Havi B3 vs
TTPOD T1e vs
Zero Audio Doppio vs
Zero Audio Tenore vs
Modded Xaiomi Piston 2.0
When I first set this up, my first real review, I was stoked because I figured I had a heated battle on my hands. Well, was I disappointed when I pitted a new pair of Havi B3 Pro 1 with about 3 hours of burn in against 4 other IEM's, each with well over 100 hours of burn in. The first two phones to drop out of the battle early were the Tenore and the modded Pistons. The Pistons were fit with TTPOD white tips, and the Tenore with medium sized Sony hybrid tips. The Pistons simply were no match for the B3. The only thing the Piston had over the B3 was a bit of bass bloat in comparison. The soundstage, imaging, timbre, highs and mids all went to the B3. The highs in the Pistons, though extension was better than the B3, sounded downright artificial by comparison. Bass clarity and speed went to the B3, despite the Piston owning a beryllium driver. Still, the modded Pistons, when working out, are an excellent beater pair of fun fun phones!
The Tenore, though technically compete with the B3, with a similarly wide soundstage and imaging, fall flat when compared on the top end. The highs on the B3 have better extension, livelier timbre, and more clarity. Early roll off, which actuallly make the Tenore sound buttery smooth, and no sibilance whatsoever (there can be slight sibilance present on the B3), but this becomes an audible negative, because the music loses its excitement. The tenore are dark and detailed phones, with rich bass and ample soundstage, but does this mean they are fun or better than the B3? Not in my opinion. The Havi B3 simply sound better, and this was using my Fiio amp E11k amp and iphone 6 as the sources. So after the Pistons and Tenore...advantage B3.
Next comes the truly great disappointment. I grew to love the sound of the TTPOD T1e. The layering and buttery smooth bass that was both present but not bloated, and articulate. Then I played then side by side with the B3. I cringed. A/Bing the B3 and T1e, I was struck by how congested and artificial the TTPOD sounded next to the B3. It wasn't like the extension of the T1e was greater than the B3 or vice versa, but the imaging and soundstage on the B3 was just larger, with bass that was more complimentary and timbre that was right to the point....REAL SOUNDING! The mids were smoother than a babies bottom side on the B3, where the mids on the T1e, though not recessed as far as my ear can tell, just had a bit more grain to it. This graininess was a bit of a put off for me when pitted against the B3. Both of these are dual dynamic IEM's. The B3 a dual micro driver, and the T1e a dual bio cell driver. I think the smoothness of the B3, with that beautiful vocal presentation just can be mesmerizing. Endearing. Enchanting. The T1e can be fun, flamboyant, and flying. This can be great for some music genres, but at the end of the day, when you get those three f's from the B3, without the grain and intrusive bass, it's just a win for the B3. Though I will say one thing, the T1e did provide better layering and instrument separation than the B3, but just by a nose, but the B3 was clearer, and with that clarity, shown better imaging. Game, set, match for the Havi B3.
Now the only phone that I own that came out swinging and winning against the B3 was the ZA Doppio. The Doppio are a dual balanced armature phone with a deep dark reference sound. The strengths of this IEM are it's amazing revealing power, instrument separation, and imaging. It also will set you back anywhere between $140-190, imported from Japan. The Doppio are one of the only BA phones I ever owned that actually deliver crisp deep and articulate bass lines, without sounding weak, distorted, or anaemic. In other words, the Doppio are the "funnest" BA, dual or single, I've ever heard. So now I'm A/Bing the B3 and the Doppio. Dual micro driver dynamic vs dual balanced armature. Here's where my perceptions, expectations, and hearing get blurred. THE HAVI B3 ARE JUST AS CLEAR, TECHNICAL, and COMPETENT as the Doppio!!! WHAT?! Seriously folks, this is no joke. The B3 were fitted with UE TF10 tips, and the Doppio with JVC Spiral dot tips. The soundstage was won by the B3, and it wasn't necessarily close. One again the layering of instruments and detail retrieval went to the Doppio, but timbre and bass presentation was more natural on the B3. Imaging was a tie. Treble extension was a tie. Decay was also close. Oh so close. To close to call, so roll off was similar to identical. The mids were slightly smoother on the Doppio, with no sibilance present at all on any track, while the B3, while exceptionally smooth, still showed slight sibilance on some tracks, but this might just be a symptom of more burn in time needed to further smooth out those mids and highs. Both IEM's showcase linear musical presentations, where each frequency is equal to the other, and presented with a maturity and balance that provide a very engaging, open, and detailed listening experience. So though sonically this is a draw, the winner is still the Havi B3 because I paid $50 for my Havi, and $170 for my Doppio. That's a $120 difference between these two. Is there that much sonic difference between the Havi B3 and the Zero Audio Doppio? HELL NO! There's not even a perceived $20 difference, and this is why the B3 is the winner here, even though it's not technically superior to the Doppio.
Though some might argue with me about this comment, I'm going out on the limb and saying the Havi B3 is the VERY BEST budget-fi IEM on the market today. It's a $50-60 IEM that technically, sonically, and in build quality goes toe to toe with the big boys of this industry. I feel it can provide a fun and freakishly effective listening experience to those who listen to classical, metal, hip hop, rock, EDM, pop, or country. I know. I played all those genres through my iPhone and the amp, and the B3 handled them all like a champ. The B3 is a champion. The budget-fi champion of the world!! I'm glad I got a pair. My apologies. I'm tired of typing. It's time to listen to some more music.
Pistons = Hip hop, pop, and EDM
Tenore = Classical, country, and pop
T1e = Metal, Rock, hip hop, and Pop
Doppio = Classical, rock, metal, pop, and reggae
B3 = Any genre you wish to throw at it. It will sound great.
Bye!!
