[IAmSoCheap]

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for those that heard the re-600 is there any problem with sibilance being harsh? anything to compare them to?

I am really not sensitive to sibilance, but I think it's pretty smooth and I don't think it's harsh.
I will say it is something like smooth, good and pretty 3d soundstage, nice mid range, natural, pretty good extension on both sides, adequate bass quantity.
 
Hope I won't describe it wrongly lol.

 

[bhima]

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Etymotic was able to break into the "non-audiophile crowd", HiFiMan can do the same.  

 
Etymotic also spent some good time and money on Industrial and Graphic Design. Etymotic HF5's look super slick, especially when you compare them to any HiFiMan IEM. HiFiMan has a long way to go in that department... also their name sounds pretty cheesy even though their products are stellar.

 

[tinyman392]

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Etymotic also spent some good time and money on Industrial and Graphic Design. Etymotic HF5's look super slick, especially when you compare them to any HiFiMan IEM. HiFiMan has a long way to go in that department... also their name sounds pretty cheesy even though their products are stellar.

 
HiFiMan's upper offerings, and their new designs in the RE400 (and 600) are as slick as Etymotics designs.  It's the media impact that Etymotic has been able to exploit that has put them ahead.  We see these no-name companies doing it all the time, you create a media stir, you can break into the consumer market.  Whether or not that would be wise for HiFiMan to do is up to them though.  HiFiMan designs are fine though for consumers.  

 

[bhima]

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HiFiMan's upper offerings, and their new designs in the RE400 (and 600) are as slick as Etymotics designs.  It's the media impact that Etymotic has been able to exploit that has put them ahead.  We see these no-name companies doing it all the time, you create a media stir, you can break into the consumer market.  Whether or not that would be wise for HiFiMan to do is up to them though.  HiFiMan designs are fine though for consumers.  

 
While that may be true of their headphones, it is not true of their IEMs. The RE0 and RE-262 look extremely generic and come in an equally generic box (Though at least the RE-262 comes in a real box... too bad it doesn't have a carry case though). The only IEM by HiFiMan that looked good before their new RE400/600 were the RE-ZEROs. Consumers that don't know will buy based on price and how something looks or, what they have been exposed to the most (ie: Bose, Klipsch, Beats) which increases perceived quality (if everyone knows about it, it can't all be bad). I'm guessing HiFiMan is doing fine though just on word of mouth, but if they really wanted to push into the mainstream, they will have to do something about their design.

 

[tinyman392]

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While that may be true of their headphones, it is not true of their IEMs. The RE0 and RE-262 look extremely generic and come in an equally generic box (Though at least the RE-262 comes in a real box... too bad it doesn't have a carry case though). The only IEM by HiFiMan that looked good before their new RE400/600 were the RE-ZEROs. Consumers that don't know will buy based on price and how something looks or, what they have been exposed to the most (ie: Bose, Klipsch, Beats) which increases perceived quality (if everyone knows about it, it can't all be bad). I'm guessing HiFiMan is doing fine though just on word of mouth, but if they really wanted to push into the mainstream, they will have to do something about their design.

 
I'm going to have to disagree with that.  The RE262 look fine and has a unique shape to it.  Glossy finish is for mainstream as well.  The RE0 and REZERO somewhat resemble V-Moda's design although they are much smaller (if anything, these would be the 2 designs that wouldn't work as mainstream).  400 and 600s have already been established to look mainstream.  
 
The only IEM design I haven't liked from HiFiMan would be the RE252, the brand name placement is too large and shouldn't be on the housings like that, the shape of the IEM looks very awkward  The design can work for mainstream though still.  Solid black works well for mainstream.  
 
To hit mainstream, HiFiMan has to do media, which they are doing more of.  Names get known when you push the name through the media. Your product becomes recognizable only if you tell people about it and push it.  That last part is important.  
 
Does it matter if HiFiMan hits mainstream?  Really no.  Would it be nice?  Of course.  

 

[bhima]

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I'm going to have to disagree with that.  The RE262 look fine and has a unique shape to it.  Glossy finish is for mainstream as well.  The RE0 and REZERO somewhat resemble V-Moda's design although they are much smaller (if anything, these would be the 2 designs that wouldn't work as mainstream).  400 and 600s have already been established to look mainstream.  
 
The only IEM design I haven't liked from HiFiMan would be the RE252, the brand name placement is too large and shouldn't be on the housings like that, the shape of the IEM looks very awkward  The design can work for mainstream though still.  Solid black works well for mainstream.  
 
To hit mainstream, HiFiMan has to do media, which they are doing more of.  Names get known when you push the name through the media. Your product becomes recognizable only if you tell people about it and push it.  That last part is important.  
 
Does it matter if HiFiMan hits mainstream?  Really no.  Would it be nice?  Of course.  

 
Well we agree on the 252 Glossy and technology needs to go the way of the Dodo imo... especially on laptops but that is another rant.

 

[tinyman392]

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Well we agree on the 252 Glossy and technology needs to go the way of the Dodo imo... especially on laptops but that is another rant.

