Radius HP-TWF11r Review and Impressions thread - Page 9

Quote:

Originally Posted by soozieq 

Lol eric! Were you a Voodoo Chile when you were a chile?

 

Or were you a Red Hot Chili Pepper?

 

Great impressions by the way. They sound like they could be the bargain of the year!

Haha @ soozieq. A little bit of both!!...lol... Thank you. Just really excited because I expected the FX700 to be as good as people were saying, but wasn't really expecting anything spectacular from these, but I had a high curiosity about these earphones. Well, any meager expectations I had have been smashed to pieces (like that voodoo chile Jimi did to his axe plenty of times) and I'm just blown away by the sound for the price! I think this is definitely one of the bargains of the year @ soozieq. So you might as well not resist and jump on this freight train. Based on what I have seen from you and Chris regarding sound sigs you'll like this one for the ears! Come join us @ soozieq!! Resistance will be futile! lol

Still up and I have to get up early in the morning. the Radius DDMs have been in my ear almost 8 hours straight while I do various chores on the computer. These are some stunning earphones, as I and others before me have said many times over. But as good as they sound, I found that I was cheating myself out of some sound by finally looking at the diagram in the box regarding the proper way to wear them. I was trying to get the fat round part that houses the driver to sit almost flat inside my inner earlobe. Well, that was incorrect.

Actually the DDMs are suppose to be worn down, but almost in a butterfly sort of stance. this means the back of the phone that houses the driver - and has the port - is suppose to be given as much space as possible. The earphones are designed in a manner where the ear tip and tip stem are basically holding the entire IEM in place. So yes, they are suppose to sick out somewhat. What this means is that finding the right size tip is imperative! The DDM comes with many variety of silicon tips with very thick center cores to really hug the neck of the IEM - or  nozzle if you will. The earphone moving or not depends on the right tip. I was using a medium Monster hybrid, but now have switched to the smallest hybrid tip. This is perfect as it doesn't come off of the nozzle and earphone doesn't move. The gold Radius stem is suppose to hang down and rest in the little bottom dip your earlobe.

So what does this accomplish by wearing the DDM in this manner? For one, by giving that back port more space and allowing the driver to get more air, the bass is even more deeper than I thought when wearing the phone flat (and there was deep bass wearing it the wrong way, but now it's even more closer to the FX700 bass, but still not quite touching it). 

The biggest revelation to wearing the earphone the proper way, which I couldn't answer initially, is the depth of the soundstage. It is massive, yet intimate and engaging if at all possible to be all of those things at once. The proper wearing of the earphone also allows for more micro details, especially in the vocals and mid - range instruments such as guitars, but all over the sound spectrum.

Okay, I can't say these are the best sounding headphones out there as some have claimed the SM3 to be, but I can say at this point that it's one of the best dynamic IEMs I've ever heard, and right now - at this moment - the best value IEM for the money that I know of. I really think it's going to be highly difficult to beat these in sound and value. But to pull everything out of these phones that they have to offer, one will have to fiddle with finding the right tips and wearing them in the proper manner, which unfortunately may bring a little bit of discomfort, but it's worth it. For me even, wearing these the proper way is more uncomfortable than wearing them the  incorrect way, but the music handsomely rewards you for your sacrifice. So this back port is actually bouncing sound off of your inner lobe and firing those extra details back through the nozzle into your ear. I can't really explain it better than that. Okay, goodnight...lol. Can't wait to read additional impressions from other owners and soon-to-be owners.

Man these Radius DDMs are damn good haha. They deliver that smile on my face like the IE8 when I first heard them. I’ve heard of many phones touted to be more detailed than the IE8 but were just hyped up treble focused phones with artificial detailing. Well the DDMs are more detailed than the IE8, “real details”. I don’t wanna make any rash statements as it was just a cursory audition of a few phones but I am tempted to say that they may just be the most detailed phones that I’ve heard so far. I did try the Monster coppers and FX700s as well- two phones that I immensely enjoyed. The coppers are very well balanced with much better definition and resolution in the bass than the IE8. They have slightly better clarity, treble sparkle and treble detail. These are very enjoyable to listen and I enjoyed them just as much, if not more than the IE8. Their headstage seems quite narrow to me though. Nonetheless, the coppers have very good overall resolution and despite its relatively narrow soundstage it never sounds congested.

After listening to the Coppers I tried the FX700 and immediately noticed the expanse in soundstage. These sound much bigger to my ears. Also immediately noticeable was the pristine clarity and the much lauded accuracy in timbre that I relished in the FX500s as well. The bass on the FX700s has a more weighty and palpable feel to it than the coppers with perhaps a touch more midbass. I think the bass on the coppers may be a bit more agile though and perhaps even a bit more control but the FX700s bass provides to my ears a stronger,firmer foundation to the music. I too find that the midrange on this version has improved a lot as they have more body/chest than the FX500s. I actually thought their midrange was gonna be much warmer from the descriptions around here. I didn’t I enjoy them as much from the touch 2G as I did from the X1060 though. By the way the micro detailing and treble sparkle on these FX700s are amazing!!! I heard more micro detail from these than I did with the coppers and it just makes everything exciting! I suspect that they may have a slight bump in the treble regions to allow them to do this. However, at the same time I think the treble sparkle on the FX700s is more innocuous than its predecessor (FX500).

