[kingpage]

I have finally paid for the R03 (Brainwavz M2). Only need to have patience for its arrival in a few weeks.
I don't think I will regret it, unless it is not twice as good as the PL30 which I bought at a price half of the R03 (just kidding, but seriously I am expecting the R03 to beat the PL30 hands down). Anyways, I won't think about phones for now as it's been more than half a dozen hours of research to find the best value IEM that suits my budget, standard and tastes. Not matter what, I will give you head-fiers a very comprehensive review when I have the chance to repay for all your help.


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It's boils down to either M9 or R03. Is R03 worth double the price of M9?
If pluged through Fiio E3, which benefits more, R03 or M9?

Quoting myself here
Quote:

After reading heaps of reviews and mini-reviews, I think I am torn between Visang R03 at $42 shipped(plus $5 rebate for reviewing it here) or M9 $21.65 shipped. They both have 5.5mm nozzles which allow me to use the PL-30 tips (esp. the hardened olive foam that I love most, due to cleaning it too much, now it only reacts to heat and softens) on them. Both of R03 and M9 meet my criteria, and a step up from my PL-30. PL-50 sounds great too, but it's only got a 4mm nozzle, not to mention the forward mids which might ruin my movie/music experience (humans are more sensitive to midrange anyway so neutral or slightly recessed mids are what I would be looking for (do argue with me on that, would be great to have opinion from another side here) Leaning more towards the R03 due to extremely low price from MP4nation for preorders, more importantly this bad boy being even comparable to the original Monster Turbine from what I heard which is a tier just below the top is so tempting that I can't resist the thought of have them. Is that true? The big sales for M9 end in about 6 hours at midnight Pacific Standard Time whereas the R03's end a couple days later, so I don't really have much time to made up my mind (a purchase that would last some years to come) . All in all, I will need some final suggestions to solidify my decision.

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Cheaper Group
SoundMagic PL-21
M9
Beta Brainwavz

Pricier Group
Visang R03
SoundMagic PL-50

If you were me and had to choose one from each group for watching movies, especially for the wow factor when watching action/sci-fi/fantasy movies such as Iron Man and Transformers, which would you pick?

Requirements:
Bass
Soundstage/surround 3D sort of effect
Make me feel in the scene/movie
Nothing overpowers (at least I should be able to hear dialogs)
Any other aspects you think are equally important for my purpose (plus some casual listening)

Please explain your choices. Thanks so much guys. I know these phones are very similar (in price and/or in quality), and that's exactly why I picked them. Most importantly, none of them are fundamentally flawed sound-wise and they have the best value in the sub$50 category (correct me if I'm wrong here).

 

[RASeymour]

Over the past ten years I've used the following headphones for watching DVD's while on my stationary cycle:

Sony V60(?): Big, hot, uncomfortable. OK sound. Isolating.
Grado 60: Good sound but not isolating enough for the cycle noise.
QJays: Very comfortable and good isolation. OK sound. Didn't always handle the bass well.
SoundMagic PL50: Definitely my favorite. Good isolation. Very comfortable. Bass is good, adequate soundstage, dialogue easy to discern. Using Shure olives with an iBasso amp, digital output from the DVD player.

Go with the SoundMagic PL50. I don't have any of the others, so I can't really comment on them.

 

[kingpage]

Thanks for the input, RASeymour.

How about those who have a couple of the IEMs from my list that can make a direct comparison?

 

[LFF]

Read my blog! There are some cheap $5 Sentry IEM's that are perfect for movies and games. I use them for this purpose all the time.

 

[chinesekiwi]

the PL-50's holographic soundstage does definitely give it big pluses on the movie watching side of things. That or try LFF's suggestion. It's $5 and no real harm done if you don't like them.

 

[ljokerl]

I'm sorry but I picked up those Sentries last week and their sound is the sonic equivalent of fresh vomit. One of your requirements is "Nothing overpowers" and that's about as far from the truth as you can get with the Sentries. They are all bass.

