DigDub
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2002
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the Hippo Pearl. got it for SGD$40 from Jaben.
so how different is this from the VB, Shroom, and Boom? read on to find out!
Packaging:
it comes in similar packaging as with the Shroom, transparent plastic box. it comes with a velvet drawstring pouch and 3 pairs of small, medium and large sized rubber sleeves. the sleeves come in red and blue colour only, which is meant to indicate left and right on the iem. if you prefer good old classic black sleeves, you can fit on generic rubber sleeves as the canal tube is of generic size. i have fitted the sony silicone tips like in the picture above.
Build:
the body is made of metal, while the canal tube portion is made of plastic. unlike the VB, there is now a piece of cloth covering the canal hole. the body itself is not as long as the VB, so it sits flushed against the ear more, which means lying sideways is not a major problem. the plug is exactly the same as the VB, which is right angled and gold plated.
Sound:
this will come as good news for those who find the VB overly bright. the Pearl rarely sounds sibilant or overly bright, unless the singer purposely emphasizes S and T sounds, sibilance remains very well under control.
the highs are present and crisp. hi-hats and cymbals are present, without me having to listen out for them. as a point of reference, when i tried the nuforce ne6, i had to 'find' the hi-hats in certain music. with the Pearl, it is just there.
mids are present as well. i feel the mids are more forward than the VB, and a bit more in the background as compared to the Shroom, so its a middle ground. vocals comes across as very natural without sounding nasal or constrained.
there is a large amount of bass, both in depth and quantity. the bass holds up pretty well without breaking up, even for songs that has pretty low bass. the bass impact is also very great. bassheads will love the bass on the Pearl. the bass may be a tad too overpowering for some though, as it does occasionally takes centerstage in bass heavy tracks and draws attention away from the mids and highs.
the soundstage is very good as well, both sides and front back.
overall, i would say that the Pearl has a fun-sounding and warm signature. it is good for bass lovers who do not want to sacrifice the mids and highs. compared to the Boom, the Boom has a lot of boomy bass and recessed highs and mids, which makes it sounds dark. the Pearl has much better highs and mids, and does not sound as veiled. for people who likes the analytical sounds like ety, this is probably not for you.
so how different is this from the VB, Shroom, and Boom? read on to find out!
Packaging:
it comes in similar packaging as with the Shroom, transparent plastic box. it comes with a velvet drawstring pouch and 3 pairs of small, medium and large sized rubber sleeves. the sleeves come in red and blue colour only, which is meant to indicate left and right on the iem. if you prefer good old classic black sleeves, you can fit on generic rubber sleeves as the canal tube is of generic size. i have fitted the sony silicone tips like in the picture above.
Build:
the body is made of metal, while the canal tube portion is made of plastic. unlike the VB, there is now a piece of cloth covering the canal hole. the body itself is not as long as the VB, so it sits flushed against the ear more, which means lying sideways is not a major problem. the plug is exactly the same as the VB, which is right angled and gold plated.
Sound:
this will come as good news for those who find the VB overly bright. the Pearl rarely sounds sibilant or overly bright, unless the singer purposely emphasizes S and T sounds, sibilance remains very well under control.
the highs are present and crisp. hi-hats and cymbals are present, without me having to listen out for them. as a point of reference, when i tried the nuforce ne6, i had to 'find' the hi-hats in certain music. with the Pearl, it is just there.
mids are present as well. i feel the mids are more forward than the VB, and a bit more in the background as compared to the Shroom, so its a middle ground. vocals comes across as very natural without sounding nasal or constrained.
there is a large amount of bass, both in depth and quantity. the bass holds up pretty well without breaking up, even for songs that has pretty low bass. the bass impact is also very great. bassheads will love the bass on the Pearl. the bass may be a tad too overpowering for some though, as it does occasionally takes centerstage in bass heavy tracks and draws attention away from the mids and highs.
the soundstage is very good as well, both sides and front back.
overall, i would say that the Pearl has a fun-sounding and warm signature. it is good for bass lovers who do not want to sacrifice the mids and highs. compared to the Boom, the Boom has a lot of boomy bass and recessed highs and mids, which makes it sounds dark. the Pearl has much better highs and mids, and does not sound as veiled. for people who likes the analytical sounds like ety, this is probably not for you.
made my 2nd trip there several days ago. what a treasure hole (wallet fireplace though)![B[van]](https://cdn.head-fi.org/avatars/m/95/95159.jpg?1278603981){kind=avatar}
