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Earsonics SM3 Appreciation Thread - Third Time is a Charm? - Page 94

post #1396 of 1658
12/4/12 at 8:19am

I'll survive :P Luckily I still have my X10 and TF10, which are both great, but man I will miss that incredible imaging and perfect tonal balance every now and again.

 

I'll probably grab them again some day, but I'm on the hunt for some DT770s ATM, and if I buy two pairs of $300 headphones within a couple of months of each other, my girlfriend will have my head tongue.gif

 

I'm thinking this might be a good excuse to get a pair of GR07 Bass Edition...

Quote:
Originally Posted by RapidPulse View Post

 

So sorry man frown.gif


Edited by Gilly87 - 12/4/12 at 8:24am
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post #1397 of 1658
12/4/12 at 5:59pm
Send them in. They'll fix anything for about 20 euros plus shipping. It'll be $80-90 but they'll be good as new
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post #1398 of 1658
12/4/12 at 6:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheMarkRemains View Post

Send them in. They'll fix anything for about 20 euros plus shipping. It'll be $80-90 but they'll be good as new

I doubt it. I've got super glue on it.
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post #1399 of 1658
12/4/12 at 6:08pm
I mean...you think they will? I was a bit...irate...the last time I dealt with their customer service...they probably have my gmail red flagged tongue.gif
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post #1400 of 1658
12/5/12 at 4:44am

Last time I spoke with them they (Frank included) could fix anything for that flat rate charge. It's the UPS rate back that killed me. It's not a warranty issue, you're paying out of pocket and there's no question it's broken. Probably should have sent it in before you glued it, but If it's a V2 they'll probably just slap another bud on anyway. Labor is more expensive than parts.

 

My repair was a broken nozzle on a V1 from a shure olive fiasco.

 

I say contact them again, explain the problem, get their feedback, they'll probably tell you to send it in. What's the worst that could happen? They say no and you've got a broken IEM? 

 

Worse case pick up another pair, they've come down a bit in price.

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post #1401 of 1658
12/5/12 at 8:05am

Thanks dude, I will definitely do this. I was feeling really down about the whole mess but I feel like it's worth a shot now :)

 

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by TheMarkRemains View Post

Last time I spoke with them they (Frank included) could fix anything for that flat rate charge. It's the UPS rate back that killed me. It's not a warranty issue, you're paying out of pocket and there's no question it's broken. Probably should have sent it in before you glued it, but If it's a V2 they'll probably just slap another bud on anyway. Labor is more expensive than parts.

 

My repair was a broken nozzle on a V1 from a shure olive fiasco.

 

I say contact them again, explain the problem, get their feedback, they'll probably tell you to send it in. What's the worst that could happen? They say no and you've got a broken IEM? 

 

Worse case pick up another pair, they've come down a bit in price.

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post #1402 of 1658
12/10/12 at 9:07pm

Since I've had theses they've been surgically attached to my ears.  They sound so good and are the closest to perfect that I've heard at least for what I want in terms of the sound signature.  After comparing them to the BA200 the SM3 has a fuller sound and the soundstage is awesome in the way the 3D presentation is and it makes the soundstage seem much larger than it really is, how some people find them to sound closed in is a mystery to me.  One thing that I found strange is they sound better unamp'ed because with my FiiO amp's the mids are more recessed which is weird as that has never happened with any other mid forward IEM I've had.  Now I can at least save some money for awhile because there's not any other UIEM's I want.

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post #1403 of 1658
12/11/12 at 8:24pm

Yeah dude...you really took the long way around! The SM3 was the third BA IEM I bought, lol...I went X10->W3(yuck)->SM3 and didn't look  back until buying the TF10 out of sheer curiosity.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Techno Kid View Post

Since I've had theses they've been surgically attached to my ears.  They sound so good and are the closest to perfect that I've heard at least for what I want in terms of the sound signature.  After comparing them to the BA200 the SM3 has a fuller sound and the soundstage is awesome in the way the 3D presentation is and it makes the soundstage seem much larger than it really is, how some people find them to sound closed in is a mystery to me.  One thing that I found strange is they sound better unamp'ed because with my FiiO amp's the mids are more recessed which is weird as that has never happened with any other mid forward IEM I've had.  Now I can at least save some money for awhile because there's not any other UIEM's I want.

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post #1404 of 1658
12/12/12 at 8:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gilly87 View Post

Yeah dude...you really took the long way around! The SM3 was the third BA IEM I bought, lol...I went X10->W3(yuck)->SM3 and didn't look  back until buying the TF10 out of sheer curiosity.

 

I wasn't really looking at spending $400 on an IEM but when I saw a pair for $300 I thought why not and man I'm so glad I did.  As good as the BA200 is when I went back to listen to them after listening to the SM3 for like a week the BA200 sounded much thinner than before so the SM3 has ruined other IEM's for me ;)  I'm listening to them now and I really love everything about them from the fit and how good the dual flange tips work for me to  the awesome sound quality.  As good as these are its making me wonder how good their customs are but I'm going to wait because they're coming out with a new IEM supposedly and I want to see what that's might be, maybe a 4 driver.

 

I still regret selling my TF10 along with the Heaven IV I had and I'm getting the Heaven IV back in over a week (the exact pair I sold) so I think I might get another TF10 sometime down the line because its a great IEM for electronic music.  I never thought the TF10 was as V-shaped as most people and I'm hoping mine wasn't just a unique pair that sounded different because the highs weren't really bright sounding to me either.

