Sleek SA6

[ajmiarka]

Originally Posted by FrederikS|TPU

I do not think the plug is compatible with the iPhone. I guess you have to wait until the guys at Sleek do a cable specifically for the iPhone. And thanks for reading TechPowerUp.com

Thanks for the review!

I have an adapter for the interim for my iPhone. I'll definitely contact someone at Sleek to see about any cables in development.

Now the waiting begins for the SA6 deliver...I always hate that part.

[ClieOS]

Originally Posted by FrederikS|TPU

And thanks for reading TechPowerUp.com

[Off topic] Great reviews btw

[communic]

epithetless, did you get the gx200 in the end? if so how do these compare regarding most aspects with special regard to separation? seriously considering getting these since my goldrings broke but looking for something sonically similar.

[epithetless]

Originally Posted by communic

epithetless, did you get the gx200 in the end? if so how do these compare regarding most aspects with special regard to separation? seriously considering getting these since my goldrings broke but looking for something sonically similar.

I did get both, and quite honestly, I find the SA6 superior in pretty much every respect. The fit is much better, and attaining/maintaing a seal much easier (with silicone tips, as I don't like foamies). The cord is manageable (and replaceable!) vs. the GX200's innovative but somewhat unwieldy cable design. Regarding sound, the bass is not boomy (the SA6 does lack some of the oomph that dynamic drivers provide, so this comes down to one's particular tastes -- I would treasure just a bit more oomph, truth be told), but it's detailed and punchy. I wouldn't consider the SA6s to be thin on bass, but they're not bass monsters, either. Treble and midrange are a vast improvement over the GX200; whereas the Goldrings come across (comparatively) as somewhat distant and veiled in those ranges, the SA6 offers excellent balance, clarity, and extension without a smidge of harshness or sibilance. I will say I don't find the SA6's soundstage particularly wide, but instrument/vocal separation and imaging are fantastic. I would go so far as to call them strengths of the earphones, as I continually find myself pinpointing aspects of my music that previously eluded me. At the same time, the SA6s manage to be quite musical -- Even as I'm captivated by their detail, they make me wanna move!

In conclusion, my GX200s will be making their way to the For Sale forum as soon as I find the time to post them there.

You might be interested in the Atrio m5/m8 as well -- As dynamic-driven earphones, they're not altogether different from the GX200, though I find the mids and highs to be more present and engaging and the bass to be at once fuller and more detailed. I'm still hanging onto mine as my backup/quick insertion earphones (partnered with Shure e1/e3/e5/e500/se530/etc. soft flex tips).

[communic]

Originally Posted by epithetless

You might be interested in the Atrio m5/m8 as well -- As dynamic-driven earphones, they're not altogether different from the GX200, though I find the mids and highs to be more present and engaging and the bass to be at once fuller and more detailed. I'm still hanging onto mine as my backup/quick insertion earphones (partnered with Shure e1/e3/e5/e500/se530/etc. soft flex tips).

i actually had the m5s and found the opposite to be true, i much prefered the mids from the goldrings and the highs (albeit being a bit sibilant at times).

hmmm interesting, i;m almost sold on the sa6 but for your observations on bass. do you not get the same huge visceral effect because you are not using the strongest bass ports? also do they step up so to speak when given bassier tracks that have lots of low end? lastly does impact improve using foamies? would greatly appreciate any feedback!

[epithetless]

Originally Posted by communic

i actually had the m5s and found the opposite to be true, i much prefered the mids from the goldrings and the highs (albeit being a bit sibilant at times).

Interesting. Well. Given the polarity of our experiences with the above-mentioned earphones, you may want to take my impressions with a grain of salt.

Originally Posted by communic

hmmm interesting, i;m almost sold on the sa6 but for your observations on bass. do you not get the same huge visceral effect because you are not using the strongest bass ports? also do they step up so to speak when given bassier tracks that have lots of low end? lastly does impact improve using foamies? would greatly appreciate any feedback!

I'm using the strongest bass port that's (currently) available...and I don't feel like the bass is weak -- they certainly represent bass well when called to (and don't sound thin or bass-deficient otherwise), it just isn't as all-encompassing as the Atrio's bass. It feels more localized, I guess, which no doubt is partly a result of the fantastic imaging. As for the difference using foamies, I believe tsarn06 mentioned they do add a bit of impact, but I'm not positive. As I don't use foamies myself, I'll leave that question to another SA6er. On that note, if anyone else wants to rush in and give their opinions/observations (SA6 vs. Atrio, for example), feel free!

communic, if you do decide to bite the bullet on the SA6s, I'd recommend purchasing through SoundEarphones.com, as they offer a 30-day trial period. If you don't end up liking 'em, just return 'em!

