Beyerdynamic Xelento!

[shigzeo]

That is bad news. It seems that build problems plague this series. I have the remote version. I didn't even know there was a wireless version. I'd so much rather that. 

 

[kms108]

 
That is bad news. It seems that build problems plague this series. I have the remote version. I didn't even know there was a wireless version. I'd so much rather that. 

Sorry my mistake, its remote or wired version.
 
How is the connectors on yous.

 

[Mimouille]

I've got them in and they are great. In person they actually look more mature than the Astell version, a fact belied by the low-quality 3D render they used in lieu of photography. As mentioned, sound is a bit more in line with 'reference' values: a bit less bass presence and highs that run flat for longer at the extremes. The AKT8iE MKII is my favourite earphone, but this is fast supplanting it.

How is the soundstage on them? What about bass body and subbass?

 

[audionewbi]

To me it will be a battle between the Dita Dream and the Xelento however based on what happened to me with the T8iE I am more cautious with the Xelento.

 

[twister6]

  To me it will be a battle between the Dita Dream and the Xelento however based on what happened to me with the T8iE I am more cautious with the Xelento.

 
What happened with T8iE?

 

[audionewbi]

   
What happened with T8iE?

First generation died. After waiting 3 months they still couldnt give me an answer on when I will get my replacement unit. Many emails back and forward I ended up getting the MKII model which had a faulty cable from the start. Bought a replacement cable and a stock cable too to see what the cause of the issue is. The main mmcx from the IEM body is just to loss and it tends to have false contact from time to time. 
The entire experience wasn't a pleasant one.

 

[james444]

I had the Beyerdynamic Xelento Remote for 2 days over last weekend. Here are my impressions:
 
TL;DR: Detail freaks will likely wet their pants. Timbre freaks probably not.
 
First thing that strikes you is their diminutive size. How did they squeeze an 11mm driver into such a small housing? The latter is a bit bling-y, but extremely comfy to wear both downwards and over-ears. Together with the Linum Bax cable, these feel close to wearing no IEMs at all. Perfect!
 
Or rather "almost perfect"...  because the Xelentos don't seem to get along particularly well with 3rd party mmcx cables. I encountered intermittent dropouts with the Linum Bax and another 3rd party cable, both of which work fine on my JVC woodies. Bummer. No complaints about the stock cable though.
 
Onward to sound, these are uncompromisingly tuned for maximum perceived resolution. Brightness is about the same as the UERM's, but the Xelentos sound even more analytical and leaner. They're both borderline sharp and borderline sibilant, though they never cross these lines. There's an interview with the developer where he states that they use a resonator (like the IE800) to address treble peaks, and I believe it. I've never heard IEMs this bright, yet without sibilance.
 
The lower frequencies are clearly tuned to support the "max-res" goal as well, overall laid-back from lower mids downwards and rolled-off in subbass, with the notable exception of a lively kicking and not overly fast midbass. This makes for a somewhat unconventional tonality imo, with neutral to cold-ish mids and male vocals that lack chest, accompanied by a midbass that feels a little like it doesn't belong to the rest of the spectrum. Single DDs can't sound incoherent? Think again, the Xelentos almost pull that off.
 
The Xelentos change significantly with tips, and the above sound signature refers to wide-bore ones. Narrower bores warm up their mids nicely and decrease treble energy, but then their odd low range tuning kicks in (literally!) and bass becomes too obtrusive for my taste.
 
Long story short, I'd rate these among the comfiest and technically most impressive DD IEMs I've come across, and I had a hard time considering whether to keep them or send them back. However, as a fan of realistic timbre, I knew that brain burn-in wouldn't fix that kind of tuning for me, so I decided to let them go. Still, I think for no-compromise-max-resolution fans who're looking for a DD recommendation, these might just be the ticket.
 
[... and upon being asked by a friend how I'd compare them to the Vegas]

Take this with a grain of salt, because I took an instant dislike against the Vegas. First time I put them in, all I heard was overwhelming bass. Tried the front vent mod on them and realized they were still too bassy for my taste. And on top of that, I tried two different pairs of silicone tips and got marked sibilance with both of them. Tbh, I didn't make a big effort to find potential hidden strengths after that, since I knew for certain that I'd never be spending 1000+ bucks on these.
 
With the Xelentos, it was pretty much the opposite at first... first time I put them in, I was highly impressed. I hadn't heard dynamic drivers with comparable resolving power since the IE800 - and in comparison to the latter, the Xelento's treble sounded less peaky and more refined. It was only after prolonged listening that the sheer amount of treble started to get fatiguing, even though it was good quality treble. But overall, the sound balance just felt too much tipped toward brightness, which made everything (and particularly male vocals) sound too thin and unrealistic. And further down, the midbass-centered bass, which (though a bit slow) wasn't all that bad by itself, felt strangely detached as a result of their thin / bright mid-upper range. Still, with everything said, I felt these were subjectively minor flaws that only became noticeable gradually - nothing like the instantly off-putting sibilance and wall of bass I experienced with the Vegas.
 
