Heir Audio 4.Ai - Appreciation/Impression/Review Thread - Page 9

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeroicPenguin 

I am not happy I discovered that these exist... I was already pretty set on Westone UM3X or Earsonics SM3, but these just look so pretty! I guess I'm gonna have to wait to see when they come out and more people have impressions.

i was the same as you.

just when i was about to buy it, i saw this thread.

ITS FATED!

Quote:

Originally Posted by rubick 

i was the same as you.

just when i was about to buy it, i saw this thread.

ITS FATED!

Yeah, I'd love to see a comparison with the SM3/UM3X. It seems that these are a bit more bass-heavy though from the current impressions. Price is pretty great too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swimsonny 

No the 4.Ai are not bass heavy but the 3.Ai maybe. These may be similar to UM3x but not the SM3 which are meant to be dark. These are perfectly neutral.

So... The 3.Ai is a UM3x probably on steroids, while the 4.Ai is like a DBA-02 on steroids with more controlled treble and sweet sweet mids?

i'll A/B the 3.Ai and UM3x and see what i get =)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cotnijoe 

i'll A/B the 3.Ai and UM3x and see what i get =)

Thanks!

Also, if Swimsonny could A/B his 4.Ai and his DBA-02s it would be of great help to me :) (And a lot of others I'm sure!)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cotnijoe 

i'll A/B the 3.Ai and UM3x and see what i get =)

Awesome, can't wait! Hopefully that'll help me decide.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swimsonny 

Yes i can agree with what you said with them in comparison to the DBA-02 but that with better bass as well. That will be my next comparison. The DBA-02.

 

Also the 3.Ai will probably be more like the Westone 3 than the UM3x. Both use the same drivers but the 3.Ai seems more tuned like the W3 which is also meant to be fun. I may be wrong having not heard either. Also Contijoe, do you have UM3x? If so what else do you have?

Wow, that's great! By comparing the 4.Ai to the EX1000s AND the DBA-02s, you're probably going to help the Wizard sell a lot more of 4.Ai's :)

Thanks for doing us all a great service!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swimsonny 

Yes i can agree with what you said with them in comparison to the DBA-02 but that with better bass as well. That will be my next comparison. The DBA-02.

 

Also the 3.Ai will probably be more like the Westone 3 than the UM3x. Both use the same drivers but the 3.Ai seems more tuned like the W3 which is also meant to be fun. I may be wrong having not heard either. Also Contijoe, do you have UM3x? If so what else do you have?

right now i dont have much with me...currently moving.

I have with me GR07 an old SE530 (which dont sound very good anymore) and UE 600vi. 

But im visiting my friend's headphone shop tomorrow. He will have headphones ranging from as low as UE250s to westone 4s. I'll definitely be comparing them to similar sounding iems or similarly priced iems.

He also has a nice collection of amps and dacs from fiio to nuforce and Ray Samuel along with some bigger desktop amps like schiit etc.

So i should have nice variety of equipment to play with. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swimsonny 

As i said a few pages back, just pick a IEM from my currently owned list on my profile and i will do a full comparison. 

I would love to hear a comparison with the Ortofon. Doesn't have to be a full one, just some brief comments would be great. Also, do you think the 4.Ai or the 3.Ai would be more mid-forward? Seems like they're both a bit mid-forward from your and other peoples' impressions.

Day 2 of listening to the 3.Ais:

Having given it lil over 20 hours, not too much change. Overall, sound is more coherent.

Liking the treble more. still not quite enough for me but the decay in percussion is more natural sounding and not as edgy. Edgy not meaning bright or harsh...but sounded overly excited. Starting to appreciate the treble more than yesterday.

Bass just gets more and more awesome to listen too. No major change but I have to take note again of the dynamics. Those large bass drivers will pump some really nice thumpin into your music when listening to hip hop, house etc. and gives the bass guitar a very nice presence. Get the power and depth of a dynamic driver without the muddiness that can sometimes be the downside to a heavy bass from a dynamic driver. But at the same time, i've yet to encounter a song where the bass presence is unwanted and over the top. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by theThirty3rd 

Thanks!

 

Also, if Swimsonny could A/B his 4.Ai and his DBA-02s it would be of great help to me :) (And a lot of others I'm sure!)

The below is from an e-mail I got from one of the first 4.A customers:

​"Having spent another day with them, I cant emphasize enough how pleased I am with them. I have always enjoyed music and tried to invest in quality sound. However, for the past year, I have spent a ridiculous amount of money on head- and earphones. I found myself comfortable financially but not able to do much aside from listen to music/watch TV/read. So, I find myself with a bunch of high-end gear like Beyer T1s, Ultrasone 8s, Grado GS1000s, Westone 3/4, ACS T1, Shure 535 and loads more. However, despite all that great gear, I have never had anything that made me say "Wow, just wow". But, your 4.A did and does. The sound is just amazing. Detailed, punchy, warm yet crisp - it ticks all the sound boxes and does so in a way that is almost magical - Wizard, indeed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cotnijoe 

Day 2 of listening to the 3.Ais:

 

Having given it lil over 20 hours, not too much change. Overall, sound is more coherent.

 

Liking the treble more. still not quite enough for me but the decay in percussion is more natural sounding and not as edgy. Edgy not meaning bright or harsh...but sounded overly excited. Starting to appreciate the treble more than yesterday.

 

Bass just gets more and more awesome to listen too. No major change but I have to take note again of the dynamics. Those large bass drivers will pump some really nice thumpin into your music when listening to hip hop, house etc. and gives the bass guitar a very nice presence. Get the power and depth of a dynamic driver without the muddiness that can sometimes be the downside to a heavy bass from a dynamic driver. But at the same time, i've yet to encounter a song where the bass presence is unwanted and over the top. 

Awesome, thanks for more impressions. Seems to me that they have a bass-focused presentation with mids also being pretty prominent with less treble. That sounds like a less bassy, more refined Miles Davis Tribute based on your two impressions; I'd be down with that.