[music_4321]

Quote:

are they really worth their quadruple digit price-tag?

7 months ago someone asked a question (in a different thread) which is related to yours. I'm copying and pasting the question and answer (see two quoted posts below). If you wish to continue discussing the issue of whether these IEMs are worth their asking price, I suggest you do so in this thread. In that thread the price issue and other related issues (e.g. a set of high-end customs may be a better option) were discussed. Some of the claims made in that thread were simply ludicrous. Such posts, and a discussion which would resurface again and again, were part of the reason I decided to start this thread.
 
Your question is a valid one, so maybe you should take a look at the thread I linked to above and perhaps also read some / all of the reviews and impressions added to the first post on this thread.
 
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Quote:

@music_4321: would you declare these a clear step up from the EX1000, or merely a different (and not necessarily better) offering?

 
Quote:

Originally Posted by music_4321 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
A clear step up? No, definitely not, if by that you mean a night and day difference. But, like so many things in life, a small difference to some may be a more significant difference to others. Well, I happened to pay £1000 ($1,550 USD at today's exchange rate. I know the K3003s currently go for $1,300 in the USA). I paid $500 for my EX1000s. Here, the law of diminishing returns is a very, VERY real thing, ie to these ears you do get an improvement in SQ, but I'm convinced most people (ordinary people, that is, and even some so-called audiophiles) would not be able to easily find the K3003s that much better sounding, let alone twice or three times better sounding.

You are well aware of my stance on custom IEMs which, on the whole, I consider downright overrated, ie I strongly believe there's too much hype and exaggeration just as there is, in my view, too much hype and exaggeration when it comes to bitrate differences and the seeming mandatory use of lossless files, or at the very least the need, according to some, to listen to 320 kbps files when it comes to using higher-end phones. Same [or (much) worse] goes for aftermarket cables and, to a lesser extent, portable amps.

Then, there's the usual variables such as sound preferences, fit issues, and so on. Already someone's said they prefer the 'treble' filter on the K3003s to the other two - to me the 'reference' filter is by far the better sounding of the three. Someone else said they found the treble on the AKGs rather 'troublesome' - so, here we have the usual differences we find in almost every IEM we talk about.

Yes, the K3003 is a very, very good sounding IEM, and it'd better be at that price! But, inevitably, expectations by some/MANY people (because of the price) will inevitably be very, very, VERY unrealistic. I'm sure in a blind test most people would very likely enjoy the K3003s, but there would be those who'd say they find a different, and (much) cheaper IEM better or similarly sounding. Some would just say: "Yeah, it sounds nice/great, but I wouldn't pay more that $100 - $150 for it.

There are people who will buy any and all high-end IEMs because they can afford them or for other reasons. There are also people who are very good at regurgitating audio jargon causing many to think that a particular IEM is truly something else. There are people who are prepared to pay a [very (high)] premium for a small increment in SQ…etc., etc., etc.

The EX1000 remains, in my view, an amazingly good sounding phone.

 

[HighFiguy]

thanks, i couldn't have gotten a more straight forward response, exactly something i was looking for

 

[piotrus-g]

Hey shotgunshane - great writte up! Thanks for your insight.

 

[shotgunshane]

Hey shotgunshane - great writte up! Thanks for your insight.

Thanks!

Sadly the K3003 are moving on to their next destination today. I really enjoyed listening to these and my lasting impression will be how well they render the entire drum set, in particular the brassiness of cymbals.

 

[piotrus-g]

Quote:

Thanks!
Sadly the K3003 are moving on to their next destination today. I really enjoyed listening to these and my lasting impression will be how well they render the entire drum set, in particular the brassiness of cymbals.

I know the pain I had mine for two weeks only

 

[music_4321]

Some stunning—real—music and a brilliant performance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74dPldwWSuc

In order of preference (read: which IEM, in my view, renders this particular piece more convincingly): FI-BA-SS > K3003 > F111 > 1601SS > 1602SS > TG 334.

Funny I've read several posts by two very popular / credible HF'ers who have stated the 334's low end is better than the low end on the much maligned K3003. My ears keep telling me tell me this is most certainly not the case (having compared both IEMs with quite a few albums), and that the K3003 is indeed an exceptional IEM.

 

[lee730]

Quote:

Some stunning—real—music and a brilliant performance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74dPldwWSuc

In order of preference (read: which IEM, in my view, renders this particular piece more convincingly): FI-BA-SS > K3003 > F111 > 1601SS > 1602SS > TG 334.

