Havi B3 Pro-1 Impressions Thread

[n05ey]

On the tip front, I have had difficulty with the havi more than any iem so far. I think the nozzle com's in on a slightly different angle than others...

Anyway, I have been really enjoying the openness of the largest ostry tip but found it collapsed while getting a seal more often than not. I just stuffed it with a the decored soft foam tip that came with the havi and now have the most open secure fit.

I am finding it always gives me back a great sense of height that some other tips lose and with the foam creating a strong seal I am actually finding that it is a bit warmer and punchier... good find for me

 

[waynes world]

My long overdue review of the Havi.

http://www.head-fi.org/products/havi-b3-pro-1/reviews/11482

Very nice review! But just so that I am 100% clear... you like them, right?

 

[Audiophile1811]

                                      
 
Here it is! Sorry about the delay guys, thanks for being patient! 

 
So after a solid week and a half of burn-in and a good few days of listening to my B3’s I decided it’s time to share my impressions. I will be writing this review as thoroughly as I can so both owners and prospective users can appreciate the brilliance of these little gems. I hope you all find this useful and maybe even a little enjoyable.
 
Packaging/Accessories: 3 pairs of red/gray Havi tips, 3 pairs of Sennheiser double flanges, 3 pairs of clear silicone tips, 1 pair of foam tips, soft carrying pouch, hard zip-case, and microfiber cloth. I ordered my B3’s from Penon Audio. (10/10)
 
Build, cable, and design: The housings of the B3’s are made of sturdy plastic and feel very secure in the ear or in the pocket. Cable quality is great and has a secure sturdiness to it but can often feel cheap in the hand due to its stiffness and dull texture. However, the cable is terminated with a large rectangular 90 degree jack that inspires confidence with all sources. The faceplate is made of Gorilla glass which can become very fingerprint sensitive but provides a hint of luxury and adds to their overall modest aesthetic. (8.5/10)
 
Comfort: The B3’s make use of a medium/large housing with an over-ear design. There are no sharp edges on the surface of the housing and with the right tips can be very comfortable for long periods of use. Stiff strain reliefs may be a minor issue for some but doesn’t pose a problem when sitting. Cable thickness ensures durability but feels soft against the skin. (9/10)         
 
Isolation: Although these are vented they isolate fairly well but not as much as I’d like for outdoor use or in noisy environments. Isolation won’t become a problem in relatively quiet environments but is about average overall. (6/10)
 
Microphonics: Cable noise is very low when touched but becomes apparent when moving or bouncing. This is helped, however, by using the sliding cinch. (7.5/10)
 
Personal background, Equipment: My preference for headphones is to enjoy everything the music has to offer, not to focus on a single part of the spectrum. Even though the music I listen to is varied, I don’t prefer bass-heavy headphones when listening to hip-hop, a V-shaped signature for rock/metal, or a bright treble response for classical. I simply like a neutral sounding headphone that’s resolving enough to reward me with great recordings and mildly forgiving for bad ones. My current IEM of choice is the VSonic GR07. For audio impressions I used the headphone out from an Audinst HUD-MX1 DAC/amp combo, a Topping NX1 portable amplifier (line-out from HUD-MX1), and a SanDisk Clip Sport MP3 player. All my impressions are done in a quiet room with a pair of over-ear headphones to isolate sound as much as possible. I used high bit rate  MP3 files and FLAC files for this evaluation.
 
Bass: Neutral, extended, punchy, fast, and detailed are words that come to mind with the bass response on the B3’s. Before I get to the quality of the bass let me say that the B3’s are not lacking in the this department, as many have felt they have. There is more than enough bass presence to satisfy most listeners except the demanding bass-head. As a whole, however, the bass response is mildly warm and handles nearly every genre of music brilliantly. Low notes have a nice fullness and weight to them without every becoming overbearing. They simply deliver whatever the song demands, whether that’s drums firing off with authority, forceful bass guitar, deep sub-bass of electronica/hip-hop, or the complex rhythms of heavy-metal drummers. Bass in an integral part of the sound but never bleed into the mids or distract when bass is mild or soft. Speed reminds me of a more analytical headphone but without the thin/lean characteristics that make such sets unmusical or downright boring. Attack, decay, and reverb are also very convincing and realistic. Texture and detail here is  very natural and well above any speaker or headphone I’ve ever heard before (which isn’t too many, sadly).
 
