jdimitri
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2005
- Posts
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I'll be getting some pretty soon.. I'll let you know how it sounds!
So far the feedback at the jaben.net forum has been great though..
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And they're here!
Sound Impressions:
It's a DEFINITE improvement over the mylarone x3..
The only complaint i had about the x3 was that the highs are a bit rolled off.. This is corrected in the x3i AND as an added bonus, there's more bass impact and it sounds much more airy (better soundstage) while keeping the fun sound signature
As i've said in my previous review, i prefer these to low to mid-range IEMs because of it's fun non-sterile sound and airy presentation that IEMs lack
Uncle wilson described it as having 'the clarity of x3 with the bass of xb'. Well.. IMO it's that and more, it's a big improvement from the x3
It's a different beast.. I think the new i versions are closer to being a canalphone (rather than an IEM) than the version before it. Because of the shorter stem, i couldn't shove it deep in my ears like i used to with x3
This might sacrifice a bit of isolation (i'm not sure, i haven't worn it outside yet), but the x3i has much better soundstage than its predecessor. Comfort is also increased because it doesn't rest as deep inside your ears
Build:
It looks a bit sturdier than its predecessor, mainly because the flimsy stress relief seems to have been improved
Apperantly it now works with the iphone (maybe because of the smaller plug)
It seems that there's been a few cases where the bit past the ring comes off.. I don't think it's a big deal is though (that's what superglue is for right?
The best thing of all for me? They look much less awkward to the general public.. The impression i get from my friends when i showed them the x3 was generally something along the line of 'eww' or 'these are gross'.
I had to borrow their earphones if i wanted to share my music for the last few months
These look much more like conventional buds and i doubt many people will hesitate putting it in their ear
Packaging:
The package includes the earphone, a nice carrying case (very similar to the ones that comes with UM2s), a shirt clip, a smartwrap-like thing, S,M,L and biflange tips along with an airplane adapter. The airplane adapter is one of those things you never realized you needed until it's too late and you have to pay something like $15 to buy it at the airport -_-
Conclusion:
I highly recommend these, even more than i did before.
My recommendation is that if you're planning to buy IEM/canalphones, i'd buy these rather than anything under the class of UM2
You can buy them from Uncle Wilson at Jaben Network or from the Australian distributor at crossroads.au@gmail.com (where i got them from.. they just received stock of both xbi and x3i)
They come in the black w/ silver rings, black w/red and blue rings and to come: the ruby version (maroon-ish colour). Crossroads Australia only has them in the black w/ silver rings