Reviews by whitedragon551

whitedragon551

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Low cost, looks high end, good build quality for the price, PC adapter included
Cons: All plastic, hardwired cable, inline mic
Company Name: HAVIT
Company Website: https://www.prohavit.com/products/hv-h91dj-headphones/
Headphone Model: HAVIT HV-H91DJ
Frequency Range: 20Hz-20Khz
Headphone Style (Open, Closed, etc.): Over Ear
Impedance: 32 Ohm
Sensitivity: 108db
 
Pros: Low cost, looks high end, good build quality for the price, PC adapter included
Cons: All plastic, hardwired cable
 
Rating scale is based on a 1 to 5 scale. 1 being the worst, 3 being neutral, and 5 being the best.
Audio Quality: 3 out of 5
Comfort: 3.5 out of 5 (Based on 2 hours of continuous use)
Design: 4 out of 5
Isolation: 3.5 out of 5
Value: 4 out of 5
Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5
 
First let me start by saying I received these headphones for free in exchange for an honest review.
 
I normally use a set of Shure SRH750DJ’s with an Ant Lion Modmic for gaming on a daily basis.
 
The HV-H91DJ’s cups are very similar to the Shure’s. Same material and almost identical in terms of clamping force and plushness of the pads themselves. The hinge design is also almost identical. A lot of people told me I would have issues with the Shure’s cracking and creaking and I have owned them for about 3 years with no signs of wear or breakage. Don’t let the materials these headphones are made of turn you away.
 
Let’s get into the reason why I rated these the way I did.
 
Audio Quality
 
I gave them a 3 of 5 on the audio quality scale due to having an over whelming low end. Don’t get me wrong, I love a nice low end however not one that detracts from the rest of the sound. I prefer things to be more balanced. With the emphasized low end I would strongly recommend these for rock, heavy metal, EDM, type music.
 
The mids are where these headphones shine. They are smooth and detailed. Almost on par with the Shure SRH750DJ’s.
 
The highs are another strong point in the sense that they fit my personal preference. I don’t like emphasized highs as they can sometimes give me a headache. These provide the details, without the harshness. However, depending on the track this can change depending on the low end. I found that it wasn’t very consistent when changing between Rap and something more pop like.
 
Comfort
 
The clamping force on these headphones are about perfect and give a nice seal. Using the Shure SRH750DJ’s I am used to this type of seal and clamping force. If you aren’t used to an above average clamping force you may need to put these on the box for a day or two to get them to loosen up.
 
Design
 
As I have already eluded to these are very similar in design to the Shure SRH750DJ’s. Everything from the way they fold, the hinges on the cups, to the pads used and the way they extend to fit all head sizes.
 
The two things I strongly dislike about the design of these headphones are the hardwired cable and the inline mic. I have never had good luck with inline mics. They always seem to fail after a short period of time. In this particular instance it probably doesn’t matter much as I use an external mic anyway.
 
Isolation
 
The sea from the cups is not indicative of the isolation from the outside world. If you have above average room noise you will hear what is going on in the space around you using average listening levels. For me an average listening level from my laptop is 35/100.
 
Value
 
For $30 it’s hard to go wrong with anything. If you enjoy bass heavy tracks that don’t require a bright upper end these are great for you. If you require a lot of accuracy or a wide sound stage then these may not be what you’re looking for.

whitedragon551

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Tons of features for the price bracket, very well built, Bluetooth, NFC, works with my Note 4 via USB.
Cons: Almost too many features. Battery life seems to be low compared to other portable amps. Id strip out the lesser used features and reduce the price.
Company Name: Sound Blaster
Company Website: http://us.creative.com/p/sound-blaster/sound-blaster-e5
Amp Model: E5
Impedance: Low Gain: 2.2-300 Ohm, High Gain 300-600 Ohm
SNR: 120dB
THD: <.005%
Warranty: 1 Year
Price: $199 MSRP
Describing Sound: http://www.head-fi.org/a/describing-sound-a-glossary
Definitions: http://www.head-fi.org/a/glossary-of-terms
 
Pros: Tons of features for the price bracket, very well built, Bluetooth, NFC, works with my Note 4 via USB.
Cons: Almost too many features. Battery life seems to be low compared to other portable amps. Id strip out the lesser used features and reduce the price. This may also help with better battery life. The smart phone/tablet app needs some work. Doesn’t work on the Galaxy Tab 2 via USB cable, based on comments in the app store it doesn’t work with a lot of other devices either. Doesn’t come with a wall adapter to charge the amp, just the USB cable.
Rating scale Breakdown (1-10)
1-2: Very Bad
3-4: Bad
5: Not Bad/Not Good/ Neutral
6-7: Good
8-9: Very Good
10: Excellent
 