Mids: Open, natural, detailed, clear, and transparent sum up the B3’s mids for me. This is probably the biggest strength of the B3’s frequency response, even if the bass and treble definitely aren’t far behind. The mids are neither very forward nor recessed, in my opinion, and so they become no more involving or less engaging simply on the merits of their presence alone. No, the levels of detail, clarity, space, and transparency in the midrange is what makes them so rewarding to listen to. Vocals, both male and female, have a lifelike quality to them and never become harsh or unnatural. Note thickness leans mildly on the thin side without sounding the slightest bit unmusical or sterile. Music rich in midrange detail (especially with acoustic instruments) shine with the B3’s natural timbre. And there is a somewhat raw quality to the mids where details, textures, and spatial cues provide a great sense of realism. In a few words, these mids don’t leave much to be desired.
 
Highs: Crisp, airy, extended, non-fatiguing, and detailed (no surprise there) are all reasonable descriptions for the treble. Much like the midrange I don’t find the highs to be either aggressive or laid-back, although those who may find it bright will so just mildly. Treble presence compliments the rest of the frequencies as they can carry out details through the upper midrange onward without loss of clarity or finesse. Speed, decay, and transient response here are natural and involving – not too fast but never slow. Instruments have an airiness to them that provide a true sense of space and separation without ever sounding congested even with complex, fast, or splashy cymbal sequences. The highs are relatively smooth as a result and don’t appear to have any harsh spikes or peaks, thus sibilance is a non-issue. It does this without compromising the natural timbre of bright instruments or female vocalists. However, there is still a revealing and somewhat unforgiving nature to the treble that becomes evident on bad recordings or very low bi-rate files. That’s not to say they are sensitive to the point of becoming unlistenable, far from in fact. They simply deliver the very best your music has to offer while occasionally bringing out the worst.
 
Presentation: Here’s where things get interesting. The soundstage of the B3’s is very 3-demensional and incredibly spacious. The sheer depth, width, and height of the soundstage are what make the presentation so 3D. Placement and separation of sounds, be it acoustic instruments, vocals, micro-details, ambient sounds, or anything thrown at them with openness will be reproduced in their own space. The feeling is very out of the head but never loose of badly proportioned, that is, they never sound unrealistically wider that they sound deep, or vice versa. Instead, they keep from ever sounding “in-the-head” as many IEM users experience. This is helped with the incredible imaging capabilities of the B3, for example, it very easy to distinguish if a singer is off-center in a song  (or a concert hall for that matter). Layering too is impossible to mistake with complex and immersive sounds. Coherence between the drivers also gives the impression that what you are hearing is from a single driver, not two. The presentation is the strongest suit of the B3’s and is what most users will appreciate the most about the sound, if not everything else. 

 
Power/Sensitivity: The B3’s do require a decent amount of power to perform their best. That said, I don’t think you need to look far to get great performance out of them. When using a Topping NX1 portable amplifier I found the B3’s tend to exhibit a little more bass energy and held it’s sound together exceptionally well. However, when using my iBasso T5 portable amp I found they were in need of more power, not just for volume’s sake, but in order to bring out the best of the B3’s. So take note: users with amplifiers, MP3 players, or output devices suited for high-sensitivity, low-impedance headphones should probably invest in a separate amplifier or a more powerful one. 
 
Ear Tips, Insertion/Fit: When comparing the sound using various ear tips I found the bass to change from neutral & controlled (most ear tips) to slightly less controlled & more powerful (Sony hybrids, grey/red Havi tips). Soundstage size is also affected by the tip used, not dramatically so, but enough to notice a difference. Either way, you’re choice of ear tip will determine these differences. For example, the black Sennheiser double-flange tips make for the largest presentation/soundstage whereas the clear silicone single-flanges produce a balance of comfort and sound quality. I used the clear single-flange silicone ear tips as a reference when comparing tips.
 
Value: There’s not much to say here except that the cost-to-performance ratio is incredible. The sheer quality of the sound shocks for a headphone of this price, so much so it’s easy to take for granted. Its tonal balance, reference-like signature, out-of-the-head 3D soundstage, accurate presentation, revealing rewarding transparency, and effortless nature truly make the sound of the Havi B3 Pro-1. There is an expectation for a headphone to sound good (or even very good) at this price range but not exceptional, especially for $65. This level of sound quality combined with excellent packaging, a plethora of useful accessories, durable construction, an attractive exterior, and low microphonics make the B3’s my value choice of the year. And although there is room for refinement in some areas, there are too little negatives to overlook the B3’s altogether. So for those curious about them, don’t hesitate, buy them and see for yourself what these little gems have to offer. Even if you’re a bass-head, a die-hard metal lover, a Hi-Fi enthusiast, or a musician, if you have a little extra cash to spend to expand your audio experience then give them a shot. At worst, they won’t suit your needs or preference and you’ll be short $65, but if you’re like me you will discover they perform well beyond their price and you’ll be putting your old IEMs away (like I did with my GR07’s). 

