Heir Audio 3.Ai Impressions/Comparisons/Review Thread

Initial Thoughts:

Priced at $299 + Shipping

Using the stock cable (maybe I'll get the Magnus upgrade someday!)

Most of my listening is with iBasso D5 Hj amp/dac connected to my Zenbook via USB with mostly Alac, Flac, and some 320kbps files.

My personal preference for sound signature is a slightly V shaped signature. Little extra bass, not too much, and a nice amount of treble for a little harshness listening to rock (probably my favorite genre), although sometimes the treble isn't always wanted when listening to other genres. So in general, I'd say i deviate a little bit from neutrality but not too far. Don't have too many colored headphones or earphones.

Description:

"Ohhh not bad! How much are these? About 9000 NT (300 USD)? Oh wowwwww... I would buy that..."

I went to a headphone shop owned by a friend to use his equipment to do my comparisons and review of the 3.Ai. After listening to the 3.Ai for a few minutes, that’s was his reaction. Coming from a guy who has an entire store of headphone at his disposal as well as custom IEMs like FitEar 333, that's a REALLY good thing to hear, and I couldn’t agree with him more!

The 3.Ai will be a VERY strong performer in the IEM world and will be a huge competition to the IEMs from the more established companies like Shure and Westone. It has a price point lower than that of many Westone and Shure IEMs, with sonic performance equal to or surpassing that of many high end IEMs. Simply put it, the 3.Ai will be giant slayer.

Accessories

The 3.Ai will come with:

-Otterbox 2000 with Heir Audio Logo (Heir Audio is considering changing to a smaller box though)

-6 sets of tips: 3 red tips (S, M, L), 3 purple tips (S, M, L) (Bi-Flange tips will also be added for those who purchase or preorder the 3.Ai)

-Cleaning tool

-2 rubber bands with Heir Audio logo

Fairly standard accessories, when it comes to tips, cleaning tools etc. Having to different set of tips with small, medium, and large in addition to Bi-Flange tips (not sure how many there will be), there should be no problem finding a tip that works the best for most people.

The Otterbox is definitely something nice that they offer as the case. Very sturdy, very nice looking, and probably one of the best cases available in addition to being water and crush proof. 

The two Heir Audio rubber bands that came with it was a very nice touch too. The rubber bands are for those who like to make portable set ups for listening on the go and binding different amps, dacs, and daps together. The rubber bands get the job done nicely.

Isolation (more on tips)

Isolation on the 3.Ai is generally pretty good. The sound and the amount of isolation does differ a little bit depending on the tips.

Red tips are the basic tips that it comes with. Isolates pretty well, on par with something like Westone and Shure, and has a good amount of suction to keep the IEMs in. Does pretty well overall.

I also tried the 3.Ai out with comply tips and found the T500s to work. T500s gives even better isolation. Very very good in fact. I had trouble hearing other people talking to me and the airplane noises were reduced by quite a lot. Would definitely recommend some comply tips for travel use.

Purple tips were by far my favorite tips. After giving up on trying to put them in, someone convinced me to try again and I finally succeeded. I loved the purple tips. They do not isolate as well, as the comply or the red tips, but they insert deeper into the ear canal and are also a little softer than the red tips. These also have a VERY strong suction. There are a few times where I would pull them out and the tips would invert. For a person with small ears who sometimes have trouble keeping IEMs in, the suction was a huge plus. For some, it may be too much or uncomfortable though. I highly recommend trying the purple tips however before making a decision, as they do disappear in your ears after a while. In addition to comfort and a strong suction to keep these in your ears, I these are my favorite tips because of the sound. They bring out the mids just a tiny bit and the soundstage is a little bit more 3D. I feel like overall clarity and detail also gets a boost, giving it a more coherent sound. Simply put it, I got better sound and more comfort at the price of a little loss in isolation. They still isolate well though.

Overall, isolation on these is definitely above average, if not excellent depending on the tips you choose.

Comfort

I wore these for hours on end with no problem. Heir did an incredible job with the Ai line with comfort. They will disappear in your ears.

The only bit of discomfort I had with these was that the will occasionally rub against my ear (the concha). But that is really because my ears are exceptionally small and it was something a simple adjusting would fix. GREAT comfort and fit!

