[Review] HiFiMAN RE262 - Sophisticated and Beautiful - Page 15

Quote:

Originally Posted by shotgunshane 

Preference is subjective. Performance is objective.
I love both the UM3x and the RE262.

So which one is objectively better? How do you know that there is such thing as objective sound reproduction performance? What you hear is purely your subjective experience - nobody else can hear what you do. Remember that we have different hearing abilities and different ear shape and size, which can all affect the sound that reaches our brains. But then we also have different mental abilities, so everybody's brain will process the sound that it receives differently and therefore our subjective experience of the sound will be altered further.

I have a feeling this discussion is going round and round.

On a side note, I just added the Hifiman HM-101 to my work laptop.  Pairs well with cMoyBB + 262.  Added a bit more refinement over my laptop's soundcard.  Hopefully Fang keeps on making these 262 for years to come.    

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClieOS 

I have a feeling this discussion is going round and round.

Why don't we agree to disagree?  We all have the right to express our opinions and the right for our opinions to be respected. Criticism is fine, but we have to draw a line somewhere. I think the most important thing is to be nice to others. We can argue until we are blue in the face, but we need to respect each other and avoid insults. If we disagree, we just need to explain our reasons for doing so in a polite manner. I don't see any reason to get upset or angry on here. After all it is just a forum and there are more important things in life to save our strong emotions for. Here, we should just have fun. I don't think discussion on here should be taken personally. That's just not right. I've seen all too many great, smart and knowledgeable members on here getting banned just because we can't seem to understand that there is no such thing as right or wrong, just opinions and that everybody has the right to express their opinions freely without getting insulted for it.

I got my new pair of the 262's four weeks ago, and after 3 days of straight burnin the rt speaker went out, burnin was just over 1/2 volume, so I know I didn't blow the speaker, left speaker was fine.   So I returned them for a new pair which took 2 weeks.   After the same amount of time burning in at even a lower volume with a different player, first was with my touch, second burnin was with my 601 and uha4 again very faint sound from my rt speaker.   Is it possible its a bad batch?   I can't decide if I should get a refund or what?   Suggestions?

Thanks Shotgun!   I'll call Mrs. T today and discuss it before returning.   So things come in 3's??  My less than 1 yr old GR07 rt earpiece also went on me 3 days ago!!??LOL! (I checked all 3 of my players with them before finalizing it was the IEM, also check my rt ear!!LOL)  Now I don't have even a back up pair IEM to go wrong, sold all my others!   Guess I'll have to whistle or carry a boombox on my shoulder for music while I go on my dog walks!

On a more serious note, I wonder if anyone has done a mid-high tier Chinese IEM durability poll, perhaps I should go with Senns or JVC or Sony is durabilty if an issue for me(my DBA's went south on me less than a year).   Any thoughts on storage and issues, I often wrap them around my player, sometimes keep them loose in my small belt pack, could that cause the speaker going out?

I sometimes just use the small black box that came with the 262 but most times I just throw the 262 in my bag.  Living life on the edge.  But seriously, I bought mine in early 2011.  The latest versions aren't as durable?  I got my 272 and the cable is more waxy in appearance and the build quality of the driver housing is a little more metallic in look.  They also shortened the actual headphone cable while extending the balanced to TRS adapter cable.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by shotgunshane 

Wrapping them around a player can cause stress on the connections and cause wire fatigue, which in turn could make sound go out. I'd recommend picking up a small carrying case to put them in. Something like the UE metal case is really good but any small IEM case would be beneficial.
Haven't you heard the old saying "third time is a charm"?

I guess Hifiman does little updates to their headphones throughout the year.  The cable on my 272 is shiny, waxy, and less taut (more flexible) than my 262.  In the end it probably doesn't matter in terms of durability but we'll see.  The 262 has gone through a year of travel and commuting in my bag with no protection and no issues.  And yes, the actual cable that is attached to the 272 is about half the size of the 262 cable.  But the 272 cable comes with a longer TRS adapter to make up for the other half length while the the 262 has only a 4" balanced to TRS adapter.  So I'm guessing my 262 is old skool.  Also the newer bi-flanges have a smaller 1st flange whereas the older style had two flanges of the same length.  

Oh well, the 262 is a beast though.  Still kicking strong.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by shotgunshane 

I don't know of any version being less durble. I would just worry about the cables being tugged if not in a pocket sized case.
Your description of the 272 cable sounds like the extensions and length that came with my 262.

I love RE262 sound, but I don't like how it pairs with my HM-601 - too bad as I really like the two pieces of gear on their own. The sound becomes too soft IMO and the mids seem to become overly flat sounding and lose their magic. A matter of taste I guess - the detail is still there, but attack is too soft for my liking. I find RE262 pairs better with my cheaper players like Clip in conjunction with which the RE262 seems to produce a more lively and realistic sound. Does anyone else not like the HM-601 + RE262 combo or how RE262 pairs with other Hifiman players like HM602 and HM801? I didn't care for RE0 + HM-601 combo either BTW - too dry sounding to me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by WNBC 

I sometimes just use the small black box that came with the 262 but most times I just throw the 262 in my bag.  Living life on the edge.  But seriously, I bought mine in early 2011.  The latest versions aren't as durable?  I got my 272 and the cable is more waxy in appearance and the build quality of the driver housing is a little more metallic in look.  They also shortened the actual headphone cable while extending the balanced to TRS adapter cable.

I use the Ortofon e-Q7 cow hide zipper case that was left over from a pair of e-Q7s that I needed to replace. It's great.

I had the HM-601 + 262 combo but I think the pairing was a tad too warm and the HM-601 failed to get across the details of say my cMoyBB and 2Stepdance.  I also thought the 601 underpowered the 262.  It was fairly loud but the dynamics were not there in comparison to the cMoy and 2Stepdance.  HM-601 and RE-Zero was very good though which is how I got to first experience the Hifiman products through this promo combo back in the day.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pianist 

I love RE262 sound, but I don't like how it pairs with my HM-601 - too bad as I really like the two pieces of gear on their own. The sound becomes too soft IMO and the mids seem to become overly flat sounding and lose their magic. A matter of taste I guess - the detail is still there, but attack is too soft for my liking. I find RE262 pairs better with my cheaper players like Clip in conjunction with which the RE262 seems to produce a more lively and realistic sound. Does anyone else not like the HM-601 + RE262 combo or how RE262 pairs with other Hifiman players like HM602 and HM801?

Quote:

Originally Posted by WNBC 

I had the HM-601 + 262 combo but I think the pairing was a tad too warm and the HM-601 failed to get across the details of say my cMoyBB and 2Stepdance.  I also thought the 601 underpowered the 262.  It was fairly loud but the dynamics were not there in comparison to the cMoy and 2Stepdance.  HM-601 and RE-Zero was very good though which is how I got to first experience the Hifiman products through this promo combo back in the day.

Bingo! That's exactly how I feel too. Too warm, lack of dynamic range, a feeling that the RE262s are underpowered. I try to convince myself that HM-601 is capable of handling the 262s fine, or at least better than a Sansa Clip, no? I also experience similar issues with HM-601 and DT880 600 Ohm combo. The DT880s just can't do bass out of HM-601 properly - the low end sounds weak and hollow and mids are somewhat empty sounding, and the soundstage is quite boxy as well. On the other hand, my UE600 and HE-500 synergize like crazy with the HM-601. The HE-500 + HM-601 combo especially is pure chills. I guess the Hifiman player works best with low impedance 'phones.