Sleek SA6

[slug4life]

Well, it seems I'm the first person to receive a pair of defective SA6 (or at least the first person in this thread to complain about it), but I now have a replacement pair that work fine. My commendations go to both Sleek and SoundEarphones for helping me out. Now I'll just need to make some time for listening.

[cn11]

Originally Posted by slug4life

Well, it seems I'm the first person to receive a pair of defective SA6 (or at least the first person in this thread to complain about it), but I now have a replacement pair that work fine. My commendations go to both Sleek and SoundEarphones for helping me out. Now I'll just need to make some time for listening.

What was the problem with them? I remember one guy earlier in the thread that complained of a severe channel imbalance, and everyone was encouraging him to return them and get a replacement set.

Hope you are enjoying them as much as I am. What do you think so far?

-Cheers.

[slug4life]

Originally Posted by cn11

What was the problem with them? I remember one guy earlier in the thread that complained of a severe channel imbalance, and everyone was encouraging him to return them and get a replacement set.

Hope you are enjoying them as much as I am. What do you think so far?

-Cheers.

I was that guy. I tried a new cord and changing the treble tips, but it seems it was a problem with the earphones themselves. I have replacements now so no more problems (hopefully).

I've only listened to maybe five songs so far. I like what I hear, but I definitely need to do some experimenting with tips.

[epithetless]

Originally Posted by slug4life

Well, it seems I'm the first person to receive a pair of defective SA6 (or at least the first person in this thread to complain about it), but I now have a replacement pair that work fine. My commendations go to both Sleek and SoundEarphones for helping me out. Now I'll just need to make some time for listening.

I actually sent my first set of SA6s in to SoundEarphones for replacement, too. They produced a significant amount of distortion in the bass region at low volumes from my TrekStor Vibez. I corresponded with cn11 earlier, and he said he heard no such thing with the same setup on the test track I sent him, so I'm hopeful that the replacements won't have this problem (I also sent my Vibez in for replacement just to start fresh on both ends of the equation). Cross your fingers for me!

[tstarn06]

Wow, that's being careful. So far, so good with my SA6s. I moved back to the treble= tube today. Just can't decide. But I think this is going to be my final choice (yeah, right).

[slug4life]

Originally Posted by epithetless

I actually sent my first set of SA6s in to SoundEarphones for replacement, too. They produced a significant amount of distortion in the bass region at low volumes from my TrekStor Vibez. I corresponded with cn11 earlier, and he said he heard no such thing with the same setup on the test track I sent him, so I'm hopeful that the replacements won't have this problem (I also sent my Vibez in for replacement just to start fresh on both ends of the equation). Cross your fingers for me!

Hopefully we'll be the only unlucky ones.

With just the default configuration I like what I hear. Listening to Communication Breakdown by Led Zeppelin I can finally hear each individual note that John Paul Jones plays. Most headphones just turn it into a blob: you know what he's playing, but you can't really hear it.

I'll have to play around with tips and see what happens.

[Vulpix]

Is it too late for me to join the club? And a question to JasonK: Will there be a new Bass++ module for this in the future? I do like the current Bass+ module, but a little more bass can't hurt anyone!

[epithetless]

Originally Posted by Vulpix

And a question to JasonK: Will there be a new Bass++ module for this in the future? I do like the current Bass+ module, but a little more bass can't hurt anyone!

Welcome to the club, Vulpix (it's never too late for a good thing )! And I think at least a few of us agree with you on the Bass++ port idea...

[cn11]

Originally Posted by epithetless

Welcome to the club, Vulpix (it's never too late for a good thing )! And I think at least a few of us agree with you on the Bass++ port idea...

Jason said that they tried something like that, but that it was coming out making boomy sound. Don't know if they scrapped the idea, but Jason sure hasn't chimed in here about the topic of a bass ++ port lately.

[JasonK]

Originally Posted by cn11

Jason said that they tried something like that, but that it was coming out making boomy sound. Don't know if they scrapped the idea, but Jason sure hasn't chimed in here about the topic of a bass ++ port lately.

What? Do really think I am some kind of audio geek that reads boards and blogs all day about earphones? Okay you caught me

Yes, among other projects Mark and I along with my esteemed yet slightly insane Sleek Team are working on the ++ bass ports. So much work for such little holes. The problem with the first iteration was the bass was to loose. Boom can be great, muddy is a no no. We also are trying to finish up the wireless, customs, and some other things

We want your ideas! Head-fi is the reason we now include the ++ treble. If anyone has new ideas or comments for improvement post it, PM me, email or call the office and ask for me. Innovation takes inspiration and we love to have feedback.

Jason

[epithetless]

Originally Posted by JasonK

We want your ideas! Head-fi is the reason we now include the ++ treble. If anyone has new ideas or comments for improvement post it, PM me, email or call the office and ask for me. Innovation takes inspiration and we love to have feedback.

Jason

Okay. I had something of a breakthrough with my TrekStor Vibez today. With a new Vibez and a new set of SA6s, I still heard the same distortion in the bass frequencies that I noticed with my earlier pairing. About to chalk it up to some strange sort of bad blood between the two devices and then resign myself to using my SA6s exclusively with my Sansa e280, I tried one last thing: placing a headphone extension cable in the path between the SA6's plug and the Vibez' headphone jack. Lo and behold, the distortion was gone! Apparently, the SA6's plug makes inadequate contact with the Vibez' jack despite working in pretty much any other scenario.

