbaskin

                  Japanese brands are sooooooo much smarter then german staff… Japaneses will survive for years with no bugs… My MOSER chromstyle made in Germany, was faulty because Chinese batteries inside. and broken after replacement, because the plastic was to thin.
                  Will always prefer Japan staff to German… The DIGITAL LEICA M , is absolutely non sense , Japanese cameras so much better…. canon 5DIII, nikon DF…

                  • Reply April 13, 2014

                    dalethorn

                    My Leica Monochrom with Noctilux – no Japanese camera can equal. But I’m not biased against Japan, since my automobiles and several of my cameras are made in Japan. Smart shoppers buy according to the product, not according to nationalism.

                    • April 13, 2014

                      ohm image

                      Indeed. I own only Japanese cameras now. They work fine, but even on my last assignment, my 3000$ reliable Japanese camera refused to fire on a single, very important frame. Dimitry: I’d be careful to put too much weight behind a country. Certain Japanese stuff is excellent. Certain German stuff is excellent. Some of both is absolute crap.

                      @Dale: The Monochrom is amazing. If I had the dosh, I’d be there. I’m more for the Leica lenses, though, as they are the only modern maker that still makes OOF with a special look. Everyone else just makes things blur to nothing. It’s a little disheartening. Basically, no matter the brand, the final image looks exactly the same.

                    • April 13, 2014

                      Dimitry Kolbaskin

                      Yeh,,,yeh… right… No camera can be equal to such a stupid idea as a digital monochrome only camera… Even my M6millenium was able to load color film! Now I got an 5DMARKIII+501.2L And its beat all the LEICAS (previously try to upgrade my m8 to m9… use it for month, and understand it is the same shit) , i love German made products, and i’m sure those IEM, are good sounded one, but all the R&D is from Japan, the audio-market is rulled for more then 50 years by those guys, DENON is more then 100 years now. They are crazy, and I love it. In terms of usability, there is nothing like my 5DIII and my Nikon D700 with complete 1.4/1.2 AIS set that is no way worse then leicas lens set (elmarits/summicrons), In terms of $$$, you got one lens system and (!!!!!!) monochrome only camera for 18000$ :)))) sounds crazy… its have very bad battery, its slow, it heavy , no autofocus, no video, and it is same digital but in super-stupid but, nice looking package , with red dot on it… the output , much worse then from my NIKON D700 with my lovely 85 1.4… and much much worse then 5DIII + 50 1.2L , I even shot super quality video with it.. … Sooo , if you are feeling cool with “JUST” a beautiful camera, with super-bad functionality … ENJOY yourself.. but don’t try to fool others.. Can I see your gallery with shots from your NOCT ? It’s not personal in any way, I just an abused leica user, and hate this camera…

        • Reply April 10, 2014

          ohm image

          Japanese stuff falls in price just weeks after introduction. Those CK100PRO debuted at near 600$. Never, ever buy AT near debut. Always wait at least a half a year.

          These companies CHUUUUUUUURN stuff out because they run a bored market that buys and sells and buys and sells and nothing ever holds value here except for foreign brands.

    • Reply April 9, 2014

      ohm image

      Isolation has nothing to do with colour. It would be so cool if it did. Isolation has everything do with fit, ear pad shape, insertion dept, and stability of fit.

  • Reply April 13, 2014

    L.

    I have cleaned up the thread a little. Keep it on topic guys. Dimitry, last warning.

    • Reply April 13, 2014

      George Lai

      Hear Hear.

  • Reply June 13, 2014

    Henry Ma

    Ordered SD2S, and very much enjoy the neutral sound.
    Thanks L. for the brilliant review! Your description of the sound is very accurate.

    • Reply June 13, 2014

      L.

      Thank you. That is always nice to hear. Enjoy them, they are good

      • Reply December 18, 2014

        snip3r77

        How does one know if you need the normal or slim edition? Any difference in sound signature?

  • Reply January 11, 2015

    flbrk

    Hi all,

    Just purchased SD-2 and I wanted to hear some comments from you. Coming from Senn IE800. This time, I wanted to experience more neutral sounding dual armature IEM. Thanks in advance!

    • Reply January 11, 2015

      Headfonia_L.

      I’m missing the question to be honest. What do you want to know exactly?

    • Reply January 11, 2015

      dalethorn

      Is there a particular reason to aim for dual driver or dual armature?

  • Reply March 13, 2016

    Hadi

    Hi all,
    Im looking for new iem. I like the fitear 334 sound sig. I like the smooth, clarity, good resolution sound and Im not basshead.But since they are out of my budget, do you think that sd2 sounds like 334? Any other option in under $600?

    Thx

  • Reply November 15, 2016

    DJtheAudiophile

    Hello, would the Stagediver 2 be a great match with the Chord Mojo and iPod Touch?

  • Reply November 15, 2016

    Lieven

    yes sure, it will be better on the Mojo though

    • Reply November 16, 2016

      DJtheAudiophile

      Sorry, I structured my sentences wrong. What I meant was I plan on stacking the iPod touch 6th gen with the mojo through the ckk. Would the sd-2 be a great match with that setup sound wise?

      • Reply November 16, 2016

        Lieven

        why wouldn’t it be? 🙂

        • Reply November 18, 2016

          DJTHEAUDIOPHILE

          Just curious before I make a purchase. I have another question. Which headphone would you pick? DT-1350 or Sine? I can’t decide between those two and the SD-2.

          • Reply November 18, 2016

            Lieven

            I never liked the DT1350, its signature is very different from the Sine and more in line with the SD2. Sine is not like that with its big bodied full sound

            • Reply November 19, 2016

              DJtheAudiophile

              With the Mojo, would you pick the Sine over the SD-2 ?

              • Reply November 19, 2016

                Lieven

                No the question is what sound signature you prefer

                • Reply November 20, 2016

                  DJtheAudiophile

                  I’m not quite sure, I’ve only heard the 1350 once for a short time so I cannot make a judgement. I am interested in the SD-2 the most after reading the review.

                  • Reply November 20, 2016

                    Lieven

                    The SD4 is my fav, as it has the body and more bass from the 3 and the detail from the 2

                  • Reply November 20, 2016

                    dale thorn

                    I’ve had 4 of the DT1350’s. The sound is weird enough, but the earpads are useless. So I put the T51p earpads onto the 1350, which helped with a secure fit, and slightly better sound. But there’s no doubt in my mind the Sine would be a lot better. Lots of headphones are better – Philips X2, Sennheiser HD25sp, even the T51p.

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