Earsonics SM64: The Impressions Thread

[AmberOzL]

Quote:

My problem is, that I'm still struggling between buying an Arrow 4G to use it with my Cowon J3 OR waiting for the Fiio X3 with it's built-in amp :/ Would be a bit more portable than the J3+4G combo I think, but on the other hand I "fear" that it might not sound as good.
Man, this hobby is nervewracking.

Wait for X5 or DX50 maybe.

 

[Tom Yum Goong]

Hmm maybe I'll buy an Arrow 4G and then sell both J3 and 4G to buy a X5/DX50 if they get great reviews :/
I really want to get the full potential out of my beloved SM64

 

[muzic4life]

That twag v3 cable looks so darn sick !! The sound is MUST be good with sm64

 

[Oof Oink]

PSA: Attention all SM64 owners. If you're encountering any difficulties achieving a proper fit or seal, don't lose hope. There's a quick and easy, permanent workaround. All you'll need is a set of ear guides, which will enclose the cable just as it exits from the earphones, and securely hooks the cable around the contour of ones ears. In my case, I'm using the ear guides from my GR07 MK II's (shown below), but I'd imagine most any ear guides should do. Makes a world of a difference, when using the stock double-flange silicone tips. Without the ear guides, I found myself fiddling with the fit far too often. With the ear guides in place, I can laugh, chew, cracked a smile, do whatever I please, and the seal isn't affected one bit.

 

[noluckboi]

I'm considering a re-cable myself. Any updates, Audiowood?

On another note, for those that were curious to know how well the SM64 pairs with the Headstage Arrow 4G, I'll just say this much. Instead of boring you with the details, I know of no other in-ear I've owned that scales this well with the Arrow 4G. The treble and bass boost give a whole new meaning to the SM64. I really can't stress that enough. It's by no means a subtle improvement. The difference, especially with regards to the treble, is quite significant, and exceeded my every expectation.

Even when set to the highest treble boost (setting II), the SM64 retains its polite treble response, and remains free from any unwanted sibilance/harshness. Pretty extraordinary. Unfortunately, having heard this combination, I'm afraid there's just no reverting back to the stock sound signature, at least for me personally. Fortunately, my Arrow 4G has been my primary portable rig for quite some time now, paired with the ODAC, with my S3 as the source. Paired with the SM64, it's what I'd consider the absolute perfect, truly portable audiophile rig.

When the Arrow 4G is removed from the equation, the SM64 returns to its pleasantly warm and dark nature. Not by any means a con, but in my case, the added air and sparkle the Arrow 4G offers is much too significant for me to ignore. That's all for now.

Nice looking cable! I haven't got the chance to try out whiplash cables but I have made a purchase for the toxic virus hybrid cable. It's gonna be a blind purchase o I hope it will sound good. I will chime in when I receive the cables.

 

[Audiowood]

Nice where did u get this ear guide from?

 

[Audiowood]

I am still waiting for the cable to ship.. The maker forgot about my order but has since apologize for the delay and promise to ship asap. To be honest, I too forgot that I made that order too.

 

[noluckboi]

Let me share my impressions with some toxic cables I have auditioned. I wrote this in another forum so let me just copy and paste it over here. My apologies if there are any grammatical errors as I wrote this text on my phone and it's quite hard to proofread and edit again.


So I met up with Joe this afternoon at amk hub to demo his 3 Toxic cables and I thought maybe I should just share my impressions. First and foremost, thank you Joe for taking the time to come down and meet me. He's a really nice and very down to earth fellow!

Do note that since I didn't spend a long time auditioning the cables, my impressions for them should not be so heavily regarded. As always, sound is subjective and I do not possess a musician's ear. However, I do have a high standard when it comes to the enjoyment of my music.

I started with the silver poison cable before going to the scorpion. Following which I switched back to my stock es2 cable before trying out the viper and the silver poison once again.

My source is a hm602 with a SM64 v1. My previous IEMs and headphones include the RE272, Westone UM2, UM1, Westone 3, HE5. I still own a re262, LCD2 and a Sony z-1000. I feel that every IEMs and headphones have their own unique quality to it which makes all of them so special. But it's another thing altogether when it comes to appreciating that unique sound signature.

FWIW, I find the scorpion cable to be best suited for my v1 sm64. For those who are not familiar with this IEM, there are two versions to this Earsonic earpiece. I had a good one week and more to try out the v2 and v1 before deciding on getting the version 1 and my impressions of these two earpieces mirror the rest of the other user's opinions in headfi. v1 has bigger and stronger bass, especially the sub bass, thinner and more recessed mids, and more aggressive forward sounding highs as compared to the 2nd version. The Sm64 v1 has quite a bit of sibilance as compared to the 2nd version due to their sparkly highs and they do give me a pretty bad headache sometimes. But it's so addictive! When I tried the cables, I was already looking for one that will bring out the mids and tame the highs. I knew it will be the copper cable and the scorpion did not disappoint. It did well to control the highs and the mids. Vocals were noticeably more forward sounding, rounded and thicker. It sounded a lot sweeter as well, and I would go as far as to say it's more so than the re262. Highs felt more controlled too and I didn't hear some of the sibilance as when I did with the stockI cable. The silver poison and viper on the other hand didn't impact the mids to my liking. They didn't change the mids of my sm64 too much. That's not to say they are bad though. They somehow managed to control the highs too. Songs from Norah Jones, Eva Cassidy and A Fine Frenzy didn't sound as sibilant as before. I know because I tried my stock cable again. That pretty impressive for a silver cable because it's emphasis is usually on a cleaner output which makes all the frequencies sound clearer and lighter. I wanted to see if the silver poison would interest me one more time so that I will go for the silver widow if it really did. Fortunately it didn't so at least I know I will be able to save some money if I ended up getting a toxic cable. Unfortunately, I didn't test enough genres to compare the bass for all 3 cables though.

