Just received my COA-805 'Cindy' retail package and what a big WOW it is. I didn't hear any of the sibilance that had been described by your guys but only a very well rounded and refined sound, bass driven, slightly u-shaped and an immersive soundstage. It is very far from the much less controlled COA-803 in my original review. This is what I was hoping the COA-803 could sound like. I am literally pumped after the first listen. I have been listening to SE215 for a few weeks now and even it doesn't get me so excited.

I'm a bit at odds with it myself but also recieved my GR07 within 2 days of getting it and have to admit the GR07 has really gotten all of my attention due to it's sound signature and refinement, BUT and it is a big but, IT SHOULD considering it's higher retail. Also I had been listening to the SE215 for the past 2 months and gotten used to a tamed treble response and hightened mids. So I may have also been is shock sonically from a significantly different sound signature.
 
Anyway the good news is because I haven't been listening to these much they have been getting an extremely extended burnin so will be thoroughly broken in when I do a review of them. Every once in a while I do have a listen and they have become pretty well rounded though. I will probably do a review in the next week or so.
 
I am thinking I may pull all of my reviews I have done over the past year or two into one big thread and try to make sense of them all considering so many were written when I didn't have as much experience with different sounds etc and then tie in all the newest IEMs I have on hand right now and do a special A/B/C etc comparison review of those IEM's together. Then I think I am going to pick my favorite or 2 and sell the rest to recover some of my costs and retire from the whole reviewing thing aside from maybe the odd model I get asked to review which doesn't happen to often as I want to start to focus on other things in life and on the music itself.
 
Anyway I am rambling. Good to see your enjoying these ClieOS, I look forward to your review.

It is always fun to go back to old review, just to check if one's taste has changed or not. I used to be a fairly strict analytical listener a few years ago but I am now finding myself listen to just as much warm and even bass heavy IEM. Widened horizon, I guess

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clieos said:

It is always fun to go back to old review, just to check if one's taste has changed or not. I used to be a fairly strict analytical listener a few years ago but I am now finding myself listen to just as much warm and even bass heavy IEM. Widened horizon, I guess

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If you tastes change (even by the slightest), that means you're maturing , which isn't a bad thing either. 
 
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clieos said:

Just received my COA-805 'Cindy' retail package and what a big WOW it is. I didn't hear any of the sibilance that had been described by your guys but only a very well rounded and refined sound, bass driven, slightly u-shaped and an immersive soundstage. It is very far from the much less controlled COA-803 in my original review. This is what I was hoping the COA-803 could sound like. I am literally pumped after the first listen. I have been listening to SE215 for a few weeks now and even it doesn't get me so excited.

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Wait one second, people said their was sibilance?  In the COA-805...  Hm...  Either mine aren't burned in enough (75+ hours so far), or I am really missing something.  I wish I had an 803 to compare to
 

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tinyman392 said:

If you tastes change (even by the slightest), that means you're maturing

, which isn't a bad thing either. 
 

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Haha, perhaps it is because being an IEM user is a much simpler life back then.
 

Glad you like them, I like them a lot as well.  I did have a durability issue and am waiting for a reply from Mario before I post my review on them.  I agree that the soundstage is pretty amazing.  The very lowest bass I find is very well controlled as well.  Looking forward to your after burn in thoughts as well as your final review.
 
Quote:

clieos said:

Just received my COA-805 'Cindy' retail package and what a big WOW it is. I didn't hear any of the sibilance that had been described by your guys but only a very well rounded and refined sound, bass driven, slightly u-shaped and an immersive soundstage. It is very far from the much less controlled COA-803 in my original review. This is what I was hoping the COA-803 could sound like. I am literally pumped after the first listen. I have been listening to SE215 for a few weeks now and even it doesn't get me so excited.

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OK sat down and had another listen tonight and these are definitely not sibilant and they may not have ever been. I think whats been bothering me is where they peak. They are either V or U shaped but is a small V or U as the treble peak is a lot lower than I am used to or like, I have no way of measuring but it seems like they peak at around 5 or 6Khz making them come across as flashy or hot which subdues the sizzle for things like hihats and cymbals. The bass also seems to be peaked in the mid-bass versus the sub-bass which again subdues that sub-bass making them a bit boomy. I hate to say more until I do a bit more A/B comparing as they may be quite competitive against all my other sub-100 gear at the moment in which case I am being to harsh because I have been listening to my GR07 alot and it's affecting my judgement.
 
