Review: New Mylarones - X3i and XBi

[jdimitri]

I'll be getting some pretty soon.. I'll let you know how it sounds!

So far the feedback at the jaben.net forum has been great though..

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And they're here!





Sound Impressions:
It's a DEFINITE improvement over the mylarone x3..

The only complaint i had about the x3 was that the highs are a bit rolled off.. This is corrected in the x3i AND as an added bonus, there's more bass impact and it sounds much more airy (better soundstage) while keeping the fun sound signature

As i've said in my previous review, i prefer these to low to mid-range IEMs because of it's fun non-sterile sound and airy presentation that IEMs lack

Uncle wilson described it as having 'the clarity of x3 with the bass of xb'. Well.. IMO it's that and more, it's a big improvement from the x3

It's a different beast.. I think the new i versions are closer to being a canalphone (rather than an IEM) than the version before it. Because of the shorter stem, i couldn't shove it deep in my ears like i used to with x3

This might sacrifice a bit of isolation (i'm not sure, i haven't worn it outside yet), but the x3i has much better soundstage than its predecessor. Comfort is also increased because it doesn't rest as deep inside your ears

Build:
It looks a bit sturdier than its predecessor, mainly because the flimsy stress relief seems to have been improved
Apperantly it now works with the iphone (maybe because of the smaller plug)
It seems that there's been a few cases where the bit past the ring comes off.. I don't think it's a big deal is though (that's what superglue is for right? )

The best thing of all for me? They look much less awkward to the general public.. The impression i get from my friends when i showed them the x3 was generally something along the line of 'eww' or 'these are gross'.
I had to borrow their earphones if i wanted to share my music for the last few months

These look much more like conventional buds and i doubt many people will hesitate putting it in their ear


Packaging:
The package includes the earphone, a nice carrying case (very similar to the ones that comes with UM2s), a shirt clip, a smartwrap-like thing, S,M,L and biflange tips along with an airplane adapter. The airplane adapter is one of those things you never realized you needed until it's too late and you have to pay something like $15 to buy it at the airport -_-

Conclusion:
I highly recommend these, even more than i did before.
My recommendation is that if you're planning to buy IEM/canalphones, i'd buy these rather than anything under the class of UM2

You can buy them from Uncle Wilson at Jaben Network or from the Australian distributor at crossroads.au@gmail.com (where i got them from.. they just received stock of both xbi and x3i)

They come in the black w/ silver rings, black w/red and blue rings and to come: the ruby version (maroon-ish colour). Crossroads Australia only has them in the black w/ silver rings

[frozncore]

Could you also compare the build quality of these and the old model. I'm fairly interested in buying these and I'll probably be a little rough with them and need to know how long they'll last.

[nismohks]

how much are they? much of a price difference compared to the old ones?

[aureus]

I’ll also get some soon. David just sent mine out, woot!

[souperman]

A lot of people say it's the X3 but with more bass. Looks like Jaben really listens to what people want and lets CrossRoads know what the people want .

[WalkGood]

Originally Posted by frozncore

Could you also compare the build quality of these and the old model. I'm fairly interested in buying these and I'll probably be a little rough with them and need to know how long they'll last.

I have not tried the new i series but I can tell you that my original XB’s left iem housing split open at the seam once and rather than sending it back (which I know they’ll replace for free), I used epoxy to glue them back together and haven’t had a problem since. BTW, I found the X3’s to loss any bass they once had after a few months of constant usage, not that they’re not good, because they have very good detail, I still use them with old digitally converted Caribbean music but I prefer the XB’s and almost using them exclusively. I’m now pushing over 200 hours ++ on the XB’s and they’ve only seemed to get better with time. I find that the soundstage, body and depth has improved dramatically over time. The new size and housing on XBi’s has caught my eye and I find them very interesting, needless to say they’re at the top of my list for a must have

[incognitoedleon]

Ha. They've somehow made the revisions actually look worse than the originals. Still, I'm a bit intrigued. Does anybody know when they'll be available for online orders?

