[ballzac]

The Xscapes arrived today. I generally find that my perception changes during the first week or two of use, maybe burn in is a factor or possibly just getting used to the signature, so don't take these comments too seriously, but it's worth making some preliminary remarks.
 
First off, the response isn't as flat as I had expected. I think the upper bass is a little forward, and there is a dip in the low to mid highs. In fact, certain parts of some music can sound muffled when there are no high highs in that part. Orchestral music is a good test. I played Chesky's Vivaldi's Four Seasons and also some Bach, and the bass instruments sounded very 'bloated' and muffled, and there was a resonance that bled into the higher frequencies. The psy trance that I listened to lacked clarity, but hard trance was pretty impressive. Isolation is not great, but is certainly sufficient for my requirements. Having not used IEMs previously, I'm not sure how much isolation can be expected.
 
In spite of these comments, I'm not unhappy with the purchase. For under a hundred bucks, they're certainly not bad. What I have to compare them to at the moment is a $300 pair of open headphones (the AD900s) and a $1000 pair of active studio monitors (the TR-8s) so I may be a little biased. As I said before, these are just preliminary comments, and I'm optimistic about how I will feel about them once I get used to the sound signature.

 

[aurnob88]

Yeah. The main component is mental burn in, aka gettin used to the sound signature, rather than than bull about actual burnin (at most, a minor change).
WHen I first got my Eterna's, I thought the bass was excessive and bloated. Now I am more used to the sound signature and I find the Eterna's bass nice and punchy, and other bassy headphones which i would once find bassy very thin.
 
Quote:

The Xscapes arrived today. I generally find that my perception changes during the first week or two of use, maybe burn in is a factor or possibly just getting used to the signature, so don't take these comments too seriously, but it's worth making some preliminary remarks.
 
First off, the response isn't as flat as I had expected. I think the upper bass is a little forward, and there is a dip in the low to mid highs. In fact, certain parts of some music can sound muffled when there are no high highs in that part. Orchestral music is a good test. I played Chesky's Vivaldi's Four Seasons and also some Bach, and the bass instruments sounded very 'bloated' and muffled, and there was a resonance that bled into the higher frequencies. The psy trance that I listened to lacked clarity, but hard trance was pretty impressive. Isolation is not great, but is certainly sufficient for my requirements. Having not used IEMs previously, I'm not sure how much isolation can be expected.
 
In spite of these comments, I'm not unhappy with the purchase. For under a hundred bucks, they're certainly not bad. What I have to compare them to at the moment is a $300 pair of open headphones (the AD900s) and a $1000 pair of active studio monitors (the TR-8s) so I may be a little biased. As I said before, these are just preliminary comments, and I'm optimistic about how I will feel about them once I get used to the sound signature.

 

 

[RBNHIFI]

Did you purchase xcape ver 1 or version 2?
 
I have version 1 and experienced no such bloat or muffle.  There is a thread on version 2 and reviews and opinions have seem to be mixed. 

 

[ballzac]

version 2

 

[looopla]

Quote:

Thanks for all the input everyone. I've decided to go with the Sunrise Sw-Xcapes based on your recommendations and other reviews. 

 
For your information Sw-Xcapes have new version, which is different from their first version. As many users wrote in thread about ver. 2 they have thicker sound. 
 
 

 

[looopla]

oops sorry, late with my post, so edited it.

 

[aurnob88]

Quote:

Thanks for all the input everyone. I've decided to go with the Sunrise Sw-Xcapes based on your recommendations and other reviews. 

 
For your information Sw-Xcapes have new version, which is different from their first version. As many users wrote in thread about ver. 2 they have thicker sound. 
 
 

True, its a little more consumer oriented than the Version 1, an intent of more sales would've brought it on.

 

[ballzac]

I noticed today that the response is much flatter when the volume is very low. In fact, at low volume, baroque music sounds quite nice. They are very quiet compared to the AD900s at the same source volume anyway, which is surprising considering that they are right inside my ears and the small driver should be easy to drive.
 
I do not usually listen to music at very high volume, but with these it is impossible because even at a volume that I would consider to be high but comfortable, the sound is unbelievably distorted. At 'normal' listening volume, they are as I described earlier. But at a volume that is normally just below that at which I would normally listen to, most of the noticable distorion, bleeding, resonance etc. is gone, and the response is much flatter. It may depend on the source though.

