The Wizard Appreciation Thread - Long Live the Wizard - The former HA Appreciation Thread - Page 169

 

cheers... I'm having a lil listen to my 3.Ai's through my Dell PC using Spotify, even though the source is pretty naff they sound real good & detailed, proof of pudding will be when I get my WM-Z back this week.

 

I ain't even got the 4.Ai's out of their packaging yet... I like to tease me

 

You could still buy both ... and offer the 4.Ai to OK-Guy. I'm sure he'd reimburse your shipping costs. 

 

(Promotional pricing for all Heir Audio's CIEMs is coming to an end tonight, but IEM pricing won't be affected.)

Just ordered the 3.Ai's. Guess I'm part of the club now. 

 

they arrived last Tuesday Way mate... my Sister has my WM-Z so won't say how I find them till I have that back later this week (be unfair to appraise them till I have a decent source)... you sold me on getting the 4.A's, I was unsure of getting Customs though Fortis & you were telling me to, the 4.Ai seemed a good compromise after my discussions with The Wizard... the 3.Ai are just an indulgence that and the fact I saved $55 on shipping, so in theory I saved meself $55 on the 3.Ai list price... 'spend to save' my new motto

Edited by OK-Guy - 9/30/12 at 7:16am

 

I could be interested in a second pair of 4.Ai's for $344... my figuring is why should he get all the benefit

 

pdiddypdler enjoy mate truly...

Edited by OK-Guy - 9/30/12 at 7:12am

I'd like a few more comparisons of the 3.Ai vs the TF10.  I just put together a cable for it, and it sounds great!  I'm thinking of tossing them up here for sale to help fund my 3.Ai purchase.

 

seems like a good idea mate... worth a go in my book.

 

btw the cable looks real good.

Hi, I have been lurking around this forum for quite sometime and have learned lots so far. So a bunch of thanks to everyone I have already learned from! I have been looking for a substantial iem upgrade and my lurking has led me to the excitement surrounding the universals from Heir. So this being my first post on the forum am looking for  some personalized advice.....some help!  ...Okay... I need a bit of help here deciding whether to jump into a set of 3.Ai or 4.Ai. 

 

These both seem like great choices and I have read through a whole bunch of the Heir threads and still want to hear more opinions based on my needs. 

 

For the last several months my iem has been an Mee A161P. It's a great all-around performer but I have a bit of upgrade-itis. Please excuse if I don't use the correct terminology or descriptions of sound, but I am pretty new to this.

 

Anyway, I Love the detail and clarity - the accuracy, I guess overall of the 161 and they are generally smooth and clear all around. They helped me find more detail in music than I knew was there.  But they lack some detail and sparkle in the treble. I really like the bass, however, it is full clear and tight - but lacking a bit on some tracks I guess.

 

But I also I just get the sensation of the sound being in each ear - so I guess I want to find something with a wider soundstage? Also,  I tried Comply tips and they just killed the already lacking top end on the 161's so I went back to the double flange rubber ones which were supplied and they are perfect. Also I just get a sensation that they are just a bit "flat" or uninspiring at times. 

 

So what I like:

The detail and clarity

Smooth overall sound

 

What I Don't like so much:

Treble recessed

Sounds really crowded into each ear

Just something missing (Why I want to upgrade)

 

All my music is Flac format, rockboxed iPod 5.5 with line out to a Fiio E11. (also have a 6g iPod classic I use sometimes) I know there is better DAP/ amp I could use, but from experience with my home theater I know the best $$ to spend first is on speakers (therefore iem's for portable) Anyway my portable setup works pretty well for me.

 

I listen to a VERY wide range of music, but mostly rock (classic and prog and alt) and gentle acoustic stuff.

 

Soo...3Ai or 4Ai ( I can only afford one!) Any advice is appreciated, especially from anyone who had tired or used the A161P's.

 

Thanks

In my opinion, if you want detail and clarity, the 4.Ai is significantly better on the high end. As I have said before, to me, the 3.Ai is too sibilant and lacking in detail on the high end. Being used to Ety ER-4S's, I just can't listen to the 3.Ai's. I know other people like the 3.Ai's, but they're not for me.

http://www.head-fi.org/t/621602/heir-audio-4-ai-appreciation-impression-review-thread/525#post_8709761

 

was it that one?

