Sleek SA6

[antonyfirst]

Cowon D2 (I'm pretty sure ).

[Kees]

Originally Posted by elnero

D2?

Cowon D2.

[antonyfirst]

We want cn11's impressions.

[jant71]

Originally Posted by warrior05

I agree with elnero. The SA6s are shooting higher than those you've listed. Take a look at the price differential alone and that will tell you. As I mentioned, the SA6 bested my Denon C700s across the board but I both expected it and would have been disappointed if it didn't due to their differing price points. I have yet to compare them to my Atrios but I'm expecting the same thing since I find the Atrios on par with the C700s SQ-wise.

Well, I meant shooting to beat those and match the jays. I know they talk of triple driver performance on the Sleek site; I wouldn't expect otherwise. I'm just saying I think that is where they will end up. Just an opinion that hasn't been proven/disproven quite yet. Maybe they will settle near the jays level like I guessed or maybe they will match their claims. Not that I don't want to be proven wrong; the best two IEMs I've heard are single drivers. Usually you take the companies claims and go a little lower until proven wrong. The q-jays are no slouch so I wasn't bashing them in any way.

Also, the price point doesn't tell all in this case. When you have some new features like the ability to change the sound signature and detach cables etc., they should cost more. How much of the extra cost is SQ and how much is for the features? The same way the pioneer CXL9 doesn't automatically beat an AT CK9 in SQ. They are both single armature phones but one has interchangeable tuning ports and one doesn't.

I was one of the first to inquire about these last summer and Jason emailed me with some good info. So, I have had them on my radar and I like them but it is early yet.

[cn11]

SLEEK SA6



Packaging- Arrives very well packaged. It is obvious this is very well thought out. The first thing I did when trying to pry the earphones out of their recesses was to think ‘hey, where’s the cord?’….but then remembered that it’s detachable. I just love that the cord can be replaced easily if need be. There is a cardboard piece with cut-outs for the various tips and bass ports. They are each marked so that you don’t have to keep them in their appropriate spaces on that card. I only worry about losing one of the pieces that is not in use because they are so tiny, and the card doesn’t really hold them very securely.

ACCESSORIES- Not much, just a hard case (although it works well) and a cleaning tool. The case has a cool center section for winding the cable into, which handles it smartly. The only drawback is that the case is rather thick.

SOUND- TREBLE: Very smooth and refined. There is wonderful detail, air, and instrument separation. The sound is very smooth (or so I find even with the “treble +” ports installed- even though they're the most aggressive port, they're not harsh at all). Cymbals are incredibly detailed and “right” sounding. Instruments seem etched in space. MIDRANGE: Again very smooth and refined, with texture and nuances. Vocals sound very natural and in their proper place. The only drawback to the mids seems to be with good hard-driving rock music. They don’t seem to have that compelling oomph and energy that the Denon C700 or Future Sonics Atrio do. I suspect that these are more of a jazz-lover’s earhpone. Piano has incredible presence, with the whack of the hammer on the string being almost palpable. BASS: I think this is probably the biggest weakness. It’s not bad, it’s just not in the league of the Future Sonics Atrio, or Denon C700. It’s not too far off from the C700 though, and what it has is very good in tautness and definition. There may be more bass detail and character to the type of instruments you are hearing. But also by comparison the bass is worlds better than on the Klipsch Custom 3 (as is every frequency!). The bass should keep most extremely satisfied, unless you want the last word in weight and slam.

ISOLATION- Very good, being an IEM (of course I won’t truly know until my first business trip with them). The dual-flange tips are wonderful, and I just wish the ones for the Atrios did as good of a job! They are the best tips I’ve used, bar none. They don’t ever break seal, and they don’t back out at all. They just stay put, and are not finicky about the angle they’re inserted at. A real thing of beauty.

SUMMARY- I like the Sleek SA6 rather well. I am not sure if it is my final earphone. I still don’t have that final “this is it” feeling from them, but they do quite well in many regards. They’re very refined in the treble and midrange areas, as well as soundstage. There is so much life and naturalness to the mid & upper registers without any hint of harshness or sibilance that they are incredibly relaxing to listen to. Now if they just had that last level of bass slam and extension, they would be ‘IT’. One other point I should mention is that they take EQ’ing very well. They sound rather flat by comparison to the Denon C700 without any EQ, but they come way up in energy with subtle EQ adjustments. And they don’t show any weird exaggeration in the process unless you just go totally nuts with any of your band adjustments. I don’t own a heaphone amplifier (thank goodness for my wallet I like the idea of the most portable rig possible), but I feel like these would take amplification very well too. Anyone want to contribute in this regard?

Thanks for checking out the review.
(pictures to follow soon)











You can see how tiny the pieces are....BE CAREFUL not to drop or lose!







Comply tips installed

[soozieq]

Nice review cn11 - and good to see that the cheaper Denons and Atrios didn't lose out by a big margin. I guess that shows what good value they are. I'm really surprised you're net getting the bass you crave from all those extra ports though. I'd have thought the bass would have been its strongest point.

As for not being sure if it's your 'final' earphone - is there such a thing??

[cn11]

Originally Posted by soozieq

Nice review cn11 - and good to see that the cheaper Denons and Atrios didn't lose out by a big margin. I guess that shows what good value they are. I'm really surprised you're net getting the bass you crave from all those extra ports though. I'd have thought the bass would have been its strongest point.