From your lower-tier category I'd pick the M9s for the airy feel. Should be good for films. From the upper tier it's a tough choice. The PL50s definitely have better imaging but they lack a bit of openness compared to the ViSangs. The PL50s are a bit more balanced while the R03 is a bit bassier. As a total package I'd say the PL50s might be a better choice for movies.

 

[LFF]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ljokerl /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm sorry but I picked up those Sentries last week and their sound is the sonic equivalent of fresh vomit. One of your requirements is "Nothing overpowers" and that's about as far from the truth as you can get with the Sentries. They are all bass.

I wouldn't call them fresh vomit. I mean come on - what do you expect for $5! I think they are great for watching movies on my iPhone and for playing games. If you lose, them, no big deal. YMMV, but I think they work for those purposes.

If you want something where "nothing overpowers" then look into getting the DBA-02's from Fischer Audio or if you want a cheaper alternative with great soundstage look at the Silver Bullets. The SB's are not as neutral but they do sound very, very good.

 

[ljokerl]

I guess the problem is that I've tried too many <$10 earphones and some are actually good. The Kanen KM-948 only costs $5.33 and it's a fairly balanced IEM with surprisingly good soundstaging. Not perfect, but very impressive for the price. The Skullcandy Ink'd, Meelectronics SX-31, and Coby CVEM79 all sound far better than the Sentries to me.

That said, it's a two-edged sword - the Sentries are more enjoyable than the Dealextreme IEMs, AudioSource IEBAS, and Kanen MD-51. And with that I realize once again that I could've bought a good earphone with all the money I spent on $10 sets...

 

[LFF]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ljokerl /img/forum/go_quote.gif I guess the problem is that I've tried too many <$10 earphones and some are actually good. The Kanen KM-948 only costs $5.33 and it's a fairly balanced IEM with surprisingly good soundstaging. Not perfect, but very impressive for the price. The Skullcandy Ink'd, Meelectronics SX-31, and Coby CVEM79 all sound far better than the Sentries to me. That said, it's a two-edged sword - the Sentries are more enjoyable than the Dealextreme IEMs, AudioSource IEBAS, and Kanen MD-51. And with that I realize once again that I could've bought a good earphone with all the money I spent on $10 sets...

LOL! Should have bought some good ones from the start huh?!

I completely see your point and agree with you. As far as more even toned headphones, - yes - there are many. I have actually heard the Kanen's as well and agree with your thoughts. There has been a massive flood of IEM's over the past year with some that are extremely cheap. It's really hard to keep track of all of them.

I would NEVER use those sentries for music without EQ, but for movies and gaming - they are great imho. They also EQ very well. As far as disposable IEM's for movies and gaming on the go, I would be hard pressed to find a better and cheaper alternative.

 

[kingpage]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LFF /img/forum/go_quote.gif I wouldn't call them fresh vomit. I mean come on - what do you expect for $5! I think they are great for watching movies on my iPhone and for playing games. If you lose, them, no big deal. YMMV, but I think they work for those purposes. If you want something where "nothing overpowers" then look into getting the DBA-02's from Fischer Audio or if you want a cheaper alternative with great soundstage look at the Silver Bullets. The SB's are not as neutral but they do sound very, very good.

I used to own Philips SBC-HP195 headphone for a long time, then PL-30. The former was given to my brother and the latter was broken and fixed and broken again now (self soldering that lasted about 6 months).So, I wouldn't go for any thing below these two guys' SQ. As you can see in the original thread, all the ones I listed are at or above the PL-30 SQ level. I DO want the new IEM to meet the bare minimun of PL-30. Of course, you can recommend any other great value ones other than the abovementioned, given the conditions....

But bear in mind that I live in Australia. The IEMs from the list are actually at or below $50 shipped as far as I know. For anything beyond $60, why couldn't I get RE0 for $89 and know for sure I have the top-notch for the price?

I would love to buy Fischer Audio Eterna or Silver Bullets, but I can't seem to find any place where you can get them for like $60 shipped or something, and same with IM590 and Nuforce 6.

I realise it's a hard call, but I will aggregate what the experienced have to say about them and make a more informed choice. (Don't know how many days spent researching on this topic)

I'm still waiting for ClieOS's full review on the R03!!

