[kanonathena]

If you're looking to get better deep bass and less fatiguing high end with any of the add-on drivers I can recommend the M5 Pro Golden set.

Do you have the original superone? Just wander how m5pro + SO driver compare to the original SO in sound sig and technicality.

I really liked the overall sound of the original, found it even better than RW3000 (at least with a desktop amp), if not for the spike in 2k region.

 

[mt877]

I am sure it is possible if I take the transducers out, and resolder, but I really don't want try and tackle that... lol

Having said that, I am fortunate in that the music apps that I use (Neutron, UAPP, Mango) have L/R volume balance where I can correct it.

Yeah, I have found that with generic foams the red is the worst. The orange and yellow ones don't do that (at least with the cheapo foams I have anyhow).

After I saw this on my Chaconne, I did some research on OFC or ONO and it turns out I am just unlucky because this "impurity" normally only happens once in about one thousand yards or so... LOL figures, I would get that 1 in a thousand...

Some people say if they didn't have bad luck... they wouldn't have any luck at all. LOL.

Do you have the original superone? Just wander how m5pro + SO driver compare to the original SO in sound sig and technicality.

I really liked the overall sound of the original, found it even better than RW3000 (at least with a desktop amp), if not for the spike in 2k region.

I don't have the original SO to compare to the M5 Pro + SO driver. From Smabat's description, the SO is their very TOTL earbud which is supposed to have a stronger bass impact or extension than the "legendary" ST10S B&G and (marketing speak) sports the "helmet" logo signifying Smabat's highest level of technology...

Anyway, I like the M5 Pro + SO driver better than with ST10S driver. For that matter, I thought the M4 + SO driver was better than with the ST10S driver as well. Maybe the SO 100Ω bio-fiber driver is just a better driver(?).

Spoiler: Smabat Helmet logo

 

[samandhi]

Just for record. I have listed the buds that I already have experience with: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/earbuds-round-up.441400/post-17786283
And the question was about comparing one of them with dbx.

It was interesting to read your similar comparison and, especially, a diff with my one. Just another evidence all our ears difference is especially obvious with flathead buds.

Ah Apologies. I apparently misunderstood the question, and now remember reading your post on this. I guess I typed all that up for nothing useful... hahaha

Some people say if they didn't have bad luck... they wouldn't have any luck at all. LOL.


I don't have the original SO to compare to the M5 Pro + SO driver. From Smabat's description, the SO is their very TOTL earbud which is supposed to have a stronger bass impact or extension than the "legendary" ST10S B&G and (marketing speak) sports the "helmet" logo signifying Smabat's highest level of technology...

Anyway, I like the M5 Pro + SO driver better than with ST10S driver. For that matter, I thought the M4 + SO driver was better than with the ST10S driver as well. Maybe the SO 100Ω bio-fiber driver is just a better driver(?).

Spoiler: Smabat Helmet logo

Nor have I heard the OG SO, but I have always favored the SO driver even over the ST10S driver for the M2s Pro, and the M4 for that matter. To my ears, the SO driver does indeed have more bass impact, and is a bit more textured and tighter as well, where the ST10S driver goes quite a bit deeper and has more overall rumble.

I do agree that the SO driver could be considered a better driver, depending on whether you like more rumble, or more impact. Both are their best drivers (for my ears) from Smabat IMO.

For some reason, I have also always liked the 32ohm Bio driver for clarity (yes, even over the SO driver), though the bass quantity and impact are less than either the SO or ST10S driver. Of course, they discontinued it for the M4, but seems as though they have brought back a version of it for the M5. It has yet to be seen (or read about) as to whether this is going to be a good driver or not.

 

[DBaldock9]

Some people say if they didn't have bad luck... they wouldn't have any luck at all. LOL.


I don't have the original SO to compare to the M5 Pro + SO driver. From Smabat's description, the SO is their very TOTL earbud which is supposed to have a stronger bass impact or extension than the "legendary" ST10S B&G and (marketing speak) sports the "helmet" logo signifying Smabat's highest level of technology...

Anyway, I like the M5 Pro + SO driver better than with ST10S driver. For that matter, I thought the M4 + SO driver was better than with the ST10S driver as well. Maybe the SO 100Ω bio-fiber driver is just a better driver(?).

Spoiler: Smabat Helmet logo

As part of your M5 purchase, did you get their new M5 (2023) Beryllium Coated, 14.2mm, 32-Ω driver?

