Redcarmoose
Headphoneus Supremus
Sony XBA 100 IEM
Not a bunch of fuss over this gem here at Head-Fi so I thought I would make a humble thread. Years ago we had some interest over the very first single balanced armature IEM from Sony. Sony had a release offering the single driver (XBA1) along with other multi-BA sibling models you could explore. Though you would think there would have been more excitement here, it was what it was.
It's realy all about the music!
Nowadays it is what it is.
It seems in many ways Sony does not have it's fair share of love here at Head-Fi.
After recently going and trying a large assortment of Sony consumer headphones, I walked away unimpressed. The Sony sound in the 1990s was more flat based and classic audiophile on a number of models. Though some of those classic flat responders are still in production today,
Note:
https://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-Professional-Diaphragm-Headphone/dp/B000AJIF4E/ref=pd_sim_23_5/161-5032193-8525634?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=NMG75DCX73FED7FXBNW3
Or:
https://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDRV6-Studio-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B00001WRSJ
Many of us just lucked out finding the MDRV6 in the 1990s, allowing use for an inexpensive and accurate headphone monitor.
Sony has now attempted to update their sound with a V shape. At times much of the older flat sounding 1990s stuff was not totally perfect with some models bordering and reaching hot treble responses, today we almost hear Sony sounding like Beats and becoming something they are not with the new consumer line of headphones and IEMs. It's like they decided to walk away from their classic sound attempting to offer the general public what it wants.
Still....they did make an IEM which possibly only due to driver ability gets closer to the sound Sony used to be famous for, the little known Sony XBA100 Single Balanced Armature IEM!
Now with the full brass body we can guess Sony has provided an improved product still keeping the price at $59-$100 depending on where you get them.
Needless to say, this new model is an exciting purchase both in audio style, build quality and sound reproduction.
The Sound: Confusion in listening at first.
Many of us end up trying new IEMs first straight out of a phone or portable listening device. Most of us kind of know from experience what continued burn-in will do to the sound of a new IEM. Still single driver balanced armature IEMs are a slightly different animal.
What sounded like distortions trying them from an IPhone was simply amplification artifacts.
Though in many ways this is an IEM made for portable, you may want to learn about more on a home reference system at first? It seems fast and loud passages can become characterized with slight distortions in the pre-burn in sound, which is really an issue with the amp and not the IEM. The slight distortions even after burn-in can exist using a lower powered portable but are greatly reduced to a place almost not noticed.
So with that out of the way:
After 100 hours of burn in.
We now have a closer to comparison sound on both portable and home reference equipment. (Driving the IEM off a phone or home amp sounds close to the same) Gone is any transition to louder passage distortions and artifacts. We are now left with a device which contains anemia in the bass department but seems to make up for it in other ways.
Soundstage:
Interesting that if you read about the XBA100s you will read about people not liking the soundstage? Still not being the biggest ever it seems normal and natural to my ears. These Sony IEMs produce a polite and refined response that makes them a keeper in any small IEM collection. It's as everything in the mix seems to find it's own home in the soundstage with nothing amiss?
Soundstage is pure and natural.
The Sound In Detail:
Treble:
Just simply amazing. Resolution and layers which allow the listener to hear deferential parts in the music. Layers upon layers in the treble department. Harps extend out to the side and hold both detail and harmonic warmth. Chorus layers allow the listener to extract gender of voicing groups. And in this treble the bass and mids still exist in their own profound delineated area.
Midrange:
The mids get almost as amazing as the treble.
Probably midrange is these could always be famous for? Just the fact that any shouty, stridency or harshness faded in the treble after burn-in made the treble the star of the show. The midrange gets almost equally loved for the intrinsic way it just is. A super fast and cohesive midrange, everything in place and nothing strange or unnatural.
Midrange actually has a slight amount of warmth and this whole signature gets pulled together by the quality the midrange offers.
Bass:
At fist I really thought these were more bass light than they are. Much of loving these has to do with simply excepting the bass for what it is. It's there but very-much behind the signature. It's backseat allows the detail in the midrange and detail in the treble to garner that much more amazement. The bass is by nature tight fast and detailed. It's not super low, but ends up being enough to make movie soundtracks and classical a very special experience. These are actually slightly hard IEMs to drive. It's not that they are going to lack any less bass being under-powered, but will end up with slight distortions, like the IEMs are taxing the amp a little?
More amp power is going to get just a slightly better transient response as well as slightly better bass definition which can trick the listener into thinking there is actually more bass.
Build:
Solid machined brass IEM housings, two piece.