My interest currently lies with the scorpion and the new hybrid.

Right now I'm just waiting for more information on the hybrid. Joe said he will enquire and let me know. I think these are my two choices now. I just hope that the scorpion or the hybrid won't cause the bass of the Sm64 to be overpowered if I end up purchasing either one. But I will definitely read up on more reviews to make an informed decision.
 

 

[muzic4life]

The memory cable just doing fine with me. What bothering me though...is the biflange tip. Somehow they fit not quite snug into my ears unless i push again and again until i get a good seal. The shure's olive tip can do better...but is shorter..so i need to push it more deeper into my canal and so the housing caused the pain during long listening....i guess i just have to be happy with the biflange tips for now.

 

[wormsdriver]

^I just bought some Westone tips (Westone TRUE-FIT + STAR Fit Kit). They work great with my Sm3's and will work great on my Sm64's (when I get them next week

)
 

 

[Oof Oink]

Nice where did u get this ear guide from?

They came with my GR07 MK II. If anyone knows of any source where ear guides can be purchased separately, please share.

@noluckboi: thanks for the impressions! Sounds quite promising. And thank you for reassuring my decision on purchasing the SM64 V2, and not searching for the V1 instead. I heavily favor the presentation of the V2, as you've just now described it, and the Headstage Arrow 4G is more than capable of bringing out the best in the V2's treble, without any unwanted sibilance/harshness.

@muzic4life: I know exactly what you mean. I initially had a hard time settling on any other tips, and there is definitely a learning curve involved with the stock biflanges. What works for me is to wear them similar to how they say you should wear and remove customs. In other words, before I wear them, I tilt them forward, and then twist them backwards, until they simply lock into place. This way, the double flanges just seem to seal themselves. Then again, maybe I'm just lucky in this instance. Anyways, try and see if it works for you as well. I've ways read that fit and seal means everything with earphones, so make sure that spend some time finding what works for you.

 

[Oof Oink]

wormsdriver, those look really nice. How much did they cost you, and did you receive as many tips as that picture shows? I might give the longer length ones a go, but I wouldn't be interested in the others. I've tried rolling quite a few tips with the SM64 now, and, in my case, they only seem to work well with long tips.

 

[muzic4life]

@nolockboi
Very good impressions. I think you almost cover everthing about the v1. I also found the sound was addictive when i still had my v1. But then i started to find out ways to tame the highs and bring the mids more forward. That time i was just about to place my order for cable to get the sound exactly as u would expect for now. But until i tried my v2....then i realised the v2 is more to my liking without the need of hunting down the right cable to go with. And i also agree that the bass on v1 is somewhat deeper also wider but in overall sound v2 is thicker and feels like it has more body to the whole sound which i like.

Anyway...nice review ! I hope u enjoy your sm64 even more along your journey.

Cheers.

 

[wormsdriver]

Quote:

wormsdriver, those look really nice. How much did they cost you, and did you receive as many tips as that picture shows? I might give the longer length ones a go, but I wouldn't be interested in the others. I've tried rolling quite a few tips with the SM64 now, and, in my case, they only seem to work well with long tips.

the cost was $14.99 with free shipping from sonicelectronix ebay store(in US). I bought this "starter pack" (pictured above) to see which size/color I needed and to see which was better for me (foam/silicon). Also, they sell them in 10-Pack (5-Pairs) for $14.99 for all additional sizes and choice of foam/silicon.
I would recommend the long foam ones, they seem like they'll hold up better than the comply foams do.

 

[muzic4life]

Quote:

They came with my GR07 MK II. If anyone knows of any source where ear guides can be purchased separately, please share.
@muzic4life: I know exactly what you mean. I initially had a hard time settling on any other tips, and there is definitely a learning curve involved with the stock biflanges. What works for me is to wear them similar to how they say you should wear and remove customs. In other words, before I wear them, I tilt them forward, and then twist them backwards, until they simply lock into place. This way, the double flanges just seem to seal themselves. Then again, maybe I'm just lucky in this instance. Anyways, try and see if it works for you as well. I've ways read that fit and seal means everything with earphones, so make sure that spend some time finding what works for you.

Good idea ! I might try it later. Thanks for the info 

 
 
Quote:

^I just bought some Westone tips (Westone TRUE-FIT + STAR Fit Kit). They work great with my Sm3's and will work great on my Sm64's (when I get them next week

)
 
 

And this could be the answer i been looking for ! I will check with my local dealer for this