Clash of the Titans: HJE900 vs. CK10 vs. Turbine Pro Gold - Page 3

This is something I totally agree with, owning all 3 of these. The CK 10 is very detailed, but very musical. I know a lot of people like the REO, but along with their excellent detail, I hear them as a bit lifeless and not as musical as the CK 10s, and the ETY's are almost like having an X-Ray of the music (which I sometimes like) but they are not as rich sounding as the CK 10s.

Well done review @ ljokerl. I enjoy reading your review as well. Thanks for your input...

oh dont worry i bash the treble on a lot of IEM's, im much more sensitive to it than most

@Mark : Im worring because I also seem to be overly sensitive to treble harshness and sibilance.. Actually i've been planning on doing the foam mod on the HJE900 long before i had even purchased them, crossing my fingers that it'll be enough...
Since the beginning MTP Gold looks much more like they have the perfect balance for my tastes and this review confirms it , but they are still too expensive (for me at least) so i decided to bet that the foam-modded HJE900 will still be a worthy and enjoyable upgrade above the IEMs i've had so far.
Ive been watching your reviews and i often thought that we maybe share similar sound signature preferences (mid centric/forward), have you tried to foam-mod HJE900, if so what do you think about it?

i have not tried it and i cant say im likely to. im not likely to mod anything, i like everything to be kept pristene, bit ocd about things like that.

plus if i want something with softer treble i always have another one or more IEM on hand. lol two live in my backpack permanently plus whatever ive got in my ears when i go out the door

Hey Mark, I just did a quick count of your earphones and you only have about thirty-six pairs.... get another sixteen and you can use a different pair every week for a whole year!

Why only two? You must like traveling light!

I find the complies pretty much eliminate all semblance of harshness of barely burned in HJE900. I'm actually quite liking skullcandy ink'd tips on them right now though, they look nicer too.

Great review/comparison! As usual, giving a great idea of the phones without having to try them.

Looking forward to Clash of the Titans II: CK100 vs. e-Q7 vs. X-Jays.

well you stop making buy ones!!! you know itll be more than 36, some a have more than 1 pair of each. got thats quite excessive isnt it


well one kept with the mobile connector in case needed (unlikely but why not) and the other is there in case the weather turns nasty when im out, something i reasonably like but wouldnt be heart broken if rain killed it

Just to toss in my small observations on two of the phones in this comparison, the Pannys and the MTPs. Tonight, I pulled the Pannys off the burn-in machine and sat down with both (the CK10s are hands-down my favorite of the three, so no reason to even include them here). While I can't begin to add anything to Joker's eloquent discussion of these phones, I experimented with tips first. I used flac files on my Fuze, no EQ, with a range of genres, but mostly classic rock, acoustic, jazz, and some reggae/hip hop.

My final analysis is that the MTPGs benefit most from the bi-flanges that came with the PR1 Pros, and the Pannys, as noted above by another owner, need the foamies to handle the mid/treble. On a couple of tracks, a Paul Simon tune called Crazy Love (from Graceland) in particular, on the MTPGs with the flanges, nary an sssss sound around. But with the Pannys, a couple slipped through on certain passages (Simon's CD has got some sibilance in it if your IEMs are unforgiving, for sure). I know burn-in is relevent here, as the Pannys have only about 40-50 hours on them, and the MTPs a little less (I've been mostly listening, not burning them in). To me, the MTPs are just smoother overall in their presentation, and that is with them using a less sibilance-soaking tip. With the bi-flanges or hybrids, the Pannys just stick a toe across a line for me. As Joker notes, both are very good IEMs, and detail is superb on the Pannys. But to me, the price difference is worth it. I won't get much into fit issues, but you can't help but sense the Pannys also feel heavier in your ears, otherwise comfort is similar. The short cable on the Pannys is also a problem for me, as I felt I had to be very careful using them with the small amount of slack you have.

I was lucky enough to get the MTPs from newegg via the open box special, for $118 shipped. To me, they are just a little more refined than the Pannys, less intrusive on those mids and highs. I used the word edgy for the Pannys, and that's what I hear. Not a deal killer, but it's there. Oh, no foam mod either.

For $109, the Pannys are an excellent value, but in my view they are best heard through foamies (I used Comply T500s with wax guard). If I had to choose between the two, my preference is for the MTPs. If I felt otherwise, I'd sell the MTPs on ebay or HF and mosey on over to the J&R website in short order.

Those comply tips are so stupid expensive for what it really is.... ah, guess i will have to do it anyway

Can't disagree there. Maybe I was so intent on calming the slight sibilance I heard, I was willing to overcompensate with the foamies. I do know the foamies muffle the MTPs way too much. But it didn't seem as bad on the Pannys. I will relisten with a less absorbing sleeve once I let them burn in for 24-48 more hours.

Daouda, hold off on that until you have tried an assortment of tips. When I send the Pannys, I'll pack a few extra tips in for you to try, some silicones. No need to spend on Complys quite yet.