Rating Definitions
  1. Build Quality: How well built a device feels. This takes into account materials used and placement of features.
  2. Design: How well a set of headphones are designed.
  3. Value: Performance to cost ratio. If performance exceeds cost this value will be high. If performance is on the low end for the cost the value will be low. This will be subjective based on audio quality. Everyone hears different things.
  4. Accessories: How well the included accessories stack up compared to other amps of similar style.
  5. Overall Rating: This is the average of the other categories.  
Build Quality: 8
Quality is great. Buttons aren’t lose and don’t have much movement. Rubber bottom is a nice touch.
Design: 8
Everything is well thought out. It’s pretty intuitive to get started. Figured it out without the manual even with BT and NFC pairing.
Value: 9
With the features you get in the price bracket you cant beat it. However, Im sure not everyone needs all of the features the E5 sports.
Accessories: 8
  1. E5
  2. microUSB cable
  3. Desk stand
  4. Toslink Cable
  5. 2 Elastic bands
Id like to see it come with a wall adapter for charging rather than the toslink cable. Id also like to see a 3.5mm to 3.5mm included to cover all possible connections. 
Overall Rating: 8.25 out of 10.
 
 
Initial Listening Impressions
 
The first thing that sticks out to me during my brief listen at work was that there is an emphasis on the low end of the spectrum. Even on low gain with my Aurisonics ASG2.0’s. The sound seems to be colored. I don’t mind it but some might. I believe the reason for this is SBX feature is on by default. I found that turning SBX resulting in a very flat and neutral sound.
 
Build Quality
 
The build quality feels great. The device is nice and sturdy in hand and was carried around for a week or so in my work laptop bag. As a network engineer I take my bag everywhere and anywhere I go as you never know when something might come up. It held up really well with not even a scratch to show for it.
 
The buttons are nice and firm. The LED’s are the perfect brightness. All of the connections and volume button feel very solid.
 
Ease of Use
 
Overall this amp is extremely easy to use. I picked it up and had it paired to my Note 4 in about 3 minutes without using the manual. That included getting the additional Soundblaster software installed from the Android Play store for free.
 
Plugging into a Windows 8.1 64 Bit Pro laptop via USB was also a breeze. Drivers were automatically installed. The E5 was automatically selected as default play back and the volume warnings on screen were still available when using the volume knob on the E5.
 
Images
 
Place Holder

 
 
 
 
Listening Experience
 
For this review I will be listening to 3 songs on my laptop using Music Bee as my playback software. All music will be 320Kbps and played from a Samsung Evo 120Gb SSD. SBX will be enabled on the E5. Low gain was used.
 
The E5 is plugged in via USB and I will be using my AKG K612Pro headphones.
 
  • The first song up is Kryptonite by 3 Doors Down. Immediately everything sounds neutral for the most part with a little bit of a low end, but not too much. The AKG’s are notorious for a midrange bump and I didn’t hear that with the E5.
 
  • Second song is Styx Come Sail Away. On the right devices the Piano intro is very crisp and dynamic which is what I heard. The song has a nice energy to it and again the E5 with default settings does very little to ruin that. Gives it just enough in the low end and bumps up the volume without destroying the rest of the track.
 
  • Third song was Cold Shoulder by Adele. Adele has a reputation for having a great voice and being able to hit many notes. The AKG K612’s have a reputation for being very spacious and this is the perfect song to show that off. Throughout the song I was able to tell where instrumentals were coming from and the E5 didn’t seem to affect that.
 
 
Comparisons
 
As a frame of reference I like to include all of the equipment I have had the pleasure of using.
 
I have multiple sets of headphones that I have reviewed and at my disposal. The list of headphones that I have heard and reviewed are as follows: AKG K612Pro, VMODA Crossfade LP, Grado Labs SR80i, Shure SRH750DJ, Brainwavz R1, Dunu Topsound I3CS, FocalPrice CK700, iPod ear buds, iPod ear pods, Heir Audio 3.Ai, Aurisonics ASG2.0, Hisound Audio PAA1-Pro earbuds, Thinksound MS01, and Gorilla Ears AT5.
 
I have also listened to multiple amps/dacs including the Yulong Audio DA8, Soundblaster E5, Fiio E11, and the Schiit Wyrd, Vali, Modi stack.
 
 
Overall Experience
 
Overall Soundblaster did a great job as per usual with their products. With all of the features crammed into this tiny shell this is a hard solution to pass up. It covers every option you could possibly need an amp/dac for. As stated previously I would make 2 changes and they are really just personal preference.
I want to thank Lucas and Soundblaster for sending out review units to Headfi members and making this review possible.

whitedragon551

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Custom fit for your ears guarantying a good fit and good isolation, sound stage is wide, build quality is good, no micro-phonics.
Cons: They are custom fit for the original owner’s ears. Nobody could use them unless they got them re-shelled. Cable seems a little thin and short, however
Company Name: Gorilla Ears
Company Website: http://www.gorillaears.com
Gorilla Ears FAQ: http://www.gorillaears.com/faq.php
Headphone Model: Gorilla Ears AT5
Headphone Style (Open, Closed, On-Ear, Over-Ear, IEM, CIEM): Custom In Ear Monitors
Frequency Range: 20Hz-18Khz
Impedance:  25 Ohms @ 1Khz
Sensitivity:  117db @ 1Khz
Isolation: 28db ± 2db
Material: Acrylic
Warranty:  1 Year
Price: $1049 + Audiologist impressions & Shipping to Gorilla Ears
Describing Sound: http://www.head-fi.org/a/describing-sound-a-glossary
Definitions: http://www.head-fi.org/a/glossary-of-terms


Pros: Custom fit for your ears guarantying a good fit and good isolation, sound stage is wide, build quality is good, no micro-phonics.

