SolidSnake3
500+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2008
- Posts
- 734
- Likes
- 16
Hey headfi!
I have recently received a pair of the Sunrise Xcape Impressive Edition (IE for short) and have felt compelled by these sub $100 wonders to write up a bit of a review. First though a quick shout out to frogbeats audio for having these guys in stock at a great price and for being neck and neck with Schiit Audio in regards to best customer service I have ever received.
The punch line:
For under $100 you get a phenomenal earphone that has an impressive degree of clarity with a very enjoyable mid and bass orientated sound signature resulting in the production of music that is just fun to listen to.
Build/Design:
The Sunrise Xcape IE has a traditional straight barrel type IEM design that comes with a set of single size flanges and a single pair of bi fangles. The barrel is not overly large by any means and this along with the flexible cable allow them to be worn either straight down or over the ear. The cable terminates in a straight jack and there isn't a chin slider if that matters to you. Also, there is a small circle zipper case that is not crash proof but has a nice feel to it. It feels strong enough that I would be fine with throwing it in my backpack and not worrying about it. If you normally commute with a bag full of bricks however you might want to pick up a stronger case....
As a quick side note I have found that I actually prefer the straight barrel IEM design for universals as it seems to fit the best in my picky ears. With the exception of my custom JH5's and some Westones I have tried, every other IEM that has a design that deviates too much from the straight barrel has caused me some fit issues. I'm looking at you UE TF10, Sony EX600 and Fischer Eterna.
Sound:
Well I figure my punch line gives a pretty direct version of what I think regarding these IEM's. For me they strike an amazing balance of clarity and fun along with a cohesive sound for under $100. The sound signature seems to be mid and bass based to some degree in that both of those aspects seem to be stand outs for me. The midrange is very well defined and natural sounding, vocals sound just so clear and normal. I know it might seem weird to think about voices sounding "normal" but this is one of the first IEM's I have heard that does that. I don't know how to better describe it aside from just that vocals sound true to life and real. This quality of the midrange plays heavily in my mind in shaping the overall slightly warm and enjoyable sound signature. I have found that ClieOS's description of them as warm and sweet is particularly accurate and really sums up the sound well.
In addition to the midrange, the bass seems to be quite nice. The bass is tight and yet contains some noticeable impact. I like the way that there is an aspect of quality and quantity to the bass. Granted the quantity is not nearly enough for a "bass head" or someone looking to shake their skull but for everyone else it should be fine. On a scale of 1 to 10 I would guess the bass quantity is somewhere around a 7 or so in that you notice that it is slightly boosted from neutral *5* but at that same time not near a bass cannon type IEM level of 9+.
The treble isn't a prominent feature of the sound signature but at the same time it isn't lacking or recessed. To put it very bluntly it just isn't a main selling point or prominent aspect of the sound like the mids and bass are. It is very competent and well balanced but doesn't have that slight boost I'm detecting with the mids and bass.
Soundstage is open and gives you a good sense of positioning although not amazingly wide or airy. For a quick comparison the soundstage is not as open as the Sony EX600 or the "Am I really wearing earphones big" CK10's. The focus seems to be more on generating a cohesive sound and producing music as opposed to separate instruments in space. Now don't get me wrong, this doesn't just smash everything together, there is some separation however it's not gigantic and seems to take a back seat to making an overall cohesive sound.
Conclusion:
I really like this earphone...wait no really isn't a strong enough word. I passionately love this earphone. It checks every single box I could possible think of for my listening desires.
Enjoyable sound sig...CHECK
Sounds great out of just an Ipod...CHECK
Worn up or down, easy to fit...CHECK
Not too expensive that I don't want to take them out...CHECK
I don't know what else I could logically want or desire in an IEM, they do it all for me.
Alright now overly gushy love blubbering aside I'm about to make some comments below that I know I will be called out on and will cause some controversy. I have thought about this for quite a bit so I am completely prepared to defend myself regarding these statements and stand by what I am about to say so here goes...
I like these more than my JH5's
Bombshell officially dropped, collateral damage is to be expected to the highest degree, cities have been leveled...no survivors have been found!
