The_Duke_Of_Eli
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2006
- Posts
- 2,113
- Likes
- 10
I'd like to first thank Jens and Martin for making this possible, and everyone at the meet had a good time with them, and you will be getting a call or two
. Onto the impressions
[System]
Ipod mini (FLAC)
Turbo Dock II
DIY I/C (silver?)
Little Dot Micro
d-Jays
[Build quality]
I can't comment on every aspect of the IEMs because they are pre-production, and I have been told that their y-adapter and plug will vary from the final product. I will not therefore post pictures, but the pictures on their sight do do justice to their size and looks. The actual IEMs are about the length across at their widest point of your index fingernail and as thick as the tip of your tongue. The cable is relatively thin, but still seems sturdy. I loved the staight plug, and I hope they don't go to right angle plug which really makes the cord adjustment in your pocket awkward as you have to again make a 90 degree angle with the cable in your pocket to get it straight out. I'd also like to make note of another very interesting design choice. The cable is 0.6 meteres (24 inches) long. A nice change from the 1.5m cables which can be just ridiculous for portable. Tyll at the Hamilton, Canada meet made a good point that the true minimum cable length should be able to reach your portable rig on the floor when you're sitting on a plane. He tried it and said it would probably just be perfectly sized.
[Fit and insertion]
The only tips available were the bread and butter soft rubber black tips, much like those included with Shure IEMs. I usually use medium shure foamies, but to get a good seal I found that the small tips fit best, and I've been told that the final retail product will also ship with extra small tips for those of you with very small ear canals. The insertion of these IEMs can be done just like standard earbuds, or to loop them around the ear à la Shure. I found just regular insertion the best because the IEMs are not at all heavy in the y-adapter like the ER4s which needa shirt clip to offset their weight. My kudos goes out to Jens of Sweden for designing the easiest IEM to insert that I've ever tried. With your index finger near the tip in front and your thumb on the back, the entire IEM acts as a lever for incredibly effortless insertion. Great design. I still did the ear lift to ensure the best possible fit, but no more awkard positioning.
Isolation is what you would expect from rubber tips, about 20 db, which probably seems like more with music playing. Microphonics were still an issue, but maybe just a tad better than some other offerings (E2cs).
[Sound quality impressions]
Most people at the Hamilton meet agreed with me that these are some incredibly unique IEMs. I wanted to give them a good try with many kinds of music, and the D-Jays excel at some, and some are lacking. I started out with rock music, and these really blew me away. The bass hits you first, and is right in your ears, very strong, imagine Shure E4 strong. Maybe a tad boomier, but not overly so like the Westone UM2s. They're very agressive and in your face. Not like any other budget IEM I've ever tried. These are the perfect mix of the SR-60's fun, the SR-80's bass and the MS-1's overall soundstage. Of course the soundstage is slightly compressed, but the music is so "fun" that it's forgiveable. I'm not saying that they have a real Grado soundstage, but it's closer to that soundstage then any other headphone. It really reminded me of the fun I first had with my SR-60s. Jazz was next on the block and it pulled it off fairly well. The double bass was very prominent, but not overpowering. The midrange was present, noting too special and the highs were fine but I found that they were slightly rolled off, but this was only a real problem with higher-pitched piano vocals and some trumpet solos.
The last to try which I always find difficult with IEMs is classical music. I put it primarily through solo piano music, probably the hardest music to properly reproduce, which I've only heard properly on my Etymotic ER-4s. Chopin felt slightly lacking, and I beleive that these headphone would have benefited from a bit more resolution in the higher ranges. This isn't that much of a gripe seeing the price range of these IEMs.
[Conclusions]
I felt that the d-Jays are what other budget IEMs should be like. Looking at the other budget offerings from Etymotic, Shure and UE (ER-6i, E2c, Super-fi 3 pro) I feel that instead of focusing on trying to mimic their higher-priced IEMs, they should try to do most things right within reason, and try to create a real contender, not dissapointments. The clean and prominent bass are incredible when compared to all other budget IEMs, the midrange is I would say on par with the shure E2cs and ER-6is, but I found the highs a bit too rolled off in some peices, where the ER-6is excel more. Overall, for 80$ (pre-order, check the d-Jays site), these are a great contender in the budget IEM field, and these are the only budget IEMs to date for me that do one thing right: they're really fun. I can't wait to hear the Q-Jays (the dual-driver offering coming soon from Jens of Sweden)
P.S.: I'll be happy to field some questions here if people have things to ask.
[size=medium]
EDIT! 21/08/06[/size]
Thanks to a local toronto head-fier I got my hands on some bi-flanges (etymotic ones). I shoved them on the etymotics to give them a whirl. What a world of difference. Classical cleaned up, making everything classical, even piano solos incredibly enjoyable. Female vocals are clear, and the veil over the midrange has greatly improved. This tops the E3s and UM1 handily, and gives the ER-4s and E4cs a good run for their money. Instrument seperation has improved, and the bass is the same quantity, but even clearer. Best IEMs for anyone with broken EX-71s or who discover that the KSC-75s aren't all that? Hell yes. The biflanges make them look funny, and they're harder to insert, but just buy d-jays, a pair of biflanges and never look back. Nothing bar UM2s/E5c/E500s will make you want to upgrade from them. I was sad giving up the ER-4s, but these beauties will hold me off for a long while. Beautiful. Puts anything else in the pricerange to shame.
