[Review] Impressions of the Sony EX1000 versus the FX700, GR10 and e-Q5 - Page 13

 

 

 

Seems like I'll like them. May be later on...  Sigh! collecting IEMs never ends. But EX-1000 (after price drop) first .

 

Agreed, I am not going to even entertain getting these until they make their way to Canada and I can actually try them! I was planning on saving up for the Denon 7000 but if these are as good as they are described here I may just go for them instead. 

 

 

Hmmm... I know what you guys mean but the HJE900 for some reason has a more natural drums presentation to my ears. Yes they have lesser bass quality or even quantity compared to the FX700 but the same can be said for its mids and treble. Even though I hear more detail in electric guitars on FX700 and EX1000, the HJE900 has that added bite. Also, we don't hear all the details when we listen to the electric in a gig or concert so more detail doesn't necessarily means it sound more real. And the same can be said for drums. Compared to the FX700 and EX1000, the drums on the HJE900 may sound like it's from another room but it still sound natural to me nonetheless. Whereas in other IEMs, the drums may sound "disjointed" from the rest of the sound, being too strong or even too detailed - like dissecting the instrument out of the song and analyzing it individually. 

 

Then again, this is just my $0.02 and I'm sure many people don't hear or look for the same sound that I do. 

 

Ah, yes you are describing coherence to my ears.  Though it shouldn't be an issue when comparing dynamic drivers.  With most multi BA's you hear exactly what you describe.  Interpretation of timbre can also vary for those that tend to be more genre specific.  If you only listen to one genre and an instrument sounds perfect you might not experience it's full dynamic range with other genres.  Things like Drum kits and Piano have incredibly wide ranges to have to nail in order to be considered timbre accurate.  Not everyone tests the full spectrum in this regard.  

 

I have to say there is something sweet about wood in drivers or housings for Piano.  I don't doubt the EX1000 might have better dynamic range if we consider timbre solely as a function of FR.  However, even the lowly TS02 has that wood quality that lends itself to wooden instruments.  Now, I did have a limited listen to the EX1000 in Vegas and perhaps the massive quantity of noise coming from the showroom floor compounded w/ non ideal tips (used Sony hybrids) and open vents on the phone gave rise to my impressions of the EX1000 not sounding like a $600 IEM.  But, I simply don't recall that magical wooden touch to the timbre of the EX1000 that I would find in a real Piano.  Please correct me if I'm wrong.  

 

It isn't just coherence but also a bit of airiness and presentation that doesn't try too hard and goes well with the rest of the spectrum. Also, I think it's not limited to DDs as I have heard a few BAs that were quite good in coherence as well, though I've not spend much time listening to them.

 

For the EX1000, I actually found them very picky with tips and as you said poor isolation can easily reduce the subtle nuances that you can hear on the IEMs. I think James had said that he used to think that wood was the secret of having good timbre and the EX1000 proved him wrong, and I can agree with him in that respect. I think it has a bit longer decay on pianos, giving it a bit more wetness and weight or reverb as some might say. Try and listen to one in a quiet room and play around with the tips. They're probably more reasonable at around $400 but like many premium products, have a huge profit margin I suppose. 

I'd still be very suspicious about the build quality. All my sony in-ears incl EX700 and EX500 looked fairly solid and all when I first bought them. All ended up with broken strain relievers (looks like material fatigue from repeated light stress), shells falling apart, cables swelling up and peeling and the coating on the shells flaking within 12 months of purchase with fairly light and careful use.

IMO the ultimate test for this is not whether you like (tolerate?) bright treble and mids or are prone to sibilance (and it sure is there, if not sibilance, then at the very least the brightness), but whether we see reports of these falling apart withing 6-12 months.

(oh and all the previous sony in ears had 90 days ltd warranty. So by that time if they do fall apart - everyone will be politely told to sod off by the Sony warranty people).
After EX700 I won't touch a sony 'IEM' with a 10 ft pole.
Edited by svyr - 4/3/11 at 4:17am

You might have a point. The labeling on the earpieces have already began to wear off after only a few months of use. That said, the magnesium housing feels great and the cable feels just as good as the IE8s. Only time will tell..

EX700 also had magnesium housing, but parts of the outer shell were plastic and the glue on those was pretty bad (see the pics linked in the post above). Sad to hear about L/R labels. For $500 and TOTL I'd hope they engrave it or do a better job...
Well, time will tell, indeed.

Well said.