OFC Silver Coated Cable not using microphone or remote.
TPE Litz wire. Length wise striated cable.
Small brass end of back of plug and gold 1/4 inch plug, L-Shape.
Fit:
After a month of use these are maybe my most comferable IEM or headphone for that matter. They just stay in place and feel like air.
Music Used:
I pretty much only use these for movie soundtracks. They can sound nice with new EDM and entertain due to detail, but fail due to the driving electronic bass left out. Still they seem to offer the perfect amount of bass in soundtracks. Obviously I own other headphones which offer more bass, but the XBA100s are a favorite just due to the special detail and soundstage they produce.
Classic Heavy Metal:
You maybe would not think an IEM of this style would do heavy metal but they pull it off in surprisingly good fashion. It's maybe that they are not as "hot" as all of our preconceived ideas are. That in the playback of well recorded heavy metal they then climb to their true sonic stance showing us just how flat and non-colored they really are. Just the simple fact that a flat headphone can do all the genres with finesse is maybe what is at hand here?
In Ending.
These are such a great IEM. Obviously Sony and other manufacturers have attempted to add drivers and crossovers to make the balanced armature driver listening experience contain added bass. Manufactures have also added single dynamic drivers to enhance the balanced armature experience. That does not necessarily mean that a single BA can not be special. Sony attempting to engineer a full frequency BA has introduced a value IEM with great timing and character. Many may find it's balance of accuracy and tone a special home in the IEM world. When you consider how nice they fit, how they stay in place and how they perform, $60 is a gift.
While missing some of the lower bass frequency that other IEMs in this price point hold, there is a clarity and musicality which goes miles up to offer a natural and world-class timbre and tone.
The Bottom Line:
In many ways the XBA100 offers the listener a new and exiting experience. Gone are any artifacts from crossovers or frequency overlay due to multiple driver issues. We are left with a pure sound and purpose of intent. There is a level of clarity offered by a single driver which exudes audiophile character.
Cheers!
http://www.head-fi.org/products/sony-xba100-q-sealed-inner-ear-receiver-balanced-armature-driver-unit-mounting-japan-import/reviews/17771
Equipment used in this study:
Schiit Asgard Amplifier
DACMagic Plus DAC
iPhone 4
iPod Touch Generation Five
Electra Glide Audio Epiphany MK2 Power Cord
Virtual Dynamics Master Series RCA Interconnects
Rega Planet Transport
Datalink 100 Digital Coaxial Cable
Compact Disks 16 bit-44.1 kHz Redbook
Not a bunch of fuss over this gem here at Head-Fi so I thought I would make a humble thread. Years ago we had some interest over the very first single balanced armature IEM from Sony. Sony had a release offering the single driver (XBA1) along with other multi-BA sibling models you could explore. Though you would think there would have been more excitement here, it was what it was.
It's realy all about the music!
Nowadays it is what it is.
It seems in many ways Sony does not have it's fair share of love here at Head-Fi.
After recently going and trying a large assortment of Sony consumer headphones, I walked away unimpressed. The Sony sound in the 1990s was more flat based and classic audiophile on a number of models. Though some of those classic flat responders are still in production today,
Note:
https://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-Professional-Diaphragm-Headphone/dp/B000AJIF4E/ref=pd_sim_23_5/161-5032193-8525634?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=NMG75DCX73FED7FXBNW3
Or:
https://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDRV6-Studio-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B00001WRSJ
Many of us just lucked out finding the MDRV6 in the 1990s, allowing use for an inexpensive and accurate headphone monitor.
Sony has now attempted to update their sound with a V shape. At times much of the older flat sounding 1990s stuff was not totally perfect with some models bordering and reaching hot treble responses, today we almost hear Sony sounding like Beats and becoming something they are not with the new consumer line of headphones and IEMs. It's like they decided to walk away from their classic sound attempting to offer the general public what it wants.
Many of us end up trying new IEMs first straight out of a phone or portable listening device. Most of us kind of know from experience what continued burn-in will do to the sound of a new IEM. Still single driver balanced armature IEMs are a slightly different animal.
What sounded like distortions trying them from an IPhone was simply amplification artifacts.
Though in many ways this is an IEM made for portable, you may want to learn about more on a home reference system at first? It seems fast and loud passages can become characterized with slight distortions in the pre-burn in sound, which is really an issue with the amp and not the IEM. The slight distortions even after burn-in can exist using a lower powered portable but are greatly reduced to a place almost not noticed.
So with that out of the way:
After 100 hours of burn in.
