[Otto Motor]

Been absent due to a death in the family recently.

I've been following on email but not posting, there's a lot of post complaining about harsh earphones in particular the Seahf AWK009. The Seahf is a bright earphone but it's not harsh, the issue is not everyone can tolerate strong treble. Simply put the problem is specific to you as an individual, you are sensitive to treble. Everyone has a limit and it's not necessarily linear, I find some earphones are too harsh because they have a peak around 2kHz - 3kHz, also earphones that have the true meaning of sibilance (over pronounced S sound) get on my tits as well.

Understand that the issue might be related to your own preference and for another user the issue doesn't exist - everyone hears differently.

In terms of value the Seahf is probably amongst the best performers under $20 and totally outclasses the Swing IE800 in terms of soundstage but because of its bright signature it might not work for everyone.

Hopefully will be back to reviewing soon but family is a priority at the moment.

My condolences.

The Tin Audio T2 are also bright but are not perceived as harsh or ear piercing or overly aggressive by many (unlike the SEAHF). The SEAHF sound like a drill for many, which makes the soundstage irrelevant. I don't know what hearing is required to find the SEAHF pleasant sounding but if you handed a bunch of them out to orchestra musicians, the feedback may not be overly positive either. It is not just the treble, the voices are also raised quite a bit. An overall painful listening experience.

I have two pairs of the SEAHF and one of them remained unmoved. Will take it out for a spin.

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

I guess I should share this cause I pass near an hour and do it like a homework that I feel obligated to do to not get a telling from my ''teacher''.
Its a review about euh...QCY Q29.
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/qc...wireless-earphones.22802/reviews#review-19577

You can just read comparaison with Macaw T50, wich is the interesting part as well as the 10$ price it is right now on GB.

By the way, if anybody can guess who is my all-time favorite classical composer checking this review, they win the Q29 (shipping not included, about 8$usd)!!!!!!!!! PS: Already WIN!!!!!! BACHBACHBACHBACHBACHBACHBACHBACHBACH!

 

[Vidal]

Otto - I find the Seahf restrained in the treble compared to the VE Duke, another highly regarded earphone. I bet there's one area frequency that's bothering you and the Seahf probably have emphasis there, maybe they don't, like I said it's not linear.

If they don't work for you then there's plenty of fish in the sea but maybe there's a limit to the treble you can take. My point is that everyone is different, I can't stand too much bass so you'll see why the Seahf is an earphone I like.

(Cheers everyone for the kind words)

 

[Otto Motor]

Otto - I find the Seahf restrained in the treble compared to the VE Duke, another highly regarded earphone. I bet there's one area frequency that's bothering you and the Seahf probably have emphasis there, maybe they don't, like I said it's not linear.

If they don't work for you then there's plenty of fish in the sea but maybe there's a limit to the treble you can take. My point is that everyone is different, I can't stand too much bass so you'll see why the Seahf is an earphone I like.

(Cheers everyone for the kind words)

audiobudget writes: "...The manufacturer has to understand that stressing the highs to their limits is not necessarily desirable. If your hearing is sensitive, you'll have a hard time actually appreciating these earphones..."

primeaudio writes: "...Aggressive is how I would describe the sound of this earphone. On first listen it was quite a shock to be bombarded up and down the dynamic range by these little chainsaws..."

I reckon I am not alone. No mainstream manufacturer would dare to throw such a polarizing sound signature on the market. And any potential buyer should be warned that there is a good chance he/she would not appreciate the SEAHFs.

The attached graph (source audiobudget.com) shows prominent peaks at 3k (your harshness area) and 7k.

As said, I took mine for a spin today - which generated a headache after 2 mins. Torture!

 

[vector84]

audiobudget writes: "...The manufacturer has to understand that stressing the highs to their limits is not necessarily desirable. If your hearing is sensitive, you'll have a hard time actually appreciating these earphones..."

primeaudio writes: "...Aggressive is how I would describe the sound of this earphone. On first listen it was quite a shock to be bombarded up and down the dynamic range by these little chainsaws..."

I reckon I am not alone. No mainstream manufacturer would dare to throw such a polarizing sound signature on the market. And any potential buyer should be warned that there is a good chance he/she would not appreciate the SEAHFs.

As said, I took mine for a spin today - which generated a headache after 2 mins. Torture!

That's some pretty selective quoting out of some quite positive reviews... therefore I feel like your conclusion is a bit hyperbolic in nature. Strikes me though that you've learned something about how to interpret a few reviewers in the context of what you'll enjoy though - like bright and aggressive sounding is probably not going to do it for you.

