[Brandon3003]

My ear canals are pretty small too, customs have been an awesome solution to that problem. No more raw ears from trying to stuff those rubber ends in either

 

[project86]

Without getting involved in any sort of argument..... and without any experience dealing with the company at all...... Strictly speaking of the product itself, I can confirm that the C3 models are very fun sounding. Big Bass, laid back sound signature, large soundstage. Owners need not be ashamed that they don't have a $1k+ product; the C3 is still excellent.

 

[Brandon3003]

Absolutely agree. For the price, the product is fantastic.

They're definitely great entry level customs, which is what I used them as.

 

[dvdhawk]

Hi all,

I signed up just to say, the generally good reviews in the first half of this thread gave me the confidence to shell out for a pair of Alien Ears C3 customs back in the early fall. And despite all the recent b!+ching and moaning on this thread, I have to say I've been enjoying my C3 customs since late-September.

I've been a musician for over 30 years and own a small recording studio. I've worn Westone ER15 earplugs on-stage since '91 to protect my hearing. And I only recently starting considered switching to custom IEMs to provide more attenuation and control. So I thought the AE line would be a good intermediate purchase (not too cheap, not too expensive) to see if they would do what I wanted.


THE MOULDS
In late-August I took my son, (who plays the drums), to an audiologist to get him fitted for ER15s. So while we were there, I had the doctor make my impressions too. It cost $50 to have a professional do it, and I was glad to pay for the assurance of a professional job. But I'm sure the average person would have a reasonably good chance of success doing it on their own, if they can follow instructions.

TURNAROUND TIME
They took about 3 1/2 weeks from the day I sent the moulds out, to the day the finished product showed up back in my mailbox - which seemed very reasonable for 1200 miles each way. I popped them in that afternoon and listened to some iPod for a few hours to get a feel for how they sound and how comfortable they were.

SOUND QUALITY
The audio quality is very 'reference' and I'm hearing details I've never heard before in songs I've listened to a thousand times on conventional speakers. (Which is a phenomenon, I haven't experienced since listening to some favorite CDs on professional studio reference monitors.) The C3s compare very favorably to my AKG studio headphones. They sound very smooth and well-defined, without being over-hyped anywhere in the spectrum.

FIT & FINISH
Months later I can report the fit has been very comfortable. But I've been been wearing the ER15s for about 19 years now, so I was more or less oblivious to the C3s after just a few minutes. The final version of the graphics and color-scheme turned out just like I wanted.

COMMUNICATION SUMMARY
I placed my order, immediately got the instructions via email on how to complete the order, mailed my moulds to the correct address, and avoided bothering Andre & Co. with any other emails or phone calls. I heard from them via email just about 3 weeks later informing me the finished C3s were on the way, and a tracking number was provided.

OVERALL
All in all, a very satisfying purchase. Are there better customs available?... probably. I don't have other IEMs to compare them to, but I DO have numerous studio monitors, headphones, and normal consumer speakers to compare them to. If you're inclined to buy numerous makes & models to compare - go nuts.

Compared to some of the high-end models, the Alien Ears may not be the greatest. But from my experience, they are VERY good. And after all that is said, THEN factor in the price difference.

FINAL THOUGHTS
I've noticed patience is not a virtue held by many of the dissatisfied posters in this thread. I think if fewer people had to have minute by minute updates on the status of their order, AE could get more done and probably improve their turn-around time (which is already significantly better than the times quoted by the other guys). email is a terrible way to communicate for business purposes. If you're really concerned about something - pick up the phone. If you don't feel it's worth the time/effort to call, maybe - just maybe - it's NOT really important.

Believe me, I don't doubt some folks have had bad experiences with their order. It's a given in any business. I think you can attribute most of their bad experiences to growing pains for a company that's rapidly growing due to increased demand. And I know for a fact in ANY business you'll have customers with unrealistic expectations, or their own axe to grind.

Is Alien Ears perfect? ... no. But no business is going to be perfect...
<< until the machines take over >> [cue ominous music...]


When I get a chance, maybe I'll post the photos on Boomy's "Calling All Customs" thread.

done



RECORDING ORG ROCKS! - Win a PROXIMA Pre Amp/Compressor This Christmas 2009

 

[boomy3555]

Thanks for stopping by with your thoughts. I'ts nice to know people are still getting thier monies worth at Alien Ears. After all, They may not be the best, but they are certainly a good buy.

 

[dvdhawk]

My thanks to you Boomy, I bought my C3s largely because of your seemingly honest unbiased reviews. I'm thankful for people like yourself who take this seriously enough to own and compare all the different manufacturers and take the time to share your impressions of the strengths and weaknesses of them all.

I had realistic expectations and I have no regrets with the purchase. They seem like a solid dollar-value to me.

I'll take this opportunity to snap some pics and put them on your other thread.

Thanks again.

Dave




RECORDING ORG ROCKS! - Win a PROXIMA Pre Amp/Compressor This Christmas 2009

 

[boomy3555]

Bootymuss

 

[Sterny]

I am listening to my AE2's as I am writing this, and I can honestly say that I am in love.

I'm going to keep it simple,they fit perfectly and the sound is amazing.

 

[mierenneuker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sterny /img/forum/go_quote.gif I am listening to my AE2's as I am writing this, and I can honestly say that I am in love. I'm going to keep it simple,they fit perfectly and the sound is amazing.

I am listening to my C2s as I'm writing this, and I can honestly say that I hate them and think it was my biggest mistake made last year(choosing to buy them)

treble is recessed like hell, it just sounds dull. Also the build quality is horrible, bubbles everywhere and it looks really bad.

I'm going to keep it simple, they suck, buy universals instead and the sound is horrible for the price.

 

[jquin]

My AE3's have a problem with the Balanced Armature.
It has stopped working in both ears.
It starts to roll off around 200Hz at is very quiet less than 60 Hz
I've email for advice and will keep you all posted.
Has anyone else had a similar issue?

 

[boomy3555]

Both ears at the same time will most likely be a cable problem

 

[jquin]

I think one went some months before the other.
I'm not sure how a cable problem could effect only low freq's
Unless the cable pulled and broke internal wires in the xover

 

[jquin]

I still haven't heard back from AE support email yet.
It's a bit disappointing.

 

[boomy3555]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jquin /img/forum/go_quote.gif I still haven't heard back from AE support email yet. It's a bit disappointing.

CALL!! CALL!! If there is one thing I've learned from this thread, It's that calling Andre is much more reliable than email.

 

[Gain]

CALL Andre!