Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Portable Headphones, Earphones and In-Ear Monitors › The discovery thread.! NEW Philips Fidelio S2. Shockingly amazing PG 724!! Zero Audio Carbo basso PG 601..
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

The discovery thread.! NEW Philips Fidelio S2. Shockingly amazing PG 724!! Zero Audio Carbo basso... - Page 253

post #3781 of 11027
10/14/12 at 5:22pm
Thread Starter 

Hold on there partner. The FXD80 will be a great start. The cheaper earphones you are reading about are what I consider solid to great for the money but higher end phones are higher end for a reason. No need to grab a cheaper earphone when you are getting greatness in the FXD80..I don't consider it a great deal if you end up trying out 20 earphones and end up liking 2 of them..Let us know what type of sound signature you are into and we can certainly point you in the right direction. No need to buy up every single earphone on this thread. You might as well buy a custom iem and call it a day if so. Lol.


Edited by Dsnuts - 10/14/12 at 5:30pm
Reply

Gear mentioned in this thread:

post #3782 of 11027
10/14/12 at 5:36pm

Cosmic Ears are actually that cheap... Slightly above a 100 bucks for the basic DYNAMIC driver model. 
First impressions on them seem to be very positive. 

Reply
post #3783 of 11027
10/14/12 at 6:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dsnuts View Post

 

From memory the FXT90 has some lively extended highs with forward mids that some see as a bit aggressive so while guys that like a forward sound will keep them the guys that don't end up selling them. Very nice layering and staging on the FXT90 but where they don't touch the XB90. The XB90s are kings of sub bass. The FXT90 has a highs and mid tilt to the sound.  Not a real bass type of earphone really. For the same amount of cash I would recommend a FXD70 or a FXD80.

 

The XB90EX is for BASS lovers.. These don't have the extended highs that are on the FXt90 a bit rolled off in the highs meaning it will be a much smoother listening experience over the FXt90..If you want to try out a FXt90 type sound but on the cheap try out a FX40. While the FXt90 is a technically higher end sound with wider and deeper stage. The FX40 has many of the traits and a similar sound to them for $21 or so.

 

The XB90EX is a different sound all together. These are for fans of full big sound with monsterous sub bass.

Interesting. Your description of the fxt90 is as I see it.
So. If I am looking for the kind of layering on the fxt90 and a MINIMUM of the fxt90 mids, but less treble and DEFINITELY more subbass, will the xb90ex fit the bill?
Or would your recommend something else?

Reply
post #3784 of 11027
10/14/12 at 6:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Prakhar View Post

Cosmic Ears are actually that cheap... Slightly above a 100 bucks for the basic DYNAMIC driver model. 
First impressions on them seem to be very positive. 

I am interested in hearing impressions, how they stand next to TF10 ect. Is there a reason they are not so reviewed? are they still new?

Reply
post #3785 of 11027
10/14/12 at 7:20pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by atomikn00b View Post

Interesting. Your description of the fxt90 is as I see it.
So. If I am looking for the kind of layering on the fxt90 and a MINIMUM of the fxt90 mids, but less treble and DEFINITELY more subbass, will the xb90ex fit the bill?
Or would your recommend something else?

 

Well now there seems to be a new choice in this price range. These new FAD Adiago IIIs are getting some favorable attention from Ericp and Danny. Hope these guys will chime in here but the way I see it. 

 

From memory that layering is unique to them dual dynamic earphones in the mids. The XB90EX has one big ole driver 16mm. So you can guess why these have such large and in change sub bass. 

 

One of the aspects of the XB90 I am a fan of is in fact their mids. It has some of the deepest mids in the business. Not so much for hip hop, edm or any type of synthetic music but for acoustic music with vocals. There is not too many earphones that portray the depth that is on the Sonys.

 

On a good recording I can hear just how front the vocals are relative to the instruments. Not too many earphones can portray this but these do. While clarity will take a step behind the FXT90s these have a very solid mids section with a fullness that is not too common among bass earphones..You know there is the option of keeping the FXT90 and getting one of these for that sub bass fix. There is no rule against owning 2 or 3 or 4 or in Dannys case 100s. Lol.


