[Sordel]

Swagga,

Your post makes me very happy. Your experience with the IEs is exactly the same as mine, suggesting that my ears are not as bad as they might be.

 

[mchurgin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nsjong Not to be trusted... with someone with a Super.fi E pro in their signature... whatever that is...

Excuse me for the typo on the "SuperFi 5 pro" but I would be willing to bet that you indeed know "What that is..."

 

[Kurashima]

Hmmm, from what it sounds, the Triport IEs have low sensitivity / high impedance, and need lots of power to drive them. That actually sounds perfect for iPod shuffle use (which can output a hell of a lot of power and whose high-sensitivity hiss will probably be counteracted perfectly.)

I think I might just get these, especially with Bose's thirty-day satisfaction guaranteed policy, which I was surprised to learn also applies to Canada where you can order them online at their store. I just picked up a new shuffle a while ago and love it, but need a new headphone since I don't want to use my Sony IEMs anymore due the hissing (which is as much as the old shuffle BTW) and I think the in-ear stuff is too much of a hassle (my seal comes undone when I smile for Christ's sake!)

 

[atx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kurashima Hmmm, from what it sounds, the Triport IEs have low sensitivity / high impedance, and need lots of power to drive them. That actually sounds perfect for iPod shuffle use (which can output a hell of a lot of power and whose high-sensitivity hiss will probably be counteracted perfectly.)

IMO, the regular Triport has the best synergy with the Shuffle. I've auditioned the Triport probably 10 times and thought they sounded 'bleh!'. Then one day I listened to them while connected to the Shuffle, and bought them immediately on the spot. It's more about having rhythm than pure sonic qualities that makes music listening more enjoyable.

I tried the IE with the regular iPod and the shuffle... no special synergy that I can hear. No hiss though.

 

[man4857]

Ok, so far my pair of Sony MDR EX71's has wiring problems. So this weekend I'm planning on going to Bestbuy to pick up another pair of headphones, and I'm asking any opinions on what pair of headphones do you recommend at www.bestbuy.com for a "budget" person like me. I would say the max I would pitch in is $100 before taxation.

These Bose headphones looks nice but there is little sound isolation, anyone tested out how well is the external seal if there is any?

Thanks for your time,
Vince

 

[Sordel]

man4857,

There's no seal at all, and even the basic isolation of having pieces of plastic in your ears isn't much in this case (maybe because the IEs don't have foam pads at all). If isolation is important to you, these aren't your answer, I'm afraid.

 

[Jokieman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by flecom damn then i think everyone paying ~$1000 for K1000's and several thousand dollars for R-10's is gonna be pissed I think you mean dynamic earbuds?

I got the feeling he meant dynamic technology, period. And I really don't think it was right of him to bash the IE's based on their Driver technology, I would have been more understanding if he had simply said he didn't like them because they didn't isolate to his tastes.

And I would have admired him if he said it's because his customers would hang him for putting anything Bose on his website. hehe.

 

[Jokieman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by IPodPJ Simple fact is that their product WILL hurt sales for companies like UE and Shure. Wait one year, ask UE and Shure if their sales have not declined. I would bet money on this (and I have -- with stocks, in similar situations to this, and wound up ahead).

Good, because it costs pennies on the dollar to make these products. IEM's are like the SUV's of the audio world, they're mega profit for these companies. You don't seriously believe it costs even a third what they charge to produce and sell these items long term do you? In sny other marketplace, when a new or better product comes out, the older product is reduced significantly in price, but that is usually not the case in the IEM market. There's some whopping profits being had by everyone in this market. More competition "should" lower prices, though I have seen some IEM makers refuse to drop their prices, and because of that they DO lose some sales.

It's capitalism at it's finest, and it's what the new world economy is based on. Blaming a single company (Bose) in this instance for doing what Shure, UE, Westone, and every other company out there does is simply irrational to say the least.

 

[Sordel]

Jokieman,

I take the point that the material costs of IEMs are not significant compared, for example, to full-sized headphones, but it's difficult to argue with the value for money of these products when one compares them to loudspeakers. $1000 dollars gets you an IEM that is at the top of the tree, offering a sound quality that is supposedly comparable to that of a loudspeaker costing up to ten times that amount. While exotic speakers may look gorgeous and cost a lot of money to build, most of us aren't really in the hi-fi market for industrial sculpture (on top of which the SPUDs hate that stuff).