Cons: They are custom fit for the original owner’s ears. Nobody could use them unless they got them re-shelled. Cable seems a little thin and short, however it is a commonly used cable in mid to upper end IEMs and CIEM’s such as Westone, Tralucent, Heir Audio, etc.  

Rating scale Breakdown (1-10)
1-2: Very Bad
3-4: Bad
5: Not Bad/Not Good/Neutral
6-7: Good
8-9: Very Good
10: Excellent
 
Audio Quality: 9.2/10
Micro-phonics: 10/10
Comfort: 8/10
Design: 10/10
Isolation: 8/10
Value: 8/10
Accessories: 8.5/10
Overall Rating: 8.8/10

Rating Definitions
•    Audio Quality: How good a set of headphones sounds in relation to other headphones I’ve heard. This will be subjective with any set of headphones that are reviewed.
•    Micro-phonics: Noise that can be heard from the cable being moved around. The less noise the higher the value, the more noise the lower the value.
•    Comfort: How comfortable a set of headphones is over a prolonged period of time.  
•    Design: How well a set of headphones are designed. This includes cables, reinforcement points, jacks, and materials used.
•    Isolation: How well a set of headphones blocks outside noises and allows you to hear the music you’re listening to. This also includes sound leakage from the headphones to others around you.
•    Value: Performance to cost ratio. If performance exceeds cost this value will be high. If performance is on the low end for the cost the value will be low. This will be subjective based on audio quality. Everyone hears different things.
•    Accessories: How well the included accessories stack up compared to other headphones of similar style.
•    Overall Rating: This is the average of the other 7 criteria summed and divided by 7.
 

Gorilla Ears AT Models vs. GX Models:

Gorilla Ears is available in two different models, AT and GX, and each model is available in one, two, three or five driver (speaker) configurations per ear.  In addition, the two and three driver models can also be ordered in a ‘bass’ setup, which has a dedicated driver for the lower frequencies and is perfectly suited for both bassists and drummers. The bass setup is denoted by the letter ‘B’ in the model number.  

The Gorilla Ears AT series features a front-facing, black, twisted, non-detachable cord, ideal for motorcyclists, audiophiles and the casual user.  

The GX series is designed for the performing musician, and features a clear detachable cord that wraps conveniently over and behind the ear. In all 5 speaker IEM’s made by Gorilla Ears you get two speakers for lows, two more for mids and a single balanced driver for crisp highs.


Impression Specifications:

Impressions were taken using a 1” bite block and a silicone impression material. They were full impressions and included the crus of the helix, anti-tragus and tragus taken just past the second bend in the ear canal. Impressions can cost anywhere from $25 for both ears up to $100 a piece.

Gorilla Ears will send an instruction sheet to you to ensure the impressions are made with the proper bite block and the impression goes deep enough.


How CIEMS are made:

When asked how Gorilla Ears Custom In Ear Monitors are made, Alan was eager to share the process. He stated:
“[The] Process of building them is part science, part art form – as no two are ever exactly the same, and putting the pieces inside the shell requires quite a bit of skill.  Most of the production staff that builds them has been doing these or hearing aids for most of their life.

We build up the impression and fill in any missing spots with wax.  We then put a couple additional coats of wax on the impression to increase their size just a bit and so it will fit in the ear snugly.  We then make a negative of that impression in something called colloid gel – looks a bit like Jell-O.  The colloid setup would basically look just like your ear does now (it’s a negative of the ear impression).  The acrylic is then poured in the colloid negative and UV cured so that it hardens up.  Once it’s hardened, we can then start putting the electronics and components inside the acrylic shell using your impression. After this process is complete we then start wiring in the speakers and crossovers. Once it’s wired up, we test it and then seal it up with the outer faceplate and cord connection.”


Company History:

Gorilla Ears was founded in 2001 by the Janus Development Group, a privately held S-Corp, based out of Greenville, NC.

Janus Development Group also makes the SpeechEasy product which is an in ear product designed to reduce stuttering.

The Gorilla Ears lineup of custom in ear monitors were created to offer a high quality, low price, and great sounding CIEM.
Alan Newton, President of the Janus Development Group said: “We’re confident that even the most discriminating audiophile is going to be completely blown away by the sound of these in-ears”.

“And with competitive prices and a no-questions-asked installment plan, you no longer have to be a headlining act to protect your hearing.”


Music Setup

My PC music setup consists of Virtual Audio Cable, VSTHost, and Electri-Q Posihfopit Edition. Playback is done on Foobar2000 with no EQ. This setup allows me to EQ any music source coming from any application on my PC.

