I would like to thank iBasso for the opportunity to review their new USB and portable D-Zero amp/DAC. iBasso has been making quality amps and DACs for audio enthusiasts for years and I consider it an honor for them to allow me to review their product.

 

Pros: Looks, build quality, sound quality, battery life.

Cons: No volume indicator, no EQ

 

Equipment Used

 

Sources: MacBook Pro, iPod Classic

Headphones: Fostex T50RP, Audio Technica Ad900, HiFiMAN RE272, Marley Audio Get Up Stand Up Earphones

 

Packaging

 









 

Very sleek packaging here. It's the kind of beautiful minimalistic packaging I would expect out of Apple, I mean that in the absolute best way possible. The top simply says "iBasso Audio" and the front side has the company's website. The box slides out of this little sleeve to reveal a white covering. When removed the user is greeted with a carefully packaged D-Zero. Foam surrounds every inch of the D-Zero to ensure it's safety. After the D-Zero is removed the user is greeted with a plastic warranty card similar to a credit card with a hand written date and model, I absolutely loved this it gives personalization in a time where almost everything else is automated. Once the last piece of foam is removed the user is greeted with another white covering that says "iBasso Accessories" in a fun looking font.

 

Once removed you'll find the included accessories. A USB cord to connect the D-Zero to your computer, a 3.5mm male to male aux cord and a leather pouch as opposed to a pleather pouch. Little things like this add much class to the packaging and company.

 

Overall the packaging is very Apple like. Everything is neatly placed and kept snug. The warranty card with personalized writing on it, the real leather pouch and the simplicity of it all has really caught my attention.

 

Design and Build Quality

 







 

Like the packaging the D-Zero is minimalistic and sleek. The anodized aluminum housing provides a beautiful, yet strong housing for the internals. On top D-Zero by iBasso Audio Headphone Amp+USB DAC is written in an unobtrusive way. On the front there's a headphone jack, an aux jack, a power switch with accompanying white LED to let you know it's on, and a volume knob. Everything on the front feels quality. The headphone jacks are solid, the power switch is very durable feeling and the click feels high quality, and the volume knob spins smoothly.

 

On the back there's a USB output for charging the D-Zero and for connecting it to a computer, a gain switch and a USB charge switch. Everything back here feels very solid. There's two LEDs as well, a red one to indicate charging which also blinks to let you know when to charge it and an orange one indicated USB connection.

 

As for the battery's supposed 30 hours of use unplugged, I have ran this into the ground and got 28 hours before it caved. It's no 70+ hours of the E7, but realistically that much is overkill.

 

Overall this is built great, I have no qualms with it at all. It screams class to me, I absolutely love the looks of it as well.

 

Sound Quality

 

I don't believe in electronics burn-in, but for the sake of doing a proper review I gave the D-Zero 50 hours of burn-in before I made judgements on it.

 

Overall this is very similar to the E7 in sound. This is due to both of the companies choosing to use the excellent Wolfson WM8740 DAC which has been a popular choice for quality in budget minded DACs, as well as the same Texas Instrument's PCM2706 USB receiver. The amp is where things differ. The E7 uses a TPA6130A, while the D-Zero uses an amp based on the AD8656, which is a highly regarded amp. The D-Zero's amp is not only much cleaner sounding, but it is also stronger.

 

The D-Zero does sound very similar, it's a clean boost that doesn't favor any frequency to my ears, much like the E7 which is said to be rather neutral. The biggest surprise to my ears though was even with the lack of bass boost on the D-Zero, my Ad900 still sounded as bassy as with +1 bass boost on my E7. That isn't to say the D-Zero has a dark signature, because with my T50RP the bass actually seems punchier, but not more abundant and the highs are brought out. Everything simply sounds clear, boosted and full through the D-Zero.

 

When I plugged my T50RP into the D-Zero the difference was immediately noticed between the E7 and the D-Zero. The T50RP opened up, the highs felt more alive, the mids came forward, and the lows gained some punch to them without losing extension. Considering the same DAC and receiver chip are used, I can only assume that the D-Zero's amp is in-fact better. The T50RP felt more alive, more separated and faster than on the E7, which I'd always thought the T50RP sounded a bit lifeless and slightly bloated through.

 

Through my Ad900 I was worried about the loss of bass from the EQ on the E7 being a problem. I put on my bass test, James Blake's "Limit To Your Love" and my worries disappeared. The bass was just as strong, fast and extended as ever. The mids and highs were completely unaffected though, they even sounded a bit cleaned up and less congested.

 

Overall I'm very impressed with the D-Zero. It's a very nicely rather neutral boost in sound that has a decent amp attached to it in a slim package. 

 

Conclusion

 

This is a great piece of equipment. I would buy this any day over the E7. The build is solid, the packaging and design is sleek and the sound quality is fantastic for the price. The clean boost in sound and decent amp on this make it a great value that is hard to pass up on.

 

Comparison of the D-Zero and the E7

 





 

With these two being very similar products I feel a direct comparison in addition to a review is necessary. All of the pros and cons are from the view of the D-Zero looking at the E7

 

Pros

-Slimmer design

-Feels better built

-More power for higher impedance headphones

-Hi/low gain switch

-Cleaner sound

-On/Off switch and Volume are more responsive

-Nice rubbery matte feel

 

Cons

-Only has 1 output

-Battery life is 1/2 of the E7

-No bass boost

-Volume knob isn't numbered

-No LED Screen, though this isn't really a con, just a preference

 

Between the two I find myself liking the D-Zero more. The build quality is good on both, but the D-Zero feels more solid while being slimmer. The sound of the E7 and D-Zero are very similar due to them both using the same DAC and receiver and the amps are actually very similar due to the D-Zero amp being based off the same amp the E7 uses. The D-Zero sounds a bit cleaner though, the E7 actually sounds a bit, even if only very slightly, muddy in comparison. The amp on the D-Zero is also a bit more powerful, it definitely gives my T50RP more juice than the E7 and it's easy to hear the difference. The battery life is less than half of the E7, but honestly 30 hours is fantastic.

 

When using the D-Zero I find myself missing two things that I really miss. The first is the additional headphone output. It's definitely unnecessary, but I've become very accustomed to listening on one headphone and burning in another with the E7 I'll have to compensate. Lastly I miss the volume indication. I do wish iBasso would put knobs from 1-10 on the D-Zero. Nothing major though, the D-Zero is a quality product.

 

Come see more pictures of the iBasso D-Zero here!

 
 


 

Thanks to Nankai, aka Fang for the RE272 Loaner opportunity. 

 

Pros: Clarity, detail, packaging

Cons: Bass, too analytical

 

Equipment Used

 

Sources: MacBook Pro, iPod Classic

Amp/DACs: iBasso D-Zero

 

Packaging

 







 

Luxury. That's the first thing I thought when I saw the wooden box with a vinyl outside. The top of the box is gold stamped that says "HiFiMAN" and there's a gold colored clasp to open the box. Once opened there's a vinyl coated interior with the accessories on the right and the headphones in a plastic casing, which surprisingly is only painted on the outside, not the inside as well. Included is a variety of cable attachments to connect the RE272 through a TSS connection or a standard 3.5mm. There's also two different double flanged white tips and XS->L mushroom tips.

 

Overall the packaging is nice, but it looks more luxurious than it really is. I wish that there had been more attention to detail, especially in the hard plastic casing which should have been fully painted. Everything was secure though.

 

Design and Build Quality

 







 

The design of the RE272 looks sill at first, but it actually makes a lot of sense when worn over ear with these. Compared to the RE0, these are a huge step forward in comfort. The build is plastic with a rubber edging, I assume for easier gripping when placing them in your ears, and surprisingly feels better quality than the all metal RE0. Each IEM has a rather long stress relief with an L or R stamped on them. The RE272 definitely feel solid. The RE272 terminate to a balanced plug short to allow the user to choose from one of 4 extensions to cater to any sort of 3.5mm plug. The y splitter has some nice touches, on one side RE272 is stamped, on the other HiFiMAN. The plugs are terminated in an odd 45 degree angle that I don't know if I agree with, but it seems sturdy.

 

The isolation is rather lacking though, no matter what tip I tried I couldn't get fantastic isolation. I would say it blocked out about 50% of the noise when they were just sitting in my ears.

 

Overall these are built decently, I feel for the price they could have done better, but it's a huge step up from RE0 to me in every aspect.

 

Sound Quality

 

As always I've burned these in for 50 hours before conducting any sound tests. These have also a claimed 60+ more hours burn in as part of the RE272 loaner system, for an estimated 150 hours.

 

Analytical and bright, I honestly could not enjoy music on these. These are very detailed, airy sounding, and clear, much like the RE0. Much like the RE0 though the bass is severely lacking. The upper/mid bass has come impact, but the extension is very weak. I can hear some of the sub bass, but I struggle to hear it, I most definitely can't feel it. The mids are strong, detailed but very cold sounding and not very engaging. Everything sounds great in the mids, but I don't enjoy them. The highs are where the RE272 shine, but they're too bright and forward to me. They've very well extended, clear and detailed, but they are too forward and at times a bit harsh. The soundstage is nothing special, very similar to the RE0 from my memory, an airy feel to it. 

 

Since these are analytical sounding I decided to listen to only fantastically mastered albums to see how they hold up:

 

Bob Marley & The Wailers - Is This Love

 

I am using the Barry Diament mastering from 1990 which is highly regarded. Right away the usual smooth silky sound of this recording is gone. The bass line is completely outshined by the ska inspired guitar, the little guitar riffs are way too forward in the mix, and Bob's voice is a bit irritating. Everything sounds absolutely crisp and clean, but from a surgical view. It's as if every instrument was taken, put on a table with a clear outline as to where it began and started and placed in the headphones. Great clarity, but not enjoyable and the lack of bass makes this song irritating.

 

Rage Against the Machine - Killing in the Name

 

Rage's self titled album has long since been a standard in the audio industry for it's excellent production and mixing. I've listened to this track at least 100 times in my life throughout various pieces of audio equipment and I can say without a doubt this is the least enjoyable I've ever found it.   The kick drum has some punch to it, but the bass is lost in the mix, it's barely audible. What usually gives the guitar it's punchy backing is now gone. The guitars sound overly bright and the vocals have lost their aggressive attack they have on my Ad900.

 

The Rolling Stones - Sympathy For the Devil

 

This is taken from the MFSL CD rip. The sound sounds wonderful. The bongos are easily heard in the right channel. The shaker and bass in the left sound great. The vocals are in the middle and sound very clear. The piano comes in and melds perfectly in the mix. Honestly everything sounds wonderful in this until the little guitar solo comes in and it's just too bright, too irritating. 