Since I've already got all of these M4 drivers -

M4 (2022) Dome LCP 15.4mm Khaki driver, 50-Ω, 108dB/mW, 10Hz-22KHz
M4 (2022) Super One 15.4mm Black driver, 100-Ω, 110dB/mW, 10Hz-22KHz
M4 (2022) ST-10s 15.4mm Yellow driver, 150-Ω, 10Hz-22KHz
M4 (2022) Balanced Armature White driver, 22-Ω, 106dB/mW, 18Hz-20KHz
M4 (2023) LCP+PU 15.4mm Red driver, 50-Ω, 108dB/mW, 10Hz-22KHz
M4 (2023) BioFiber+PU 14.2mm Green driver, 32-Ω, 110dB/mW, 10Hz-22KHz

- I ordered a set of the new M5 drivers during 11/11, to try with my M5 housings.

 

[mt877]

As part of your M5 purchase, did you get their new M5 (2023) Beryllium Coated, 14.2mm, 32-Ω driver?

Since I've already got all of these M4 drivers -

M4 (2022) Dome LCP 15.4mm Khaki driver, 50-Ω, 108dB/mW, 10Hz-22KHz
M4 (2022) Super One 15.4mm Black driver, 100-Ω, 110dB/mW, 10Hz-22KHz
M4 (2022) ST-10s 15.4mm Yellow driver, 150-Ω, 10Hz-22KHz
M4 (2022) Balanced Armature White driver, 22-Ω, 106dB/mW, 18Hz-20KHz
M4 (2023) LCP+PU 15.4mm Red driver, 50-Ω, 108dB/mW, 10Hz-22KHz
M4 (2023) BioFiber+PU 14.2mm Green driver, 32-Ω, 110dB/mW, 10Hz-22KHz

- I ordered a set of the new M5 drivers during 11/11, to try with my M5 housings.

I didn't pick up the M5 (2023) Beryllium Coated, 14.2mm, 32-Ω driver, I might do that later. I got the M5 Pro Golden 150Ω set. The only way to get the Golden 150Ω driver is with the M5 Pro Golden set. There's a difference between the M5 and M5 Pro body tuning. M5 has the ST10S maze acoustic structure and the M5 Pro has ST20P conch-shaped maze acoustic structure, so it's gonna be an apples to oranges comparison of driver sound impressions for people that bought the M5 Pro vs the M5 body. Smabat really wants to give people choices to find a match up that will fit their sound signature, just open your wallets to shell out... hehe.

The M5 / Pro series bodies also use a tuning filter like M4 series, but I can't find any mention of filter / driver recommendations for either M5 or M5 Pro bodies. So far I've tried ST10S 150Ω Yellow, SO 100Ω Black, ST20 40Ω Red and ST20Pro 100Ω Blue with default factory tuned M5 Pro body, they all sounded different (as expected), but pretty good. The improvement using the M5 Pro body vs the M4 body was like night and day. I have not tried the BA on the M5 Pro, but that BA IEM driver sounded good on the M4 body, so might also sound good on the M5 / Pro bodies. I also have the drivers that came with the S1 Bluetooth earbuds which I have not tried on the M5 pro body.

Speaking about the S1, Smabat has a new crowdfunding campaign for a new S2 Bluetooth earbud, but it's only listed on their Chinese language web store (smabat.com). Their English language web store (smabat.cn) does not offer it. From google translation, the S2 is supposed have a lengthened acoustic chamber to increase the bass and the body is supposed to be lighter than the S1. I know people have concerns about the S1 falling out of their ears due to the body design, but they are very stable. My favorite driver on the S1 is (once again) the SO 100Ω Black. I guess I just like the way that driver sounds.

 

[DBaldock9]

I didn't pick up the M5 (2023) Beryllium Coated, 14.2mm, 32-Ω driver, I might do that later. I got the M5 Pro Golden 150Ω set. The only way to get the Golden 150Ω driver is with the M5 Pro Golden set. There's a difference between the M5 and M5 Pro body tuning. M5 has the ST10S maze acoustic structure and the M5 Pro has ST20P conch-shaped maze acoustic structure, so it's gonna be an apples to oranges comparison of driver sound impressions for people that bought the M5 Pro vs the M5 body. Smabat really wants to give people choices to find a match up that will fit their sound signature, just open your wallets to shell out... hehe.

The M series bodies also use a tuning filter like M4 series, but I can't find any mention of filter / driver recommendations for either M5 or M5 Pro bodies. So far I've tried ST10S 150Ω Yellow, SO 100Ω Black, ST20 40Ω Red and ST20Pro 100Ω Blue with default factory tuned M5 Pro body, they all sounded different (as expected), but pretty good. The improvement using the M5 Pro body vs the M4 body was like night and day. I have not tried the BA on the M5 Pro, but that BA IEM driver sounded good on the M4 body, so might also sound good on the M5 / Pro bodies. I also have the drivers that came with the S1 Bluetooth earbuds which I have not tried on the M5 pro body.

