kimvictor
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Jun 19, 2012
- Posts
- 4,397
- Likes
- 233
About myself: http://www.head-fi.org/t/674373/story-of-a-new-reviewer-kimvictor
Intro:
Recently, I managed to borrow 2 iems from fellow head-fiers. TDK BA200 and Vsonic GR07. In their price range, $100-200, I also have a FXZ-200 and had T-PEOS H-200 and X20(TWFK). I will be reviewing the GR07 later, but for now, let me begin with the BA200. BTW, if you have any iems you want me to review, feel free to ask.
Gears: iRiver AK100, Leckerton Audio UHA-6S.MKII, Samsung GS3.
Reference: GR07, UE Reference Monitors, MDR7550, SE535(for design/isolation)
Source/Amp: Very thankfully, BA200 is not affected by high impedance output. This means that even if you have a source or amp with high output impedance, it won't alter the sound signature of these iems. This is a life saver as the AK100 is known for their infamously high 22ohm output impedance. That being said, BA200 matches very well with everything I've paired with. I recommend pairing these with neutral or slightly warm source. They do like little amping, but any DAP or even a decent smart phone is find with them.
*According to Rin(rinchoi.blogspot.com), adding output impedance helps smooth out the sound even more.
Build Quality:
Solid. These are made out of plastic, but they are very light and durable. The cables are also durable and the strain relief are functional.
Cable:
Cables of these iems are bit special. These are one of the only iems I've owned that are flat cabled and are meant to be worn over/around the ears. The cables are indeed tangle proof and are really easy to untangle. They are light and portable. The cable length, I feel like, is around 120cm. The cables are not replaceable though.
Design:
These really reminds me of the good old SE535 I used to own. That is great. SE535 has great fit, and BA200 has good fit as well. They are small, light, and easy to wear. For those who are not used to wearing the cables over/around ear, it could feel a bit awkward, but after a while, you will get used to it. *These do require deep insertion.
Isolation:
Isolation is also fair. Not as much isolation as the shure's SE line(not that many iems isolates that much), but they do isolate a bit. They are also tip dependent. I am using the dual flange tip for this evaluation, as I find them to be the easiest to deal with. But foam should provide bit more isolation.
Sound!
Brief Description: Overall neutral with possibly a very small mid bass boost.
Bass: Bass is good. Decay is solid, sub bass extension is solid. Not a bass lover iem, but if you like neutral bass with good punch, BA200 does that just fine.
Mids: Very smooth and present. Not what I would not mid centric, but mids are pronounced. They have one of the smoothest mids I've heard from iems under $300(excluding SE315), and are very detailed and clear.
Treble: Again, these are surprisingly smooth and linear. There are no major peak or dips, and are flat. However, I feel like the upper treble rolls off a bit early, kind of like MDR7550 and SE535, but not as badly.
Detail: Good detail retrieval. Comparable to $200 iems.
Clarity: These sound very liquid and clear. I rate them highly for this. Especially with well recording music, these sound incredibly clear and life like.
Soundstage: Wide! Not only do these image well, these also have a decent soundstage. Lacks a little depth though.
Imaging: Nicely done. Good stereo imaging.
Comparison:
GR07: When compared to GR07, The BA200 are more smoother and clear. GR07 does edge the BA200 when it comes to sounding natural and bass impact though.
FXZ200: Two really different iems. FXZ200 are total bass head dream, while BA200 are neutral. Besides bass impact, BA200 edges the FXZ200 in all areas.
If you want more comparison with anything on my list, feel free to ask for it.
Obviously, please ask if you have any questions.
Intro:
Recently, I managed to borrow 2 iems from fellow head-fiers. TDK BA200 and Vsonic GR07. In their price range, $100-200, I also have a FXZ-200 and had T-PEOS H-200 and X20(TWFK). I will be reviewing the GR07 later, but for now, let me begin with the BA200. BTW, if you have any iems you want me to review, feel free to ask.
Gears: iRiver AK100, Leckerton Audio UHA-6S.MKII, Samsung GS3.
Reference: GR07, UE Reference Monitors, MDR7550, SE535(for design/isolation)
Source/Amp: Very thankfully, BA200 is not affected by high impedance output. This means that even if you have a source or amp with high output impedance, it won't alter the sound signature of these iems. This is a life saver as the AK100 is known for their infamously high 22ohm output impedance. That being said, BA200 matches very well with everything I've paired with. I recommend pairing these with neutral or slightly warm source. They do like little amping, but any DAP or even a decent smart phone is find with them.
*According to Rin(rinchoi.blogspot.com), adding output impedance helps smooth out the sound even more.
Build Quality:
Solid. These are made out of plastic, but they are very light and durable. The cables are also durable and the strain relief are functional.
Cable:
Cables of these iems are bit special. These are one of the only iems I've owned that are flat cabled and are meant to be worn over/around the ears. The cables are indeed tangle proof and are really easy to untangle. They are light and portable. The cable length, I feel like, is around 120cm. The cables are not replaceable though.
Design:
These really reminds me of the good old SE535 I used to own. That is great. SE535 has great fit, and BA200 has good fit as well. They are small, light, and easy to wear. For those who are not used to wearing the cables over/around ear, it could feel a bit awkward, but after a while, you will get used to it. *These do require deep insertion.
Isolation:
Isolation is also fair. Not as much isolation as the shure's SE line(not that many iems isolates that much), but they do isolate a bit. They are also tip dependent. I am using the dual flange tip for this evaluation, as I find them to be the easiest to deal with. But foam should provide bit more isolation.
Sound!
Brief Description: Overall neutral with possibly a very small mid bass boost.
Bass: Bass is good. Decay is solid, sub bass extension is solid. Not a bass lover iem, but if you like neutral bass with good punch, BA200 does that just fine.
Mids: Very smooth and present. Not what I would not mid centric, but mids are pronounced. They have one of the smoothest mids I've heard from iems under $300(excluding SE315), and are very detailed and clear.
Treble: Again, these are surprisingly smooth and linear. There are no major peak or dips, and are flat. However, I feel like the upper treble rolls off a bit early, kind of like MDR7550 and SE535, but not as badly.
Detail: Good detail retrieval. Comparable to $200 iems.
Clarity: These sound very liquid and clear. I rate them highly for this. Especially with well recording music, these sound incredibly clear and life like.
Soundstage: Wide! Not only do these image well, these also have a decent soundstage. Lacks a little depth though.
Imaging: Nicely done. Good stereo imaging.
Comparison:
GR07: When compared to GR07, The BA200 are more smoother and clear. GR07 does edge the BA200 when it comes to sounding natural and bass impact though.
FXZ200: Two really different iems. FXZ200 are total bass head dream, while BA200 are neutral. Besides bass impact, BA200 edges the FXZ200 in all areas.
If you want more comparison with anything on my list, feel free to ask for it.
Obviously, please ask if you have any questions.
