[Vain III]

Any buyers yet?

I bought the IM70 yesterday. Hopefully they're worth it. Thought about buying the IM02/03 but I think I'll wait that out.

#goinginblind

 

[audionewbi]

Ive done enough blind buying for this year, I'll wait this one out too.

 

[Carlsan]

If the 04 goes down in price, I'll be tempted.
Otherwise I'll wait to see if these hit Amazon US, hopefully all at lower prices.

 

[jant71]

I'm waiting it out as well. I was going to buy the IM70 as a mid-range dynamic to fit in below my SA7 but the Fostex TE05 isn't long off and has really impressed so far. The IM70 will have to really impress to sway me off those esp. since their are more cable options since AT went proprietary and they are nearly the same price.
 
AT armature phones have never come across AFAIK, so I don't think these will hit US shores. They will be on Amazon US through the importers but it is better to get them cheaper from CDjapan and have more shipping options and earn points on future purchases.

 

[nihontoman]

  I'm waiting it out as well. I was going to buy the IM70 as a mid-range dynamic to fit in below my SA7 but the Fostex TE05 isn't long off and has really impressed so far. The IM70 will have to really impress to sway me off those esp. since their are more cable options since AT went proprietary and they are nearly the same price.
 
AT armature phones have never come across AFAIK, so I don't think these will hit US shores. They will be on Amazon US through the importers but it is better to get them cheaper from CDjapan and have more shipping options and earn points on future purchases.

The form factor of the over the ear IM70 much more appealing to me though... of course the TE05 could be worn that way, but I'm worried about not having cable guides and not vey optimized ergonomics for that kind of use...

 

[jant71]

It's all about the sound though. I think the IM looks better but if people say it is almost as good as the RE400 and they say, as some already have, that the Fostex trumps the RE400 and is what the RE600 should have been then I'm going Fostex.
 
You really have to give the Fostex the versatility edge since it has the options to wear either way and go "i" version. Of course you can go memory wire also if you choose. We also need to see how AT did the memory wire on the IM70.
 
Some questions need to be answered and hopefully will quite soon. I am partial to the IM70 and hope they are an overachiever
 
I could also see Awwan or someone make a little adapter to change the connector to a more standard two pin like we have for the Ety.

 

[Scorpiolol]

Very interesting, I had a CWK1000ANV and it was too warm for me....

 

[nihontoman]

  It's all about the sound though. I think the IM looks better but if people say it is almost as good as the RE400 and they say, as some already have, that the Fostex trumps the RE400 and is what the RE600 should have been then I'm going Fostex.
 
You really have to give the Fostex the versatility edge since it has the options to wear either way and go "i" version. Of course you can go memory wire also if you choose. We also need to see how AT did the memory wire on the IM70.
 
Some questions need to be answered and hopefully will quite soon. I am partial to the IM70 and hope they are an overachiever
 
I could also see Awwan or someone make a little adapter to change the connector to a more standard two pin like we have for the Ety.

 
 
same here. they intrigued when I read those early impressions and hope they will really be a step up from my XB90EX in sound.
 
as for the connector, seems to me it's just a standard 2 pin connector with two corners cut off. or am I missing smething?

 

[jant71]

Yes, but it is reversed. The corners are cut but to be proprietary and they also put the pins on the phone and the socket on the cable reversing it from the usual socket on the phones, pins on the cable. Would be nice if it was as easy as filing/trimming off corners so they could fit.

 

[nihontoman]

  Yes, but it is reversed. The corners are cut but to be proprietary and they also put the pins on the phone and the socket on the cable reversing it from the usual socket on the phones, pins on the cable. Would be nice if it was as easy as filing/trimming off corners so they could fit.

Well, that sucks. hope they'll release some high end cables as an upgrade option....

 

[malifact]

I'm interested in the IM-03s or IM-04s as a future purchase, as I love my CK100PROs.  However, the build quality doesn't seem to be as good as the CK100PROs and I suspect the isolation won't be as good as well...

 

[AkiTAKA]

what words did the writer use to describe "powerful" perhaps I can give another perspective if it is in Japanese

 

[nihontoman]

  what words did the writer use to describe "powerful" perhaps I can give another perspective if it is in Japanese

Hello, thank's for that. here's the link for the impressions:
 
 
http://av.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/20131010_618810.html

 

[AkiTAKA]

i would say in this context it would refer to something like "impact"

 

[Vain III]

So, I told my fiancee that I was "checking the IM70's for defects" and got to get a quick impression of the sound without tip rolling/burn-in.

Sound: As my first Audio Technica IEM I am not sure what the sound signature is normally but I will say that this is a very powerful neutral. It doesn't really seem to be lacking in any field but if I had to choose something that was forward a little it would be the mid range. Voices actually work really well on these headphones. The clarity on Adele's Set Fire To The Rain (24/96) was spectacular. The bass is very impactful without being overwhelming. Instead of really choosing frequency it sounds like they tried to create a nice balance of mid and lower bass. Every, IMO, really gels well together. It's not a cold sound. It's more of a warm neutral and it's strong across the board.

Build quality wise: screw YES! A nice thick non-flat cable! The cord seems very durable. The detachable connector actually took a little pulling to get out so it's locked in there quite well and I didn't feel any pull when I pulled it gentle. The shell is very plastic-y but it feels sturdy enough. Instead of ear guides the headphones have a flexible kind-of memory wire that is about 3/4th of my index finger long to wrap around your ear. I actually prefer that because ear-guides never worked for me.

Accessories: It's definitely no Monster but it does come with a set of Comply T500 (which means the TSX500s I use on the gratitude's will work), regular S M L silicon tips, and a regular pouch. I actually think they might benefit from the triple flange tips monster has but we'll see about that later.

Remember that this is without tip-rolling or burn-in which I won't get to do for a month. I would say I recommend these over everything I currently own and have listened to. I do not regret the money I spent on them.

Not to mention, and surprisingly, they drive better than the Gratitude's on my Nexus 5.

Cross Post From The Discovery Thread