As for not being sure if it's your 'final' earphone - is there such a thing??

Hah, yeah, unfortunately you're quite right about there not being such a thing! My poor wallet is aching right now. Ha ha.

The bass + port really is a tiny thing to behold, you should see how small these pieces are. If they didn't snap on as securely as they do, I'd be terribly worried about losing one. Which also makes me wonder how a slightly larger port (small as they all are) has that much effect. Granted I'm not an audio engineer. Of course I haven't tried the 'bass neutral' one yet.. I just went for the big bad boy. I definitely heard deeper bass on the C700's and Atrios, both EQ'd and flat, with the Vibez.

[dscans]

Wow! Thank you so much for your detailed impressions, cn11! The pics were most helpful as well. As you had mentioned, I was worried about losing all those little thingamajigs you use to tweak the sound with, but fortunately, you can buy replacement parts

Through the most understanding guys over at soundearphones, I managed to order a pair for myself. I have no idea how long it would take for them to arrive, but when they do, I will try to do a comparison with my little collection of earphones

[Kees]

Thanks for your impressions CN11!
I personally find the bass their strongest point actually....
Strong, articulate, detailed and very "present" without overpowering the midrange.
I do love bass by the way. I love my DX1000 and my Darth Beyers.
Just shows that different people have different ears and taste... Makes me wonder about the Denon C700 though, what kind of bass must that be???

[balrog]

How secure is the connection between the cables and the earpieces? If you are wearing it and you catch the cable on something will it pull the earphone out of your ear or will the cable come free first?

Thanks for the reviews!

[Kees]

Originally Posted by balrog

How secure is the connection between the cables and the earpieces? If you are wearing it and you catch the cable on something will it pull the earphone out of your ear or will the cable come free first?

Thanks for the reviews!

The cable clicks in very secure. It can rotate though.
Also because the cable plug is perpendicular to the cable, you will never pull the cable out of the IEM by yanking the cable.

[elnero]

Originally Posted by Kees

Thanks for your impressions CN11!
I personally find the bass their strongest point actually....
Strong, articulate, detailed and very "present" without overpowering the midrange.
I do love bass by the way. I love my DX1000 and my Darth Beyers.
Just shows that different people have different ears and taste... Makes me wonder about the Denon C700 though, what kind of bass must that be???

It might have a bit to do with tips as well, cn11 is using the stock bi-flanges whereas you and I are using the Shure black olives which I find tends to fill out the bass a little more. By contrast though, I thought the treble sounded a little cleaner and more articulate with the bi-flanges.

[Kees]

Originally Posted by elnero

It might have a bit to do with tips as well, cn11 is using the stock bi-flanges whereas you and I are using the Shure black olives which I find tends to fill out the bass a little more. By contrast though, I thought the treble sounded a little cleaner and more articulate with the bi-flanges.

True. I changed back to bi-flanges again for better treble. The bi-flanges are pretty comfortable too. I might try these Klipsch Image tips if I can get them somewhere.

[elnero]

Originally Posted by Kees

True. I changed back to bi-flanges again for better treble. The bi-flanges are pretty comfortable too. I might try these Klipsch Image tips if I can get them somewhere.

My ears have been a real pain to find the right tips for, I had settled on tri-flanges for my E500's but after a time they started to cause my ears to itch to the point where I've only been able to wear them for short periods of time with those. The Sleek bi-flanges are of a similar material so I've felt a similar itchiness but to a lesser degree. I had opted for the Shure black olives on the E500's, they initially caused a burning sensation when I first tried them awhile back but when I got my replacement pair in December I thought I'd give them a try again and haven't had any issues with them. They sound not too bad but I still prefer the tri-flanges on the E500's but haven't spent enough time with the Sleek bi-flanges to say which I prefer on the SA6's. I'd like to try those Klipsch gel tips as well, they seem interesting but I suspect I'll have similar sensitivity problems with them as well.

[tstarn06]

Well, once again I fell victim to upgraditis, and ordered a pair last night. I already had decided that my beloved PK1s were really expendable, since I can't use them outside the house (don't feel like carrying an amp around most of the time), and my rediscovered eight-year-old Grado SR-80s (with tape bass mod) just sound better to me for that use (and my wife bought them for me, so they aren't going anywhere).

I sold the PK1s in 5 minutes (leaving today on a jet plane for St. Louis), and took a chance on the SA6s. I wasn't going to get anything new, just sell the PK1s for lack of use. Then I stumbled on this thread, and...

Anyway, with the 30-day return policy from SoundEarphones and free shipping, I figured why not? I always wanted one main pair of serious IEMs, and I won't be parting with the Atrios (never sell them) or the PK3s (which for the money are still an amazing value to me), but the 716s may be expendable soon if I keep the SA6s. I'd be down to four basic phones, all with a distinct role.

So looking forward to giving the SA6s a try, based on all the good stuff here. I don't believe these are a FOTM phone, mainly because of the price and the modular design (the can always be improved, which I hope is Sleek's long-term goal). And I am definitely interested in the blue tooth transition down the road. No wires? Great sound? Tough to beat (except for the possibility of losing the phones cause they are so small).