[kanuka]

 
Quote:

 
Kanuka, these are my RE0 tips you asked me to take a picture of.
 
 

 
 
 
 
 

thank you!! looks like the shure olives

 
Quote:

 

They'll fit if that's what you mean. The M11+ kit offers a lot of options if you can't get a good fit with the RE0 tips. I quite like the short bi-flanges.

yeah, that's exactly my problem. and even with my other extra tips
thanks.
 

 

[kiteki]

 
Quote:

thank you!! looks like the shure olives
 

 
Yes, however, they're much stiffer than my shure olives, and they're already 'decored', I don't know what they are but they work well with the RE0!

 

[ljokerl]

Quote:

Yes, however, they're much stiffer than my shure olives, and they're already 'decored', I don't know what they are but they work well with the RE0!

I have a few pairs of these as well. I can't remember if they came with my old RE0 or not (mine is a summer '09 model, rev. 2 with the cloth cable). I know for sure I got a pair with my Soundmagic PL30 but I don't think they're included any more.

 

[kanuka]

Quote:

 
 
Yes, however, they're much stiffer than my shure olives, and they're already 'decored', I don't know what they are but they work well with the RE0!

did you also got the new big 45angle plug? that's what i have
 


Quote:

I have a few pairs of these as well. I can't remember if they came with my old RE0 or not (mine is a summer '09 model, rev. 2 with the cloth cable). I know for sure I got a pair with my Soundmagic PL30 but I don't think they're included any more.

i havent seen any of the previous versions with that tips
and cloth cable? isnt it more microphonics than the 'new' PPE cable?
 

 

[ljokerl]

Quote:

i havent seen any of the previous versions with that tips and cloth cable? isnt it more microphonics than the 'new' PPE cable?
 

No, not really a large difference in cable noise. Some cloth cords are noisy and some are not. Xears' and Woodees' new cloth cords are pretty low in microphonics, for example - lower than their 'standard' counterparts.

 

[lina]

hello
meelec are selling the M11+ for $30 + $5 shipping.
seems a good deal. but is there something else to consider for that price  that rivals the m11??

 

[Ikarios]

Joker - has Fang anyone contacted you about reviewing the RE272? I briefly listened to my loaner pair over the weekend and I like them a lot, but I don't remember the RE262 well enough to make a good comparison. In fact my memory of the 262 seems to be very similar to how I would describe the 272. It would be interesting to see how it stands with your descriptions.

 

[ljokerl]

 
Quote:

hello
meelec are selling the M11+ for $30 + $5 shipping.
seems a good deal. but is there something else to consider for that price  that rivals the m11??

To be honest I'd rather have the M21 than the M11+, unless you just want heavy bass. M21 is cheaper and sounds more natural with the same build quality. Not quite as small/attractive as the M11+ and doesn't come with as many tips but still better value.

 
Quote:

Joker - has Fang anyone contacted you about reviewing the RE272? I briefly listened to my loaner pair over the weekend and I like them a lot, but I don't remember the RE262 well enough to make a good comparison. In fact my memory of the 262 seems to be very similar to how I would describe the 272. It would be interesting to see how it stands with your descriptions.

I've talked to Fang about it but I'm not sure whether an RE272 has been sent out to me, especially considering my stance on the whole universals vs customs debate.
 

 

[lina]

 
Quote:

To be honest I'd rather have the M21 than the M11+, unless you just want heavy bass. M21 is cheaper and sounds more natural with the same build quality. Not quite as small/attractive as the M11+ and doesn't come with as many tips but still better value.
 

and what about isolation and comfort? i know you only rated the M11+  a 0.5 point more , but how much better/worse they're?
 
 

 

[ljokerl]

 
Quote:

 
and what about isolation and comfort? i know you only rated the M11+  a 0.5 point more , but how much better/worse they're?
 
 

Comfort difference is due to the tips - the M11+ simply gives more fitment options. They are also shorter but the M21 is equally light so that shouldn't be an issue. The difference in isolation, similarly, is because the M11+ can be inserted quite deep with some of the included tips. With a more shallow seal they isolate more or less similarly. 

 

[Niyologist]

I got my Meelectronics M6-CL. They are great, but the only thing that bothers me is the VERY Bright upper midrange/lower treble. Also, I have noticed that there isn't a mesh filter. Is there anyway to fix that?

 

[ljokerl]

 
Quote:

I got my Meelectronics M6-CL. They are great, but the only thing that bothers me is the VERY Bright upper midrange/lower treble. Also, I have noticed that there isn't a mesh filter. Is there anyway to fix that?

Burn-in, deeper insertion, better tips, equalizer. You can try sticking a piece of foam a short way into the nozzle as well but I haven't had an issue with mine despite the lack of filter. The M6 is always going to be pretty strident, like the M9.