It's a pity I forgot to do a sine sweep on the Xelentos - just a volume matched A/B to the UERM. Whereby I heard the UERM's bass as similar, but clearly faster. The UERM's lower mids as slightly more filled in - and as a result, the UERM's whole midrange as slightly warmer and fuller. The treble range as somewhat similar, but again a tad fuller on the UERM and thinner on the Xelentos.

 

[audionewbi]

"Or rather "almost perfect"...  because the Xelentos don't seem to get along particularly well with 3rd party mmcx cables. I encountered intermittent dropouts with the Linum Bax and another 3rd party cable, both of which work fine on my JVC woodies. Bummer. No complaints about the stock cable though."

The only after market cable that seems to work with T8iE MKII is the ortofon ec8s. Its a mystery on why BD seemingly to have repeated the same mistake of using the same mmcx connectors on the Xelento. This is the only time I wished they used a 2 pin connector instead. 

 

[Mimouille]

Thanks a lot James, this seems to solve the question for me...I dislike thin sounding, I dislike overly bright signatures, and I dislikes subbass roll out. I doubt this would work.

However I still can't find the dynamic of my dreams, since Vega is supposedly too bassy, and latest description of the Dream made it to be very smooth and laid back.

 

[audionewbi]

Thanks a lot James, this seems to solve the question for me...I dislike thin sounding, I dislike overly bright signatures, and I dislikes subbass roll out. I doubt this would work.

However I still can't find the dynamic of my dreams, since Vega is supposedly too bassy, and latest description of the Dream made it to be very smooth and laid back.

You should pack up and go home, nothing will ever please you

 

[Mimouille]

You should pack up and go home, nothing will ever please you

I am stuck home with two kids so problem not solved

I am satisfied by my current iems, but want to try a dynamic, of which I know little.

 

[kms108]

  "Or rather "almost perfect"...  because the Xelentos don't seem to get along particularly well with 3rd party mmcx cables. I encountered intermittent dropouts with the Linum Bax and another 3rd party cable, both of which work fine on my JVC woodies. Bummer. No complaints about the stock cable though."

The only after market cable that seems to work with T8iE MKII is the ortofon ec8s. Its a mystery on why BD seemingly to have repeated the same mistake of using the same mmcx connectors on the Xelento. This is the only time I wished they used a 2 pin connector instead. 

No wonder you say the ortofon ec8s fit's well, I've got the cable problem, i know its the cable and not the IEM,  the in box cable has the crackling on the right side, exchanged for second pair had the same problem, exchanged for third pair, right side is ok, but left side was kind of loose, you can twist the head, but no crackling, tried other third party cables, many had the crackling problem, but only the sony kimber kamble with the 4.4mm and the XBA 300 works well, but the desigh somewhat doesn't work well with the Xelento, it too has the same MMCX which is on the ortofon ec8s.
 
Was going to get the Final Audio Lab 2 cable a few weeks ago, but decide to get it in Japan if it's cheaper whiles on my visit to Tokyo, if it cost more I can buy it on returning back to Hong Kong. The cost is HKD 1980, approximate USD 250. The Lab 2 cable head looks small and well made, tried the L shape MMCX cable for Final Audio F7200, but could get a good fit, so I need to try the straight version, just need to see if the lengthof the cable near the MMCX can bend around my ear, as it looks slightly long.
 


 

 
Update
 
Not sure if it's the cause of the problem being loose, and or crackling/ intermittent dropouts, but removing these two rings from the cables using a pin or if any sharp and thin object seems to resolve the problem for me. You can always put it back if you need to.
 

 

[twister6]

 

You should pack up and go home, nothing will ever please you

I am stuck home with two kids so problem not solved

I am satisfied by my current iems, but want to try a dynamic, of which I know little.

 
I thought you are getting or planning to get new DITA?

 

[Mimouille]

I thought you are getting or planning to get new DITA?

Yeah but I am scared by the Potaken feedback. Apparently very smooth sounding.

 

[kms108]

I clearly see the remote version is slightly different that the wired version, the name/serial number plate, and the extra's that I already knew before I got the wired version includes extra few pairs of the silcone tips, extra wax shield guards and remote cable + normal cable, but I do like the new case, much bigger than the wired version/AK version, just need to see how the internal is like, than I should consider whether to get case. Although the case on the wired /AK version looks good and small, i'm not sure if the magnets in the case would affect the drivers in the IEM, for those who don't know what the magnets are for, there are two pieces on the base of the case to hold the drivers in place, thats why Beyerdynamics agent in Hong Kong gave me a Beyerdynamics branded pouch, The main differences is the remote which I don't even use, So I actaully paid about USD 750 instead of the USD 999 for the extra cable.
 
Hopefully the internal of both version are the same.
 
Wired version.
 







 
 
 
 
Remote Version