 

The Beatles - Here Comes the Sun

 

This is from the 2009 remaster. There's many versions, MFSL, pbthal rips, and so forth, but the legend Dr. Ebbett claimed this was better than his and his was known as the standard for years. Either way this remaster was done right. To get on with the song, it sounds wonderful on these. Absolutely wonderful. Every instrument is clearly heard, the intro acoustic guitar sounds as if it's on the other side of the room. I really have no complaints with this song, the RE272 does this song right.

 

Overall

 

Fans of the RE0 will find a welcome linear upgrade to me. These are detailed, clear, and focus on the mids and highs. These are definitely lacking in bass and are a bit bright though, which will turn a lot of listeners off. If that doesn't the hyper analytical sound of these will. If you're looking for a musical IEM, these are not it. If you want to dissect your music these will be a welcome addition though. I like these, but only for very specialized listening, I even enjoy my SoundMAGIC E30 over these for every day listening.

 

As always you can see more photos of the HiFiMAN RE272 here!

 
 



 

Pros: Clarity, looks, natural sound

Cons: Potential comfort issues, flat sound might turn some off, no 1/4'' to 1/8'' adaptor, needs amping

 

Source:

 

MacBook Pro->FiiO E7->Fostex T50RP

 

Much thanks to Fostex for the review pair.

 

Packaging

 







 

No frills here. The T50RP come packaged in a cardboard box in-which the style seems a bit dated. There's nothing to catch the eye really. The color scheme I'm not a fan of, the red background displaying the black T50RP just doesn't appeal to me. T50RP is in big white letters on the front and below that is a quick blurb about the RP (regulated phase) technology which is patented by Fostex. I'll get more into that later though. On either side of the box it simply says "Fostex Professional Headphones." On the back some product information is given. Inside the T50RP are wrapped in plastic with a piece of paper which has some product information.

 

As I said these are no frills. This doesn't bother me though as what really matters is the sound primarily. I do take points away from Fostex though for not including a Stereo to 1/8'' adaptor.

 

Design and Build Quality

 









 

Right away these things impressed me for build quality. They made my Superlux HD668b look like plastic toys and they feel more solid than my Audio Technica Ad900. I am very impressed. The cups are made of durable feeling plastic, the pads are soft pleather which are easily removed. The pads are much better quality than the 668b, not only are they more comfortable, but they look better built and stitched. Connected to the cups are bronze colored metal guides that allow the headphones to be adjusted up and down. Connecting both cups together is flat metal with a rubber Fostex imprinted headband around it. On the left cup there is a high quality looking and feeling locking removable 3.5''mm plug. The cable feels solid, not stiff at all and terminates to a thick professional feeling 1/4'' stereo plug.

 

These definitely feel solidly built in every way. They have a nice heft to them that adds to the durable feeling. No creaks anywhere.

 

When worn they feel nice on the ears. I found the 668b to clamp far too much, and the Ad900 to feel a bit loose. The T50RP feel perfect clamp wise and the pads are soft to keep comfy. The headband is my gripe though. These are heavy headphones and the rubber doesn't do a great job keeping the top of my head from feeling the metal bar it's surrounding. This causes discomfort on the top of my head for long listening sessions unfortunately. This can be easily modded though, which many users have been doing with much success.

 

Overall these feel professional. The look, build quality and features are fantastic. The comfort is the only thing I can gripe about, thankfully it's an easy fix.

 

Sound Quality

 

These have been left burning in for at least 50 hours, more likely closer to 100 hours with music I personally listen to playing through them while at work and sleeping to give maximum amount of burn-in time.

 

There's been a lot of hype about orthodynamic drivers lately, I'm personally not knowledgable enough on the subject to know what makes these different than dynamic drivers unfortunately, but these do present music differently than even the 668b, despite them both being studio monitors. Before I go further into the sound though I did mention Fostex's RP (regulated phase) technology, I'm also not highly knowledgable on what this means, but on the Fostex website they have this to say,

 

 

Quote:

UNIQUE FOSTEX RP TECHNOLOGY

Key to the transparent sound reproduction is Fostex’s Regulated Phase Technology, a proprietory transducer and diaphragm design that has earned Fostex more than twenty international patents and has been successfully applied to microphones, headphones and loudspeakers used and relied upon in professional and commercial sound installations worldwide.

This technology has been enhanced still further in a new RP Diaphragm (now standard across the range), which uses copper foil etched polyimide film to provide excellent resistance to high level input peaks of up to 3000mW (T50RP), ensuring an accurate sound regardless of the volume.

Click to expand...

 

 

I'm still not sure exactly what it is, but I will say these have the clearest background I've ever heard. I read in another review on these about the "black background" and wasn't really sure what the reviewer meant by that until I had put these on. There is basically no grain, the background simply doesn't exist, all your hearing is the music. I love that. It allows me to hear everything with the maximum clarity these drivers are able to provide, and I must say it makes a difference.

 

Now onto the sound. Overall the sound won't appeal to everyone, these are after all studio monitors. That doesn't mean these aren't fun to listen to, but they certainly won't appeal to all. I do find myself reaching for these very often though despite owning my Ad900, while these have made my 668b obsolete. The sound is natural, fast, balanced, and spacious. There's not a huge soundstage, but the headphones have good instrument separation. As for speed, this is one of the key reasons many Ortho fans like their headphones, for the speed in which the drivers are able to present music in. I must say, I'm impressed. From fast paced drum and bass, to alternative rock, to metal, these things have kept up in every department. From 140bpm+ double bass in metal to guitar shredding, to fast triplets on the hi-hat I never feel behind.

 

Since these are studio monitors, the goal is to, ideally, have a flat sound. I must say that these do a good job being balanced, though I feel that the mids are slightly above the rest. The highs do sound slightly rolled off, though I feel they're accurately presented. The lows are good, they have good impact and the extension is decent. I don't particularly feel the sub-bass, but I can hear it. The mid bass though has nice impact. The sound signature really works with any genre, but it doesn't stand out with any genre either. It's an inoffensive sound, but it doesn't overly impress either to my ears. Let's try it with some songs though!

 



Rubblebucket - Came Out Of A Lady

 

I chose this song because it absolutely gives any headphone a work out. From the funky bass line to the wonderful horn section, intimate vocals and huge energy, it makes a great song to test overall. First there's a lot going on here, no less than 4 different horns, a Roland Juno 60 synth, percussion, drums, bass, guitar and vocals. Never once did this song feel congested, I was able to pick out every instrument with clarity. The vocals are wonderfully intimate sounding, I've seen Rubblebucket live no less than 3 times and it sounds just as good through these headphones. The horns come through with excellent authority and clarity. The percussion and rhythm guitar are easily discerned despite being a little lower in the mix than the horns, I'm easily able to figure out what's being played and play it along with them. The synth has a nice warm fuzzy analog sound the Roland Juno is known for. The drums have a nice sound as well, the kick drum sounds wonderfully fantastic.

 

Overall every instrument is very accurately represented. The song feels and sounds energetic and honestly it's hard to write this as I want to shake my rump along with the kicking melodies. For a song with a lot going on, which is rather fast paced, these headphones handle it with ease. Compared to my Ad900 the T50RP feels less energetic, but mores accurately represents the sound as the Ad900 lack some bass and are a bit brighter, which causes a focus more on the horns. Both headphones play these back fantastic though.

 



Amon Tobin - The Lighthouse

 

I chose this song because of the creepy atmosphere and chaotic sound it has. Those who've played Splinter Cell Chaos Theory have heard this soundtrack. The scratchy bassline is haunting. The various sound effects in the background and foreground are causing shivers. Everything sounds wonderful and clear so far, much better than I thought on my Ad900, which aren't particularly known for being the most clear headphone. The jagged cut up beats are hectic and the T50RP keeps up with ease while allowing the other sounds to be heard, rather than drowning them out like the Ad900 slightly do. Both headphones are equally as fast though, but it comes down to a more accurate sound in the T50RP vs a more energetic sound of the Ad900 again.

 



James Blake - Limit To Your Love

 

If you've read my past reviews you know I love this song to test for bass response because of the deep, fast, bass. James Blake's soulful vocals sound beautiful, the piano has a nice acoustic sound to it, both linger beautifully. When the bass comes in, the vocals and minimal drum line are actually slightly higher in the mix than the bass. It feels like the vocals and bass melody are sitting on top of the bass line actually. As if I were looking at an aquarium and the bass line were the hectic water and the vocals and bass are sitting on top of it. Now this is how I've always perceived this, but there seems to be clear separation here as if the bass wasn't strong enough to bleed into the vocals. 

 

On my Ad900 imagine the same perception, but the bass line splashing up into the vocals and drums getting them wet, slightly drowning them out. Yes, weird right? The Ad900 is actually more bass heavy than these for this track. The bass on both of these headphones is fast, the T50RP extends well and keeps up with the over 200BPM fluctuations in the bass, as fast as the Ad900, but the T50RP just doesn't have the authority unfortunately for me to feel it. The mid bass of the kick drum has more authority than on my Ad900 though. The Ad900 though actually rattle my ears on this, believe it or not.

 

Though the T50RP portrays this song beautifully I feel that the bass is supposed to leak more into the vocals and absolutely rattle everything for symbolism purposes. For this song I actually prefer the Ad900, and for bass response at that.

 



Feist - The Water

 

I chose this as a sibilance test and to see how intimate the vocals would sound. Good news, no sibilance at all and holy cow, Feist's voice is giving me shivers. They sound absolutely beautifully smooth, as if I were in a small acoustically tuned room and Feist were singing in 20 feet in front of me. The stand up bass and piano sound beautifully haunting, but Feist's voice steals the show, especially as she belts out her notes. The Ad900 present Fest's voice a bit too shrill for me, so the T50RP wins here.

 



Radiohead - Jigsaw Falling Into Place

 

I chose this for some alternative rock. Great energy, great balance, the vocals sound intimate and smooth, the instruments have great separation and balance. I prefer my Ad900 because of the more energetic sound, the guitars sound more lively, but I'm definitely digging the T50RP on this song. 

 



Bob Marley & The Wailers - Is This Love

 

Bob Marley had some amazing production value and the version I have is the Barry Diament re-master from 1990, arguably the best version of this and boy does it sound good. There's a decent amount of instruments and vocals in this, and everything sound beautifully mixed. Bass is hugely important for Reggae and unfortunately it sounds a bit flat here, the Ad900 had more authority actually. Overall though this song sounds great, very clear, I feel as if I'm in the studio with them. 

 

Conclusion

 



 

For the price these headphones are absolutely wonderful, especially if you consider modding them in-which there's a huge community for it. These cans stock have a fantastic accurate sound to them and I feel they should be in everyone's collection as a pair of flat headphones. My biggest complaint with these is the lack of authority in the sub-bass, I just couldn't feel it, but thankfully you can mod these to fix that if you're handy. These are quick headphones able to keep up with any music, seriously, try it. The "black background" is something I never would have understood until I heard these, but boy it makes my Ad900 sound grainy.