 

[Niyologist]

Quote:

 


Burn-in, deeper insertion, better tips, equalizer. You can try sticking a piece of foam a short way into the nozzle as well but I haven't had an issue with mine despite the lack of filter. The M6 is always going to be pretty strident, like the M9.

     Thanks for the info.

 

[ljokerl]

Added Sony MDR-EX1000 and Audio-Technica ATH-CKM99. Also updated much of the pricing and availability in the lower tiers. 
 
Quote:

(2B9) Audio-Technica ATH-CKM99


Reviewed Aug 2011

Details: Audio-Technica’s priciest dynamic-driver earphone
Current Price: $150 from buy.com (MSRP: $229.95)
Specs: Driver: Dynamic | Imp: 16Ω | Sens: 104 dB | Freq: 5-28k Hz | Cable: 2’ I-plug + 2’ L-plug extension
Nozzle Size: 5mm | Preferred tips: Stock single-flanges; generic bi-flanges
Wear Style: Straight down

Accessories (3.5/5) – Single-flange silicone tips (4 sizes), 2’ extension cable, cleaning cloth, and magnetic clasp carrying case
Build Quality (4.5/5) – The housings of the CKM99 are made of equal parts sturdy plastics and sturdier titanium. The design is of the half in-ear type, with flexible strain reliefs all around and a modular cable. Unfortunately, the cord is not as thick as with the higher-end CK10 and CK100 models, lacks a sliding cinch, and has a greater tendency to tangle. Color-coded left/right markings on the inner side of the housings are a nice touch
Isolation (3.5/5) – Despite being a half in-ear design, the ear-filling CKM99 provides surprisingly good isolation
Microphonics (4/5) – Low despite cable-down form factor
Comfort (4/5) – Despite their size and heft, the 14mm housings fit snugly and securely. The excellent molding quality and a design that completely avoids sharp edges are partly responsible though those with smaller outer ears may find the CKM99 too bulky

Sound (8.8/10) – The ATH-CKM99 is Audio-Technica’s flagship dynamic and the company’s take on a high-end consumer-class earphone. The signature of the earphone strikes a balance between the typical high-end dynamic-driver IEM and Audio-Technica’s bright-and-shiny house sound. The end result is lively and versatile. The bass is plentiful but never excessive. It is deep and controlled but a little soft in character. A mild mid-bass hump is present, giving the low end greater overall quantity than either the VSonic GR07 or the Sennheiser IE7. The IE7 really isn’t very far behind in slam or power but its forward midrange causes the low end to stand out less. The GR07, on the other hand, is clearly quicker and tighter than the CKM99. Though it lacks most of the mid-bass boost, the GR07 manages to be both more resolving and more immediate in impact. Those who value bass body and fullness of note over speed and accuracy will likely prefer the bass of the Audio-Technicas by a margin. Coming from the GR07, however, the CKM99 sounds a bit too boomy.

The midrange of the CKM99 is slightly recessed next to the emphasized bass and abundant treble. There is a touch of warmth imparted by the bass hump but the CKM99 is still a neutral-to-bright earphone on the whole. Clarity and detail are good - similar to the Sennheiser IE7 and very respectable for a dynamic-driver earphone. The mids are extremely smooth and very fluid – occasionally too much so, leading to a slight loss of texture. The GR07 sounds slightly dryer, less smoothed-over, and not quite as polite as Audio-Technica’s flagship.

The treble is where the CKM99 attempts to revert to Audio-Technica’s house sound. There is a fair bit of emphasis starting at the upper midrange that, in contrast to the VSonic GR07, doesn’t seem to flatten out a whole lot with burn-in. As a result, the CKM99 is a bright-sounding earphone and can be a touch hot and spitty with certain tracks. The treble peaks seem to be far broader and lower down than with my ATH-CK10, so a much wider range of source material is affected. Compared to the GR07, the sibilance of the ATH-CKM99 seems a little more widespread and a whole lot more violent. My GR07, post burn-in, simply has far shallower treble peaks. Aside from the sibilance added to some recordings, the treble sounds very clean and refined. Extension is good, a-la GR07, and there is no excess (and certainly no lack) of sparkle. Like the VSonics, the Audio-Technicas aren’t ideal for high volume listening but work well otherwise with their solid detail, clarity, and bass impact.

Presentation is an area where most higher-end Audio-Technica earphones I’ve heard shine, and the CKM99 is no exception. The emphasized treble gives the sound an airy, lightweight feel. The stage is above average in size and extends well in all directions. Dynamics are quite good and the earphone has no trouble with separation or positioning. The similarly-priced Sennheiser IE7 has a larger soundstage but, like the higher-end IE8, has some trouble portraying intimacy. The CKM99 has significantly better on-center feel and sounds a bit more convincing on the whole. The GR07 has slightly better layering but otherwise doesn’t score any points on the CKM99 either.

