just a quite update on my experience with the B3s:
despite the good fit i had with the small-sized stock tips, i switched over to the foam tips provided just to see if it would get better, and it did!
my review a few days back mentioned that the B3s were a little towards the warm/dark (still waiting for some clarification ^) side. the foam tips changed that completely. it definitely leans more toward an the airy/open tone now, though not signficantly so. upon examining both tips, i suppose some part of it has to do with the foam tips being slightly wider in diameter. it was also much easier to put on as compared to the original small-sized tips which i had to practically jam up the thick top portion of the nozzle.
i'm not sure if the following is a result of that, but the bass now also seems slightly reduced, in quantity at least, whereas the detailing/ clarity is also a tad better. again, i'm not sure if this is the right phrase for description, but the overall sounds seems 'cleaner'.
on the overall, i think i will stick to the foam tips as i like it more (not saying the small-sized normal tips were bad either). they are now perhaps more similar in sound signature to my R50s, though still being slightly better in soundstage and bass, while being weaker in mids and treble (no shame in that really!)
if i really liked the B3s before, i can safely say i'm in love with it now.
cheers everyone!
The only tip I am happy with is the Hifiman double flange. Foam tips kills the bass and doesn't put any positive aspects for me.
Brain (adjust) and driver burn-in, tip selection and insertion depth, source selection, source matching or compatibility with iems, record quality, ear and/or general health, previous exposures to noise, age, previous experiments with audio gear, environment you are listening your headphones in, your state of psychology... all these and more factors may effect the sound you perceive...
I can't call them as dark and/or veiled and I have never heard more clear sounding iem before...
You can read about the description of the audio terms from here ( I have copied some of them on the below): http://www.head-fi.org/a/describing-sound-a-glossary
Airy - Spacious. Open. Instruments sound like they are surrounded by a large reflective space full of air. Good reproduction of high frequency reflections. High frequency response extends to 15 or 20 kHz.
Bright - A sound that emphasizes the upper midrange/lower treble. Harmonics are strong relative to fundamentals.
Dark - A tonal balance that tilts downwards with increasing frequency. Opposite of bright. Weak high frequencies.
Definition (or resolution) - The ability of a component to reveal the subtle information that is fundamental to high fidelity sound.
Depth - A sense of distance (near to far) of different instruments.
Detail - The most delicate elements of the original sound and those which are the first to disappear with lesser equipment.
Detailed - Easy to hear tiny details in the music; articulate. Adequate high frequency response, sharp transient response.
Forward(ness) - Similar to an aggressive sound, a sense of image being projected in front of the speakers and of music being forced upon the listener. Compare "Laid-back".
Headstage - The perception of the Soundstage while listening to headphones.
Highs - The audio frequencies above about 6000 Hz.
High Midrange (High Mids, Upper Mids) - The audio frequencies between about 2kHz and 6kHz.
Laid-back - Recessed, distant-sounding, having exaggerated depth, usually because of a dished midrange. Compare "Forward".
Open - Sound which has height and "air", relates to clean upper midrange and treble.
Soundstage - The area between two speakers that appears to the listener to be occupied by sonic images. Like a real stage, a soundstage should have width, depth, and height.
Spacious - Conveying a sense of space, ambiance, or room around the instruments. Stereo reverb. Early reflections.
Veiled - Like a silk veil is over the speakers. Slight noise or distortion or slightly weak high frequencies. Loss of detail due to limited transparency.
...and need 6 -15time less power to sound good...
absolutely fantastic music! Thanks for mentioning these tracks!