Microphonics

Almost no microphonics at all. The Westone stock cables do a fairly nice job with that. I do find that with the purple tips, you will get a bit of microphonics when walking around, so that may be another trade off with the purple tips (still recommend them though!!).

Build Quality

Solid! VERY solid. Just what you would expect from a high end CIEM company. Heir Audio hasn’t gained a reputation on Head-Fi within a mere few months for no reason! Housing is beautifully done and very well constructed as each individual unit is hand made with the same precision and care of a CIEM. Absolutely no bubbles anywhere to be found in the shell, and these definitely feel sturdy. You can tell these will last you a good long while (as long as you don’t abuse it to the extremes).

The Amboyna Burl faceplate and the “Black Mamba” shell color is simply gorgeous, and a great combination at that.

Sound:

Signature

The 3.Ai has a U shaped signature, with its main emphasis on its bass. Despite its emphasis on bass the sound is clear, clean, and fast. Treble does have a little boost as well and brings out texture of instruments and vocals quite well while keeping the overall sound very coherent, smooth, and pleasing.

Bass

The 3.Ai utilizes a large BA driver for the low end frequency, and boy does that driver deliver. Of all the bass heavy IEMs (or even just warm sounding IEMs) I tested out, the 3.Ai easily had one of the cleanest bass while hitting harder and deeper than most. It’s incredible to think just how clean the bass is. The sub bass has a very nice extension with a slight elevation, bringing out a nice rumble with bass guitars and low frequency drums. The bass is thick but very well controlled with great texture, never distorting the sound or bleeding into the midrange. Although the bass cannot compare to large circumaural headphones like the HD650s in terms of “excitement” and ability to “move air,” the 3.Ai is nonetheless a very exciting sounding IEM, even in comparison to IEMs that use dynamic drivers like the Sonys or Sennheiser IEs. The 3.Ai definitely proves that BA drivers can be just as exciting, if not more exciting, as dynamic drivers. The 3.Ai easily comes on top as one of the best options for bass quantity and quality. The bass is simply magnificent.

Mids

The mids on the 3.Ai are simply magnificent as well. Mids are slightly forward, bringing out nice details in the vocals and instruments in the recordings. Instrument separation is one of best I’ve heard in a high end IEM, and each instrument is able to come out very clearly. That is one of the most incredible things about the 3.Ai. Each little sound and instrument is crystal clear, very distinct and easy to pick out and isolate amongst all that is going on in the music, yet at the same time, the blend and coherence of the music is gorgeous. Vocal and acapella especially, have an amazing ability to just all melt together.

The mids are also very detailed, natural, and (very) smooth. Each instrument is in great balance with each other without any single one feeling overbearing. Main vocals and guitar solos are clean and upfront but never too forward or powerful, and always still in great balance with the overall sound. Again…COHERENCE. Guitars are especially intimate with the 3.Ai. It’s really an amazing feeling to have an acoustic guitar string tickle your ears a little bit. It still makes me smile every time.

Treble

The treble was what I was most worried about when I had my first listen with the 3.Ai out of the box (that was mostly due to the fact I needed to adjust to the sound). They’re now just as good to my ears as the bass and mids are. The 3.Ai does have a bit of a V shape, and the treble is a little elevated as well. To my ears, it’s still not a very drastic boost in comparison to other “fun” sounding IEMs. Treble details are nicely done, giving high hats and snare a nice crisp impact and sparkle. In fact, one of my favorite things about the 3.Ai is the high hats and snares. In addition to the great initial impact and detail in them, the decay is gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous. The decay drags on a little longer than most other IEMs that I’ve had my hands on, and to me, it’s much more realistic and natural. It’s what a snare drum should sound like if you were to be in a studio hitting it with a drum stick. It never drags on for too long or muddies the sound because of its presence. The decay really shows the 3.Ai’s ability to keep great detail without muddiness, while giving the sound musicality. Other high end IEMs have great detail in the treble as well, perhaps even better, but the sound is very dry and dull in comparison to the 3.Ai.

