[Hawaiibadboy]

Spot on. Stage isn't crap compared to less "audiophile approved" choices like the ie80. I want to like hybrids so badly but something doesn't sound quite right with the it03. Not 3d enough? Not enough texture or depth in the bass? Not thick/vivid enough mids? I'm not even sure anymore. I just want a single dynamic to take on the go with me. The search continues. I appreciate your take.

My opinion is worth a bucket of crap but i give it anyway...it's a forum
I really do need a wide stage. I can make bass pretty much but i cannot make a wide stage, Psychoacoustics and the ability to create the impression of width via treble peak tweaking has never worked like a set that is tuned to be such or is vented and semi open.

Hybrid....mmmm..no

BA? kinda yes but always struck me as the answer to a question that was never asked and certainly not answered. How ya gonna have 10 BA on each side and still have a lack of sparkle and or slight mid dip/thinness. Noble has a perfect rating on here........?? If I were the kind and there are some...who review stuff in shops...that would not be the case.

 

[mario_34]

What sub $100 portable amp/dac would be powerful enough to drive the mdr7550 with an iphone source?
Is it doable under $100 or is it not plausible?

 

[chillaxing]

@Hawaiibadboy Bro, let us know if the new sonys can compare in stage with the ex1000. As much as I love the ex, if the track isn't mastered or recorded perfectly or if it was recorded with lots of sibilance, I want to rip them out of my ears.

 

[mer]

"I have discovered I am not a fan of hybrids. The idea is epic for bass lovers but nobody including 1-$2,000 sets can do it like a single dynamic.

I agree they are alright and a bit overhyped. i enjoy the FLC8 more."

I come from full dynamic driver phones and I'm a basshead(yamaha pro 500/xb90) and went straight to sony n3 ( skipping h3/a3, so don't ask me about these, never tried those ) but as far as xb90ex is concerned trust me the N3 is on another level and the bass and general spectrum is audiophile quality. The mids come from the DD in this model unlike all the hybrids you've probably tried with no crossover ( I know you've tried lots so I might be wrong ) but the new Sony is a new approach. Plus the HD tweeter of the sony is REALLY good, it produces so much clarity and resolution it almost feels dry. It's like listening to some really good speaker tweeters.

For me, it's exactly what I have been looking, Amazing basshead qualities but this is Hi-Fi not some xb90ex stupid upper mids and highs. The highs that come from the new Sony HD BA tweeter is something else and blends really good with the mids and bass of the dynamic driver . It's like listening to a speaker system in that you can understand you must have two sources because a simple magnet can never reproduce that spectrum. I haven't tried the 800st/ex1000 but if the driver is anything like the xb90ex I can't imagine again the 16mm driver to reproduce these upper mids/highs. But the N3 is on another level when it comes xb90ex, its better in everyway. I am sure the highs and soundstage on ex1000 are better compared to xb90ex though.

For me, the soundstage of N3 could be wider sure, but the N3 has , along with it's dark tonality, a soundstage that is pretty good... It depends if the BA is aparent or not, when it is the soundstage doubles of the crystal clear highs that are collerated/define the soundstage. Not very bad compared to my wharfdale speakers in my small room. I definitely approve. If the soundstage of n3 is 8/10, xb90ex would be 6.5/10.

For sure, I would love to know what you think of the n3. Let us know if you ever try it...

Btw I know you are more of a hiphop guy than dnb guy, so you might like boomy bass than deep subbass. The n3 concentrates on the subbass, more like the xb90ex than the yamaha pro 500 for example. For hiphop I prefer the peeks around 100hz while with dub and dnb I like 30-60hz peeks.

Until then, dub music is my way of life.

 

[chillaxing]

What sub $100 portable amp/dac would be powerful enough to drive the mdr7550 with an iphone source?
Is it doable under $100 or is it not plausible?

fiio a3 or q1. Just to let you know the latest apple update introduced connectivity problems with dac/amps. It still works but from time to time it will disconnect.

 

[esm87]

Cayin C5 is also beastly mario @ $100 or so I think

 

[Sound Eq]

"I have discovered I am not a fan of hybrids. The idea is epic for bass lovers but nobody including 1-$2,000 sets can do it like a single dynamic.

I agree they are alright and a bit overhyped. i enjoy the FLC8 more."

I come from full dynamic driver phones and I'm a basshead(yamaha pro 500/xb90) and went straight to sony n3 ( skipping h3/a3, so don't ask me about these, never tried those ) but as far as xb90ex is concerned trust me the N3 is on another level and the bass and general spectrum is audiophile quality. The mids come from the DD in this model unlike all the hybrids you've probably tried with no crossover ( I know you've tried lots so I might be wrong ) but the new Sony is a new approach. Plus the HD tweeter of the sony is REALLY good, it produces so much clarity and resolution it almost feels dry. It's like listening to some really good speaker tweeters.

For me, it's exactly what I have been looking, Amazing basshead qualities but this is Hi-Fi not some xb90ex stupid upper mids and highs. The highs that come from the new Sony HD BA tweeter is something else and blends really good with the mids and bass of the dynamic driver . It's like listening to a speaker system in that you can understand you must have two sources because a simple magnet can never reproduce that spectrum. I haven't tried the 800st/ex1000 but if the driver is anything like the xb90ex I can't imagine again the 16mm driver to reproduce these upper mids/highs. But the N3 is on another level when it comes xb90ex, its better in everyway. I am sure the highs and soundstage on ex1000 are better compared to xb90ex though.

