[lewislink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tstarn06 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Unless, of course, Amazon winds up not honoring the price, which I doubt will happen, but you never know.

That's highly unlikely with Amazon. That would happen with eCost and maybe other low life companies but Amazon is top tier and top notch...as long as a person buys from Amazon the seller and shipper.

 

[tstarn06]

Agree, as a major Amazon buyer. I once got a refund on a MS Zune80 GB 4 months past the refund date because of my record as a customer. Of course, I immediately bought a new Zune (the screen cracked without much reason, and MS does not cover the screen as part of its warranty. Zune owners should know that).

So Amazon is the go-to place when it comes to customer service on a mass market level. No doubt.

 

[spleisher]

For what it's worth, I just paid $175 through our corporate account from Dell for the X10's. I'm not sure if anyone out there deals with Dell for IT stuff, but I thought it was a pretty good price. Got them for $195 with including tax and next day shipping!

 

[tstarn06]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spleisher /img/forum/go_quote.gif For what it's worth, I just paid $175 through our corporate account from Dell for the X10's. I'm not sure if anyone out there deals with Dell for IT stuff, but I thought it was a pretty good price. Got them for $195 with including tax and next day shipping!

Great price, but not available for private citizens. What's the return/refund deal? With Amazon, it's pretty simple, just in case.

 

[spleisher]

I suppose I'd just call my Dell rep and tell them to process a RMA if I decided to return.

While not technically available to private citizens, it's not that tough to get a Dell account. You might even be able to call their main sales line and haggle with whatever sales rep you get. They're used to working on slim margins, so you never know.

 

[tstarn06]

I think I already have an account (we've bought many Dell PCs over the years), but not sure it's a corporate account. Thanks for the tip. I will check it out, but probably stay with Amazon, since I am not in a hurry.

 

[lewislink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tstarn06 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think I already have an account (we've bought many Dell PCs over the years), but not sure it's a corporate account. Thanks for the tip. I will check it out, but probably stay with Amazon, since I am not in a hurry.

You might want to rethink that. They are sounding very good. And I believe they are going to prove very worthy of the acquisition. I wrapped them over my ears and this pointed them a little differently and made a big difference, to me anyway.

I may look a little like Spock, in both ears, when he was doing something where he had the headset looking device in the left ear, but that's okay. I have great tunes.

They're definitely not bright in the mids and high, like some are to the point of piercing the eardrum, and the bass seems well controlled. The upper bass has a slight amount of color and a portion of the mids, maybe around the low side of the mids, is a little colored but this is being very critical and picky. Detail is great. The highs are very crisp and clean but the mids seem to be slightly grainy and blooming. Definition is outstanding, the various instruments are clearly defined. The lower mids, although pretty much up front, aren't overpowering the upper mids and lower highs. I think the lower mids are a little muddy, maybe.

 

[tstarn06]

I am still getting them, but waiting for Amazon to ship. I am perfectly fine with the Sleeks in the interim. Sounds interesting. Can you explain how you got the olives on the X10s? Stretching the tube? Elnero says it's not easy, if doable at all.

 

[lewislink]

Hmmm...they're a little tighter than the Complys to get on but I wouldn't say difficult. I normally just put them on with a little bit of a twisting move, like I'm trying to screw them on, but nowhere near that actual amount of twisting.

I find trying to get one of these olives onto the stem of the iM-616/716 phones to be much more difficult than getting them on these Images. The nozzle is just about exactly like the Custom series nozzles, except these look like metal.

 

[lewislink]

These Images don't have the soundstage or clarity of the Triple fis. I've been switching back and forth between them and the Images are actually giving me a much better appreciation of the Triples. With the Triples, the sound is right there like you can reach out and touch it. These Images, the sound isn't as forward, the soundstage not as defined.

 

[tstarn06]

Guess I will see what I think, and if they don't surpass or at least match the Sleeks, back they go. I want a second pair of quality IEMs, and it may be the Triples some day, but not now. Maybe if they too come down to earth price-wise. Channum and a couple of other Head-Fiers prefer the value of the Sleeks over the Triples, and I understand their reasoning. Plus, I like the wireless feature that will be coming with the Sleeks.

 

[lewislink]

I thought about trading for some Sleeks at one time but backed out it because I felt they were too new. The current model is the first and only model they've had since establishing and I have bad feeling about first fruits.

 

[tstarn06]

Yeah, understand. But they do sound sweet.

 

[epithetless]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tstarn06 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yeah, understand. But they do sound sweet.

Agreed. Knowing you've gone through many of the same acquisitions as me (the Atrio m5, AH-C700, and SA6), I'm really curious to hear what you think of your X10s when they finally arrive, tstarn06. While I found a lot to like about the X10s during my month with them, I wound up favoring my Sleeks, especially after the the bass+ pinhole mod lessened the gap between their bass presentations. The clincher that made me send the Images back was the slightest touch of sibilant harshness that the Sleeks lacked (while having superior mids and highs)...Since I know you sold your C700s due to a treble harshness that I heard with them as well, I'm very interested in seeing if you detect any sibilance with your X10s. It's kind of a puzzling phenomenon, actually, since the Image sound signature as a whole is pretty warm and smooth, which I tend to prefer...Maybe my ear canals are simply shaped wrong (as resonant chambers go) for their treble tuning while the Sleeks are tuned just right? Honestly, the recent price drop makes me want to give them another chance. Grrrr, head-fi, grrr.

 

[tstarn06]

Since Amazon isn't shipping for a while, it will be some time before I can provide the feedback. And believe me, if the Images aren't at least as good as the Sleeks, I won't keep them (and either way, I am keeping the Sleeks). Yes, we do suffer from the same disease, no doubt. And the same tastes. Now, time to walk the dog and pop in the SA6s. I will have a comparison when the X10s arrive.

Update: Today, I got an email from Amazon saying my order is going to ship sooner than later, and I can expect them on Aug. 26. Wow, a quick turnaround based on initial estimate. I toyed with the idea of canceling the order and sticking with the Sleeks and 716s as my two IEMs, but decided to check them out anyway, out of curiosity. Again, if they are as good as some folks say, then I may keep them as complementary to the Sleeks, Also, much depends on comfort and use of foamies with the X10s. I am just not a silicone sleeve fan, no matter how much people love them. Right now, with the olives, the Sleeks are as comfy as any universal fit IEMs I have ever tried. In other words, comfort/SQ balance will be tough to beat.