[Grayson73]

Looks cool. But I have not listened it how much it is ?

 
$52 from amazon.com sellers:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B0093VVP0Q/sr=/qid=/ref=olp_tab_all?ie=UTF8&colid=&coliid=&me=&qid=&seller=&sr=
 
$56 from ebay seller:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ZERO-AUDIO-Inner-Ear-Stereo-Headphones-CARBO-TENORE-ZH-DX200-CT-/251515463227

 

[gnarlsagan]

I just received my Tenore today and everything else was put on hold as i put it to the test. I first checked my Tenore to see if there's any defects, channel imbalance and driver flex and thankfully I've found none. I must say it's pretty nice phones for the price but definitely not a game changer for me. I've found that the Tenore is nice and smooth but somehow it doesn't sound as natural to me as the new generation GR07 Classic paired with my large Phonak tips which has more prominent mids and much more natural highs although at the expense of a tinge of sibilance whenever sibilance is present in the recording.  I've never liked the stock tips from Vsonic that's why my impressions are all based on the GR07 paired with my Phonak tips. I find that the GR07 (with Phonak tips) has a more honest response rather than trying to smoothen and masking the flaws in the recording. As for percussive instruments' fast transient response, the new  generation GR07 Classic (with Phonak tips) eats the Tenore alive. Sub bass on the Tenore is very prominent (stock medium size tips) but I find it slightly over accentuated. Somehow GR07's sub bass hits the sweet spot for me, just the right amount and not diverting all my attention to it. As for the treble frequencies, I find overly smoothed out treble seems to sound quite unnatural to me due to the fact that I've performed with many bands over the years and I'm very familiar with the sound of a good acoustic drum set and cymbals and yes...the cymbals can sound very sibilant if they're hit hard enough especially the crash cymbals and hi-hats.

The strength of the Tenore lies in the sub bass region which gives good sub bass rumble albeit just a tad too much for my taste. Another advantage is the Tenore's smooth treble response though at the expense of sacrificing a more detailed presentation. Mids on the other hand is a tad recessed. Percussive transient attack is there but not fast and snappy enough to give a good impact especially on drums. As for soundstage, the Tenore is on par with the GR07. One good thing I've discovered is that you can lessen the sub bass by switching to the large stock tips which somehow tones down the sub bass a bit. I think I'm experiencing this due to the fit of the large tips that only allow a very shallow fit as compared to the medium tips. Another point to consider is that I'd stay away from an IEM manufacturer that has inconsistencies between their IEMs of the same model. To be honest, there shouldn't be any sound quality inconsistencies between models at all. If it is then the product design is flawed to begin with.

To round it all up the Tenore is a good budget IEM but it definitely can't replace the GR07 and ER4. For now, I'll just keep my Tenore as a backup IEM but I won't see much use of it since it'll take me quite a while to break my ER4, GR07 and Phonaks.

If you find the Tenore to have more bass and less mid emphasis than the GR07 then you got a "bassy" Tenore. You've described exactly what I've heard in one of my previous pairs. Too smooth, recessed mids etc. It's a shame that there isn't more consistency between sets, but a good set that graphs like what was posted earlier in the thread is not what you heard. The Tenore should sound very similar to the ER4S with a bit more bass. I'd return your pair if at all possible. Of course it's up to you if you'd like to try buying again. There does seem to be some risk involved.

 

[fnkcow]

  Expecting the $53 Tenore to be an end game IEM for someone with a high budget is unrealistic.  However, Tenore could be an end game IEM for someone with limited budget, say under $100.
 
I do enjoy the Tenore more than many IEMs 2x-4x the price (KEF M200, Fidelio S2, BA200, GR07 MK2).
 
I agree with eBrian; I get excited when I hear that they can compete with IEMs $300 or more, but I'm more interested in IEMs around the same price that can beat it.  Some possible contenders are Ostry KC06, KC06A, Havi B3 Pro, KZ ED3, Sidy DM2.
 
In the around $50 price bracket, I've seen more people prefer the Tenore than any other IEM.  There are a handful of people who prefer KC06/KC06A.  I haven't found anyone that prefers B3 Pro, ED3, or DM2 to Tenore yet, but I'm sure there will be some.

