IBasso Audio IT03

[twister6]

 

 
Are these new or with the recommended 150 hours of burn in?

 
they're new, <20 hours. is something magical suppose to happen at 150 hours?  like.. hour #149 they still suck but hour #150 - wow complete transformation!? seems skeptical and i dont believe in such drastic SQ changes from burn-in, even with dynamic drivers.. ive never heard noticeable improvements to sound with any headphones/earphones after burn-in, they typically sound as they do day 1-2.. maybe my hearing is bad, or maybe its a nice tactic to get people to hold the product past return period, who knows
 
...
my experience is the same. artificial and digital are great words to describe the it03. to put it simply, i think these actually suck. and yes, i know how to wear/fit an IEM. i was ready to love them, but theyre really just bad imo. the andromeda is miles ahead in every SQ category, but that is to be expected at their price. however i dont think they are even as good as the $80 TFZ 5S, the $200 P1, or a lot of my other lower cost IEMs even the carbon tenores. in retrospect im sitting here absolutely puzzled and amused at the comments that say these compete at TOTL/$1k range, they dont even compete at their MSRP. 
 
this is the biggest letdown ive ever experienced in IEMs. i will eat the return shipping cost to annie-audio. the lesson here is to take head-fi FOTM hype w/ a huge grain of salt. i dont know if some of these "reviewers" gushing about the it03 is because they got free samples thus forced to not criticize or whatnot but they are way off imo. 

 
I'm afraid that perhaps you did set your expectations very high.  Hopefully my review didn't contribute to that since I thought I was fair enough and unbiased in my assessment.  It's true, some might find the bass to be overwhelming, especially the sub-bass which not everybody can get used to.  Magic after 150 hours?  Not really, but I noticed you just listed your IT03 pair for sale with 5 hours of use, and that might not be enough to break in the dynamic driver in this particular case.  Right after I got IT03 and listened to it for the first few hours out of the box, I had an interesting exchange with Paul (@Basso) asking what the heck is going on with the bass.  I left it alone playing for the first 100hrs and then noticed that sub-bass became a lot more "friendlier"

  But as usual, take every review with a grain of salt, and average out the impressions

  Everybody has a different taste and perception of the sound

 

[twister6]

  I'm using over-ear headphones mostly, on the go I have ATH iM50 and RE-400. I bought it03 after reading all those enthusiastic recommendations like: "he it03 is easily one of the iem you can buy in the market without trying at all because it is just too good" etc..
I'm not saying these are bad , as I mentioned in my previous post I like the highs, crisp and clear vocals but the quality of bass is not what I like. Probably my expectations were too high after reading all those statements in this thread, that's why they did not impress me much.
And a few words about the case for those headphones that is included in the package. It's a joke it's too small, the headphones barely fits there and there are metal parts inside  that can easily scratch the glossy finish of the headphones. 
 

 
Andrew, I think you probably more used to a neutral bass quantity, like in RE400, though IM50 has more punch.  As I mentioned before, IT03 is iBass-oh! and it might not be everyone's cup of tea, especially if you are not used to a healthy doze of sub-bass.  I'm listening to it now from PM2, the same source as yours, and don't find bass to be digital or artificial with dsp effects off.  But that doesn't mean either of us right or wrong, just a different perception and what we used to.  For your taste, I would suggest RE600 (HFM dropped it to $199 and includes Bal to SE adapter).  If you want to scale it up, UERR will be the next step at $1k.  Just because IT03 works for some people, doesn't mean it will work for everybody

 

[ArrancarV]

Help! Just this morning i was changing tips and the silver mesh (filter) dropped and went missing!



Is it still safe to use?

 

[jamato8]

Help! Just this morning i was changing tips and the silver mesh (filter) dropped and went missing!

Is it still safe to use?

 
Are you sure you can't find it anywhere? I drop little screws all the time and eventually find them. If you can't I would drop Paul a line. 

 

[nmatheis]

Well, a quick listen with Cayin i5 after the burn in period was completed leads me to believe the bass has relaxed some. That said, the mids still sound more distant than I prefer. I'll try again with DX80 (and other sources) before making any final recommendations, though. Could be a question of poor synergy with the i5...