After listening to the FX700s and the Copper I listened to the Radius DDMs. As much as I loved both those phones the radius made me smile more as I was more lost in the music. Shigzeo and I generally tend to have differing inclinations (sound signature-wise) as far as I can tell haha, but he did an excellent job in his description of these IEMs. I don’t quite think they possess that exquisite clarity of the FX700s but to me, in terms of universal/bulk details. I am tempted to say that they are a tad better in that regard than the FX700s and the coppers. I definitely preferred their midrange over both phones as well. I actually thought the mids are a tad warmer than that of the FX700 but it was fuller with more substance and presence. Really amazing details in the midrange with great texturual range rendering guitars, pianos and other intruments within this range just beaiutifully. The bass was surprising to me actually because I was expecting a whopping bass monster but instead the bass is very well integrated with the rest of the frequency spectrum. Note these aren’t bass light phones per se but they seem to deviate from the norms of most of the dynamic phones I tried. The bass is there in liberal amounts but with perhaps not as much presence as that of the FX700 and perhaps a tad less extension.. I think I discerned a bit more midbass in these than the coppers. The treble to me is not quite as sparkly and perhaps not as extended as the other two phones, yet it has just as much details. The treble is still to me very focused and present. Not obscure in any way, it’s just not that much of a show off!! I really liked the sound stage in these. I think it’s on par with the FX700s and for sure bigger than the coppers (obviously). Something very evident to me even on such a superficial listen was the way the DDMs reveal the various layers within a recording. It’s at least on par or better than the FX700 in that respect but I’d like to test them more. There have been a few indications from a few headfiers that these phones sound different from recording to recording and inexplicably reproduce more details than they’ve heard with other IEMs. My hunch is that these phones are to some extent resolving the lowest level details (ambient information). I’d need a lot more time to analyze these headphones more deeply though. I was a bit uncomfortable auditioning them at Yodobashi. Nevertheless, I'm definitely buying one before I leave but I’ll have to audition them again as they were falling out of my ears a bit. I have very tiny ears though.

After today my appreciation and impression of what a well integrated dynamic diver can do went up a few notches. All three phones were exceptional in their own right. I had my bias going in, that I wanted the most inexpensive one to be the best or at least be on par with the others. I won’t say that the radius IEM will replace or is better than the others, as all three had unique characteristics that will appeal to the manifold tastes of this fastidious community. I do however; look forward to seeing how well they’ll be received by folks who purchase them and especially those owning far pricier headphone models haha.One thing’s for sure and I guess everybody knew this sentence was a long time coming haha The Radius DDMs are a fantastic value!

I would just like to reiterate after a couple of weeks that I am still loving these things!!!!

   I still can't get over the fact I stumbled onto the DDM blind while at Yodobashi camera in Tokyo planning to pick up the FX-500s.

   Fit is still a small issue, particularly that I seem to have had some of the same trouble as ericp10 with getting the right tip to fit. I have found using the stock medium silicon tips to be decent but at really looking for something better.

  I regularly wear SE530s for commuting and despite those having much better isolation, I find it difficult to wear them anymore! For the price I can't imagine what other IEMs could be in the same ballpark!

   I am still curious at the differences with the FX 700s as I am curious about those if they have a significantly better/different sound...

So Eric, since Honeyboy said that the mid is a tad warmer than FX's, how would you compare the Radius to the Miles Davis? haven't seen you mentioning much of MD, have you dumped the MD when you get your new Radius? 

Hello koonhua. Well, I respectfully disagree with Honeyboy. I don't think the DDM's mids are warmer than the FX700. And I don't really think, of course, that the FX700's mids are all that warm I think in somewhere in one of many initial impressions I stated that the FX700 may be just a little bit warmer than the DDM. I think sometimes some of us get smoother mixed up with warmer (not saying that's what Honeyboy did). Although you clearly hear each sound spectrum, the Radius DDM does the best job at blending the three sound spectrums into a more cohesive sound. Again, you almost have to hear it rather than trying to explain it in this type. It has its own unique way of delivering sound, I'm sure this has a lot to do with being a dual dynamic driver (by the way, it is referred to as a dual dynamic drivers headphone on the box).