Yup, when you rank the Tenore above the M200 you certainly caught my attention! Love the M200 SQ, hate almost everything else about it lol

 

[gnarlsagan]

Expecting the $53 Tenore to be an end game IEM for someone with a high budget is unrealistic.  However, Tenore could be an end game IEM for someone with limited budget, say under $100.

I do enjoy the Tenore more than many IEMs 2x-4x the price (KEF M200, Fidelio S2, BA200, GR07 MK2).

I agree with eBrian; I get excited when I hear that they can compete with IEMs $300 or more, but I'm more interested in IEMs around the same price that can beat it.  Some possible contenders are Ostry KC06, KC06A, Havi B3 Pro, KZ ED3, Sidy DM2.

In the around $50 price bracket, I've seen more people prefer the Tenore than any other IEM.  There are a handful of people who prefer KC06/KC06A.  I haven't found anyone that prefers B3 Pro, ED3, or DM2 to Tenore yet, but I'm sure there will be some.

I don't find it unrealistic for a cheap iem to be end game for any budget. Price has almost nothing to do with sound quality nowadays imo. All the top tier iems have flaws as well, some more than others.

 

[Hisoundfi]

Expecting the $53 Tenore to be an end game IEM for someone with a high budget is unrealistic.  However, Tenore could be an end game IEM for someone with limited budget, say under $100.

I do enjoy the Tenore more than many IEMs 2x-4x the price (KEF M200, Fidelio S2, BA200, GR07 MK2).

I agree with eBrian; I get excited when I hear that they can compete with IEMs $300 or more, but I'm more interested in IEMs around the same price that can beat it.  Some possible contenders are Ostry KC06, KC06A, Havi B3 Pro, KZ ED3, Sidy DM2.

In the around $50 price bracket, I've seen more people prefer the Tenore than any other IEM.  There are a handful of people who prefer KC06/KC06A.  I haven't found anyone that prefers B3 Pro, ED3, or DM2 to Tenore yet, but I'm sure there will be some.

I'll say my BURNED IN dm2 is on par with the tenore, but with a completely different tuning and sound signature. The tenore is better in terms of clarity, treble and detail, and has a wider soundstage and isolates, but for live and acoustic music the BURNED IN dm2 is better. The dm2 has more forward mids which I like more. The mid bass is more present and still without the mid bass bloat. I emphasize BURNED IN because right out of the box the high mids and treble is borderline awful. They need a good 50-100 hours of burn in and the treble becomes much more refined.

The tenore is like listening to a great stereo. They are clean and clear, and is beautifully portrayed sound that you could listen to for hours. The dm2 is like having the band playing right in front of you. They are aggressive and direct, while still giving an out of the head sound. Neither are without flaws. It's a toss up between the two because they are both good in different ways.

 

[luisdent]

I've heard most of the high end $600+ iems, and my pair of tenores beats them all. I could buy a more expensive set, but i don't want to, because none of them sound as good to me. My tenores have no noticeable flaws. Every single other iem i've tried has had some obvious flaw. If you're not hearing er4s quality with more low bass i would exchange them personally.

 

[uncletim]

I picked up a pair. I have maybe 30 hours on them and the sound changed a lot. at first they were bassy, almost too much - liked it for something fun. highs needed a bit more sparkle.
 
now the bass is very flat and the highs opened up.
 
not sure if i am just not getting a good seal. what would of changed? the stock large tips seemed to seal well at first. i had some large sony hybrids, and they seemed to seal - just barely.
 
possible these changed that much after 30 hours?

 

[drbluenewmexico]

You Tenore lovers should consider the CARBON SINGULOS, a bit for expensive but much more full ranged and
with wonderful bass and sub bass and great soundstage.  its really a worthy upgrade to the Tenores.....i carry mine
with me when i go out for portable use, don't need an amp.  they are magical with a good DAP like the C3
made me dream in colors to Peak Records psytrance.sets....i like them better than the Tenores or the Doppios for EDM
...

 

[gnarlsagan]

Also people if you want less bass or more treble emphasis then I recommend trying some tips with a longer and/or wider bore. The clear meelec biflanges lean out the sound of the Tenore a bit. Wider tips may require the use of an adapter. You can make wider tips fit by following this post.

