Sony XBA-H1 and XBA-H3 Hybrid Dynamic and BA IEM
Nov 1, 2013 at 9:55 PM Post #1,022 of 3,257
Fwiw the xba30s sounded worse on my Sony mp3 player than my smartphone. It was somewhat "mushy". Not tried the h3 yet.

Also I'm amused to see that apparently people who enjoy warmer sound profiles are apparently "wrong" :) funny.

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Nov 2, 2013 at 3:46 AM Post #1,023 of 3,257
  I love the 90's because they sound good on everything. All my tracks are only 128kbps and they make 'em sound fab. All we need is the H1 comparison, on a Walkman of course!

love my 90s too. not source dependent, sounds good with even a bad source and when amped shows a totally different beast in bass :). Throw in some Flacs and nice details surround you. judging by the H1 initial impressions, doesnt look like H1 will be a big improvement overall, well not in terms of bass atleast. But then cant say anything unless someone does A/B comparo. 
 
Nov 2, 2013 at 3:53 AM Post #1,024 of 3,257
  Thanks so much for this, much appreciated buddy!
 
I think this will be by next upgrade then, if I guess 'treble' is up there with the XBA3s - hopefully prices drop a bit though!
 
Recently got the ue900 and I think it is too 'reference' for me, seems to lack the colour and brightness that I am use to with the 3s. I never actually felt the 3s to lack bass, though depends on source and tracks. Modern music with poweramp EQ brings out all the bass magic for my 3s but if H3 can do that without much EQ then I think it will sound more natural!
 
Btw - when you mention that the bass could make the sound overwhelmed, I hope this doesn't mean it becomes a bit more muddy and flat?

 
By writing "overwhelmed" I meant, that bass could have such strong presense, that you could miss some details in mids frequency (highs are safe), but sound isn't muddy or flat at all. I would say it's still better than most earphones I've heard :wink:
 
Nov 2, 2013 at 5:48 AM Post #1,025 of 3,257
  love my 90s too. not source dependent, sounds good with even a bad source and when amped shows a totally different beast in bass :). Throw in some Flacs and nice details surround you. judging by the H1 initial impressions, doesnt look like H1 will be a big improvement overall, well not in terms of bass atleast. But then cant say anything unless someone does A/B comparo. 

Tis an all star IEM in my opinion. it lacks total refinement, with tiny hints of distortion if you jack the bass eq up, but I can live with that. 128kbps does all, except some classical, with this iem, What a generous gesture by Sony there. I will now need clarity with all future iem's, so will probably veer towards the XBA 30, I think the 40 is too source dependant. 
 
Nov 2, 2013 at 7:26 AM Post #1,026 of 3,257
just out of curiosity has anyone compared these to the Astrotec AX 60 and how would they compare, as I'm curious about purchasing either the XBA H2/3 or the AX 60. 
 
Thanks for your opinion
 
Nov 2, 2013 at 11:36 AM Post #1,028 of 3,257
Thanks, James444. Our ears seem to enjoy the same, so after reading your reviews and having tested some Iems (IE800 - EX1000) I'll pass these new Sonys. I trust you..
smily_headphones1.gif

 
Thanks... though I'll have to admit, with their vents patched up and bass tuned down a bit, I'm actually enjoying them a lot:
 
The longer I listen to the XBA-H3, the more I realize how excellent these phones could have been if Sony hadn't tuned them to compete with the Beats and Boses.
 
With vents patched up on the H3 and bass set to -3 on my Fiio X3, the result sounds utterly fantastic and at eye level with the very best I've heard. The XBA-H3: a sonic gem, hidden beneath a crapload of bass.

 
 
Also I'm amused to see that apparently people who enjoy warmer sound profiles are apparently "wrong"
smily_headphones1.gif
funny.

 
I didn't get that impression, most who posted here provided a reference point and opinions didn't strike me as overly contradictory so far. If you think the XBA-30 lack warmth, then it's definitely understandable why you love the stock XBA-H3's sound signature. Others (like me) however think that the former are sufficently warm and don't need an additional layer of bass on top. And that's not even talking about the Etymotic fans, who'll bolt like a bat out of hell upon listening to the H3.
wink.gif
 
 
Nov 2, 2013 at 4:01 PM Post #1,032 of 3,257
   
 
I'm pretty sure it's made in china. BTW, BMW has some big factories in china. just a fun little fact :)

nothing against China, I didn't even mention it, as a matter of fact I owned the Heir 4.A and 8.A and if the Sony H3 is a hit and is made in China I'll probably get it but at that price point I just prefer to buy German, Japanese or American made products!
 

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