[JeFFz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaviar /img/forum/go_quote.gif Holy cow... I just received an e-mail from Jaben Store. That`s what I call service! Can`t wait to give those bad boys a go. After reading the review on anythingbutipod.com I just knew I had to have them.

omg your really darn lucky! Have always knew that jaben has the best customer service out there! *buy 1 get 1 free* for you!

 

[swanlee]

Well I got my Hippo VB's today and these are going to replace my Atrio M5's. I loved the Atrio's but the highs and mids on the VB's are so much better. Even the bass is much better. The disc that has the least bass is the same amount of bass as the Atrio's so the other two discs have more bass than them.

They also fit much better and give a much better seal then my Atrio's did.

I haven't even burned them in yet either so they are bound to sound better.

Amazing that the 80$ Hippo VB's can replace my 175$ atrio's

Atrio users and bassheads in general will love these

 

[swanlee]

Looking forward to the burn in test being done in this thread. I have my player on shuffle all day and night and have been burning them in since I got them yesterday, that and listening to them every few hours.

I noticed some burn in effect late last night the treble has settled a tad. I'm 35 now so I'm not very sensitive to sibilance since as we get older we lose that higher freq hearing, but I can definitely tell the treble is starting to settle down as these are burnt in.

Great value and these should remain my main IEM's for the time being.

 

[Kaviar]

Results are in! Percentage of correct answers in ABX-test: 20% (2 in 10). Not what you would call statistically significant in other words

 

[swanlee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaviar /img/forum/go_quote.gif Results are in! Percentage of correct answers in ABX-test: 20% (2 in 10). Not what you would call statistically significant in other words

That's fine never been the biggest fan of ABX as to me it seems to test a users short term audio memory more than it tests actual equipment. When I was young I once had an old stereo unit with a stereo\mono switch and some how I had been listening to mono for a few weeks and didn't even notice until I hit the stereo switch, huge difference once I noticed it but during the time the mono switch was on it never occurred to me it was mono.

On a totally subjective level how do you think they sound now after burn in compared to the non burned it ones?

 

[Kaviar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by swanlee /img/forum/go_quote.gif That's fine never been the biggest fan of ABX as to me it seems to test a users short term audio memory more than it tests actual equipment. When I was young I once had an old stereo unit with a stereo\mono switch and some how I had been listening to mono for a few weeks and didn't even notice until I hit the stereo switch, huge difference once I noticed it but during the time the mono switch was on it never occurred to me it was mono. On a totally subjective level how do you think they sound now after burn in?

Subjectively I don`t find that much of a difference in the VB`s. Sibilance was never an issue for me. My limited experience tells me the difference can only be subtle, and it depends a lot on what kind of hardware is in question. On my loudspeakers and my Bi-metals the difference was quite pronounced, and on these and my PL-30`s and some other gear the difference was supposedly there, but was neglectible in magnitude.

At the same time, I have one foot in the other camp so to speak. Psychology and "getting used to" the sound is sure to play some role. This does not rule out the possibility of a objective qualitative change in the sound of course. In sum I find the problem fascinating and complex, and I believe the truth is somewhere in between. Part of the problem why it is so hard to find conclusive evidence and even a consensus may be people like myself who take these test without having the hearing skills to be able to score well.

The ABX-testing procedure was kind of alienating and stressful, but the test itself was constructed as simple and intuitive as I can imagine possible.

What do you guys think?

 

[Aardvarks]

Many thanks Kaviar for approaching this scientific test for us.

I did notice a type of sibilance with mine and I am 50yo with drop out above 14Khz and slight tinnitus.

Officially I shouldnt be able to hear at the sibilance range and yet I can percieve certain headphones as bright...such as the DT990s.

I realy enjoy ABX comparisons and I am sory that you has stress. Remember it is not to see if YOU have golden ears but to see if under normal conditions you can hear a difference large enough to stand out time after time.

I am of the opinion, although I have no evidence that state of mind as well as state of health and intoxication can have as much id not larger impact.

It might be worth getting back to us after say a month of use and compare back to an unburned in pair.....if you can keep them virginal that long

 

[dfkt]

I got a fresh, unopened pair of VB in front of me. I guess I should see if there's any difference to the ones I used for well over 200 hours.

 

[swanlee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dfkt /img/forum/go_quote.gif I got a fresh, unopened pair of VB in front of me. I guess I should see if there's any difference to the ones I used for well over 200 hours.

Sounds good give it a whirl. If the treble gets a tiny bit more tame the VB's will really be awesome, I love them now but just a tad less treble and they will hit that warm but detailed point that I really enjoy.

That being said even if they don't tame down anymore these will still be my main IEM's from now on.

I was about to go the custom route and spend a boat load of money on better fitting better sounding IEM's but these 80$ VB's have negated the need for me to get custom IEM's

 

[swanlee]

So I did some major burning in, basically let them play all night for several days.

Oddly enough I think I over did it, the treble is very tame now and they are very warm sounding but almost in a bad way now. The bass has gotten a little sloppy. Still sounds better than my Atrio's but not nearly as tight and detailed as before burn in.

So the treble and mids are REALLY good now still very detailed but now on the warm side but on the other hand the bass is a bit sloppy and weaker compared to when I got them.

Anyone else notice that with these after burn in?

 

[brendon]

Please delete.

 

[dfkt]

Ok, the fresh VB sound clearly brighter and more nasal than my well used ones - even if those new ones have a plastic mesh over the nozzle while the old ones came without it. I assume that mesh might tame some upper treble.

My used VBs sound better to my ears - seems like a case of "burn in" for the better, instead of a "burn out" like the IE8...

 

[swanlee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dfkt /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ok, the fresh VB sound clearly brighter and more nasal than my well used ones - even if those new ones have a plastic mesh over the nozzle while the old ones came without it. I assume that mesh might tame some upper treble. My used VBs sound better to my ears - seems like a case of "burn in" for the better, instead of a "burn out" like the IE8...

Does the bass of your burned in VB's sound a little sloppier than the out of box ones?

 

[swanlee]

What type of comply tips would the VB's take? They don't have there model on the comply website and the comply tips I got for my Atrio's don't fit

 

[dfkt]

They have a standard ~5mm diameter - anything Sennheiser, Super/Triple.Fi, RE0, Mylarone, etc. should fit.

As for the bass, not sure it's gotten 'sloppier' over time - I think it just appears more prominent since the treble lost a bit of its edge over time. I have to check some more.