The Treble presence is just enough to keep a good detail and sparkle in the music, while keeping the sound very smooth. Some have asked about how the 3.Ai does with rock, and I say it does wonderfully. Although I would ask for a little more treble harshness in guitar solos or more harshness in the vocals for hard rock singers, it still does an amazing job with rock.

Others also ask whether the treble might be too harsh, but I’ve never thought of describing the treble of the 3.Ai has harsh. Yes it has a slight boost, but the sound really still remains well balanced.

Soundstage

Soundstage on these is good, not anything mind blowing or phenomenal, but good. For the price point, it would still receive an above average ranking. The soundstage is not particularly big, probably lacking in width a bit compared to other IEMs like the Westone 3 and 3X or the Shure SE535. What it does really well in is creating a 3D soundstage. It adds great depth and height to the soundstage despite not being the widest soundstage. The 3.Ai gives the feel of a concert hall with a very high ceiling, which I adored about these. Despite not having the largest soundstage, it manages to make the space very big, making live music sound very exciting and realistic. Echoes that are placed in the music for effect is also amazing on the 3.Ai, because of its good decay and because of its concert like soundstage. Mariah’s Carey “Hero” has never sounded so good to me.

For some IEMs and headphones alike around the $300 price range or lower, often there is music on the left, center and right, of the head stage, but the spaces in between are left with dark spaces. Either that, or the sound is muddy, which blends and mixes the sound together, but that’s not really a way to go about solving the problem. Generally, unless played through a balanced rig or higher end equipment, it seems like it’s a reoccurring problem. 3.Ai does an amazing job knitting all the sounds together.  It really has the ability to create a coherent sound that goes all around your head.

Amping

The 3.Ai sounds great without any amping and through a portable player like the iphone (in my case the 4S). There is a slight hissing with the iphone, but it is very very slight. I can’t imagine anyone actually complaining about it. Just when I began enjoying the 3.Ai through the iphone, I was blown away by how phenomenal the sound is when adding an amp into the picture.

Using my iBasso D5 Hj Amp/DAC, the sound was SIGNIFICANTLY cleaner, smoother, more refined, and just plain out awesome. The D5 is a slightly dark sounding amp, so in all honestly, using it won’t give a sound that everyone is looking for, but in terms of refinement, it really is a day and night difference.

Using the Fostex HP-P1, one of my favorite portable amp/DAC, the sound is again wonderful. A little brighter sounding than the D5, and has a little better clarity as well. Soundstage is significantly more 3D and spacious in comparison to playing just out of an iphone. Switching from iphone to using the HP-P1 feels almost like someone suddenly turned on a surround sound system in your head. Truly, truly wonderful sound.

I was given a short amount of time to use the 3.Ai with the the RSA “Shadow” as well. The sound was very much better than the iphone but not on par with the likes of the HP-P1 being only an amp, and a very small one at that. The strange thing was that I found a hissing noise that was more prevalent than that of the iphone. For an amp that was meant to drive sensitive IEMs, that seemed a bit abnormal. I’m not sure if that was because of a defective unit or what, so I won’t comment too much more about that. Just know that it may be a possible problem.

Conclusion

Like I’ve stated earlier: GIANT SLAYER. Many people have called the $300 price range the “sweet spot” or the “bang for the buck” price range. The 3.Ai is no exception, in fact adding on to that. 3.Ai is probably the best sounding $300 dollars I’ve had the privilege of testing, earphones and headphones alike. It has one of the most musical sounds I’ve heard with phenomenal dynamics (dynamics really just blow me away…love it) and great clarity. There isn’t a moment where the music isn’t exciting and engaging. I find myself unable to concentrate at times when listening to the 3.Ai because the music really just pulls you into a different world. There isn’t one particular genre the 3.Ai handles very poorly in, though naturally due to its sound signature, the best results for the 3.Ai comes with electronic music, rap, hip hop, heavy metal, and rock. Wonderful sound, beautiful looks, great accessories, and (from what I’ve heard) great customer service. And with the Heir Audio North American office opening, these are now much easier to obtain as well. Highly highly recommended.