I bet there's one area frequency that's bothering you and the Seahf probably have emphasis there

This strikes me as pretty reasonable - and what you need to know about @Vidal in two words: foam tips.

 

[Otto Motor]

/

That's some pretty selective quoting
.

What is selective quoting? Any quoting is selective! You probably mean "out of context" - which they are not. I'd say the quotes are representative and the graph does not lie. "Bright" - sure, why not, I love the Tin Audio T2. But "aggressive" may be generally an acquired taste.

Interesting article:
https://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/headphones/taming-the-treble

 

[Vidal]

Otto - not sure where you're trying to go with this and to be frank I really haven't got the inclination to debate this with you. You're sensitive to treble in the same way I'm sensitive to bass.

I stand by my review the Seahf are a great earphone for $10 as long as you're not sensitive to treble, and other reviewers who I really trust agree with me, such as B9Scrambler and @loomisjohnson who's got his review below mine.

(not to imply I don't trust Crabdog, if I didn't I wouldn't link to his site from mine)

 

[waveriderhawaii]

I guess I should share this cause I pass near an hour and do it like a homework that I feel obligated to do to not get a telling from my ''teacher''.
Its a review about euh...QCY Q29.
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/qc...wireless-earphones.22802/reviews#review-19577

You can just read comparaison with Macaw T50, wich is the interesting part as well as the 10$ price it is right now on GB.

By the way, if anybody can guess who is my all-time favorite classical composer checking this review, they win the Q29 (shipping not included, about 8$usd)!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the review. Is it Bach?

 

[vector84]

and the graph does not lie.

Not to nitpick, but audiobudget appears to use an uncalibrated mic (with what appears to be a huge amount of bass roll off), so actually the graph can't help but lie

 

[Vidal]

Not to nitpick, but audiobudget appears to use an uncalibrated mic (with what appears to be a huge amount of bass roll off), so actually the graph can't help but lie

Measuring frequency is very tricky which is why I don't do it, I trust my ears more than my technical ability with mics and sh!t - pretty sure there's a good story from Brooko about this.

I'm hoping @peter123 might share his initial thoughts on the Seahf.

Agree no mainstream OEM would put an earphone like this on the market because it's too specific, they cater to the masses. Mainstream car manufacturers wouldn't build a Lotus Elise, but I'm glad one did.

 

[peter123]

Measuring frequency is very tricky which is why I don't do it, I trust my ears more than my technical ability with mics and sh!t - pretty sure there's a good story from Brooko about this.

I'm hoping @peter123 might share his initial thoughts on the Seahf.

Agree no mainstream OEM would put an earphone like this on the market because it's too specific, they cater to the masses. Mainstream car manufacturers wouldn't build a Lotus Elise, but I'm glad one did.

I sure can

Built quality is quite good for the price, the only major letdown is the horrendous cable.

As for sound there's jo doubt that they offer great value for money. Unfortunately they've got one major flaws (for me) in this area as well and it's the energy in the upper midrange/lower treble that make the sibilance ever present for me no matter what source or tips (I don't use foam tips) I use. I'm not a treble sensitive guy but thimese get fatiguing for me pretty quickly.

At this price point there's always trade offs though and on total I'd say that they're a great value.

 

[HUGO SILVA]

hello, anyone know this product?

https://pt.aliexpress.com/store/pro...53.html?spm=a2g03.12010615.0.0.44eabeb00D1c2W

 

[groucho69]

Measuring frequency is very tricky which is why I don't do it, I trust my ears more than my technical ability with mics and sh!t - pretty sure there's a good story from Brooko about this.

I'm hoping @peter123 might share his initial thoughts on the Seahf.

Agree no mainstream OEM would put an earphone like this on the market because it's too specific, they cater to the masses. Mainstream car manufacturers wouldn't build a Lotus Elise, but I'm glad one did.

OH YA!!!!!!

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

Thanks for the review. Is it Bach?

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

hello, anyone know this product?

https://pt.aliexpress.com/store/pro...53.html?spm=a2g03.12010615.0.0.44eabeb00D1c2W

Ordered.
But...I will be 100 years old when I receive it!
Its the WooWay.

Look kind of promising but its a 3 drivers and not a ''exactly'' a 4....one double DD+2BA....perhaps its even better!

Little tips....read on Audiobudget facebook page that if you write Audiobudget before concluding transaction you get them for 25$.
Pretty pretty nice price that make me order them!