Havi B3 Pro-1 Impressions Thread

[analogsurviver]

 

Thank you for good wishes.
 
I am more than just happy with this purchase - getting an IEM that can be used for monitoring live recordings requiring only bass correction without the need for the pesky EQ in the treble at reasonasble price is rare indeed.
 
I *might* find bass adequate if used with a "straight" amplifier - the Meyer DIY amp with crossfeed engaged is itself bass light-ish and requires slight bass boost in order to be neutral again. But after the AKG K 1000 and Stax Lambda Pro ( with diffuse field equalizer when necessary ) the typical "in the head" soundstage by an IEM, even if that is Havi B3, just will no longer do. Havi B3 with crossfeed is the first IEM I have heard that can achieve sufficiently "out of the head" soundstage.  
 
Havi B3 took longer than usual burn-in in order to start sounding good in the bass. Anything loud and low was problematic at first. It still is not a "subwoofer" - but can at least hold its own in the bass now.  All this in the context of classical music - some electronic music lover/basshead  may well be not satisfied.
 
Havi B3's gratest asset is timbral accuracy and freedom from listening fatigue - one can work for hours at an end without dicomfort of any kind. 

 

[Baycode]

Originally Posted by analogsurviver /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I am more than just happy with this purchase...
 
Havi B3 took longer than usual burn-in in order to start sounding good in the bass. Anything loud and low was problematic at first. It still is not a "subwoofer"...
 
Havi B3's gratest asset is timbral accuracy and freedom from listening fatigue - one can work for hours at an end without dicomfort of any kind. 

 
Totally agree with you again
 
Mine has approx. 100 hours of burn-in now and I am still using them constantly. At first I thought 15hrs were sufficent but its not. The biggest changes happened after 15hrs mark, but, over the time, I have much better bass compared to the first day. I am really excited to hear the changes when my B3's passes the typical 200-250 hours of burn-in requirement level for a lot of dynamic driver iems...
 
 
 
PS: My KC06 is in my country's customs, I hope to get them within 5 days...  I will be AB'ing the two and will put my input   
 
 
...and hope to hear the impressions of people who pairs their B3's with x5 and DX90!

 

[analogsurviver]

   
Totally agree with you again
 
Mine has approx. 100 hours of burn-in now and I am still using them constantly. At first I thought 15hrs were sufficent but its not. The biggest changes happened after 15hrs mark, but, over the time, I have much better bass compared to the first day. I am really excited to hear the changes when my B3's passes the typical 200-250 hours of burn-in requirement level for a lot of dynamic driver iems...
 
 
...and hope to hear the impressions of people who pairs them with x5 and DX90!

Mine have logged well in excess of 200 hours by now - and the changes, if any, are now minimal.
 
The only "normal" thing I will be pairing (in forseeable future)  with any "normal electrical requirement" IEM or headphone will be
ifi audio nano DSD DAC. If the lack of crosfeed will be missed too much - back to Meier DIY amp with crossfeed.
 
Here a track that Havi B3 Pro (Original Version) CAN play after proper burn in ( provided that source is up to snuff). Out of the box - fuggetaboutit !
 

 
Havi B3 Pro (Old Version) will let you know exactly which part of the drum kit gets hit at which moment - without haveng to visually "hunt" it down during listening - it is that good.
 
It is capable - barely - to play the system destroyer track par excellence, the Poem of  Chinese Drum 
 
http://www.allmusic.com/album/poems-of-thunder-mw0000615726
 
Here only lame MP3 intro - things do get tougher further into the track and off CD ...

 

[Baycode]

  Good Morning (here) to everyone. Just to be clear, with the S4 problem I was talking about fit, not comfort. The S4's are comfortable enough, but it's no use because I can't get a good fit anymore. They keep coming slightly loose, even with slight cord weight or movements of my jaw. Comfort, to me, is just how they feel physically. A cotton ball in my ear's going to be comfortable in that sense. But fit is about the seal that's necessary to properly hear the IEM. No matter how well a cotton ball fits in my ear, it's just not going to have a good sound signature! Am I wrong about these definitions? My thing with the B3's is that from the picture they look like their main body (is that called the "housing"?) kind of sits in the cup of your ear, while the tipped nozzle fits in the ear canal from there. That had me thinking that they wouldn't be as prone to getting jostled around as an IEM that has most of it's contact with your ear being through the tip and where it fits with your canal.

 
Depending on your ear-shape and size B3 housing may or may not sit (or touch) tightly to your external ear (especially concha, external auditory meatus and anthelix). Even if it sits the external ear there will be no sufficient force to hold it on the place only because of this force (I am assuming because of the shape of the human ear and the body/housing of the B3). The 2 main forces for a good/stable/secure fit for B3 are (at least for my experience): ear canal plug-in fit and over the ear cable force.
 
...and it touches very lightly to my antitragus and tragus which doesn't cause any discomfort. This light touches gives some extra support and makes the iem more stable while my head or body is on the move (but this support is light (or secondary), I have already explained the main two forces).
 
 

 
 
 
A close-up photo for you to show how it stays in there:

 
I am happy for the sit and comfort factor. But as you already know: it will differ from person to person...

 

[analogsurviver]

BTW - I am wearing mine cable down ...

 

[Darner]

 

  Depending on your ear-shape and size ... [ diagram and photo ] ... I am happy for the sit and comfort factor. ...