List of Comparisons:

Vsonic GR07 (based on performance in rock and heavy metal)

Right off the bat...there's simply no competition when it comes to bass. Bass is more punchy, textured, and VERY satisfying on the 3.Ais. The bass of the GR07s are very punchy and tight for a fairly neutral iem, but when its up against something that was practically created to give you that amazing thumping bass in your music, there's really not much competition.

Mids is something that may depend on you. I'm once again sold to the 3.Ais though. Mids are much smoother and well blended on the 3.Ais, so harmony will be better. Instruments are more well balanced and guitars get a nice role in the music. Vocals are more forward in the GR07, which is good for some and not so much for others. To me, sometimes it gets too in your face, and it takes away from the music, as it can get a little bothersome. But...when Axl Rose, Steven Tyler, or Mike Hetfield is screaming in ur face... idk...that's pretty sweet for those that really like your raspy rock voice. Not to say the vocals are held back in the 3.Ais, theyre just more controlled and not as domineering as the GR07.

Treble is also something that may depend on you as there are ups and downs to both. Many complain that the GR07 is a train wreck when it comes to sibilance, but i think that really gives rock vocalists and guitar some life. Vocals will have more of that screechy rough texture as with guitars. The downside is that there isnt enough body to support the treble. GR07 will be a bit too thin for rock music and wont cut it when it comes to heavy metal. Having a transparent sound is great for acoustic but its not very satisfying for rock and heavy metal. I almost wanna say the transparency makes the GR07 sound too "clean" for rock.

On the other hand, the 3.Ais very much has the supporting body for the highs with its bass and mids. Treble detail is also very good for a more mid and bass centric iem. Cant say there's no sparkle in the treble, as im really getting to love the treble more and more on the 3.Ais, but you wont have has much of the texture in vocals and guitar. There will be enough texture to keep Steven Tyler's screams satisfying though.

For treble, im again giving my thumbs up to the 3.Ais. Although the guitar rifts and vocals on the GR07 make me wish i could scream like rock vocalists, there's simply too much treble and not enough body to the music to compensate for it. Im willing to take the fullness of the sound at the expense of a little excitement in the vocals as hearing the fullness of the sound from the 3.Ais trumps the vocals of the GR07s.

Should also note that the 3.Ai does a nice job with live. Soundstage of both are about the same in terms of width (a little wider the 3.Ai), but hands down goes to 3.Ai in terms of depth and height. Heavy bass and the nice body again gives the 3.Ai a nice LIVE feel although there are iems with larger soundstages. Comparing GR07 and 3.Ai, again the GR07 is too transparent for LIVE rock. A/Bing the two, its actually kind of an awkward thought thinking of people jumping up and down to live music coming from the GR07 when there's so much more to it in the 3.Ai.

So overall...i think the 3.Ais are an upgrade in almost every aspect and it wont disappoint! =) You'll lose a bit of the harshness and texture, which some hate but I love in rock music, but there's more than enough benefits that come with the 3.Ais to accommodate for that.

Westone UM3X:

I very much enjoyed my time listening to the UM3X and thought they would be well matched against the 3.Ai.

The bass of the UM3X is very nice and punchy with nice texture and depth. Bass guitar is slightly elavated and the overall signature is tilted towards the warm side. The 3.Ai takes what the UM3X has and takes it even further. 3.Ai has great extension and hits even deeper and harder. It may be a tad bit slower than the UM3X but I personally like it better as it gives the bass even more of a presence without having the consequence of the sound getting muddy.

Comparing the two, the UM3X leans towards neutrality more so than the 3.Ai (though neutral's not exactly the word to describe them). Both do very well with the mids, both smooth, balanced in terms on instrumentation, and both very enjoyable. Instrument separation is very well done on both. I think between the two, it comes down to how much mid you want. UM3X has a little more forwardness in the midrange compared to the 3.Ai, with vocals and guitar giving more than the 3.Ai vocal and guitar.

The treble on the UM3X is fairly neutral, being slightly recessed. Treble is nonetheless crisp and fast (sometimes a little edgy) but to me lacks a little bit of detail at times. The 3.Ai on the other hand, has highs that i still dont know how to grasp. There is less treble on the 3.Ai than the UM3X, giving the 3.Ai the smooth overall sound, but at the same time there are some details present that cannot be missed. High hats are detailed but smooth with a very nice natural sounding decay, making the high hats on the UM3X sound a little edgy and dry. Snares have great impact and presence that almost demands attention making the snares UM3X sound a tad bit shy. The 3.Ai still lacks a bit of sparkle to me but the treble is really something on its own and I havent heard anything quite like it.

