[ClieOS]

but will the re0 + e11 sound better than the zero alone? i dont mind paying and carrying the amp, if takes the re0 to  a next level over the zero

I will say yes, but it is not night and day.

 

[Ulti]

Hey ClieOS,
 
I've just a few questions:
 
1) What is sibilance? How can I notice it's existance?
2) Is there a better value IEM similar to the RE0 (in SQ) with better isolation?
3) How would analytical sound be compared to a mid centric (and balanced signature)? Looking at the graphs you've listed, I see that analytical and balanced look quite similar but balanced has slightly higher bass with less highs but they both look rather similar. I'm thinking of getting the Shure 215s but they're double the price of the RE0s and they're rated lower in SQ from both you and Joker so I'm not sure if it's worth it for just the build quality and isolation alone as I don't see much more advantages.

 

[ClieOS]

Quote:

Hey ClieOS,
 
I've just a few questions:
....

 
1) What is sibilance? How can I notice it's existance?
Sibilance is the shape ssss or zzzz sound on the vocal, and it is most noticeable on female vocal. For example, if you are listening to Sara Bareilles' "Bottle it up" - "There'll be girls across the nation that will eat this up..." / "There'll be girlssss acrosssss the nation that will eatss thissss up..." - that's sibilance.
 
2) Is there a better value IEM similar to the RE0 (in SQ) with better isolation?
You can try Phonak PFE. I am also very incline to recommend you the new TDK EB950. It is kind of hard to find but it is a really fantastic sub$100 IEM.
 
 
3) How would analytical sound be compared to a mid centric (and balanced signature)? Looking at the graphs you've listed, I see that analytical and balanced look quite similar but balanced has slightly higher bass with less highs but they both look rather similar. I'm thinking of getting the Shure 215s but they're double the price of the RE0s and they're rated lower in SQ from both you and Joker so I'm not sure if it's worth it for just the build quality and isolation alone as I don't see much more advantages.
First, SE215 shouldn't be that expensive ($99) vs RE0 ($79). Each sound signature has its unique presentation and it is best to find one that suits your taste. But you will need to know what kind of taste you have first. You don't want to buy an IEM that you don't enjoy at all.
 

 

[Ulti]

1) Sibilance is the shape ssss or zzzz sound on the vocal, and it is most noticeable on female vocal.
 
Ah I didn't/can't really notice it with my RE0s, nor have I really noticed it at all with other IEMs, I guess it doesn't really bother me as I don't notice it (or perhaps I'm still too much of an audionoob to notice it).
 
2) You can try Phonak PFE. I am also very incline to recommend you the new TDK EB950.
 
There's a brilliant deal for the Phonak PFE 111/112s + 012s for £120! Selling off one of them would make the other seem like a bargain. However, upon reading both you and Joker's thread, they don't seem to have good isolation. Looking at the TDK EB950, it doesn't seem their design will allow for good isolation either. I forgot to add that I value isolation more than SQ as I have to get the London Underground and it is VERY loud and so isolation allows me to hear the SQ; with no isolation even the best SQ won't be heard.
 
3) First, SE215 shouldn't be that expensive ($99) vs RE0 ($79). Each sound signature has its unique presentation and it is best to find one that suits your taste. But you will need to know what kind of taste you have first. You don't want to buy an IEM that you don't enjoy at all.
 
Unfortunately Shure is expensive here in the UK, I could import it from abroad for roughly £66 but then I may be hit by customs/taxes and if they break then the warranty will be a slight problem. I bought the RE0 second hand from someone here in the UK so I got a good deal on them (£40).
 
I guess for me, I crave detail and clarity and so I reckon analytical or perhaps a balanced sound suits me. However, I don't hate mid centric sounds in any way either as I quite enjoy my Shure SRH550DJs but I've not fully burnt them in yet and I've actually only done listening at home. As I said though, isolation is more important than me but obviously I don't want a decrease in SQ and the RE0 sound pretty good to me but I feel it doesn't do so well on tracks which have too many layers. (Possibly a flaw with dynamics?) I listen to pretty much all genres of music hence my signature taste, however, all the songs I listen to have vocals, hence I don't mind a mid centric signature either.
 

 

[ClieOS]

Quote:

Ah I didn't/can't really notice it with my RE0s, nor have I really noticed it at all with other IEMs, I guess it doesn't really bother me as I don't notice it (or perhaps I'm still too much of an audionoob to notice it).

Probably because RE0 doesn't have sibilance. Then again, different people has different level of tolerance.

 
Quote:

There's a brilliant deal for the Phonak PFE 111/112s + 012s for £120! Selling off one of them would make the other seem like a bargain. However, upon reading both you and Joker's thread, they don't seem to have good isolation. Looking at the TDK EB950, it doesn't seem their design will allow for good isolation either. I forgot to add that I value isolation more than SQ as I have to get the London Underground and it is VERY loud and so isolation allows me to hear the SQ; with no isolation even the best SQ won't be heard.

It depends on the eartips you use. With silicone eartips, you should get at least the same level of isolation as RE0 on the PFE. With foam, you can expect it to isolate pretty good. Also, don't let the look fools you, EB950 actually has really good isolation as well as sound quality.
 
I'll still recommend EB950 to you if you can find it under US$100 in the UK (MSRP is around $99). It is one of those IEM that punches above its price range, much like RE0.
 
 

 

[Ulti]

Quote:

 
It depends on the eartips you use. With silicone eartips, you should get at least the same level of isolation as RE0 on the PFE. With foam, you can expect it to isolate pretty good. Also, don't let the look fools you, EB950 actually has really good isolation as well as sound quality.
 
