Beyerdynamic Xelento!
May 24, 2019 at 6:48 PM Post #1,621 of 2,987
I've been switching back and forth between stock tips and CP100 spinfits recently and for some reason it feels like the spinfits make everything sound more alive and dynamic. This is pretty rare for me as in the past spinfits have actually made sound worse IMO on most IEMs I've tried.
 
May 27, 2019 at 4:31 PM Post #1,623 of 2,987
Does anyone know how the Xelento fit compares to Beyer Byrd IEMs?

I have the Beyer Beat Byrd and their fit with their stock silicone tips is the only IEM I've ever used that I find actually comfortable.

I don't have beyer Byrd on my hand to tell for sure, but from the photos of the byrd, the tips look similar in shape and ergonomics
 
May 27, 2019 at 4:50 PM Post #1,624 of 2,987
I've been switching back and forth between stock tips and CP100 spinfits recently and for some reason it feels like the spinfits make everything sound more alive and dynamic. This is pretty rare for me as in the past spinfits have actually made sound worse IMO on most IEMs I've tried.
I'm also a big fan of those SpinFit tips. I probably wouldn't even own the Xelentos if it weren't for Cp100 tips, because none of the stock tips really worked for me in terms of fit.
 
May 27, 2019 at 5:05 PM Post #1,625 of 2,987
Well I hate foam tips as I feel they generally make earphones with a bold signature sound like a wet noodle. I don't have fit issues with the stock tips,though I need to use XL when I normally wear size M on spinfits, final E tips,etc. It's just that the stock tips always feel like they will fall out so spinfits feel more secure.
 
May 30, 2019 at 5:30 PM Post #1,626 of 2,987
Well, just received the Xelento I picked up, used. First impression is... it's quite bassy, bassier than I was expecting, and mids are recessed, more than I was expecting. Using the stock silicone tip (XL size, which seems to give me a good enough seal). Will do some tip rolling later and listen some more.
 
May 31, 2019 at 12:29 PM Post #1,627 of 2,987
Well, just received the Xelento I picked up, used. First impression is... it's quite bassy, bassier than I was expecting, and mids are recessed, more than I was expecting. Using the stock silicone tip (XL size, which seems to give me a good enough seal). Will do some tip rolling later and listen some more.

Well, currently listening to them with the Spinfit CP-100 tips and I could just be imagining it, but the bass seems ever so slightly tamed and overall things sound just a touch more balanced. Also slightly wider sound stage, which could just be because the CP-100 tips makes them sit out slightly farther in my ears than with the stock silicone tips. Otherwise these things are very detailed, but it's not the in your face type of detail (but it's there if you listen for it), and the mid-range is very clear, though a bit recessed (but not completely out of balance with the rest of the FR). Yeah, these are pretty good IEMs. Don't think they're worth $1K, but I didn't pay that much for them. So far so good :) These IEMs have a very big sound, to put it in one word, and I'm still getting used to that signature (brain burn-in).
 
Jun 4, 2019 at 12:06 PM Post #1,628 of 2,987
Well, after having listened to these for a few more days I can say these IEMs are quite special. I'm used to the sound signature now and most of all I find these extremely clear, even though the mids are somewhat recessed relative to the lows and highs. Clarity is amazing. Detail is also excellent, it's just not of the analytical kind which can get fatiguing. But all the detail is there if you want to zone in on that.

And the lows are the icing on the cake. So much detail in the bass lines, and it extends very deep. Yet it's rarely overdone (though in some tracks perhaps a touch less mid-bass would be nice, but that can be solved with EQ if I really need to).

Overall the dynamics are really good as well, always gets my feet tapping (so it has good PRAT), and the sound is very cohesive which makes sense since it's just one driver.

These IEMs also benefit from a better source, currently amping them through a Fiio Q1 MK1 through my Galaxy S10 and they sound noticeably better than straight from my S10. Better stereo image, better instrument separation, wider soundstage and just a slightly cleaner and clearer sound. And I have a Topping NX4 on the way so curious how that will improve the sound even further. I like to describe it like this:

If I were to visualize the sound improvement by using a better source, it's like this: (----|------|----) vs. (--|----------|--) (with the ( ) being the edges of my head and the | | being the positioning of the soundscape. A better source pushes things out farther resulting in cleaner separation and better soundstage, with the sound being a bit less in your head).
 
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Jun 12, 2019 at 11:23 AM Post #1,630 of 2,987
Jun 12, 2019 at 2:37 PM Post #1,631 of 2,987
Well, after having listened to these for a few more days I can say these IEMs are quite special. I'm used to the sound signature now and most of all I find these extremely clear, even though the mids are somewhat recessed relative to the lows and highs. Clarity is amazing. Detail is also excellent, it's just not of the analytical kind which can get fatiguing. But all the detail is there if you want to zone in on that.

And the lows are the icing on the cake. So much detail in the bass lines, and it extends very deep. Yet it's rarely overdone (though in some tracks perhaps a touch less mid-bass would be nice, but that can be solved with EQ if I really need to).

Overall the dynamics are really good as well, always gets my feet tapping (so it has good PRAT), and the sound is very cohesive which makes sense since it's just one driver.

These IEMs also benefit from a better source, currently amping them through a Fiio Q1 MK1 through my Galaxy S10 and they sound noticeably better than straight from my S10. Better stereo image, better instrument separation, wider soundstage and just a slightly cleaner and clearer sound. And I have a Topping NX4 on the way so curious how that will improve the sound even further. I like to describe it like this:

If I were to visualize the sound improvement by using a better source, it's like this: (----|------|----) vs. (--|----------|--) (with the ( ) being the edges of my head and the | | being the positioning of the soundscape. A better source pushes things out farther resulting in cleaner separation and better soundstage, with the sound being a bit less in your head).

To follow-up on my impressions, while the Xelento is very easy to drive from any source, it really does benefit from a better source. They sound so much better. I ended up getting a Fiio Q5, used, and they really shine when powered through that dac/amp. Better separation, soundstage, detail, tighter bass and clearer mids and highs.
 

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