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Review: Head-direct.com HiFiMan RE252 Earphones - Page 3

post #31 of 60
11/9/09 at 8:13pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Laokid18 View Post
so anyone have any idea when these will be released?
I think it will be very soon - I was just told that they were finalized with a better PPE cable and more sensitivity due to a stronger magnet. I have a pair coming for evaluation and comparison with the last ones, and I will confirm they still sound as good or better. I am looking forward to it!
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post #32 of 60
11/9/09 at 8:19pm
Thanks for the info Headphoneaddict!
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post #33 of 60
11/9/09 at 10:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Laokid18 View Post
so anyone have any idea when these will be released?
Already did, I presume. Head-Direct has it for sale in their website since yesterday.
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post #34 of 60
11/10/09 at 4:33am
These look very promising. I like how both the RE0 and HE-5 have shaken things up quite a bit, it looks like the RE252 will follow in their footsteps.
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post #35 of 60
11/10/09 at 9:29am
how is the isolation on these things compared to i.e. shure e2c or RE0 ?
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post #36 of 60
11/10/09 at 4:12pm
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Originally Posted by carmatic View Post
how is the isolation on these things compared to i.e. shure e2c or RE0 ?
Isolation with the bi-flange is pretty good, and on par with other IEM.
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post #37 of 60
11/19/09 at 4:21am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict View Post
I think it will be very soon - I was just told that they were finalized with a better PPE cable and more sensitivity due to a stronger magnet. I have a pair coming for evaluation and comparison with the last ones, and I will confirm they still sound as good or better. I am looking forward to it!
After 200 hours of burn-in I can say the final (shipping) version sounds the same as the ones I reviewed, and it looks like I already have the new cable (maybe a little less shiny than the final one but it's used). They don't need that much burn-in, but I wanted to be sure.

As claimed, the final version is indeed slightly more efficient than the ones I reviewed, and I'm guessing they're about 3 dB louder at the same volume settings than the review pair. So, with an amp like my iBasso D4 I can turn the volume down from 11 o'clock to 10 or 10:30 when listening to the latest version in low gain. I'm enjoying them right now out of my Pico DAC > EF2 & Nuforce Icon desktop amps, since the D4 is still burning-in and went a little bass-lite today.
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post #38 of 60
11/19/09 at 1:06pm
Great review as always Larry! I think you might find the final version to improve upon the preproduction model.

I found the sound to be quite tip dependent for some reason, maybe because of the way the soft shell fits in my ears. I achieved best fit and bass performance with the biggest single flange even though I have always used the big double flange or medium sized single flange from Head-Direct. With the big single flange compared to the big double the bass got a little more dominant and better defined. This just shows that you have to try all the tips every time you get a new set of IEMs because they sit differently in your ear depending on how the shell is designed.

I have the final version with me here it has an even softer shell than the preproduction model and the cable has indeed been changed to an all rubber jacket one.

Compared to the preproduction one the final version seems to sound more open, whether the efficiency is up is hard to judge. Maybe a notch on my EF2 but hardly noticeable.

The mids and highs on these things are to die for. I got around 150 hours on my final RE252s and things are shaping up nicely.
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post #39 of 60
11/19/09 at 4:11pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FrederikS|TPU View Post
Great review as always Larry! I think you might find the final version to improve upon the preproduction model.

I found the sound to be quite tip dependent for some reason, maybe because of the way the soft shell fits in my ears. I achieved best fit and bass performance with the biggest single flange even though I have always used the big double flange or medium sized single flange from Head-Direct. With the big single flange compared to the big double the bass got a little more dominant and better defined. This just shows that you have to try all the tips every time you get a new set of IEMs because they sit differently in your ear depending on how the shell is designed.

I have the final version with me here it has an even softer shell than the preproduction model and the cable has indeed been changed to an all rubber jacket one.

Compared to the preproduction one the final version seems to sound more open, whether the efficiency is up is hard to judge. Maybe a notch on my EF2 but hardly noticeable.

The mids and highs on these things are to die for. I got around 150 hours on my final RE252s and things are shaping up nicely.
I'll try more tips later, as I agree they can make a big difference. The volume increase is about 1/2 hour on the dial rotation for me with the final version.

I really do like the open sound of these, and I agree the mids and treble are great, and bass is sufficient without needing to boost it like the RE2. The RE3 I had was the prototype which had more bass and more open sound than the RE2, and the RE252 improved upon that further. These are not for bassheads, but that is what the W3 and IE8 are for. These are for someone who prefers the HD600 over the Denon D5000.
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post #40 of 60
11/20/09 at 12:45am
See, now I have had my 580's for a long time, but didn't care for the RE0's enough to keep them. The bass quantity just isn't there. Even w/ an amp or upping the clear bass on my Sony S636 it didn't compare w/ the fullness I got from the 580's.

The cluttered and tight soundstage also proved to be a problem w/ classical and electronic music. However, one area the RE0's definitely shined in were the vocals. I can hear a smearing of the voices on some tracks w/ my 580's that's simply not there w/ the RE0's. That reason alone kept me trying and trying to get a good fit and look past the other issues while I had them.

I'd love to find that level of smooth midrange on a pair of headphones that also carry a real soundstage and some warmth to them. I mean, I loved my buddy's Triple Fi's, but they are quite a bit more expensive than these.
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post #41 of 60
11/20/09 at 5:53am
Headphone addict, how do the RE252 compare to the PFEs comfort and sound wise?
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post #42 of 60
11/20/09 at 6:01am
Quote:
Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict View Post
After 200 hours of burn-in I can say the final (shipping) version sounds the same as the ones I reviewed, and it looks like I already have the new cable (maybe a little less shiny than the final one but it's used). They don't need that much burn-in, but I wanted to be sure.
I have a pair of RE-252 arriving shortly. Any comment on approximate recommended optimal break-in time, from your experience? I'll certainly trust my ears, but I'm curious to know your experience.
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post #43 of 60
11/20/09 at 6:49am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Laokid18 View Post
Headphone addict, how do the RE252 compare to the PFEs comfort and sound wise?
I posted that they are similar in performance, but with less sibilance. The RE252 replaced my Phonak and IE8 which are gone, but not my W3 (traded the IE8 for a W3 when I lost my 1st pair). Comfort is about the same as well, but with slightly more pressure around the ear from the larger RE252 where it touches, which is not uncomfortable because of the softness.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Romanee View Post
I have a pair of RE-252 arriving shortly. Any comment on approximate recommended optimal break-in time, from your experience? I'll certainly trust my ears, but I'm curious to know your experience.
The ones I had don't change a lot with break-in, but they may have had some hours on them before I got them. I would just start enjoying them right away but run them for a few days straight if you want to speed things up. I've found 80-150 hours is enough with most dynamic earphones - only the IE8 needed a bazillion hours.
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post #44 of 60
11/20/09 at 3:56pm
what is the diameter on the tube?
same size as the RE0s? or smaller like ER4p?
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post #45 of 60
11/20/09 at 4:05pm
RE0 not ER4P
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