I briefly had the TF10 and ultimately returned them. I found the mids too recessed, highs too thin, and too much sibilance for my taste. Plenty of bass but kindof wooly. I've read complaints about comfort/fit but that never bothered me.

I instead went to the Westone 4R. Much more balanced presentation with fuller mids, smoother highs, more separation in the lows and no sibilance at all. Still enjoying them, although would like a bit better isolation.

Recently received Heir 3.Ai's, purchased as a companion to a set of custom 4.A's currently in process. Experience with them has been brief, but they have much fuller mids and less bloated bass than the TF10`s (as I recall). Highs are richer and very detailed, but still sibilance which I don't tolerate well; at otherwise comfortable listening volumes it's very jarring. I prefer the Westones and those are likely what I'll keep. That aside the 3.Ai's are very nicely built and are comfortable (many tips to choose from) with a much (MUCH) better cable than the TF10. Also has a heavy duty Pelican-style case (which is very nice but over the top unless you're using to carry other gear). The Westone 4R "vault" is ideal. The TF10 "tin" was nice enough but not as secure.

If you aren't sensitive to sibilance and are willing to part with double the dough (TF10`s are around $180) I think the 3.Ai's are a much better universal. To my ears at least - YMMV.

Thanks for the reply...I am kind f leaning towards the 4.Ai due to the descriptors of the details, clarity, seperation, etc. The one thing that worries me is the bass. Is there enough? I would hope the bass quantity is at least as much as the a161p. The bass on those is JUST enough for me. I couldn't be happy with any less than that. I am certain the quality is much better, I am just concerned about the quantity if it is sufficient. 

 

you made me open my 4.Ai's (big grrrrrr, I was saving them for my WM-Z but your concerns mirrored mine)... to see how much bass there was I tried two tracks, first 'Madame Medusa - UB40', probably my favourite UB40 track, I can happily report that the bass is more than adequate and it went real low when the dub-bass kicked in after about 6.5mins... second track I tried out was 'Jah Wrote Me (a letter from Zion) - Scientist & Roots Radics Band', fantastic bass, well defined and to my ears the right amount... I daresay when I get my WM-Z back and with a tad of bass-boost I could probably get my ear-wax to fly out of my nose... luckily I like my music without any equalization.

 

hope that helps a bit.

 

edit:... the 3.Ai are definately bass friendly with the same tracks... but the extra detail & definition made me prefer the 4.Ai, the smigen of bass lost to the 3.Ai is no big deal imho.

Edited by OK-Guy - 9/30/12 at 4:24pm

This certainly helps a lot. Thank you. I also listen without any equalization, that is why I don't want to end up with an expensive iem that is bass-shy and I need to artificially boost. Your quote "smidgen of bass lost to the 3.Ai" is kind of what I need to hear to help make a decision between the two. As long as the bass is accurate, adequate, and in a proper quantity I think I am okay. So I guess the "smidgen" bass increase in the 3Ai is not worth the loss of detail and clarity, to me at least.

 

Kinda funny I am probably overthinking all this since I am looking at upgrading from a $100 iem to a $400 iem...either one would probably blow me away.

 

Thanks

 

I've had some awful problems with headphones, in a way I'm spoilt by my home-system which I'm in the process of upgrading (typically British, very neutral), I kinda use that as my benchmark which is unfair to say the least... my journey has taken a varying route as I really wanted over-the-ear headphones but that has always ended in disappointment (see my profile for very brief reviews). Way & Fortis convinced me to go for 'Customs' in another thread, I didn't really want to fork out for the JH16's that Fortis had, Way was ranting on enthusiastically Heir 4.A's and at a third of the price of the JH16's I thought it best I investigate more, so contacted The Wizard who has been pretty much spot-on with everything he told me to expect from both the 3.Ai & 4.Ai with regard to sound, definition & detail etc.

 

having listened to both now the 3.Ai is exactly how The Wizard told me, a fun headphone... the 4.Ai is on another level, it's precise, detailed and refined... I'm impressed with both so far and are way ahead of anything I've owned to date (that said my stock Sony buds I got with my WM-Z would show most of what I owned a clean pair of heels).

Edited by OK-Guy - 9/30/12 at 5:06pm