Beyerdynamic Xelento!

[holsen]

Yes that may be driver flex. Driver flex is when the driver crinkles, usually during insertion, cause air pressure has no where to go and deforms the driver.
It is usually due to a too tight seal, and is partially related to the tips we use and/or our ear anatomy, maybe sometimes it occurs in certain IEM shell designs with insufficient venting. I found a few ways to mitigate it, YMMV:

1) Use foam tips instead of silicone tips, works sometimes for me. Probably cause the foam is porous and lets air escape thru the foams rather than going into the IEM shell.

2) Sometimes using another silicone tip that has lesser isolation/seal may reduce driver flex, though at the expense of isolation. Try a variety of different ear tips and sizes if you can, some tips give more driver flex than others.

3) Try opening your mouth and pulling up the earlobe before inserting the IEM, this opens the ear canal a bit for more space to insert the eartip (this is what ENT specialists do before inserting a ear probe). Hopefully some air can escape during insertion with the bigger diameter of the ear canal. This technique usually helps me get rid of driver flex 90% of the time.

4) Insert the ear tip slowly or not too deeply initially, and slowly make fine adjustments to push it in. Or insert it at an angle.


I have written in to a few manufacturers asking about driver flex, most of them claim it won't damage the drivers. But I have read anecdotal reports in audio forums of users saying their driver died after a very bad case of driver flex. So far, I've not had a single dynamic driver die on me due to driver flex, but YMMV.

Yes and 100% agree with all the above.

 

[batracom]

The ie900 are even more overpriced than the Xelentos so not the best example but i get what you mean. I see there is favoring german companies here and nothing wrong with that. The quality of build and the service are all great so it can justify higher price tag. I myself think that Beyerdynamic and Sennheiser are good companies even tho the tuning of most of their headphones isnt great (Moondrop is way more consistent in this area). Sennheiser havent topped its own hd600 until this day (the hd800s are great when properly EQ'd). We had to wait many years for a proper tuned iems from Sennheiser, the ie900 was the first step towards the good path, the ie600 is finally there, competing with the rest of the market. Now the ie200 which is supposed to fight with chifi budget iems, kuddos to Sennheiser. Xelentos are very nice, smooth, great bass, my favs in Beyerdynamic whole product menu.
But.. lets be honest. Neither of them can pick a fair fight against similarly priced UE Mest 2 or Thieaudio Monarch 2. These are on a completely diffetent level looking objectively. These compete with u12t, Annihilator, QDC Anole VX etc.
What im trying to say is in favor of a customer, the market should push companies to be more competitive and then the customer wins- better quality for less money.

Im sure i didnt spoil the air here as we are all adults and able to look at things objectively. Besides, the Xelentos are really fun so its hard to dislike them

I think you need to factor in service and terms of sale when making comparisons between IEMs, both on cost and technicalities. Sure, in purely technical terms, there might be IEMs which are better or worse at same price points as IE900 or Xelento 1/2 and some which are much cheaper and better. But bear in mind that, at least for us in Europe, these are all easily accessible and purchaseable from authorised resellers or the manufacturers and both can be had with a very solid return policy - try for at least 30 days (60 if bought from Beyerdynamic) and return at no cost if you are feel they are not worth the price, or do not fit, etc. This is a true rarity for IEMs, given that Amazon, which also has a generous return policy, doesn't stock much of what we are interested or discuss.

Most of the other IEMs you mention are either a grey import, with difficult warranty procedures and stringent customs costs (for us, from everywhere thanks to Brexit) or are available from local retailers with easy shipping but (at least in the UK), with no proper trial or return policies once you open and test the item. So for example I read a lot about Monarch MK2, but I can't bring myself to order one for around 900 GBP only to be left with an expensive mistake if the fit is not good, or I don't like the sound, or any other reason why I would decide not to keep them. The IE900 or Xelento might have their own issues, but they can be remedied with a return if you are not entirely satisfied with them.

The great thing would be to have a East Asia scenario everywhere, where you can just walk into stores which have everything on display for demo. But sadly that is not the case for us, unless you have deeper pockets and the willingness and financial ability to make losses for the sake of testing products.