Value (8.5/10) – Audio-Technica’s CKM99 is an exquisitely well-built earphone that exemplifies an angled-nozzle design done right. Despite the huge 14mm drivers used, the CKM99 fits comfortably in the ear and isolates better than many other high-end dynamics. It also sounds good, competing well with similarly-priced offerings from Sennheiser and Monster. VSonic’s similarly-priced GR07 monitor will probably be a constant thorn in the CKM99s side but the earphones have different purposes. The GR07 is fast, neutral, and balanced. The CKM99 is lively, colored, and liquid. In typical Audio-Technica fashion, it breaks from the warm sound of most similarly-priced dynamics and captures some of the company’s ambient and euphonic house sound. Not being priced up in the $250+ range with Audio-Technica’s BA-based flagships helps the CKM99 stay competitive and availability outside of Japan is nice to see as well.

Pros: Excellent build quality; comfortable angled-nozzle design; good overall sound quality
Cons: Cable not as nice as with CK10/CK100; can be sibilant
 
Huge thanks to Inks for the CKM99 loan! 

 


Quote:

(1B6) Sony MDR-EX1000


Reviewed Aug 2011

Details: Sony’s dynamic-driver flagship monitor
Current Price: $480 from amazon.com (MSRP: $499.99)
Specs: Driver: Dynamic | Imp: 32Ω | Sens: 108 dB | Freq: 3-30k Hz | Cable: 4’ L-plug
Nozzle Size: 4mm | Preferred tips: Sony Hybrids, generic bi-flanges
Wear Style: Over-the-ear

Accessories (4/5) – Sony Hybrid silicone tips (6 sizes), Hybrid silicone+foam tips (3 sizes), and carrying case
Build Quality (4.5/5) – The EX1000 housings are constructed of magnesium and plastic and styled in the typical Sony manner, with the driver positioned vertically outside of the ear. The detachable cable is held in place by a threaded bit, which seems pretty fool-proof except that I found myself gripping the threaded bit when removing the earphones, thereby unscrewing the cable a bit each time. The cord itself feels slightly underwhelming for a $500 product. It is very flexible but a little thinner than the Ortofon e-Q5 cord. The “memory wire” section is likewise very flexible, so it is more of a “suggestion wire” in practice. It can take a bit of time to settle into the desired shape and doesn’t retain form very well under its own weight. The cord is terminated with a slim 3.5mm L-plug
Isolation (3/5) – The nozzles of the EX1000 seem rather long but the earphones are not well-designed for deep insertion. Isolation is mediocre with the standard Hybrid eartips and very slightly better with the supplied foam-stuffed tips. Wind noise can be an additional issue when used outside
Microphonics (5/5) – The native wear style is over-the-ear and cord noise nonexistent in the soft cable
Comfort (4/5) – Though housings designed around vertically-positioned drivers often feature angled nozzles or other ergonomic improvements, the EX1000 is actually a straight-barrel earphone. It is quite large and tends to protrude farther than most earphones when worn, looking a bit like the ridiculous PFR-V1. On the upside, the long nozzles position the driver far enough away from the ear not to cause discomfort. The fit is not as secure as with most other high-end monitors but the soft memory wire works well enough in conjunction with the cable cinch. Still, I would prefer a little more ‘memory’

Sound (9.4/10) – The MDR-EX1000 slots in above the studio-oriented MDR-EX800ST/MDR-7550 in Sony’s lineup, competing directly with Sennheiser’s IE8 and JVC’s FX700 for the title of top consumer-oriented dynamic. Never having heard Sony’s previous flagship, or indeed any model higher up than the lowly EX300, the EX1000 was a complete mystery to me. What I found was a truly top-tier dynamic-driver earphoe with a slight – but not unpleasant – treble tilt.

The low end of the EX1000 is accurate and controlled. In typical high-end dynamic-driver fashion, it is detailed and textured without losing body or fullness – clean, but relatively soft in the way notes are presented. There is no bloat and while the depth is not as immense as with the Monster MD or JVC FX700, the EX1000 is not severely rolled-off, either. Compared to the VSonic GR07, the Sonys skimp on speed just a little bit in favor a smoother and slightly softer presentation. The warmer, boomier Sennheiser IE7, on the other hand, is left completely in the dust by the bass control and detail of the EX1000. Not a bad tradeoff at all and one of my very favorite bass presentations among all universals.