On top of this, the research costs of IEMs (which do not have the benefit of the long development history of today's headphones) must be comparatively high. Companies like Shure and UE are only now getting to the point where they can offer a full range of products, and Etymotic and Westone haven't even got that far. If you factor in the capital risk of entering the mass market, all of these companies seem to be doing a pretty great job of delivering sound quality at a reasonable price.

 

[flecom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jokieman I got the feeling he meant dynamic technology, period. And I really don't think it was right of him to bash the IE's based on their Driver technology, I would have been more understanding if he had simply said he didn't like them because they didn't isolate to his tastes. And I would have admired him if he said it's because his customers would hang him for putting anything Bose on his website. hehe.

i find that kind of amusing becuase I would say 90% of the headphones people own on here are dynamic headphones and 90% of those cost over $100, most of them quite a bit more...

 

[HeadKase]

After reading the other fantastic review of the Triport I tried the larger ear fittings (I didn't know they were bigger, thinking they were just replacements). The difference in sound quality is MAJOR - no it's INCREDIBLE. There's absolutely no comparison to the mediocre sound quality of the EX90 now.

The bass is better, the highs have really snapped into focus (with still a slight roll-off but not broken in either), the whole sound is incredibly coherent all of a sudden, and actually as earbuds go - if ever there were audiphile earbuds, these are them. I'm listening to Keith Jarretts "Paris" solo piano concert and not only does it sound good but the pure emotion coming through is amazing.

Before this I listened to the amazing Rene Jacobs conducting of "Marriage of Figarro". I heard details and stage cues I've never heard before. There was a slight recess in the mids, but I'd expect this from any audio gear that isn't broken in yet.

Also listened to Tool's Aenema. Despite the nice warm sound I've been hearing with classical music the guitars really had some edge to them and the sound was quite right. Live Cream at Albert Hall is really seductive, and the tone on Claptons guitar is perfect. Massive Attack (masters of headphone music) is blast on these, sounding very much like cushy over ear higher priced headphones. Sounds ricochetting all around and through my head. Somebody pass the bong.

How good can these things get with burn in? To me it's already starting to look like when all's said and done NO PHONE OF ANY TYPE will compare to these for $100. These are freaking amazing. I really need to get to bed, but can't sleep with all this great music going on in my head. Who knew I'd ever say this about something from Bose? But there you have it.

(Taken from my comparison of the Triport IE's to the Sony EX90L's)

 

[milkpowder]

Hmmm.... I smell a bit if FOTM here

Maybe I'll have to get a pair too

My local Bose dealer tells me they'll be in soon. I wonder how much they'll cost in the UK

Judging by UK Bose prices, it'll be over 50 pounds, if not 60+...

 

[satanicoo]

Pricewise, these against the UM1, wich one are best?
UM2 is better, ok, but way expensiver.

 

[atx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by satanicoo Pricewise, these against the UM1, wich one are best? UM2 is better, ok, but way expensiver.

I would take the Bose, but get them only if you're not a treble head. The high frequency roll-off is about the same as the stax sr001-- but with the IE, you can EQ it whereas the stax is limited in hardware.

If the etymotic signature is your kind of sound, then the IE will sound like muddy crap. On the other hand, if you take the time to let the earphones and your ears adjust to the IE, your perception will slowly change, and they can sound, like HeadKase mentioned, quite incredible.

 

[scratchyvinyl]

Curiosity got the better of me (as well as Best Buy's generous return policy), so I picked up the new Bose IEs.

Let me first say I owned the QC2s and sold them. The noise-cancelling worked fine, but I didn't care for the boomy low-end and murky sound signature. I tried a fellow co-worker's Triports. Didn't like the sound on those either.

But these IEs...wow, they're pretty good. Probably the best "buds" (since they really aren't meant to isolated like Etys and Shures) I've heard, along with the Sony EX90. The Bose IEs are very full and warm sounding, even at low levels. The bass is plentiful, but not overblown like the Sony EX71/51.

The Bose IEs sit in the cup of your ear, they don't actually go into them. If you try and shove 'em in like those of us who are used to IEMs normally do (to get a good seal), you'll just end up with low-end, boomy mush coming from the Bose IEs. Used as buds that sit outside the ear canal though, and the highs and mids come through. And I'm fine with them not isolating; they're not meant to, and they have a purpose for some of my listening situations. If I need isolation, I'll go to my Shure E500s.

I say give 'em a try. Along with Bose's 30-day satisfaction guarantee and other big box electronics stores' return policy (Best Buy, etc.), there's really nothing to lose if you're curious.