Wow, thanks for that. I still might try them. I can always sell them, right? The B3's seem tempting enough to warrant a go, from what everyone says. I've thought about just getting a low-profile headphone for when I'm out of the house, but I just don't like being in public with headphones, other than in a cafe when I'm working. I just feel so conspicuous. The IEM is so much more discrete, it lets me feel under the radar a bit.

 

[Baycode]

  Havi B3 Pro (Old Version) will let you know exactly which part of the drum kit gets hit at which moment - without haveng to visually "hunt" it down during listening - it is that good.

 
Analogsurviver "again" I agree with you 

 
One of the biggest strengths of this iem is imaging. I can exactly tell where the singer and/or musical instruments are (if the recording is done properly). Also I can sense/feel their distance from my eras (I believe its called as "depth").
 
And this iem is the only iem that makes me visualize the recording atmosphere (or stage) without even looking at. Great visual synesthesia triggering iem
 
Your input is very valuable for this matter because you're a professional recorder as well (don't you?).

 

[analogsurviver]

   
Analogsurviver "again" I agree with you 

 
One of the biggest strengths of this iem is imaging. I can exactly tell where the singer and/or musical instruments are (if the recording is done properly). Also I can sense/feel their distance from my eras (I believe its called as "depth").
 
And this iem is the only iem that makes me visualize the recording atmosphere (or stage) without even looking at. Great visual synesthesia triggering iem
 
Your input is very valuable for this matter because you're a professional recorder as well (don't you?).

Baycode "again" I agree with you 

 
Imaging of Havi is outstanding for an IEM - yet it is nothing compared to Havi + crossfeed of one sort or another. Then it really shines at imaging ( which is nothing else than "proof" that it does everything else also at least good ). Then it achieves the Minimundus status - but it is not 1:25 scale as the real Minimundus, it is more something like 1:3 compared to the AKG K 1000, the undisputed king of soundstage.
 
I joined head.fi in hope to find an IEM that could "emulate" K 1000 in the first place - Mission Accomplished in about a year !
 
Yes, I need decent IEM to monitor while recording in the same acoustic space as the performers . 

 

[mochill]

Still need to give the ostry a go and maybe the fx850 if you can two awesome soundstage iem so is the b3pro

 

[analogsurviver]

Still need to give the ostry a go and maybe the fx850 if you can two awesome soundstage iem so is the b3pro

Maybe - but after finding "something" that would finally work, I am tempted to get (a) spare set(s) - for me an IEM is a tool I depend on for making good recordings, not a hobby device for pleasure listening ( but I certainly do not mind using it in such a way ).
 
It is one of the worst nightmares to have to change monitor speakers or IEMs in the middle of any project - if you are familiar with a certain model and master its use, it does not matter much if something else is a bit different - it is consistency and dependability that count the most.

 

[peter123]

PS: My KC06 is in my country's customs, I hope to get them within 5 days...  I will be AB'ing the two and will put my input

This I'm really looking forward to!

 

[bhazard]

  Mine have logged well in excess of 200 hours by now - and the changes, if any, are now minimal.
 
The only "normal" thing I will be pairing (in forseeable future)  with any "normal electrical requirement" IEM or headphone will be
ifi audio nano DSD DAC. If the lack of crosfeed will be missed too much - back to Meier DIY amp with crossfeed.
 
Here a track that Havi B3 Pro (Original Version) CAN play after proper burn in ( provided that source is up to snuff). Out of the box - fuggetaboutit !
 

 
Havi B3 Pro (Old Version) will let you know exactly which part of the drum kit gets hit at which moment - without haveng to visually "hunt" it down during listening - it is that good.
 
It is capable - barely - to play the system destroyer track par excellence, the Poem of  Chinese Drum 
 
http://www.allmusic.com/album/poems-of-thunder-mw0000615726
 
Here only lame MP3 intro - things do get tougher further into the track and off CD ...

I love this chick. Smoking hot and a great drummer. Hope she makes it someday.

 

[analogsurviver]

  I love this chick. Smoking hot and a great drummer. Hope she makes it someday.

Just google her - incredible and VERY inspiring story . She is about to make it - if not there already. And deservedly so....

 

[Baycode]

She certainly has talent and beauty but I really like the way she always smiles while playing, that's incredible
 
 
Analogsurvivor, it will be good to see a photo of minimundus B3 and his big big big brother K1000 on the same scene

 

[analogsurviver]

Quote:

  She certainly has talent and beauty but I really like the way she always smiles while playing, that's incredible
 
 
Analogsurvivor, it will be good to see a photo of minimundus B3 and his big big big brother K1000 on the same scene

Actually, that smiling is annoying and out of place within chosen genre of music - metal. I would have much preferred  her as "spitfire" in some dark leather & stuff like that, followed by the outro as in this video - showing she also has talent for acting. But, one step at a time.
 
Second thing - not gonna happen. Whatever IEMs I am using during monitoring live concerts in the same acoustical space with performers, I use them UNDER
 

 
 
 
Peltor Optime III  ( the passive mufflers with the highest sound isolation known to man ). So, ALL IEMs I am using look exactly the same 

.
 
Although the following unboxing on YT is not really good ( THEY ARE ADJUSTABLE IN SIZE - in VERY wide range ...), you can pause it at the moment camera is showing just how much attenuation they offer at specific frequencies - the narrator only mentions 35 dB, which is an average/mean value:
 
 
 
How effective Peltor Optime III is ( 3M recently purchased Peltor of Sweden, mine are original, without mentioning 3M  anywhere ) you can read in the Amazon reviews :
 
http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B000VDX18E/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1