[LanceP11]

E11 is great amp for b3 pro 1

 

[nmatheis]

E11 is great amp for b3 pro 1

Compared to what amp(s) and with what source(s)?

 

[LanceP11]

Compared to my E6, E7, my X3, and directly through my Sony Z. The E11 has beautiful synergy, and with the bass boost on 2, provides aural Heaven.

 

[nmatheis]

Compared to my E6, E7, my X3, and directly through my Sony Z. The E11 has beautiful synergy, and with the bass boost on 2, provides aural Heaven.

Gotcha

 

[Tamirci]

b3 pro 1 and HRT Musicstreamer II+ did a wonderful job here If only stage was my first priority :/
Greatly added depth to the stage of any live recording. Not something that I am used to.

 

[Darner]

On B3 Pro I vs II...
 
I have the B3 Pro I, but have never heard the II. And maybe I'll get flamed for sharing an opinion without having tried the latter, but here goes: an observation sourced from my experience of the Pro I, and from my reading about both the Pro I and II here on this thread and elsewhere. As far as comparing B3 Pro I and II, it's not just a matter of sound signature and how easy or hard they are to drive. There's another crucial element. The Pro I is a truly unique IEM that many people (of all kinds of different musical tastes and preferences) find to be amazing. The Pro II, according to most opinions, is nothing special at all, and is even a poor performer according to many. Maybe some more senior people on this thread who've tried both can weigh in, but I just thought this was important to point out. One of them is run-of-the-mill, the other's extraordinary.

 

[LanceP11]

On B3 Pro I vs II...

I have the B3 Pro I, but have never heard the II. And maybe I'll get flamed for sharing an opinion without having tried the latter, but here goes: an observation sourced from my experience of the Pro I, and from my reading about both the Pro I and II here on this thread and elsewhere. As far as comparing B3 Pro I and II, it's not just a matter of sound signature and how easy or hard they are to drive. There's another crucial element. The Pro I is a truly unique IEM that many people (of all kinds of different musical tastes and preferences) find to be amazing. The Pro II, according to most opinions, is nothing special at all, and is even a poor performer according to many. Maybe some more senior people on this thread who've tried both can weigh in, but I just thought this was important to point out. One of them is run-of-the-mill, the other's extraordinary.

Let me repeat..

B3 pro 2 is crud in a cup. It's like night and day. The best way to put it would be comparing the Sennheiser CX300 to the Sennheiser IE80. Or IE800, though not quite that extreme.

 

[Darner]

Yeah, LP11, I was going partly off you in posting that!

 

[LanceP11]

The Pro 2 lacks detail retrieval, has a thick sound, rolled off highs, decent but nowhere near transparent mids, and the bass is south of punchy, and really lacks the definition, articulation, and clarity one might expect. Interesting, but if I would give a shot in the dark comparison to two other IEM's I've heard or spent time with in the past, I'd say they sound similar to the Sennheiser CX300 or the Dr Dre Beats. That type of commercial presentation.

 

[halomusic]

I get a toping nx1. with B3 pro1 very good. 

 

[halomusic]

Drums like knock in the heart，Unlike in ear earphones  voice,Like a big voice sound system.

 

[analogsurviver]

For the last two days, I had a most pleasurable work : monitoring the recording of a 15 member string orchestra during the rehearsals and final concert yesterday evening.
 
With Havi B3 Pro (Old Version) - it was spooky how close the sound with IEMs came to the real thing heard live. I trully enjoyed it - every moment. 

 

[halomusic]

The actual use of b3s with NX1 and apple 4S has a very good effect.The sound is very clear and strong.

 

[LanceP11]

No Bass boost on the NX1. Disappointing.

 

[gyx11]

So far, I've tried a number of different combinations with the B3:

Geek Out 1000
Audinst HUD-MX1
Fiio E07K
AK100 (unamped)
DX50 (unamped)
Fiio X3 (unamped)

Recently, I've tried the the Fiio X3 and DX50 lineout to the Pico Slim amp (I couldn't try with the AK100 since I've sold it, and there isn't a lineout function afaik), and the results are very favorable, especially for the X3.

The sound is similar to the HUD-MX1, essentially colorless. However, the Pico Slim definitely brings out the bass more. Bass is tighter, hence by extension appearing more textured, and also hits harder. B3 users who wish for more bass without bloat (quite a few from what I remember) will find this a welcome option.

The Pico Slim also has an in-your-face presentation, while soundstage, in particular depth, is increased as well. The result is... I don't know how to explain in words because I'm not sure what it actually encompasses from a technical standpoint. Fiio X3, and by nature all Fiio products, are slightly constricting sounding due to it's mid-centric ness. This is nicely 'counteracted' by the addition of the Pico Slim to the chain. Particularly for the B3, it's greatest sonic trait is it's legendary, enveloping 3D soundstage, and the last thing any amp should do is to compromise on this. The Pico Slim actually improves on this all-round effect, and the difference is not just subtle. It's somewhat like moving from in the middle of a nice concert hall, to row A of a large expansive stadium with state of the art acoustics. I mentioned before that the AK100 with the B3 gave me an expansive soundstage like no other combination before. In comparison, I would say that the Pico Slim has a very slightly less wide soundstage, although instruments are more pulled towards the sides.

In terms of clarity, detail, separation, the AK100 was outmatched by the GO1000, and now equally by the Pico Slim as well. I would however still say that the GO1000 is a little more dynamic sounding than the Pico Slim. B3 is naturally a flat sounding IEM which appeals to 'purists'. The Pico Slim certainly provides the B3 with greater oomph for more universal enjoyment.

I do not detect significant changes in imaging, nor in the treble frequency. I would note that the B3 has a tendency to become a little grainy in the highs especially with multi layered instrumental music. I'm not too sure if if I should isolate it as a result of insufficient amping, poor MQ of the source file, or simply a limitation of the B3, but I'm pleased to say that I threw one of the most tricky tracks I have at the Pico Slim addition (Foo Fighter's 'Walk'), and most (but not all) of this harshness was smoothened out. That was a hugely satisfying outcome for me.

Overall, where would I rank the X3 + Pico Slim combination with the B3? I would probably say that the Geek Out 1000 is still the better sounding pairing overall. The Pico Slim has the better (best so far!) soundstage, but the GO1000 edges out in it's blacker background, lower noise floor, and more 'engaging' sound (though the Pico Slim is already darn good as well). When purely considering synergy with the B3, the GO1000 still does more to distinctly augment the sound of the B3 positively.

If I were to have an overall preference ranking of all the combinations so far on strict personal opinion and preference:

GO1000 >= X3 + Pico Slim > AK100 > MX1 > E07K