GR07 vs SE215 comparison reviews / impressions

[dweaver]

Hello fellow headfi members. I am a current owner of the SE215 and quite enjoy their sound. But as always find myself looking over the fence at that "greener pasture". In this case I am wondering about the Vsonic GR07.

To start I will list what I like about the SE215 and what wish was a bit better.

Great:
Bass - I like the weight and speed of the bass. It is not to boomy nor to sharp for me.
Midrange - I love the slightly forward position of the midrange and find it a nice full sound that seems to sound good with all voices.
Treble - I like the fact it is non-sibilant and I like that it is not fatiguing.
Sound stage - I actually like the sound stage on this quite a bit. It could be a bigger but is very close to what I like. In terms of position I would liken it to being near the front of a concert but not to close (about row 10) as compared to other headphones and IEM's that place you further back but give you a larger sound field.

Good (could be a bit better):
Comfort - I find the SE 215 mostly comfortable with the iPhone cable getting the nod over the standard cable by just a smidge as it seems to fit the ear better. But do wish is was ever so slightly more comfortable in ear.
Bass/Midrange - I wish there was more texture and detail and slightly more decay without losing any weight.

OK (I would like more improvement)
Treble - this is the one area I wish for more detail and extension. The iPhone cable actually has fixed a good portion of this challenge over the original cable but still wish it was a bit better. Cymbals are just missing a bit of their sizzle and guitars never have quite enough bite.

One last point to consider is low volume listening and normal volume listening. I often listen at lower volumes because I like to protect my ears and I also am often working while listening to music so don't it to be to distracting. I know Clios has addressed this but I would like others opinions in this area as well.

So now that I have laid out what the ground work. For those of you that have both can you fill in the blanks in regards to how the GR07 does in comparison.

Thanks

 

[jackmccabe]

I have not heard the se215, but I prefer the gr-07's to the se535's, so I assume they would be better than the se215's.

 

[dweaver]

Just curious which aspects you like more with your GR07 over the SE535? I ask because I own a pair of SM3 and while they are technically superior to the SE215 I prefer the sound signature I'd the 215 because I like the bass of dynamic speakers over BA speakers.

 

[jackmccabe]

I found the gr-07 to be much more natural and it also had much better bass.
I also found the treble slightly nicer on the gr-07 for metal and rock.

 

[dweaver]

Excellent, thanks Jack, I suspect the bass of the SE215 would be to your liking because it would have some of that natural sound you like due to it's dynamic speaker. The treble on the other hand I believe is a bit of the Shure house signature so I suspect I would also like the treble of the GR07 more.
 
I am looking at this and on the cusp of ordering a pair of the GR07. I can then review them and the SE215 and then keep the pair I like the most.
 
I really do hope the GR07 is not a complete change in signature though as I do like alot of the things the SE215 does.

 

[dweaver]

To help this thread along a bit here is a quote from Clios and a link to the thread he made the comment in:
 
Quote:

GR07 is more extended at both ends, more neutral, detailed, wider soundstage, versatile at different genre, better at mid to low volume and overall more technically sufficient; SE215 is more forward, dynamic, warmer and better with vocal and mainstream music with a good punchy bass and fuller sound. It can sound good at low volume but more than often you will just want to listen to it loud. GR07 doesn't have much cons except not suitable for high volume and a little sibilant before burn-in. SE215's cons will be the fit might not be as easy or comfortable as GR07, the treble presentation is a little grainy and not technically as good sounding.

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/536342/review-vsonic-gr07-labor-of-love/225#post_7470892
 
 

 

[AngryBaconGod]

After but a few hours, so not burned in, I would characterize the GR07 as being more neutral and very slightly recessed somewhere in the lower mids or upper bass area. The mids are definitely not forward like the SE215. As I've lately listened to different 'phones critically, I've come to realize that the SE215's bass seems bloated, slow, and muddy to me. By contrast, the GR07 isn't really any of those things. Perhaps it's not super fast like the CK10, but it's much cleaner to my ears (as compared to the SE215), and balanced with the rest of the frequencies. The treble is far more detailed and with the GR07, though I wouldn't say much louder. Just clearer, and separable, if that makes sense.