 

[HiFiChris]

Help! Just this morning i was changing tips and the silver mesh (filter) dropped and went missing!



Is it still safe to use?

 
If I'm not wrong, the metal mesh filter was part of the acoustic design, wherefore the tonality shouldn't be the same anymore. It's best to get in touch with Paul/iBasso.

 

[ustinj]

Have to agree with @koven , had both the TFZ 5/5S, P1, and IT03. Personally felt the 5S and P1 were overall better in terms of tuning -- specifically coherency. I tend to really like things and try to justify my purchases, but when it came to the IT03, I could only appreciate the bass. Not sure how these can even be compared to Andromeda.

 

[HiFiChris]

I'm a bit puzzled - while I wouldn't say the IT03 has got flagship level performance, I think it has definitely got some advantages over other hybrid IEMs in its price range and sounds very coherent to me, especially in the mids/highs (except for that I find the used DD to be a bit less detailed than the two BAs, but that's not too unusual at this price point for hybrid IEMs).
 
Maybe ear anatomies and/or tastes are too different sometimes and lead to a totally different perception of things...
 
Anyway, I neither really got the "hype" of the Carbo Tenore (which I only think sounds nice in its price range but not above) nor the Pinnacle P1, and also said so for the latter when it came to sound. From what I perceive, the IT03 is easily ahead of both and is worth its price when it comes to sound.

 

[Sonic Ecstasy]

I'm using over-ear headphones mostly, on the go I have ATH iM50 and RE-400. I bought it03 after reading all those enthusiastic recommendations like: "he it03 is easily one of the iem you can buy in the market without trying at all because it is just too good" etc..
I'm not saying these are bad , as I mentioned in my previous post I like the highs, crisp and clear vocals but the quality of bass is not what I like. Probably my expectations were too high after reading all those statements in this thread, that's why they did not impress me much.
And a few words about the case for those headphones that is included in the package. It's a joke it's too small, the headphones barely fits there and there are metal parts inside  that can easily scratch the glossy finish of the headphones. 

@AndrewPL


I'm with you (well, just partially though as I think the IT03 is good/great at its price point) and also think that some of the posts might be misleading and raising some peoples' expectation by too much.

The IT03 is great for its price and does definitely have an edge over some about similarly priced products when it comes to separation, resolution, speed, tightness and tonality - in fact, the only sonic "flaw" I see is that I feel like the dynamic driver is not as resolving as with other hybrid IEMs that however cost more.
Imo the IT03 is one of the greatest/greater hybrid IEMs at its price point and is also more even in the highs than a good number more expensive models and a nice rise towards the sub-bass, however I don't feel like it is a TOTL product, which I didn't expect at the price point anyway.

they're new, <20 hours. is something magical suppose to happen at 150 hours?  like.. hour #149 they still suck but hour #150 - wow complete transformation!? seems skeptical and i dont believe in such drastic SQ changes from burn-in, even with dynamic drivers.. ive never heard noticeable improvements to sound with any headphones/earphones after burn-in, they typically sound as they do day 1-2.. maybe my hearing is bad, or maybe its a nice tactic to get people to hold the product past return period, who knows


my experience is the same. artificial and digital are great words to describe the it03. to put it simply, i think these actually suck. and yes, i know how to wear/fit an IEM. i was ready to love them, but theyre really just bad imo. the andromeda is miles ahead in every SQ category, but that is to be expected at their price. however i dont think they are even as good as the $80 TFZ 5S, the $200 P1, or a lot of my other lower cost IEMs even the carbon tenores. in retrospect im sitting here absolutely puzzled and amused at the comments that say these compete at TOTL/$1k range, they dont even compete at their MSRP. 

this is the biggest letdown ive ever experienced in IEMs. i will eat the return shipping cost to annie-audio. the lesson here is to take head-fi FOTM hype w/ a huge grain of salt. i dont know if some of these "reviewers" gushing about the it03 is because they got free samples thus forced to not criticize or whatnot but they are way off imo. 

