[OK-Guy]

still undecided about these... it's so confusing choosing stuff you can't get to try before committing my hard earned scheckles.

 

[OK-Guy]

get on board guys.... good luck
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/620813/enter-to-win-an-heir-audio-an-all-new-4-ai

 

[roma101]

Just got these today and my ears are very pleased. I think these are keepers.

 

[kiteki]

Nice!

 

[BobJS]

I've been eyeballing these for a while.  In the big "shoot-out" review here, they are compared to be similar to the Senn HD25-1 II, which I own.  After rotating through my current HP collection, I picked the HD25s back up and found ---- I really like them!  I'm extremely bored with my AT m50.
 
So the question for me is ---- is it worth the expenditure for these babies, or can I save my money and get a similar sound sig from my HD25s?  Obviously no one can answer this, I'm just fishing for informed opinions.

 

[roma101]

Listening to Depeche Mode is a dream on these. I love the ES10's unabashed sense of fun and musicality while still remaining refined. And the bass... just how I like it! Deep and plenty of impact. It's funny, I put these on every time, not expecting much, until I turn on the music... I am impressed every time.

The only thing I wish for was better build on the cable - seems kinda fragile for such an expensive can. And isolation - if only it was up to HD25/DT1350 standards! I may fiddle around with different pads.

 

[dallan]

same cable as the esw9's.  At least it is nice and light/flexible for portable.

 

[roma101]

So here are some of my impressions:

If Grado and Ultrasone had a baby, it would be the ES10. Absolutely FUN headphone while being very detailed from top to bottom. The bass is deep and impactful - definitely has the punch I crave. The mids are oh-so-slightly recessed but are crystal clear. The highs are sparkly but smooth simultaneously. I'd say the overall signature is on the fun aggressive side. If you like the HD25s this will be a great upgrade -plenty of PRaT and power which makes metal, rock, and electronica a blast to listen to. This headphone is just unabashed fun. The form factor is actually perfect - looks great on my head and it's very comfortable.

Now for some quibbles. The tonality is not very natural as the headphone is on the colder, brighter side. The decay is great but the tonality itself is slightly off from being realistic. Not a problem if you don't care for something like that. I wish the wire was just a little stronger and thicker but it still looks durable as long as you take care of it. And last but not least, isolation. It's just fine if you are not planning to use on the train/bus but it would've been great if I could use them in those conditions.

Other than that, these are very fun headphones and refined. If you like an aggressive yet smooth sound sig these should be up your alley. A lot of genres shine on these, especially metal, rock, and electronica.

Just because of my preferences, I will probably put these on the FS forum soon in order to put the funds toward something more isolating. If I could afford these and get something else however, these would absolutely be in my stable of cans.

 

[dallan]

Funny, I think these are my warmest and least bright cans.

 

[Danneq]

I think there's a definite metallic tinge to the sound. Perhaps the titanium cups are to blame? So I can see how some might think that the ES10 are cold. I'd say that the overall sound to me it warm and crispy.
 
Hmmm. Now I feel like eating something fried...

 

[roma101]

I would agree with warm and crispy, while slightly metallic/cold in comparison to some other cans (k181, anc7, D1000, M-80, HJE900 iem).

 

[gurus]

Just the opposite impressions.. Warm and forward sounding mids. The emphasis is on the bottom end and mids so I just cannot see how these could be bright as there is (relatively) less energy  in the highs. I did make an extension cable for it and that brought a more balanced sound overall- opening up the highs and tightening up the low end to some extent which in turn helped to clean up the mids.
 

 

[roma101]

It's all subjective in the end afterall. Those are just my impressions.

The sound of these is addicting. Even my girlfriend wants me to keep them and she's not very fond of my expensive hobby.

 

[dallan]

Quote:

Just the opposite impressions.. Warm and forward sounding mids. The emphasis is on the bottom end and mids so I just cannot see how these could be bright as there is (relatively) less energy  in the highs. 

Exactly!

 

[roma101]

Hm, I don't hear forward mids at all. They're not very recessed (the presentation as a whole is slightly v-shaped but still very balanced) but vocals are slightly distanced to my ears in relation to the other instruments, which IMO is a good thing. Perhaps the differences we are hearing have to do with the recordings and the volumes we are listening at.