Earbuds Round-Up
Mar 25, 2019 at 10:00 AM Post #40,981 of 75,148
@ClieOS, Jim for HCK tell me you really like the SMABAT ST-10.

I'm really curious to know how they sound, especially soundstage and mids.

Can you share some impressions???

And perhaps a fast comparaison with the EBX???

Would be very appreciate man...cause these look very promising.
 
Mar 25, 2019 at 11:19 AM Post #40,982 of 75,148
Trying to decide on 1 budget bud for upcoming sale. I've already have ton of DIY goods coming my way and need to cut my expenses but also wanted to have one of currently favourite buds as reference point to my DIY attempts :)

So there's shootout:
K's 64s ($7.72)
Snow Lotus 1.0 plus CE ($10.92)
YINCROW RW-9 ($14.09)
RY4S ($8.99)
 
Mar 25, 2019 at 12:34 PM Post #40,983 of 75,148
@ClieOS, Jim for HCK tell me you really like the SMABAT ST-10.

I'm really curious to know how they sound, especially soundstage and mids.

Can you share some impressions???

And perhaps a fast comparaison with the EBX???

Would be very appreciate man...cause these look very promising.
here https://www.head-fi.org/threads/earbuds-round-up.441400/page-2729#post-14852061

Exchanged some messages with Jim through Ali after I placed my order. He said that I'll love the ST-10; probably because he can see that I am enjoying their EBX.

I've always wanted to get Svara L but it's now replaced by ST-10, so I didn't think twice and placed an order.
 
Mar 25, 2019 at 12:39 PM Post #40,984 of 75,148
Mar 25, 2019 at 1:22 PM Post #40,987 of 75,148
The Headroom MS16 arrived Friday.

The Good:
Fit - Fit is surprisingly great for my ears! They lock into place and don't fall out when walking. This is a huge plus.
Controls - for Android (LG V30) work extremely well (volume, stop/pause, etc) for my music apps and audiobook player.

The Not So Good:
Bass is flabby, but I tested it using some extreme examples. Overall the SQ is just OK. It could be what some may consider to be a "fun" sound (do to the open back?), but I wouldn't describe it as accurate sound reproduction. I didn't like how female vocals sounded.

Build: plug is fine. Cord is rubbery. I wonder how it would be in hot weather?
Good value for a $5 earbud with mic and controls. The copper wire in the cord appears to be thicker than other budget earbuds.
The shells are extremely light weight (aluminum/plastic?). If there are better sounding earbuds with the same fit I'd love to know about them!

I got a great pair of earbuds for audiobook listening, and the mic also comes in handy. These were compared to Kube v1. If this is how the Kube sounds, I'll definitely pass.


2iRpLi6g.jpg


 
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Mar 25, 2019 at 1:53 PM Post #40,988 of 75,148
Trying to decide on 1 budget bud for upcoming sale. I've already have ton of DIY goods coming my way and need to cut my expenses but also wanted to have one of currently favourite buds as reference point to my DIY attempts :)

So there's shootout:
K's 64s ($7.72)
Snow Lotus 1.0 plus CE ($10.92)
YINCROW RW-9 ($14.09)
RY4S ($8.99)

I have an old 'long cord" version of the K's 64 so can't comment on those. The k's 64 are very popular here and I'm tempted to try another pair.

Between the RW-9 and the Snow Lotus, the RW-9 is worth the extra few dollars. You won't be disappointed with either.
 
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Mar 25, 2019 at 3:58 PM Post #40,991 of 75,148
@ClieOS, Jim for HCK tell me you really like the SMABAT ST-10.

I'm really curious to know how they sound, especially soundstage and mids.

Can you share some impressions???

And perhaps a fast comparaison with the EBX???

Would be very appreciate man...cause these look very promising.

Yes, I really do like the ST-10 very much. I posted a bit about it before - it has more or less a very neutral and almost reference-like frequency response. Most earbuds are on the warmer side of the presentation with a richer, fuller tone; A small handful are on the opposite with the colder side of presentation that is detailed and bright. ST-10 on the other hand is almost right in the middle of it, neither really warm nor cold, but retains a good amount of texture and detail. To me, it is like a well-driven Etymotic ER4S gained the good soundstage of earbuds, with some of the best layering and separation I have ever heard on any earbuds. There is no one particular frequency range that stands out as they are almost in equal amount of each others - so you won't find a big amount of bass, mid or treble in quantity, but they have excellent quality nonetheless. Bass reaches down very deep, mid is clear with a slight sweetness while treble is detailed but not overly bright. Overall, I'll say it is right between a top- and 2nd-tier level of SQ to my ears. EBX is also around the same level of SQ, but it has a slightly brighter, more forwarded presentation when compared to ST-10. Between the two, my preference goes slightly to the ST-10.
 
