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[e-Q5 added] Shootout: The Ortofon e-Q7 versus 3 new Final Audio IEMs (FI-BA-A1, FI-BA-SB, FI-BA-SS) - Page 2

post #16 of 183
10/31/10 at 5:55am

The idea of using pictures is excellent smily_headphones1.gif, hope you'll reach the grados someday....

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post #17 of 183
10/31/10 at 6:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by nc8000 View Post


Surely that price is a typo, or are they really priced on level with a JH16 ?
 

Unfortunately that is not a typo. It really is that cost.

 

@James: nice review as always smily_headphones1.gif I don't think I'll be going for any of the FAD earphones. I typically need a good cable to go with good sound. The SB is interesting but I just hate flat cables so probably won't get past that.

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post #18 of 183
10/31/10 at 6:30am


 OUCH
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by rawrster View Post



Unfortunately that is not a typo. It really is that cost.

 

 

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post #19 of 183
10/31/10 at 6:50am

I thought the Finals were BA and not MA, therefore the BA in their names. I believe there are BA drivers available with a vent. Here's link to Shure's new se315 with a description of such. http://blog.earphonesolutions.com/?p=517     and a pic of an opened se530 showing a vented BA so they've been around a while. You would assume Sleek is using the same with their tuning.23_113747_2dc3f08bc04cae7.jpg  

I could be mistaken about the Final's and it certainly doesn't change the results of those excellent impressions.  If not, so much for single BAs not being capable of full range sound.  Thanks James.


Edited by goodvibes - 10/31/10 at 8:31am
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post #20 of 183
10/31/10 at 9:22am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by goodvibes View Post

I thought the Finals were BA and not MA, therefore the BA in their names. I believe there are BA drivers available with a vent. Here's link to Shure's new se315 with a description of such. http://blog.earphonesolutions.com/?p=517   I could be mistaken about the final's and it certainly doesn't change the results of those excellent impressions.  If not, so much for single BAs not being capable of full range sound.  Thanks James.

 

Thanks for your kind words - yet in case I'm proven wrong I'll of course correct my review. So why do I think they're MA? Well, I've been noticing that BA in their names too, but from their basic sound signature they are so very close to the e-Q7 and at the same time different from the other BAs I've heard. On top of that I was told that there are no vented BAs (turns out this info was wrong, thanks for correcting). Nevertheless, judging by ear I'd say the drivers move noticeably more air then all my other BAs.
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by ClieOS View Post

Thanks for the review, James. If you don't mind, can you take picture of the nozzle / filter of all four IEM without the eartips? I would like to have a look at the nozzle just for reference. Thanks again.

 

I suspect your request may be heading in the same direction. Anyway, here's the picture:

 

MA shootout nozzle parade.jpg


Edited by james444 - 10/31/10 at 11:16am
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post #21 of 183
10/31/10 at 9:30am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by a_recording View Post

Awesome write up James! I was curious to see where my new A1's lined up against everything else. I did feel the A1's were more neutral when compared to the SBs or E-Q7's, and I did have some issues with sibilance on my brief listen to the SB. Did you find sibilance was more of a problem overall with the SBs? So far, I'm really very happy with the A1's - its a wonderful mix of qualities. Did you feel the SB's were worth the premium against the A1's?


Thanks, I agree the A1 are very balanced and less sibilant than the SB and SS. They are certainly the best bang/buck phones here. Like I said, it's a matter of personal preference whether the DB's more lively and dynamic sound signature is worth the price difference or not. I assume for most audiophile folks here the answer would be no.

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post #22 of 183
10/31/10 at 10:16am
Quote:
Originally Posted by james444 View Post

 

Just to be fair, the SM3 come to mind as having quite decent timbre and bass texture for BA based phones, and if we can trust Anaxilus () the DBA-02 too don't have these problems, so I'm not ruling out that maybe someday I'm going to hear a BA based IEM that'll make me completely happy in this regard.


Lol James!  Yeah, the DBA was quite the revelation for myself and other DD guys.  For others not so much.  I would have been more than happy to get rid of them had they sounded like the ER4, CK10, 530, etc.  CK10 was pretty close in its own way but still different.  More BA 2D to me.  Just so you know, the DBA doesn't hold up to dynamic drivers like the D7000.  

 

Yes, someone get the man a GR10 for the love of God!   

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post #23 of 183
10/31/10 at 10:30am

I like the way that you presented the sound signatures with pictures - this is similar to what I do in my head to remember sound signatures. I picture different shaped rooms to represent the soundstage, different shading for brightness, and the room depicts the overall mood. For example, a narrow, tall, dark hallway for something with a narrow soundstage that extends vertically and sounds darker. It works quite well, since I can remember those mental images much better than I can simply remember how something sounds.

 

For you Half-Life junkies, when I think of one IEM (which shall remain unnamed in accordance to MOT regulation), I think of Nova Prospekt cell block A3. That's just an example.

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post #24 of 183
10/31/10 at 10:53am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by rawrster View Post

James: nice review as always smily_headphones1.gif I don't think I'll be going for any of the FAD earphones. I typically need a good cable to go with good sound. The SB is interesting but I just hate flat cables so probably won't get past that.


Thanks, I can understand your reluctance. I've never had a cable crap out on me <knocks on wood>, so I'm usually not too worried. In fact I rather like the flat cable, except that it's really tricky to wear over-ear.

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post #25 of 183
10/31/10 at 10:57am

nice review, im really tempted to try the fi-ba-a1 but after trying out the ortofon e-q7, i find them to lack the bass of dynamic drivers frown.gif

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post #26 of 183
10/31/10 at 11:14am
Quote:
Originally Posted by james444 View Post

I suspect your request may be heading into the same direction. Anyway, here's the picture:

 


You got me there. biggrin.gif I was more interested in the dimension actually, to see if they are large enough for MA driver, where FI-BA-SS is definitely a bit too small to house the MA driver.

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post #27 of 183
10/31/10 at 11:19am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ClieOS View Post


You got me there. biggrin.gif I was more interested in the dimension actually, to see if they are large enough for MA driver, where FI-BA-SS is definitely a bit too small to house the MA driver.


Really?  How much smaller is the SS compared to the GR8?  The GR8 is itty bitty.

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post #28 of 183
10/31/10 at 11:20am

I do like that the moving armature has more of a presentation that I expect from a dynamic driver.  Most BA earphones have the sound but lack a visceral sense.  The note impulse just seems different between the designs.

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post #29 of 183
10/31/10 at 12:54pm

Lets not confuse things, the FADs are definitely MAs. They are the first to use venting on MAs, but as stated earlier standard BAs have been vented before. Not sure how venting can help BAs considering they don't move any air, but I can definitely see it benefit MAs. The BAs in their names doesn't make it a standard BA, because the name MA or anything of the sort isn't official. Therefore naming it BA isn't out of of place because it is a Balanced Amature afterall regardless of the implementation to a  Moving Armature design.

 

*edit: matter of fact they name their Moving Armature design, "Balanced Air Movement" BAM.


Edited by Inks - 10/31/10 at 1:05pm
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post #30 of 183
10/31/10 at 12:57pm

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by james444 View Post

So what to do if you already own the e-Q7? Is there an upgrade path? I'd say if you're happy with your Ortofons, then stay with them.


Gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling inside, but it could have been the nachos 

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