[mark2410]

 
Spider Realvoice Quick Review
 

 
Brief:  It looks like a chavy Sony MDR-XB40EX
 
Price:  RRP US$90
 
Specification:  Dynamic Driver 12.5mm Impedance – 18 ohms Frequency Response – 5Hz~20000Hz  Sensitivity – 107dB Cord Length – 120cm
 
Accessories:  A bunch of tips and quite a nice little case.
 
Build Quality:  Erm the case looks great; the buds feel very lightweight and plastic.  The jack feels really tough though so probably all okay.
 
Isolation:  About normal for a dynamic, enough to get run over if your not used to it but certainly nothing id want for the Tube or long flights.
 
Comfort/Fit:  Actually pretty darn good.  They do require to be worn down which I don’t like but even though they are huge they are so light they were very comfy in use.  Fit wise they were good too despite their size.
 
Aesthetics:  I must confess I didn’t like their appearance.  Too shiney plastic and gaudy but to each their own.
 
Sound:  This really is where the meat of any review is and I was really so looking forward to getting my hands on a pair of these.  I love mids, I love mid centric IEM’s and vocal heavy songs.  So with these being named the Realvoice and quoting from the box “Our earphone is designed for the premium listener of acoustic music.”  On paper they are just what I want.  Then I put them in my ears. My first thought was, oh maybe they really need a burn in.  Some 200 hours later and not much changed.  These sound about what I’d expect their Sony look alike cousins to sound like.  I was expecting something glorious and beautiful but instead I got mud soup.  Maybe I have a broken pair?  I cannot discount that possibility but comparing these to the mids champion (PL-50) and there is no comparison.  I hand on heart hope the pair I have are broken as for a product with an RRP of US$90 these should be at least able to go head to head with things like the Brainwavz M2 and PL-50 if not wipe the floor with them.  Even the Sony EX500 I have cost less than these do and are just so much better.  These are just thick, muddy, flabby bass with a moderately present mid range.  They sort of have some highs but only a hint of what should be there.  As I say I really hope I have a broken pair because these are rubbish.
 
Value:  Terrible.
 
Pro’s:   Erm the headset could be useful to some.
 
Con’s:  How they sound.
 
 

 

[Inks]

Well, to me the bass is a bit loose as well, but nothing too extreme. Still, it isn't as controlled as the Xcape IEs and the Mids aren't what they  aren't made out to be as well in my case. The IE's mids are more forward and natural imo. The treble is a bit recessed, but then it has a peak somewhere on top (out of sibilance range) that helps it a bit. 

 

[jaqueh]

so...i'm guessing these aren't so great for metal, thank god i didn't get them then. 

 

[goodvibes]

Quote:

Well, to me the bass is a bit loose as well, but nothing too extreme. Still, it isn't as controlled as the Xcape IEs and the Mids aren't what they  aren't made out to be as well in my case. The IE's mids are more forward and natural imo. The treble is a bit recessed, but then it has a peak somewhere on top (out of sibilance range) that helps it a bit. 

It's odd as I don't disagee with any of this (haven't heard the Xcape) but at the same time, I just appreciated their relaxed yet informative nature. Not my usual sig but I get it. I don't think I'd want the mids any more forward. I played with the venting on mine before they walked off and the stock voicing was always preferred. They do have big bass but I found it didn't bleed into the mid nearly as much as other enhanced bass IEMs.
 

 

[mark2410]

Quote:

Broken? Sure hope so. If not, I guess you are hearing something much different from most of the rest of the people who own the realvoices, including me (no secret there).
 
I do hope there is something wrong with the pair you have, in fact, but if not, your review won't change my view of them. No muddy, flabby bass here. And while the treble isn't the realvoice's forte, it's hardly MIA either. And the mids sound excellent to me. Too bad your experience was so counter to pretty much everyone else's to date.
 
Of course, people interested in the realvoices can take advantage of the 30-day MBG (return shipping included) to decide for themselves. Many have on HF and the threads/posts speak for themselves.
 
