[REVIEW] Hippo Shroom and VB - Page 2

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ultrazino 

So I got them today...

 

Ehm... Wow. This is not for me!

There's absolutely no seperation between mids and bass. Voices are horrible with this thing. Corinne Bailey Rae sounds like she has more testosterone than I do. Bass is way too strong. But even with the three dots the bass reaches into the mids. Everything between 90 Hz and 70 kHz is a mess to my ears!

Where are the details? I seriously think the Bose On-Ear has better resolution, more details and a much better separated bass. Seriously. These things don't sound any better than that Sennheiser CX-500 I gave away for free, only that it costs twice as much!

 

But that's not all...

Do any of you also have comfort issues? The removable bass platter touches my ear. It's scratchy as hell. When I smile it really hurts!

Wearing them upside down seems to help, though. Can't explain why, though.

 

Build quality is very bad also. The dirt filter is glued on crookedly. The 3,5mm jack has a loose connection with my 3GS (not with my PC, though) which I have never experienced before - must be the iPhone but other headphones don't seem to have any problems with it. I can't manage a secure fit with any of the silicone tips (maybe this is linked to my comfort issue stated above). The cable is highly microphonic.

 

First impressions:

Sound: 2/5 (+1 considering I paid 'only' 55€. Tried with iPhone 3GS and PC/foobar2000.)

Comfort: 1/5 (this has to be a joke! If I don't take them out soon my ear will bleed because of a flesh wound. Or I could just turn them around. But I'd like to have a choice.)

Build quality: 3/5 (Despite my rant I must agree I've seen worse but it's not what I'd expect for a retail price at around 80$.)

 

Please, please tell me I still have some serious burning in to do and that there's a fix to the weird comfort.

Else I know for sure that this was my very last IEM purchase. I did have some issues with my ear drum so don't let this 'impression' hold you off. I'd value any comment higher than my own. But to me this is not a serious option to enjoy music.

 

One good thing, though: it makes me appreciate my Ultrasone 780s even more! If only they were smaller and portable...

Did you let it burn in? I am considering getting these also but your reviews sort of made me think twice about these.

Is the bass really lacking on the shroom, would something like the e5 help them?

Forget burn in. Just listening to them for a few days lets your brain adjust to a new sound sig. But for ultrazino I think it would be best to simply sell them. A new sound signature can grow on you, but uncomfortable IEMs stay uncomfortable.

*removed*

umm... that's a bit weird, but yeah, each people has different ears shape, for me, VB is comfortable enough, and I've never got issue like what you've got

Quote:

Originally Posted by pxl1500 

Did you let it burn in? I am considering getting these also but your reviews sort of made me think twice about these.

Please forget everything I said!

Yes, I do have a comfort issue, but I seem to be the only one.

About the sound: my iPhone 3GS is broken (click for thread link)! I have em kinda burned in now and connected to the PC. With the three doted bass platter the sound is actually very good. At first the mids sounded very funny to me. It might have been burn-in or me getting used to them, but they have cleared up a lot now.

I put them in my shelve and kept them there for the last days. I might give them a try again because I keep hearing good things about them. I have a new iPhone now, btw.

Does anybody know which comfortable tips fit on them? Favorable by Comply.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ultrazino 

I put them in my shelve and kept them there for the last days. I might give them a try again because I keep hearing good things about them. I have a new iPhone now, btw.

 

Does anybody know which comfortable tips fit on them? Favorable by Comply.

If you're talking about the VBs, try the meelelec tips. They fit onto the nozzles of the VB (though I had to use tweezers) and are much more comfortable than the stock tips, which I also didn't like. You get s,m,l, double and triple flanges. Hopefully something will fit better. Also, keep in mind that most people have different sized ear canals, so don't be surprised if you have different sized tips on each earpiece. For example, with the VB I use the small tip for my left ear, and the double flange on my right.

http://www.meelec.com/MEElectronics_Original_Eartips_for_M11_Earphones_p/tipset5-m11bk-mee.htm

Okay, I must apologize! There was a problem with my Hippos and that's why I didn't like them. The filters were very loose and one of them even fell down sideways. As a result, Bass was not only way too strong but also affected the overall sound.

I have fixed that now and I must say I'm very impressed. These are great companions for travels by bus or train.

I also replaced the tips with self-made Complys! :)

I decided to keep 'em. Thanks for your help, guys!

Hi...liked your review of the Hippo Shrooms...can't find any website for them....don't seem to be available in UK?    Any leads?      regards    Damian

Thanks for the lead on Uncle Wilson....combination of pay pal and fedex have now brought a pair of Shrooms half way round the world to me in London.     I'm going to warm them up for a couple of days with some Primal Scream before I listen to them.....After that I'll send you my review.