[jinx20001]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dfkt /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have no direct A/B comparison, but I know the E2/3/4/5c from several listening tests... not my cup of coffee, like Ety phones. Too sterile, mostly, not enough listening fun in those, for my tastes. Shures conveyed no emotions, while the M5 gets my feet tapping every time. That's all I can say.

absolutely fair coment i noticed myself they had something about the sound maybe it was super warmth all over,which i like,some will not like tho as it kills some clarity,ive never been a big ety fan but they do a special job on sound giving a great amount of detail,this is partly the reason i stuck with the se530 because it gives great punchy warmth with super clean highs and smooth mids,thats due to the obvious advantage of multi drivers,like i said tho the m5 put out something special,what about them drivers im still curious as to what they do special,obviously big bass but the frequency range is the standard 20hz-20khz

 

[dealmaster00]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dfkt /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'll jump in, until Tstarn06 returns... M5: good sound across the whole spectrum, "dark" sounding, laid back, good soundstage, very good isolation (especially with Shure foamies for me) X3: lack of bass, "bright" sounding, precise, not bad soundstage, good isolation M5 remind me of the HD650 (to a certain extent) sound signature wise, X3 remind me of Ety ER-6.

Thanks for the comments!

I didn't know that the X3 had a lack of bass, I'll have to do a little more research into it...

 

[tstarn06]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dealmaster00 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks for the comments! I didn't know that the X3 had a lack of bass, I'll have to do a little more research into it...

My comments on the comparison of the X3s and the M5s mirror dfkt's. To me, the X3s eventually were too thin on the bass side, and when the M5s arrived, I just immediately connected with the M5 sig (forced me to sell my Ety ER4Ps in fact). Even moreso now with a little pink noise and extended use. I am pretty much down to the PK1s and the M5s, the former amped and the latter not amped. I might pick up a pair of PK3s (I know, I already had them and sold them) later, as a "walk around" phone that doesn't need an amp.

Of course, the X3s are only $57, and the M5s are about 3x as much. And you might be able to EQ the bass on the X3s to suit your taste.

 

[ataraxia]

I had to send the phones back because of some issues with the connection between the plastic covering the memory wire and the driver; just received my second pair a few days ago.

I plugged it into my DS lite and had to cry at how bad the sound quality was. This was of course the source. I have to damn these phones for revealing everything.

 

[tstarn06]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ataraxia /img/forum/go_quote.gif I had to send the phones back because of some issues with the connection between the plastic covering the memory wire and the driver; just received my second pair a few days ago. I plugged it into my DS lite and had to cry at how bad the sound quality was. This was of course the source. I have to damn these phones for revealing everything.

I must have terrible ears. I have AB'd the source files on my 30GB Zen Vision M with the M5s, and I really can't tell the difference on the majority of cuts (not all) at 96k WMA and 192k WMA (yes, I use the WMA format, and it sounds fine to me). I realize that might open me up for ridicule, but I have done it over and over, apples to apples, and just can't discern the difference. Using WMA is just easier for me (too complicated to explain). I do have several cuts I ripped from CDs with EAC at 192k and 256k MP3, and I also can't tell the difference between them and the 96 WMA cuts. As a result, I decided to use 96 WMA as my standard until proven otherwise. Let the insults begin.

All I can say is you must have your tunes at a really low rate, or my hearing is going down the drain. On the other hand, the M5s do sound great.

 

[ataraxia]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tstarn06 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I must have terrible ears. I have AB'd the source files on my 30GB Zen Vision M with the M5s, and I really can't tell the difference on the majority of cuts (not all) at 96k WMA and 192k WMA (yes, I use the WMA format, and it sounds fine to me). I realize that might open me up for ridicule, but I have done it over and over, apples to apples, and just can't discern the difference. Using WMA is just easier for me (too complicated to explain). I do have several cuts I ripped from CDs with EAC at 192k and 256k MP3, and I also can't tell the difference between them and the 96 WMA cuts. As a result, I decided to use 96 WMA as my standard until proven otherwise. Let the insults begin. All I can say is you must have your tunes at a really low rate, or my hearing is going down the drain. On the other hand, the M5s do sound great.

Well first of all, I believe NDS games' audio are MIDI; if not MIDI, at a very low bitrate like 96kbps. And I will tell you that the music in the game (Moero Ouendan 2 or whatever) is VERY noticeably worse than the same tunes on my computer. It's really not even a question, and I can attribute this easily to how bad the source is.

 

[dfkt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tstarn06 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Of course, the X3s are only $57, and the M5s are about 3x as much. And you might be able to EQ the bass on the X3s to suit your taste.

I tried that, with the relatively decent semi-parametric EQ on the Cowon D2, the real parametric EQs on the Trekstor Vibez and on the X5/Rockbox... the X3's don't get punchy and they don't extend deep, no matter what I tried. They started to distort first.

 

[tstarn06]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ataraxia /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well first of all, I believe NDS games' audio are MIDI; if not MIDI, at a very low bitrate like 96kbps. And I will tell you that the music in the game (Moero Ouendan 2 or whatever) is VERY noticeably worse than the same tunes on my computer. It's really not even a question, and I can attribute this easily to how bad the source is.

No doubt. I was just talking about music cuts at 96k WMA. They sound okay to me.