I figure you are going to try and get a replacement pair, but just in case you did not get a broken pair, there are some counter reviews outside of HF that are more detailed and on balance positive, so interested HFers can get two sides of the perspective on the realvoices:
 
http://musicalmusings.themindofgame.com/2011/07/spider-realvoice-review/
 
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/spider-cable-realvoice-ear-headphones

http://www.inearmatters.net/2011/08/review-spider-realvoice.html
 
You hear what you hear, that's undeniable. But it's stunning to me that your review is so negative, because I know I hear what I hear too, and it's not what you describe.

since i didnt pay for them and im not in the US no 30 money back for me.  i have a review sample that was sent to a prospective buyer that asked me to have a listen.  they orent stocking them as they thought similar to me and they sent me this with some others to review. 
 
thing is i really dont like giving things bad reviews and will try to just tend te talk about what they get right but these were just rubbish. just so thick, warm and muddy.  maybe its that im getting too good a seal as i had similar thoughts about the Radius DDM but i just felt i ought to give a word or two on what i made of them.
 
of course if Spider want to send me another ill be happy to redo and if i find differently id be happy to say so but i cant help hearing what i heard.

 

[jaqueh]

Quote:

Getting another pair may not make any difference, don't know. You heard what you heard. Could be fit. In the end, one man's rubbish is another man's (or woman's) decent low-cost IEM, I guess.

not that cheap

 

[dweaver]

I have not completed my review of these due to being busy with work but also partially because I am not enjoying them as much as I had hoped (or I am just enjoying the GR07 much more), having said that I have been comparing these to 3 other IEM's all in the same price range (Denon 560R, Shure SE215, Sonocore COA-805) and believe the Spider are as good as all of them. To be blunt they each have their strengths and weaknesses and none of them are my cup of tea any more but they are all nice IEM's for the price.
 
I think though they are all on the bassy side with the SE215 being the least in this regard so if fat bass is not your thing theyn they would likely not be right for you. I suspect there are several better IEM's in the same price range that would give a more neutral of detailed signature like the RE0 or something along those lines.
 
I would not call these rubbish though, just not everyones cup of tea.
 

 

[Nagasaki_Kid]

mark2410, are you by any chance amping the realvoice. I found them boomy when over amped such as with a desktop amp. They sound better straight out of a consumer dap than when amped with certain amps. They are really design to be used straight out of an iphone

 

[mark2410]

Quote:

mark2410, are you by any chance amping the realvoice. I found them boomy when over amped such as with a desktop amp. They sound better straight out of a consumer dap than when amped with certain amps. They are really design to be used straight out of an iphone

i did but also ran them out of an HM-601 and the shuffle too and sounded pretty bad on them all.  like i said maybe i have a faulty pair?

 

[goodvibes]

It's possible but they are bassy. I just never found that it muddied the mids in the way most bass heavy IEMs do. I found the balance similar to inks or Jocker's review sans a high frquency peak. It just seemed to dip slightly in the lower highs and then come back to where it should. It had more info than you'd expect with this (not in your face) balance that was very kind to less than stellar sources and files while still letting the music through IMO.  I don't doubt that I'd prefer a GR07 as that seems more the sig I'm generally after but these are 1/2 the price and a lot easier to pickup in the States. Even if I would prefer the GR07, which I haven't heard, it wouldn't stop me from appreciating the nice job that Spider has done with voicing this sig along with a low distortion/hash level.
 
I liked Joker's take. http://www.head-fi.org/t/478568/multi-iem-review-193-iems-compared-shure-se215-munitio-teknine-added-9-01-11 

 

[murano]

fwiw - I think the Spider RealVoice vary quite a bit depending upon source and genre.  Using a Sansa Fuze as the source, they were far too bassy.  They sound a lot better using my Samsung Droid Charge phone (with the stock music player), especially with male vocalists.  I defintely wouldn't listen to these with an amp.