Using Virtual Audio Cable allows you to create a sound device that picks up the default Windows audio and route it through a VST plugin of your choice and link it to an output device of your choice. This bypasses the often buggy or less than optimal Windows sound drivers. VSTHost is responsible for hosting the VST Plugin Electri-Q EQ. I get the input from the virtual audio cable, send it through the equalizer, and output it to the Realtek HD Audio card. I use the MME driver for these because in Windows 7 DirectSound runs in emulation mode. Meaning it does not offer hardware acceleration and can often cause degradation over its DirectSound counterpart. I am running a sample rate of 48000 and a buffer of 480 samples (100 b/s).

All of the output is then ran through the Fiio E11 with low gain and EQ at 0 for this review.


Accessories
•    Gorilla Ears hard case
•    Wire/Brush cleaning tool
•    Micro-fiber towel
•    Headphones


Initial Listening Impressions

Right after I got the mail I had to open these. I tossed a handful of songs on Spotify and had a listen. Right away the sound stage was nice and wide and very detailed. None of the frequency ranges stuck out as being over powering or lacking. Seemed like a perfect balance out of the gate.


Build Quality

Headphones

The headphones are a clear acrylic with a front-facing, black, twisted, non-detachable cord. The cord material is a glossy and slipper braided finish that prevents Micro-phonics. The shells are smooth with no bubbles, edges, or blemishes.

Each shell has a red or blue dot on it. Red is for right ear, blue is for left ear. Each shell also has a serial number on it that is exactly 1 digit apart and contains the model number designation. There are 3 sound tubes. As discussed before you get two speakers for lows, two more for mids and a single balanced driver for crisp highs. That means 1 sound tube for lows, 1 for mids, and 1 for highs.

The faceplates are molded in nicely with no physical evidence that they were 2 separate pieces. The faceplate has a white recessed and painted G on it. Just under the G is the outlet for the wiring. The outlet is half acrylic molded into the faceplate and the other half is a rubber stress relief.

As you move down the wire you get a sliding cinch that is clear. This cinch is made up of the same material as the stress relief for the wire that comes out of the faceplates. The Y in the wiring is a high quality hard rubber compound that is very sturdy.

The wire used appears to be a tangle resistant wire and it terminates nicely into an L shaped gold plated 3.5mm connection.

Case

The case is a black plastic outer shell with a flip top that contains a Gorilla Ears sticker/logo. To open the case you have 2 black slides similar to what you would find on a corporate brief case. You slide both pieces to the outer edge of the case and the top flips open.

Inside the case you will find a soft egg crate lining on both the top and bottom sides to protect your investment.

You will also find a 6 ½” x 6 ½” yellow micro fiber cleaning cloth with a black Gorilla Ears logo that is meant to wipe away the body oils after use. This prevents damage to the internal electronics and discoloration of the shells and faceplate.

The last thing you will find a double sided cleaning tool that contains a brush and metal scoop to clean out the sound tubes on your new CIEM. This tool is meant to remove possible ear wax from the sound tubes to maintain optimal performance.


Images
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Listening Experience

For this listening review I used some of the GM’s Top 10 Tuning songs, Dr. Chesky’s Binaural Sound Show, and a random assortment of music from my personal collection. The GM tuning list consisted of songs such as “No One” by Alicia Keys and “Hotel California” by the Eagles.

1.    During Alicia Keys “No One” - I focused on her voice. The level of clarity was superb. This is one of those songs that will send chills up your spine from the clarity on a high end system. Towards the end of the song you can hear the deep breaths that the singer is taking.
2.    The Eagles “Hotel California” - The separation and stage width are what really shine in this song. This was not the live version. You can tell the singer is left of center on the stage along with most of the instruments. Drums appear to be dead center in this recording.
3.    Todd Turkishers “Drum Solo” from Dr. Chesky’s Binaural Sound Show CD showed that this set of IEM’s is perfectly capable at producing midbass. The midbass is articulate, fast, and detailed.
4.    “This Little Light Of Mine” demonstrates a nice and wide sound stage and clarity. The male vocalist is clearly on the back, right side of the stage and the background singers are to the left. This particular set of headphones provides a depth to the music that I have never experienced. You can hear the rasp in the male vocalists’ voice.
5.    Styx “Come Sail Away” is one of my favorite tracks to listen to. The piano intro is very crisp and detailed as is the voice of the vocalist. This track is lush and provides an immersive experience. Drums are tight throughout the entire song.
6.    Stonesour “Through Glass” is another one of my favorite tracks to listen to. The clarity in this song combined with its ability to suck you into the sound stage is even more pleasurable to listen to on a high end set of headphones like the AT5’s. The entire song is on a level of clarity that many songs just can’t replicate.  Where this song shines is from the middle to the end. The background music just brings the song to life. The bass is powerful, the highs are clear, and one frequency doesn’t over power another. It’s a perfect balance across the entire sound spectrum.
7.    Ushers “Scream” was my choice to demonstrate low end frequencies. I know this song has an emphasized low end and used it to put the AT5’s to the test. This song was no match for the AT5’s. The bass and midbass were strong throughout the song. It was never overpowering even though the song is mixed to emphasize the low end.