 

[Tenlow]

Yes that may be driver flex. Driver flex is when the driver crinkles, usually during insertion, cause air pressure has no where to go and deforms the driver.
It is usually due to a too tight seal, and is partially related to the tips we use and/or our ear anatomy, maybe sometimes it occurs in certain IEM shell designs with insufficient venting. I found a few ways to mitigate it, YMMV:

1) Use foam tips instead of silicone tips, works sometimes for me. Probably cause the foam is porous and lets air escape thru the foams rather than going into the IEM shell.

2) Sometimes using another silicone tip that has lesser isolation/seal may reduce driver flex, though at the expense of isolation. Try a variety of different ear tips and sizes if you can, some tips give more driver flex than others.

3) Try opening your mouth and pulling up the earlobe before inserting the IEM, this opens the ear canal a bit for more space to insert the eartip (this is what ENT specialists do before inserting a ear probe). Hopefully some air can escape during insertion with the bigger diameter of the ear canal. This technique usually helps me get rid of driver flex 90% of the time.

4) Insert the ear tip slowly or not too deeply initially, and slowly make fine adjustments to push it in. Or insert it at an angle.


I have written in to a few manufacturers asking about driver flex, most of them claim it won't damage the drivers. But I have read anecdotal reports in audio forums of users saying their driver died after a very bad case of driver flex. So far, I've not had a single dynamic driver die on me due to driver flex, but YMMV.

Thank you very much! Very informative

 

[enveedee]

Im listening my good old Xelentos OG right now (taking a break from a more demanding listening sessions with a sublime Monarch Mk2) and all i can say is that the Xelentos are everything but muddy. They are very clear and clean. The bass is huge indeed but the midrange is well separated. They will be a big step up from the OH10 in technicalities and separation.

Thanks for the reply, Which one do you think has the sharper note between Variations and Xelento?

I'm not exactly into smooth presentation.

 

[chico playero]

Has anyone had experience with replacing the wax guards on either Xelento? I've had the Xelento v1 for 4 years and not had a problem. On the new v2 the mesh somehow separated from the black plastic frame. I managed to remove the frame. I have 4 spare wax guards , 2 from v1 and the 2 that came with v2. I've tried to fit a new one , but all of them seem fractionally too large for the aperture. Is there some sort of knack for this? I assumed it would be a simple operation.
My son is a jeweller , even he's flummoxed by the thing. Will the lack of a wax guard cause any long term damage?
Thanks!

 

[illumidata]

Has anyone had experience with replacing the wax guards on either Xelento? I've had the Xelento v1 for 4 years and not had a problem. On the new v2 the mesh somehow separated from the black plastic frame. I managed to remove the frame. I have 4 spare wax guards , 2 from v1 and the 2 that came with v2. I've tried to fit a new one , but all of them seem fractionally too large for the aperture. Is there some sort of knack for this? I assumed it would be a simple operation.
My son is a jeweller , even he's flummoxed by the thing. Will the lack of a wax guard cause any long term damage?
Thanks!

I had to file mine down a little (a very, very little, just on each vertex). Also you have to insert them dead straight - I think Beyer must use a machine to get them on and the tolerances are just too tight for hand fitting. GL!

 

[chico playero]

I had to file mine down a little (a very, very little, just on each vertex). Also you have to insert them dead straight - I think Beyer must use a machine to get them on and the tolerances are just too tight for hand fitting. GL!

Thank you!! Your experience corresponds exactly with what my son suggested. I assumed it would be a simple click fit. Again, many thanks!

 

[enveedee]

Ok, so I just blind buy and jumped into Xelento's bandwagon.
It just arrived like... 1 hour ago.

I'm honestly surprised,
I thought I'm gonna head banging with all the bass, with Eminem and those hip hop artist.
Instead, how can an IEM that has HUGE bass, is actually much better at vocal?
I fell in love with Utada Hikaru all over again.

And honestly, in FR I see Xelento has bigger bass than OH10 but right now, it is actually not bigger. Is it because the oval eartips is not isolating the bass enough?

I guess I'm used to the airiness of OH10 so I'm not used to these intimate things, but I love it!

