[longlost]

Well I've just upgraded (sort of...) from ADDIEM to RE0. I must say I'm not impressed. I still have a burn-in period yet to spend but as a first impression; RE0 is not a huge leap from ADDIEM at neither mids or highs, there is just a little difference, ADDIEM is a very clean IEM, RE0 is just more polished. Now in terms of Bass ADDIEM is way ahead both at quality and quantity.

Well We'll see after the burn-in but I'm not keeping my hopes up.

 

[EraserXIV]

RE0 smooths out a great deal after burn in, especially in the mids and highs.

maybe you're lucky and your ears are not sensitive enough to hear the differences. if that's the case, keep the ADDIEM and RE0 and be happy. your wallet will thank you for it. others of us who pick at the small details and differences in search of the perfect IEM have a gaping hole in our wallet to show for it.

also, everything is perspective in the world of audio. for you personally, the sonic gain in the RE0 may not be that big, but for others, the same sonic gain could be huge.
as an analogy, for most people, improving a car's 0-60 by 0.5 seconds means little if anything... but for an engineer or car enthusiast who is trying to build a fast car, a 0.5 second improvement is DRASTIC.

 

[longlost]

Well I wouldn't deem myself an expert but I think I can notice the little differences on these 2 IEMs.

As I said, I'll try them again after the burn in but right now there is no possible way to describe the difference as DRASTIC.

Believe me when I say; I unfortunately got the virus of "quest for better sound quality" , I had really high hopes for RE0, I really wish they will change.

 

[tstarn06]

I have RE252, which is a cousin of the RE0 (not the same, of course) and I can say that the ADDIEM, with the right tips/fit, are excellent in-ear phones for the money (esp the $35 ebay price), so I can see how that incremental difference doesn't seem worth it. Many of us have experienced the same thing when we believe we are moving up in the IEM world. I've owned the IE8, UM3X, W3, Image X10 and now have the TF10 - all top tier phones. And while they were all good in their own way, in my view no way do they justify $300+ price tags compared to today's emerging breed of sub-$100 IEMs.

Anyway, I understand your situation. My guess is the RE0 would benefit more from amping, but if not using an amp/LOD, I also can see how the difference doesn't seem worth it. Maybe burn-in will change the RE0.

Example: Because of a review by Joker, I bought a pair of the Cyclone Storm PR1 Pros for $50 on ebay. I like them so much (he compared them favorably to the RE0, with a little more bass) I bought a second pair (they were $40 this time, but haven't arrived yet), and they are not far behind any of my top-tier phones. That is no BS. With Sony hybrid tips, they sound fantastic.

 

[ljokerl]

To me the dynamic drivers in the RE0 make them warmer, smoother, and more musical than the ADDIEM. They're also more resolving and detailed and the sound is spaced better. Try to use the RE0 exclusively for a couple of days and then go back to the ADDIEM and you're sure to hear differences. Hearing differences when moving down the foodchain is much easier than when moving up.

Edit: also what tstarn said above - if you really want more bass from the RE0 amping might be the way to go. Different tips might help too but don't expect miracles.

 

[Antony6555]

The REO has accurate bass. It's not a basshead phone.

 

[rawrster]

from my experience at least most of the changes for burn in happened within the first couple hours of using it. I have the RE0 and recently acquired the TF10. Although I'm still testing them to see if I keep it they aren't miles ahead of the RE0 so as you move up the changes you hear wont be dramatic. They probably will be subtle and not as noticeable until you go back and listen to a lower earphone. Once you move down like joker said you will hear the difference.

 

[tstarn06]

Good points about "moving down/back) to compare. Makes perfect sense.

And again, tips can have a dramatic impact on a phone. I don't really use the ADDIEMs any more (sold my Touch), but I didn't mean to say they were a preferred IEM than the REO. Just that sometimes certain factors can level the playing field. I know many people claim the TF10s mids are recessed, but with the hybrid tips, I think they sound fantastic and the mids are fine. On another phone, the Klipsch S4s, some people say they are muffled. They sound clear and crisp to me, with the Ety bi-flanges (not as much with other tips).

It's all such a guessing game when it comes to tips/fit and IEMs. But once you hit the right combo, my guess is most phones (within reason) are going to sound very, very good.

 

[EraserXIV]

the moving down/back is actually pretty drastic i have to admit. when i first got the RE0 i was pretty impressed, but I still felt my old IEMs were good enough for me to hold on to them and use them once in a while when I want a change of pace, or if I want to use them in the gym.

but after using the RE0s exclusively for a couple weeks, i felt i should go back and try out my old IEMs out. wow, was it drastic... I couldn't even finish the song I was listening too because it was so muddy, veiled, and messy that I couldn't stand it. it hit me completely by surprise because I was expecting them to be half-decent, i hadn't remembered them being THIS bad..

I only use it when I'm at the gym now, and I'm seriously considering throwing them out because I sometimes dread going to the gym because that means I have to listen to those crappy IEMs (note, these were the same IEMs that I once thought were decent... until I had a good listen with the RE0s).

 

[tstarn06]

Well, which IEMs are we talking about. You can't just leave it at that.

 

[EraserXIV]

oh they were the Victor HP-FX22S. not bad for the price... but still severely lacking.

 

[weibby]

erm whats your source and RE0 needs a lil more power to sound its best

 

[semisight]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ljokerl /img/forum/go_quote.gif Different tips might help too but don't expect miracles.

Actually using foam tips (shure olives) help a lot. The bass comes out to play and the highs retreat a bit so it's a bit less fatiguing. If you really want the most bass out of your RE0s you have to amp them, but I find myself changing between the stock bi-flanges, the single flanges, and the olives almost every day because I like the sound differences. I would stick with the olives except they obscure the great treble on the RE0 and it's really a shame to waste something like that

.

 

[ljokerl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by semisight /img/forum/go_quote.gif Actually using foam tips (shure olives) help a lot.

I used Olives on my RE0 as well but if the signature is not to someone's liking, the tips won't help unless they're just not getting a seal. Tips could iron out this quirk or that but If the ADDIEM sound as good as the RE0 to the OP, the problem will not be solved by tips.

 

[semisight]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ljokerl /img/forum/go_quote.gif Tips could iron out this quirk or that but If the ADDIEM sound as good as the RE0 to the OP, the problem will not be solved by tips.

I don't think the OP is giving them enough time. When I first listened to mine I was similarly disappointed, but now I appreciate them a lot more.