 

Compared to the 668b, well there's no real comparison. Spend the extra money to buy the Fostex T50RP. You're getting better build quality, a bigger community and a slightly more detailed and clear sound. Compared to the Ad900 it's tough. Stock the T50RP just don't have the energy compared to the Ad900 and surprisingly the Ad900 has more sub-bass. Both are fast though. I'm sure I'll find myself reaching for both for different occasions though.

 

Pick these up if you have the money and can find them, I don't think you'll be disappointed. One drawback though is that I do recommend an amp for it, my E7 can power them just fine though. I only consider this a drawback though because it's my belief that no sub $100 headphone should require an amp. Great offering Fostex, what an excellent intro to orthodynamics!

 
Packaging

 





 

Typical Meelectronic packaging. Black thin cardboard box with a window exposing the CC51 and some of the accessories. On the front the model number is given as well as a logo and a logo showing they are powered fine by iPods. On either side there's either an Meelectronic or CC51 logo. The back has features/specs and a picture of the accessories. No frills, it's not minimalistic, but it's not in your face.

 

Once the box was opened I was surprised with a velvet covered plastic which held the CC51 and its accessories in place. Everything was secure from the included silicon ear tips to the signature semi-hardshell Meelectronic carrying case. Nothing special, but there really doesn't need to be anything else. I'm satisfied, especially for the price. The velvet covered plastic was a nice addition though. It's the little touches like that which will please a customer. Keep it up Meelectronics!

 

Overall the packaging was to be expected of a budget IEM. No frills, but everything you need. Meelectronic gives a decent selection of tips and the case is a nice addition.

 

Design and Build Quality

 







 

I was anxious to see how a ceramic IEM would look. First thing I noticed about the CC51 is that they are tiny, in-fact these are about half the size of the A151. The body has a smooth design and it makes me wonder how Meelectronics managed to pack such a sound into such small housing. Each IEM is stamped with an MEE and on the short cable stress relief they have an R and L imprint, which I found to be a nice, clever, touch. The nozzle is as big as the IEM, which, while being small, it will give users of small ear canals some trouble. The nozzles are also made of, what seems to be, aluminum for a nice two toned touch. 

 

As I said some users may have comfort issues. This is part because of the wide nozzle, but it's also part because the shallow mushroom tips, not shallow insertion, the tips just aren't very long. The bi-flanges didn't give me good isolation so I couldn't test them. The inside ends of the tips, that insert into the IEM, have a tendency of digging into my ear slightly. This causes slight irritation. Nothing major, but enough to where I can't wear these for hours. My trust Comply T400 tips unfortunately do not fit on these due to the bigger nozzle. Hopefully Meelectronic will take this into consideration for the future and make the silicon tips a bit softer perhaps. I did manage to find a good fit though and the isolation is rather good on these with a good fit.

 

The CC51 are built very well though, I have no concerns about the IEMs themselves. The cable is a bit thin, which caused some microphonics. Meelectronic suggest to try these over ear to reduce them, but I couldn't get a good fit over ear. The shirt clip also present a minor problem with the cable, while it's removable it may come at the cost of messing up the cable. When I took mine off it left a little surface scratch on the cable, for instance. 

 

I like the CC51 stamp on the y splitter, it's a nice touch, which Meelectronic seems to be figuring out it's the little things that add up! The L plug seems to be made well and causes no concern for me.

 

Overall the isolation is good, the microphonics are a bit noticeable, definitely not for exercise. The build quality is decent, a better cable would be nice, but the IEMs themselves are excellently made. If these had a braided cable like the A151 I would be thrilled. Comfort is subjective, but if you have small ears though do not buy these, they won't fit well. These are definitely made well though, definitely above average for the price. Lastly Meelectronic, please make the shirt clip easier to get off.

 

Sound Quality

 

As usual I gave these 50 hours of burn-in, though I feel these are quite good right out of the box.

 

To describe the sound of these might be a bit contradictory. These have a nice warm, full and natural sound to them. At the same time they are very clear, rather detailed and certainly revealing of bad recordings. A few of my favorite songs were almost unlistenable because the clipping in frequencies was easily noticeable, some may see this as a pro, some may see it as a con. I don't want people to think these are labeled as analytical though. While they are clear and detailed they are very musical and gosh do I love music on these.

 

The lows are punchy, extend very well and sound natural. No part of the bass feels bloated or over emphasized to me. The bass is simply wonderfully balanced with the rest of the sound, especially compared to other offerings for the price. The mids are only the slightest recessed, but even as an owner and avid lover of the Ad900, I can still appreciate the full mids presented here that are smooth and clear. The highs are slightly more prominent than the mids, but again, they do not overshadow them. The highs have a nice sound to them, they extend well and don't sound grainy, they sound very natural. There's no sign of fatigue here and on quick listens no notice of sibilance, but I'll test for that later.

 

These IEMs aren't as quick as my Ad900, but I haven't found a genre yet these do bad with, from drum and bass to alternative rock. These headphones have the punch and aggression able to make any music come to life. Distorted guitars sound raw while bass is punchy. These definitely aren't forward though, but they aren't laid-back, somewhere in the middle they lie. The soundstage is nice and intimate, I feel like I'm in the music and the instrument separation is great.

 

Time to listen to some tunes!

 

Between the Buried and Me - Mordecai

 

I chose this for the metal heads! The CC51 handle fast metal very well. The bass is punchy, the double bass is thumping at a rapid pace, the guitars are crunchy, aggressive, and very clear. The vocals are lacking a little, they definitely feed a tad recessed. Everything sounds wonderful though, these headphones definitely suit metal well. Every little nuance is heard easily.

 

Herbie Hancock - Chameleon

 

I chose this to see how the CC51 would handle some fusion jazz. The headphones have a slightly warm presentation to them which definitely suits jazz. This sound sounds wonderful. The guitar in my left is clear and right in the middle of the mix where I feel it should be. The drums and bass are most prominent, but not by much, and they sound warm and smooth, like the song. The horns come in and are definitely the forefront of this song and they sound beautiful. They're smooth and clear and while they're the focus the rest of the instruments are easily discerned.

 

Sara Bareilles - Bottle It Up

 

I chose this to see how the CC51 handles sibilance and female vocals. Unfortunately there's a little bit of sibilance, not much to annoy me, but to nitpick there is. The rest of the song has a nice warm sound to it, Sara's voice is smooth and never sounds grainy. As good as the song sounds, if you listen to a lot of sibilance prone music these may not be for you.

 

The Beatles - Rocky Racoon

 

I absolutely love this song. The simple western song, warm acoustic guitar and a stand up piano make this a fun song. The vocals and guitar sound excellent, very clear and warm. The stand up bass resonates well and the hi-hat hits are easily heard and sound very natural. I really love this song, it's one of my most listened to songs and the CC51 play them back wonderful.

 

Pretty Lights - Pretty Lights vs. Radiohead vs. Nirvana vs. NIN

 

I chose this as my electronic song to see bass response and how it handled electronic in general. The sounds are panning and fading in and out beautifully. It's giving me the illusion that the sounds are swirling around my head, it sounds wonderful. The vocal samples are a bit in the background compared to my Ad900 for instance, but they were never very forward in the mix to begin with. The bass drops and extends deep, has great detail and control. I definitely feel the bass textures lightly rattling my ears the best they can. The CC51 handle this track beautifully. 

 

Conclusion

 



 

I once said that the Meelectronic A151 were possibly the best IEM under $100, well the CC51 changes that for me. I think the CC51 may be the best IEMs under $100 for sound quality. The bass extends deep and has great texture and impact. The mids are a tad recessed but sound full and lush when the highs and lows aren't the focus. The highs extend well but there's some sibilance unfortunately. As for nitpicks? I wish the silicon tips were a bit more comfortable, I wish removing the shirt clip didn't pose a threat to the cable, I wish the cable were braided like the A151 and I wish the nozzle were a tapered a little for those with smaller ear canals.

 

I highly recommend these though, the sound suits me perfectly and the clarity and overall sound is just wonderful for the price.

This review is written from the perspective of the A151 stock, no external amp or DAC, to give readers an idea of what to expect if they buy these without an amp/DAC. I would like to thanks Meelectronic's for the review sample of the A151 as well! They are wonderful people and they make fantastic products.

Packaging:

The A151 came packaged in a black cardboard box with a small window displaying the IEMs. The model is clearly shown in a silver font and the company logo is sitting at the top of the box. On one side of the box the specifications of the A151 are shown such as sensitivity, impedance, cable length and frequency response. On the back some information is told about the IEMs, such as "over ear design" and accessories included. Inside the IEMs are secure in the clear plastic housing used to display them while the rest of the cord is carefully wrapped in a semi-hard clamshell case that contains all of the tips and has the company's logo and website on it.

Inside the clamshell are 5 included black silicon tips. One tri-flange pair, one bi-flange, and 3 pairs of mushroom tips. There is a little mesh section in the clamshell with an elastic opening to hold the tips. The case seems rather durable and won't take up a huge amount of pocket space. I definitely will be carefully wrapping up my IEMs and using this to keep them safe during travel. 

Overall the packaging is something I would expect from a more expensive IEM, I'm impressed.

Design and Build Quality:

The first thought that came to mind when I opened these was, "High quality." From the flexible braided cord to the A151 lettering on the straight 3.5mm jack these IEMs feel durable. The IEMs are made of high quality plastic with chrome accents that neither look tacky or cheap. They definitely feel better quality in every way to my HiFi Man RE0 which are made of metal. These are clean looking and look well made. The braided cord feels nice to the touch and very flexible, I have no worries about its durability at all.

These are the first over ear design IEMs I've ever owned so I was concerned with comfort and fit. It took me an attempt or two to get them in properly, once I did they stayed. There are absolutely no microphonics or comfort concerns after 3 hours of wear. This is a very good thing. Every other IEM I've owned has been with the cable hanging down and after a while the cord pressure has made them uncomfortable, even if very slightly. Definitely a hats off to Meelectronics on the build design and quality of these.

As for isolation, these thing do a great job of keeping outside noise out. Using these on a walk and drive I was unable to hear outside noise at a reasonable listening level.

Sound Quality:

This is something I'm still delving into and by that I mean I'm still listening to a huge variety of music to see how the frequencies play with each other. Overall the sound is a warm, smooth and clear. At times I feel as if I'm in a room with the band and the instruments are being played live in front of me, while other times they have a tendency to sound slightly artificial and flat, though I feel that is more of a problem with the recording itself. 

The lows are strong and extend well. They have a warm pleasant sound to them that slightly extends into the mids. The mids I feel are slightly recessed, but not much. There are times where I feel vocals are pushed back slightly in favor of the highs and lows, though only slightly. The mids are definitely smooth though and very clear. The highs extend well and definitely shine, never once did I feel them to be too bright or fatiguing though. The soundstage is typical of an IEM, I don't feel it cluttered, but it's certainly not as spacious as a typical open headphone provides. The instrument separation is great though, I can pick out instruments without a problem.