Comparisons

I have multiple sets of headphones that I have reviewed and at my disposal. For the comparison portion of this review I will compare these to Focal Price CK700’s, Shure SRH750DJ’s, and a set of Dunu Topsound I3CS. I have a set of Aurisonics ASG v2.0’s on the way that these will be compared against once they arrive.

I realize that these reviews are highly biased towards the more expensive AT5’s. However, this will allow you to see how different price brackets relate in performance and sound and kind of break down what things you can expect from a higher end set of headphones that cheaper models just don’t offer.


Comparison Methodology

The methodology for these comparisons will be done in steps. I will pick 5 songs from the 7 that were used for listening impressions and use these 15 second clips for all 3 comparisons. I will use a 15 second clip from each song. I will listen to the comparison headphone for the 15 second clip. I will then replay the same 15 second clip with the AT5’s. I will record my findings and repeat if necessary.  During the testing the EQ is set to flat and the volume is the same for every clip.  

As with the listening experience section all songs will be 320KBPS or lossless.

Gorilla Ears AT5

1.    Alicia Keys – No One:  On this excerpt the AT5’s excelled. They were the most balanced in every aspect. They weren’t too bright and the bass wasn’t over powering.
2.    Stone Sour – Through Glass: This song is very crisp and clear and feels like it has a wider stage than the rest of the headphones.
3.    Usher – Scream: The midbass is where the AT5’s excel on this song. The microdetails from the background music are much more pronounced with this set over any other set they are compared against, which could be annoying depending on your preference.
4.    The West New York Spiritual Choir – This Little Light of Mine: This song has a very wide stage and its easy to pick up on the location of the male vocalist just to the right of center on the stage.
5.    Todd Turkisher – Drum Solo: The midbass was the best with this set of headphones. Everything was much more clear with this set over any of the other sets. Im assuming this is due to multiple drivers vs. 1 driver for the other sets of headphones.

Shure SRH750DJ

1.    Alicia Keys – No One: The bass in this set of headphones is a lot less than the CK700’s. Everything seems fairly well balanced, but you still don’t get those fine details.
2.    Stone Sour – Through Glass: This song is also crisp and clear on the 750’s. It lacks the oomph that the AT5’s seem to have with the instrumentals and seems closed off.
3.    Usher – Scream: This song is the perfect song for these headphones. Everything is well rounded with the perfect blend of lows, mids, and highs.
4.    The West New York Spiritual Choir – This Little Light of Mine: These headphones underperformed here. Everything was very quiet and there wasn’t a right of center. The vocalist sounded like he was standing to your right hand side directly next to you.
5.    Todd Turkisher – Drum Solo: Bass was lacking, but midbass was very pronounced. The instrument separation was very obvious with this set of headphones. I was able to tell where each piece of the drum set was.  

Dunu Topsound I3CS

1.    Alicia Keys – No One: These headphones are very bright and lack heavily on the low end. They do excel in the midrange compared to the other headphones.
2.    Stone Sour – Through Glass: The guitar stuck out like a sore thumb with this set of IEM’s. On this clip there is a reverberation at about 2 seconds. This was the only set that I could hear this on.
3.    Usher – Scream: Midbass is very nice with this set of IEM’s on this song. Everything else sounds well balanced.
4.    The West New York Spiritual Choir – This Little Light of Mine: This set of headphones was better than the SRH750DJ’s and the CK700’s, but not quite as good as the AT5’s. The sound stage here was more accurate than both of the other IEM’s.
5.    Todd Turkisher – Drum Solo: The midbass and treble were very pronounced, but lacking in the low bass department.


Focal Price CK700

1.    Alicia Keys – No One: These headphones are very bass heavy in this excerpt. The highs are very crisp and almost bright.
2.    Stone Sour – Through Glass: The CK700’s did well on this song. They weren’t bright like they are in some songs, but the vocals sounded watered down.
3.    Usher – Scream: The bass is overpowering compared to the other sets of headphones. They seem quieter than the rest as well in the vocals and midbass areas.
4.    The West New York Spiritual Choir – This Little Light of Mine: Like the SRH750DJ’s there was no right of center. The vocalist was standing directly next to you.
5.    Todd Turkisher – Drum Solo: All of the components where there with this set of IEM’s. It was easy to tell where the bass was compared to the rest of the drum set, but everything else ran together and I couldn’t tell where anything else was in comparison to the bass.  
 