Edited by Dsnuts - 10/14/12 at 7:21pm
Reply
post #3786 of 11027
10/14/12 at 7:29pm

Honestly, sometimes it's hard to tell what is "good for the money" in these threads and what is a "giant killer". I do own quite a few iem's, and more-than-I-need over the ear/on ear phones. I got into this headphone stuff failry recently, but audiophilia is nothing new to me. I am a long time high end equipment fan (Stereophile, TAS, even did some music reviews for The Audiophile Voice). Actually got into headphones when a friend told me how his Bose noise cancelling phones made lawn mowing bearable. The thing about high end living room audio is that while reading the raves definitely makes one lust for the latest-and-greatest, with price tags $2-4,000 for "affordable" amps/preamps/speakers, once you commit, it isn't so easy to keep changing stuff without major financial losses. Headphones take that restriction away...while dropping $50-$300 is significant dollars, it is not so prohibitive as the big rig stuff. I can buy 10 different $100 headphones, and while it is a significant dollar expenditure, it doesn't come close to the living room stuff. Moreover, if done one at a time, it doesn't feel like your spending much until you look back at everything you've bought and start to add it up (the strategy the phone company gets you to buy a $700 phone, paying much more in total in monthly installments). Still, it's fun being able to try all these things out at home. It has occurred to me I may have been better off (or still be better off) just getting 1 really good set, say the Shure 535 or a custom iem, be happy with it and stop the obsessing. Then again, I bought a Krell amp/preamp and Thiel speakers, and was still able to keep lusting over "better" gear. Audiophilia Nervosa, it used to be called.

Reply
post #3787 of 11027
10/14/12 at 7:29pm
Well they have recently moved to an international level so thats why there are not too many impressions. However there are a couple of people who are due to get their iems in about a week...

Check out the thread on them. They have hybrid designs around the 300 dollar range!!! And as I said before the first impressions are positive.
Reply
post #3788 of 11027
10/14/12 at 7:32pm

Tend to be long winded...sorry. As for what I like-I find I can like the different flavors, say, the resolution of etys, the detail of Shures, the bass of AT iem's, have the TF10, not so in love with that (though comfort/fit has much to do with that). Tend to like detail, but don't like cold/analytical sound, and don't like to lose the bass (want it all, in other words).

Reply
post #3789 of 11027
10/14/12 at 7:57pm
Thread Starter 

Well there is one cheapo you must try out first. Try out a Mp8320. $7.11 a good place to start. It will give you a basis for how good a cheapo can sound.. But these are the exception I suppose as most sub $10 earphones still sound cheap.  I think you will like the FXD80s as you say you are into your detailed sound. Now one suggestion I do have about them FXD80 is burn in. I have no issues telling people how I feel about burn in. JVC headphones. All of them require burn in..Those FXD80s use carbon nanotube drivers that require some aggressive burn in for them to truly shine.

 

Some guys don't believe in burn in or think they can just get burn in through just using these but that is simply not the case. Carbon Nanotube is 20X stronger than steel. That being said you better believe the drivers are stiff. Aggressive burn in would be 200 plus hours of loud music blasting though the drivers. Preferably drum n bass. the more beat and bass driven the better. Not a rule of thumb of course but this works for me.

 

Another one I can suggest. Headphone wise is a HA-S500 . These have the biggest carbon nanotube driver 40 mm. Crazy sound from a $55 headphone.  Detail clarity imagery bass is all there.. I think for the most part you can skip on the TTs or the FX40s and the like as you are getting a really nice sounding FXD80. Try out a MP8320 and them HA-S500s. Both will surprise you.

Reply
post #3790 of 11027
10/14/12 at 9:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dsnuts View Post

Well there is one cheapo you must try out first. Try out a Mp8320. $7.11 a good place to start. It will give you a basis for how good a cheapo can sound.. But these are the exception I suppose as most sub $10 earphones still sound cheap.  I think you will like the FXD80s as you say you are into your detailed sound. Now one suggestion I do have about them FXD80 is burn in. I have no issues telling people how I feel about burn in. JVC headphones. All of them require burn in..Those FXD80s use carbon nanotube drivers that require some aggressive burn in for them to truly shine.

 

Some guys don't believe in burn in or think they can just get burn in through just using these but that is simply not the case. Carbon Nanotube is 20X stronger than steel. That being said you better believe the drivers are stiff. Aggressive burn in would be 200 plus hours of loud music blasting though the drivers. Preferably drum n bass. the more beat and bass driven the better. Not a rule of thumb of course but this works for me.

