Dsnuts, you could have gotten customes with all the cash you have spent on iem's! Love the motivation and the reviews! You surely help many us out there that can't afford to iem shop, your a connoisseur and a gentleman.
Ya this is true but I am all about the universal sound. I think there is so much more we as a community have not found yet. I might venture into custom territory some day but for me I am very happy with the newer universals that seem to be getting better and better every year. This year being one of the best if not the best I have ever witnessed. The CKS77 CKM500 FX101 FX40 FXD60 FXD70 FXD80 and now these new Sony Extra bass series..It makes sense that we are seeing the emergence of greatness that we can all afford..Competition among the Japanese companies is a great thing. It is good to see Sony step up to the plate with something that is very nice on the consumer level.. These new XB90EX will definitely compete well with JVCs FX3X and ATs CKS77.
I just tried the tips that came with my new Sony XB90EX with my FX101..Works great. Sounds great. It is a tight fit onto the nozzle but it works. Sony hybrids are some of the most comfy tips on the planet. If you live in the US. Go to your local Radio Shack and get some Auveo tips which have a wider nozzle. But these Sony Hybrids sound perfectly fine with the FX101.
I just tried the tips that came with my new Sony XB90EX with my FX101..Works great. Sounds great. It is a tight fit onto the nozzle but it works. Sony hybrids are some of the most comfy tips on the planet. If you live in the US. Go to your local Radio Shack and get some Auveo tips which have a wider nozzle. But these Sony Hybrids sound perfectly fine with the FX101.
You know I think this is a new discovery for me. I have no issue with stock tip but the Hybrids it sound great. Or maybe cuz I haven't been listening to these much as of late. Oh man the FX101 is so much a fun earphone. Love em.
I have to compare the XB90 to the Vpulse and ASG-1s. I can see why Danny mentions the ASG-1..The rumble in the jungle I like to call it. The bass is outragious on these. They sound like a big roomy bass end. Full on low lows. Lol. I am impressed with the vocal clarity for being so bassy. I will keep them on the burn but guys that love their big roomy brawny bass these live up to the advertised lettering on the box with flying colors. The sub bass is unreal..It is your guilty bass pleasure. I was getting an ear drum massage from Lil Wayne's Nightmare of the bottom.
The stage is awesome on these too. Trance is sick on these.
You know I think this is a new discovery for me. I have no issue with stock tip but the Hybrids it sound great. Or maybe cuz I haven't been listening to these much as of late. Oh man the FX101 is so much a fun earphone. Love em.
I have to compare the XB90 to the Vpulse and ASG-1s. I can see why Danny mentions the ASG-1..The rumble in the jungle I like to call it. The bass is outragious on these. They sound like a big roomy bass end. Full on low lows. Lol. I am impressed with the vocal clarity for being so bassy. I will keep them on the burn but guys that love their big roomy brawny bass these live up to the advertised lettering on the box with flying colors. The sub bass is unreal..It is your guilty bass pleasure. I was getting an ear drum massage from Lil Wayne's Nightmare of the bottom.
The stage is awesome on these too. Trance is sick on these.
Ya this is true but I am all about the universal sound. I think there is so much more we as a community have not found yet. I might venture into custom territory some day but for me I am very happy with the newer universals that seem to be getting better and better every year. This year being one of the best if not the best I have ever witnessed. The CKS77 CKM500 FX101 FX40 FXD60 FXD70 FXD80 and now these new Sony Extra bass series..It makes sense that we are seeing the emergence of greatness that we can all afford..Competition among the Japanese companies is a great thing. It is good to see Sony step up to the plate with something that is very nice on the consumer level.. These new XB90EX will definitely compete well with JVCs FX3X and ATs CKS77.
I made my choice to get Clip Zip and one of these cheaper IEMs for a gym. In addition, I'll start saving for XB90EX and (maybe) Sony DAP.
However, I'd like to ask you how do you rate FX101 in terms of sports activities? I got FX40 as recommendation too, but I read about them a bit and people say they're quite bright. Also, did you try JVC Riptidz? They're only 7 USD or so and have some kind of water proofing. Would be very suitable for gym.
See now here is the thing. The whole notion that the FX40 are bright is actually not true. I own 2 pairs of them and on open box yes the sound can sound brighter than most as it gives off much detail. Many will wonder why we even have a thread based on them. With a solid 100 hours of burn however, they change to something that should not be missed. My pair has easily 400 plus hours of burn and use on them if not more and there is no brightness whatsoever on my well used pair at all.
Guys that mention how bright these are should ask themselves if they did the burn in or not. And the idea that you can get to how my pair sounds with just casual use is simply not going to happen. What it takes is big beat driven EDM compilation on a loop played fairly loud to get the Carbon nanotubes to loosen up. I know we all have a tendency to judge a sound from open box and have an idea about the sound but these are one earphones that simply should not be judged on open box. They need more of a burn in than standard drivers. Very stiff drivers these have.