I feel that fans of the Sennheiser HD555, 595, 558, and 598 series will find these IEMs to be right at home.

I decided to take some tracks to test these on a per track basis:

Brazil - Aventine

I chose this song because of it's excellent instrument separation, range of frequencies and due to the "attack" of the song. Right away the attack of the guitar hits me, the vocals are very present and forward. Once the song kicks in the bass is easily discerned from the guitar, which is easily discerned from the piano, which is easily discerned from the drums. There's a lot going on in this song and these headphones are able to keep up no problem. No frequency seems more prominent than the other and they are able to keep up with the quick pace of this song and able to give the guitars the crunch they have.

James Blake - Limit To Your Love

I chose this song because of the deep head-shaking bass. The A151 definitely reproduce the bass to very low frequencies, but I never felt the bass. I hear the bass, but it's not shaking my head. The A151 definitely can handle low frequencies, but it doesn't make me feel them.

Sufjan Stevens - Size Too Small

I chose this to see how the A151 would handle acoustic singer/songwriter music. Overall it plays back well. The acoustic guitar sounds warm, though slightly "muffled," which may be the recordings fault though. The vocals sound perfect, smooth and hushed as Sufjan sings. The banjo is on perfect level with the guitar and sounds great.

Radiohead - Where I End and You Begin

I chose this because Radiohead uses a lot of background noises in conjunction with its instruments and because of the prominent bass line. The bass sounds wonderful and all of the nuances are easily heard throughout. The vocals sound wonderful and the drums are perfectly balanced in the mix. The little guitar break is clear and sounds wonderful as well.

Kanye West - Dark Fantasy

I chose this not because of its audio fidelity, but mostly to see how these handled hip-hip on a track I'm very familiar with. Right off the bat all of the vocals are completely clear and able to be picked apart from the next. I've honestly never heard them so clear, even over my Ad900. The bass comes in clear, though lacking some impact, the samples in the background are clear and easily heard, but they don't interfere with Kanye's vocals. Overall I have to say, this track sounds pretty killer with these.

Conclusion:

For $75 I feel these are a great value. They are comfortable and have a fantastic design. The braided cord is wonderful and something I definitely am a huge fan of now. The sound is warm, without being overly laid back like I found in the HD558. The highs are definitely present, and the mids are smooth. I definitely recommend these for their build quality and sound quality. Fans of the Sennheiser HD5XX line will be right at home. Meelectronic's customer service is one of the best I've ever experienced which should assure anyone of their purchase.

I honestly found nothing redeeming about these other than the isolation which was surprisingly decent. If you need full sized isolation at a bargain then come here, but you'd be better off with IEMs. These are for kids looking to coordinate and be fashionable, nothing more nothing less. The sound is horribly veiled and the bass is bloated and one noted. My girlfriend loves purple and won't even use these.
 
Don't bother buying.

I don't own these anymore and never properly reviewed them, here's a brief memory I had of them.
 
I bought these used on Head-Fi to satisfy my "need" for the Grado sound after selling my SR80i and buying the Ad700s. I soon after upgraded my Ad700s to Ad900s and still missed the "Grado sound." I was excited to try these, very excited. I was expecting a harsh, in your face sound that kicked my ears butts. What I got was boring. 
 
The previous owner had claimed 20 hours of use so I let them play for 20 more hours before making judgement. As much as I tried I could not get into these headphones, especially when compared to my Ad900. I honestly felt my Ad900 were better in every aspect. Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, etc all sounded boring, no heart at all. I believe it has something to do, possibly with the stock cups, but I just didn't like these. After 30 hours they were back up for sale and I was disappointed.
 
I wish I could have captured the Grado sound I had missed from my SR80i, but it wasn't here.

These headphones are cheap bargain bin headphones. They're nothing spectacular but they're cheap enough to not care if they break making them a good workout IEM. They actually feel quite durable all things considered. Isolation is decent, it was actually pretty good with Comply T400 tips, which I recommend to improve comfort. Hardly any microphonics were heard either.
 
The sound is what's to be expected for IEMs that can be found as low as $5. Boomy bass, shrill thin highs and thin mids. I did find them to be fatiguing after a while so they're not good for long work out sessions. 
 
Overall they're cheap headphones. Don't pay more than $10 and don't expect much out of them.

I owned these a long time ago so this brief review is written from memory.
 
The Grado SR80i may be the best rock headphone for the price. The in your face presentation of the sound, the sharp mids and highs and tight bass really brings the listener into the music. The problem is they may be too in your face. They feel as if sound is being injected into your ears while the mids and highs that were once fun are now very bright and causing fatigue. Comfort was an issue for me as well, I had a hard time wearing these for 2+ hours.
 
I said they were possibly the best rock headphone for the price, but outside of rock music I found these lacking very much. These are rather one dimensional headphones.
 
I think the Grado SR80i are a fantastic headphone, but I think many users will love/hate them as I did. 

 
This is the first review in which I honestly couldn't use these stock. I had to use my Comply T400 tips to get a good fit. Other than that this review is written without an amp/DAC to let listeners know what they sound like stock.
 
Packaging
 
The packaging is neither exciting nor bland. It's what's expected for the price range. The Woodees come packaged in a cardboard box with a clear plastic window to display them.  On one side the product features are listed such as: Natural wood housing for deep bass sound and Fashion-conscious ergonomic design. On the other side the specifications are listed as well as contents. On the back there's some more information and some contact information. 
 
When opened up the accessories and headphones are in a plastic mold. Included are a pair of Woodees IEMs, 3 spare pairs of silicon tips, a faux leather pouch, a shirt clip, and a little interaction booklet. There's nothing special here, but there doesn't really need to be. The Woodees are on par with similarly priced IEMs, you get the basics and nothing more.
 
Design and Build Quality
 
I had a few impressions when I first opened these. The first was that the IEMs looked nice, the wooden color looks better than pictures. The gold clothed cable also looks nice as did the y splitter and straight plug. Lastly I couldn't figure out which was right and left since there are no markings, but I assume the Woodees logo should be facing out.
 
The IEMs themselves seem built pretty well, nothing amazing, they actually feel a little on the cheap end, but they seem like they'll hold up decently. The wood looks nice but the metal half of them feels a bit cheap, I suppose to keep the weight down though. I also noticed these are rather big IEMs, much bigger than the Dunu Ares, especially with my chosen tips. Even with the stock tips my friend thought they were a bit big. The cable is a nice touch, but it's a bit thin, I have no concerns of now with the cable quality though. The y splitter and plug are both made of the same cheap feeling metal on the IEMs, but look sturdy enough.
 
Once plugged in I noticed a lot of noise while plugging them in and out, I'm not sure if I got a defective model, but there's definitely build quality issues with the plug. Whether plugged into my MacBook Pro, FiiO E7, or iPod there's noise when the plug is twisted. The cable may look nice, but these aren't ideal for exercise. Even with the shirt clip enough microphonics were apparent to lower the music listening experience. It's not horrid, but it's definitely noticeable. Then came the problem of trying to get a good fit. Firstly I want users to know that these are deep insertion, but have a large nozzle, these are definitely not for those with tiny ears. If you can't get a correct seal these are going to sound absolutely horrid. After trying every tip and getting mixed seals with mediocre comfort I chose to use my trusty Comply T400. Thankfully they fit and I've been able to get a decent seal without changing the sound, surprisingly. Isolation with these is decent, but I can definitely hear outside noise with no music playing and can hear loud noises with music playing.
 
Overall the build quality is slightly below average in comparison to similarly priced IEMs such as the A151, E30, and Dunu Ares. They're not bad, but an iffy headphone jack and microphonics that aren't apparent in the other I've named are here.
 
Sound Quality
 
These definitely need burn-in. I've given them 50 hours before them settling in. They went from my least favorite to perhaps my favorite IEM over the A151. The sound is rich, powerful, full, natural and very musical, I honestly feel like I'm in the room with the musicians at times. These IEMs are honestly capable of reproducing any frequency to an astounding degree, without giving them an artificial feel some headphones can do. There's a rather decent soundstage for IEMs, I'm rather impressed with how open the sound feels compared to others. Songs feel like they have room to breath, which is one thing I've missed coming from my Ad900.
 
As I said the lows are powerful. They make their presence known, but let me assure you that these are not for bassheads. The bass extends deep and sounds full, without being bloated nor without protruding into the mids like the SoundMagic E30 did. It's one of the most natural sounding lows I think I've ever heard, I honestly feel like I'm in the studio with a live band at times. From stand up bass' to electronically produced bass the Woodees bring them out to their full potential while making them sound as real as I've ever heard. The mids are smooth, clear, and when the songs aren't bass heavy nor high oriented, they shine. On acoustic songs these produce very natural sounding guitar or piano with excellent realism, the notes linger as they should and I can hear every string individually without a problem. For alternative rock they have enough attack to keep up with any fast guitar riff while having the punch to make the listener feel it. The vocals sound wonderful, clear and full, honestly these might be the most natural vocals I've ever heard as well. The highs are wonderful, but on a few songs I actually found them to be slightly fatiguing and a tad bit too forward. They aren't as forward as lower end Grado's, for instance, but they definitely extend well with good detail. 
 
Radiohead - Idioteque 
 
I chose this to see how the IEMs would handle an electronic song with many things happening in it, that had a slightly mid focused sound. The bass drum sounds absolutely wonderful. It is full, without bloat, perhaps the most natural I've ever heard. The mids sound wonderful, Thom's voice is easily heard around the same level as the kick drum in this song, which is where it's supposed to be. The various noises in the song from the synths and effect heavy guitars are fantastic, the panning on them, the detail, and they're perfect in the mix. 
 
In comparison to the A151 for instance the kick drum has slightly more impact, but doesn't sound as full or natural. It doesn't extend as well. The vocals sound as if they're being run through another set of effects, slightly grainy, and might I say I notice a little sibilance? The highs sound a little pushed back in comparison to the Woodees. Honestly, the Woodees have these beat for this track.
 
James Blake - Limit To Your Love
 
Those who read my reviews will know I love choosing this song for a bass test. The vocals and acoustic piano honestly sound like they're in front of me on the Woodees. I hear the slight breaths of air in his voice after some longer notes and the pianos notes linger beautifully. The bass comes in and it's not rumbling my head, but it definitely extends deep. The bass has a fast wobble to it and I must happily say the Woodees keep up beautifully and they even handle the slight note changes in the bass better than any other IEM I've tried including the Apple Dual Driver IEMs, JVC Marshmallow, Meelectronic A151, SoundMagic E30 and HiFi Man RE0. When the second bass line comes in the Woodees handle these as smooth as butter. The bass is lush, warm, full, but guess what? While this strong bass is going on the vocals and piano sound absolutely stunning still.
 
