The FreQ Custom IEMs - Impressions Thread (Updates on First Page!)

[FeedMeTrance]

It's good to see you are liking them powertoold, when you sending 'em back to get fixed?

I've decided to give LiveWires ago, and sent my order off today. Should be good, will see how the MM series turns out!

[Milner]

Just wanted to pop in with my $.02.
I have been impressed with the service people here have gotten from FreQ and with the favorable report on SQ I have been seriousely considering an order. So I sent of an email to them with a few questions (I am a concert photographer and I want some custom ear plugs as well) Derrik replied within minutes. I fired back some more questions and soon recieved an email from Todd!! They answered the questions and gained a customer through their service. It is clear that they are a small company, new to the market, but even more clear is their commitment to the customer. This is the kind of company I want to deal with. And on top of all of that, they charge a VERY fair price!!!!

[FeedMeTrance]

I have to agree there, they have awesome customer service, which still leaves me ready to purchase one of their products, maybe when their MM line comes out, I'll look into that.

For now, I've gone for the LiveWires to make use of the free money I had been given, but might get some single driver ones for funsies when I get my impressions back.

[jinx20001]

thanks for the review OP!! they do look cheap but hey you are paying almost pennies for some customs, no complaints there.
i think its a bit unfair (and maybe a bit biased on your behalf) to say they sound amazingly good, i mean even the OP states he has not got 100% perfect seal and what is the most important thing to get any decent sound at all? so i sence a bit of bias reviewing there.

but hey you did it, you got the impressions up and you spent the cash on some unfamiliar cans, congrats! and thanks again

[Steph86]

Originally Posted by FeedMeTrance

I have to agree there, they have awesome customer service, which still leaves me ready to purchase one of their products, maybe when their MM line comes out, I'll look into that.

For now, I've gone for the LiveWires to make use of the free money I had been given, but might get some single driver ones for funsies when I get my impressions back.

Just to let you know livewires don't give you back your impressions they keep them in storage, incase you need anything else done later on!!

[jgonino]

I just sent them an email asking if they can make my connection/strain relief black to match my color choices. I also asked for more info about the product updates, and when i would be getting mine. Lets see if they reply fast.

[FaRKle]

Just to let you know livewires don't give you back your impressions they keep them in storage, incase you need anything else done later on!!

Also, if you want them back from Livewires just ask and they'll send'em to you.

I'm waiting for a comprehensive review with a lot of comparisons to other IEM's to come up before I decide whether or not Freq's are good.

[jgonino]

Here are the questions i asked:

1.Just wondering if there is any chance I will get these before next Monday.

2. Also, I saw a response on Head-Fi.org saying that people who bought these now will get free upgrades when you guys change the cable/connection. Any more info on that?

3. Lastly, I saw some pictures of the final product, and I noticed the clear tube that is used as strain relief at the connection to the drivers. Since I ordered all black (cable, outer, inner) is it possible to make that tube black as well?



And heres what they said:

1. I just checked and your order goes out tomorrow. It has been completed, but it was after the last mailing pickup. We apologize if this is an inconvenience. We are still trying to cope with the post holiday rush.

2. As far as the upgrades are concerned, you heard right. We don't think that it is fair to make the people who purchased earlier in the game to suffer for buying earlier than the next guy. We will be happy to change out the cord once it is available. This only goes for your first year of purchase. This is not the life of the product.

3. We have seen the response to that as well and we are trying to make some adjustments to accommodate that request. We have used that tube specifically because of its durability and perfect fit.

[FeedMeTrance]

I did specify in my order that I want them back for future personal use. So yeah, I am sure Mr. Diles would be kind enough to send them back, they cost me $45, if they were like the $5 ones, I wouldn't have cared.

[powertoold]

Originally Posted by jinx20001

thanks for the review OP!! they do look cheap but hey you are paying almost pennies for some customs, no complaints there.
i think its a bit unfair (and maybe a bit biased on your behalf) to say they sound amazingly good, i mean even the OP states he has not got 100% perfect seal and what is the most important thing to get any decent sound at all? so i sence a bit of bias reviewing there.

but hey you did it, you got the impressions up and you spent the cash on some unfamiliar cans, congrats! and thanks again

I am saying what I hear, and my amazing isn't the same as your amazing. My whole left earphone seals very well (too well in fact) while my right canal doesn't seal as well, but the whole earphone seals pretty well. But as I said, take my impressions with a grain of salt, your mileage may vary I think we're all a little biased. If you go out and buy a $1000 cable, you're naturally going to get into the mindset that it's good, and your mind will make it good for you.

[SBD]

Originally Posted by msfarley

+1 on the finding a good audiologist to do impression for you, even if you have to pay $30-50. They will turn out better than a DIY kit, and I don't think you want to screw around with your ears if you don't know what you are doing. It looks like some of the DIY kits have not given a deep enough impression, you should ask the audiologist to make an impression to the second bend of the ear canal. $30 is not too much extra to pay on a $200+ set of iem's to get it right.

The audiologist who did my impressions in NYC said most of the impressions he does are for professional musicians who are not paying for the headphones anyway, so what do they care if the UE-10's they are getting cost $1,000.

That's true. Why would I go to a professional audiologist to get professional custom impressions of my ears? I'm not one of those people in the pictures with "music lifestyle" or even that big an audio enthusiast. I just love iems and want great sound and I'm willing to pay for them but just the idea of being an audiophile makes me shudder (no offense).
If (will?) the professional impressions 100% be better, then why the kits?

[Singapura]

Looking at the pictures, I guess I'll be waiting for version 2.0 to come out. Detachable cables would definitely be a must-have because the cases are molded and if the cables are torn you can't just open them and solder on new ones. I also hope for some faceplate like the Livewires which would make them look much better then the formless piece of plastic that's now would be coming out of my ears. If they are in the hearing-aid business they would know the importance of inconspicuousness. Especially hearing-aids should be worn flush to your ears. Off course a hearing-aid normally doesn't have 3 drivers . The only other issue would be the ability of the Freq people to keep up with demand.

[AudioNoob]

Ah, got my kit today, will try to get them professionally done tomorrow. I'm extremely picky and have heard sf5 sf3 ety4p shure e3c and um2(briefly) before so I might make some comparisons, especially with sf3 and ety 4 as I listened to those extensively. I'm getting an opaque model.

[powertoold]

I totally recommend getting a professional impression. It's worth the extra money because you don't want to be unsatisfied with the fit and have to send it back. Eventually you'll have to get a professional impression anyway, lol.

I did the impression myself with syringe and stopper and all, but it's not easy, and you feel like you don't know what you're doing. It's easy to mess up and make a bad impression or stab your eardrum or something.

Just some updated sound impressions: When comparing the FreQs to the SF5, the image of a copper pot comes to mind. The FreQ's sound is an untarnished copper pot whereas the SF5's is kinda dirty. I don't know how else to describe it. The FreQ sound is fresh, clear, and exciting. It is exciting because the highs and mids are really good, as I've said before. The SF5's highs have this annoying reverb sibilance. I don't know how to compare the bass. To me, they're about the same because that's not what I'm concentrating on.

[AudioNoob]

good to hear about the clear mid-hi, I'm wondering how vocals and piano will fare as they are hard to pull along with clear highs