The UM3X has a more open feel to its soundstage. It is slightly wider sounding as well as a more airy, giving it a bigger feel than the 3.Ai. Its sound is also not as thin as the GR07 (as described above). In comparison, the soundstage seems a bit more held back as the sound of the 3.Ai is richer than the UM3X. I wouldnt say the 3.Ai is far behind in terms of soundstage though.

One thing i must point out really that the 3.Ai really excels at is musicality. The comparison with the UM3X seems to make it a bit obvious. Going back to high hats, its amazing to see the attention to detail and control in dynamics that is in the high hats. Hearing the accentuation in the 1 and 3 beats of the high hat is really something spectacular in the 3.Ai that i just cant seem to find in the UM3X. As a musician, i really cannot emphasize musicality enough. Comparing the two really shows that there's more to the 3.Ai than just being bass monsters.

Looking at the two, i think i would prefer the signature of the UM3X over the 3.Ais. The signature of the UM3X is really one of the best I've come across. Its nice and even with a nice punch in the bass. Vocals come out with ease and sound beautiful and smooth. Switching to the 3.Ai, however, really shows what they lack at the same time. Many people associate musicality with the "fun" signature and a nice thumping bass, but the 3.Ai really shows that there's much more to it than just a powerful bass. UM3X seems a bit boring in comparison, not just in the bass department, but as a package.

With the price of the 3.Ai at $299 + shipping and the MSRP of the UM3X at $549.00 or $379,99 on Amazon, I think the 3.Ai really comes close to being another one of those "Giant Slayers." There's no doubt a product like the UM3X is a wonderful product, but the 3.Ai offers something that we do not see very often in larger companies like Westone and Shure.

Sony MDR-EX800ST (AKA MDR-7550 i think?):

I loved the EX800ST. The second i tried them i knew i had to try its older cousin the EX1000, which didnt disappoint either. Some greattttt in ears from Sony.

The EX800ST and 3.Ai are very different. Despite having a pretty big bass, the EX800ST is still geared towards monitoring while the 3.Ai is just loaddddddd of fun. Still, i think comparing the two shows the strengths and weaknesses of the 3.Ai quite well. So here goes! =)

Both of these do extremely well in the bass department. The EX800ST's bass makes me wonder how well they will really perform in the studio, because it really has quite the presence compared to other monitors. Impact is wonderful, with nice clarity and fairly good extension. I was also impressed how clean it was. The 3.Ai bass, however, just knows how to work its magic too well. 3.Ai has a little bit more bass quantity to it but with no compromise of clarity and detail. And again...DYNAMICS. The 3.Ai really knows how to control its bass, showing it off at the right time and stepping back a little when it should. No doubt it will still be bass heavy for those who focus on neutrality of treble, but bass on the 3.Ai is still phenomenal in many aspects.

The 3.Ai has a much richer sound compared to the EX800ST, which is much much thinner in comparison. This really shows some of the strengths and weaknesses of the 3.Ai. The EX800ST basically owns the 3.Ai in terms of space. Being a vented IEM, naturally the sense of space is huge in comparison to the 3.Ai. The more neutral signature and the slightly bigger soundstage also adds to the sense of open-ness in the EX800ST. The EX800ST can be too thin sometimes though, so i would not recommend using them for genres like rock and heavy metal (similar to the problem with GR07s). I also found that the EX800ST does very poorly at higher volumes. Treble becomes overwhelming and scratchy and the sound becomes harsh. Switching between the two, you can tell right away that the EX800ST has a seemingly endless amount of space in comparison to the 3.Ai. The EX800ST's space comes a the price of isolation though. Isolation is pretty bad...and for an in ear...id say its just down right terrible isolation.