On the A151 the piano suddenly sounds artificial, the notes aren't holding as long, the vocals sound nice, but a bit grainy on the edges, if that makes sense. The bass comes in and the A151 keep up with it fast, but compared to the Woodees I actually find them a tad bit bloated and the bass isn't as defined. The vocals and piano still sound great while the bass is going though. Overall the the Woodees have more quality bass, more bass definition, and a more realistic sound to them for this track.
 
Lady GaGa - Alejandro
 
The intro sound wonderful with the violin and the wind blowing. When the synth comes in it sounds "fat" which is a good thing. The drum beat has excellent kick to it, driving the song while the various synth noises are easily heard. The vocals, oh gosh the vocals. GaGa sounds as good as I've ever heard her. I hate to be overly redundant, but these sound as if she were singing in front of me. With the A151 I felt that they sounded a bit thin on this song, a bit overly processed, the Woodees are presenting to me this song the way it was meant to be heard.
 
Sara Bareilles - Come Round Soon
 
While the A151 played the acoustic piano back well and gave Sara's powerful voice a good show, the song sounded a bit thin. The bass just wasn't thick enough to give the song it's edge. There was also the slightest sibilance, but nothing to complain about. On the Woodees the music sounds wonderful, I'm rocking my body getting into it as I listen. The vocals though do show a bit sibilance unfortunately, but I feel it may calm down with some more burn-in. The note Sara holds though, no problems hearing that to it's absolute fullest. I can hear the slight wavering in the note, which is intended, and am absolutely stunned.
 
Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet
 
Lastly let's see what some progressive rock sounds like on these. Porcupine Tree are known for wonderful production value and sound, which I'm happy to say the Woodees are showing. The bass and drums are punchy with an absolutely full sound that leaves nothing left to be desired. The vocals sound spot on, I saw these guys live three times and I feel like I'm back at the concert. The guitar has fantastic crunch to it while the drums bang along right next to it. This track simply sounds excellent over these.
 
Conclusion:
 
These headphones have gone from absolutely hated by me to my new favorite IEM. The packaging isn't much to brag about, I'd have loved to have seen a pair of bi-flanges for instance, included. The build quality could use for a slightly higher quality cable, something with less, or no, microphonics. I also wouldn't say no to a slightly smaller design, without compromising the sound. 
 
On the other hand the sound, after 50 hours or so of burn-in, has turned these into my favorite IEMs. What I found artificial sounding on the A151 sounds natural here. These IEMs have a strong powerful sound that I've found good with any and every genre, though Jazz and Classical fans will have their lips in a grin the whole time, I feel. I highly recommend these, especially if you're willing to buy the Comply T400 tips for them.

 
Packaging
 
When I received these I was astounded by the packaging. It is elegant, small and informative. The oval shaped matte black plastic with a cover wrapped around it houses the t-JAYS and it's fantastic set of accessories. The cover is a 4 inch or so high sticker that has a picture of the t-JAYS on the front as well as some product information and included accessories. The back has a picture of the contents, specifications, a picture indicating they can be worn over ear or down. The outside is sleek and entices the eye. On the back there's a sticker that the user must peel off to reach the toggle he/she must push down while pulling out to open the case up. 
 
When the case slides up you're greeted to a sleek and detailed instruction manual that is matte black to fit the theme and it simply says "User Manual" in small white print. Very minimalistic, but inside there's a lot of good information in many languages that I highly advise those to read! The next thing you'll see is a black rubberized half circle that says JAYS, which turns out to be a nifty plastic case. The case is beautiful the bottom half is a black rubberized plastic the top half swings out from inside to close up and is a glossy black. It is hard plastic but it sadly isn't padded inside. 
 
Taking out the user manual reveals the t-JAYS, 4 extra mushroom silicon tips, an airline adaptor, a stereo splitter and an extension cord. The provided silicon tips are nothing special, typical of what's expected, the airline adaptor and stereo splitter, while of no use to me, is a nice addition. The extension cord is necessary though. Without the cord the t-JAYS are roughly 1.5 feet from tips to end. I've come to like the extension cord though, it's helped me with protecting the t-JAYS already as the cord got stuck in a door as I was walking and kept the t-JAYS from being ripped from my ears, so I welcome the extension cord.
 
Overall the packaging is sleek and maintains it's uniform theme. From the hard plastic matte box these came in, to the detailed user manual the t-JAYS just scream elegant.
 
Design and Build Quality
 
Everything from the packaging to the accessories feel well made, to get a bit detailed I'll start with the accessories. The silicon tips feel just as good as any other companies, nothing else to say here. The airline adaptor and stereo splitter are gold plated on the connections and are housed in a hard glossy plastic that has a design on them. They both look well made and classy. The half rubberized matte, half glossy plastic carrying case feels a bit thin and I wish there was a soft lining on the inside, but it feels sturdy enough to keep the t-JAYS safe.
 
The t-JAYS are well made. They are a nice rubberized plastic that's light weight and feels well made. On the end of each IEM there's a rectangular glossy section, I suppose as a contrast. It adds to the eye appeal though. On the inside of each IEM there's an indicator for left and right printed in white, on the outside t-JAYS is engraved into the rubber. The cable feels durable and rubbery with little to no microphonics. The cable terminated into a sleek straight plug also rubberized. Overall the build quality is nice, but how do they feel?
 
JAYS claims these can be worn down or over ear. While the stamps on the IEMs would have you believe they should be worn down I found a much better fit over ear. I've read others prefer them down though, so it's really up to the user. The fit is comfortable, I barely notice them in my ears. They are rather shallow insertion though, but they feel secure in my ears. They did feel a bit awkward getting into my ears at first, but after getting used to them they're easy to get in and out.
 
There's nothing that shines or glares about these headphones other than looks. The build quality is a bit above average, for instance I feel them to be slightly higher quality than my A151, and they do look sleek.
 
Sound Quality
 
I gave these 50 hours of burn-in before testing the sound quality to allow the drivers to settle in. After the 50 hours I put these on through my normal listening. The first thing that was apparent is that these definitely have bass. The lows are punchy, deep and definitely the highlight of the t-JAYS. Now the bass is definitely the prominent feature of the t-JAYS, but does it do it right? In my opinion the bass is excellent on these. It's a bit pushy and a bit too much for me, but it's accurate, detailed, extends well and punchy. It gives bass heavy songs the punch and fullness that larger drivers would.
 
The mids aren't bad, not by any means, but unfortunately the bass has a way of overshadowing the mids on some songs causing vocals to sound recessed a tad. The mids by themselves are clean and smooth, but I found them to be really lacking when the bass kicks in, especially for alternative rock songs. The highs are also nice, but they don't sparkle. They are a bit rolled off and while they're a bit more forward than the mids, they don't really shine either. I found myself struggling sometimes to hear the hi-hat on some bass heavier songs, for instance. The soundstage is decent on these, I don't feel congested and the notes linger when necessary giving a feeling of being in a hall sometimes, but not as if you're shouting into a canyon. 
 
Overall the sound is definitely more for bass lovers. It has a slight V-shape, but the bass is definitely the selling point on these for sound. I don't find these good for alternative rock or acoustic songs, but on electronic tracks and hip-hop these things are rather killer.
 
The Raconteurs - Top Yourself
 
Right off the bat the guitar sound great, the low notes are a bit more prominent than the rest, but overall they sound great. The vocals have a nice natural sound to them as well. Once the bass line comes in though the guitars and vocals take a seat and the kick drum is actually a bit overshadowed by the bass line. As I said these are a bit too heavy for alternative rock, in the second verse, for instance, the banjo in my left ear is hard to hear and the shadowed vocals are definitely in the background rather more to the mid.
 
Radiohead - Where I End and You Begin
 
Another alternative rock song, which has a more prominent bass line. The sound effects are able to be heard, but the low ends of them are more prominent. The drums can be heard clean though while the repetitive bass line goes. The haunting vocals sound like they're struggling to stay on the same level with the bass. I can definitely hear it clearly, but the bass it right on the same level where as it should be a step below. The crunchy guitar comes in an it sounds just a tad thin, but it lacks the impact it should have. Again I feel the bass is just a bit too much for alternative rock.
 
Kid Cudi - Make Her Say
 
If you like your hip-hop with a lot of impact in the bass, then these are for you. The bass on this song has a lot of slam without messing up the vocals. The vocals sound clear, they're a bit recessed, but they will sound great for fans of hip-hop. Lady GaGa's sample in the back is definitely not the focus of this song with these headphones. If you want heavy bass, this song is currently bumping hard. There's a lot of impact and extension.
 
Duo Infernale - Feeling Blue
 
Let's give a liquid dnb tune a go. This song has a lot of samples going through it that really carry the song outside of the repetitive drums and heavy smooth bass. During the intro they sound fine, a bit heavy on the lows, but clear and balanced. Once the bass comes in, it's heavy. It's slightly rumbling my head and I definitely feel it. The drums are still heard clearly and have nice impact. The piano is heard easily, a bit recessed, but clear as are the other samples. The bass is definitely prominent, but  it sounds good with this song, it's silky smooth and carries the tune. Each bass note change is easily heard with detail.
 
James Blake - Limit To Your Love
 
Yup, I had to! The piano sounds clear and the notes ring out. The vocals are smooth and also ring out nicely. The bass is really what I'm testing here though and it's incredible. The bass is fast, detailed and I feel it. The vocals still sound wonderful and the drum is easily heard with clarity, but man the bass is fantastic. It easily keeps up with the note changes and fluctuations.
 
Florence + The Machine - Cosmic Love
 
I chose this to test for sibilance and unfortunately there's slight sibilance on some parts. It's not overwhelming, but it is definitely there. The rest of the song sounds as usual, a bit bass heavy, but the harp actually is a bit prominent here, as is her voice, then again they're more in the upper mid frequencies which are less recessed.
 
Conclusion
 
If you want a bass heavy IEM in a sleek package then look no further. These have some of the best bass I've ever heard in a headphone in detail and extension, unfortunately it just doesn't work for every genre. Some jazz, electronic and hip-hop sounded good on these, while most rock and acoustic stuff sounded too dark for my liking. For $80 they can be found for online they are definitely priced well for bass heads, others look elsewhere. 

 
 
I chose to review these with my FiiO E7 with my E3 LOD to my iPod Classic as they definitely need some juice. The E7 is able to power these to comfortable listening levels though without a worry.
 
Packaging
 
The Superlux HD668b came packaged in a rather cardboard box which I actually found to be pleasing to look at on the front. It's not eye catching, but it doesn't need to be. It simply says Superlux on the front with the model number and "Professional Studio Standard Headphones," with a picture of the HD668b taking up the rest of the space. On either side of the box the included contents are shown with many languages present to tell the information. The back has technical specs in various languages with a serial number and contact information.
 
The packaging isn't flashy, but I actually really like it. It is classy and old school and has a charm about it I really like. The box is also rather thick cardboard, it doesn't feel cheap. 
 
