[lewislink]

JBL Reference 220

These JBLs are turning out to be an excellent set of buds, especially for the cost of them. After a couple days almost continuous usage, they seem to be broken-in and are performing admirably well. The bass response is incredible and very accurate and tight. The midrange has toned down a bit to a wonderful, crisp, clean and detailed image. The highs are bright but not overly so.

These JBLs do have distortion in the bass and lower midrange at headbanger levels but for loud Jazz and contemporary or modern rock, they are great. The quality seems to be about average as these earbuds go. The cords are wrapped in a cloth mesh and they come with a nice container with a few accessories, a set of ear attachments, a 3.5mm to the standard home audio equipment headphone jack and an airplane jack.

 

[steviebee]

Yes, they're nice little performers. A little unrefined even grainy in the treble from what I remember of mine, but good nonetheless. And the case was great. Do you use those silly ear wraps?

Edit\ You use Bass Freqs? Tried them for awhile a year or so ago but too too warm & bassy for me

If your next phones are Crossroads or CK7s, it'll get spooky. I may have an upgrade twin!

 

[lewislink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by steviebee /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes, they're nice little performers. A little unrefined even grainy in the treble from what I remember of mine, but good nonetheless. And the case was great. Do you use those silly ear wraps? Edit\ You use Bass Freqs? Tried them for awhile a year or so ago but too too warm & bassy for me If your next phones are Crossroads or CK7s, it'll get spooky. I may have an upgrade twin!

Yeah, I agree, the Bass Freq's are warm and bassy compared to the JBLs.

Don't get the Crossroads, they're throwaways. The compound used in the cord wrap will cause them to shrink away after a while, maybe 2 months of usage, and this will expose the conductors leading to a breakage. The cords will become very stiff and difficult to manage. They are excellent sounding buds but they are pretty much in the same league as the Bass Freqs for sound quality...the XBi's are, anyway. The sound is warm and bassy, much like the BF's.

I posted some pics of what the cords do in another thread, but I don't remember which thread. Nevertheless, it was about 2 or so months when the left bud's conductors broke. because of the way these buds are made, there's no good way to repair them.

 

[steviebee]

I bought the Crossroads X3 a long time ago...mine are still going strong. Not that they get much use these days, but they were damn great for the money.

I meant it as....oh, never mind...

 

[lewislink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by steviebee /img/forum/go_quote.gif I bought the Crossroads X3 a long time ago...mine are still going strong. Not that they get much use these days, but they were damn great for the money. I meant it as....oh, never mind...

Yeah, I know you meant.

I was referring to the latest ones, the X3i and XBi.

 

[lewislink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by steviebee /img/forum/go_quote.gif I bought the Crossroads X3 a long time ago...mine are still going strong. Not that they get much use these days, but they were damn great for the money.

Here are the pics I was speaking of:

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x...slink2/011.jpg
http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x...slink2/015.jpg

 

[Andrew_WOT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lewislink /img/forum/go_quote.gif Here are the pics I was speaking of: http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x...slink2/011.jpg http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x...slink2/015.jpg

These are X3i, I have 2 pairs of over year old original X3 that show none of these problems.
BTW, judging by those picture I would assume that someone just yanked the cord really hard and it's not cord insulation deterioration issue.

EDIT: And they are not earbuds either.

 

[lewislink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew_WOT /img/forum/go_quote.gif BTW, judging by those picture I would assume that someone just yanked the cord really hard and it's not cord insulation deterioration issue.

You'd be wrong because those are my canalphones and they did exactly what I described them doing, the cord wrap hardened to a very stiff point and shrunk away from everything, not just the canalphone ends. The cord wrap also shrunk away from the connector end. I was able to deal with that, though. Great care was taken in the usage of these canalphones and nothing was yanked or treated abusively in any way.

By the way, those are XBi's. The more-bass version.

 

[lewislink]

Ultimate Ears Super fi 3 Studio Live

I received my Ultimate Ears Super fi 3 Studio canalphones today. I'm currently in the process of trying to get them to seal in my ears but having trouble. I never liked these upside down type of canalphones because they always tend to migrate to an unsealed position. Especially after a couple hours usage.

I tried the foams, they are okay but don't stay sealed. I tried the dual flanges, they're too small. I'm currently continuing with the large rubbers. Maybe after a few hours of usage, my ears will physically adjust to them and them to me. As it is right now, I can barely get decent bass but I am getting some.

As for the general audio quality, they seem to be about like the JVC Air Buds but with tighter control across the whole spectrum. They sound great but nothing I couldn't be pleased with in the either JVC's, V-Moda Bass Freq's or JBL 220's.

With that said, I know, I need to allow them to break-in. I'm certain, once they start sealing better and become broke-in, they'll sound considerably better.

 

[hatethatgiraffe]

did u lick ur foams?
seem to create a seal with my shures even though using the silicones with my triple fi's!!
btw the triple fi's rock
bite the bullet lewis just go high end you know you want to!!
longer you wait the more likely you ache to do it!!
glad to see you took my suggestion from your other thread to step up!!
next step comparing se530 , triple fi 10's and ety's lol

 

[lewislink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hatethatgiraffe /img/forum/go_quote.gif did u lick ur foams? seem to create a seal with my shures even though using the silicones with my triple fi's!! btw the triple fi's rock bite the bullet lewis just go high end you know you want to!! longer you wait the more likely you ache to do it!! glad to see you took my suggestion from your other thread to step up!! next step comparing se530 , triple fi 10's and ety's lol

You're egging me on!

No wonder I'm going broke, I haven't eaten in a month but I sure am chillin' well with my toys.

Seriously, they are already starting to sound better. I might try slobbering in my ears later..

Maybe i can sell all or nearly all of these canalphones for enough to buy some Super fi 10's or Image's.

 

[lewislink]

Ultimate Ears Super fi 3 Studio Live continued...

The source is currently an iriver S10 running OGG@500Kbs converted directly from the CD using dBpoweramp with 3 passes.

The midrange is gloriously taut and dynamic without being piercing. Hmmm...I think I'm detecting some mechanical noise...or, perhaps, some sort of distortion in the lower midrange or upper bass. Then, it could just be a particular instrument in this Jazz tune, Flim and The BB's Flakey Jakey.

 

[hatethatgiraffe]

Sell em all
get amped
choose life
choose a wide screen tv
choose a wife and 2.4 kids
choose a 3 piece suite
choose a family hatchback
choose a big fridge
choose a dishwasher with 8 place settings
choose god
choose a big limit on your credit card
cos u chose head-fi
(tm tainspottin!! lol not exact quote but close enough to be rip off lmao)

 

[lewislink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hatethatgiraffe /img/forum/go_quote.gif cos u chose head-fi

Actually I was referred here by a person in another forum. I came here, saw it is a very cool site and covered my current devotion, audio production and a place to learn, learn and learn.

 

[lewislink]

Ultimate Ears Super fi 3 Studio Live continued...

Okay, so far, in order to maintain a decent seal with these canalphones, I've used one dual flange OEM and one single flange medium OEM. This is a first for me, using a multiflange sleeve like this. Then, after that I tried two mediums and have changed back and forth between the larges and the mediums and the dual flanges. I'm not sure I'll maintain a decent seal but I'm working at it. When a proper seal is achieved, these phones shine. They sound incredible and produce a very dynamic, high quality sound and the bass is quite impressive, not the amount, but rather the quality of the bass.

Currently, the source is a Meizu miniPlayer using OGG/Vorbis audio files @256Kbs directly ripped from the CD with dbPoweramp.

If the seal issue weren't such a problem, these would be outstanding canalphones all the way around.