[nightfire]

Ok, so I just got my RE0. I was really excited, because after everything I'd read, I believed this could be my portable ER-4 (which itself is too beloved, expensive, and dorky looking with the red/blue connectors to drag around everywhere).

When I first fired them up (Mixed Opeth and Metallica - And Justice for All), I was .. disappointed. They seemed to lack extension in both directions, with a brash upper mid / lower treble. I played with the various tips, checked and rechecked my seal. They were certainly bassy, but nothing like the ER-4's deep extension.

Anyway, I went through a few more tracks, leaving them playing on my desk while I took care of a few things. Now I'm not a big believer in burn/break-in, but I swear these things have transformed fairly radically.

I checked with my ER4s to make sure I wasn't just imagining it or getting used to them. They seem to have hugely opened up, and are giving my ER4s a run for the money.

They are slightly more relaxed, and don't seem quite as extended in either direction, but very close. Slightly exaggerated low mids and a touch of gruffness in this area. But other than that, outstanding.

Am I losing it, or did anyone else experience this same dramatic change?

*edit* also another strange thing. These being my first dynamic IEM, it feels so weird for the cases to be vibrating in the lows. Kinda neat actually. I wonder if this contributes to the bass sensation.

 

[sk3383]

Gord,

They absolutely changed with burn-in for me. I was also a skeptic until I experienced it myself. The low end extension, depth and weight all increase with burn-in. Soundstage also widens slightly. Nice phones for the price, no doubt.

--Shawn

 

[stonyboys]

This happened with my marshmallows. Same thing, right?

 

[nightfire]

Hmmf. I never woulda believed it before this either, but I guess count me as a believer now.

 

[ClieOS]

Give it a few more hours. While others have suggested upward to 200hrs, I will say 50hrs in total is good enough. After that change becomes much more subtle. Once you believe you have done with the burn-in period, give it a quick freq. sweep on the treble and check how far it can go. It will amaze you.

 

[nightfire]

Amazing. You're right.. the treble does extend further than the ER4's balanced armature will permit. There's marked roll off on my Etys at ~15k, but the RE0 holds strong past 16k, and I start to lose it (me or the phones?) around 17.5k.

It's strange. It's a very different presentation than the ER4s. There's a dip around 2k. The highs don't sparkle, but are unbelievably clear. I'm getting the same sensation I did with my DA10... like something was missing. But, I came to realize my DA10 was simply not distorting the extreme highs in the way I was used to.

What an amazing buy these things are. The detail is there, though they seem even more dry than the ER4.

 

[EraserXIV]

if you want a bit more forwardness and sparkle in the highs and a bit more forward mids try the foam mod on the RE0s. they really bring the RE0 more upfront and forward (almost in your face).

personally i don't like the foam mod, but some people swear by it.

 

[ClieOS]

Foam mod is a hit or miss deal on RE0 for many. It does give it a more lively presentation but it is also brighter than some people like. Foam mod is really intended for RE1, but also work pretty good with RE252.

 

[Superpredator]

You probably aren't accounting for some factor that caused you to perceive a phenomenon that my perception dictates has nothing to do with the physical properties of the earphones. You should really consider discounting your own experience and replacing it with the conjecture I've drawn from my construct system.

Just kidding. Dramatic break-in is kind of eye-opening.

 

[paulypaul]

50 hrs to 100 hrs, Amazing.
I didnt bother removing the foam, in fact i added a bit more foam in the double flange tips. Now i have them exactly how i like them. A bit more bottom kick, warmer mids & smoother highs

 

[Pianist]

My RE0s started to sound amazing after about 6-7 months of use which probably equals to over 500 hours. The low bass just came out of nowhere and the low end became much tighter overall. Also, the treble smoothed out even more. Out of the box, the treble region had a noticeable peak around 14 kHz and also a bit around 12 kHz. And like you said there was a dip at around 2 kHz. But after fiddling with the foam inside, I made my RE0 sound completely (or almost completely) flat throughout the spectrum.

Out of the stock tips, I only use the bi-flanges though. The stock single flanges are no good - they make RE0 sound too bloated in the bass and low midrange. I use UE Super.fi/Triple.fi single flange tips and they tighten up the sound a lot to my ears. The low mids and bass are no longer bloated with these tips and sound very, very nice. I also use the stock bi-flanges sometimes, when I want to 'rock out'. They give the RE0 more of a V-shaped response with emphasis on bass, low mids and upper mids, but that sounds too harsh to my ears with some sources and music and also the coloration is irritating at times. The UE tips give me the most hi-fi sound. I heard custom tips are even better - they should improve the bass extension.

 

[mark2410]

iso aside, id say the RE-0 are just better than the ER4