[System]
Ipod mini (FLAC)
Turbo Dock II
DIY I/C (silver?)
Little Dot Micro
d-Jays
[Build quality]
I can't comment on every aspect of the IEMs because they are pre-production, and I have been told that their y-adapter and plug will vary from the final product. I will not therefore post pictures, but the pictures on their sight do do justice to their size and looks. The actual IEMs are about the length across at their widest point of your index fingernail and as thick as the tip of your tongue. The cable is relatively thin, but still seems sturdy. I loved the staight plug, and I hope they don't go to right angle plug which really makes the cord adjustment in your pocket awkward as you have to again make a 90 degree angle with the cable in your pocket to get it straight out. I'd also like to make note of another very interesting design choice. The cable is 0.6 meteres (24 inches) long. A nice change from the 1.5m cables which can be just ridiculous for portable. Tyll at the Hamilton, Canada meet made a good point that the true minimum cable length should be able to reach your portable rig on the floor when you're sitting on a plane. He tried it and said it would probably just be perfectly sized.
[Fit and insertion]
The only tips available were the bread and butter soft rubber black tips, much like those included with Shure IEMs. I usually use medium shure foamies, but to get a good seal I found that the small tips fit best, and I've been told that the final retail product will also ship with extra small tips for those of you with very small ear canals. The insertion of these IEMs can be done just like standard earbuds, or to loop them around the ear à la Shure. I found just regular insertion the best because the IEMs are not at all heavy in the y-adapter like the ER4s which needa shirt clip to offset their weight. My kudos goes out to Jens of Sweden for designing the easiest IEM to insert that I've ever tried. With your index finger near the tip in front and your thumb on the back, the entire IEM acts as a lever for incredibly effortless insertion. Great design. I still did the ear lift to ensure the best possible fit, but no more awkard positioning.
Isolation is what you would expect from rubber tips, about 20 db, which probably seems like more with music playing. Microphonics were still an issue, but maybe just a tad better than some other offerings (E2cs).
[Sound quality impressions]
Most people at the Hamilton meet agreed with me that these are some incredibly unique IEMs. I wanted to give them a good try with many kinds of music, and the D-Jays excel at some, and some are lacking. I started out with rock music, and these really blew me away. The bass hits you first, and is right in your ears, very strong, imagine Shure E4 strong. Maybe a tad boomier, but not overly so like the Westone UM2s. They're very agressive and in your face. Not like any other budget IEM I've ever tried. These are the perfect mix of the SR-60's fun, the SR-80's bass and the MS-1's overall soundstage. Of course the soundstage is slightly compressed, but the music is so "fun" that it's forgiveable. I'm not saying that they have a real Grado soundstage, but it's closer to that soundstage then any other headphone. It really reminded me of the fun I first had with my SR-60s. Jazz was next on the block and it pulled it off fairly well. The double bass was very prominent, but not overpowering. The midrange was present, noting too special and the highs were fine but I found that they were slightly rolled off, but this was only a real problem with higher-pitched piano vocals and some trumpet solos.
The last to try which I always find difficult with IEMs is classical music. I put it primarily through solo piano music, probably the hardest music to properly reproduce, which I've only heard properly on my Etymotic ER-4s. Chopin felt slightly lacking, and I beleive that these headphone would have benefited from a bit more resolution in the higher ranges. This isn't that much of a gripe seeing the price range of these IEMs.
[Conclusions]
I felt that the d-Jays are what other budget IEMs should be like. Looking at the other budget offerings from Etymotic, Shure and UE (ER-6i, E2c, Super-fi 3 pro) I feel that instead of focusing on trying to mimic their higher-priced IEMs, they should try to do most things right within reason, and try to create a real contender, not dissapointments. The clean and prominent bass are incredible when compared to all other budget IEMs, the midrange is I would say on par with the shure E2cs and ER-6is, but I found the highs a bit too rolled off in some peices, where the ER-6is excel more. Overall, for 80$ (pre-order, check the d-Jays site), these are a great contender in the budget IEM field, and these are the only budget IEMs to date for me that do one thing right: they're really fun. I can't wait to hear the Q-Jays (the dual-driver offering coming soon from Jens of Sweden)
P.S.: I'll be happy to field some questions here if people have things to ask.
[size=medium]
EDIT! 21/08/06[/size]
Thanks to a local toronto head-fier I got my hands on some bi-flanges (etymotic ones). I shoved them on the etymotics to give them a whirl. What a world of difference. Classical cleaned up, making everything classical, even piano solos incredibly enjoyable. Female vocals are clear, and the veil over the midrange has greatly improved. This tops the E3s and UM1 handily, and gives the ER-4s and E4cs a good run for their money. Instrument seperation has improved, and the bass is the same quantity, but even clearer. Best IEMs for anyone with broken EX-71s or who discover that the KSC-75s aren't all that? Hell yes. The biflanges make them look funny, and they're harder to insert, but just buy d-jays, a pair of biflanges and never look back. Nothing bar UM2s/E5c/E500s will make you want to upgrade from them. I was sad giving up the ER-4s, but these beauties will hold me off for a long while. Beautiful. Puts anything else in the pricerange to shame.
