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everyday normal guy head direct RE2 review.

post #1 of 9
10/13/08 at 9:10pm
Thread Starter 
Many people said the head-direct RE2's were really good. I am disappointed. At first people told me to listen to better quality music and such and i did. Then, I used the bigger sized bi flanges ear thing. It got slightly slighty better.

I have used these for like... 40 hours? I've used white noise and regular listening to burn them in.

In the end

Pros:
- really clear sounding
- great for flamenco, classical, acoustic instrumentals, elliot smith like/ beatles like music
- case is kinda cool with a lot of ear piece things.
- I like the wires. They are durable and stay straight and untangled.
- Sound good for vocals. You can hear echoes and back up singer quite well.

Cons:
- sucks for rock, hip hop, electronica (anything with bass)
- It sounds really empty. I don't know how to describe it perfectly. You know the song "american idiot" by greenday? Every song sounds like that. Really flat.
- The case left small black lints on the ear foam things. Not a big deal.
- I only use the 2 clear ear pieces. The bi flanges or whatever it is called. The others don't have a better sound and seem unnecessary unless you lose your ear pieces.
- My case is a little odd looking because it has a little bit of a dented spot. It came like that.
- I spent $100 + shipping costs.

Conclusion:

I don't think I have a bad ear since I'm a fingerstyle and classical guitarist. I add that fact since I spent over 1k on a guitar because of tone (for a dude who was 17 that is a crap lot of money). These headphones are $100 and the tone is unbalanced. I have 20 dollar headphones that I like about the same. If i didn't know the price differences, I would probably choose the 20 dollar one; it isn't as clear but it is fuller sounding.

Extra:
I tried seinheissar, bose, and audio technica headphones. They were all better sounding than the RE2's. I will buy an amp but i'm really really pissed that i even have to. If the sound doesn't get much better, I'm going to return them ASAP.


This was meant for the regular guys who just want some good OVERALL headphones. I know this might anger some people but hey, I'm really pissed about these headphones. You will be too if you don't listen to only instrumental and acoustic music.


Please tell me what you think of your RE2's.

- Athom
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post #2 of 9
10/13/08 at 10:35pm
I suspect that you probably don't like flat frequency response or own a pair of Etymotic before, right? If 'yes' is the answer for the above question, than I am pretty sure you don't find RE2 to be enjoyable is largely due to your listening preference. Some people like their music warm, some like them neutral, and some like them analytical. It seems you are definitely not the last type, so I guess RE2 isn't for you. Yeah, find the right head/earphone is like find the right girl/boyfriend, you can't rely on others' opinion without realizing what you actually like in the first place. One person's euphony can be another person's audio hell.
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post #3 of 9
10/13/08 at 10:55pm
EQ the bass

I really like my RE-02s. Its clear and the bass is tight.
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post #4 of 9
10/13/08 at 11:13pm
Also if you want a good overall 'phone, then the RE2's arn't that. It's plastered all over here that the RE2's lack bass. It's like a review I saw of someone talking bad about the AD700's because they expected bass.....

People. Research before you buy....grzzzzzzz
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post #5 of 9
10/13/08 at 11:24pm
I have a pair and I like them, but I concur that you should probably return them immediately.

Pro:
- 30 day return policy
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post #6 of 9
10/15/08 at 7:13pm
it's odd, I think the bass is - "realistic" (for want of a better word). IMO they are like a miniature of my home hifi (which I love); the tonal dimensions are simply scaled down. Give them some time, I'm sure they will grow on you.
(BTW, I have played the trombone for ten years now. So great sound is not something totally alien to me.)
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post #7 of 9
10/15/08 at 7:55pm
Thread Starter 
They are growing on me but I'm still going to switch. I'm hoping I won't want them back.
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post #8 of 9
10/16/08 at 10:50am
I actually quite like them. I did love my etymotics [er6i] though. I did not really do my research on them, they where the only ones at a right price.

I dont really know much about how to quantify sound quality, i know when i dont like it [eg sennheiser cx300, the ssss's on he cx 500] I dont have an issue with the sound being produced on the RE2.

things i did not like about them
1) the cord, stiffness microphonics[is that what you call it?] is VERY annoying, liked the ety cord way more. It could also be shorter since they do give the extension cable.

2) big aperture meaning the tips are bigger, the smallest ones single flange do not go as deep as i like, the black double flange is just a tad bit too big. I am using comply foam tips at the moment, but i wont use those forever $$$$.

By comparison the etys went deeper and the small tips where too small so i had room to work with.

3) lack of isolation [compared t the etys] but starting to get used to it now.
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post #9 of 9
10/16/08 at 9:45pm
I have to say, my very first impressions of my RE2's wasn't huge. Before I went from just wearing cheap earbuds to Shure E2's. When I made that first switch it was like day & night... I was thoroughly impressed.

A couple years passed and I got the RE2's, at first I definitely noticed that they were a lot more "neutral" sounding compared to the Shure's, which were very "Warm" and fun sounding. The more I listened I could hear how "crisp" the sounds were, treble was clear and not overpowering, the mids were good, and the bass was tight, but lacked a big punch.

However from what I read, that was expected and I appreciate tight, clear, crisp bass over just lots of loud bass. Once I built a CMoy amp, oh man do the RE2's come to life, soundstage is improved, sound is fuller, and the bass kicks and still is tight... the best of both worlds. Next I think I want to try the RE1's.
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