Finally got my **** Pro! Without further ado here are my impressions after playing with them to my heart's content. I am not a believer in burning in earphones for 100 hrs with white pink or orange noise.
Fit and Isolation - Fit is snug and using them cable down makes it all the more easy to use. New stock tips provided which are similar to what I got with my BLON's is a major upgrade from the standard version. Thankfully they ditched those hideous red tips! Isolation is decent for indoors. Whilst traveling some ambient noise peeps in but considering they're semi-open back this was expected.
Accessories - Bare bones. A clip and two sets of replacement tips which is fairly standard in this price bracket. So no complaints here although everyone would like to have an extra set of tips or a pouch thrown in the box.
Sound - SQ is essentially same as it's predecessor with some refreshing tweaks.
Treble is sparkling, airy, and has tons of details. No harshness although at times the ssss does standout on certain tracks. I noticed this on standard version as well but it's less frequent in the Pro version. Cymbals do sound thin as well. Highs have nothing to write home about. They could have been refined but it seems like the piezo is high on steroids in Pro version.
Mids are crisp and clear. Mids have good representation lending a sweet weight to overall musicality of IEM. Female and male both vocals sound equally good with openness. It feels like one is listening to a live performance. This is something which made **** a cult and the Pro version certainly is carrying on the legacy.
Bass is huuuuge and deeep! Sub-bass takes precedence over midbass thus making them sound clean. Midbass bleed is next to non-existent at least to my ears which is a most welcome enhancement. Bassheads - with tips+eq this can make you glee like a kid in candy store. The bass can give BL03 a run for it's money that too with completely stock set-up. It's my favorite part in the sound signature.
Soundstage is huge similar to it's predecessor and those who loved **** soundstage surely won't complain here. Timbre, the FAQ about these iem, is improved visibly but is this enough? IMO, yes. For once, the acoustic instruments don't sound tinny. If I were to compare, the timbre is closest to KB100 which I consider as best sub $50 for a hybrid. It is not as good as KB100 but is in the same ilk. It won't disappoint those who love timbre of hybrids and those who love DD timbre (myself included) it is something that I can live with.
Comparison with **** - A huge improvement over the standard version at a fraction of cost. Better timbre, bass and equally good soundstage make them a worthy successor. At $25, it's great option for those who don't own **** and those who own, should find this a substantial upgrade. Purchasing them is a personal call and my recommendation should not influence that.
That's all folks! Happy listening.