Speaking about the S1, Smabat has a new crowdfunding campaign for a new S2 Bluetooth earbud, but it's only listed on their Chinese language web store (smabat.com). Their English language web store (smabat.cn) does not offer it. From google translation, the S2 is supposed have a lengthened acoustic chamber to increase the bass and the body is supposed to be lighter than the S1. I know people have concerns about the S1 falling out of their ears due to the body design, but they are very stable. My favorite driver on the S1 is (once again) the SO 100Ω Black. I guess I just like the way that driver sounds.

I also took advantage of the M5 Pro Golden Full Set pre-order.
And, I have 4 sets of the M4 housings (a set with each of the Dampers).
I haven't really done any experimentation - so which of the Dampers have you found to give best Bass response?

 

[mt877]

I also took advantage of the M5 Pro Golden Full Set pre-order.
And, I have 4 sets of the M4 housings (a set with each of the Dampers).
I haven't really done any experimentation - so which of the Dampers have you found to give best Bass response?

I only have one M4 body, so I left it with the default #2.5 filter. Just like you, I haven't done much experimenting either. If I was gonna change the filter, I would probably go with the #2 filter because it's recommended for more than half of the drivers. From the Smabat filter chart, #1 is supposed to provide more bass boost, but @samandhi said even removing the filter altogether didn't give him the bass response he thought it would. Since you have 4 bodies with a different filter each, that would be the easiest to make comparisons vs swapping filters and drivers on one body.

 

[Saoshyant]

After I saw this on my Chaconne, I did some research on OFC or ONO and it turns out I am just unlucky because this "impurity" normally only happens once in about one thousand yards or so... LOL figures, I would get that 1 in a thousand...

In my experience, it's not exactly a rare occurrence. I have multiple older pairs like the Shozy Cygnus and VE Zen 1 that show varying degrees of turning green.

 

[saldsald]

2 days to reach my office

Bought the cable together to bring the price down.

Edit: First impressions are they are a bit forgiving, stage is not as large as I imagined. The stage width and shape are not as defined as the ST10s and ST20p due to the more controlled (slightly lack of) air. The speed is also on the faster side being slightly clinical. Bass is quite sufficient even without foams. Overall I find it to be lacking some characters. Resolution is probably about the same as or slightly poorer than other brighter buds. Will report back after some burn-in and cable rolling.

 

[Ace Bee]

Hi fellas. I have posted my Highersound Erebus for sale: https://www.head-fi.org/classifieds/highersound-erebus.57831/

It is a very laid back sounding earbud with a good sized soundstage. Midbass is slightly emphasised compared to subbass, which is good nonetheless. Midrange is very organic and lush. Treble is slightly dark but not muted. Perfect for laid back listening.

Selling because I have the TGXear Sunniva, which is better. It cost me $200 including everything.

I have a few other earbuds for sale also - All Ears Kharon 2.2 (bought the next flagship of this), Apollo Gold Story mmcx (the Newb50 is better sounding), Newbsound Jester and Highersound Neptune (too many similar sounding buds in this bracket), Kobe Audio Poseidon and LREY Matia V2 (moved to mostly earbuds at a higher price bracket). Please let me know if anyone is interested.

I am open to ship international as long as shipping fee is split. Paypal fees on me.

 

[jeejack]

@samandhi @Kyonnie

 

[Kyonnie]

@samandhi @Kyonnie

@jeejack thank you for following up on them! It seems that not only Smabat but a lot of flagship stores (i.e. Moondrop and KZ) and third party sellers are having a hard time shipping out this month because of order volume of the sale some of my orders are still at limbo as we speak lol

 

[Ace Bee]

Hi, created a proper listing with all my spare earbuds that are not being used at all. Please reach out if anyone needs anything. Really need them gone fast as I have accumulated too much bills:

https://www.head-fi.org/classifieds/wts-multiple-earbuds.57831/

 

[kanonathena]

I don't have the original SO to compare to the M5 Pro + SO driver. From Smabat's description, the SO is their very TOTL earbud which is supposed to have a stronger bass impact or extension than the "legendary" ST10S B&G and (marketing speak) sports the "helmet" logo signifying Smabat's highest level of technology...

I think the word legendary is more applied to the original green shelled ST10 which has phenomenal bass and first of its kind (with the labyrinth system), SO is suppose to be a continuation of the sound sig of ST10 and has more bass. Comparing to RW3000, SO has less quality highs but more size and atmospheric bass, mids are about the same; this is on the portable amp. On the desktop amp SO is much bigger sounding than on the portable amp.

Anyway, can you do a comparison of M5P+SO driver and RW3000 in sound signature and technicality please?

 

[ShaneyMac]

Brand new (re)build... Nokia HS shells + 120 Ohm Beryllium + random KZ cable
Very proud of it