[stryed]

Hi all, after some reassurances that the IT01 would partner well with portable dac/amps I went ahead and got a pair via Amazon.

Unfortunately the right one is noticeably louder than the left one. This is my first over-ear IEM though. Is there a method to test whether it is equipment or operator error?

It's probably a tip issue. When in doubt, I found this useful
I'm sure there are more sophisticated ones. I thought the right side was less bassy but, in the end, I'm finding out that one of my ears might be a little different (it doesn't help that many of my tracks have the bass player on the left). Seal is important! Too much insertion can cause less bass with some tips and too little insertion can give the same end effect - it's a constant balance with some tips.

Moved up to different tips and I'm all good to go (KZ spiral blue things as L instead of M - great soundstage). Waiting for spinfits/twinblades too. However the small bores might not suit the IT01 sound...will see! JVC spiral dots have big bores but I can't seem to find a reliable source here in France/EU.

 

[divinefrog]

I recieved my IT01 just before christmas, and was quite happy with the sound combined with the Cayin N3. I burned them in for about 50 hours. Had the impression that the treble got more refined. Mid-bass was still a bit bloated, though not really overshadowing things.
If I had to nitpick I would love seeing the mid-bass a bit reduced and a little more air and sparkle in the highs. But I guess to achieve this perfect sound for my ears I woud have to dig quite a bit deeper into my wallet. For the price I think they sound gerat and the cable is phenomenal.

I experienced a lot less driver flex than with my previous KEF M200 or Sony XBA-H3.
@Paul - iBasso, maybe you could shed some light on what dangers driver flex can have as I have seen differing opinions. Some say it doesn't matter, some don't like it but I've never read what it can do to the drivers and if it's an acute or long term danger.

However a few days ago the right monitor developed a problem I never had up to now. Upon inserting it sounded like really bad driver flex and now every time I touch the monitor with music playing I get something like distortion, hight frequency noise. Not touching it lets it play normally. Upon pushing it slightly i get this crackling noise that sounds like driver flex but super sensitive and persistent.
I don't know, I'm 44 years old and pay attention to my electronics, so I don't think I mishandled it. But this is my third costly IEM that I could only enjoy for a short time. Before that I had cheaper ones that lasted much longer. Maybe it's my ears telling me I shouldn't treat them with IEM's .

I will send them back to AMP3 and get them replaced. Maybe a refund would be better for me but I guess it's not possible with a broken unit and I really like their sound and the punch of IEM's in general....

Anyway, have a good time everyone.
Greetings
Marc

 

[Dobrescu George]

Im torn between being sensible and getting these, or, waiting for the IT4 and LZ A5....

I'm not sure if IT04 will be at the same or even at a similar price

 

[JKDJedi]

Hi all, after some reassurances that the IT01 would partner well with portable dac/amps I went ahead and got a pair via Amazon.

Unfortunately the right one is noticeably louder than the left one. This is my first over-ear IEM though. Is there a method to test whether it is equipment or operator error?

Switch the cables around?

 

[Paul - iBasso]

For those with driver flex try inserting them with the shell more towards the front. Notice where the vent hole is on the nozzle. If you insert the IT01 straight in on some ears, the hole can be sealed against the ear and the hole can't vent. If you insert, keeping the hole away from skin, it works correctly. Each shell is hand assembled and finished. The ports are checked on each shell and if they are not the correct dimension they are not used.

 

[vsls]

Regarding driver flex, so far I never encountered an issue with my pair apart from a slight flex only when inserting/sealing the left one (I think this is due to my ear and not the IEM itself).
I always insert them slowly and pushing from the side shell and then adjusting the angle as I wish.
Going back to to testing with my budget-fi equipment, when I paired them with my FiiO E10K they sounded a bit warmer and less vivid than my tastes, still in the burning in process so I will report when I have other results.
Also, now I can't detect any particular hissing with my MP3s straight out of HTC M9. I haven't reached more than 30hrs of burn-in as I use them at the same time

 

[koven]

I'm not sure if IT04 will be at the same or even at a similar price

I wonder if IT04 is still happening, no news on it for a long time now I think.