The midrange of the EX1000 is neutral-to-bright, with a slight gain in emphasis towards the top. It is balanced very well with the bottom end, which is not quite something I can say for Audio-Technica’s dynamic flagship, the CKM99. The GR07, on the other hand, is a touch less prominent in the midrange, sounding flatter across the spectrum and slightly more neutral in tone than the EX1000 - not a huge surprise considering its pro-oriented tuning. The ATH-CK10 also sounds a bit flatter through the low end and midrange but treads on the brighter side of neutral, just as the EX1000 does, albeit without the benefit of dynamic-driver fullness. As expected, bass bleed is nonexistent with the Sonys and the smoothness is very impressive. The EX1000 is easily smoother and lusher than the GR07 and nudges the warmer, less clear, and noticeably less textured IE7 on both counts. Clarity is top notch, as is resolution, and there is only a very small bit of microdetail missing compared to top-tier BA-based earphones such as the CK10 and 1964-T. Overall, the detailing of the Sonys is very good but not very aggressive, which allows the earphone to remain extremely refined and liquid. The overall refinement is especially obvious next to a lesser dynamic such as the Sennheiser IE7, which lacks clarity and detail compared to the EX1000 and loses out by a fair margin in overall realism. Only in comparison to the 6-driver, custom-molded, hugely expensive UM Miracle does the EX1000 start to sound a little thin and lacking in note articulation.

The EX1000 picks up emphasis towards the upper midrange and treble but manages to keep its top end in control far better than the CKM99 does. Despite the moderate amount of emphasis, the EX1000 is only a hair hotter than the GR07 and manages to remain extremely smooth and refined without giving up crispness or resolution. It is not harsh and almost never sibilant. Over long listening sessions, the EX1000 can be a little more fatiguing than the GR07 but again not due to harshness or sibilance. Rather, it is the overall tilt towards treble that may grow tiresome for some listeners. Coming from the CK10, however, I wasn’t at all offended by it, though I prefer my treble emphasis higher up. On the upside, the EX1000 does an excellent job of conveying treble energy, which laid-back dynamics such as the RE262 and DDM2 simply cannot do. Interestingly, top end extension is not ‘bottomless’ – above average, certainly, but the EX1000 is on par with the GR07 in dropping off a bit earlier than my CK10 and 1964-T. Sony’s monitor is also a touch less revealing than the 1964-T - a blessing for those with a good number of mp3s in their library.

Whereas the signature of the EX1000 is lively and energetic, the presentation follows a more laid-back approach. Its soundstage is not quite the widest among all in-ears in absolute terms, but it is very spacious, airy, and open. There is not a hint of the confined, closed-in feel prevalent among stage monitors – the 1964-T, for example, sounds downright intimate in comparison. Surprisingly, the same can be said for the dynamic-driver Sennheiser IE7, though to a slightly lesser degree – the Sennheisers sound constrained and congested next to the Sonys. At the same time, the soundstage of the EX1000 is well filled-in and layered better than that of the GR07. The EX1000 also has an upper hand in dynamics, timbre, and overall refinement, though the GR07 is admittedly a bit more neutral in tone. Imaging and positioning are generally good but lag slightly behind a couple of the top-tier armature IEMs I’ve heard. Separation, similarly, is only above average. Those looking for extremely high instrument separation are probably better off with a BA-based monitor as the EX1000 takes a more cohesive approach. Likewise, those who want to be enveloped by the presentation will not get that ‘on stage’ feel with the EX1000 – the EX1000 tends to distance itself slightly and offers a higher degree of left-right separation. A BA-based monitor such as the UM3X, SM3, or 1964-T will give the on-stage feel in spades for those who require it. Personally, I do find that more coherent and centralized imaging provides a more realistic and involving listening experience but only my UM Miracle is capable of making that highly obvious in the Sonys without sacrificing airiness or soundstage size.

Value (8.5/10) – Blisteringly expensive when first announced, Sony’s MDR-EX1000 has recently been dropping low enough in price to compete with other top-tier universal dynamics. In terms of sheer performance, Sony’s flagship readily asserts its dominance over the hi-fi mainstays - the newly-developed liquid crystal polymer driver is one of the best dynamic transducers I’ve come across, alongside those used by HiFiMan and JVC, and the tuning showcases its abilities beautifully. The sound is clean, quick, airy, and dynamic – everything a high-end earphone should strive toward. The design is reminiscent of the higher-end Sony monitors of yesteryear but introduces replaceable cables and native over-the-ear fitment. Isolation is only moderate and wind noise can be an issue but those who are willing to suffer through the fit and aesthetics of the thing will be rewarded with what may be the finest dynamic-driver universal on the market.

Pros: No cable noise; amazing combination of clear, detailed, open, and spacious sound
Cons: Average isolation; fit can be frustrating; wind noise can be an issue

Huge thanks to esanthosh for the EX1000 loan!

 

[Inks]

Nice, was looking forward to this update.