-ADDED 8/18/2013-
[size=11.0pt]Heir Audio 3.Ai[/size]
 
  • [size=11.0pt]Alicia Keys – No One: The base is pronounced in this song, yet everything maintains clarity. [/size]
  • [size=11.0pt]Stone Sour – Through Glass: The 3.Ai’s were the most clear on this excerpt over any of the other headphones. While it had the most clarity it lacked in low end. [/size]
  • [size=11.0pt]Usher – Scream: Midbass is the shining point of this excerpt. It doesn’t have the kick that the ASG2’s have. It also doesn’t show the finer details of the background music like the AT5’s did. [/size]
  • [size=11.0pt]The West New York Spiritual Choir – This Little Light of Mine: This set of headphones was on par with the AT5’s in terms of sound stage. There was a clear right of center with the male vocalist which was lacking in all other sets except for the ASG2.0’s. [/size]
  • [size=11.0pt]Todd Turkisher – Drum Solo: I expected this set to have a pronounced low end, but it was more of a mid bass monster on this excerpt. The instrument separation is obvious, but the sound stage felt kind of closed off. It was as bad the SRH750DJ’s, but not as good as the AT5’s and ASG2.0’s. [/size]
 
[size=11.0pt]Aurisonics ASG2.0[/size]
 
  • [size=11.0pt]Alicia Keys – No One: This set of headphones excels in the bass department. Even with the bass port completely closed these had the best bass/midbass out of any set of headphones auditioned including the Shure SRH750DJ’s.[/size]
  • [size=11.0pt]Stone Sour – Through Glass: The ASG2.0’s performed well in this excerpt. Everything was well balanced and the finer details were still able to be heard.[/size]
  • [size=11.0pt]Usher – Scream: Again this set of IEM’s excelled in the bass/midbass department. Its very pronounced and clear, but doesn’t interfere with making the highs feel muddy. [/size]
  • [size=11.0pt]The West New York Spiritual Choir – This Little Light of Mine: This set of headphones was also on par with the AT5’s. I could tell there was a right of center which seemed lacking in other sets compared. [/size]
  • [size=11.0pt]Todd Turkisher – Drum Solo: As with the AT5’s this set was very clear and the instrument separation was superb. It was easy to pick out where the instruments were coming from. [/size]


Overall Experience with Gorilla Ears

Overall I enjoyed working with Alan on this project. He was very knowledgeable, quick to respond, and a standup guy/company as far as I am concerned.

The product used in this review is constructed of the highest quality parts and industry standards. The AT5’s lived up to my expectations and Gorilla Ear’s description. I heard things in songs that I have never heard before despite using the same songs in other reviews.  

The clarity, separation, and overall presentation of these headphones were superb. All of these factors combined with the quality products and service has earned these a respectable 8.8/10. The only reason these did not score higher is because nothing is perfect and there is always room for improvement.

Sometimes people are weary to work with a new company on the market or an old company trying to break into a new market segment. Even being a new competitor in the HiFi Headphone market I would not hesitate to work with Gorilla Ears again.
lin0003
lin0003
Great and very detailed review. Well done!

whitedragon551

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Comes with a lot of accessories, multiple options for portable cases depending on circumstances, midbass, fun headphone to listen to
Cons: Ear guides are a little uncomfortable, hard to get a good seal, emphasized highs.
Company Name: Dunu Topsounds
Company Website: http://www.dunu-topsound.com/
Headphone Model: I3C-S
Frequency Range: 16Hz-22KHz
Headphone Style (Open, Closed, On-Ear, Over-Ear, IEM, CIEM): IEMS
Impedance: 10 Ohms
Sensitivity: 105db
Isolation: 26db
Warranty:  1 Year
 
Describing Sound: http://www.head-fi.org/a/describing-sound-a-glossary
Definitions: http://www.head-fi.org/a/glossary-of-terms
 
Pros: Comes with a lot of accessories, multiple options for portable cases depending on circumstances, midbass, fun headphone to listen to
Cons: Ear guides are a little uncomfortable, hard to get a good seal, emphasized highs.
 
Rating scale Breakdown (1-10)
1-2: Very Bad
3-4: Bad
5: Not Bad/Not Good/ Neutral
6-7: Good
8-9: Very Good
10: Excellent
 
Audio Quality: 7/10
Micro-phonics: 7/10
Comfort: 8/10
Design: 9/10
Isolation: 9/10
Value: 8/10
Accessories: 10/10
Overall Rating: 8.28/10
 
Rating Definitions
  1. Audio Quality: How good a set of headphones sounds in relation to other headphones I’ve heard. This will be subjective with any set of headphones that are reviewed.
  2. Micro-phonics: Noise that can be heard from the cable being moved around. The more noise the higher the value, the less noise the lower the value.
  3. Comfort: How comfortable a set of headphones is over a prolonged period of time. 
  4. Design: How well a set of headphones are designed. This includes cables, reinforcement points, jacks, and materials used.
  5. Isolation: How well a set of headphones blocks outside noises and allows you to hear the music you’re listening to. This also includes sound leakage from the headphones to others around you.
  6. Value: Performance to cost ratio. If performance exceeds cost this value will be high. If performance is on the low end for the cost the value will be low. This will be subjective based on audio quality. Everyone hears different things.
  7. Accessories: How well the included accessories stack up compared to other headphones of similar style.
  8. Overall Rating: This is the average of the other 7 criteria. This is meant to give you an overall comparison of where the headphone lands on a scale of 1 to 10. However, this is not entirely accurate. A headphone with a low score in audio quality could still score a high overall rating if it received high marks on the rest of the weighted categories.
 