 

[divinefrog]

Still have no idea what exactly the dangers of driver flex are....

 

[Dobrescu George]

I wonder if IT04 is still happening, no news on it for a long time now I think.

Paul just confirmed it a few pages back, it is happening, and sometime soon!

Still have no idea what exactly the dangers of driver flex are....

There shouldn't be any really... I don't have a lot of knowledge, but none of the IEMs I have which present driver flex don't seem to have degraded particularly fast compared to the other group.

 

[koven]

Paul just confirmed it a few pages back, it is happening, and sometime soon!

Ah just saw that, sweet.

 

[vanexe]

I recieved my IT01 just before christmas, and was quite happy with the sound combined with the Cayin N3. I burned them in for about 50 hours. Had the impression that the treble got more refined. Mid-bass was still a bit bloated, though not really overshadowing things.
If I had to nitpick I would love seeing the mid-bass a bit reduced and a little more air and sparkle in the highs. But I guess to achieve this perfect sound for my ears I woud have to dig quite a bit deeper into my wallet. For the price I think they sound gerat and the cable is phenomenal.

I experienced a lot less driver flex than with my previous KEF M200 or Sony XBA-H3.
@Paul - iBasso, maybe you could shed some light on what dangers driver flex can have as I have seen differing opinions. Some say it doesn't matter, some don't like it but I've never read what it can do to the drivers and if it's an acute or long term danger.

However a few days ago the right monitor developed a problem I never had up to now. Upon inserting it sounded like really bad driver flex and now every time I touch the monitor with music playing I get something like distortion, hight frequency noise. Not touching it lets it play normally. Upon pushing it slightly i get this crackling noise that sounds like driver flex but super sensitive and persistent.
I don't know, I'm 44 years old and pay attention to my electronics, so I don't think I mishandled it. But this is my third costly IEM that I could only enjoy for a short time. Before that I had cheaper ones that lasted much longer. Maybe it's my ears telling me I shouldn't treat them with IEM's .

I will send them back to AMP3 and get them replaced. Maybe a refund would be better for me but I guess it's not possible with a broken unit and I really like their sound and the punch of IEM's in general....

Anyway, have a good time everyone.
Greetings
Marc

exactly my thought. =( the only downside with this iem is the driver flex. @Paul - iBasso, hope our it01 will last long.

 

[Lidson Mendes Br]

I'm not sure if IT04 will be at the same or even at a similar price

It may not be the same price, but Ibasso's shell and cable give me more confidence than A5.

 

[pranavtripathi]

I've had my iBasso IT01 and Massdrop Pinnacle PX for about a month now. I've listened to both of them for quite a while now. And I'm glad my initial impressions have changed a lot after extensive hearing.
The IT01 has been heard with spinfits, stock tips, Comply and Trinity Komby tips. They all vary the sound by a margin. And on the subject of driver flex, thankfully I've not been able to have any problems with it since I contacted Paul initially about IT01 and he always has been very responsive to questions in my opinion. I've been pairing it with DX80 and it sounds really really natural to me.
My initial impressions were that the vocals for me were too "unnatural" for me. But I was coming from a pair of AKG K240 MKll headphones which provide the most neutral signature for me. In time I'd say the signature of IT01 has had enough time with me to understand how this earphone really represents music. And I've grown to enjoy that. I love it more than the PX mostly because how well IT01 sounds with the smartphone as well. For someone who listens to music podcasts regularly, this is brilliant too.
A question for the ones who've been listening to IT01 balanced and have found to receive a better sound from balanced output, what source or player are you using for using the balanced output?
I've always wondered if balanced output actually gives any noticeable improvement in sound?

 

[razorpakk]

Today I listened for about 7 hours at the desktop. I have to go out now but I really didn't want to stop - find them extremely comfortable (although the spin-fit small are the only tips that work for me, due to the big nozzle and my small ear canal).

Even small Symbio N or W are too large when used on the IT01 :/

 

[Drew_C]

After seeing JKDJedi's and stryed's suggestions, I tried various configurations. The volume difference persisted across different tips, different cables, and different sources. Is there any software I can download to manually adjust the volumes of each side?