Since the SA6 are the only headphones of mine that reveal this problem (I thought it happened with my Atrios earlier, but have since realized the Atrios are just picking up the player's electrical/drive noises at very low volumes), I thought it prudent to make some comparisons: Holding the SA6 plug beside the extension cable plug and the plugs of my other headphones, I noticed that the SA6's lacks an additional bit of widened metal post at the base that the rest of them have. It seems this difference, while certainly minimal, is enough to make them problematic with the Vibez' narrow and very slightly recessed jack.

Some badly-angled pics which poorly illustrate the difference :

SA6 plug:


Atrio plug:


If you could flip that SA6 around, you'd see that the small metal base which is visible on the Atrio's plug seems to be embedded in the SA6 plug's plastic housing.

Since the SA6 features fabulously replaceable cables, I propose this: that Sleek roll out another cable with a redesigned plug whose post extends a little farther from its housing. They could incorporate this into a straight plug if it needs to be differentiated from the original design, and this would fill the people-who-prefer-straight-plugs niche at the same time (although I confess I personally prefer right-angled ones). This might also be a good opportunity to make an iPhone-jack compatible cable (if that was ever a concern).

I realize that's not a particularly minor suggestion, and whether or not a new connector ever sees its way out of the Sleek Audio laboratories, I want to emphasize how extraordinarily pleased I am with my SA6s. For the most part, I just wanted to share my trials and travails with the SA6/Vibez combination to (1) express my relief at having finally found the source of my woes, and (2) illuminate any future SA6/Vibez users who may encounter this problem (cn11, it seems, is a lucky one). Some user-side solutions that occur to me right now:

• Connect a short headphone extension cable to the SA6, such as those marketed as "iPhone adapters" (e.g. the Griffin and Belkin ones -- I've just placed an order for both ).

• Reterminate your existing SA6 cable with a compatible plug, or purchase a spare SA6 cable to reterminate. Given how thin the SA6 cable is, however, I suspect it uses painted wires, which can be an absolute bear to solder if the painted-on isolation isn't designed to burn away in hot solder. (Can you comment on how the wires are isolated in the stock cable, Jason?)

That's all for now. Thanks to those of you who made it this far!

[Bull Moose]

Have you guys been paying the full $250 for these, or is there a lower price available elsewhere? I saw on the soundearphones.com site that they have a send email for best price option. What's the best price you guys have gotten?

Also, I'm using Atrio M5s right now, but I think I'm ready for a change. I started with Westone UM2s which I loved but after hearing the Atrios I couldn't stand the treble roll-off and the boomy bass of the UM2s, but I still miss their fantastic mids. Do you guys think I'll like these IEMs given my other past IEMs?

[epithetless]

Originally Posted by Bull Moose

Have you guys been paying the full $250 for these, or is there a lower price available elsewhere? I saw on the soundearphones.com site that they have a send email for best price option. What's the best price you guys have gotten?

I bought mine when SoundEarphones had a "$20 off" promotional (not much lower than the full $250, true, but just enough to sway me). I haven't seen the SA6 any cheaper thus far.

Originally Posted by Bull Moose

Do you guys think I'll like these IEMs given my other past IEMs?

Yes.

[cn11]

Originally Posted by epithetless

Since the SA6 features fabulously replaceable cables, I propose this: that Sleek roll out another cable with a redesigned plug whose post extends a little farther from its housing. They could incorporate this into a straight plug if it needs to be differentiated from the original design, and this would fill the people-who-prefer-straight-plugs niche at the same time (although I confess I personally prefer right-angled ones). This might also be a good opportunity to make an iPhone-jack compatible cable (if that was ever a concern).

I would be in that camp too- but because I have discovered a problem with my cable.... when the chin slider is up away from the Y junction I see some exposed copper wire where the black sleeve is pulling away somewhat. Not very reassuring... I could probably use a new cable sometime soon. But I can't bear to send these back. So for now I think I'll just keep the chin slider down locked onto the Y area. I bet that will keep it in check and not let it pull further up.

Jason- want to send me a prototype 'audiophile' cable to demo (if you have one)??

Yeah, I suppose I am lucky with the secure snapping in of the plug, but I'm a bit unlucky with the black housing. I wish the connection was as solid as that with my Denon C700 though, man that baby really snaps into place and doesn't budge! Sort of has that solidity of a BMW door closing.

[cn11]

epithetless- How do you like the sound with your Vibez & SA6? Are you finding it as wonderful of a combination as I am? I decided to try out a Cowon Iaudio 7, and found it severely lacking in SQ compared to the Vibez. Sure it plays loud, and can probably drive rather demanding full-sized cans, but the sound is bright yet hollow, narrower soundstage, and overall just too in your face. Not good. I went back to my Vibez and was thinking....'yeah, this is MUCH more my speed'. It has refinement, air, and separation to the instruments where the Cowon just has volume & brightness. Not a good match with the SA6 IMO. Needless to say I am sending the Cowon back asap.

-Cheers.