[size=11.0pt]Music Setup[/size]
 
[size=11.0pt]My PC music setup consists of Virtual Audio Cable, VSTHost, and Electri-Q Posihfopit Edition. Playback is done on Foobar2000 or Spotify with no EQ. This setup allows me to EQ any music source coming from any application on my PC. [/size]
 
[size=11.0pt]Using Virtual Audio Cable allows you to create a sound device that picks up the default Windows audio and route it through a VST plugin of your choice and link it to an output device of your choice. This bypasses the often buggy or less than optimal Windows sound drivers. VSTHost is responsible for hosting the VST Plugin Electri-Q EQ. I get the input from the virtual audio cable, send it through the equalizer, and output it to the Realtek HD Audio card. I use the MME driver for these because in Windows 7 DirectSound runs in emulation mode. Meaning it does not offer hardware acceleration and can often cause degradation over its DirectSound counterpart . I am running a sample rate of 48000 and a buffer of 480 samples (100 b/s).[/size]
 
[size=11.0pt]All of the output is then ran through the Fiio E11 with low gain and EQ at 0 for this review. [/size]
 
Accessories
  1. [size=11.0pt]I3C-S Headphones[/size]
  2. [size=11.0pt]Ear guides[/size]
  3. [size=11.0pt]Plethora of tips (8 pairs)[/size]
  4. [size=11.0pt]Airplane adapter[/size]
  5. [size=11.0pt]6.3mm adapter[/size]
  6. [size=11.0pt]Hard metal carrying case[/size]
  7. [size=11.0pt]Soft brown leather carrying pouch[/size]
  8. [size=11.0pt]Shirt clip[/size]
  9. [size=11.0pt]Microfiber towel[/size]
  10. [size=11.0pt]Noise attenuator (200 ohm)[/size]
 
[size=11.0pt]Build Quality[/size]
 
[size=11.0pt]The I3C-S model by Dunu Topsound features their new silver wiring system. Starting from the top we have a solid, metallic, plastic ear piece with the I3C-S model number in white. These headphones are an over ear style and have a decently thick strain relief on the wiring coming from the ear piece. It is a little loose around the wire causing a bit of wiggle room. [/size]
 
[size=11.0pt]The new wiring has a rubbery feel to it and is not easily tangled up. [/size]
 
[size=11.0pt]About 18” from the ear piece is the Y. This section is made of hard plastic with a nice sliding mechanism. [/size]
 
[size=11.0pt]As we move down from the Y we run into both ear piece cables being combined. Both cables are visible like your typical speaker wire. As we move down this wire we find Dunu’s built in, rubber, cable tie just before the heavily reinforced L -shaped 3.5mm, gold plated jack. [/size]
 
[size=11.0pt]The hard metal case has a nice felt lining and a pop on top with 2 finger grips on each side. Nothing special here other than a very good quality and compact metal carrying case. [/size]
 
[size=11.0pt]Listening Experience[/size]
 
[size=11.0pt]As I started listening with the I3C-S they immediately seemed to lack the authority in the low end of the spectrum even with older rap such as DMC. The low end seems to drop off around 60-80Hz. [/size]
 
[size=11.0pt]The midbass is great, however is not the focus of this IEM. The midbass has great definition and is rather smooth across the entire spectrum, but I feel that the highs of this headphone are a little too bright and over shadow the quality of midbass. [/size]
 
[size=11.0pt]The highs seem to have a slight sparkle and are a tad more emphasized over the mids and lows with this IEM. I prefer a more balanced sound signature with a slight bump in the low end. [/size]
 
[size=11.0pt]Sound stage is lacking, it feels enclosed. [/size][size=11.0pt]Overall clarity and separation are above average.[/size]
 
 
Review/pictures can be seen at www.pc-babble.com

whitedragon551

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Comes with a lot of accessories, very sturdy, stylish, ear pads are some of the softest Ive ever had on my ears.
Cons: A little bulky even in their case for toting around, bass can be muddy at times
Company Name: VMODA
Company Website: http://v-moda.com
Headphone Model: VMODA Crossfade Custom LP (Pearl White, gray ear pads, gray cord, and metallic silver plates)
Frequency Range: 5Hz-30Khz
Headphone Style (Open, Closed, etc.): Closed
Impedance: 32 Ohms
Sensitivity: Not Listed
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Pros:  Comes with a lot of accessories, very sturdy, stylish, ear pads are some of the softest Ive ever had on my ears.
Cons: A little bulky even in their case for toting around, bass can be muddy at times
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Rating scale is based on a 1 to 5 scale. 1 being the worst, 3 being neutral, and 5 being the best.
Describing Sound: http://www.head-fi.org/a/describing-sound-a-glossary
Audio Quality:  3.5 of 5
Comfort: 4 of 5
Design: 4 of 5
Isolation: 4 of 5
Value: 3 of 5
Overall Rating: 4 of 5
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Songs that were used to test (320KBPS MP3 converted from FLAC):
  • Adelitas Way - Critize
  • Fun - Some Nights
  • Styx - Come Sail Away
  • Marvin Gaye - I Want You
  • Journey - Dont Stop Believing
 