Inside is an instruction manual, the Superlux HD668b headphones, a cloth carrying pouch, a 3m cord, a 1m cord and a 1/8th to 1/4 adaptor. Nothing excessive, but well packaged. I'm happy with the included items and couldn't really ask for more.
 
Design and Build Quality
 
When I read some reviews on these I thought they looked beautiful, a nice mix of Audio Technica and AKG. When I received them I noticed the pictures were very flattering, it's not that the Superlux HD668b look bad in person, it's just easy to see that they are rather cheap looking. They still look fantastic, but the plastic and rather cheap construction is apparent.
 
The feel of these is rather cheap plastic with faux leather pads and thin metal wires as opposed to the thicker ones on the Ad900. For $50 though I can't blame Superlux, they obviously can't spend a huge budget on the quality of materials in the way Audio Technica can, especially when they're focused on the sound. Overall though, while they look cheap, I don't see any problems with durability. The removable jack on the left earphone is a nice touch, 2.5mm female plugs into the headphones. The cable is a bit thin and cheap feeling, but there's no problems I have with it sound wise or durability wise so far. I will say that I wish Superlux included a medium cable as the 3m is a bit too long and the 1m is a bit too short. I like that it terminates into a straight plug though.
 
When worn they do get a bit hot, despite the semi-open design, which really feels like a closed design and offers decent isolation. The pads do get a bit hot and there's some clamping which has cause my listening sessions to be kept around 1 hour or so. The clamping isn't huge, but it's definitely apparent. Overall though they feel decent on the head, I'm simply used to open headphones, noticeably my Ad900 which are amazing in comfort.
 
Overall I feel like Superlux did a good job with obviously a small budget. They feel and look good for the price, but it's apparent they had to skimp somewhere when compared to my Audio Technica Ad900.
 
Sound Quality
 
I really couldn't believe my ears for these. I let them burn in for 30 hours as Kevin at Superlux has informed me and put them on. "Wow, these cost how much?" Was my initial reaction. The sound is fantastically balanced with amazing clarity and a natural sound, that rivals my Ad900. While these are labeled as Studio Monitors don't let that fool you, I'm having a lot of pleasure listening to these, they aren't as music as my Ad900, but are more musical than my Ad700 and HD558. The bass extends well and has a nice full warm sound, it does lack impact though for electronic music such as drum and bass. The lows do leak a little into the mids a bit, but only so slightly as to make them sound a smudge recessed. The mids are full sounding with excellent clarity. They don't have the forwardness my Ad900 have, but they do a wonderful job for rock music regardless. The highs are a little tame, but they extend well. By tame I mean that they aren't piercing or overly bright. They still extend well with excellent clarity. The soundstage is great, it's not as big as my Ad900 or Ad700, but it definitely gives the music some room to breathe. Time to listen to some tunes!
 
Modest Mouse - Doin the Cockroach
 
While this song is admittedly lo-fi, I chose it because of it's quick pace and distorted guitars. The bass line is something I don't think I've ever heard properly, in-fact on my Ad900 it's barely noticeable. On these I hear it wonderfully, without it muddling the mids. The vocals and guitar sound wonderful. The vocals sound astoundingly natural, the guitar is able to be easily picked out through it's hazy distortion and sloppy playing. The headphones are able to keep up with the tempo no problem. Everything honestly sounds absolutely wonderful and natural on these.
 
James Blake - Limit To Your Love
 
The vocals and piano sound wonderful on these, absolutely wonderful. The notes ring out with a nice naturalness and clarity, nothing artificial sounding here. The heavy bass definitely extends well, but there's no rattling in my ears. I hear the bass and the headphones are able to keep up with the quick pace, but there's no feel of it. These definitely aren't for bass heads, but they do reproduce the lows wonderfully without muddling up the rest of the frequencies in this song.
 
Feist - I Feel It All
 
I chose this because it has a lot going on and is a nice sibilance check. The drums, acoustic guitar, tambourine, electric guitar and vocals all sound wonderfully natural. There's no hint of sibilance, which is fantastic. This song is a good test for sibilance and the HD668b pass. Feist's voice simply sounds wonderfully silky smooth.
 
High Contrast - Return of Forever
 
I chose this liquid DnB track to see how the Superlux would handle a fast paced song. The song has a nice balance in it. The repetitive bass line sounds right where it should be, the quick drum beat is sound as it should it doesn't feel slow or bloated and the miscellaneous sounds are easily apparent. I definitely like the HD668b for electronic, though I feel the Ad900 have a little more impact than the 668b making me choose them for dnb usually.
 
Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the Devil
 
This song has a lot going on in it, a lot of instruments. The various hand drums and shaker sound wonderful at any part of the song and remain a strong backbone for the rhythm of this song as the bass piano and vocals come in. The song sounds very natural and no instrument sounds more present than the next, at any point of this song I'm able to easily discern an instrument from the next. I'm very impressed for this song.
 
Conclusion
 
While the build quality and comfort isn't superb it's definitely more than average for the price from my experiences. The build quality is about on par with the Audio Technica Ad700, for instance. The looks are fantastic, I love the AKG/Audio Technica hybrid look. The detachable cable is also a very nice addition. The sound quality is superb with these, they easily rival $100 headphones and I find myself reaching for them over my Ad900 at times, they completely make my HD558 obsolete in my opinion, I'll never reach for them again.
 
If you're looking for a cheap, good looking headphone with excellent sound quality to price ratio look no further. The only problem you'll run into is finding a place that stocks these.

 
Packaging:
 
The SoundMagic E30 come in one of the best packaging jobs I've ever seen. This is before I'm even able to see the packaging mind you. The E30 came securely wrapped with a brown cardboard box wrapped tightly around the actual package with either end having a label telling the user to fax a picture to SoundMagic if it had been tampered with or opened. With all of the fakes around SoundMagic is definitely making it almost impossible to replicate these and I find that to be amazing.
 
After opening the authenticity wrap I was greeted with a white cardboard box with a somewhat minimal design. On the front the user is presented with a window to view the IEMS. Above the window there is a SoundMagic logo. Below that is a quick description of the E30. On either side of the packaging there's not much, one one side a slogan, "Listening magic sound, feeling SoundMagic" on another side it shows the IEMs in other colors. The back has specifications such as driver size, frequency range, impedance, cable length and accessories. On the back on the bottom there's also a authenticity seal and inside the box a thick paper sleeve has a serial number, which includes manufacture date. When you buy these new, you will be absolutely positive that they are authentic, which I like. I really like the box, it's pleasing to the eye and neither tacky or gaudy. 
 
Inside the IEMs are held carefully by clear plastic and included is a pleather pouch with a nicely designed SoundMagic logo. Three pairs of mushroom tips are included and a pair of bi-flanges. The accessories are definitely a nice addition and I feel that SoundMagic is slightly above average with the packaging.
 
Design and Build Quality:
 
My first thought is that these are tiny. I thought the tips that came on the E30 were just for show they were so small. It turns out they're actually the small. I normally wear medium tips on every other IEM, these I was forced to use the large. The IEMs themselves are tiny as well which makes them difficult to insert into the ear, combine that with the shallow insertion it made for a difficult time getting a decent seal. Neither IEM shows a right or left, though they have a red and blue color on each which is used to determine. The pictures on the box would suggest the blue is for the right and red for the left, with this I've been able to get a decent seal and fit, nothing spectacular though. These are over ear IEMs, with the A151's being my first over ear I was expecting good comfort, I was wrong. It took me about 5 minutes to get them a good seal and I'm not entirely happy yet with the comfort.  They don't hurt, but I definitely notice them in my ears and they don't feel so great during extended listening sessions. There's also slight microphonics which I did not expect with over ear IEMs.
 
The IEMs seem rather sturdy themselves. I feel like they are built well, the cord is a bit stiff but I feel like it will hold up through some wear and tear. There's a shirt clip to help with microphonics, which works sort of, but it made the IEMs feel a bit awkward when walking around so I opted out. 
 
Isolation is decent at best with them. I definitely hear outside noises rather clearly with no music playing, it's blocked out slightly of course, but due to the shallow insertion there's not much. With music playing it isolates decently, I couldn't really hear much on the outside when driving or walking, but I definitely could hear some slight noise. I feel this would be fixed though with a deeper insertion provided with tri-flanges or bi-flanges. Unfortunately no tri-flanges are included and the bi-flanges didn't fit me.
 
Overall they have a decent build quality to them, but they are too small for my liking and the cable feels a bit cheap. I would put them on par with similarly priced IEMs for this section, nothing spectacular either way.
 
Sound Quality:
 
I want it to be known that these headphones blew my mind the second I heard them. The clarity has me thinking of my Ad900s. The sound actually reminds me slightly of them. I'll try to explain without sounding ridiculous. These headphones have a fantastic mid-range, slightly forward, clear and very musical. The highs are clear and extended without being fatiguing, though some sibilance is noticeable. Now here's the part that differs from the Ad900 and may even sound silly. The bass is definitely pushy, it lacks some impact, but is definitely quality. It extends well, but sometimes over exerts itself into tracks making it the main focus. I know I said the mids are slightly forward and that these are relatively balanced/neutral headphones, so how can the bass be slightly pushy/prominent? Well overall the miss and highs are well tuned to work together, neither pushes the other out of the way, and they both sound wonderful and present. The bass though is definitely pushy. It doesn't muddle up the mids like one would expect, but it makes itself a prominent feature in most songs, sometimes a bit too much.
 
The soundstage is typical of an IEM, nothing special. The sound is a bit congested at times, but overall it sounds great. 
 
I hope that makes sense. Overall though these headphones are hard to beat for the price. If the A151 were similar to the HD5XX series, then the E30 are similar to a bass heavy Ad900. Funnily enough though, as much as I love my Ad900, I think I prefer the A151 over the E30 overall. These are definitely top notch headphones though that bass lovers will love, without messing up the other frequencies or sounding muddy.
 
Rage Against the Machine - Renegades of Funk
 
I chose this because there's a reason many professional audio companies use this to set up speakers. Rage has amazing mastering and production value while hitting every frequency area while being very balanced. The vocals come in crystal clear with the high frequency guitar being very present, but not pushy. The drums come in and I feel like I'm in the room with them as they're recording, the bass is slightly pushy but clear and quality. The crunch of the distorted guitar comes in with amazing clarity and impact. I may eat my words, but I'm not sure I've ever heard a guitar sound this good. Overall the bass is a bit prominent over the rest, but not enough to ruin the song, not even close.
 
Sara Bareilles - Between the Lines
 
It's no secret I love female vocalists. I chose this track to test for sibilance and to see how the E30 handled an acoustic piano. The piano sounds lovely and warm, the vocals do as well, but unfortunately there is some sibilance. It's not terrible, but it is turning me off of this song. The bass sounds warm and lovely, the piano and guitars sound a bit congested, but good overall. Unfortunately though the sibilance turns me off too much for this song.
 