What I will say again though is they are pretty darn comfortable in my opinion.
 
Anyway they are back burning away and will have a good 200hrs when I do a review sometime next week.

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dweaver said:

OK sat down and had another listen tonight and these are definitely not sibilant and they may not have ever been. I think whats been bothering me is where they peak. They are either V or U shaped but is a small V or U as the treble peak is a lot lower that I am used to or like, I have no way of measuring but it seems like they peak at around 5 or 6Khz making them come across as flashy or hot which subdues the sizzle for things like hihats and cymbals. The bass also seems to be peaked in the mid-bass versus the sub-bass which again subdues that sub-bass making them a bit boomy. I hate to say more until I do a bit more A/B comparing as they may be quite competitive against all my other sub-100 gear at the moment in which case I am being to harsh because I have been listening to my GR07 alot and it's affecting my judgement.
 
What I will say again though is they are pretty darn comfortable in my opinion.
 
Anyway they are back burning away and will have a good 200hrs when I do a review sometime next week.

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Yay, my ears aren't broken...  Listening away...  And cancelling my audiologist appointment...  JK about the audiologist, but I knew I wasn't crazy

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clieos said:

Just received my COA-805 'Cindy' retail package and what a big WOW it is. I didn't hear any of the sibilance that had been described by your guys but only a very well rounded and refined sound, bass driven, slightly u-shaped and an immersive soundstage.

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Any chance the difference is due to retail version and the 'field test' version? PolloLoco got the engineering field test version and reported sibilance. I guess the rest of you got the retail packing and do not complain about sibilance. Or is there more to it?

I didn't get a retail version, and I did not hear any sibilance, Mario from Sonocore said the two were the same minus the packaging. 
 
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esanthosh said:

Any chance the difference is due to retail version and the 'field test' version? PolloLoco got the engineering field test version and reported sibilance. I guess the rest of you got the retail packing and do not complain about sibilance. Or is there more to it?

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dziendobry said:

I didn't get a retail version, and I did not hear any sibilance, Mario from Sonocore said the two were the same minus the packaging. 
 

 
 

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I got retail packaging (the wrong packaging apparently, but they are the Cindy ), and can confirm no sibilance (unless my ears need to get checked...)
 

Hmmm, that's really odd?  I heard a lot of sibilance without burnin - and while admittedly there's very little now, I can still detect it.  I admit though - that I'm playing test tracks I've known for being prone to sibilance however.  The following are a couple where I feel I hear it:
 
Loreena McKennitt
The Mask and the Mirror - The Dark Night of the Soul - very very minor sibilance now, T's and S's have a bit of emphasis.
Songs For Winter Gardens - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - More noticeable at times, extended S's at points where there shouldn't be
To Drive the Cold Winter Away - Bulalow - Pretty noticeable sibilance.  But it's largely how the track was mastered.  I heard it back and forth against my custom TF10's to confirm that sibilance is handled better on the TF10's, but it's not a huge difference.
 
The Mask and the Mirror - The Mystic's Dream - I'll admit - I expected sibilance but there's none really noticeable.  The IEM's handle this song well.
The Book of Secrets - Marco Polo - No sibilance, but I just wanted to point out this track as demonstrating how strong the bass on this iem is.  It's mostly an instrumental track but damn, the bass is impressive in terms of quantity.  Not what I'd expect from this type of music.
 
I fully admit I'm being very picky - I'm sensitive to treble and would have described myself as a treble-head at one point.  I picked an artist who's songs were prone to sibilance even with very good headphones.  With the 503's most of her music sounds absolutely great.  Especially 2 of her most well known songs "Bonny Portmore" and "The Mummer's Dance" sound nearly perfect as regards sibilance.
 
The one thing that surprises me is to hear that no sibilance was present without burnin?  Then I'd know I needed to get my ears checked because it was pretty audible.  These improved a lot - the only headphones I've heard that improved more with burnin were a pair of old lenntek sonix that I bought years ago.  As is - I'm looking forward to reading ClieOs' review of these.

 
Nice review! These look nice!
 
I couldn't help when reading it notice this so i have a proposition. DON'T be offended by it.
 
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clieos said:

First, I must admit I am a sucker for dynamic dual drivers.
 

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I have a pair of able planet dual drivers and would be willing to trade them with something in your huge collection?

swimsonny said:

I have a pair of able planet dual drivers and would be willing to trade them with something in your huge collection?

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I don't trade or sell my IEM, just collect

Fair enough! You must have one awesome little collection now days then