For me, the soundstage of N3 could be wider sure, but the N3 has , along with it's dark tonality, a soundstage that is pretty good... It depends if the BA is aparent or not, when it is the soundstage doubles of the crystal clear highs that are collerated/define the soundstage. Not very bad compared to my wharfdale speakers in my small room. I definitely approve. If the soundstage of n3 is 8/10, xb90ex would be 6.5/10.

For sure, I would love to know what you think of the n3. Let us know if you ever try it...

Btw I know you are more of a hiphop guy than dnb guy, so you might like boomy bass than deep subbass. The n3 concentrates on the subbass, more like the xb90ex than the yamaha pro 500 for example. For hiphop I prefer the peeks around 100hz while with dub and dnb I like 30-60hz peeks.

Until then, dub music is my way of life.

I wish you could have compared it to something better than xb90ex as that one did not do it for me at all in its mids and highs. I will wait for others who have better iems to compare the N3 to. As even in the N3 thread they mentioned the Sony z5 is better than the N3

I am still hunting down the ex1000 as I want a stage iem that I can eq its bass

 

[mer]

I wish you could have compared it to something better than xb90ex as that one did not do it for me at all in its mids and highs. I will wait for others who have better iems to compare the N3 to. As even in the N3 thread they mentioned the Sony z5 is better than the N3

I am still hunting down the ex1000 as I want a stage iem that I can eq its bass

Well, I think the z5 is in a different league, as in it costs double the money, I don't want to spend 500euro on headphones really. The fit is very different to the N3. I wouldn't be at all suprised if the z5 had wider soundstage but here we talk about a phone thats small comfortable you don't have to wear over the ear and I can drive it with my phone to basshead levels... Try that with the z5

I'm sure the ex1000 is great but you need to EQ and I'm not sure it's as sensitive as the n3, might be, plus the n3 is dark and has subbass dark signature while the ex1000 is different.

 

[Sound Eq]

Well, I think the z5 is in a different league, as in it costs double the money, I don't want to spend 500euro on headphones really. The fit is very different to the N3. I wouldn't be at all suprised if the z5 had wider soundstage but here we talk about a phone thats small comfortable you don't have to wear over the ear and I can drive it with my phone to basshead levels... Try that with the z5

yes z5 needs power to shine i give you that as i owned it

 

[MrNick]

How is ex1000 vs. asg 2.5 though?

 

[Raketen]

I once read from some respectable source that BA driver strength tends to be in the mids (I think they were originally first used for sound powered phones so maybe that is where this idea comes from). I'm not sure it's still accurate since there are so many varieites of BA drivers now, but I wonder if any hybrids have tried using Dynamic for bass & highs (maybe one of those crossover free designs naturally does this anywy) and BA just for mids.

IMEfrom the right source mids & treble on xb90 can sound great, but it's a little bit matter of luck if you can find that match. That IEM is only $60-70 and scales/improves to good sources more than any other iem I have tried.

How is ex1000 vs. asg 2.5 though?

These are almost polar opposites in tuning lol. ex1000 isn't remotely bass oriented like asg 2.5, which is all bass and lower mids w/ some treble sparkles, if you can imagine a FR graph with downward slope from midbass onwards . ex1000 is basically flat and then upwards toward treble, it just has really nice sounding bass that takes well to EQ.

 

[mer]

Where is it 60-70? Prices have gone up and its around at least 120 plus. Long are the days I could order that IEM for 70usd from amazon.ca

I agree that xb90ex mids and highs can sound decent sometimes, but the highs on n3 for me are on another level, I really appreciate crisp high quality treble. I am sensitive to the upper spectrum and changes the microdetail and soundstage a lot for me.

 

[Raketen]

Where is it 60-70? Prices have gone up and its around at least 120 plus. Long are the days I could order that IEM for 70usd from amazon.ca

I agree that xb90ex mids and highs can sound decent sometimes, but the highs on n3 for me are on another level, I really appreciate crisp high quality treble. I am sensitive to the upper spectrum and changes the microdetail and soundstage a lot for me.

Yeah unfortunately I think it might be out of production now (I just looked on amazon US and it's now 170, almost price of ex800 at a low ebb). By Sony standards it had a pretty long run though!

I've been eyeballing the N3AP for a while in my hunt for a hybrid, but I really didn't like the H3/A3 much at all so a bit reluctant, & kind of holding out for Dunu to release the last model in their new hybrids (though I do not expect these have any place on a basshead thread).

 

[mer]

People say N3 is darker sounding and different sounding compared to A3/H3 in general because now the mids come from the dynamic driver. Give it a go if there is some shop near you .... I went and tried it in Barcelona ( thats where I live ) and I bought it from there, the shop has many earphones we can try what we like and bring our music player, I hope you guys can also do that. I wouldn't spend 250euro for earphones I can't try.

Drum N Bass is magic with the N3

Listening to Black Sun Empire flacs atm...

Cheers!

 

[AkashS04]

Hi All,

Need some help from you regarding Earphone. Is there any low budget ear phones (need not to be earbud but in-ear is fine too) which has very very Deeeeep (or one of the the deeepest) Bass and very warm sound with smooth details. But it has to have Mic as I am using PowerAmp. Another most important thing is that is does that has open-back design so when I speak in Mic, my voice will sound natural and not something coming from cavity or echoed? I don't think there is any such earphone as they create Seal thus create vacuum. But still checking with you guys if anyone can suggest this. @Hawaiibadboy suggested FiiIO F5 which has 3 air holes to prevent vacuum and I also found UiiSii T8 which seems to have open-back design. But I am not sure if they will actually solve this issue so if anyone has used them, please advise. Thanks.

Regards,
Akash