3.Ai, although its spacing is restricted in comparison to the EX800ST, when compared to other bass heavy IEMs, it has to be praised for what its able to give in terms of space. After my ears have adjusted to the sound of the 3.Ai, i have to say the amount of space it gives is still very nice and sufficient. Isolation on the other hand, is top notch. I havent had Etymotics around for a while so i cant say how they compare to those, but theyre definitely there with the best isolation Westones and Shures, perhaps better.

Comparing the two, it shows that the 3.Ai:

-has a trade off between space and open-ness for a rich sound, awesome bass, and isolation

-3.Ai is more versatile and not as genre specific as the EX800ST. There hasnt been a genre where i just cannot stand with these.

-3.Ai does well at varying volumes (I dont listen to my music too loud so... my loud might be different than others) and its control of dynamics never ceases to impress me.

Personally I think the trade off between the space and the rich sound, bass and isolation is a good one. Again, once my ears have adjusted, I wouldnt really bring up any major complaints about space. There is no "cavernous" feeling despite the loss of spacing compared to more neutral IEMs. And the rich sound and bass of these...WOW. Definitely something worth listening to and the isolation makes them very good in any type of environment.

I would definitely recommend both of these. Very well done on both ends.

*note the difference between soundstage and space.

Monster Turbine Pro Gold:

I'll admit i did this more just for the kicks than really seriously sitting down to listen to the two since the 3.Ai is pretty much the obvious choice to go with. That said, i also didnt spend as much time comparing the two as i did for others. Originally i wanted to test the copper but they werent available to me so here's a short comparison of Turbine Pro Gold and 3.Ai.

The Gold...is very colored. Bass is overwhelming, gets quite muddy, and affects the mids at times as well. It is the bassist of the IEMs i tried and the only one that exceeds the bass quantity of the 3.Ai. Comparing the two, it becomes quite obvious that the Gold has what many would refer to the "cavernous" soundstage. Although the 3.Ai has a large bass quantity, I think many people will be pleasantly surprised at spacious Heir Audio has been able to make the 3.Ai soundstage considering the amount of bass it has.

Detail and soundstage goes to the 3.Ai. The Gold has too much focus on bass that, again, it affects the clarity of the IEM. Although the bass of the 3.Ai is big, it remains very clean and does not distort the sound. The 3.Ai does not have the largest soundstage but it does well in a 3D sense and gets the job done.

What surprised me, however, was that of all the IEMs i tried for comparison, the Gold was the closest thing to the 3.Ai in terms of signature, and my guess would be that the Copper would be even closer. The Gold was like a 3.Ai with even more elevated bass and recessed treble.

So in the end, the 3.Ai is similar to the Gold but much more natural and clean sounding. It also gets a significant upgrade in clarity, treble, musicality, amongst man other aspects of the sound. It would be a very nice upgrade for those who like the sound of the Monster Turbine Pro Gold (and i assume the Turbine Pro Copper as well).

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeroicPenguin 

Awesome. You were comparing these to the Triple.Fis in the previous thread -- would you say that the mids/vocals are quite a bit more forward on these? If so, then they might just be my next purchase.

yea more so than the TF10s haha =)

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeroicPenguin 

 

A more forward, prettier Triple.Fi is pretty much all I ever wanted. Still not sure whether to go for these, the 4.Ai, UM3X, or SM3. Gonna wait until more reviews come out then.

i'll have a comparison between these and UM3x up soon. Choosing 4.Ai and 3.Ai will depend on what signature you want. Wait for comparisons between those two to go up =)

I very much enjoyed my time listening to the UM3X and thought they would be well matched against the 3.Ai.

The bass of the UM3X is very nice and punchy with nice texture and depth. Bass guitar is slightly elavated and the overall signature is tilted towards the warm side. The 3.Ai takes what the UM3X has and takes it even further. 3.Ai has great extension and hits even deeper and harder. It may be a tad bit slower than the UM3X but I personally like it better as it gives the bass even more of a presence without having the consequence of the sound getting muddy.

Comparing the two, the UM3X leans towards neutrality more so than the 3.Ai (though neutral's not exactly the word to describe them). Both do very well with the mids, both smooth, balanced in terms on instrumentation, and both very enjoyable. Instrument separation is very well done on both. I think between the two, it comes down to how much mid you want. UM3X has a little more forwardness in the midrange compared to the 3.Ai, with vocals and guitar giving more than the 3.Ai vocal and guitar.