[WalkGood]

Originally Posted by incognitoedleon

Ha. They've somehow made the revisions actually look worse than the originals. Still, I'm a bit intrigued. Does anybody know when they'll be available for online orders?

AFAIK, they're only shipping the new i series now.

[rapier84]

Heard them at Jaben a week or so ago just as they arrived from the factory
The X3i has more bass than the predecessor, and imho sounds more balanced and would appeal to a much wider audience than before. The look may seem to be a backward step for some, but the quality of the phones seemed to have been improved (the wires for instance feels more durable). The phones now come packaged with tips that include bi-flanges (Still no foam though). The XBi on the other hand is now a bass monster. I auditioned that with a pair of headphones not known to be bass shy. On bass boost setting in my mp3 player, the XBi actually trumps the headphones. Not sure how that will develop though as the drivers on the XBi burn in.

[souperman]

Originally Posted by rapier84

Heard them at Jaben a week or so ago just as they arrived from the factory
The X3i has more bass than the predecessor, and imho sounds more balanced and would appeal to a much wider audience than before. The look may seem to be a backward step for some, but the quality of the phones seemed to have been improved (the wires for instance feels more durable). The phones now come packaged with tips that include bi-flanges (Still no foam though). The XBi on the other hand is now a bass monster. I auditioned that with a pair of headphones not known to be bass shy. On bass boost setting in my mp3 player, the XBi actually trumps the headphones. Not sure how that will develop though as the drivers on the XBi burn in.

I feel like that would be WAY too much bass for the XBi. Just my thought though cause I haven't heard them.

[4ki]

Any word on the phone's warmth, though? IEMs with a quality that gives music a more 'fun' signature without bloating the lower-end are in high-demand from my impression, but the only companies that seemed to promise this offer models that are only above $100. At $70, these would indeed kill most any other sub-100 model and be hard pressed to beat unless you ponied up at *least* $200 (or if you know where to look, $150).

I'm saving for atrio m5s, but if these phones are warm enough, I'll sure as heck take them. I want my bass to really sing.

[Aevum]

the only major differances i see are that the acustic chamber has been shortened and the stress relief, which was the main problem in the original X3 and XB,

btw, i dont know if acustic chamber is the correct term for the space between the driver and the exit tube,

[kakakakaka]

original XB vs X3i.
Which one is warmer and good for rock?
I need new phones by the next two weeks, someone pls help.

[goober-george]

I just know that these are hot
Mylarone Ruby...

[tristram]

Originally Posted by kakakakaka

original XB vs X3i.
Which one is warmer and good for rock?
I need new phones by the next two weeks, someone pls help.

Well, I am really enjoying the new X3i so, so much! It's like the clarity of the X3 with bass of XB. For me, it suits every buddy (hardware and music) that I got to match it with and it is just so sweet. The blue and red rings on mine helps to identify the sides, I wonder how the silver ones does that?.

So it's X3i over the XB from me. Moreover, I feel the newer "i"s got a much better all round feel to it, and what a nice useful "black" (red is just not for me) pouch it came with. I have yet to try with the bi-flange supplied. Strangely, usually I use the small tips but the X3i medium is doing the job just fine that I just left it as it came.

XBi can also sound very very nice, as I have tried with Uncle Wilson's (Jaben) Apple Shuffle driving it direct and playing opera tracks. But trying both the new "i"s with my portable setup, the X3i is my choice.

If you like plenty of bass, then maybe XBi is your "thing". On my setup, I just felt it was too much for me. But if I drive my Muvo Vidz direct, the XBi was pretty nice... I felt it had more bass than my old XB had. Best to try both with what you use, if possible.

One good improvement the the new plug which can just directly plug into ipod/iphone, without need of an adaptor. Even though I don't use Apple products as yet, I prefer the new plug over the older version, Though a L-shape or slightly angled one would have been much preferred. But hey, it's good to know Crossroads seems to have "listened" and is responding to customers' needs. Well-done!

I felt one thing that might be improved upon further is that I find the new design takes some getting use to to put on and remove, as the body is now much shorter and rounded.

Now I just love to drive it with my Cute Beyond at low gain! The sufficient power really brings out rich goodness of the music juices. Slurp.