Futuresonics Atrio M5 - Page 6

It depends on the purpose. I would say that m5 is perfect for portable, casual listening. Its just good all around with good clarity, balance, excellent bottom end. Comfort is also very good if you can find the right tips. At the same time, if high end "sparkle" is a consideration, definitely stay away from m5. E500 is more balanced and refined headphone, still getting a job done for casual listening of rock music, but I find m5 more fun.

Though I've never listened to the E500s, this makes total sense to me. Plus, I agree with just about everything Visia has said about the M5s.

Well... my experiment with the podfitkit was a failure. Keep in mind I was trying to use this product as it was not intended so by no means is it the fault of the product. After kneading the two substances together and forming it around the M5 earpiece, I tried to insert then fill all the knooks and crannys of my ear with the stuff. The first one came out better than the second but I still couldn't get a real good seal.

So I've put in an order for a set of medium and large Shure black foamies. Once I find which size works I'll put the others up for sale.

Ah well.

Visia and Warrior:

How would you rate the sensitivity of the M5 compared to other IEMs? Do you think the M5 needs an amp? Does the M5 sound good at low listening levels?

Thanks for the comparison, visia. Now if someone could just compare them to Westone UM2/3, my life would be complete.

It seems as if the Atrio m5's sound signature is closer to the Westone UM2 than the Shure E500. I expect the Westone UM2 to have the best cable design and the most comfort, but I still ponder about the sound. The Atrio m5's cable and comfort doesn't seem too bad in comparison, but if the UM2 really outshines the m5 in sound quality, then I might have to reconsider it.

i know question was not directly to me but id just like to say that the M5's doesnt 'need' an amp as it sounds pretty good without one, but with an amp they are super duper!

yeah i find the comfort of the M5 not amazing but satisfactory. You will always notice that they are there and they do stick out a fair bit imo.
Nothing bad enough to put you off them though.

Well, my Atrio m5 arrived yesterday. After leaving it playing music overnight to try to burn them in a little, and giving a quick listen right now, here's some first impressions in comparison to Future Sonics' own EM3:

1) The treble roll-off isn't as severe. I no longer feel like I'm missing that slight sparkle on the high end. I have mixed feelings about that, since sometimes too much high-end can be uncomfortable for me, but I also no longer feel like I need to step up the treble on my source at all to try to get that tiny bit of extra spark like I sometimes do with the EM3. I would dare say that the treble finally truly matches the Etymotics ER6, while also matching the bass response of the EM3. Looks like the best of both worlds here for not much more money.

2) The fit is a little different. Whereas I always felt I had to really jam the EM3 into my ear, I don't really have that issue with the Atrio. The Atrio sticks out a lot further, and doesn't seem to go as deep into my ear canal. Maybe that's because the Atrio isn't really designed to have it's casing rest on the curve of my ear like the EM3. As such, they might fall out more easily, but I'd say they're also a TINY bit more comfortable.

3) The feeling of the earphones not being deep enough may be due to something else, too: SOUNDSTAGE. Everything sounds so distant and spaced out. It's subtle, but given how accustomed I am to the EM3, it's noticable. And somewhat unnerving.

4) At the moment there seems to be more emphasis on the bass (no surprise) and the treble, with the midrange sounding more distant. Perhaps this is due to me no longer being accustomed to this much treble. My god acoustic guitar sounds marvelous, though (NP: Porcupine Tree - Trains).

I suspect these things need a few more hours of burn-in before the settle down into a more even frequency response. Or maybe my ears just need to get used to the extra treble again.

More opinions to come after further burn-in!

-Packgrog

Glad to hear it isn't just me. The M5s present guitars very nicely indeed.

Having a good seal on these is paramount for them to really shine.

If you can, try some pink noise for 9 hours or so. It really helped level things out for me. If not, just keep enjoying them. They will settle in and keep getting better.

Enjoy!

Got a link to a pink noise MP3/FLAC file that I could drop on a player and run in a loop?

I don't know if you want to pay for it, but here is a link to some pink noise generating MP3s - http://www.luxevivant.com/index.asp?...TS&Category=38
I may try this out, too - just received my M5s yesterday but didn't even have time to do more than to open the package and look at them.

Holly

I could email you one that you can loop. PM me your email addy. I won't be able to send it till tonight but I'll get it to you.

can i ask, what is pink noise?

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showpo...4&postcount=26

Download loads real slow, but should be ok..

Google my friend, google!

Even:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_noise