  • Adelitas Way comes out very bass heavy, but its not over powering. You can hear the background music and voices just fine. There is a spot in the first minute and 15 seconds where the bass and background music slows down. During this quick break you can hear the artists voice very clearly. Overall sounds very nice and is a fun track for these cans.
  • Fun's Some Nights starts with the singer and very little background music. The singers voice is clear. About 50 seconds into the track the bass lines start and are decently heavy. During the bass lines you can still hear the artists voice very clearly. At about 1:22 during the track the constant bass line stops and has a few kick drums. They seem very accurate and have a little punch to them as you would expect. At 3:00 the artist is alone and sounds very clear.
  • Styx Come Sail Away is a nice classic with a piano opening. 17 seconds into the track the singer comes in nice and clear and sounds amazing through out the introduction. At 1:30 there is a faint cymbal in the background music that comes into play. Its noticeable right away. At 2:25 the bass kicks in and is slightly over powering. at 4:29 the drums pan from right to left and this set of cans shows that off very well. Overall the song has alot of detail and is played with clarity throughout.
  • Marvin Gaye's I Want You starts off on the left side of the stage and slides to the right within the first 20 seconds of the song. The entire song is very analytical. The stage is set nicely and changes sides frequently. The background music wasnt over powering on this one and everything had a nice smooth sound too it.
  • Journey's Dont Stop Believing is another song that starts off with a nice piano introduction with the singer. At 55 seconds you can hear the sparkle in the background. At 1:25 the background music is on in full effect. The bass and upper end frequencies blend nicely throughout the entire song.
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Overall the Crossfade's have a reputation for being bass heavy. I intentionally picked music that had a wide range of frequencies and tried to stay away from some of the more bass heavy music. Overall these headphones are a good all around can. They can do alot of things well for most casual listeners. These are great for audio enthusiasts who love bass heavy music. At a price point of $110 from various online retailers I would consider these a decent entry level headphone for the new comers who dont want to spend a ton right out of the box. Along with the money you spend you also get portability and accessories. You get multiple wires (with and without volume controls), cleaning cloth, and a nice portable case.
 
Original Review:
http://www.pc-babble.com/744/vmoda-crossfade-lp-custom-headphone-review/
 

whitedragon551

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Very light weight, comfortable, long durable cord, and huge modding community.
Cons: Seems overall construction was sacrificed to increase driver quality. Cord may be too long for some.
Company Name: Grado Labs
Company Website: http://gradolabs.com
Headphone Model: Prestige Series SR80i
Frequency Range: 20Hz-20KHz
Headphone Style (Open, Closed, etc.): Open
Impedance: 32 Ohms
Sensitivity: 98
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Pros: Very light weight, comfortable, long durable cord, and huge modding community.
Cons: Seems overall construction was sacrificed to increase driver quality. Cord may be too long for some.
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Rating scale is based on a 1 to 5 scale. 1 being the worst, 3 being neutral, and 5 being the best.
Describing Sound: http://www.head-fi.org/a/describing-sound-a-glossary
Audio Quality: 4 out of 5
Comfort: 4 out of 5
Design: 3 out of 5
Isolation: 1 out of 5
Value: 4 out of 5
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5
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Songs that were used to test (320KBPS MP3 converted from FLAC):
  • StoneSour- Looking Through The Glass
  • Adele- Set Fire To The Rain
  • The Eagles- Hotel California (Live)
  • Alecia Keys- No One
  • Chesky Audiophile Collection- Sweet Georgia Brown
 
  • Stone Sours Looking Through The Glass was very clear throughout. I heard breathes from the artist I didn’t know where there. The low end of the frequency spectrum blends nicely with the highs. Near the end of the track the artist has a rasp in his voice, which was obvious with these set of headphones.
  • Adeles Set Fire To the Rain starts right up with the Piano. Bass and Midbass are obvious within about 30 seconds. They aren’t overpowering to any of the other frequencies, but they aren’t absent either. Highs again are not harsh or overpowering to the rest of the track. Again a very detailed track.
  • The Eagles Hotel California (Live) uses a Congo drum instead of a traditional drum set. When compared to the music video the sound stage is about as close as can be when compared to actual stage positions. Around the 6 minute mark only instruments are playing. You can clearly hear the guitar on the left side and the maracas on the right.
  • Alecia Keys No One starts out with a bass heavy beat. During this 15 second intro the headphones seemed slightly muddy in their presentation. The bass in this track is overpowering. The singer’s voice was still very clear throughout even with the muddied low end.
  • Throughout Sweet Georgia Brown you can hear the music pan from the left to right. The headphones feel very open and airy and have a nice sound stage. You can easily hear the background cymbals. Piano notes are crisp and clear. I didn’t experience any harshness when the saxophone was playing.
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Overall these are very good headphones for the price. They weigh in at online retailers right around the $100 mark up to about $150 depending on where you make your purchase. Their light weight makes them easier to tote around however, if your going to be in a busy location or loud area these are probably not ideal. There is a good amount of sound leak.
 
Original Review:
http://www.pc-babble.com/725/grado-labs-sr80i-headphone-review/
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