Now for gym use I think either of the earphones should be fine. Riptides are supposed to be sweat proof which is what you want in a gym buds. Though I haven't read anyone mentioning if they sound better over both the FX40 or the FX101.
I ended up paying $153..Not bad but not great either. I left my XB90 for the big overnight burn in. We will see how they turn out. More impressions of those to come. It will be interesing to hear how the XB30 and the XB60 compare to these. I would hold off a bit until Danny gets the other 2. I am sure he will tell us if the other 2 are worthy. Both being cheaper than these XB90..
FX40 is more balanced is why maybe someone says they are bright. You got your highs with them and you got a nice bottom thumping end. A seal makes the difference. Mine happen to fit my ear innards just right with the included mounted stock tips. I put on the foam option and deeper she goes.
The SHE9700 is a great older philips earphone that went under the radar a bit because how old they are. Came out I think around 95. Was included with the Philips Daps at the time. But I can tell you the SHE9700 was and still is a fantastic full bodied sounding earphone. The SHE3580 was a newer earphone that came out after the SHE9700 but simplifies the design that was on the SHE9700. So in this case the older SHE9700 was actually an improvement in sound over the SHE3580. Absolutely worth owning one to have in the collection if you don't own any of the other Philips earphons. Never had a SHE9800.
The SHE9700 is a great older philips earphone that went under the radar a bit because how old they are. Came out I think around 95. Was included with the Philips Daps at the time. But I can tell you the SHE9700 was and still is a fantastic full bodied sounding earphone. The SHE3580 came was a newer earphone that came out after the SHE9700 but simplifies the design that was on the SHE9700. So in this case the older SHE9700 was actually an improvement in sound over the SHE3580. Absolutely worth owning one to have in the collection if you don't own any of the other Philips earphons. Never had a SHE9800.
Thx Dsnuts!
I got she3580 already, and looking for replacement due to their cable things.
so, which one is the best iem <$30 that u listed in this thread?
I am listening to the XB90 more this morning. These earphones are a blast to listen to. I know others have bass that comes out during bassy tracks but none quite like these. Bass is the main focus front n center but done in a very tasteful way..It seems these big 16mm Dynamics are tuned for extreme bass performance right out of the box. They have a good 20 hours of burn in now and the highs are starting to come out a bit more and the mids are opening up more so as well..
Bass lovers have a serious contender here..These earphones have some of the strongest sub bass I have ever heard in any earphone. Something akin to the Atrio MG7s and the Velodyne Vpulse but what separates these Sonys. These are better tuned over both easily. The Atrios have an issue with dull sounding highs and flat mids that don't excite then add a small stage and you get the Atrios. The Vpulse has equally a strong sub bass but the highs and mids are somewhat lacking on them.
These easily have the stage and depth of the CKS77s but with with a smoother tighter tuning over them. The highs are rolled off on these which makes them an easy listening experience for any tune. Guys that prefer their sound to be smoother warmer with authoritative low lows these are for you..These are Sony's version of the Solid bass series by AT and the Xtreme Xplosives by JVC. It is interesting that each version of the bassy earphones these companies make all have a touch of their signature sound. These are no exception. Sony has thrown their house smooth sound on these and then throw on some seriously brawny sub bass. Will continue with burn in. I think these will indeed turn out to be one of the top bass earphones anyone can buy..
Thx Dsnuts!
I got she3580 already, and looking for replacement due to their cable things.
so, which one is the best iem <$30 that u listed in this thread?
If you liked that SHE3580 sound. The FX101 is a nice alternative to that sound signature.. I have to give the edge to the FX40 for the best cheapo under $30. But it does come with a requirement to get them that way and that is some serious burn in. I always have been a believer of burn in but these absolutely need 100-150 hours or more burn in to make them to what I am hearing on my pair.
30 and 60 have slightly smaller housing due to smaller drivers. They are all built very well but the 60 and 90 have abs on the back of the housing where L, R symbols are stamped. 30 and 60 are plastic on the back where the strain relief is attached to (not sure what this part is called) 90 is aluminum I believe. The 60 and 90 have the same cable and are very nice. The 30's cable is the same design but the plastic sleeve it's incased in is of a cheaper plastic. I'm using Auveo tips on all of them. These tips open up the sound which benefit these Sony's very nicely.
They are all very smooth sounding. 30 and 60 don't differ all that much in sound but the 60 hits the sub-bass more. Still the 60 can't quite reach the 90's sub-bass extension but it's still quite impressive. They are all definitely bass kings and I don't think anyone looking for a bass heavy iem would be disappointed with any of them. Even the 30's do bass and even sub-bass better than most iem's I've heard. I think the massive soundstage these produce helps the bass extension really well.
They all seemed to be tuned the same so the vocals are still very good and treble is more on the laid back side but still is very good. As you go up the ladder, everything is tuned better and there's more clarity, more sparkle but all three are some of Son'y better work, especially in an "extra bass" series. Some quick thoughts for now. The 30 and 60 are fresh out of the box.
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