Have to agree with @koven
 , had both the TFZ 5/5S, P1, and IT03. Personally felt the 5S and P1 were overall better in terms of tuning -- specifically coherency. I tend to really like things and try to justify my purchases, but when it came to the IT03, I could only appreciate the bass. Not sure how these can even be compared to Andromeda.

Thanks for the critique. Was considering these after the initial inflated hype but requested and received my refund now. I'd rather take the oriolus endgame path.

 

[jamato8]

I can't agree with the negative statements the last page or so. I have many top phones to compare to and I don't find the IT03 to let down in sound. They are coherent and offer a timbre that is true to the instruments recorded. The female voice and male voice are well portrayed. Also I get excellent width and depth, especially on live recordings. Comparing to my JH13 Pro freq phase, I feel no let down. Would I like even better sure, but I would like even better out of the HE1000 V2 and Focal Utopia but both of these headphones are very enjoyable and satisfying, as is the IT03, IMO. 

 

[gyx11]

A brief summary of my findings when comparing the IT03 and the Pinnacle P1: They are quite close in terms of SQ. The IT03 has a more dynamic overall sound, which makes it more impressionable, and a good choice for certain genres. Bass reaches deeper, and has better texture. The P1 is more nuanced, refined, and natural sounding. More ergonomic and robust physical profile.

 

[ArrancarV]

Yup, they kinda dropped on the ground but can't see 'em anywhere. Will drop Paul a PM! Thanks

 

[T.R.A.N.C.E.]

I prefer the IT03 to the Sony Z5 and Westone W60, so that should tell you IT03 will hang with top tier products, the W60 might have better mids, the Z5 might have better texture etc, but the IT03 throws punches of it's own with more up front detail and a more balanced frequency response, etc. In the end it really does come down to sound sig preferences, not the number of drivers. It helps that the IT03 doesn't let you down in any area, no disappointing flaws to my ears, it is consistently above average in every sonic area, it is one of the most well rounded iem's I've heard at any price. If you are looking for an overly warm and cozy sound look elsewhere, IT03 couples layered deep bass with mids and treble that are stark, clear, detailed. IT03 actually reminds me of my Fostex studio monitors + Fostex sealed studio sub-woofers. So If you are looking to buy a detailed and neutral iem that doesn't sacrifice bass you should include the IT03 in your short list regardless of budget.

 

[remastered]

150hours in and the treble has settled to a level that doesn't require me to EQ them.

But I can't help but find that the mids are still feeling slightly mellow. Are there any cables out there that can bring up the mids and allow the vocals to shine through a little more?

 

[Kerouac]

  I prefer the IT03 to the Sony Z5 and Westone W60, so that should tell you IT03 will hang with top tier products, the W60 might have better mids, the Z5 might have better texture etc, but the IT03 throws punches of it's own with more up front detail and a more balanced frequency response, etc. In the end it really does come down to sound sig preferences, not the number of drivers. It helps that the IT03 doesn't let you down in any area, no disappointing flaws to my ears, it is consistently above average in every sonic area, it is one of the most well rounded iem's I've heard at any price. If you are looking for an overly warm and cozy sound look elsewhere, IT03 couples layered deep bass with mids and treble that are stark, clear, detailed. IT03 actually reminds me of my Fostex studio monitors + Fostex sealed studio sub-woofers. So If you are looking to buy a detailed and neutral iem that doesn't sacrifice bass you should include the IT03 in your short list regardless of budget.

 
Just passed the advised 150 hrs and put it in my ears after almost a week of constantly burn-in. First of all: I totally agree with the bold parts in your post!
 
I also had the Sony XBA-Z5 (sold it some months ago, so have to go on memory here) and I think that IT03 performs at least on par with that one. Wasn't Z5's retail price around $700? And were there not many members that said it could easily compete with $1K iems? So, although I try to take every opinion over here seriously, I just can't agree with posts that are mentioning that the IT03 performs on a low tier (or bad mid tier) level. Imo it has superb (sub)bass, a very good soundstage, that delicious holographic (3D) feel that only hybrids seem to be able to deliver, plenty of details and good separation.
 
Oh, and I paid full retail price ($259) for these => no hidden agendas, just my honest opinion!