We now have a closer to comparison sound on both portable and home reference equipment. (Driving the IEM off a phone or home amp sounds close to the same) Gone is any transition to louder passage distortions and artifacts. We are now left with a device which contains anemia in the bass department but seems to make up for it in other ways.
Soundstage:
Interesting that if you read about the XBA100s you will read about people not liking the soundstage? Still not being the biggest ever it seems normal and natural to my ears. These Sony IEMs produce a polite and refined response that makes them a keeper in any small IEM collection. It's as everything in the mix seems to find it's own home in the soundstage with nothing amiss?
Soundstage is pure and natural.
The Sound In Detail:
Treble:
Just simply amazing. Resolution and layers which allow the listener to hear deferential parts in the music. Layers upon layers in the treble department. Harps extend out to the side and hold both detail and harmonic warmth. Chorus layers allow the listener to extract gender of voicing groups. And in this treble the bass and mids still exist in their own profound delineated area.
Midrange:
The mids get almost as amazing as the treble.
Probably midrange is these could always be famous for? Just the fact that any shouty, stridency or harshness faded in the treble after burn-in made the treble the star of the show. The midrange gets almost equally loved for the intrinsic way it just is. A super fast and cohesive midrange, everything in place and nothing strange or unnatural.
Midrange actually has a slight amount of warmth and this whole signature gets pulled together by the quality the midrange offers.
Bass:
At fist I really thought these were more bass light than they are. Much of loving these has to do with simply excepting the bass for what it is. It's there but very-much behind the signature. It's backseat allows the detail in the midrange and detail in the treble to garner that much more amazement. The bass is by nature tight fast and detailed. It's not super low, but ends up being enough to make movie soundtracks and classical a very special experience. These are actually slightly hard IEMs to drive. It's not that they are going to lack any less bass being under-powered, but will end up with slight distortions, like the IEMs are taxing the amp a little?
More amp power is going to get just a slightly better transient response as well as slightly better bass definition which can trick the listener into thinking there is actually more bass.
Build:
Solid machined brass IEM housings, two piece.
OFC Silver Coated Cable not using microphone or remote.
TPE Litz wire. Length wise striated cable.
Small brass end of back of plug and gold 1/4 inch plug, L-Shape.
Fit:
After a month of use these are maybe my most comferable IEM or headphone for that matter. They just stay in place and feel like air.
Music Used:
I pretty much only use these for movie soundtracks. They can sound nice with new EDM and entertain due to detail, but fail due to the driving electronic bass left out. Still they seem to offer the perfect amount of bass in soundtracks. Obviously I own other headphones which offer more bass, but the XBA100s are a favorite just due to the special detail and soundstage they produce.
Classic Heavy Metal:
You maybe would not think an IEM of this style would do heavy metal but they pull it off in surprisingly good fashion. It's maybe that they are not as "hot" as all of our preconceived ideas are. That in the playback of well recorded heavy metal they then climb to their true sonic stance showing us just how flat and non-colored they really are. Just the simple fact that a flat headphone can do all the genres with finesse is maybe what is at hand here?
In Ending.
These are such a great IEM. Obviously Sony and other manufacturers have attempted to add drivers and crossovers to make the balanced armature driver listening experience contain added bass. Manufactures have also added single dynamic drivers to enhance the balanced armature experience. That does not necessarily mean that a single BA can not be special. Sony attempting to engineer a full frequency BA has introduced a value IEM with great timing and character. Many may find it's balance of accuracy and tone a special home in the IEM world. When you consider how nice they fit, how they stay in place and how they perform, $60 is a gift.
While missing some of the lower bass frequency that other IEMs in this price point hold, there is a clarity and musicality which goes miles up to offer a natural and world-class timbre and tone.
The Bottom Line:
In many ways the XBA100 offers the listener a new and exiting experience. Gone are any artifacts from crossovers or frequency overlay due to multiple driver issues. We are left with a pure sound and purpose of intent. There is a level of clarity offered by a single driver which exudes audiophile character.
Cheers!
http://www.head-fi.org/products/sony-xba100-q-sealed-inner-ear-receiver-balanced-armature-driver-unit-mounting-japan-import/reviews/17771
Equipment used in this study:
Schiit Asgard Amplifier
DACMagic Plus DAC
iPhone 4
iPod Touch Generation Five
Electra Glide Audio Epiphany MK2 Power Cord
Virtual Dynamics Master Series RCA Interconnects
Rega Planet Transport
Datalink 100 Digital Coaxial Cable
Compact Disks 16 bit-44.1 kHz Redbook
