[JFan]

I'm trying to decide which one to buy since the left ear of my sonys died.
I usually listen to hip hop like atmosphere, aesop rock, mf doom.
Which one do you think would be the better buy?

 

[SpecterJin]

DBA-02 has better sound than TF10
The money went to sound instead of brand for DBA-02, thats why we are able to get so much performance out of it.
But its really hard getting them, demands are so high

 

[mvw2]

Totally totally different sound signatures.
 
You can't get much opposite between the two.  To even look at both together as options means you either didn't read anything about them or don't know what you personally want at all and have yet to weed out what doesn't fit your tastes.  I hate to sound mean, but they aren't comparable items in terms of the sound they both present.
 
Which one's better from a holistic standpoint?  Well personal preference will always make that answer debatable.  If I were to pick one, it would be the Triple.Fi 10 though.  From a broad capability standpoint for what I think of as an "average consumer," the Triple.Fi 10 is a more likable product and will offer more of the things an average consumer will like.  I feel the DBA-02 is more of what I'll call "specialized," and that means it will be a bit of a love-hate product.  Personal preference, I also favor the Triple.Fi 10.  Attempting to be unbiased, I feel the Triple.Fi 10 is a better sound package as a whole.  Arguing specifics, we can lean one way or the other though.  At the end of the day, personal preference rules.  Frankly, they both have shortcomings and capabilities. 
 
I would also rather suggest the RE-ZERO or Custom 3 as better general products, both better middle geared products with few shortcomings.  They both do a lot of things right, few things wrong and are not geared too funny in any way.

 

[wendell c]

Overall, if you listen to both straight up the DBA is a better sounding earphone.  My TF10 sound like crap after putting them on after the DBA.  Not really to the fault of the TF10 but the DBA is just a neutral and balanced sounding earphone that it makes the TF10 sound lacking. 
 
I am selling my DBA becuase I can't eq the bottom end to my liking. Most of my listening is R&B and Hip Hop where I just need more bass.  With the TF10 I get great bass and treble, the mids sound recessed probably due to the overemphasis of the bottom end but eq works wonders and I always bring up the midrange to balance sound more to my liking.  TF10 is fun to listen and DBA is excellent but should be geared to more critical listening.  And its too lean sounding for most Hip Hop tracks.
 
People have talked about the fit of the TF10 but I have had no issues with it.

 

[mvw2]

Better sounding is a relative term.  It's always better how?  And in that light both offer strength's a weeknesses.
 
The DBA-02 does certain things better.  It has a smoother frequency response, crisper note, and more speed.  Comparatively the Triple.Fi 10 sounds very colored, really thick in note, less crisp and detailed.
 
The Triple.Fi 10 does certain things better.  It has better texture and articulation of note, more decay and low frequency presence, better sound stage, better dynamics.  Comparatively the DBA-02 sounds lean and weak, edgy, noisy, and little sense of sound stage.
 
What's better?
 
That depends on what you want from the earphone.
 
I've used a lot of earphones and reviewed many.  As part of my attempt, I do try to be relatively unbiased and try to view the sound from a product as a sum of all parts, holistically.  A good earphone is one that has few faults, one that may not necessarily excel at anything but at the same time does nothing horrifically bad, a jack of all traits.  The DBA-02 is a product I don't really view as a jack of all traits.  It is more the one trick pony.  This doesn't make it bad.  Something like the SE530 or IE8 are the same kind of thing.  You have products that are really cool and do certain things awesome.  Yet, when you look at every aspect and try to view them as a comprehensive device, they fall short.  There is always something blatantly wrong with them, something missing.  It's not a matter of coloration, skew, or partial limitation of information.  It's worse.  It's a complete lack or inability to do some task of sound reproduction.  You have to be willing to give up that aspect completely to be willing to accept that earphone.  A jack of all traits, you don't have to give up anything.  You may not get a specialized sound, but you get a comprehensive one.
 
