[sifka4]

Hey guys...what do you think I should do here?
 
I ordered a pair of Hippo VBs a month back because I heard they were great for bass.  I found out this was true...except mainly in one ear only.  The sound seemed to be off in an odd way, where bass was more prominent on one side, mids seemed to be better on the other, and highs seemed to be normal.  I kept the IEMs for a few weeks to really make sure it wasn't all in my head and decided there was a slight issue.  They went back and a replacement came REEEEALLLY FAST, major kudos to UncleWilson.
 
I tried the new pair for a few minutes with my Comply foam tips and these ones are even worse!  The right sound seems all around quieter than the left side.  Now I know you guys might just say it's my head, but even with switching ears the problem stays with the IEM.  I am burning them in hoping that the sound will even out, but the difference seemed too great to be fixed by some music.
 
What would you guys do in this situation?  I haven't emailed UW yet about the replacement pair...would you ask for another replacement with the chance of it being no better than the first or second set, or would you request a refund and try something else?  I really want the bass that these deliver, and after some research it seems that nothing comes close at this price point.
 
Thanks.

 

[JxK]

Try one more replacement first. If they fail again, then just go ahead and get a refund.

 

[sifka4]

Well, I've got an update folks and I need some more advice.
 
After I sent the horrible pair back, they sent me a replacement that was similar to the first pair I bought.  Not terrible, but slightly unequal.  I noticed something: when I place the good sounding side in my ear, I get a slight crackle of the driver which lets me know there is some pressure in my ear and things are sealed up.  When I put the bad sounding side in my ear, no crackle whatsoever.  You can induce the crackle on the driver with ever so slight suction from your mouth, and no air should flow through assuming the IEM is constructed properly (front and back compartments are sealed from each other, right?)  Turns out when slight suction is applied to the bad side, a noticeable amount of air flows through which tells me it is not sealed properly.  The air is not coming in through where the cable enters the IEM, it is definitely from the rear of the driver to the front.
 
This to me would explain why the one side sounds slightly less punchy and is quieter overall.  I mean, do you guys agree that a driver where the front wave and back wave are isolated will have greater fidelity and output?  I would think that low frequencies would be attenuated in a lossy "box" like this, and it is the lack of punchiness of the lows from the one side that stood out to me.  This is the third pair of Hippos Ive gotten from them and I've been without usable IEMs for quite some time.  What would you guys do at this point?

 

[JeFFz]

Hmm three defective pairs? Not so sure about that.
 
But well did you make sure you had the same bass adjustment disk on both your sides? Placing the ear tips too in or out might make a difference too. 

 

[sifka4]

Yes, same bass plates have been on all pairs.  The problem is obvious because it follows when the IEMs are swapped between ears.

 

[JeFFz]

I guess what you can do is either do one last replacement, if uncle wilson allows, if not return it. Guess your pretty unlucky with those 3 pairs.

 

[doradhorror]

I have a Hippo VB and am also disgusted with the build quality. Both sides came loose and required super glue. The left earphone was slightly louder than the right. Also, whenever I tilted the left earphone forwards, the volume would decrease. A simple look inside showed the horrible wiring of the earphones. I would not recommend buying VBs with such terrible build quality.

 

[vfeezy11]

I'm a long time lurker but I had to sign in and add. I've returned 3 pairs of Hippo VB to uncle wilson's for the exact same reasons. I will not ask for a refund or even complain anymore. I am completely done with them. I cannot understand why the quality is so poor. It's sad really because these iem's sounded great when it actually worked.
 
Now that I got that off my chest, any suggestions for something similar to the VBs? Obviously build quality is a must now, but I would like something with similar sub-bass. Any help is appreciated!

 

[jammerlee711]

why don't you give fischer audio a try?? i own silver bullet from FA...they sound very spacious and balanced..the bass are controlled and not in -your-face type..given it's price it is a very good pair of  IEM other than the FA eterna
the most important of all..it is made of  ALUMINIUM! 
under my torture (just put them into my pocket when not in use..i did accidently hv them under my laptop when i put my laptop onto my table)...they stayed alive and sounds better day by day...