Sleek SA6

[cn11]

Originally Posted by antonyfirst

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

Also, if you haven't checked out their site, there's a slick 3-D rendering of the earphone as it breaks down into its pieces. I think that'll help clarify what you're seeing in my picture better than I can explain.

Sleek Audio

**edit- I've added some more detailed photos of how the treble tube removes from the earphone body, and the back of the bi-flange tips so you can see how they are customized to install more compactly on the earphones- unlike the Comply tips which hang out there much farther.

[tstarn06]

While CNET is far from the final arbiter of quality in their audio/video reviews, they can hit the mark now and again. So I was a tad disappointed in their review of the SA6s. Of course, I trust Head-Fiers more, but still, this review has got to give you pause. Looking forward to getting them now more than ever (to find out what's what), but glad to know there is a 30-day return policy on these phones.

Sleek Audio SA6 earphones Headphone reviews - CNET Reviews

[soozieq]

Originally Posted by tstarn06

While CNET is far from the final arbiter of quality in their audio/video reviews, they can hit the mark now and again. So I was a tad disappointed in their review of the SA6s. Of course, I trust Head-Fiers more, but still, this review has got to give you pause. Looking forward to getting them now more than ever (to find out what's what), but glad to know there is a 30-day return policy on these phones.

Sleek Audio SA6 earphones Headphone reviews - CNET Reviews

What is more astonishing is they rated the super.fi 5 Pros above them. I just cannot believe that!! I've read enough about the SA6 midrange to be sure it's nothing like the super.fi, which I found thick and congested.

Anyway, I'll be getting mine within the next week I hope. Jason - are you reading???

Also, it wouldn't hurt for some Head-Fiers to review them on cnet, if only to give the poor souls who don't know of Head-Fi's existence other opinions.

[cn11]

Originally Posted by tstarn06

While CNET is far from the final arbiter of quality in their audio/video reviews, they can hit the mark now and again. So I was a tad disappointed in their review of the SA6s. Of course, I trust Head-Fiers more, but still, this review has got to give you pause. Looking forward to getting them now more than ever (to find out what's what), but glad to know there is a 30-day return policy on these phones.

Sleek Audio SA6 earphones Headphone reviews - CNET Reviews

I read that review too. I don't know what they were hearing because my ears perceive just about the opposite! I find the treble extension (sans sibilance) to be the best part, as well as the rich mids. Vocals don't seem recessed one iota to me. I am wondering what their source player was, and what the reviewer was accustomed to... perhaps he's an Ety fan??

[tstarn06]

That's good to hear, because the mid/high strength is what I crave (having been an Atrio maven all these months, it's the one downside to the FS phones, of course). Only one way to find out. Is the Fedex guy here yet? Soon, I hope. As soon as I get some time with them, I will definitely post a review on CNET, because it makes no sense to me. Maybe he didn't like the price. As far as losing pieces, my guess is once you "build" your phones, the pieces will stay put. It's not like you will be changing them out on a train or something. Weird. Seems like a real nit-pick. After all, when you have a modular IEM, the pieces better be small, right?

[tstarn06]

Originally Posted by cn11

Also, if you haven't checked out their site, there's a slick 3-D rendering of the earphone as it breaks down into its pieces. I think that'll help clarify what you're seeing in my picture better than I can explain.

Sleek Audio

**edit- I've added some more detailed photos of how the treble tube removes from the earphone body, and the back of the bi-flange tips so you can see how they are customized to install more compactly on the earphones- unlike the Comply tips which hang out there much farther.

I see what you mean about the Complys. Weird looking. It's the same look I have with the 716s and short Complys. But the sound is fine.

Wonder if the relatively short Shure yellow foams I use with the Atrios will slide further down the treble tube. Guess I will see how I like the flanges first. As we all know, getting comfort is the main thing with all these IEMs/canalphones. If they bug you comfort-wise, it's hard to enjoy the sound, no matter how great. After years of Etys and other IEMs, I am pretty much used to anything stuck in my ears (I mean, headphone-wise), so anxious to see how the SA flanges work for me.

[soozieq]

Also, the cnet reviewer implied there was more than one person testing out the headphones, he said 'We played around with the different ports' - but he didn't say whether they had the extended treble port that seems to enhance the midrange and treble?

[Kees]

I am pretty sure they did not have the new (still prototype) ++treble port, nor the improved bass+ port (now standard issue).
They also did not specify which port combination they used. If they used the oold treble+/bass+ combination I agree with them.
The treble=/bass= combination would have sounded better.
The improved bass+ port (and for me also the new extended treble from the prototype treble++ port) improved the +/+ combination considerably.

[tstarn06]

That's what I hoped/figured. Nice thing about the SA6s is just that, they can adjust on the fly to improve them. Not possible with non-modular designs. Really looking forward to giving them a go. I hope Jason has mailed out that test treble tube, so I can snap it right in when the SA6s arrive. Otherwise, I won't be able to make a fair appraisal.

[soozieq]

Originally Posted by Kees

I am pretty sure they did not have the new (still prototype) ++treble port, nor the improved bass+ port (now standard issue).
They also did not specify which port combination they used. If they used the oold treble+/bass+ combination I agree with them.
The treble=/bass= combination would have sounded better.
The improved bass+ port (and for me also the new extended treble from the prototype treble++ port) improved the +/+ combination considerably.

If they didn't have access to all the ports at the time of 'testing' - they should have made it clear. . . unless of course all the ports hadn't even been made at that point??

And all the reviews here so far negate everything cnet 'heard'. That's why I thought it would be a good idea to leave some reviews for other potential buyers to see different opinions. I certainly will when I get mine.

Jason - are you reading??

[tstarn06]

x2 on posting at CNET if the SA6 sound is counter to the CNET review. I also PM'd Jason and recommended that if the test treble tube is so critical, as Kees says, then it ought to be included in the stock choices, not as an "audiophile" only add-on (much as they did with the new bass module). Just my thoughts on it. Why not give buyers the best, right up front? After all, who else plunks down $250 for IEMs but people who will appreciate the best possible sound?

[cn11]

Originally Posted by tstarn06

Wonder if the relatively short Shure yellow foams I use with the Atrios will slide further down the treble tube. Guess I will see how I like the flanges first. As we all know, getting comfort is the main thing with all these IEMs/canalphones. If they bug you comfort-wise, it's hard to enjoy the sound, no matter how great. After years of Etys and other IEMs, I am pretty much used to anything stuck in my ears (I mean, headphone-wise), so anxious to see how the SA flanges work for me.

I find the stock bi-flange tips to be wonderful (thankfully). The sound didn't improve at all to my ears with either the Shure Olives, or the Complys. They're very very comfy too. They're not at all like the Future Sonics bi-flange tips, which were soooo finicky about what angle you had them inserted at. With those if I just rotated my head a little bit, they'd totally lose seal, or cut off the sound completely. If the Sleek guys made some of these bi-flange tips with a slightly longer installation tube , I'd love to try them with the Atrios.

[tstarn06]

Great to hear. I know what you mean about the FS flanges. When they work, fantastic. But they are so finicky, not worth the hassle.

[soozieq]

Originally Posted by tstarn06

Why not give buyers the best, right up front? After all, who else plunks down $250 for IEMs but people who will appreciate the best possible sound?

Yeah, that's true. And if 'customisable tuning' is what these are all about, then it makes no sense to separate the extended treble tube for the 'audiophile' market. I thought we were that market - or at least aspiring to be

[antonyfirst]

One thing I learnt in this year of Headfi journey is never trust Cnet, nor iLounge. Never.