trentrosa
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2013
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Hello everyone! Today I will be arranging my first review here on head-fi.
Heir Audio's 3.ai is a universal IEM geared for a "fun" sound and for $299 on Heir Audio's website: www.heiraudio.com. So, let the review begin!
Aesthetics and Build
The 3.ai is absolutely stunning. The exotic wood on the outer surface is beautiful, and the entire surface of them is flawless. Deep purple acrylic encases the rest of the IEM and a layer seems to be protecting. The Heir Audio logo is etched onto the back in red. The build quality is exceptional, as you would expect from a custom company. They are easily distinguished as handmade, for the bores are clearly machined by hand (A good thing
). The cable (which is stock, I cannot vouch for the upgraded one) does the job, but some aspects seem cheap, for example the rough edges of joined plastic improperly trimmed off, or the cut pieces of plastic tube used for the cable cinch and memory wire encasing. But like I said, it gets the job done so no big deal. There are excellent strain reliefs and the memory wire is comfortable and effective. There is a 90 degree 3.5 mm plug. Whether you prefer 90, 45, or 180 is purely your opinion. The plug works fine with portable amps, however I couldn't plug it into my phone with a case on.
Accessories
Accessories, after the packaging, may give you an initial perspective of your investment, so I personally feel they are important. The 3.ai is shipped in a very sturdy custom otterbox (otterbox 1000). In fact, I use both hands to open it up! Once open, everything is found inside. There in little plastic bags is the IEMs and cable, a total of 9 sets of tips, and a cleaning tool. There are 6 single flange tips; S, M, and L simple as can be, and then S, M, and L with a divider through the middle of the tips. Not too sure why. There is also S, M, and L double flange tips. I fit a small double flange.
Comfort and Isolation
They isolate the outside environment well enough, however using small tips sacrificed some isolation for comfort, at least in my scenario. They essentially feel quite weightless worn over the ear and when inserted properly. However, as with all in ears, I find they start to get uncomfortable approaching 2-3 hours of listening, and usually break.
And Finally, The Sound
To begin, I believe the 3.ai are V-shaped, but not drastically enough to push out the midrange, but regardless they are quite bassy. Powerful sub-bass allows these little things to really pound inside my ears! They are very excellent for bass heavy music like electronic or hip-hop. Then there is the mid-bass, lots of it. The level of mid-bass, at least for me, influences the vocals, so onto the midrange! The vocals on these IEMs are VERY weighty. Male voices can sound very deep and then turn around and become very high. I would describe the midrange as being V-shaped; powerful lower mids and very bright upper mids. If you cannot stand sibilance, then stay away from these IEMs. There is a significant uppermid/lower treble spike, most likely for the purpose of a fun sound. The lower treble is boosted, however I have found it makes instruments that fall in that range sound synthetic, for example, cymbals. The rest of the treble isn't overly recessed nor shrilling, but somewhere in the middle. I would describe the sound stage as being amateur, not HUGE and not stuck in a little bubble somewhere in the center of my head either.
Conclusion
These IEMs represent an excellent deal for a fun sound and portability. They can take rather boring music and make it fun, or take modern genres and represent them powerfully. However, they are quite sibilant, and can cause fatigue over longer listening sessions. Aside from the sound they are drop dead sexy and are more comfortable than many other options that I've tried. For $299 they are an excellent value and would represent a good product for newcomers looking to play their AAC or Mp3 files out of their iPod. They would also please audiophiles looking to stray away from boring or neutral sound signatures.
Happy listening!
Heir Audio's 3.ai is a universal IEM geared for a "fun" sound and for $299 on Heir Audio's website: www.heiraudio.com. So, let the review begin!
Aesthetics and Build
The 3.ai is absolutely stunning. The exotic wood on the outer surface is beautiful, and the entire surface of them is flawless. Deep purple acrylic encases the rest of the IEM and a layer seems to be protecting. The Heir Audio logo is etched onto the back in red. The build quality is exceptional, as you would expect from a custom company. They are easily distinguished as handmade, for the bores are clearly machined by hand (A good thing
). The cable (which is stock, I cannot vouch for the upgraded one) does the job, but some aspects seem cheap, for example the rough edges of joined plastic improperly trimmed off, or the cut pieces of plastic tube used for the cable cinch and memory wire encasing. But like I said, it gets the job done so no big deal. There are excellent strain reliefs and the memory wire is comfortable and effective. There is a 90 degree 3.5 mm plug. Whether you prefer 90, 45, or 180 is purely your opinion. The plug works fine with portable amps, however I couldn't plug it into my phone with a case on.Accessories
Accessories, after the packaging, may give you an initial perspective of your investment, so I personally feel they are important. The 3.ai is shipped in a very sturdy custom otterbox (otterbox 1000). In fact, I use both hands to open it up! Once open, everything is found inside. There in little plastic bags is the IEMs and cable, a total of 9 sets of tips, and a cleaning tool. There are 6 single flange tips; S, M, and L simple as can be, and then S, M, and L with a divider through the middle of the tips. Not too sure why. There is also S, M, and L double flange tips. I fit a small double flange.
Comfort and Isolation
They isolate the outside environment well enough, however using small tips sacrificed some isolation for comfort, at least in my scenario. They essentially feel quite weightless worn over the ear and when inserted properly. However, as with all in ears, I find they start to get uncomfortable approaching 2-3 hours of listening, and usually break.
And Finally, The Sound
To begin, I believe the 3.ai are V-shaped, but not drastically enough to push out the midrange, but regardless they are quite bassy. Powerful sub-bass allows these little things to really pound inside my ears! They are very excellent for bass heavy music like electronic or hip-hop. Then there is the mid-bass, lots of it. The level of mid-bass, at least for me, influences the vocals, so onto the midrange! The vocals on these IEMs are VERY weighty. Male voices can sound very deep and then turn around and become very high. I would describe the midrange as being V-shaped; powerful lower mids and very bright upper mids. If you cannot stand sibilance, then stay away from these IEMs. There is a significant uppermid/lower treble spike, most likely for the purpose of a fun sound. The lower treble is boosted, however I have found it makes instruments that fall in that range sound synthetic, for example, cymbals. The rest of the treble isn't overly recessed nor shrilling, but somewhere in the middle. I would describe the sound stage as being amateur, not HUGE and not stuck in a little bubble somewhere in the center of my head either.
Conclusion
These IEMs represent an excellent deal for a fun sound and portability. They can take rather boring music and make it fun, or take modern genres and represent them powerfully. However, they are quite sibilant, and can cause fatigue over longer listening sessions. Aside from the sound they are drop dead sexy and are more comfortable than many other options that I've tried. For $299 they are an excellent value and would represent a good product for newcomers looking to play their AAC or Mp3 files out of their iPod. They would also please audiophiles looking to stray away from boring or neutral sound signatures.
Happy listening!
