[zenpunk]

The bass distorting and bleeding into the mids just doesn't sound right.

  How is it compared to plugged straight into the Classic? The Cmoy''s circuitry might not react too well to the unusually low load of the XBA?
I have a European Sony Walkman Z which has an apparently high Z of 27 Ohms and while the sound is different compared to the E11, the effect is subtle and sound very good, just different. The bass isn't affected much but the Z provide slightly more treble presence and the soundstage is more spacious. The E11 is a tad cleaner overall. I really enjoy both to be honest. 

 

[canikickit1]

Quote:

The bass distorting and bleeding into the mids just doesn't sound right.

  How is it compared to plugged straight into the Classic? The Cmoy''s circuitry might not react too well to the unusually low load of the XBA?
I have a European Sony Walkman Z which has an apparently high Z of 27 Ohms and while the sound is different compared to the E11, the effect is subtle and sound very good, just different. The bass isn't affected much but the Z provide slightly more treble presence and the soundstage is more spacious. The E11 is a tad cleaner overall. I really enjoy both to be honest. 

 
Compared to the HP out, the mids sound more forward and the bass more controlled. No bleeding whatsoever-- 
 
I did read that the Ipod's LOD has an zout of 100ohms.. but when connected to an external amp (such as the Cmoy), what is supposed to happen? Sorry not too knowledgeable in this area 
 
The best results so far are from my HP out from my Iphone4gs, the super-woofer kicks in when needed and everything sounds great. Must be that 1.97 zout
 
I might pick up a Clip-Zip (a supposed 0.5  - 0.6 zout) and compare.

 

[zenpunk]

The high Z of the LOD out shouldn't matter as an amp has usually very high input impedance >10kOhms.
If the XBA sound great/better without an amp that sounds like a win-win situation..

I found that using a portable amplifiers for iems is usually a waste of space. Because of the XBA's unusual load it is among the few iems that might benefit. 

 

[canikickit1]

Quote:

The high Z of the LOD out shouldn't matter as an amp has usually very high input impedance >10kOhms.
If the XBA sound great/better without an amp that sounds like a win-win situation..

I found that using a portable amplifiers for iems is usually a waste of space. Because of the XBA's unusual load it is among the few iems that might benefit. 

Makes sense... following the 8x rule of input impedance to output impedence, 100ohms to Cmoys alleged 100kohm input impedance should handle it well.
 
 
But so far, the 30s are definitely the best all-rounders regardless of source. Once the 40 is paired with the right source, it is certainly v-shaped as I can tell. The soundstage is wider than the 30s, though the 40s doesn't handled mids as well as the 30s. 
 
lol i'm trying to find a reason why to keep the 40s over the 30s 

 maybe its the extra armature, or the fact that I got it cheaper with Tenso then from importing it from Japan to the States.

 

[virus12345]

how does the xba30 paired up with the walkman Z ?
 
the xba30 really caught my interest.
 
also,
which is better (xba30 or 40) for rock/metal/punk/pop genres.

 

[zaim]

I manged to get the XBA 3IP for £120 Delivered (brand new), Not sure if this has been answered already but will the volume control's work on any device or is it just for Apple products ?
 
I'll be using the XBA's with my Sony Nwz Z1050. I'm currently using the MDR XB41EX.

 

[d marc0]

I manged to get the XBA 3IP for £120 Delivered (brand new), Not sure if this has been answered already but will the volume control's work on any device or is it just for Apple products ?

I'll be using the XBA's with my Sony Nwz Z1050. I'm currently using the MDR XB41EX.

Volume controls only work for apple devices. Play/pause/skip button could work with android devices tho you may need an adapter depending on the type of headphone jack.

 

[DJStarscream]

I manged to get the XBA 3IP for £120 Delivered (brand new), Not sure if this has been answered already but will the volume control's work on any device or is it just for Apple products ?

I'll be using the XBA's with my Sony Nwz Z1050. I'm currently using the MDR XB41EX.

Hey, where did you manage to snag those from?

 

[zaim]

It was from a Amazon marketplace seller.

 

[JiggaD369]

You guys will love the new XBA series. Believe me.

 

[d marc0]

Still waiting for someone to finally compare the XBA 3 to 30...

 

[d marc0]

double post

 

[canikickit1]

Still waiting for someone to finally compare the XBA 3 to 30...

Here's my take on it , also including the xba40

http://www.head-fi.org/t/653564/review-xba-3-vs-xba-30-vs-xba-40/15#post_9236183

 

[d marc0]

Here's my take on it , also including the xba40

http://www.head-fi.org/t/653564/review-xba-3-vs-xba-30-vs-xba-40/15#post_9236183

Awesome review! I think I will sell my XBA3 to get the funds for this upgrade.

 

[PeterDLai]

Price on XBA-30 has reached a new low if purchased directly from Amazon.jp: ￥ 12,544 (approximately $135 USD). Tenso service/shipping fees usually are about $20.
 
Not currently in stock, but it seems the past few times they've ran out they've had it back in stock much earlier than the 1-2 months they estimate. It's usually in small quantities, however.
 
EDIT: The white/gold one is in stock for the same price.