[tinyman392]

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I too am eagerly awaiting user comments about the new improved NE-700X/M.

I'm also wondering how you can tell whether a retailer is selling the new version or the old version.

 
The new version has more of a matted design, it's not longer shiny.  The remote and mic has changed (if you look at the M model) and the headphone jack comes in at a 90-degree.  The Y-splitter is now all rubber as well (the old one had a bit of metal in it if memory serves).  The box will also say it's "Improved" as well.  I hope this is enough detail to allow you to distinguish them  I have had a chance to listen to them.  I don't have my old 700s any longer, so comparisons made in my upcoming review are from memory (may not be valid).  

 

[jasonl]

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I too am eagerly awaiting user comments about the new improved NE-700X/M.

I'm also wondering how you can tell whether a retailer is selling the new version or the old version.

We use different UPC code. 
We built our reputation on sound quality so it is better.  One of the main reason we re-introduce NE-700* is to improve the reliability and build quality. But we also improved the sound as well.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

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Maybe you can help me (I started a thread elsewhere but this is a direct question regarding Nu-Force). I love my NE-6s and want to upgrade to something that's warm in overall presentation, good bass but not overwhelming, and doesn't sacrifice the high ends. What I love about the NE-6 is that I feel like I could wear them all day - they are comfortable and nice and easy on the ears, but still with plenty of "oomph" and a nice controlled sound and musical presentation. 
 
My question is, if I want to stick with Nu-Force, which of the two - the 700 or 770 - would basically be the best upgrade from the NE-6, where my goal is to essentially replicate the NE-6 sound but upgrade it all around? How does the 600 fit in? 
 
That's what I'm basically looking for - the ne-6 sound and feel, upgraded all around but not radically different.
 
Thanks, I appreciate your time.
 
MrMonte

 
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Has anyone heard the new/improved version? I've got a pair of the NE-7M's that are still going strong, just wondering if it would be worth an upgrade.

 
Quote:

We use different UPC code. 
We built our reputation on sound quality so it is better.  One of the main reason we re-introduce NE-700* is to improve the reliability and build quality. But we also improved the sound as well.

 
I've been sick for several weeks, and spent part of last week and Easter in the hospital, so I haven't been posting much and I'm sorry.
 
I still think the "new improved" NE-700M are a little more "audiophile" the 2 pair of NE-770X that I have.  The NE-770 are a little more forgiving of poor recordings or gear, and a little more forward in the vocals, but the NE-700M still has a little bigger soundstage and deeper detail levels.  They're clearly above the NE-6 and NE-7M which were the same IEM with and without a Mic.
 
Switching between the NE-770 and original NE-700 had me thinking the NE-700 had a little bit of a recessed midrange, and I liked the NE-770 mids more.  But I don't have that feeling of recessed mids with the new improved NE-700M, so I think the midrange is slightly fuller and more coherent.  It's not as forward as the NE-770X, but it strikes a nice balance and is improved over the original.  As you know I previously preferred the NE-700 and NE-770 over various MP4 nation IEM in a similar price range, although they are all on a similar level.  
 
The overall sound signature of the NE-700M isn't changed much, but if you like them and want better mids then consider moving to the new NE-700M or the NE-770X, depending on what else you want in addition to the mids.  The NE-770 might still have a little more mid bass impact and upper bass presence.  If you want the extra detail and air of the NE-700 along with the improved midrange, then the newer NE-700M are the ones to pick.
 
The NE-600 that was asked about are more of a "Fun" earphone that easily beats the Skullcandy Ink'd and Smokin Buds, or the UE 200 vi, and RHA-350, or other $20-$40 IEM, etc.  It's not as accurate as the NE-770 or NE-700, but it's pretty enjoyable after you've "burned in the bass" with a couple hundred hours of music.  I had some pre-production NE-600 that I was not as happy with as the pair I bought from Amazon much later, and my review of the NE-600 and the replacement pair is in the NE-770 review thread.  I may a link to that in this thread or on my public profile page.  
 
Since then I've bought a third NE-600 from Amazon after I gave my second pair to one of the kids.  We don't use the Skullcandy, Sunrise Audio, MP4 Nation, RHA, or UE IEM around here anymore.  For an inexpensive "wont break the bank if we lose or break it" IEM we have been using the NE-600, NE-770, and NE-700.  So far none have broken, unlike the Skullcandy which disintegrate after 3-7 months.  I have a zip-lock baggie full of broken skullcandys.
 
I also really like the V-MODA Vibrato I picked up at RMAF last October as a $100 used demo pair, but I haven't had time to compare them to the Nuforce at all.  At $129 they cost about 2x the NE-700M and I can't say they are worth 2x the money, but I have little to complain about with their sound.  Those remind me of a Monster Turbine Pro Gold with better treble detail.

 

[MrMonte]

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Finally sound (purely an novice's audio impressions) - I consider these the NE-6 on bass steroids. The sound is excellent if you like an IEM tilted toward the bass end. If you prefer crystal clear mids and highs then you might want to look elsewhere.  That's not saying the NE-700x's high and mids are bad, it's just an IEM whose strength is bass. The sound IMO is easily equal to the Visang R03 with superior bass. I'm very pleased with their sound. To sum up if you want an affordable, tough as nails, bass heavy IEM then Nuforce 700X are exactly what you are looking for.

what if you want really strong bass, AND "crystal clear mids and highs" for under a hundred bucks? Where would you go then??

