[navmau]

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Wait so is that a yes or a no? Looks like a maybe to me haha

What are the main differences between the old drivers and the new ones? I know the new drivers are supposedly better and are said to possess better treble and (clarity?) from what I remember... but to what extent?

Also, do I have to send in my current pair or something? or do I get to keep them and pay 90 odd bucks for the new ones hehe...

You will have to send in the broken pair to redeem the $99 Atrio's. The newer drivers increase high end clarity and presence...just depends how important that is for you. For me, it is not that important as I am very sensitive to high-end frequencies and the older Atrio's fit the bill perfectly for me as the highs are in no way "hidden" or not clear but just not sharp or sibilant or harsh.
 
 

 

[ClieOS]

You need to consider shipping from Singapore to U.S. for the old pair and the shipping from U.S. to Singapore for the new Atrio. At the end, if the shipping becomes too expensive, you might as well pick up a new Atrio at Jaben instead.

 

[twiztedjoker]

You need to consider shipping from Singapore to U.S. for the old pair and the shipping from U.S. to Singapore for the new Atrio. At the end, if the shipping becomes too expensive, you might as well pick up a new Atrio at Jaben instead.

There's that, and the fact that Jaben's prices have started getting pretty steep. For instance, they sell SE215's for ~190SGD, which is still a good 50 bucks more than what I paid buying a pair off ebay even with shipping costs. I used to be a big fanboy, I really did and service there is still pretty darn good. The only good thing they have for me now are Hippo's, which were pretty bang for buck before they died. Which was pretty frequent.

 

[Leynar]

That isn't very fair, to compare Jaben with some place like amazon or ebay. Jaben is a company, with a rented area, hired staff and taxes to pay. Comparing it to a huge online company like amazon is just insane. Amazon doesn't have to bear stocking, storing and shipping cost as large( in a amount to company size ratio) as a place like Jaben would on a small island like Singapore. Online also means they dont have utilities, water, lighting and problems like staff welfare to consider. Comparing Jaben to a sole seller on Ebay is practically the same, just that you can get fakes, meet scams and hit many other problems. Also note that Amazon doesn't only earn money from audio equipment, there are many other things they sell. Yes, Jaben's prices might be a little steep, but it'll be unfair if you said they are getting their prices too steep, considering everything in singapore is going up and they've got other bills to pay too. Im not saying paying 50 bucks more is worth it, but at least you know they aren't gonna just run away and void your warranty like you might get with online purchases, plus they help you RMA stuff

 

[twiztedjoker]

I understand that and I understand there are costs involved when they choose to run a business/service as such for a such a specialized group of customers. I am, however, stating a fact that prices are indeed significantly higher than the retail prices in other countries such as US...not taking into consideration that I am making reference to retail and not even distributor prices (I have no knowledge what the profit margin is like, so i'm not sure how much they get them for). Prices are going up, yes, but not to such an extent.

I hope that my post has not deterred customers from Jaben, and that is definitely not my intention. I am just stating that there are cheaper alternatives, significantly so, albeit with the risks that you have mentioned.

On a side note I have brought a decent number of friends to Jaben simply because I think its a good place for people to start out and like you said they take care of RMA issues for you with no sign of a grumble whatsoever.

 

[ClieOS]

It really isn't a Jaben vs. U.S.'s price issue, but a Singapore vs. U.S.'s price issue. Stereo Electronics doesn't sell cheaper than U.S. price either - In fact, most of the world doesn't sell headphone cheaper than the U.S. (except perhaps for U.K. on some very rare occasion and probably Japan for Audio Technica and such). Those of you are lucky to be in Singapore actually. There are only a hand full of places in the world that you can find that many good headphone stores in such high density, allow you to audition before buying and provide full local warranty. As a headphone lover, I wish I could be there all the time.
 
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I understand that and I understand there are costs involved when they choose to run a business/service as such for a such a specialized group of customers. I am, however, stating a fact that prices are indeed significantly higher than the retail prices in other countries such as US...

 

[twiztedjoker]

It really isn't a Jaben vs. U.S.'s price issue, but a Singapore vs. U.S.'s price issue. Stereo Electronics doesn't sell cheaper than U.S. price either - In fact, most of the world doesn't sell headphone cheaper than the U.S. (except perhaps for U.K. on some very rare occasion and probably Japan for Audio Technica and such). Those of you are lucky to be in Singapore actually. There are only a hand full of places in the world that you can find that many good headphone stores in such high density, allow you to audition before buying and provide full local warranty. As a headphone lover, I wish I could be there all the time.
 

That is true, and I think you've hit a nail in that I may perhaps be a bit unappreciative of the availability and service these stores provide. Still, you gotta understand that as much as I'd like to enjoy these privileges it's hard to turn away cheaper sources particularly if you're a student and those little bits you save do add up.

Also you're right - It's not so much Jaben alone but Singapore prices which tend to be higher.

 

[Leynar]

Not when your parents are very naggy about warranty(eg. My parents). They're anti-online electronic purchases. A cable I bought was treated like a drug deal, wonder what a box with 2 shiny IEMs will be treated as. Maybe an AK-47?

Oh yeah, sorry for the large chunk of words. Dumb phone wouldn't let me separate it up

 

[twiztedjoker]

For what it's worth, I love coming home to a package with my name on it. Feels pretty damn great heh.

 

[Leynar]

Yeah. The wait's a torture, but in a fun way cause you know it's gonna end well when the package arrives

 

[twiztedjoker]

At least you hope it does haha. So far i've never had any RMA issues regarding IEM's in general except for Hippo stuff but I think it's alright since Jaben literally does a 1-to-1 exchange on the spot.