James Blake - Limit To Your Love
 
I chose this because of the deep bass, it will more than likely be my track to forever test bass because of the quantity. The vocals and acoustic piano sound fantastic off the bat, but let's see the bass. The wobbles come in and it's definitely well extended, I even feel it. It's not rattling my head, but I feel this amount of bass would suit any bass head. The bass is strong and I feel it. In some tracks the bass has a problem being a bit pushy, but here it's very welcomed. 
 
Brazil - We
 
I like to pick Brazil when I look at a headphones instrument separation capabilities. This song and album has fantastic instrument separation with any instrument being able to be picked out at any given moment. I also like to choose this album because many songs are fast paced and have a lot of attack to them. Right away the dual guitars are easily separated from each other, with the drums and bass easily discerned as well. Throughout the song I'm easily able to pick out anything even the subtle piano riffs. The distorted guitars sound crunchy and these IEMs definitely keep up with the quick pace of the song. The bass is a bit pushy though again. It doesn't ruin the song, but it's definitely present. 
 
Radiohead - The Bends
 
I chose this because I love alternative rock and this is a classic alternative rock song. The guitars are crunchy, clear and sound fantastic. The bass is slightly pushy again, see a trend? The vocals sound wonderful no matter what range Thom Yorke hits. The drums have a nice sound and impact to them. This track sounds wonderful with these.
 
Conclusion:
 
For $40 these are very hard to beat. They have great clarity and each range of frequencies sounds wonderful. Unfortunately the bass is a bit too pushy at times and there's some sibilance. The comfort issues also are a concern. Even with that said, for $40 I think you'd be hard pressed to find a better IEM. I highly recommend these.

 
 
This review is written from the perspective of the Dunu Ares stock, no external amp or DAC, to give readers and idea what to expect if they buy these without an amp/DAC. I want to thank Rocky at Dunu, also known as Topsound, for the sample to review!
 
Packaging:
 
First thoughts that came to my head was "professional." These headphones came in fantastic packaging that made the A151, RE0 and E30 look like toy headphones. It's not that the others had bad packaging, it's just that Dunu has held nothing back when presenting their flagship IEMs. 
 
When you first open the carefully packed box your greeted to a white box with Chinese writing on it with the Ares huge on the front. Dunu's logo appears in the upper left with a website url and on the bottom it says in English, "Ares." On one side of the box a simply profile outline of the IEM and a UPC is shown, on the other side pictures of the accessories, cables, the 45 degree angled plug and cable splitter are shown with little descriptions of each. On the back a list of product features is displayed in English and Chinese along with specifications. There's also what I believe to be an authentication sticker on the back, but it's in Chinese so I'm unable to read.
 
This is all with just the cardboard sleeve surrounding the box. Once that is taken off you're greeted with a very sleek minimalist black matte cardboard box with Dunu's logo and website only shown. The box opens like a book, with a side hanging down on the right being held nice and snug by magnets. This is a beautiful touch. When opened you're greeted by the beautiful Dunu Ares IEMs in a soft velvet covered black plastic mold with one of the three carrying pouches provided. I personally find this one to be a bit gaudy and aimed more at girls with it's shiny look, but it provides decent protection at the very least.
 
When the velvet plastic mold is removed you're greeted with two other carrying pouches, one a soft pleather brown pouch that looks rather classy with a small Dunu logo and tag, it uses a string to tighten/loosen it. The other pouch is made of velvet and uses magnetic metal buttons with a Dunu logo appearing on the gold button. There's also a Dunu tag. Also included is a set of S/M/L Mushroom silicon tips, another pair or flatter mushroom shaped tips in S/M/L and a set of silicon bi-flanges.
 
This is hands down the best packaging I've seen in a pair of IEMs under $100, Dunu isn't holding back anything with it's flagship IEM.
 
Design and Build Quality:
 
The Dunu Ares are obviously designed to look like the Monster Turbine Pro series, which is going to either turn people off or make them want to try these. Either way I must say pictures do these no justice, they look beautiful. Each IEM has a thin color ring around them, blue for left, red for right. On the back of the IEM a small glossy Dunu logo is present and in the small concave of the gold metal where the tip goes on you'll notice in small print the word "Ares." I thought that was a very nice touch to make these seem high quality. They have a rather wide nozzle which I personally find a con though, it makes it hard for deep insertion, though these aren't exactly shallow. With the semi-shallow insertion design I had some slight trouble getting a good seal, but I did after some maneuvering, The cable splitter is a nice touch, it's made of metal and says Dunu on it. The plug is a rather odd design though, rather than go with a traditional L shape or a straight plug, Dunu chose to go with a 45 degree angled plug. I would have preferred a straight plug myself, I'm not sure what Dunu's thinking behind that was, but it does feel like it's going to hold up so that's a plus.
 
It's obvious I think they look good, Dunu did a great job in the looks department, but what about their build quality? The IEMs themselves are built with some sort of metal, I'm not exactly sure what, but they feel hefty and seem like they're put together well. The added weight, heavier than any other IEM I've ever used, caused me to worry about them potentially falling out when wearing, but thankfully they are in pretty securely. The cable isn't anything spectacular, there's slight microphonics when worn hanging down, as they're designed. This definitely makes them less than ideal, when added with the weight, for working out. The plug seems sturdy and well made, my only qualm with it is the 45 degree angle.
 
Overall these are solidly built headphones, the looks are fantastic and they seem well built. I don't see them coming apart anytime soon and outside of some minor qualms I would recommend these on build quality as being above average to comparably priced IEMs.
 
Sound Quality:
 
For my tests I've listened to these personally for 20 hours in various situations while letting them play though my computer with various music for an additional 20 hours. There's at least 40 hours of burn-in on these.
 
At first I was rather unimpressed with these, especially after comparing them to the A151 and the E30, both excellent choices for the price. After some listening though the sound has been rubbing off on me. The mids and highs are a bit grainy but they have a full sound to them. The bass isn't for bass heads, it doesn't have huge impact, nor huge extension, but it's adequate for most listeners. If I had to place it in between two similarly priced IEMs I'd say it has less bass than the A151 in quality and quantity, but more bass than the RE0, about the same quality of it. Overall these headphones have a decently full, lush and rather balanced sound to them that works for many genres. It doesn't have the clarity of similarly priced competitors though.
 
The sound stage is what's to be expected of an IEM, nothing fantastic, but nothing sounds really congested. As for isolation with no music on and a decent seal I would estimate I can hear about 60% of what I normally do. When music is playing I can only hear loud noises.
 
Here's a per song analysis of the Dunu Ares:
 
Kanye West - Blame Game
 
I know this album has flaws in its mastering, but it's an album and song I'm familiar with. I wanted to see how the Ares faired with hip-hop so I chose this. The bass is present, but not overbearing, the mids and highs are definitely more present. The vocals sound warm and full, the piano sounds a little grainy, but overall I'm pleased with the sound.
 
Lady GaGa - Alejandro
 
Yes, I love some GaGa and I wanted to see how the Ares would handle pop music, something fast with a lot going on so I chose this. The violin sounds a bit flat in the beginning but GaGa's voice sounds wonderful before the drums come in. The drums have a slightly artificial sound to them, but overall they sound good. Her voice though sounds wonderful as she sings. There's a lot of sounds in the background, I can hear them decently, but they aren't "sparkling" like they do on the A151. The synth sounds warm and full though, I like how the vocals and synth sounds on this a lot.
 
James Blake - Limit To Your Love
 
I chose this because of the strong extended bass. The piano and vocals sound great, but the bass is a bit slow and doesn't extend as well as the E30 or A151. The impact definitely isn't there either, I'm not feeling the bass. I hear it well, it has decent extension, but not what this song can put out. These definitely aren't for bass heads.
 
John Mayer - Daughters
 
I chose this song to see how the Ares sounded with an acoustic guitar and singer/song writer music. The guitar sounds a bit artificial, but full. The vocals definitely are a bit grainy, even on John Mayer's hushed voice. The shaker in the back is easily heard though and sounds well.
 
Between the Buried and Me - More of Myself to Kill
 
For the metal heads, I chose this song to see how the Ares handled fast drums, harsh vocals and heavily distorted guitars. Unfortunately I can't say these are really fantastic for metal. They sound a bit flat overall, taking out some of the aggression I expect in this song. They just don't have the strong mids to bring out the guitars and vocals and give them the impact they need.
 
Conclusion:
 
Overall these headphones are hit and miss. They are built and packaged better than most IEMs for the price, if you're looking for an IEM with good looks and decent sound then definitely consider these. On sound alone though it's a tough market in the sub $100 IEM range and I feel that there are better choices. I do praise Dunu though on leaving a good first impression on me, I'm have much confidence in their ability to not only make fantastic looking IEMs, but to make a decent sound at an affordable price.

This review is written from the perspective of the Ad700 stock. No amp or DAC used in order to give readers and idea of what to expect out of the box because the average user won't have one.
 
Packaging:
The packaging was a cardboard box with a plastic window once the box door was opened. The headphones came placed on a plastic cardboard stand. The only extra included was a 1/8->1/4 adaptor. For the price this is what I expected. I would expect a bit more given the $250 MSRP, but that's rarely the price anyone will pay for them.
 
Comfort:
I can not express the amount of joy I had putting these on after getting used to my Grado Sr80i. These super aural headphones weren't as comfortable as the Beyerdynamic Dt770 I had tried before I bought these, but I doubt many would complain. The wing technology in combined with the soft velour pads make these headphones feel like they aren't there at all. Even hours after wear there was no sweating, itching, or discomfort. 
 
Some users complain that they are unable to get a good fit, but there is a rubber band mod many users have found useful.
 
Design and Build Quality:
These aren't the most durable feeling headphones, but in my year of use every day for multiple hours they have held up just fine. They aren't designed for outdoor, so using them responsibly inside will definitely keep them in good condition without problems. They do creak slightly, but only when I put them on. The wing design is brilliant to me, they automatically adjust to my head for a great fit. Overall I'm pleased with the feel of these, especially for under $100 most users get them for.
 
My one complaint about the design is the questionable color choice. I listed it as a con, I don't mind, though I know it turns others off.
 
Sound:
My first headphones were the Grado Sr80i, I wound up selling them for the Ad700 due to comfort issues and the bright sound being too fatiguing. The first thing I noticed in sound was that it was much more surrounding than I had imagined. If the Grado Sr80i are similar to being at the front in a concert, these are easily more so towards the back. The sound surrounds you and has a pleasant airy sound to it. For the price I have no found a pair of headphones that compares. This gives the Ad700s great instrument separation.
 
The highs are pleasant. They are clear and prominent without being overbearing nor fatiguing. The mids are also very clear, slightly pushy, but flow into the highs quite well. The lows are the bane of this headphone though. I'm not a basshead, but even I was slightly saddened about the lack of bass. There is bass, and it's definitely tight and accurate, but it doesn't extend far at all, and lacks the impact necessary for bass heavy music. Due to the lack of bass I also found these to be less engaging than I had hoped.
 