 

[Mackem]

As expected, I was hit with a pretty hefty customs charge, almost half of what I paid for the Tenores themselves, but they shall finally be in my ears tomorrow.

 

[Grayson73]

Also people if you want less bass or more treble emphasis then I recommend trying some tips with a longer and/or wider bore. The clear meelec biflanges lean out the sound of the Tenore a bit. Wider tips may require the use of an adapter. You can make wider tips fit by following this post.

What do you mean by this?  Is this good or bad?  I'm using the clear meelec biflanges from the OP (also have the black) and I love them.

 

[Grayson73]

  Yup, when you rank the Tenore above the M200 you certainly caught my attention! Love the M200 SQ, hate almost everything else about it lol

Agree.  I don't even use the ear guides; I put them straight up and away.
 
I only like M200 for when I'm in a basshead mood.  The bass overpowers the rest of the spectrum so the vocals sound a bit recessed and are not airy.  What tips are you using with them?

 

[Francisk]

If you find the Tenore to have more bass and less mid emphasis than the GR07 then you got a "bassy" Tenore. You've described exactly what I've heard in one of my previous pairs. Too smooth, recessed mids etc. It's a shame that there isn't more consistency between sets, but a good set that graphs like what was posted earlier in the thread is not what you heard. The Tenore should sound very similar to the ER4S with a bit more bass. I'd return your pair if at all possible. Of course it's up to you if you'd like to try buying again. There does seem to be some risk involved.

Thanks for the info gnarlsagan, so looks like I got myself the "bassy" Tenore but I don't think I'd be returning them because there's no return policy from where I purchased it from. Besides I'll have a hard time explaining to the seller because I really couldn't fault the unit I received. No channel imbalance, no driver flex, no damages whatsoever and it plays flawlessly. I won't even bother to get a new one for the same reason that there's a good chance I might be getting the same "bassy" Tenore on my next purchase. To be honest, I'd stay away from a company that has no consistencies in their product. Cheaper IEMs shouldn't equate to poor quality control. It's like trying to hit a jackpot to purchase a good unit of Tenore, I really can't bother with that. Until now I've been tip rolling a bit with Phonak and Sony hybrid tips but I'm still not getting the ER4 sound that you described. I'll try the tips you recommended when I have the chance to get hold of them.

 

[Grayson73]

  Thanks for the info gnarlsagan, so looks like I got myself the "bassy" Tenore but I don't think I'd be returning them because there's no return policy from where I purchased it from. Besides I'll have a hard time explaining to the seller because I really couldn't fault the unit I received. No channel imbalance, no driver flex, no damages whatsoever and it plays flawlessly. I won't even bother to get a new one for the same reason that there's a good chance I might be getting the same "bassy" Tenore on my next purchase. To be honest, I'd stay away from a company that has no consistencies in their product. Cheaper IEMs shouldn't equate to poor quality control. It's like trying to hit a jackpot to purchase a good unit of Tenore, I really can't bother with that. Until now I've been tip rolling a bit with Phonak and Sony hybrid tips but I'm still not getting the ER4 sound that you described. I'll try the tips you recommended when I have the chance to get hold of them.

 
I would try burning them in to see if the bass tightens up.  Some have reported that they were bassy out of the box.  Also, if you have them, the Meelectronics M6/A161P double flange tips will lessen the bass while still being punchy.

 

[luisdent]

I picked up a pair. I have maybe 30 hours on them and the sound changed a lot. at first they were bassy, almost too much - liked it for something fun. highs needed a bit more sparkle.

now the bass is very flat and the highs opened up.

not sure if i am just not getting a good seal. what would of changed? the stock large tips seemed to seal well at first. i had some large sony hybrids, and they seemed to seal - just barely.

possible these changed that much after 30 hours?

I felt they were a bit overly bassy and soft treble upon first listen, but they starting sounding so good i wasn't sure if it was fit or tips or what. I recommend everyone at least give them some time before jumping to conclusions. Every earphone i've tried has changed sound as i used then for a bit, whether it was tips softening or whatever. Maybe the bass will die down a bit. Mine seemed to, but i couldn't say why.

And rin has measured some noticeable, some not so noticeable changes with break in of drivers. So it is possible. It would be funny if sone of the bassier pairs ultimately sounded the same after break in...