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post #1405 of 1658
12/13/12 at 5:24pm
Just got mine yesterday. Still getting used to the sound signature and its fully engulfing soundstage. I have the GR07 bass edition and the BA200. I think the SM3 has all the strengths of both but none of the weaknesses.

Plus I got it used for about $215, so I think it was a pretty good deal.
Edited by Annafrancesca - 12/13/12 at 5:29pm
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post #1406 of 1658
12/13/12 at 5:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Techno Kid View Post

I wasn't really looking at spending $400 on an IEM but when I saw a pair for $300 I thought why not and man I'm so glad I did.  As good as the BA200 is when I went back to listen to them after listening to the SM3 for like a week the BA200 sounded much thinner than before so the SM3 has ruined other IEM's for me wink.gif  I'm listening to them now and I really love everything about them from the fit and how good the dual flange tips work for me to  the awesome sound quality.

I agree about the BA200 sounding thin in comparison.

But the back end keeps pressing against my ear. Using the single flange (blue with foam) from the Gr07 gave me a better fit, but it still gets uncomfortable after about an hour. I tried twisting and turning, deep and shallow insertion, used different tips, different angles, but nothing that felt as comfortable as the BA200 or the GR07. Maybe it takes some getting used to as they are bigger any of my IEMs.

But they do sound awesome, possibly the best I've heard in a universal....so far.
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post #1407 of 1658
12/13/12 at 6:17pm

Yeah I can see how the fit can be a problem for some and I said that in a review I did.  They were a bit uncomfortable for me at first but now I can wear them for a good 3 or 4 hours before I take them out and its not that they hurt but my ears start to itch and that happens with most IEM.  They fit in my ears with no room to spare and I think mine are average to maybe a little above in size so people with smaller ears will probably have problems with the fit.

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post #1408 of 1658
12/13/12 at 8:54pm

I have never felt that the TF10 is drasticcally V shaped either. Tonally it's tilted towards the treble, some vocals and midrange sounds can seem a bit glossy or unnatural sounding, but I don't find the mids to be recessed as some do. The bass is emphasized over flat, and the mids seem treble-colored at times, but it's definitely not as tastelessly drastic as something like the W3 is IMO. Also when compared to something with truly recessed mids, like the DT880 (apples to oranges, but sour is sour IMO), it's really not that noticeable in the TF10.

 


Quote:

Originally Posted by Techno Kid View Post

 

I wasn't really looking at spending $400 on an IEM but when I saw a pair for $300 I thought why not and man I'm so glad I did.  As good as the BA200 is when I went back to listen to them after listening to the SM3 for like a week the BA200 sounded much thinner than before so the SM3 has ruined other IEM's for me ;)  I'm listening to them now and I really love everything about them from the fit and how good the dual flange tips work for me to  the awesome sound quality.  As good as these are its making me wonder how good their customs are but I'm going to wait because they're coming out with a new IEM supposedly and I want to see what that's might be, maybe a 4 driver.

 

I still regret selling my TF10 along with the Heaven IV I had and I'm getting the Heaven IV back in over a week (the exact pair I sold) so I think I might get another TF10 sometime down the line because its a great IEM for electronic music.  I never thought the TF10 was as V-shaped as most people and I'm hoping mine wasn't just a unique pair that sounded different because the highs weren't really bright sounding to me either.


Edited by Gilly87 - 12/13/12 at 10:43pm
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post #1409 of 1658
12/14/12 at 10:02am

If Earsonics tries to sell anything more expensive than the SM3 v2 in a universal package, I will cry to the top of the mountains that it's a ripoff unless their build quality improves drastically. I managed to keep my pair in working order for a while after they cracked, but it's really sad IMO that such a great sounding phone is housed in cheap Chinese-built-dollar-store-toy-quality plastic.

 

That being said, I hope to god they DO release a quad driver, and that the build is seriously improved. If they sourced shells from Westone, I would keel over and die with happiness.

 

Their cables are great, though.


Quote:

Originally Posted by Techno Kid View Post

 

I wasn't really looking at spending $400 on an IEM but when I saw a pair for $300 I thought why not and man I'm so glad I did.  As good as the BA200 is when I went back to listen to them after listening to the SM3 for like a week the BA200 sounded much thinner than before so the SM3 has ruined other IEM's for me ;)  I'm listening to them now and I really love everything about them from the fit and how good the dual flange tips work for me to  the awesome sound quality.  As good as these are its making me wonder how good their customs are but I'm going to wait because they're coming out with a new IEM supposedly and I want to see what that's might be, maybe a 4 driver.

 

I still regret selling my TF10 along with the Heaven IV I had and I'm getting the Heaven IV back in over a week (the exact pair I sold) so I think I might get another TF10 sometime down the line because its a great IEM for electronic music.  I never thought the TF10 was as V-shaped as most people and I'm hoping mine wasn't just a unique pair that sounded different because the highs weren't really bright sounding to me either.


Edited by Gilly87 - 12/14/12 at 10:03am
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post #1410 of 1658
12/14/12 at 10:20am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gilly87 View Post
 

 

The new SM64 is another 3 BA IEM with a new kind of crossover that optimizes the frequencies and make them sound cleaner.  They look exactly like the SM3 V2 but the back is clear so you can see the internals.  They cost like $50 Euros more than the SM3 V2 on the Earsonics site but I think they'll be around $400 to $450 when other vendors get them.

 

As for the build quality its not the greatest but I don't think the quality is horrible or anything.  All the seems are flush and sealed good and the nozzles also seem nice and strong so I don't fear them braking anytime soon and if they do for some reason its a good excuse to re-shell them.

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