 

[moleface]

About the bass on these -
 
The fit has a lot to do with it. When I was using a bi or triflange, they were so overly bassy that I considered them to be almost unlistenable - and this is coming from someone who loves bass. Once I experimented with a bunch of different tips and found a single flange that worked for me, they sound fantastic.
 
They have a dark sound overall, which makes them tend to sound muffled to me if I'm coming from a very trebly headphone. But once I've used them for awhile, I really start to appreciate the strong mids compared to a lot of the more overtly v-shaped signatures of the lower priced bassy IEMs I'm used to. I just recently took them out after not using them for a year, and I'm really falling in love with their sound again. The guitar texture on modern hardcore and metal albums sounds amazing on these, and the bass really enhances electronic and hip hop.

 

[Grayson73]

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We use different UPC code. 
We built our reputation on sound quality so it is better.  One of the main reason we re-introduce NE-700* is to improve the reliability and build quality. But we also improved the sound as well.

What are the UPC codes of the new NE-700X and NE-700M?

 

[Iken]

I like the sound on these but need to test one more thing so if someone with new improved NE-700x can make a frequency response curves grapf for these and post it here?? Cant find this on web and I dont have the skill...Pls..

 

[Grayson73]

I got the new and improved NE-700X and it is very good.  Might be the best $50 IEM out there.  Still comparing to my Zero Audio Carbo Tenore

 

[Iken]

Well i burned these like 50h and I still prefer the sound on mh1c then 700x.. so much easier to listen and drive and more natural overall... 

they are not bad but not better either for me...

 

[ezas]

Bumppy bump: Never too late for a listening review right?
 
 
Short version. I love these, and at $65 I'm not going to cry myself to sleep when I lose them (which I have a bad habit of doing). I don't find myself wishing for better for how I use them, which is only on the go.
 
I mostly listen through an android phone that is hacked to enable the onboard dac, bypass the analog circuit, and enable some other hi-fi tweaks. I also listen through a rockboxed Sansa Clip. Interestingly on the the android I find myself rolling off the bass just a bit, and on the Clip I gets bumped just a bit. Which tells me the bass is just about where it should be for my tastes. I never feel a need to touch any other eq bands. But if someone said you can't tweak the bass, I'd still be very happy with the bass. Just a touch of boom which is what I wanted over just a touch shy of boom.
 
These are the phones I have had. 
 
Skull Candy Titan - For me the best bass sound, tight punchy. Really make me get into the music. I like them for working out but rarely use them for that, choosing the better balanced GR99
Vsonic GR99 - very nice balanced sounding for $20ish dollars - I keep these around for spares
Vsonic VC02 - Great sounding, but not a lot of bass. Nice extension without getting tizzy.What bass that was there was very good. My favorite phones in this list, BUT i'm a sucker for kik drum and electric bass and these don't get it done. (my brother plays both and I did live sound so I have a pretty good point of reference)
Vsonic VSD1 - nice sounding, if somewhat dry. It didn't make me get into my music, nothing really wrong with them, nothing really right.
Brainwaves S1 - These were my least favorite by far, mostly because of the over emphasized bass. (I tried lots of tips and various amounts of EQ)
 
Nuforce:
 
I have had these two months with close to daily use with 192k Ogg rips to 320kb MP3 and some FLAC and online streaming steaming of mostly Pandora at 192k and Spotify at 320k. 
 
First a 'ding': None of the tips were comfortable for me/gave me a good seal. I ended up with some short/fat tips from my Vsonic's. For me the lack of a better selection of tips (in light of what you get with Vsonic's) was a 'ding' for me. I tried them with Comfy's but I'm just not a Comfy guy.
 
On to the good:
 
Fundamentally no microphonics, or hearing footsteps worn up or down. Tangling is about average. Not a lot of strain relief and thin cable but I'm pretty careful and not one little crackle yet.
First phones I could wear on my side with my head on a pillow.
 
I love the red marker on the right phone. No more finding my glasses to find some little 'r' stamped somewhere. I also like the rubber ring around the body. A nice little grip for pulling them out.
 
listening:
 
Overall: I feel like I'm hearing what the engineer was going for first time I felt this way from the list of phones above.
 
Some random impressions
 
They render drums very nicely a weak spot in all the above phones
Cymbals sound good (you can hear a little bit of metal not just tsk tsk tsk)
Distorted electric guitar sounds really good
Good highs without being hissy or tizzy or fatiguing
Forgiving of poor source material/equipment
Respond to EQ'g nicely
Nice natural sound stage and good separation between instruments, plenty of 'air' around the instruments. Maybe not the widest or the deepest but that's not my thing.
Nice bass extension and bloom with out being ridiculous and drowning out the mids so kick drum and electric bass guitar still sound good.
 
A few random thoughts:
 
My one criticism is they lack a tiny bit of weight in the Mids(?) Think  lower registers of the male voice, upper notes of the cello. Not to the point of being a fault (for me) but it's about the only thing I find myself wishing there could be a bit more of. But this is getting super picky. In all male vocals sound good, accurate, good chest sounds.
 
Are they the most revealing, like hearing a singers tongue hit their teeth? Every spring on the bottom of the snare drum? No.  But It's not torture to listen to poorly recorded music or through poor upstream equipment. Just nice accurate middle of the road sound reproduction. I don't find myself wishing for more, bass or for more treble extension (well sometimes a little, but I also don't want to give away the forgiving nature of these)
 
I find myself listening to music more since I got them, which didn't happen with the phones above, and I find myself wishing Nuforce made a next step up in IEM's for me to try.