Unless a person is looking for a very specific sound, I will always suggest the jack of all trades as better options.  To pick a specialized earphone, you have to understand specifically what that earphone excels at AND lacks and that this fits your goals.  If you don't have a specific preference or want a broadly capable product, these specialized products are NOT good fits.  You want a jack of all trades.  You want something that does it all competently.  The RE-ZERO is a great option.  It's not amazing at any one thing, but it does basically everything well.
 
The DBA-02 is a great earphone when you want the specialized sound and performance it provides.

 

[DKaz]

I owned both the TF10 and the DBA at the smae time.  I sold the TF10, but for very specific reasons.  1) I found it very uncomfortable after 30 minutes or so.  The plastic housing would rub against my inner ear causing it to become sensitive. 2) I found the mid range recessed.  I very much prefer a flat response, maybe even a little mid focused.  The DBA delivered on both of these. 
 
The DBA is much like a dry red wine though.  It is an acquired taste.  It is also fit dependent.  If you find the right tip for you, it will bring you great joy.  It actually does have a great low end, you just have to find it.  The TF10 is much more a consumer product with it's sound signature.  The fit and mids just left me wanting though.
 
I also just received my new customs (1964-T).  It did make me realie that the DB! note was a little thin.  The TF10 is thicker, but I did find it to be borderline muddy.  The customs seem to be everything the TF10 could have been.
 
Lastly, from what I have reay, the RE-ZERO and the SW Excape would be good choices.

 

[Foress]

Anyone knows how the SM3 would compare to the DBA02s?

 

[DKaz]

From what I have read, they are almost polar opposites.  The DBA being very airy and brighter while the SM3 is thicker and warmer.  Take a look at |joker|'s reviews. Thats probably the most descriptive comparison you will get.

 

[Foress]

thanks for the tip.
any links to his thread? something's wrong with my browser resulting in this;
 
 
Quote:

The webpage at http://www.head-fi.org/user/%7cjoker%7c has resulted in too many redirects. Clearing your cookies for this site or allowing third-party cookies may fix the problem. If not, it is possibly a server configuration issue and not a problem with your computer.

 

 

[DKaz]

It's the multi-IEM review that is almost always on the first page:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/478568/multi-iem-review-152-iems-compared-woodees-blues-xears-td-iii-added-03-14

 

[mark2410]

the TF10's need a bit a power to be driven properly but once they are they have no trouble besting the dba's

 

[TobaccoRoad]

OP is a hip-hop fan, therefore Triplefi would be a better buy for him because of its emphasized frequency extension.

 

[Pianist]

Quote:

the TF10's need a bit a power to be driven properly but once they are they have no trouble besting the dba's

 
Hmm, but Triple.fi is 32 Ohms. Isn't it supposed to be easy to power with such low impedance? I don't see how it will benefit much from more powerful amps. It will certainly benefit from higher quality amps and DACs though that are better at driving low impedance phones.

 

[munkyballz]

I agree, I own both and they are completely different sound signatures.  Can't really say which one is "better", since that is relative to a listener's mood, signature preferences, and music collection.  But for the OP, since you said you were into hip hop, I think you would be a lot more satisfied with the TF10's rather than the dba's. 
 
Not to say the dba's do badly with hip hop, they are fine, but if you're just starting to get into the musical chairs world of hi-fi IEM's, I think overall you will be happier with the sound signature of the TF10's since they offer a more consumer friendly sound and that extra "oomph" and poppy, thickness to the bass (versus the dba's), and overall great sound in its own right, especially if you can get a good fit and amp it.

 

[JosephKim]

I think there is a 'better' in the sense that some headphones reproduce music in the way it was intended better. If you wanted more bass and you had a perfectly reproducing IEM, Id say it wouldnt be the fault of the IEM but what was in the studio. But of course people prefer different sound signatures, and in that sense there is no way to describe 'better'.