Pioneer SE-CLX50 impressions

I've been eyeing the Pioneer SE-CLX50 for a little bit, wondering what they might bring to the table, as i've owned some Pioneer car speakers in the past and had above average experiences with them. So a couple weeks ago while perusing the Pioneer website, i noticed that these were available directly from Pioneer for $59. That was enough for me to decide to take a gamble on them out of curiosity. I might note that some will probably consider these earbuds more than IEM's as they are basically an earbud style speaker with a rubber nozzle/tip holder attached that makes it fit as an IEM, much like the Comply adapter for Apple earbuds. It doesn't bother me, just want to make it clear how these are made.

I've had them long enough now to offer a few impressions and observations.

First off, getting a proper fit. I was not amused when i first took them out of the box, tried to swap the pre-installed tip with a different one and the tip holder/nozzle pulled right through the boot (flex nozzle) that covers the speaker. After reading the enclosed literature i came to find that this is considered "normal", so i reinserted the holder and continued my quest to get a tip that offered a proper seal. This problem will happen every time unless you remove the flex nozzle from the speaker to change out your tips, as the tips go on snuggly and really stay there. No worries about one coming off in your ear here. I couldn't achieve any kind of seal with the supplied tips, so i moved on and tried some from my Sennheiser IE8. No go. Perfectly fit the CLX50, but not for me. I ended up with the Comply Tx500 working for me for now. I really think a good tri-flange would work wonders with these, but i have none that fit at the moment. Nonetheless, the Comply allowed me a seal and thus eliminated the sibilance i was experiencing, and really brought out the bass....which leads to observation number 2.

If you look at the back of the box it states "Reproduces powerful bass rhythm with vivid vocal coloration". Do not doubt this statement not even for a second. Once you get a seal, these things POUND. Very deep bass, sub-bass really, as tight and punchy as i've experienced in any IEM. As an example, listening to The Police's "Walking on the Moon" and Lee Ritenour's " A Little Bumpin' " produced not only subwoofer like sound, but also sensation in my ears...and not at an extremely high volume. Those that dislike heavy bass or who are bothered by it need not apply.

As for the "vivid vocal coloration", i'm not so sure that coloration is necessarily the proper terminology. Usually when i think of coloration i think of it as being presented in an unnatural manner. Maybe i need to change how i think, because these don't have unnatural sounding vocals at all. Very smooth if somewhat recessed is how i hear vocals on these.

Keeping in mind that my impressions are from listening with Comply tips, which tend to take the edge off higher frequencies,these offer very good treble detail without being the least bit harsh, possibly leaving me wishing they had just a tiny bit more zing at times, but for the most part it's well done and won't fatigue your ears over long listening periods. I actually found myself just enjoying the music with these instead of trying to analyze them...while i was trying to analyze them. Short attention span

The soundstage the CLX50 offers was really a big surprise for me. I wasn't expecting anything like it for $59. Definitely more width than depth, although the depth is nothing to sneer at either. On some music i could sense the instrument positioning just as i would if i were at the show. I'll go out on a limb and say it would compare to my Panasonic's, although i haven't done a side by side with them for a true test.

The cable on these is what i would consider fairly hefty, almost identical thickness to my Monster Pro Gold or Fischer Eterna, thicker than my IE8, if that helps anyone that's curious to compare. It has just slightly less memory than my Eterna, which for me is a decent amount. I will warn that the cable is short without the included extension, even with it possibly for some. I'm 6' , and the cable will reach a jacket pocket fine, a pants pocket..well..not so much. Anyone any taller would probably take issue. Some but very little microphonics with these, and i should remember to note that these are sound isolating, but below average in my opinion. If you want great isolation, these will disappoint.

In general, i think i might have stumbled on to a fun-n-fast little IEM with this purchase. For sure, these aren't every day go-to's for those who want to really analyze their music, and probably not a great choice as an IEM for those who only want one, unless you want big powerful bass with every listening session. I don't intend to mislead anyone, these don't simply pound bass and nothing else, they are a decently detailed listen in fact, just with a much higher emphasis on bass than most.

My next step with these is to try to find a tri-flange tip that will fit that i can experiment with, and i'm hoping some of you nice folks might enlighten me with your always appreciated knowledge in this department.

If you keep in mind the pain in the neck factor that figures into changing tips on these, and you can deal with the inconvenience until you get to where you want to be with them, these definitely aren't the worst choice you can make for $59. Far from it.

Haven't seen many Pioneer these days. Thanks for the impression!

Thanks for sharing, this is very interesting.
I've seen these in the stores in the last couple of years and always been curious about how's their sound.

Cheers
K.

Thanks for the review!

In my opinion and limited experience, in most cases a deep insertion (to use the tri-flange) plus a good seal provide more bass quantity, and tame down the highs.

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Yeah, that's been my experience with tri-flange tips too, and kind of what i'm looking for compared to what the stock tips do for me. I just wish i could locate some good independently available tri's. I've seen the Shure tips available on Amazon, but they won't fit the larger nozzles, as i have a pair and checked it out.

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Nice. I haven't seen the SE-CLX60 yet, and all my search queries pull up European sites and  info. I wonder if this is Europe only at the moment? The design does appear to differ from the CLX-50, and if the sound is the same or improved it would slot nicely into the bang-for-your-buck group.
I agree the cable is a bit plasticky. Not as kink and memory prone as the Fischer Eterna, and more so than Monster Turbine Pro for comparison. I think all IEM's should have nice pliable rubbery cables like the Audio Technica CK10.
If you have a set of foam tips like the Comply, try them and see if the sibilance issue goes away. I too am sensitive to even the little bit i was getting with my 50's, and the foam gave me just enough better of a seal to eliminate it without altering the sound signature too much.

@h20buzz, nice review thanks

Hi Guys
 
I have bought the se-clx40 being the younger brother of clx60, I found the difference in specifications is that clx60 housing is aluminum and that the frequency range is lower, ranging from 5 Hz CLX60 while CLX40 begins in the 10 Hz My questions is if there is any additional difference and if an aluminum casing makes a big difference ...

Regards
Digueros

Hi, nice review there you have . I wanted to ask, is it possible to set tri-flanges to clx50 and when it is, then have you any recommendations? I just don't know so much about accessories for earphones, but read too that tri-flanges are like helping to get much more bass .