[cn11]

Quote:

Originally Posted by only500made /img/forum/go_quote.gif I started listening to the M8s yesterday and here are my initial impression: There's a good thing and a bad thing about these babies. + -is its strength in the low end part. It performs very well in presenting bass and drums. It can go as deep as you want it or if the songs asks for it. Sergio Mendez's Magdalehna sounded really good in these phones with the emphasis of the drums, etc. The bass (or any low instruments) does not drown out the song itself, it's very well separated from the other instruments-which for me as a basshead likes. - -is clarity. I'm having clarity issues with these phones so far. Alicia Keys (If I aint got you)sounds like she has a cold. I tried switching the tips from M to S for a minute and I got some clarity, but it severely lacks the low end. I tried the foams too and no change at all. Vocals seems to be like at the back (I even have my ipod set to acoustic EQ for more vocal presentation). Another issue is the electric guitar doesn't sound right to me. again, it sounds like its at the back of the song. what's prominent are the drums and the bass as I said. Other songs were: googoo dolls - Iris, Jay-Z - show me what you got I know this is just the initial part of my review and I'm aware that it should change as time moves on (and I hope it does show its clarity when Sunday hits). PS how do you guys wear these things? I didn't find any changes in wearing it the traditional way or the over the ear way (ala super fi pros). I know the memory wire serves for the over the ear way though...

I know this is a very very long thread, but much has been discussed about their burn in time. They get more refined after even 50-100 hours of use. Some have mentioned that running them overnight on medium volume with a pink noise file looped helps tremendously too. Give them time, the mids & highs are what really open up durning burn in. And keep experimenting with the different tips.

 

[meusickfrek]

Yes, yes, give them time, I've had mine for three weeks and they are sounding better and better. The bass settles (a little) and the mids and highs become more clear as c11 has stated. Soon you will have trouble doing anything because you will not want to take them out! Enjoy the transition.

 

[warrior05]

I'll chime in here as well and urge you to be patient. The M5s really do change after some time. My burn-in process with pink noise resulted in terrific SQ. Also, make sure you are achieving a very good seal. This is paramount with the M5s.

Hang in there!

 

[breezy_amar]

i was just about to get these when i heard about these new q-JAYS. they seem like they are a very good pair of earpfones (dual driver) at around the same price as the M5's. i like the size too. but im not sure if theyre as good as M5's. anyone had a chance to compare? any thoughts on the q-JAYS in realtion to M5's? cheers

 

[dfkt]

Dual armature doesn't necessarily mean it's "better" than a single dynamic driver IEM. I'm very sure the q-Jays are a completely different sounding animal than the Atrios. Armatures cannot reproduce bass very efficient (yeah, I know the q-Jays have some sort of "air chamber/bass reflex" thingie), but usually are tuned for more prominent treble. I've never heard armatures that sound "warm/laid-back/etc". It's entirely up to your taste which sound signature you like better.

Read Tbonner's Atrio review for some excellent insight into the dynamic driver vs. multi armature debate: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=239901

Quote:

I am afraid we Headfiers are being led down a marketing path that: a) Armatures are in the more expensive IEM’s and therefore must be better than dynamic drivers that are usually relegated to the less expensive IEM’s. b) The more drivers the better. 1 in the less expensive models. 2 in the midrange models. 3 and 4 in the top models. This is a tired tactic used (over the 25 years I have been following) by audio marketers to steer the sheep into an upgrade path. They take a “new” feature and tell you more is better. Two-channel stereo sound was not good enough. Then there was Quadraphonic. Now we have 5.1 sound requiring 6 amplifiers and 6 speakers. Yipes! If this path leads to better sound, I am interested. But many times the extra complexity causes us to stray from my ideal of “straight wire with gain” via a simple reproduction path. More armatures that must be squeezed into a small IEM and hang in your ear are a design challenge. Now add to this some type of crossover system that also must fit inside your ear.

 

[tstarn06]

x2 on this, and the burn-in factor. I just love the M5 sound sig, and unless I need to hear outside sounds (when I use my PK1s and an amp), I always go to the M5s. And I had the ER4Ps, but to me, they were not as smooth as the M5s.

By the way, the q-Jays are $50 more than the M5s, if you buy the latter on ebay.

 

[only500made]

Yes ladies, don't get your panties tied up in a knot. I stressed out I'll give it more time.

Listened to them again today and had Kanye's (224-320kbps)/50's (320 kbps) new album playing. The phones really pushes itself to the lowest-end and doesnt drown out the vocals, etc. I didn't try playing any songs which required clarity, I was in basshead mode today and I was satisfied. I used the bi-flange tips btw which made me look like Frankenstein.

I'm going to experiment with the foamies tomorrow even though I hate them to death (don't like putting them inside my ears).

 

[oli84]

I found that using biflanges, the bass was overpowering the rest of the sound spectrum. It sounded boomy. Try using the foamies, it balances out the rest of the frequencies

Quote:

Originally Posted by only500made /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes ladies, don't get your panties tied up in a knot. I stressed out I'll give it more time. Listened to them again today and had Kanye's (224-320kbps)/50's (320 kbps) new album playing. The phones really pushes itself to the lowest-end and doesnt drown out the vocals, etc. I didn't try playing any songs which required clarity, I was in basshead mode today and I was satisfied. I used the bi-flange tips btw which made me look like Frankenstein. I'm going to experiment with the foamies tomorrow even though I hate them to death (don't like putting them inside my ears).

 

[suba3333]

I have been waiting for sooo long for the q-Jays to come out and buy them....now I am not so sure....perhaps the Atrios are the ones I should get. I have read through most of this thread but no one seems to have used the Atrios for sports like gym and running (I know their isolating proprties make them dangerous to use in busy traffic areas). Do they stay in place when used during sports? (I really don't like the q-Jays short cable which needs the extension cable for clipping my iPod nano to the waist....the connecting plug will make the cable heavier then it needs to be)

 

[dfkt]

They sure stay in place very well - they go in deeper than many other IEMs, and with the memory wire around the ears they're pretty secure.

 

[subfocus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by oli84 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I found that using biflanges, the bass was overpowering the rest of the sound spectrum. It sounded boomy. Try using the foamies, it balances out the rest of the frequencies

This just shows how much of a personal thing the whole fit/tip issue is with the Atrios. I actually prefer the bi-flanges because I find the bass is slightly less prominent than with the foamies

(Shure olives or stock).I also find that (to my ears ) the flanges allow more of the mids/highs to shine through as well..... just goes to show how subjective this hobby is I suppose. Good to see even more people enjoying the M5 's though...still amazed I got it right with my first decent iem purchase. Still loving these little beauties

 

[breezy_amar]

im gona wait a few more days and see the reviews for the q-jays before i dicde witch to get. but its deffinatly out of atrios M5 and q- jays.

 

[suba3333]

dfkt...thanks for that. I did a bit more reading around here and have come across 1-2 posts where they mention that the wire got badly discoloured due to sweating, which I normally do during sports ....plus I live in a hot climate so I don't even have to exercise before I start sweating! Were these one offs and has the probelm being fixed with better (sweat proof) wire?

 

[only500made]

I dont feel like reading over again...

but can someone describe to me it's sound signature? maybe that'll answer my questionS.

If you ask me, it's warm and dark.

 

[indigo]

After debating between these and the Super.Fi Pros for some time, I finally pulled the trigger from road dog for $139.99 inclusive of shipping, and the Shure Foamies from Amazon, all in anticipation of the new Ipod. Am still debating whether to spring for the Super.Fi's as well.

Hopefully these will keep me happy for a looooong while cos' everytime I visit these forums after a few months, there's something new to buy!!!