Brainwavz B2/DBA-02/ATH-CK10 clarity, but with more bass? - Page 4

I just tried the Pico Slim with the DBA02s and there is noticeably more bass body/impact, fuller mids, smoother treble, better soundstage depth and height while width is more or less the same. resolution/imaging/clarity is slightly better as well, though differences are small.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rangerid 

I just tried the Pico Slim with the DBA02s and there is noticeably more bass body/impact, fuller mids, smoother treble, better soundstage depth and height while width is more or less the same. resolution/imaging/clarity is slightly better as well, though differences are small.

I'd say that is accurate IME.  I definitely don't consider the Pico Slim neutral like others do in bass presentation which is why they work well w/ the DBA.

Listening to the A1's now. Before I give any impressions though I would like to know if these require an amp. The impedance is only 16 and the sensitivity is 112. They have a fair amount of backround noise (mostly noticable with piano and quiet music), more than any other iem in my sig, but I'm not sure I'm using a decent enough source. The GR07, CK10, DBA and FX700 all sound great with zero hiss out of my computer and my phone.

It will be helpful to know your sources. These are low impedance and high sensitivity so some sources won't work as well. These dont require an amp if your source is decent for them. You can read the user-info page on the FXT90 thread, there's a recommended sources page that pretty much applies for these as well.

Thanks that's some really good info. I'm using an HTC Incredible. I can't find it's output impedance anywhere. I'm guessing it's too high? I have better results though USB audio jack on my laptop. Background noise is relatively low but still present in quiet tracks. Is it noticable at all on the iphone 4 or the clip?

Edit: Found that this is an issue with HTC phones. They require higher impedance iems, around 30-40 ohms.

Unfortunately pretty much every smart phone that isn't an iPhone 3GS and onward just aren't good sources. Laptops in general have high OI, thought Im guessing it's less than the HTC. Hiss levels are usually minimal with the clip+ and IP4. Shotgunshane can elaborate on the hiss levels of the IP4 using the A1.  

Okay after listening to these for an hour or so I can say that I'm still trying to figure out the sound. Brain burn-in is a funny thing. When I first heard the FX700 I thought they were offensive bass monsters but over time I came to really love their natural sound and great timbre. The details were all there, they were just presented in a different way from what I was used to. The A1's are similiar to the FX700's in this regard. 

Inks has described the sound of the A1's very well. Compared to the CK10, they are airier, probably a result of a more v-shaped sound signature. True to the v-shape form, the A1's place noticably less emphasis on the mids, and to my ears sound almost too thin as a result. This brings me to the bass, which is the subject of this thread. Personally I don't hear much more if any more bass on the A1 than I do on the CK10. This could be a result of different fit, or my source... scratch that. It's my sources. Out of my brother's iphone 4 the sound signature has changed tremendously from what I have just described. The bass is much more filled out, finding a nice balance with the treble and eliminating the thinness referenced above.

It's unfortunate for me that the A1's are picker with sources than the CK10's. Paired with the iphone 4, they have picked up a nice amount of detail, definitely in the same league as the CK10, and have a nice hefty bass that resembles a dynamic in slam and weight, and even timbre, but retains a bit of BA quickness.

I will listen to these much more in the coming hours, but my preliminary verdict is that, given the right source, I could accept these as a CK10 with more bass. Some differences in regards to things other than sound: the cable is not at all as hardy as the one on the CK10. It seems like quite cheap, although microphonics are nonexistent wearing these over the ear. On the plus side, the cable is lighter than the audio technica's, resulting in less weight dangling from your ears. Personally, I don't mind the cable in a practical sense; it works for me.

Fit with the A1 is almost as good, although they are larger I was able to get a seal right away. YMMV however, as I have somewhat smaller ears and the CK10's fit like they were specifically made for me. I suspect fit wouldn't be an issue for most people. Once the A1's were in my ears I found them very comfortable.

More to come. I need to get more music on different sources to give these iems a better evaluation. So far I am really enjoying these. Thanks Inks and everyone else for all the great info you've provided.

edit: The A1's also sound great with the ipod classic (6g), quite similiar/the same as the iphone 4.

Quote:

Originally Posted by xII DM IIx 

I've just received the JVC FX700s literally minutes ago and even pre-burn in, these are pretty much exactly what I'm looking for. I was afraid the bass was going to be to boomy for me, but actually it's near perfect.

 They'll also noticeably improve with further use. I purchased a pair that had been extensively used for over a year and a half, and when a relative of mine brought over his brand new pair, even he found mine noticeably better sounding. Not a day/night difference, just noteworthy differences here and there. Same source, same tips, and same tracks used for comparison of course. Glad you find them to your liking. They're among my all time favorite dynamics. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by xII DM IIx 

Well, I think I've found it.

 

I've just received the JVC FX700s literally minutes ago and even pre-burn in, these are pretty much exactly what I'm looking for. I was afraid the bass was going to be to boomy for me, but actually it's near perfect.

 

Now we'll see how they hold up in terms of isolation when out and about...

Glad you found what you were looking for. I definately wouldn't have guessed that the FX700 would be the ones you arrived at given your initial requirements. But it does make sense since the FX700 do have a suprising amount of detail. They sounded phenomenal to me but the isolation and fit was a bit too much of an issue for me to keep them over certain others. The FXT90 is a good replacement.

I've decided to sell the A1's. I do prefer their sound signature over the CK10's and DBA's. And the fit is good, isolation is good, details are present, timbre is realistic, but imaging loses out to the CK10's. The A1's don't seem to place instruments within the soundstage as accurately as the CK10, although the soundstage itself is wider. I also got the feeling that the A1's weren't as quick as the CK10's in reproducing complex passages of music, but it's hard to quantify how noticable it is. Someone said earlier (Inks?) that the eq5's tended to gloss over some information, well I havent't heard the eq5's but this is also how I perceived the A1's, although I would imagine it's to a lesser extent. Maybe james444 can give more insight about this in his shootout thread. It's not the A1's aren't really good, I guess I'm just looking for something I can only find in customs.  

The Bowers and Wilkins' C5. Lol. JK. ACS T15 has slightly more bass body than the B2s. Treble kinda goes a little recessed though. Still detailed and clear as ever. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by xII DM IIx 

 

Coincidental considering I do have some fit and isolation issues. I'm looking for a BA that will deliver similar if not the same sound quality and signature as the FX700s so I can take them out and about.

 

We seem to be looking for a similar IEM, and I assume since you're considering customs that you haven't found what you're looking for in universals, correct?
 

 

I'm not sure a BA exists that delivers something on par with the FX700. Maybe the SM3's? I haven't heard them yet but reading about them makes me think they're too veiled in the highs. The A1's are almost there in certain respects, but fall short in imaging. Honestly if I didn't have the CK10's to compare them to I might not notice this issue. The FXT90's check off the most boxes for me so far. The fit is great and isolation is good. I did send them back for a different pair because of the driver flex issue, but I'm looking forward to putting them through some treble boot camp lol. They will probably fall short of the DBA's and CK10's in that area, but my initial impressions were really good.

I'm definitely looking at customs options like the Rooth LS8. Average joe has a lot of good to things to say about it. CK10-like treble with a nice filled out lower end. It's those or the Miracles.