 
Thanks for reading! Good luck and happy listening! 

 

[Bananiq]

^ thanks!

 

[Baycode]

Sorry about the shameless plug for CanOpener, but the app will give you all the sounsdstage you could want no matter your headphones. I would opt for letting CanOpener give you soundstage and focus on the other aspects of your headphones. YMMV

 
Well using EQ may help you boost the highs, some clarity and bass...
 
...and using Crossfeed effects software like Can Opener may help you expand the soundstage...
 
OK. Then, lets buy 5USD iems and enjoy them through digitally alterations with softwares

 
 
Your iem/hp's needs to have a good level of technicalities first. Then you can boost every aspect slightly to your liking. I am not against using CanOpener which I know from the first day. Lets not mislead someone... Hardware comes as the first essentiality, then comes the software...    (Dream of the sound-stage that you may achieve with CanOpener once you have the Havi B3

)
 
 

I love the havi and today received the xe800 and boy they are slightly better

... Same level on technicalities, more clear midrange clarity and resolution.

I was afraiding that Mochill is changing over the time, oh boy, nooo, he is back!!! 

  See you in the B3 thread after another 5 months!

 
 
 

  My long overdue review of the Havi.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/products/havi-b3-pro-1/reviews/11482

 
At last the conqueror is here with his "review", thanks @bhazard  , very nice review, I am adding the link in the first page!

 
 
... and @Audiophile1811  thanks for this great review, I am adding it to the first page!

  (Our preference of B3 Pro1 over the GR07 is the same).
 
 
 
ENJOY HAVI'NG B3 PRO1'S,
ENJOY HAVI'NG MUSİC,
ENJOY HAVI'NG LIFE,
ENJOY SPREADING THE HAVI LOVE  !!! 
 

 

 

[peter123]

@Audiophile1811
 
Fabulous review! Makes me want to leave my office and go home and enjoy the B3's 

 

[SyedZ2ez4]

awesome review! I'd have to say too, the pictures you take looks so professional. Is that solely because of lighting or editting?

 

[Wokei]

awesome review! I'd have to say too, the pictures you take looks so professional. Is that solely because of lighting or editting?

How was your trip to Jaben Subang ! Did you buy anything ?

 

[SyedZ2ez4]

How was your trip to Jaben Subang ! Did you buy anything ?

Not me, my fren bought hippo biscuits + mp3 player lol I got to try the new ciem from us CTM; not bad sounding but priced too is not bad compared with the others

 

[mochill]

Mochill I'd still using his havi b3 pro 1 , but definitely baycode you gotta get the xe800. They are amazing...bass is in between the mkii and bass edition, the midrange is the best of the gr07's and highs perfectly tame and clear... Soundstage is much better

 

[michele009]

Hi everybody!
Do you think i should pair the b3 with an amp (like the nx1) since i'll use them with a sansa clip+? 

 

[H T T]

   
Well using EQ may help you boost the highs, some clarity and bass...
 
...and using Crossfeed effects software like Can Opener may help you expand the soundstage...
 
OK. Then, lets buy 5USD iems and enjoy them through digitally alterations with softwares

 
 
Your iem/hp's needs to have a good level of technicalities first. Then you can boost every aspect slightly to your liking. I am not against using CanOpener which I know from the first day. Lets not mislead someone... Hardware comes as the first essentiality, then comes the software...    (Dream of the sound-stage that you may achieve with CanOpener once you have the Havi B3

)
 
 
 

 
I wasn't saying that at all. To be clear, I stated that technicalities would need to be addressed. Headphone design is a battle of trade offs.  I was saying that physical design compromises to increase soundstage could be a lesser priority due to software like CanOpener. 

 

[munggo]

  Hi everybody!
Do you think i should pair the b3 with an amp (like the nx1) since i'll use them with a sansa clip+? 

The general consensus is that an amp is a must to bring out the best from these babies...
I do not have an am and run these through an iPod video and they already sound awesome​.

Though I do intend to get an amp really soon.

 
As for the pair in with the clip+ there's a post in this thread about them not being a very good pairing and that an amp is a must..
You can look it up.

 

 

[ebrian]

  Hi everybody!
Do you think i should pair the b3 with an amp (like the nx1) since i'll use them with a sansa clip+? 

I'm running similar, B3 + NX1 + Sansa Clip Zip. 

 

[michele009]

I'm running similar, B3 + NX1 + Sansa Clip Zip. 

Could you give me a little review? If we are OT you can pm me. Thanks