Now, I have mentioned the MDs a little in recent threads, but true not so much. I still love the MDs very much, and it has its own unique sound sig. But compared to the Radius and FX700, I will admit that the MDs are very warm. It didn't really bother me until I got use to the less than warm sounds of the FX700 and DDM. And I shouldn't say it bothers me now, but the FX700 is my favorite right now. The DDM and Orto are my second favorite (one edges the other one out depending on what sound sig mood I am in). And then, there's the MDs. I have a feeling that I may start liking the DDM a little bit more than the Orto, or it could tie with the FX700, but I'm not in the mindframe where I want to sell either Orto or MD. Whereas I was not listening to the Copper or IE8 anymore really after purchasing the MD and FX700, I still like hearing the Orto, and the weight it put on strings on other instruments by the MDs. But yes, koonhua, out of top four, the MDs have been pushed back to four if I had to put a rank to it, but then again the enjoyment out of each of them is so close that it's hard to rank to them. Like I said earlier, the FX700 is my favorite, but will probably listen to the DDM far more than any of the others over the next few weeks. Wow, I'm longwinded lately with my fonts...lol. Need to condense these answers more like before.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by koonhua90 

So Eric, since Honeyboy said that the mid is a tad warmer than FX's, how would you compare the Radius to the Miles Davis? haven't seen you mentioning much of MD, have you dumped the MD when you get your new Radius? 

Quote:

Originally Posted by ericp10 

Hello koonhua. Well, I respectfully disagree with Honeyboy. I don't think the DDM's mids are warmer than the FX700. And I don't really think, of course, that the FX700's mids are all that warm I think in somewhere in one of many initial impressions I stated that the FX700 may be just a little bit warmer than the DDM. I think sometimes some of us get smoother mixed up with warmer (not saying that's what Honeyboy did). Although you clearly hear each sound spectrum, the Radius DDM does the best job at blending the three sound spectrums into a more cohesive sound. Again, you almost have to hear it rather than trying to explain it in this type. It has its own unique way of delivering sound, I'm sure this has a lot to do with being a dual dynamic driver (by the way, it is referred to as a dual dynamic drivers headphone on the box).

 

Now, I have mentioned the MDs a little in recent threads, but true not so much. I still love the MDs very much, and it has its own unique sound sig. But compared to the Radius and FX700, I will admit that the MDs are very warm. It didn't really bother me until I got use to the less than warm sounds of the FX700 and DDM. And I shouldn't say it bothers me now, but the FX700 is my favorite right now. The DDM and Orto are my second favorite (one edges the other one out depending on what sound sig mood I am in). And then, there's the MDs. I have a feeling that I may start liking the DDM a little bit more than the Orto, or it could tie with the FX700, but I'm not in the mindframe where I want to sell either Orto or MD. Whereas I was not listening to the Copper or IE8 anymore really after purchasing the MD and FX700, I still like hearing the Orto, and the weight it put on strings on other instruments by the MDs. But yes, koonhua, out of top four, the MDs have been pushed back to four if I had to put a rank to it, but then again the enjoyment out of each of them is so close that it's hard to rank to them. Like I said earlier, the FX700 is my favorite, but will probably listen to the DDM far more than any of the others over the next few weeks. Wow, I'm longwinded lately with my fonts...lol. Need to condense these answers more like before.

 

 

You can keep it long winded that way, people like reading good impressions anyway.  

Oh ya, it's your credit that my friend who was considering between CK-10, DBA-02, and Radius, finally decided to get the Radius. Well regarding smoothness, warmth and whatsoever, there's also the factor of ear structures, and of course, the tips choice. 

By the way, can anyone describe a bit on the nozzle size?

Ah that's good to hear about them compared to the MD's. While I liked the MD's for what they were the warmth is something that can't really be changed by EQ or anything. Curse my desire for bang for your big products. I should be buying these in around 2-3 weeks when I get my next check. I'm hoping I hate the dba 02 so I don't have to pay any additional money on these.

Jeez, just put on my ATH-AD700 full size cans for the first time in ages and they sound all small and vague and distant and undetailed after listening to the radius, makes me wonder what full size cans the radius would be equivalent to?

 ' mids

Quote:

Originally Posted by koonhua90 

So Eric, since Honeyboy said that the mid is a tad warmer than FX's, how would you compare the Radius to the Miles Davis? haven't seen you mentioning much of MD, have you dumped the MD when you get your new Radius? 

If I were you I'd attach more weight to ericp10's impressions. He owns both phones and doesn't have to endure superficial auditions. I really didn't think the FX700s mids were as warm as I thought they were going to be and during the audition I thought the radius' mid range was just a tad wamer (using touch 2G). I'll stick with that initial statement but may rectify accordingly if necessary, when I try both phones again before making a decision on which one I'll purchase.

Ipod is usually not my choice of player, sounding warmer than it should. Perhaps you should get both, both which are considered one of the best dynamic driver IEM! 

Somehow after a lot of comparison, I feel that the samsung yp-z5 I use have slightly better separation. Perhaps I will need another 3rd party player to compare before I say anything....but when is the sflo2 gonna be shipped....

The statement of an ipod being "warm" might be a first.   Grab a Sony (not that it's bad)  and warm you will hear.

Quote:

Originally Posted by the search never ends 

The statement of an ipod being "warm" might be a first.   Grab a Sony (not that it's bad)  and warm you will hear.

or perhaps I should say 'having artificially boosted bass as compared to my Samsung yp-z5"? I'm sure a lot will disagree, but there are some who will agree too. Anyway, what I said was just what I heard, and I was only comparing Ipod Nano 5G and my Samsung yp-z5. And contrary to what I had intended to hear, the samsung just pair better with the FX.