[jinp6301]

I first heard these headphones at the recent NJ meet. They were paired with the HiFiMan portable music player and thought the combo sounded amazing. Near the end of the meet, I asked Fang (Nankai on the forums and owner of head-direct) if I could borrow the prototype pair. He agreed and here we are.

I gave these a long listen since I recently came back from a vacation requiring two 9 hour train trips. I mostly listened through the ipod 5G headphone out but tried them with an ipod/XP amp combo as well as straight out of my Lenovo's headphone out. I did not try them will my full size rig (Accuphase DP-500, M^3 with STEPS) because it did not seem reasonable that they will ever be used that way.

The RE252 has a very different structure then most IEMs, mostly due to the little rubber part sticking out of the casing. This seems to me to stabilize the IEM in your ear, making it less likely for it to fall out or move around. After 3+ hours of it in your ear, it does hurt slightly but Fang has reassured me that in the newer models, a softer silicone will be used to reduce that sort of pain.

[size=xx-small]Headphone in ear
[/size]

The RE252 has a very balanced sound. The bass sounds full without being boomy, the mid range is clear and the treble is soft. Overall the sound signature reminds me of my Audio Technica ESW9. The soft treble reduces sibilance but loses extension.This is unlike the RE-01 where the treble was basically gone. The bass is full and authoritative, unlike the RE-02 which has wimpy bass.

Overall, I'm not completely sure how much this will cost, but it competes pretty well with most IEMs that I've heard.

UPDATE:

I got the RE-0 for comparison and man are the RE-0s some nice IEMs. The RE-0 seems more neutral and toned back then the re-252 without losing detail. One part where the re-252 is not matched is the soundstage. The re-0 has much smaller soundstage and it is very apparent right away.

The main differences ins sound come down to the tonality. The re-252 is more fun sounding while the re-0 is more subdued. Depending on what genre you listen to most, you might prefer one over the other. Right now, I'm leaning toward the 252 due to better fit and more engaging sound with rock.

 

[strid3r]

I'm sad I missed these at the meet. Does the little rubber part that sticks out make a difference in terms of comfort or how well it stays in the ear while you're moving around?

 

[jinp6301]

The rubber part makes it FEEL like its more secure. I never had a problem with movement with normal IEMs but with the rubber part, the IEM doesnt move around at all.

 

[jjmai]

How were the microphonics? The cable in your picture looks like clothed like RE0.
I am guessing the little rubber part makes it a little harder to wear the cables over ears.

 

[jinp6301]

I did not put it over the ear. I used a shirt clip from another headphone to reduce microphonics. With the shirt clip, there is very little microphonics, without the shirt clip, its microphonic but not as bad as er4s

 

[Poetik]

Have you heard the re0's? I'm curious how the re3's sound compared to those.

 

[tstarn06]

I have a pair of pre-production RE3s as well, and I just sliced the arm off with an exacto, cause it was causing serious pain over long usage. Doesn't make one bit of difference. There are some other reviews of this phone, including mine, here. I liked them too, great detail, but the bass just doesn't have enough for me without EQ. Overall though, a nice IEM.

 

[jinp6301]

I think the fit is very dependent on ear shape. Asians seem to have the ear shape for them to fit well

It fits me very well and the pain is the same pain I get with most IEMs if I have them in my ears for an extended amount of time

and I have not tried the RE-0s so I can not compare them. Sorry

 

[Laokid18]

So how do these compare to the RE-2s?

 

[jinp6301]

The Re-03s are much better. Especially in the bass where the 02 is severely lacking imo

 

[FrederikS|TPU]

Compared to the RE0s the RE03 are more natural and full sounding. The midrange is more layered and warmer. The RE03s are a completely different beast than the RE0s due to their more musical sound and as jinp said better bass extension and power. I can see you are using them with the double flange try using them with the soft single flange and see what sound you get. In my ears the long double flange is too long in conjunction with the design of the RE03 and muffles the highs for me.

 

[ClieOS]

August is almost gone now, I wonder when will the RE3 ready for release? Can't wait

 

[FrederikS|TPU]

I think they are almost done last I heard the material used for the soft shell was being altered to make it even softer.

 

[ChroniCali]

Would like to try these out as well...

 

[scottder]

I have been looking at the RE0, how doe the RE03s and REOs fair isolation-wise, as I plan to use the extensively on the train.

Scott