 

[kingpage]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LFF /img/forum/go_quote.gif LOL! Should have bought some good ones from the start huh?! I completely see your point and agree with you. As far as more even toned headphones, - yes - there are many. I have actually heard the Kanen's as well and agree with your thoughts. There has been a massive flood of IEM's over the past year with some that are extremely cheap. It's really hard to keep track of all of them. I would NEVER use those sentries for music without EQ, but for movies and gaming - they are great imho. They also EQ very well. As far as disposable IEM's for movies and gaming on the go, I would be hard pressed to find a better and cheaper alternative.

For your information, I will be using the new IEM as my primary, not only on the go or as portable. (can't afford home systems, fullsized cans weigh too much in which to feel comfortable, in other words, I just want the cinema experience at home with a 15inch laptop and an IEM) In addition, I do listen to country rock, bluegrass, the oldies, Jazz and pop from time to time. Just that I am pretty caught up these few months that I can't seem to be able to have spare time for music. However, eventually I will use them for music as well as movies. I'm definitely not one of those who go for more than one phone at a time.

 

[kingpage]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ljokerl /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm sorry but I picked up those Sentries last week and their sound is the sonic equivalent of fresh vomit. One of your requirements is "Nothing overpowers" and that's about as far from the truth as you can get with the Sentries. They are all bass. From your lower-tier category I'd pick the M9s for the airy feel. Should be good for films. From the upper tier it's a tough choice. The PL50s definitely have better imaging but they lack a bit of openness compared to the ViSangs. The PL50s are a bit more balanced while the R03 is a bit bassier. As a total package I'd say the PL50s might be a better choice for movies.

could you please explain further what you mean by openness?
Openness=width or depth?
I don't really know term airiness either.

I don't mind whether I will be on stage or in the front row, so long as the surround sound is realistic enough.

 

[LFF]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kingpage /img/forum/go_quote.gif For your information, I will be using the new IEM as my primary, not only on the go or as portable. (can't afford home systems, fullsized cans weigh too much in which to feel comfortable, in other words, I just want the cinema experience at home with a 15inch laptop and an IEM) In addition, I do listen to country rock, bluegrass, the oldies, Jazz and pop from time to time. Just that I am pretty caught up these few months that I can't seem to be able to have spare time for music. However, eventually I will use them for music as well as movies. I'm definitely not one of those who go for more than one phone at a time.

I see. Then by all means look at the DBA-02's. They are a sweet treat with bluegrass and sound great with anything that is well recorded. I can't recommend them enough.

 

[ljokerl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kingpage /img/forum/go_quote.gif could you please explain further what you mean by openness? Openness=width or depth? I don't really know term airiness either. I don't mind whether I will be on stage or in the front row, so long as the surround sound is realistic enough.

Openness is the feeling of space around each instrument. It's linked tightly to upper-end clarity in my mind. Airiness is not feeling like your listening is done in an enclosed space. For me lack of air was the achilles heel of the PL50 but then I only used them for music, not movies or games.

On a different note, I don't know what you're expecting in the way of 'surround sound' from an IEM but keep it reasonable or you may end up bitterly dissapointed. IEMs are generally not the most realistic way to experience sonic immersion.

 

[kingpage]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ljokerl /img/forum/go_quote.gif Openness is the feeling of space around each instrument. It's linked tightly to upper-end clarity in my mind. Airiness is not feeling like your listening is done in an enclosed space. For me lack of air was the achilles heel of the PL50 but then I only used them for music, not movies or games. On a different note, I don't know what you're expecting in the way of 'surround sound' from an IEM but keep it reasonable or you may end up bitterly dissapointed. IEMs are generally not the most realistic way to experience sonic immersion.

I do understand the limitation of any earphones, but at the least it should be able to realistically reproduce sweeping sounds from different directions (the simplest one is from left to right or right to left, which is often used in music recordings as special effects, another one is airplanes or trains going towards you or otherwise) It's very similar to being able to tell where the instruements are and the seperation). I hope I kind of explained it well for you.