I'll still recommend EB950 to you if you can find it under US$100 in the UK (MSRP is around $99). It is one of those IEM that punches above its price range, much like RE0.

 
Which PFE are you recommending by the way?
 
Unfortunately in the UK there hasn't been any news of the EB950 yet so I guess I can only rely on your review and some sort of import, not sure if there are TDK suppliers here. If I can get it for about £70 then I may go for it depending on reviews.
 
EDIT: I've now ordered the PFE 112 with a free 012 and I'll try them both and sell whichever I don't like. I think I'll keep using my RE0 and try out other IEMs whilst I find my "perfect IEM" to ensure that I don't damage the other IEMs so that I can sell them for the highest second hand price possible.

 

[ClieOS]

Quote:

 
Which PFE are you recommending by the way?
 

The original PFE (1xx), which you have ordered.
 

 

[nipit]

When are you going to add FXT90 to your list? And how would you compare them to GR07? Which ones better overall?

 

[ClieOS]

Quote:

When are you going to add FXT90 to your list? And how would you compare them to GR07? Which ones better overall?

There is still a long way before I will review FXT90 since I literally have almost 20 other reviews to write first. But as far as first impression goes, I think FXT90 is not quite as technically proficient as GR07 but it is only very minor. FXT90 has a more mid centric and fun sound that is quite different from GR07's monitoring tuning, so I'll recommend you to choose them based on sound signature as technically they are both really good.

 

[Pianist]

ClieOS, do you still own the DBA-02 along with RE0? You rated the DBA-02 a bit higher and I am interested why you believe DBA-02 is better. I personally felt that DBA-02 sounded a tad overly dry compared to RE0 and too aggressive in the highs to be neutral, whereas RE0 has a more neutral, more delicate and less aggressive treble IMO. I also felt that the bass on DBA-02 lacks definition compared to RE0. I know many people consider DBA-02 to have a tight low end, but personally I felt that the DBA-02 was a little flabby down there compared to RE0 or the ER4. Overall, I just felt that DBA-02 lacked refinement and subtlety vs. the RE0 - DBA-02 sounded somewhat grainy/coarse by comparison.

 

[ClieOS]

Quote:

ClieOS, do you still own the DBA-02 along with RE0? You rated the DBA-02 a bit higher and I am interested why you believe DBA-02 is better. I personally felt that DBA-02 sounded a tad overly dry compared to RE0 and too aggressive in the highs to be neutral, whereas RE0 has a more neutral, more delicate and less aggressive treble IMO. I also felt that the bass on DBA-02 lacks definition compared to RE0. I know many people consider DBA-02 to have a tight low end, but personally I felt that the DBA-02 was a little flabby down there compared to RE0 or the ER4. Overall, I just felt that DBA-02 lacked refinement and subtlety vs. the RE0 - DBA-02 sounded somewhat grainy/coarse by comparison.

The decisive point for ranking DBA-02 / B2 just a little ahead of RE0 is mainly due to the fact that DBA-02 / B2 is an easier-to-drive IEM compared to RE0. That is, technically it is easier to get 100% out of DBA-02 / B2 than RE0. I do agree with you that RE0 still has one of the best treble extension and refinement, but it needs a little more power to get the bass to response right (speed and impact wise). DBA-02 / B2 might not has that good a treble, but the bass response is tighter, thus the overall distribution of sonic energy is more balanced from end to end. That is more important for me and so I rank DBA-02 / B2 just little ahead of RE0 for overall SQ.

 

[kanuka]

so clieos
any impressions about the Re272? i've read great reviews. but your opinion is one of the most expected ones
 
(yay my #600)

 

[Pianist]

Quote:

The decisive point for ranking DBA-02 / B2 just a little ahead of RE0 is mainly due to the fact that DBA-02 / B2 is an easier-to-drive IEM compared to RE0. That is, technically it is easier to get 100% out of DBA-02 / B2 than RE0. I do agree with you that RE0 still has one of the best treble extension and refinement, but it needs a little more power to get the bass to response right (speed and impact wise). DBA-02 / B2 might not has that good a treble, but the bass response is tighter, thus the overall distribution of sonic energy is more balanced from end to end. That is more important for me and so I rank DBA-02 / B2 just little ahead of RE0 for overall SQ.

 
I totally forgot that you still own the old RE0 version. The new versions sound significantly better unamped IMO with much tighter and deeper bass. I think you need to try one of the new pairs sometime! I would say that the new RE0 versions unamped sound tighter in the bass than the DBA-02 and seemingly reach deeper as well. The new RE0s also have better, more 3D soundstage with a more precise instrument positioning than the older version. I find that for the past 2-3 months I've been using the RE0 almost exclusively as my portable 'phones straight out of my Sansa Clip or Sony Walkman unamped. I really couldn't be happier with the sound these little gems deliver unamped for the price. The older RE0 was different though - I never really liked it much unamped and with some of my dance and trance music it sounded downright unacceptable in the bass. The new RE0 has a much improved low end response to these ears and that combined with the the improved soundstage now makes them pretty much unbeatable to me among universals. Only Hifiman's own RE272 sounds better perhaps, but I am still not sure if it really does.

 

[ClieOS]

Quote:

 
I totally forgot that you still own the old RE0 version. The new versions sound significantly better unamped IMO with much tighter and deeper bass. I think you need to try one of the new pairs sometime! I would say that the new RE0 versions unamped sound tighter in the bass than the DBA-02 and seemingly reach deeper as well....

Perhaps it is better, but I have just recabled my old RE0 with the better MEElec cable and I doubt I'll want to pick up a new pair any time soon.

 

[kanuka]

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