Released: Sleek Audio SA1 !!! *SA1 Discussion Thread* - Page 9

I put them back on last night, tried the black ports (didn't care much for them), but they still need longer burn-in before I can say anything definitive. But I heard what you mean by being better for classical. I don't really need IEMs for classical only, as I listen to more non-classical music. But as with the S4s, I want to get these with 100+ hours before I can really do a proper review. Right now, they sound congested compared to the S4s, which is the biggest difference in my view.

Mine just came in around ten minutes ago.

Hmm, what to say about them. So far, they sound very laid back and "natural." The soundstage blew me away in a few songs. It feelt like I had open-backed headphones on, this is something my Turbines couldn't pull off. Right now, I'm not 100% impressed with the bass/lows, but then again I have only been using them for ten minutes or so. The mids are fine and the treble is nice and sharp. The first tips I tried using were the medium olives and I couldn't get a good seal with them at all. Switched to the medium bi-flanges and the lows improved quite a bit. Overall, I love them and they are WELL worth the money. I was quite shocked at how small they are too. :P

got my sa1 wireless bundle this week also. i'm in germany so i had to pay customs tax but it was worth it. loving the wireless system. very nice quality and no hiss at all. i also had a bit of trouble finding the best fitting tips so i've bought the shure olives and stretched them out with the tube still in them. i'm now very happy with the result. excellent noise isolation and i think the bass improved quite a bit. i'm using the silver treble option and think i will for quite some time because it will be pretty hard to get the olives off.

Which size of Shure Olives fit the SA1's? I'm thinking about buying some off Amazon.

i've used medium sized ones, but i don't think it matters because the tube inside is the same size. i really had to stretch the tube. i've used a nail scissor, stuck it into the top of the foamie and spread the scissor as far as i could without ripping the foamie apart. then you'll have to be fast to put them on the sa1 iems.

Ah ok. I wasn't sure if they had different tube sizes.

Anyways, just took this picture...



Took this yesterday when I got them, they're so tiny!

nice pictures. unfortunately i only have a camera phone handy but you get the idea how they will look like with the shure foamies...

So, mine have been burning in for the past 24hrs. and I'm not sure if I really like them or not. I don't know how to describe it, but it's something with the mids. The mids sound a little muffled, I guess. The bass has improved a TON after burning them in for 24hrs. though. I wish they sounded like my AD700's

lol

Does anyone have comparisons to the SA6?

I use to be a former owner of a pair of SA6s before I upgraded to the SE530s. I loved everything about them although I always thought the bass could be better.

My impressions are:

- Bass is either weak but well defined (grey tips) or good but bloated (black tips and/or bi-flange).
- The mid-range sounds unnatural at first, but burn-in seems to fix that.
- Higs are good.
- They sound airy with the grey tips.
- Isolation is quite good. Not the level of the SA-6, but far better than my IE-8.
- The bi-flanges are made for the SA-6 and, since the SA-1's tips are quite larger, they will block the openings partially. Using them has the same effect as the black tips.
- They seem MUCH more durable than the SA-6. Major point for me since I broke two phones and a cable over the course of a year and a half.

I'm using the grey tips with the single-flange. I will be using them as a back-up to my IE-8, for the gym mostly, to replace my EP-630. They're good, but I imagine finding better ones is possible, even at the price range. The bass is disappointing, especially since it's what I listen to the most.

Holly cow that's hardcore stretching! I can barely fit those an a SA6.. on the SA1 that's insane

yeah i was astounded how much they can take. heres a picture to show you how i got the needed space to insert my sa1s.

Rather than repeat, this pretty much sums up my view of the SA1s. I liked them okay, but to me, the S4s are a better value based on comfort and sound sig. Just a personal preference. The SA1 highs are very nice, detailed and do calm down, and the bass does emerge with burn-in. But I didn't like the tips in ears things (the bi-flanges coming off in my ears) and could not find a better tip. I didn't stretch the olives, but to me, a sub-$100 phone should not need expensive (relatively) replacement tips. Just ruins in the performance to cost value. So I sold my SA1s to another HFer at close to the discount price I paid for them. A win-win.

tstarn06, I have read this thread from the beginning and I have found it very helpful. I am new to the hi-end headphone community. Thanks for the insight on the SA1's. I was about the pull the trigger on these but I believe that i have changed my mind. I have decided to go with the Klipsch Custom 2's. The deals out there are very good for the holidays.

Engadget just posted new reviews of the SA1 and the Kleer W1:

Sleek Audio SA1 (and Kleer W-1) earbud impressons -- Engadget

"We'll start off by talking specifically about the SA1 earbuds. For $80, you'll honestly be hard-pressed to find a set that is built with this level of quality."

"Put simply, the sizable receiver module [on the Kleer W1] that rests on the back of your neck is too large to be used while engaging in fitness exercises, and runners will likely find their earbuds gradually pulled out from the weight of it. These are clearly designed to be used at the office and other sedentary positions, though -- at least in theory -- they'd be far more useful during runs, workout sessions and other outdoor activities. Hopefully Kleer can cut down on the bulk for the next iteration, but as it stands, we've got a feeling that most active individuals would be disappointed by the weight of this (particularly given the lofty price tag)."

"We know it's hard to hear this, but both of these 'buds are equally excellent in our opinion, but you'll get "different" sounds out of each. Klipsch earbuds have an unmistakable "Klipsch sound," where the highs are pronounced and the lows are uniquely bellowing. The SA1 offers up a much more traditional sound (as you'd expect a studio engineer to hear it), but the flexibility offered in the tuning tips definitely adds an extra bonus that you won't find elsewhere. Once we tuned the headphones to our liking, we had little to gripe about. Generally speaking, we found the highs a bit too bright without tips or equalizer intervention, and the lows -- while remarkably accurate -- weren't as booming as some bass-heads will certainly desire. Clarity was exceptional and separation was equally impressive, and we couldn't help but think that these were delivering sound deserving of a higher MSRP."