I know you're looking to see if the GR07 is an upgrade to the SE215 for you, and that you are hoping that it has basically the same tonal characteristics - just better at it. I would have to say that so far, the GR07 isn't that at all. It presents a very different character - more balanced, with a slightly recessed upper bass/lower mid range. It sounds a touch thin to my ears, while the SE215 sounds a lot bloated to my ears.

Now the GR07 needs to burn in, and perhaps the mids will flesh out as it does. I certainly hope so. But even if it stays as is, for me, it's much preferred over the SE215's.

 

[dweaver]

Hmmm interesting comments AngrybaconGod. I think I will just relax on buying these for the moment then as do like what I am hearing from the SE215. But I look forward to reading more findings of yourself and others.

 

[tomscy2000]

Completely agree with these statements! If the GR07 were just a teeny tiny bit more forward in the mids, they'd be just about perfect to me. Only had about 30 sec with the 215, but the bass of the GR07 is on a completely different level.
 
Quote:

After but a few hours, so not burned in, I would characterize the GR07 as being more neutral and very slightly recessed somewhere in the lower mids or upper bass area. The mids are definitely not forward like the SE215. As I've lately listened to different 'phones critically, I've come to realize that the SE215's bass seems bloated, slow, and muddy to me. By contrast, the GR07 isn't really any of those things. Perhaps it's not super fast like the CK10, but it's much cleaner to my ears (as compared to the SE215), and balanced with the rest of the frequencies. The treble is far more detailed and with the GR07, though I wouldn't say much louder. Just clearer, and separable, if that makes sense.

I know you're looking to see if the GR07 is an upgrade to the SE215 for you, and that you are hoping that it has basically the same tonal characteristics - just better at it. I would have to say that so far, the GR07 isn't that at all. It presents a very different character - more balanced, with a slightly recessed upper bass/lower mid range. It sounds a touch thin to my ears, while the SE215 sounds a lot bloated to my ears.

Now the GR07 needs to burn in, and perhaps the mids will flesh out as it does. I certainly hope so. But even if it stays as is, for me, it's much preferred over the SE215's.

 

 

[dweaver]

Let me know if the midrange changes as I don't like thin sounding mids.

 

[dweaver]

any more news on the midrange of the GR07?

 

[tomscy2000]

My pair of GR07s are nearly fully burnt in by now at 90+ hours (although some people say wait til 200+) and the mids have improved a bit, but obviously it wasn't designed to be a mid-forward IEM. The GR07 has a pretty flat tuning, so the mids won't stick out much. In addition, they have a subtle splash of warmth. However, the overall clarity of the GR07 does helps the mids stand out; it lets your ear's natural affinity for the midrange to tune in. Regarding body -- it's not lacking -- not like some of the more analytical IEMs out there. I don't normally like thick mids though, and to me, the fullness of the mids on the GR07 is just the right amount.
 
Like I said, I had a very short time with the SE215, but the GR07s definitely have the feel of a much superior IEM in terms of tonal control and refinement. There are definitely more exciting IEMs out there (FX700 comes to mind), but if you're looking for a fairly neutral, non-fatiguing IEM that is equally good across just about every frequency range, the GR07 is an excellent choice.

 

[dweaver]

OK I guess I'm going to find out...
 
New Ebay reseller appeared and they had a "make us an offer" button so I offered $5 less than their $150 price tag and they accepted it! So I now have pair of these coming in for $145! Just hope the wife doesn't notice the dip in the account DOH!. I am hoping these will bridge the gap between the high detail but somewhat sterile sound of my SM3 and the funner but not detailed nor treble enough SE215 and if they are more comfortable then that will just be the icing on the cake. If not, the good news is I don't think I will having trouble reselling them.

 

[HynchSidrick]

hi dweaver i have both. been using both for a month now. i say gr07 beats se215 sonically speaking. based on fun listening, 215 is the way to go. midrange quality is still better on gr07 although the se215 deceives you into thinking it is better because of the forwardness. the vsonics are hard to beat for the price. the shures are very good for $99 too

 

[dweaver]

Wow I guess I got lucky, they are now selling the GR07 for $160 . So $145 shipped is not to shabby w00t.