Edit: The bass does feel a bit lesser than OH10, not that I complain about it tho.
Tried W1, Springtips, and Springtips fits me better with the same characteristic like the oval tips.
It does feel better with shallow fit.

EDIT 2: I thought it won't get any better than this, BUT HERE AZLA CRYSTAL IS... *chef kiss*

 

[holsen]

Ok, so I just blind buy and jumped into Xelento's bandwagon.
It just arrived like... 1 hour ago.

I'm honestly surprised,
I thought I'm gonna head banging with all the bass, with Eminem and those hip hop artist.
Instead, how can an IEM that has HUGE bass, is actually much better at vocal?
I fell in love with Utada Hikaru all over again.

And honestly, in FR I see Xelento has bigger bass than OH10 but right now, it is actually not bigger. Is it because the oval eartips is not isolating the bass enough?

I guess I'm used to the airiness of OH10 so I'm not used to these intimate things, but I love it!

Edit: The bass does feel a bit lesser than OH10, not that I complain about it tho.
Tried W1, Springtips, and Springtips fits me better with the same characteristic like the oval tips.
It does feel better with shallow fit.

Give them a few hours and let them open up a bit I don't know the OH10 but you see what happens, to Xelento

 

[Tenlow]

In the meantime, I have exchanged my Xelento 2 for a new pair due to the fairly excessive driver flex on the right side. It drove me crazy that the left side didn’t have any driver flex whereas the right side was clicking all the time (not just when inserting or removing the buds).

Long story short, the new set luckily doesn’t have any significant driver flex on both sides. Very happy now. Love these little jewels.

 

[chortya]

I have zero favouring of any specific country of origin - as mentioned, the Turii Ti is my personal favourite IEM, and that’s from Softears in China. This is an incredibly subjective hobby, and you mention MEST MKII - I found the IE900 much more to my preference, and I disagree that IE600 is a step ahead of IE900 too, but indeed again subjective - I urge caution with statements like that as it can influence buying decisions when actually it may not suit the buyer - best understand what someone is looking for, then describe a set based on your experience. IE600 in my experience is a safely tuned, easy to enjoy set - but I ultimately found it a bit too ‘safe’ sounding and less enjoyable vs IE900, or indeed Xelento 2.

I actually have both Xelento Gen2 and IE900 currently. I have made up my mind some time ago and want to keep Xelento but still waited before selling IE900 to test them with Sony ZX707 DAP which I recieved today.
Xelento is just so amazing when it comes to full and bass-y sound. Yes IE900 has amazing sparkling highs and slightly higher resolution but they are way to tiring to listen to long term. Maybe I have sensitive ears.
With Xelentos I have a constant grin on my face
BTW Gen2 is a significant improvement over Gen1 when it comes to clarity and separation. They improved the highs.
So look out for my IE900 to go on sale here in Germany.

 

[povidlo]

I had to file mine down a little (a very, very little, just on each vertex). Also you have to insert them dead straight - I think Beyer must use a machine to get them on and the tolerances are just too tight for hand fitting. GL!

Replacing them is a pain in the arse. I ordered a few spares from Beyerdynamic and broke most of them trying to fit in!

 

[newworld666]

Replacing them is a pain in the arse. I ordered a few spares from Beyerdynamic and broke most of them trying to fit in!

+1 .. I could manage to change 1 time perfectly, and I killed more or less 6 or 7, so now one side is not really well fixed.

 

[chico playero]

I contacted Beyerdynamic Customer Services a week ago asking for advice on how to fit a new filter. I've not had a reply , which for a €999 product is pretty shoddy in my book. Xelento v2 is a very special IEM , but the shopping experience via Beyerdynamic EU has not been a good one. A great shame really.

 

[Tenlow]

I contacted Beyerdynamic Customer Services a week ago asking for advice on how to fit a new filter. I've not had a reply , which for a €999 product is pretty shoddy in my book. Xelento v2 is a very special IEM , but the shopping experience via Beyerdynamic EU has not been a good one. A great shame really.

Yeah, I also contacted them via email more than a week ago regarding my driver flex issue and haven’t heard back from them until now. I was very surprised by that and not in a positive way as in the past they’ve been quite responsive and helpful in my experience.