 

 

Ok, maybe the bass is indeed not the strongest side of the FX700, although I think it's superb with the right tips - very tight, detailed and changes from track to track and passage to passage really showing the low end doing its job in a recording. It may be a bit overemphasized with some music, tips and sources, but that is its only real weakness IMO.

 

I disagree that the mids are sucked out on the FX700. Again, fit is crucial with these IEMs. The midrange can sound distant and murky if you are using tips that are too large or push the IEMs too deep into the ear. But with a shallow fit, the midrange is wonderfully present, articulate, extremely detailed and just so natural it's unbelievable.

 

I am very skeptical about EX1000 having better soundstage and timbre than FX700. I may be wrong of course, but I don't think that a larger soundstage than what FX700 produces is possible in an IEM and even if it is, I don't think it would sound very natural. FX700 already sounds huge and I don't think I would want to loose more intimacy with even more distant sounds. Or do you mean that EX1000 has better imaging? Well, that's possible, but again the imaging on FX700 is already very sharp and realistic. I don't see how it can get much better than that.

 

Now, regarding timbre - I think FX700 is pretty much perfect in this regard. Or at least I haven't heard anything better. Real instruments and vocals ring out absolutely true on this IEM to my ears. Ok, maybe there is a little bit of added warmth here and there, but IMO that's actually what makes these such a musical and involving IEM, but with the right tips, the coloration is minimal and overall I find the sound more accurate than even Etymotic ER4. Again, I have a hard time believing that EX1000 can do timbre "quite a bit" better. If it really does, I would be amazed because it is not a wooden IEM and right now I am convinced that only a wooden housing can produce the kind of accurate timbre that FX700 does.

 

But still - I would love to try the EX1000. I also read on Headphonia that its frequency balance is similar to that of SE530. I really like that.

 

Oh yes, one important thing I forgot to mention about my experience with FX700 is that I don't find the treble on them emphasized at all. In fact, I wouldn't want any less treble that what FX700 produces. I think its balance between mids and treble is flawless. The transition is seamless and the highs extend really far in a velvety smooth manner with a ton of detail and perfect tonal balance. I found SE530 lacking treble a bit, so if EX1000 has a similar sound to SE530, and it really seems like it does, then I would probably be reaching for EQ quite often. I find the highs on the FX700 somewhere between ER4P and ER4S in quantity - more present than with the former, but not too bright like the latter can sometimes sound. The ER4 are known for their great accuracy and with this in mind plus my own feelings on how music is really supposed to sound like, I feel that the FX700 outputs an ideal amount of high frequencies.

Edited by Pianist - 4/3/11 at 11:32am

Which tips are you using the JVCs Pianist?

@Pianist- I'm really going to enjoys these JVC's when you sell them to me to finance the Sonys!
Edited by shotgunshane - 4/3/11 at 12:01pm

 

lol Unless I actually hear the EX1000 and AB it against the FX700 extensively in a quiet environment, I don't think I will sell FX700 to fund EX1000. I simply find it too hard to believe that EX1000 will be worth it as I can't imagine it beating the FX700 in key aspects, like dynamic range, soundstage, timbre, speed, clarity, detail.
 

 

That's a good question. I have not settled on any specific tip yet and I don't think I ever will. FX700 is just so incredibly picky about fit that each tip changes the sound in very unique ways. It's not subtle differences at all. The largest tips provide a noticeable mid bass emphasis with attenuated sub bass and upper bass, and a somewhat recessed/distant sounding mids and highs. The dynamic range is also somewhat compressed. The medium tips provide more sub bass emphasis with a present, but slightly muddy lower mids and sparky highs. the dynamics become more expansive. The smallest tips bring the whole midrange forward with wonderful upper mid and treble quality and presence and also tames mid bass creating a very linear, very tight and very deep low end with lessened impact that reminds me a lot of Etymotic ER4 bass The dynamic range takes a huge leap forward with a loose seal too - transitions from loud to quiet passages are so startling that I thought I had my "dynamic normalizer" setting turned on on my Sony player when in fact it was off. Each tip size works well with certain music genres and not so well with others, but each has its strengths, so I keep switching between them all the time. However, I do prefer the smallest tips overall because they provide balanced frequency response and the most effortless dynamics to my ears.

Edited by Pianist - 4/3/11 at 12:31pm

LMAO, Pianist is going crazy over the Fx700.

 

The Er-4p is long forgotten 

 

lol Yes, sadly I can't think of anything that the good old Etys do better than the FX700. FX700 redefined accuracy for me. I realized how limited ER4 really is in technicalities. The narrow dynamic range, the short decay, the lack of air, they are all so obvious when switching directly from ER4 to FX700.