 

Another one I can suggest. Headphone wise is a HA-S500 . These have the biggest carbon nanotube driver 40 mm. Crazy sound from a $55 headphone.  Detail clarity imagery bass is all there.. I think for the most part you can skip on the TTs or the FX40s and the like as you are getting a really nice sounding FXD80. Try out a MP8320 and them HA-S500s. Both will surprise you.

Thanks for taking the time, these look like good purchases (did I tell you I recently purchased the Sony DR-ZX701IP, InCase Sonic,, and Marley Exodus that all appeared in the Deals thread, and all got raves. Do like the Sony, find the InCase  soft sounding, but really comfortable (and not embarassing to go out wearing). Haven't opened the Marley yet. Those MP8320 sound worth whie, if only to  be able to give as presents as the holidays are coming (anyway, that's a good excuse for the wife, while keeping 1 pair for myself...). I even have a refurb Senn HD-600 I have on order from one of the sites listed in the Deals thread (very good price, taking a very long time to arrive). We haven't even started on the subject of amps...the O2 seems a good, not horribly expensive choice, maybe Fiio (have been occasionally using iBasso T3, usually just plug phones straight into source).

Thanks again-You've been great,

(as an aside-do try to burn in the phones, using downloaded pink noise program. Not enough?)

 

Reply
post #3791 of 11027
10/14/12 at 9:36pm
Thread Starter 

Colored noise usually works but not so good on these carbon nanotube drivers. I remember a fella that used colored noise on the FX40 with not too great of success. I suggested aggressive music burn in and that seemed to work for him..Same on the FXD80 thread.  I use the law of physics for burn in . Beat the poo out of them drivers. Loosens up the drivers as much as possible. Some manufacturers actually do factory burn ins for their headphones to get a standard sound out of their headphones. I can honestly say JVC does not. They have some of the best sound for the money but require the end user to actually do the burn in.  They don't have anything on their packaging that says. Burn in please. But believe me every single JVC earphone and headphone get better with burn in. Especially carbon nanotube based ones.

Reply
post #3792 of 11027
10/14/12 at 10:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dsnuts View Post

Colored noise usually works but not so good on these carbon nanotube drivers. I remember a fella that used colored noise on the FX40 with not too great of success. I suggested aggressive music burn in and that seemed to work for him..Same on the FXD80 thread.  I use the law of physics for burn in . Beat the poo out of them drivers. Loosens up the drivers as much as possible. Some manufacturers actually do factory burn ins for their headphones to get a standard sound out of their headphones. I can honestly say JVC does not. They have some of the best sound for the money but require the end user to actually do the burn in.  They don't have anything on their packaging that says. Burn in please. But believe me every single JVC earphone and headphone get better with burn in. Especially carbon nanotube based ones.

 

 

I use them along with frequency swipes. it helped on every iem I've had (granted, I've yet to have the Carbon Nanotube JVCs), so maybe the combination of noises and swipes would be also good for the stiff diaphragms? 

Reply
post #3793 of 11027
10/14/12 at 11:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by eke2k6 View Post

 

 

http://www.head-fi.org/t/580769/the-monoprice-8320-mep-933-the-7-11-club

 

I found these to be inferior to SoundMagic ES18, and JVC HAFX101.

 

The mids didn't impress me.

Reply
post #3794 of 11027
10/14/12 at 11:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Prakhar View Post

Well they have recently moved to an international level so thats why there are not too many impressions. However there are a couple of people who are due to get their iems in about a week...
Check out the thread on them. They have hybrid designs around the 300 dollar range!!! And as I said before the first impressions are positive.

Well coming from the FT10 in the past, then the eterna just for more enjoyable listening on the job. ive been looking for something that can be both fun and clear. So cosmic may be good, even great, but i dont know what they sound like.

These sony sound like the suburb to the ghetto of eterna, if the fx3x or the adagio dont hit a sweet spot than i may jump for the sony ex600

Reply
post #3795 of 11027
10/15/12 at 4:18am
Only heavy bass music work for burning in the drivers, i learned that from dsnuts when i joined this website a while ago. Anx for fun a clear earphone you must get the xb90ex from sony smily_headphones1.gif
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home

Gear mentioned in this thread:

Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Portable Headphones, Earphones and In-Ear Monitors › The discovery thread.! NEW Philips Fidelio S2. Shockingly amazing PG 724!! Zero Audio Carbo basso PG 601..