The treble on the UM3X is fairly neutral, being slightly recessed. Treble is nonetheless crisp and fast (sometimes a little edgy) but to me lacks a little bit of detail at times. The 3.Ai on the other hand, has highs that i still dont know how to grasp. There is less treble on the 3.Ai than the UM3X, giving the 3.Ai the smooth overall sound, but at the same time there are some details present that cannot be missed. High hats are detailed but smooth with a very nice natural sounding decay, making the high hats on the UM3X sound a little edgy and dry. Snares have great impact and presence that almost demands attention making the snares UM3X sound a tad bit shy. The 3.Ai still lacks a bit of sparkle to me but the treble is really something on its own and I havent heard anything quite like it.

The UM3X has a more open feel to its soundstage. It is slightly wider sounding as well as a more airy, giving it a bigger feel than the 3.Ai. Its sound is also not as thin as the GR07 (as described above). In comparison, the soundstage seems a bit more held back as the sound of the 3.Ai is richer than the UM3X. I wouldnt say the 3.Ai is far behind in terms of soundstage though.

One thing i must point out really that the 3.Ai really excels at is musicality. The comparison with the UM3X seems to make it a bit obvious. Going back to high hats, its amazing to see the attention to detail and control in dynamics that is in the high hats. Hearing the accentuation in the 1 and 3 beats of the high hat is really something spectacular in the 3.Ai that i just cant seem to find in the UM3X. As a musician, i really cannot emphasize musicality enough. Comparing the two really shows that there's more to the 3.Ai than just being a bass monster.

Looking at the two, i think i would prefer the signature of the UM3X over the 3.Ais. The signature of the UM3X is really one of the best I've come across. Its nice and even with a nice punch in the bass. Vocals come out with ease and sound beautiful and smooth. Switching to the 3.Ai, however, really shows what they lack at the same time. Many people associate musicality with the "fun" signature and a nice thumping bass, but the 3.Ai really shows that there's much more to it than just a powerful bass. UM3X seems a bit boring in comparison, not just in the bass department, but as a package.

With the price of the 3.Ai at $299 + shipping and the MSRP of the UM3X at $549.00 or $379,99 on Amazon, I think the 3.Ai really comes close to being another one of those "Giant Slayers." There's no doubt a product like the UM3X is a wonderful product, but the 3.Ai offers something that we do not see very often in larger companies like Westone and Shure.

Monster Turbine Pro Gold:

I'll admit i did this more just for the kicks than really seriously sitting down to listen to the two since the 3.Ai is pretty much the obvious choice to go with. That said, i also didnt spend as much time comparing the two as i did for others. Originally i wanted to test the copper but they werent available to me so here's a short comparison of Turbine Pro Gold and 3.Ai.

The Gold...is very colored. Bass is overwhelming, gets quite muddy, and affects the mids at times as well. It is the bassist of the IEMs i tried and the only one that exceeds the bass quantity of the 3.Ai. Comparing the two, it becomes quite obvious that the Gold has what many would refer to the "cavernous" soundstage. Although the 3.Ai has a large bass quantity, I think many people will be pleasantly surprised at spacious Heir Audio has been able to make the 3.Ai soundstage considering the amount of bass it has.

Detail and soundstage goes to the 3.Ai. The Gold has too much focus on bass that, again, it affects the clarity of the IEM. Although the bass of the 3.Ai is big, it remains very clean and does not distort the sound. The 3.Ai does not have the largest soundstage but it does well in a 3D sense and gets the job done.

What surprised me, however, was that of all the IEMs i tried for comparison, the Gold was the closest thing to the 3.Ai in terms of signature, and my guess would be that the Copper would be even closer. The Gold was like a 3.Ai with even more elevated bass and recessed treble.

So in the end, the 3.Ai is similar to the Gold but much more natural and clean sounding. It also gets a significant upgrade in clarity, treble, musicality, amongst man other aspects of the sound. It would be a very nice upgrade for those who like the sound of the MOnster Turbine Pro Gold (and i assume the Turbine Pro Copper as well).