Now I know I can't just make a statement like that and not defend it so here goes. For less than 1/4 the price I like my Sunrise Xcape IE more than my JH5's. Now let that sink in, $400+impressions and shipping on a refit vs. <$100 and guess who wins? To put it simply I love the warm and sweet sound of the Xcape IE's that reminds me quite a bit of the JH5's. Now the JH5's are more clear and have more bass impact however I don't really notice this unless I'm actually trying to. To me, just listening, the Sunrise are JUST AS ENJOYABLE as my JH5's. Combine this now with the fact that they cost that much less and you see where I'm headed....
I have always been self conscious about taking my JH5's out of the house because of the price, to put it simply I'm afraid of how much money is in them. I always had this nagging feeling like something might happen and then I would be quite annoyed at how much money just went down the tubes. The Sunrise have eliminated this for me while still producing the same level of fun/enjoyment.
Fit is another big point. I don't know about anyone else but the Sunrise fit me perfectly well. They simply are not there, I get a spot on seal first shot and have no qualms. After 4+ hours they still feel as weightless and non-present as they did at the start. The JH5's are more isolating and I guess they disappear a little better but overall it is NOT a big difference in how satisfied I am with the fit. They are pretty equal in how much I am concerned with the fit which is to say I'm not concerned at all with either. The fit is a non issue in both cases making it a moot point for me.
Alright well to sum that all up and bring this together for a second round of bombings...
I am glad I bought the JH5's in order to have the experience of customs and to be able to speak from the experience I now have. I am satisfied with them and think they were a good purchase because of the knowledge and greater insight I have from them. However, if I could choose knowing what I know now about the Sunrise Xcape IE's and the JH5's I would take the Sunrise and $300 in my bank account any day. I was...and still am, considering selling the JH5's since getting the Sunrise however the lack of return I will almost surely get is giving me quite a bit of pause. We will see what the next week holds but know this, the JH5's are perched on the chopping block and that isn't something I take lightly.
Captain we are officially empty, payload has been dropped, target is eliminated, closing bomb bay doors and returning to base....what sort of hell have we unleashed?
I have recently received a pair of the Sunrise Xcape Impressive Edition (IE for short) and have felt compelled by these sub $100 wonders to write up a bit of a review. First though a quick shout out to frogbeats audio for having these guys in stock at a great price and for being neck and neck with Schiit Audio in regards to best customer service I have ever received.
The punch line:
For under $100 you get a phenomenal earphone that has an impressive degree of clarity with a very enjoyable mid and bass orientated sound signature resulting in the production of music that is just fun to listen to.
Build/Design:
The Sunrise Xcape IE has a traditional straight barrel type IEM design that comes with a set of single size flanges and a single pair of bi fangles. The barrel is not overly large by any means and this along with the flexible cable allow them to be worn either straight down or over the ear. The cable terminates in a straight jack and there isn't a chin slider if that matters to you. Also, there is a small circle zipper case that is not crash proof but has a nice feel to it. It feels strong enough that I would be fine with throwing it in my backpack and not worrying about it. If you normally commute with a bag full of bricks however you might want to pick up a stronger case....
As a quick side note I have found that I actually prefer the straight barrel IEM design for universals as it seems to fit the best in my picky ears. With the exception of my custom JH5's and some Westones I have tried, every other IEM that has a design that deviates too much from the straight barrel has caused me some fit issues. I'm looking at you UE TF10, Sony EX600 and Fischer Eterna.
Sound:
Well I figure my punch line gives a pretty direct version of what I think regarding these IEM's. For me they strike an amazing balance of clarity and fun along with a cohesive sound for under $100. The sound signature seems to be mid and bass based to some degree in that both of those aspects seem to be stand outs for me. The midrange is very well defined and natural sounding, vocals sound just so clear and normal. I know it might seem weird to think about voices sounding "normal" but this is one of the first IEM's I have heard that does that. I don't know how to better describe it aside from just that vocals sound true to life and real. This quality of the midrange plays heavily in my mind in shaping the overall slightly warm and enjoyable sound signature. I have found that ClieOS's description of them as warm and sweet is particularly accurate and really sums up the sound well.