Overall these headphones are amazing. The highs and mids are clear, and the sound stage is unrivaled for the price. I found they sound best with clean sounding music, especially female vocals and acoustic music. They are definitely not limited to that though.
 
Value:
The value is rather hard to judge due to the prices on these changing rapidly. For under $100, which they can be found at, they are hard to beat. I feel they lose less value over $100 though, but only because they are regularly found in the $80 range. With that said I highly recommend these for under $100, while suggesting to wait if they are higher than that unless you are really impatient. 
 
 
 

Please keep in mind my ratings are in comparison to similarly priced headphones, not $1,000 headphones.

This review is written from the perspective of the average listener, one who wouldn't have a portable amp and would more than likely use these with their iPod.
 
Packaging:
Out of the various IEMs I've tried out, these were definitely packaged the best. Everything was simplistic with a sleek feel to it. The IEMs came with a hard plastic wrap around carrier, a holder for your spare tips, and an additional set up metal filters. I was impressed with how professional everything was packaged.
 
Comfort:
When I purchased these I had very little experience with IEMs, other than cheap ones of various kinds. I wasn't expecting these to be very pleasant, similar to my past experiences, boy was I wrong. With the medium silicon tips I was able to get a fantastic seal that I had no problem keeping in my ears for hours. These are to this day one of the most comfortable IEM's I've ever worn.
 
Design:
Simple and clean, from the casing to the inline mic. My only gripe with these is that they only came in white, which quickly got discolored on daily use. As for the quality of these? These lasted me well over a year of abuse. When I say abuse, I put these through 10 miles of bike riding a day, 2 miles of running 3 days a week, and general outside use. These headphones showed the wear and tear, but never stopped working, until a guinea pig ate them.
 
The biggest thing that caught my eye about these was that they have two drivers inside of them. I had no idea that IEMs could house two drivers when I first saw these. I then found out that they are actually the cheapest dual driver IEMs on the market. It definitely made me happy I randomly bought these. I also liked the addition of the inline remote/mic.
 
Sound:
This is where the headphones surprised me the most. I remember first putting them in, not knowing what to expect. The first song I heard I do not remember, but I remember my reaction, "Music can sound this good?" As these were my first "audiophile" headphones.
 
The bass is clear, tight, strong, while not interfering with the mids. The bass doesn't extend very far, but far enough to give these a nice warm sound to them, rather relaxed. The mids are very clear, vocals are prominent and very clear. I was completely blown away by the mids. In-fact I believe the mids on these are better than most full-sized headphones under $100 including the Ad700. The highs are also clear, and certainly able to easily be picked out while not being intrusive or fatiguing.
 
The soundstage isn't huge. I would best describe it as standing in the center of a 15x15 room with good acoustics and each musician surrounding you. By this I mean that while there is not a huge soundstage, every instrument feels rather "intimate", but there's clear separation in each. Basically what I'm saying is the soundstage isn't great, but the instrument separation is wonderful regardless. Nothing feels mashed up.
 
The isolation on these are top notch. When riding my bike I was barely able to hear traffic with no music playing. Sadly the microponics didn't fare so well, when jogging these headphones needed to be worn a specific way just in order to make the music able to be heard over the cord.
 
These headphones are considered "dark" sounding by some, I consider them warm. They are fun to listen to headphones with great instrument separation. The bass is controlled thanks to the dedicated driver for it, and the mids and highs are top-notch. For comparison purposes, these sound very similar to D-Jays.
 
Value:
For the $65 they can be had on Amazon for, they may not be the best quality to money ratio if you're only considering these for music listening. As I said before many compare these to D-Jays, and I absolutely loved these compared to my RE0. I actually completely regretted buying the RE0 over these again, and this is after delving further into the "audiphile" world. One thing though a lot of people forget about when considering the price is the inline mic/controls which work with the iPhone 4.
 
I highly recommend these if you have an iPhone you also use as your DAP. If you're using them specifically for audio purposes I would compare these to Jays D-Jays and come to your own conclusion. 
 
Please keep in mind my ratings are in comparison to similarly priced IEMs, not compared to $1,000 IEMs.

This review was written from the perspective of the average user, someone who will buy these for iPod use. I did not use an amp for this review because the average user more than likely won't have one.
 
Packaging:
Came in a hard plastic case, wasn't a fan of the yellow, but everything necessary came, including various ear tips. Not the best packaging, but it wasn't bad.
 
Comfort:
Before I had the RE0 I owned the Apple Dual Driver IEMs and various earbuds, even Skullcandy (don't ask why) and compared to them the RE0 ranked one of the worse. The first gripe is the terrible design of the IEM itself, I can't imagine anyone could have though it was a good idea to put ridges on the metal that is in direct contact with the ear. I've heard numerous complaints of irritation caused by the ridges, including myself. A friend suggested to try the double flanged tips. I tried but they were horribly flimsy and the sizes given were either too big, or too small. I generally fit in mediums, so I found this weird. I resorted to the basic tips. After fighting to get a decent seal, irritating my ear in the process, they were finally in and secure, though they were the least comfortable IEM I had ever had in, yes worse than Skullcandy.
 
Design:
The ridges make another appearance here. I want to reiterate, who thought the ridges would be a good idea? The cables were as thin and frail feeling as the Skullcandy's I had used in the past, which definitely isn't a good sign. The Apple Dual Driver IEMs cable certainly felt much sturdier.
 
Sound:
This is where the RE0 get the most praise, and I admit, they do sound pretty good. They sound was reminiscent of my Ad700, but for some reason not as fun to listen to. These are very cold sounding headphones, analytical if you will, in my opinion. I can't say I had fun listening to any genre on these, though, and I repeat, they do sound good.
 
The mids and highs were clear. There is no disputing this. For the price I think they may be the cleanest sounding IEMs in this department. The lows were very unimpressive. You could certainly hear them, but there was no feeling to them. The extension on them was non-existent. The bass was punchy, but very thin. 
 
The soundstage was pretty decent for an IEM of their price I must say, probably the best in this price bracket. No complaints here.
 
Isolation was nothing special here. I could hear my surroundings alright with no music playing. Microponics aren't  too bad compared to others.
 
Overall the headphones left me with an analytical feeling. I felt like I was dissecting each track, which made music listening very boring. These are also not good for varied genres, anything with distortion or heavy bass was unlistenable for me, the RE0 simply sucked all of the life out of them. They didn't really shine with any genre, but clean music sounded alright on them.
 
Value:
For the price these are not bad, but they are blindly recommended over much better choices. There are far more comfortable IEMs with a better build feel to them for under $100. Sadly though those IEMs MSRP for ~$100, these retailed for $250 at launch. For $79 I think they are fairly priced, but certainly don't deserve the praise they receive in my opinion.
 
Please keep in mind my ratings are in comparison to similarly priced IEMs, not $1,000 IEMs.

This review is written from the perspective of the Ad900 stock, no external amp or DAC to give readers an idea of what to expect if they buy these without an amp/DAC. I would also like to preface this by stating I will be comparing these to the Ad700 often as they are the next logical step in the Ad series.
 
Packaging:
I was very surprised to see that the packaging was no better than the Ad700 headphones. They came in a cardboard box with a plastic headphone stand, including a 1/8 to 1/4 adaptor. While the headphones always sell cheaper than the MSRP, you would think that $400 MSRP headphones would come with a higher quality packaging. It's not that big of a deal though, because ultimately what matters are the headphones.
 
Comfort:
I bought these to replace my beloved Ad700s which had served me well for almost a year of every day use. I didn't think that I would possibly have any comfort issues with these as I did not have any with my Ad700. Little did I know that the Ad700s are shaped slightly different in the cup, super-aural sized, while the Ad900 are circumaural, at least this is how my ears fit in them. Naturally circumaural would be thought of as more comfortable, but the stock velour pads are sometimes scratchy and could very well be softer given the MSRP. Some users also complain about their ear touching the driver, which also causes slight discomfort. If this does happen I suggest repositioning the headphones as I've fixed this problem. The Ad700s use, from the looks of it, the same pads but for some reason were slightly more comfortable. 
 
The Audio Technica wing technology for headphone fit worked well for me. I have no fitting problems, absolutely no clamping. They feel very light on my head, in-fact I barely notice them on sometimes. This is a double edged sword though, as some users do complain about fitting issues with smaller heads. Overall though the comfort is acceptable and I have no problem wearing these for extended periods of time.
 
Design:
There's not much to say about these. They are light when on your head, and I personally think they look fantastic. The quality is solid and I've had no complaints or problems within the four months I've owned these. In comparison to the Ad700, these do feel more solid.
 
Sound:
Coming from the Ad700s I was very excited to hear what the Ad900 were capable of. Once I found the perfect positioning of the headphones I was ready to go. The first thing I noticed was the tightened up, more punchy, bass. The bass is very responsive and never seems to drag, definitely quality. You'll noticed I listed this as a con, while the Ad900s bass is improved over the Ad700, they are still lacking some bass without an amp. Even with an amp though, the low end still cuts off earlier than I'd like. I feel the bass is adequate though for non-bassheads and it works well for almost any genre from drum & bass to rock, though it doesn't do well with bass heavy genres like dubstep.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

When I first got my Ad700s I was impressed by the clarity, especially for the price. Going up to the Ad900 I was further impressed with clarity that makes the Ad700s seem grainy. These headphones have an excellent mid range that suits female vocalists and acoustic instruments with amazing clarity. The highs are clear and I've not noticed them cutting off at all. Everything sounds great/clear through these.
 
The soundstage is what makes the Ad700 praised throughout Head-Fi and the Ad900 are not missing out one bit. In-fact the soundstage is even better, adding slightly better instrument separation. The best way to describe this is a feeling of the music surrounding you, you are not at the front of the concert, rather towards the mid-back. Some users describe them as having an airy sound to them.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

I may not be the most knowledgeable member here, or most experienced member for the price range, or in general, but I can not think of one headphone that sounds like these in the price range. They are engaging, while not causing fatigue. They aren't aggressive, nor relaxed, hanging somewhere in the middle. They are fantastic for almost every genre, though these headphones shine through though with "clean" music. By clean music, I mean acoustic instruments and music without distortion, for instance folk, jazz, or classical, though they are by no means restricted to that. I would highly recommend these headphones to anyone who has a varied music taste looking for the best bang for their buck. 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
Value:
The only thing that kept me from giving these a 5 star on value is the price fluctuation. For example, in November I bought these for $270 from Musician's Friend, while they were $320 on Amazon. In January I noticed they were $350 on Amazon. Now they are currently, as of February 19, 2011, sitting at $200. I feel that these headphones are almost impossible to beat for the $200 price tag overall.
 
Please keep in mind my ratings are in comparison to similarly priced headphones, not $1,000 headphones.