Ck100 has little bass, maybe the least compared to other named IEMs. Its main strengths are in the highs, which are highly detailed and have a glamor that few IEMs can match. The midrange of CK100 is sure to elicit dispute. It is very warm,full and sweet, to the extent that I can foresee...

GR8 uses armature drivers, not dynamic drivers. I have confirmed this with John Grado on the phone. The manual calls it "Dynamic Armature" and maybe this misleads some people to think its dynamic drivers. But no.

Well I am just curious why I heard differently. Maybe the source is the problem. Here is the source I used for the compare. A $1,000 CD player, RudiStor NX-03 headphone amp. This is a very decent amp for IEMs. On this particular setup I think Westone 3 is more transparent, and better...

I am not trying to vindicate anything, but I am just confused, and need some clarification. I compared a um3x and a Westone 3, using exactly the same foam tips (took it off here and put it on there), the same source, and I wear them the same way, with same fit that I feel. But I can't understand...

Of course I have heard both of them, but I am not certain everyone hears the same. Several factors decide what one hears. Canal shape, tighter or looser fit, tips used, burn-in status of IEM, etc. When I compare um3x and 3, I use the same Comply foam tips (short), and try to approximate the fit...

Please drop your quick answer here. Westone um3x and Westone 3, which has stronger bass? Answers appreciated.

It does roll off on both sides of the spectrum, but "significantly"? No. The best way is for you to try it out. Try it with vocal stuff and you will like it.

Quote: Originally Posted by A_Dying_Wren I have a feeling that any review will sound in line with the rest of what he's said so far. Any product review without carefully considered negatives (not just "differences") is pretty much useless. I doubt perfection comes at $300...

Quote: Originally Posted by qusp your comparisons to other well known IEMs are very confusing. westone 3 has a massive strong bass!! and the other comments already mentioned by iponderous are a little strange. I find it difficult to take anything meaningful out of your review because of...

Quote: Originally Posted by iponderous ^ I don't doubt what you hear but Grado's are known to be bass-light (compared to other full-sized headphones), they have a narrow soundstage (with the exception of the GS1000 and the PS1000) and they have extended treble that can border on searing...

The GR8 is not for everyone. Who is? But for those whose iPods and MP3s are filled with SONGS, whose primary musical interest is in vocals, the GR8 is a revelation. Well, I am one of these people, and I used to love Shure E5C and SE530 for vocals, but now I think I found a better one. I am not...

Quote: Originally Posted by iponderous Grado's known for "strong and impactful" bass? The SE530 has a clearer top end than the GR8? The GR8 has a "wide soundstage"? Your description of the GR8 sounds like the antithesis of a full-sized Grado. Back to the drawing board I reckon...

Quote: Originally Posted by A_Dying_Wren Woah... Are you actually saying that the GR8 beats the SE530 as the new king of the midrange? That's a big claim to make. No what I am saying is SE530 and GR8 express vocals differently, and personally I think GR8 is the more natural one...

The soundstage is wide, but lacking a bit in depth. For instance Shure SE530 has better depth, and by the way SE530 also has more bass weight and clearer top end, but a direct compare of SE530 and GR8 shows the vocals on SE530 are a bit too "wet" and the little drier-sounding GR8 is the more...

I was mistaken when I imagined the GR8 should have a strong and impactful bass. No, unlike Grado headsets, GR8 does not place any emphasis on bass. It is a very balanced earphone, with reasonable bass weight and high frequency extention, but the strength of the product is in the midrange. I...

A close-up of the earphones. It is not black, as some pictures show. It is deep blue. The product is manufactured in Japan, and interestingly it has some "Japanese marks" on it, for instance the cable is thinner than that of Grado headphones, the size is very small, almost as small as...

GR8 comes with 3 pairs of white silicon tips, and as the filters get dirty or broken you get four filters included in the package. The package looks like this: Note the impedance is 120Ohm, so it will require some power from the player. But having a very high sensitivity @ 118dB/mW, GR8...

The last two days I have spent listening to Grado GR8s on my various portable players ... Nano, Touch, Sony PCM-D50, Sony MP3 (forget model name), Sony NE920 (Discman) ... And I must say I am very very impressed with GR8.

I support RudiStor RPX100, which is around 2,000 euro. It is a very versatile amp.

Quote: Originally Posted by freakmax Cool! Have you got the Grado GS1k? I would like to hear your impression. GS1000 has very low sensitivity, making it the hardest to drive among 32-ohm headphones. I doubt your Earmax can handle it well. Please share your listening...

Here is Graham Slee's portable amp Voyager, and RudiStor's new offering NX03. Anyone who wants to know how they compare can pm me.

The NX03 is capable of driving Audio-Technica W5000 very well. A surprise. Few amps are capable of this, besides the official amp, the HA5000.

Solo with the brand new Novo. They can share the same power supply, either the wall-wart or PSU1.

NX03 with Lehmann amp.

Back of NX03. One pair of inputs. Not a pre-amp.