Bonjour!
So I decided, after way too much researching, to buy a set of these, mostly due to the reviews on this thread. Not having a lot of experience, I picked these based on what I thought I would enjoy, using my experience with my SR80s as reference. So 3 weeks after ordering them, I got them....and I think I may have been sent a slightly defective pair. I say slightly because they've opened up a bit since I got them. When I got them, and up until this week (I've had them about 3 weeks and put maybe 30-40 hours on them), they were really muffled. They've opened up now, but there's still the faintest of crackles/buzzing in the left ear (I checked by switching sides), the severity of which changes depending on how I have them in my ears. The good news is buyfromjapan on eby, who I bought them from (getting it from them plus a 3-year warranty plus shipping only ended up at $150) said they would give me a refund.
So the reason I'm posting is, first off, to see if anyone has had similar experiences. The buzzing is really slight and only happens in certain frequency range. Most people I ask to see if they can hear it can't. I obsess over details I guess. However, the main reason is that even after burn in, I discovered the sound signature to not be my cup of tea. Now it could be that they're actually quite different sounding from a non-defective pair, but they quality alone is good enough to make me think that this is pretty close to what they should sound like, sans occasional buzzing.
I figured that this would be the place to ask for recommendations for a replacement. What I don't like about the sound signature is the emphasis on the highs ,which as has been noted tends to exaggerate sibilance at high, and the thump in the bass. I prefer to hear the bass clearly rather than feel it. I do like sparkly highs, but not at the expense of mids. The headphone that I've tried at stores that I like most (and I've tried senns, grados, denons, and beyerdynamics) is the Beyerdynamic DT990. I like the 880 too, but love the way the 990 manages to add a brightness to the sound without it being harsh. Next to the DT990, the Grado SR225, which I thought I would love, sounded too harsh.
I just find the FXT90s to be a bit muffled sounding for my taste. I'd like to have something with less thump and a more balanced midrange and bass (a little extra bass ok, just no thump) while still having a bit of sparkle. From the reviews I've read, that leaves me between the RE262s, the GR07s, and the DBA-02s. The RE262s headspace and liquid mids really intrigue me, but I'm worried it might lack the sparkle. The GR07s look great in every sense except for lack of sparkle, smaller soundstage, and the potential of them possibly being too balanced. The clarity of the DBA-02s and overall raving a lot of people do about them sounds great, but the build quality seems to be lacking and they might just be a little too bright. I have a very analytical mind, so chances are I would probably like something balanced and analytical with perhaps a bit of sparkle and good extension. Also a decently large soundstage. I don't like feeling like the sound is inside my head.
I realize the ultimately the best thing to do is to try out IEMs until I find one I like. It's just hard to find a place to try out IEMs, or find anyone in Toronto with a GR07 or amped RE262 to try out.
In any case, I thank anyone in advance who takes the time to read this wall of text and gives me their honest opinion.
Edited by MonsieurJambon - 2/13/12 at 11:36am