Funny I've read several posts by two very popular / credible HF'ers who have stated the 334's low end is better than the low end on the much maligned K3003. My ears keep telling me tell me this is most certainly not the case (having compared both IEMs with quite a few albums), and that the K3003 is indeed an exceptional IEM.

Not surprised there. Especially if the fit ear isn't sporting dynamic drivers. But some do prefer the bass of BA drivers. However to these ears the bass isn't nearly as convincing or natural/effortless as a good quality dynamic. YMWV.

 

[music_4321]

Quote:

Not surprised there. Especially if the fit ear isn't sporting dynamic drivers. But some do prefer the bass of BA drivers. However to these ears the bass isn't nearly as convincing or natural/effortless as a good quality dynamic. YMWV.

 
Well, the FI-BA-SS (which in my post came on top with this particular track) uses a single BA driver and its bass performance is stunning. The F111 (by FitEar) also uses a single BA driver. I believe that, apart from the K3003s, you have not heard the other 5 IEMs I mentioned in my post. The TG 334 (which I believe is the IEM you're referring to when you spoke of "fit ear") has better bass quality than my post might suggest, and it can easily rival—and surpass—the bass performance & quality of many dynamic-driver based IEMs I've heard.

 

[eke2k6]

Quote:

Not surprised there. Especially if the fit ear isn't sporting dynamic drivers. But some do prefer the bass of BA drivers. However to these ears the bass isn't nearly as convincing or natural/effortless as a good quality dynamic. YMWV.

 
You haven't heard the FI-BA-SS. I was quite literally stunned when I heard those first few bass notes. It really does live up to its name.

 

[lee730]

Quote:

 
Well, the FI-BA-SS (which in my post came on top with this particular track) uses a single BA driver and its bass performance is stunning. The F111 (by FitEar) also uses a single BA driver. I believe that, apart from the K3003s, you have not heard the other 5 IEMs I mentioned in my post. The TG 334 (which I believe is the IEM you're referring to when you spoke of "fit ear") has better bass quality than my post might suggest, and it can easily rival—and surpass—the bass performance & quality of many dynamic-driver based IEMs I've heard.

Do you think the 334 surpasses the EX1000 bass? To date the best bass I've heard considering quality,texture, depth are the Tralucent 1Plus2, EX1000, FX700, IE80.

 

[lee730]

Quote:

 
You haven't heard the FI-BA-SS. I was quite literally stunned when I heard those first few bass notes. It really does live up to its name.

I thought you considered the GR07 superior to the fit ears. At least that is what I gathered from your post on them.

 

[eke2k6]

Quote:

I thought you considered the GR07 superior to the fit ears. At least that is what I gathered from your post on them.

 
I do consider it better than the final audio, but the GR07's bass texture, etc is really special.
 
As for the FI-BA-SS, you'll probably never find another single BA iem with that kind of bass proficiency. It comes closer to a high quality dynamic than you'd think.

 

[lee730]

Quote:

 
I do consider it better than the final audio, but the GR07's bass texture, etc is really special.
 
As for the FI-BA-SS, you'll probably never find another single BA iem with that kind of bass proficiency. It comes closer to a high quality dynamic than you'd think.

So far when it comes to bass quality for a single dynamic the EX1000 is it in my opinion. The FX700 take the crown though in timbre, quantity and texture but the EX1000 has slightly better quality, more controlled. The FX700 can get overbearing though when you turn up the volume.

 

[music_4321]

Quote:

 
You haven't heard the FI-BA-SS. I was quite literally stunned when I heard those first few bass notes. It really does live up to its name.

 
Quote:

Do you think the 334 surpasses the EX1000 bass? To date the best bass I've heard considering quality,texture, depth are the Tralucent 1Plus2, EX1000, FX700, IE80.

 
Quote:

I thought you considered the GR07 superior to the fit ears. At least that is what I gathered from your post on them.

 
Quote:

 
I do consider it better than the final audio, but the GR07's bass texture, etc is really special.
 
As for the FI-BA-SS, you'll probably never find another single BA iem with that kind of bass proficiency. It comes closer to a high quality dynamic than you'd think.

 
Quote:

So far when it comes to bass quality for a single dynamic the EX1000 is it in my opinion. The FX700 take the crown though in timbre, quantity and texture but the EX1000 has slightly better quality, more controlled. The FX700 can get overbearing though when you turn up the volume.

 
 
Can we please keep this thread on topic, ie posts related to the K3003s?
 
Thanks

 

[music_4321]

Have added a link to the first post of this thread to Mountain_Rice_Oppose's K3003 analysis (in 3 parts). The link starts at part 2, as part 1 only deals with the aesthetic aspect of the K3003 and the link to part 2 at the bottom does not work.