Sleek SA6

[tstarn06]

Originally Posted by elnero

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.

What about other foamies, like Complys? Will they fit the SA6s? I have some of those, as well as some FS foamies (I bought a ton for the Atrio), and these might work better. If the Shure olives fit easily, then those foamies will too. I'm going to try them all when the SA6s arrive, and report back.

[elnero]

Originally Posted by tstarn06

What about other foamies, like Complys? Will they fit the SA6s? I have some of those, as well as some FS foamies (I bought a ton for the Atrio), and these might work better. If the Shure olives fit easily, then those foamies will too. I'm going to try them all when the SA6s arrive, and report back.

I've never had a pair of Complys, I think they're about the only tip I haven't tried but considering they fit all the same phones as the Shure Black Olives I assume they will fit the SA6's without problem.

[antonyfirst]

Originally Posted by tstarn06

What about other foamies, like Complys? Will they fit the SA6s? I have some of those, as well as some FS foamies (I bought a ton for the Atrio), and these might work better. If the Shure olives fit easily, then those foamies will too. I'm going to try them all when the SA6s arrive, and report back.

Well, I am very curious about your impressions, as we both come from Atrios and Altec Lansing and you are on my book of "trusted headfiers".
A PK1-iM716-M5-SA6 comparison would be really pleasing to read.
I wish you had listened to the Triple fi, since they are the "last boss to beat" for any IEM I might buy in future.

[tstarn06]

Thanks, for the trusted thing. I have to say, I am not on the level with so many smart head-fiers on the subtleties of head phones, high-end audiom, etc., and I am not in the spending stratosphere many others here indulge in. I am just trying to find the right sound for my tastes at a reasonable price, and as you can see from my drunken binge of buying and selling (some smart buys, some dumb ones), I haven't gotten there yet. I do really like the Atrios, but that may be more heart than head (though they do continue to surprise me when I plug them in). And I know I crowed about the PK1s, and still believe they are an excellent home-based phone for the obvious reasons (you don't like headbands, but want a full-size can sound, or you spend a lot of time in quiet places with an amp). But I was intrigued by the SA6 early returns/reviews. I could not go to the Klipsch Images, just too much money, or the Custom 3s (don't like over the ear phones). So this seemed logical. I like the modular idea, and the replaceable cable as well.

I will report back with some admittedly amateur impressions when they arrive and I have time to spend with them.

Can't remember, do the SA6s respond to pink noise burn-in? Anyone?

[warrior05]

Originally Posted by tstarn06

Can't remember, do the SA6s respond to pink noise burn-in? Anyone?

Unlike dynamic drivers, armature drivers don't really respond to burn-in. What you hear out of the box is pretty much what you get.

I'm absolutely loving mine. Articulate and musical.

Congrats and let us know what you think once you have them!

[antonyfirst]

Originally Posted by tstarn06

Thanks, for the trusted thing. I have to say, I am not on the level with so many smart head-fiers on the subtleties of head phones, high-end audiom, etc., and I am not in the spending stratosphere many others here indulge in. I am just trying to find the right sound for my tastes at a reasonable price, and as you can see from my drunken binge of buying and selling (some smart buys, some dumb ones), I haven't gotten there yet.

I also am looking for the best found for an affordable price. It's easy to buy the Triple fi/UE11 and kill the wallet, but finding a comparable sound for less is much more engaging, and fun. I might have to try a pair of SA6, sooner or later.

I also liked Warrior's Chris' impressions a lot, but I'd love to see comparisons against a few IEMs I'm more familiar (and have been in love) with - Altec, Etys, if possible UE top of the line.

[cn11]

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???

I see you recently got the Cowon D2. I have a feeling you're getting better bass response out of your Sleek's because of that powerful internal amp in that player. I am considering picking up one of them too. A coworker just ordered one, and expects it in at the end of the week or early next week, so we'll try the SA6's then.

[cn11]

Originally Posted by tstarn06

What about other foamies, like Complys? Will they fit the SA6s? I have some of those, as well as some FS foamies (I bought a ton for the Atrio), and these might work better. If the Shure olives fit easily, then those foamies will too. I'm going to try them all when the SA6s arrive, and report back.

The Shure 'olives' fit, as well as Comply. But the treble tube on this earphone sort of makes them sit quite a way away from the earphone body. It's sort of unusual looking. The stock bi-flanges have the back end of their tube further up inside the tip, so they sit nice and close to the earphone body. But they sound soooo good on their own that I just use them exclusively. The Comply's didn't offer anything over the stock bi-flanges that I could hear, although I didn't spend a whole lot of time with them. Actually if you could get these bi-flanges with a slightly longer tube, they'd be heavenly on the Atrios too.

[antonyfirst]

Chris, can you take a few pictures of the tubes? How do they sit on the IEM?

[epithetless]

Originally Posted by tstarn06

Well, once again I fell victim to upgraditis, and ordered a pair last night...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.

Wow, it sounds like you and I might be riding the same train...After selling a couple of unused headphones (while clinging lovingly to my Atrios), I was just thinking of putting the cash toward these little guys. SoundEarphones' current "$20 off" promotional only adds to the enticement/urgency...and though I suspect I may already have them on order by the time you're ready to review yours, I too would love to read your Atrio/iM716/SA6 comparisons. If you feel comfortable mentioning your departed AH-C700, all the better...

[tstarn06]

What $20 off? I didn't get/see that deal. I got free shipping. I may have to revisit Soundearphones.com and see what's up with that.

But I will be glad to give you my impressions once I get the SA6s. We do seem to follow the same paths, huh?

Edit: I guess I was rushing on the order (had to leave the house in a hurry) and missed the coupon code. I just called and left a message, and I expect they will honor their deal with me, at least I hope so. Otherwise, I would have to cancel the order (refuse shipment) and reorder them, using the code, which seems silly. Anyone from Soundearphones monitoring this thread? If so, please let me know how to proceed. Meantime, I am going to send an email on top of my call.

Double edit:
Now, that was scary. Michael at SoundEarphones.com credited my Visa card the $20 in nanoseconds after receiving a PM from me. They sure know how to secure loyal customers.

[cn11]

Originally Posted by antonyfirst

Chris, can you take a few pictures of the tubes? How do they sit on the IEM?

You can see in the last picture on my review I've pulled the treble tube off of the earphone body. It snaps into place with two secure clicks, and goes in about half the length of the tube. Then you install the tips onto that tube.

[antonyfirst]

So are the bass and treble tubes piled up all over the length of the "total tube"? I feel dumb

[elnero]

Originally Posted by antonyfirst

So are the bass and treble tubes piled up all over the length of the "total tube"? I feel dumb

No, the treble adjustments are done via the tubes while the bass adjustments are done via "ports" on the back of the body. The ports are more like a soft plastic plug.

[Musso]

Hi all.
Has anybody listened to both SA6s and q-JAYS? I'd like to know how they compare. Been trying to upgrade my portable setup, but it's been hard to figure out which IEMs to buy. These might be the ones