[communic]

Originally Posted by epithetless

communic, if you do decide to bite the bullet on the SA6s, I'd recommend purchasing through SoundEarphones.com, as they offer a 30-day trial period. If you don't end up liking 'em, just return 'em!

i would have gone for this option but at $20 shipping to the uk plus import taxes it would turn out far too costly if i decided against it!

thanks for the feedback, sounds like i would probably enjoy them but think i will give it some more deliberation before committing. i do like the customizable/replaceable concept of the sa6's so might just pull the trigger and not look back!

[SirCanealot]

Question: If I order a pair of these phones now, do I get the treble++ tubes?

And I'm from the UK myself, but I really want a pair of these phones! Any idea if Sleek will mark the package down so that it doesn't incur customs/such a high customs charge?

If this gets hit by customs, it'll be a £12 handling charge (maybe, sometimes it's £4/6 -_-) and then 17.5% of the price. Big turnoff!

[ClieOS]

Every SA6 comes with T++ ports now.

It is illegal for company to mark down the value of the package (or at least the custom office who gonna catch you/them will say so).

[Sceptre]

I all. I have ordered these from Soundearphones and they state it might take 25 days to arrive. I shall share the costs of customs with you so you can gauge the total cost of purchase.

Regards
Sceptre

[novasol]

Originally Posted by Sceptre

I all. I have ordered these from Soundearphones and they state it might take 25 days to arrive. I shall share the costs of customs with you so you can gauge the total cost of purchase.

Regards
Sceptre

[FrederikS|TPU]

You can always calculate what the import tax will be. It is 18% of the products value in Europe + handling fee which can be anywhere from €5 to €20 depending on what company that is filling in the forms for the customs declaration. Like ClieOS said in a previous post it is illegal for a company to write a false value in the shipping form, so that is a no go!

[offtopic]I am so pleased that you guys liked it!

[SirCanealot]

Originally Posted by ClieOS

Every SA6 comes with T++ ports now.

It is illegal for company to mark down the value of the package (or at least the custom office who gonna catch you/them will say so).

Most companies will mark down packages. It's mostly huge companies that can't get away with it (the UK did crack down on it a while ago). Like, I used to order a lot of R1 DVDs from DVDPacific (a massive site), who used to mark down packages, but not they won't do it as the UK had a go at them.

Amazon.com recently changed the company that shipped their stuff to the UK because the shipping company they were using was charging their customers customs when shipping. (which is bizare...but I guess Amazon are massive and can get away with it)

A company called Oppo marked my package down to around $80 when I bought their $200 DVD player... (so I paid like £23... £12 handling fee lol?)

The customs office doesn't have the time or the resources to work in the way you just suggested :P


Well, does anyone know if the package will go through parcel force if you order to the UK? The £12 handling fee is just stupid. I don't know why people put up with it really.

[ClieOS]

^ You do realize by actually asking a company to mark down the package value in open is not the smartest thing to do? If any party was unlucky enough to get caught, all the posts here will served as great evidence as I.P address can be easily tracked.

I am not saying no company is doing this, but your action to openly discuss this type of illegal conduct may very well put those people who are kind enough to help you (on getting away from a bit of tax) in a lot of trouble. Do you understand what I am trying to say? This is not about whether the customs office has or has not the time or resources to catch you, but the mature respect and agreement b/w those businesses and the customer (you).

Sometime, things are best left undisclosed.

[SirCanealot]

Yeah, I see what you're saying. I apoligise, I originally posted that at 6am in the morning when on night shift and wasn't really thinking.
But I posted that out of habbit because I've discussed these things on open forums tons of times before (animeondvd.com for instance -- where scorn for import and handling fees runs fairly high, haha...)... :/

I mean, I was about to order these phones, but I could end up paying around $325 after import tax and the handling fee!

There were actually calls to somewhat curb the import fees on stuff coming into the UK a while ago, but obviously that didn't really get talked about much. (Edit: actually, they were thinking of raising the limit, not lowing the tax...I think...)

But I still maintain the customs office has better things to do. It barely has enough time to process the items sent to it, let alone track down small companies in North America. Often it can take 2-3 weeks for an item to get through customs, after taking a week to actually get into the country. The companies that got warned about it a few years ago only got warned because they were doing it on a mass scale -- and guess what happened after they stopped marking down their packages? Well, it only used to take a week at the most for an item to get through customs...

And the £12/13 handling fee that parcel force changes you for them to pay the customs for you on your behalf? Don't get me started on that... (Edit: Royal mail now charge an £8 fee too! Horay!)

God this country drives me mad -_-

Yeah, if people ordering from the UK could report in. The most fun thing about UK customs is that they're insanely random!