 
That's good to hear  Glossy stuff usually ends up being a fingerprint magnet.  I love the glossy display on my Macbook though  

 

[bhima]

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That's good to hear  Glossy stuff usually ends up being a fingerprint magnet.  I love the glossy display on my Macbook though  

Gah! The worst thing to me is a glossy laptop screen hahaha! The glare makes me rage. I bought an obscure PC-based laptop just so I could get a high quality, 98% RGB color gamut matte screen

 

[munchzilla]

I am really not sensitive to sibilance, but I think it's pretty smooth and I don't think it's harsh.
I will say it is something like smooth, good and pretty 3d soundstage, nice mid range, natural, pretty good extension on both sides, adequate bass quantity.

Hope I won't describe it wrongly lol.

hmm I am quite sensitive to sibilance. those descriptors sound good but hard to know if there is nothing to compare it to what phones do you know well that could be used as comparison? hifiman bass is never bad IME so not too worried about that part.
thanks!

 

[tinyman392]

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Gah! The worst thing to me is a glossy laptop screen hahaha! The glare makes me rage. I bought an obscure PC-based laptop just so I could get a high quality, 98% RGB color gamut matte screen

 
LOL.  Well, a good screen is hard to come by  I'm happy with the Macbook's screen quality though.  I just hate fingerprints
 
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hmm I am quite sensitive to sibilance. those descriptors sound good but hard to know if there is nothing to compare it to what phones do you know well that could be used as comparison? hifiman bass is never bad IME so not too worried about that part.
thanks!

 
Hm...  It would depend on what frequency range you are sensitive to.  Different people are sensitive to different ranges.  

 

[bhima]

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LOL.  Well, a good screen is hard to come by  I'm happy with the Macbook's screen quality though.  I just hate fingerprints
 
 
Hm...  It would depend on what frequency range you are sensitive to.  Different people are sensitive to different ranges.  

Hehe yeah the Macbook screen quality is great. 
 
So, back on topic... we need more comparisons with the new HiFiMan's! My insatiable appetite for new IEM news cannot be quenched.

 

[tinyman392]

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Hehe yeah the Macbook screen quality is great. 
 
So, back on topic... we need more comparisons with the new HiFiMan's! My insatiable appetite for new IEM news cannot be quenched.

 
Well, I can do a few during the week.  Anyone have any requests?  I can do comparisons for sure.  They seem to be pretty broken in by now  

 

[bhima]

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Well, I can do a few during the week.  Anyone have any requests?  I can do comparisons for sure.  They seem to be pretty broken in by now  

 
if you can, compare em to Rock-It R50 and the Yamaha EPH-100 Heck, I'd also take comparison's to the RE-262 which I think they are replacing or the ever famed GR07. Of course, their MSRP is much lower than those but HiFiMan seems to find a way to compete with much higher priced IEMs (RE0s... so epic for $50).
 
I'm really interested in how well they separate instruments/soundstage. As I compare the RE0's to the Yamahas I realize just how much I love the more 3Dish sound of well placed instruments/soundstage on the Yamahas over the RE0s... even though the RE0 treble/upper mids seem better extended.

 

[tinyman392]

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if you can, compare em to Rock-It R50 and the Yamaha EPH-100 Heck, I'd also take comparison's to the RE-262 which I think they are replacing or the ever famed GR07. Of course, their MSRP is much lower than those but HiFiMan seems to find a way to compete with much higher priced IEMs (RE0s... so epic for $50).
 
I'm really interested in how well they separate instruments/soundstage. As I compare the RE0's to the Yamahas I realize just how much I love the more 3Dish sound of well placed instruments/soundstage on the Yamahas over the RE0s... even though the RE0 treble/upper mids seem better extended.

 
Yeah...  I don't have any of those (except the RE0...  They aren't in working condition though... )  LOL...  A few ideas of what I have in the price range (or can compete well with): Brainwavz B2, Brainwavz M3, MEE A161, Phonak PFE1xx, Etymotic HF2, Dunu Tai Chi, ACS T15...  Some others as well.  Some others that are chart toppers: Westone W4R, Phonak PFE232, Heir Audio 4.Ai, Heir Audio 3.Ai, Logitech Ultimate Ears UE 900, Denon AH-C400...  Bolded entries represent more popular headphones.  Italicized are FOTM headphones.  I have others as well  

 

[bhima]

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Yeah...  I don't have any of those (except the RE0...  They aren't in working condition though... )  LOL...  A few ideas of what I have in the price range (or can compete well with): Brainwavz B2, Brainwavz M3, MEE A161, Phonak PFE1xx, Etymotic HF2, Dunu Tai Chi, ACS T15...  Some others as well.  Some others that are chart toppers: Westone W4R, Phonak PFE232, Heir Audio 4.Ai, Heir Audio 3.Ai, Logitech Ultimate Ears UE 900, Denon AH-C400...  Bolded entries represent more popular headphones.  Italicized are FOTM headphones.  I have others as well  

 
I think the B2's and Ety's would be interesting. The Westone, Phonak and Heir's would be fun for poops and giggles but I'm assuming those are in a completely different league of sound. Maybe I can lend you my RE0's to test them with the new HiFiMans