Quick thoughts on the Alpha & Delta AD01:
+ Nice packaging and a good amount of accessories
+ Easy to power from the LG G4 but sounds even better with the JDS Labs C5D
+ Sound is somewhat V-shaped but the treble isn't harsh or sibilant
+ Sound clarity is very good, sound stage is good
+ Bass is great and doesn't require EQ
~ The earphones are a nice metal enclosure but are pretty unassuming looking
~ Isolation isn't great, but not bad
- The cable is decent but has some cable memory to it; hopefully it will straighten out over time (LMUE offers a cable upgrade on their website)
- The bass starts to distort slightly at very high volume
- The bass boost on the C5D on bass-heavy songs is guaranteed to distort
Quick thoughts on the Sony MDR-XB90EX:
+ Decent packaging and a good amount of accessories
+ Sound is somewhat dark but not muddied
+ Sound clarity is good, sound stage is decent
+ Bass is REALLY good even without EQ or bass boost
+ The bass does not distort at higher volumes
~ The LG G4 powers them to moderate volumes while the JDS Labs C5D lets them loose
~ Isolation isn't great, but not bad
- The enclosure is plastic and bizarrely shaped, and more of the housing sticks out than goes in your ear (because of the driver size)
- The cable is flat and plastic-feeling, and tends to turn into a tangled mess
- The bass boost on the C5D on bass-heavy songs distorts when using the max boost; this isn't a problem since there is enough bass for me without it
- [COLOR=FF0000]The right earphone has driver flex[/COLOR] - I will be exchanging these, maybe returning