Just got mine earlier today, listening to them now after some hours of pink noise. Not bad out of the box, a little better right now. Pianos and strings sound really good, I especially love how basses/contrabasses and cellos sound. The bass on these things is something else =D
The gumminess feels wierd, but so very comfy. I would have prefered a straight plug with cloth cable like my RE0, meh. These 'phones are badass regardless.
OK so two days later I am really, really liking these. Really. They have this extremely well-spaced sound (can almost sound disjointed at times) which is something I really, really like about the $50 Cyclone PR1 Pros (and which caused me to ditch the RE0s for the PR1s). These do it even better. I definitely prefer them over unamped RE0s for rock/metal. The clarity and instrumental separation are incredible - easily on par with my CK10s. The highs are not as sparkly as the RE0s' Even with only ~25 hours on them there is no harshness and no sibilance. The midrange is neither forward nor recessed. It is just right. The bass is there but it is anything but dominant. As everyone else has mentioned, the balance is impeccable. Basically, these just let the recording do its thing. I have had my tracklist switch from a calm track (Annihilator's Crystal Ann) to an aggressive one (Dream Theater's Dark Eternal Night) and been totally amazed at how well these phones adapt to the music. It is truly a tranformation and the versatility of these is epic.
I'm sure that not everyone will like this signature but for me it stellar. The only phones I have experienced that may beat these in neutrality are properly-amped K601 (for which I don't have a proper amp at the moment
). I don't know if I will end up liking these in the long run or hanker for the warmth and familiar intimacy of the CK10s, but for now I can't put them down.
Sounds good joker, this seem to suit my taste more than the RE0s which I currently have. Can't wait for these to arrive. While i like the RE0s I want an iem with slightly less highs and more mids and bass, which seem to be the characteristics of the RE252s. It will also be pretty cool if someone compared these to the HF5s or X5s that are also balanced iems which I hope to own in the future.
Originally Posted by EraserXIV /img/forum/go_quote.gif How do the unamped RE252 compare with an amped RE0 (since the RE0 have much higher impedance than the RE252)? And how about amped RE252 vs amped RE0?
I just tried the RE252s with an ibasso D10 as an amp using the headphone out of my fuze (lineout would be unfair) and the benefit is small. They become a bit more effortless and the dimensionality increases even further but really it's not worth the cost (of the amp, that is). As for amped RE0s, it's hard to say. I still think the 252s would be preferable for me just because their presentation is so... different, but the RE0s are astonishingly good with a powerful amp. No amount of amping will cause the RE0s to sound like this, though, which may be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your preferences. These definitely don't stack up near the top of the frequency range vs amped RE0s. Mids are a tossup. Bass is nicer on the 252s. Not having to carry a T4 around is also a plus.
My overall impressions of the RE252 very closely mirror that of HeadphoneAddict.
Overall, I find the 252 to be a capable performer, particularly with vocal and acoustic genres. Mids and highs are very spacious and detailed, while still remaining extremely neutral.
I must also agree with the reviewers who felt that the 252s did not have an easily described "sound". That in itself is a compliment, as any headphone should only be a conduit of what input is fed to it. Although the RE252 is a low-impedance phone, I felt that they sounded much better when amped.
I do feel that the soundstage is quite spacious for an IEM-type of device. It is not as wide or deep as that of my Westone ES3X, but better than most of the non-custom IEMs that I have owned.
I find the phones to be quite comfortable for fairly long listening sessions once one finds the best-fitting of the supplied tips. I have not yet tried them over the ear as have some reviewers. Due to the design and shape of these phones, I believe an individuals ear shape is going to be a very significant factor in the comfort and fit. I suspect that it will be difficult for some individuals to achieve the required seal for the best acoustic performance.
Isolation with a proper seal is quite good, better than most but less than custom IEMs. Only my Etys have had more isolation than these, again depending on the choice of tips
Tonally, I am less than impressed with the quantity of bass, however what is there is clean and tight. The capability for deep bass is present, as I was able to add about 3db via equalizer and achieve a very nice balance of bass to the higher frequencies.
Overall, I would like to hear a more solid-sounding bottom end. While adequat bass is present, it does lack the impact necessary to get the illusion of a real performance rather than a recording. In this respect, I feel the bass impact of the Yuin PK1 and OK1 is more satisfying.
My only real negatives are that for this price point, some type of carry pouch should be included. Also, the soft body of the 252 makes it somewhat difficult to change tips. I was apprehensive of damaging the soft material as the tips are rather difficult to install although I did manage to change the tips a number of times without damage.
Overall, the RE252s are a worthy contender in higher-end universal IEM market despite their unorthodox appearance.
Excellent review, Ron. I am waiting for a pair, as the first pair I received for review came apart, as I was trying to change a tip. I found out that it was a (glue) mistake at the factory and would be corrected (which I assume it has). Right now, out of stock. Any synergy with the Amp3?
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