 

[dealmaster00]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tstarn06 /img/forum/go_quote.gif My comments on the comparison of the X3s and the M5s mirror dfkt's. To me, the X3s eventually were too thin on the bass side, and when the M5s arrived, I just immediately connected with the M5 sig (forced me to sell my Ety ER4Ps in fact). Even moreso now with a little pink noise and extended use. I am pretty much down to the PK1s and the M5s, the former amped and the latter not amped. I might pick up a pair of PK3s (I know, I already had them and sold them) later, as a "walk around" phone that doesn't need an amp. Of course, the X3s are only $57, and the M5s are about 3x as much. And you might be able to EQ the bass on the X3s to suit your taste.

OK, thanks for your input!

 

[LaBreaHead]

"has anyone compared them directly to shures lower down the line phones"

Just my E3Cs. The M5s destroy those, in my opinion (using an unamped iPod Nano as a baseline). I realize that "fullness" and bass can be misleading, but when the the M5s provide a more natural, musical sound than the E3's and do details well, I'm going to listen to those more (I haven't listened to my E3s except for short A-B sessions for over a year, which should say something).

The Shures look nicer and are smaller and somewhat more comfortable -- not a lot to say for them, considering looks don't affect the sound. Of course, the Shures above the E3 series (and their new equivalents under the new line) have a much better reputation -- perhaps it's a more interesting contest at that level.

"didn't know they can crap out of nowhere like that , that's the main reason why i didn't try the X3s"

Just about anything can ... maybe one reason why the bigger, more successful companies have such good customer service.

"im also curious as to what makes the atrio drivers so special,what advantages do they have over armatures if any??"

Something to do with not having to attempt to get crossover right -- at least that's what Future Sonics says. Without exceeding my technical ability (which is pretty minimal), I like to (very simplistically) compare my M5s to my other earphones in terms of racing cars. The M5s convey the relatively low-revving "rumble" of endurance racers, while my Shure and my much-liked Etymotics IEMs convey the higher-revving "shriek" of Formula One cars. (Similarly, I can see/hear the M5s as being less fatiguing to my ears for long listening sessions -- but there's no "veil." All this is very simplistic and subjective, of course. I love the way my M5s sound. Some might not.) It's just a different philosophy/approach, and a matter of preference for the listener.

 

[tstarn06]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaBreaHead /img/forum/go_quote.gif "has anyone compared them directly to shures lower down the line phones" Just my E3Cs. The M5s destroy those, in my opinion (using an unamped iPod Nano as a baseline). I realize that "fullness" and bass can be misleading, but when the the M5s provide a more natural, musical sound than the E3's and do details well, I'm going to listen to those more (I haven't listened to my E3s except for short A-B sessions for over a year, which should say something). The Shures look nicer and are smaller and somewhat more comfortable -- not a lot to say for them, considering looks don't affect the sound. Of course, the Shures above the E3 series (and their new equivalents under the new line) have a much better reputation -- perhaps it's a more interesting contest at that level. "didn't know they can crap out of nowhere like that , that's the main reason why i didn't try the X3s" Just about anything can ... maybe one reason why the bigger, more successful companies have such good customer service. "im also curious as to what makes the atrio drivers so special,what advantages do they have over armatures if any??" Something to do with not having to attempt to get crossover right -- at least that's what Future Sonics says. Without exceeding my technical ability (which is pretty minimal), I like to (very simplistically) compare my M5s to my other earphones in terms of racing cars. The M5s convey the relatively low-revving "rumble" of endurance racers, while my Shure and my much-liked Etymotics IEMs convey the higher-revving "shriek" of Formula One cars. (Similarly, I can see/hear the M5s as being less fatiguing to my ears for long listening sessions -- but there's no "veil." All this is very simplistic and subjective, of course. I love the way my M5s sound. Some might not.) It's just a different philosophy/approach, and a matter of preference for the listener.

Same here.

 

[druelle]

Does anybody know if the M5's have a built-in limiter, in case there's a loud burst of static or thump?

 

[Dakins]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tstarn06 /img/forum/go_quote.gif No doubt. I was just talking about music cuts at 96k WMA. They sound okay to me.

I think there is a clear difference in quality between MP3s encoded at 192kbps and 320kbps, even when they are being played on my ZVM and listening with the KSC75s. At 192kbps and below the cymbals sound unreal and unworldly.

 

[tstarn06]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dakins /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think there is a clear difference in quality between MP3s encoded at 192kbps and 320kbps, even when they are being played on my ZVM and listening with the KSC75s. At 192kbps and below the cymbals sound unreal and unworldly.

I hear you. But WMAs seem to be a higher quality at 96kpbs than comparable MP3s. I encoded the same cuts in both 192 and 96 WMA, listened to them both, and I really could not tell the difference. On the other hand, with cuts I got from others at 128 MP3, cymbals do sounds lousy. So I understand. If a cut sounds bad, I re-rip it at a higher bitrate, but I only do it selectively. But for whatever reason, WMAs sound better at 92, 128 and 192k. I've tried over and over, thinking it couldn't be, but I'd rather have more files on my ZVM, so I use 96 as my standard.

 

[allioxyzzy]

With each hour of listening these things surprise me more and more, they're glorious. It's not so much what they do for my favourite music, but what they do for the songs I don't like... I find myself listening to it just to hear what the Atrios can bring out of it (usually a lot). And the foamies haven't even arrived yet!

Absolute steal for $130.