The FreQ Custom IEMs - Impressions Thread (Updates on First Page!) - Page 264 - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio

HeadphoneAddict · #**3946** (**permalink**) 06-05-2009, 06:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by -=Germania=-

There is only the CI 22955. The Knowles "k" symbol can be deceptive.
You will only see the number "22955" right after the Knowles symbol.

If you see line and a triangle together, that is the Knowles symbol.

If someone with a set of Westone ES3X could confirm their dual driver for sure, it would be appreciated.

If it does turn out that the drivers are the exact same, then the trick must be in the quality of the crossover.

Personally, I listen to a bunch of acoustic, alternative, classical, and opera. I prefer treble to bass and my set seems to be pretty neutral. Of course, I wish they were airier but we cant have everything.

If this is the case, I wouldn't mind buying a few balanced armatures and DIYing my own customs. I made some custom tips for my Dads FS1's using a rapid prototyping plastic. I can make molds and have access to smd parts. Crap.... more ideas.

My green colored ES3X are too dark to read any numbers on drivers, and my clear Freq Show are not as clear as my clear SE530 in a Livewires shell, so the numbers on the drivers are not readable on the Freq Show.

powertoold · #**3947** (**permalink**) 06-05-2009, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by -=Germania=-

There is only the CI 22955. The Knowles "k" symbol can be deceptive.
You will only see the number "22955" right after the Knowles symbol.

If you see line and a triangle together, that is the Knowles symbol.

If someone with a set of Westone ES3X could confirm their dual driver for sure, it would be appreciated.

If it does turn out that the drivers are the exact same, then the trick must be in the quality of the crossover.

Personally, I listen to a bunch of acoustic, alternative, classical, and opera. I prefer treble to bass and my set seems to be pretty neutral. Of course, I wish they were airier but we cant have everything.

If this is the case, I wouldn't mind buying a few balanced armatures and DIYing my own customs. I made some custom tips for my Dads FS1's using a rapid prototyping plastic. I can make molds and have access to smd parts. Crap.... more ideas.

Well, it turns out my SuperFreQs have 22955 in them too. From what I see, it's the same as my FreQShows.

I really doubt they put different drivers in you FreQs. It's possible they tweaked the crossover.

Bilavideo · #**3948** (**permalink**) 06-20-2009, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boomy3555

Fisher Audio in Lake Mary, FL is the builder of Freq's and they still offer warranty service. They also advertise service on any IEM's.

Welcome

Right in the neighborhood. Cool!

Bilavideo · #**3949** (**permalink**) 06-20-2009, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by -=Germania=-

Hey All FreqShow owners.

Please let me know a few things if you can. I am trying to see if the FreqShow that I got is in fact much different from the rest of yours.

My impedance: 9.6 ohms per channel (checked with an HP E2377A DMM with cable on - for simplicity just do the same)

My Tweeter/Mids: Knowles TWFK Series

My Woofer: Knowles CI series 22955

These seem to be the same Drivers in the Westone ES3X.

This would explain the major difference I have heard from what other people have posted.

If someone can confirm the parts numbers of the drivers as well as their impedance, I would appreciate it.

Good analysis. I was checking these myself and found both drivers available from Mouser for a little more than $150/pair. The TWFK is the more expensive driver ($51.44/driver) compared to the CI22955 ($26.19/driver). Both drivers have roughly similar performance specs, with the CI22955 outputting higher at the bass end but leveling off pretty quickly in the high end while the new TWTK has a flatter response continually but extending better in the high end. Both drivers get erratic near the top but the TWTK holds it together better and longer in the HF. I was a little surprised by the specs. I was under the false impression that a three-way driver would have either a dedicated woofer and a dual midrange and tweeter or a dual woofer and midrange with a dedicated tweeter. Instead, it looks like this pairing is a single wide-range driver (CI22955) and a dual woofer-tweeter (TWFK).

It looks like they're being run together to allow each to offset the other's blindspots. If so, there's a potential issue with spikes in frequency response where the two drivers are covering the same frequencies well. But the specs are for undamped drivers. Filtered or crossed over, these two drivers could complement each other well. Despite its wide range, the less-expensive CI22955 has massive bass response compared to that of the TWFK.

Does anybody have a clue as to how to build a crossover that small? I could just use resistors as miniature line filters (L-Pads for ants) but I trust the smart money is on more sophisticated methods of frequency control.

Hayduke · #**3950** (**permalink**) 06-23-2009, 01:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bilavideo

Does anybody have a clue as to how to build a crossover that small? I could just use resistors as miniature line filters (L-Pads for ants) but I trust the smart money is on more sophisticated methods of frequency control.

That's exactly how they do it. They use tiny SMD capacitors and inductors.

geestring · #**3951** (**permalink**) 07-09-2009, 12:09 AM

if we know the parts.... couldnt we make our own iems?
Anyone know how?

royhendo · #**3952** (**permalink**) 08-24-2009, 12:48 PM

I just posted this on the hearyourself thread too, but as an update to my earlier problems with my SuperFREQs, the nice people at Hearyourself fixed them for me, and installed detatchable cables.

Does anyone know which detatchable cables I can use for the hearyourself monitors? Can I use UE cables, for example?

marc4fishing · #**3953** (**permalink**) 10-09-2009, 01:43 PM

The left side is starting to turn on and off. What are my options for getting them recabled with something better than the 10 cent garbage that came with them?

HeadphoneAddict · #**3954** (**permalink**) 10-09-2009, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marc4fishing

The left side is starting to turn on and off. What are my options for getting them recabled with something better than the 10 cent garbage that came with them?

You could contact hearyourself.com and ask them to help you with your Freq and they have agreed to do it for others in the past. I'm sure they could re-cable them for you, but I don't know if they will make a fixed cable into a detachable one.

I don't even mess with my Freq Show MM anymore because the sound is just sub-par and the drivers in left vs right are very poorly matched. Big waste of $350 if you ask me. I don't see how I can ask hearyourself.com to fix mine, because they likely need new drivers in one or both and it might be worth the cost to me. Well, maybe I can just ask how much it would cost...

royhendo · #**3955** (**permalink**) 10-29-2009, 05:45 PM

Just got my Freqs (SuperFreq with Music Lover crossover) reshelled - nice to have them back. They were brilliant value really.

HeadphoneAddict · #**3956** (**permalink**) 10-30-2009, 02:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by royhendo

Just got my Freqs (SuperFreq with Music Lover crossover) reshelled - nice to have them back. They were brilliant value really.

Who did it for you?

What was the cost?

Thanks.

fatman711 · #**3957** (**permalink**) 11-12-2009, 04:35 PM

this company is total BS. I'm so happy that I got refunded from my pair. Sorry to hear about all the problems. Larry, did you try to get them refunded?

HeadphoneAddict · #**3958** (**permalink**) 11-12-2009, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fatman711

this company is total BS. I'm so happy that I got refunded from my pair. Sorry to hear about all the problems. Larry, did you try to get them refunded?

No, they are at AlienEars being repaired. They seem to have good customer service and communication, and they may end up being totally re-done, which means I'll have to review them all over again.