In addition to the midrange, the bass seems to be quite nice. The bass is tight and yet contains some noticeable impact. I like the way that there is an aspect of quality and quantity to the bass. Granted the quantity is not nearly enough for a "bass head" or someone looking to shake their skull but for everyone else it should be fine. On a scale of 1 to 10 I would guess the bass quantity is somewhere around a 7 or so in that you notice that it is slightly boosted from neutral *5* but at that same time not near a bass cannon type IEM level of 9+.
The treble isn't a prominent feature of the sound signature but at the same time it isn't lacking or recessed. To put it very bluntly it just isn't a main selling point or prominent aspect of the sound like the mids and bass are. It is very competent and well balanced but doesn't have that slight boost I'm detecting with the mids and bass.
Soundstage is open and gives you a good sense of positioning although not amazingly wide or airy. For a quick comparison the soundstage is not as open as the Sony EX600 or the "Am I really wearing earphones big" CK10's. The focus seems to be more on generating a cohesive sound and producing music as opposed to separate instruments in space. Now don't get me wrong, this doesn't just smash everything together, there is some separation however it's not gigantic and seems to take a back seat to making an overall cohesive sound.
Conclusion:
I really like this earphone...wait no really isn't a strong enough word. I passionately love this earphone. It checks every single box I could possible think of for my listening desires.
Enjoyable sound sig...CHECK
Sounds great out of just an Ipod...CHECK
Worn up or down, easy to fit...CHECK
Not too expensive that I don't want to take them out...CHECK
I don't know what else I could logically want or desire in an IEM, they do it all for me.
Alright now overly gushy love blubbering aside I'm about to make some comments below that I know I will be called out on and will cause some controversy. I have thought about this for quite a bit so I am completely prepared to defend myself regarding these statements and stand by what I am about to say so here goes...
I like these more than my JH5's
Bombshell officially dropped, collateral damage is to be expected to the highest degree, cities have been leveled...no survivors have been found!
Now I know I can't just make a statement like that and not defend it so here goes. For less than 1/4 the price I like my Sunrise Xcape IE more than my JH5's. Now let that sink in, $400+impressions and shipping on a refit vs. <$100 and guess who wins? To put it simply I love the warm and sweet sound of the Xcape IE's that reminds me quite a bit of the JH5's. Now the JH5's are more clear and have more bass impact however I don't really notice this unless I'm actually trying to. To me, just listening, the Sunrise are JUST AS ENJOYABLE as my JH5's. Combine this now with the fact that they cost that much less and you see where I'm headed....
I have always been self conscious about taking my JH5's out of the house because of the price, to put it simply I'm afraid of how much money is in them. I always had this nagging feeling like something might happen and then I would be quite annoyed at how much money just went down the tubes. The Sunrise have eliminated this for me while still producing the same level of fun/enjoyment.
Fit is another big point. I don't know about anyone else but the Sunrise fit me perfectly well. They simply are not there, I get a spot on seal first shot and have no qualms. After 4+ hours they still feel as weightless and non-present as they did at the start. The JH5's are more isolating and I guess they disappear a little better but overall it is NOT a big difference in how satisfied I am with the fit. They are pretty equal in how much I am concerned with the fit which is to say I'm not concerned at all with either. The fit is a non issue in both cases making it a moot point for me.
Alright well to sum that all up and bring this together for a second round of bombings...
I am glad I bought the JH5's in order to have the experience of customs and to be able to speak from the experience I now have. I am satisfied with them and think they were a good purchase because of the knowledge and greater insight I have from them. However, if I could choose knowing what I know now about the Sunrise Xcape IE's and the JH5's I would take the Sunrise and $300 in my bank account any day. I was...and still am, considering selling the JH5's since getting the Sunrise however the lack of return I will almost surely get is giving me quite a bit of pause. We will see what the next week holds but know this, the JH5's are perched on the chopping block and that isn't something I take lightly.
Captain we are officially empty, payload has been dropped, target is eliminated, closing bomb bay doors and returning to base....what sort of hell have we unleashed?