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Mar 25, 2019 at 4:04 PM Post #40,992 of 75,148
Yes, I really do like the ST-10 very much. I posted a bit about it before - it has more or less a very neutral and almost reference-like frequency response. Most earbuds are on the warmer side of the presentation with a richer, fuller tone; A small handful are on the opposite with the colder side of presentation that is detailed and bright. ST-10 on the other hand is almost right in the middle of it, neither really warm nor cold, but retains a good amount of texture and detail. To me, it is like a well-driven Etymotic ER4S gained the good soundstage of earbuds, with some of the best layering and separation I have ever heard on any earbuds. There is no one particular frequency range that stands out as they are almost in equal amount of each others - so you won't find a big amount of bass, mid or treble in quantity, but they have excellent quality nonetheless. Bass reaches down very deep, mid is clear with a slight sweetness while treble is detailed but not overly bright. Overall, I'll say it is right between a top- and 2nd-tier level of SQ to my ears. EBX is also around the same level of SQ, but it has a slightly brighter, more forwarded presentation when compared to ST-10. Between the two, my preference goes slightly to the ST-10.

I am looking forward to the arrival of my ST-10.
 
Mar 25, 2019 at 9:24 PM Post #40,993 of 75,148
Mar 25, 2019 at 9:51 PM Post #40,994 of 75,148
Yes, I really do like the ST-10 very much. I posted a bit about it before - it has more or less a very neutral and almost reference-like frequency response. Most earbuds are on the warmer side of the presentation with a richer, fuller tone; A small handful are on the opposite with the colder side of presentation that is detailed and bright. ST-10 on the other hand is almost right in the middle of it, neither really warm nor cold, but retains a good amount of texture and detail. To me, it is like a well-driven Etymotic ER4S gained the good soundstage of earbuds, with some of the best layering and separation I have ever heard on any earbuds. There is no one particular frequency range that stands out as they are almost in equal amount of each others - so you won't find a big amount of bass, mid or treble in quantity, but they have excellent quality nonetheless. Bass reaches down very deep, mid is clear with a slight sweetness while treble is detailed but not overly bright. Overall, I'll say it is right between a top- and 2nd-tier level of SQ to my ears. EBX is also around the same level of SQ, but it has a slightly brighter, more forwarded presentation when compared to ST-10. Between the two, my preference goes slightly to the ST-10.

Well, thanks man, this look very very interesting then!

Reading this make me think of my Final Audio E4000 impressions, but with perhaps more treble extension and airier presentation....if this sound as balanced as you say, it will be a very enriching audio experience for sure!

I'm happy that they are different than EBX too, even if I adore them.

Looking fowards for this layering talent too!

:point_right::point_right::point_right::point_right:I'M EXCITED!:point_left::point_left::point_left::point_left:
 
Mar 26, 2019 at 1:06 AM Post #40,995 of 75,148
Yes, I really do like the ST-10 very much. I posted a bit about it before - it has more or less a very neutral and almost reference-like frequency response. Most earbuds are on the warmer side of the presentation with a richer, fuller tone; A small handful are on the opposite with the colder side of presentation that is detailed and bright. ST-10 on the other hand is almost right in the middle of it, neither really warm nor cold, but retains a good amount of texture and detail. To me, it is like a well-driven Etymotic ER4S gained the good soundstage of earbuds, with some of the best layering and separation I have ever heard on any earbuds. There is no one particular frequency range that stands out as they are almost in equal amount of each others - so you won't find a big amount of bass, mid or treble in quantity, but they have excellent quality nonetheless. Bass reaches down very deep, mid is clear with a slight sweetness while treble is detailed but not overly bright. Overall, I'll say it is right between a top- and 2nd-tier level of SQ to my ears. EBX is also around the same level of SQ, but it has a slightly brighter, more forwarded presentation when compared to ST-10. Between the two, my preference goes slightly to the ST-10.
Which buds you put into top tier in terms of SQ?

Can't wait for my ST-10... it's not shipped yet.
 
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