 

[aurnob88]

I noticed today that the response is much flatter when the volume is very low. In fact, at low volume, baroque music sounds quite nice. They are very quiet compared to the AD900s at the same source volume anyway, which is surprising considering that they are right inside my ears and the small driver should be easy to drive.
 
I do not usually listen to music at very high volume, but with these it is impossible because even at a volume that I would consider to be high but comfortable, the sound is unbelievably distorted. At 'normal' listening volume, they are as I described earlier. But at a volume that is normally just below that at which I would normally listen to, most of the noticable distorion, bleeding, resonance etc. is gone, and the response is much flatter. It may depend on the source though.

thats odd, distortion at about normal volumes. maybe bad source or defective phones

 

[ballzac]

Well the AD900s sound sublime and 100% distortion free up to a pretty intense volume when plugged into the same headphone jack on my mixer. My loudspeakers also sound great coming out of the same mixer, albeit different output. I also tried them on my laptop today. The difference between low volume and medium volume is the same as with the mixer. Higher volume I have no idea because I can't actually get the volume up that high with that combination. I have no trouble getting the AD900s up to a volume where they can be heard in another room of the house with doors closed, on the laptop.
 
I have to stress that what I consider to be average volume is not very loud. I never have ringing in my ears after listening, even at what I would call HIGH volume. What I consider average volume, I can clearly hear what my girlfriend is saying to me while I'm listening to baroque on the AD900s. At this volume on the xscapes, the distortion is rearing its head already. Subtle at that volume and appears more as the bloating, bleeding, and resonance that I've already mentioned than as clipping, but gently turning up the volume increases those effects until it is clear that it is distortion.

 

[aurnob88]

Well the AD900s sound sublime and 100% distortion free up to a pretty intense volume when plugged into the same headphone jack on my mixer. My loudspeakers also sound great coming out of the same mixer, albeit different output. I also tried them on my laptop today. The difference between low volume and medium volume is the same as with the mixer. Higher volume I have no idea because I can't actually get the volume up that high with that combination. I have no trouble getting the AD900s up to a volume where they can be heard in another room of the house with doors closed, on the laptop.
 
I have to stress that what I consider to be average volume is not very loud. I never have ringing in my ears after listening, even at what I would call HIGH volume. What I consider average volume, I can clearly hear what my girlfriend is saying to me while I'm listening to baroque on the AD900s. At this volume on the xscapes, the distortion is rearing its head already. Subtle at that volume and appears more as the bloating, bleeding, and resonance that I've already mentioned than as clipping, but gently turning up the volume increases those effects until it is clear that it is distortion.

wow maybe u have very senstive and trained ears, and im guesin so since ur a producer

 

[ballzac]

I doubt it. I'm not a professional producer, just a mediocre amateur. I also haven't owned a lot of of quality audio equipment. But I know what I can hear, and what I have described is quite noticible. Still, I'm probably making it sound more extreme than it is. I'm quite happy with low volume most of the time, and the sound is quite good when the volume is kept low. At average volume, most music still sounds decent, but orchestral stuff really suffers. Really, I think I just expected too much - from something so cheap - based on reviews. I think you get what you pay for, and you're not going to get high end sound without a high end price tag. When I compare them to my girlfriends earbuds (they are phillips something-or-other that she paid about 40 bucks for) they are miles ahead. The earbuds give the impression of the music being distant and heavily coloured. Like listening to it through a drainpipe but without the reverberation.
 
I think if I get IEMs again I will save up and spend big. In the mean time I think headphones are the way to go for most purposes, and my loudspeakers are great when it's not an inconvenience to anyone else.

 

[aurnob88]

I doubt it. I'm not a professional producer, just a mediocre amateur. I also haven't owned a lot of of quality audio equipment. But I know what I can hear, and what I have described is quite noticible. Still, I'm probably making it sound more extreme than it is. I'm quite happy with low volume most of the time, and the sound is quite good when the volume is kept low. At average volume, most music still sounds decent, but orchestral stuff really suffers. Really, I think I just expected too much - from something so cheap - based on reviews. I think you get what you pay for, and you're not going to get high end sound without a high end price tag. When I compare them to my girlfriends earbuds (they are phillips something-or-other that she paid about 40 bucks for) they are miles ahead. The earbuds give the impression of the music being distant and heavily coloured. Like listening to it through a drainpipe but without the reverberation.
 
I think if I get IEMs again I will save up and spend big. In the mean time I think headphones are the way to go for most purposes, and my loudspeakers are great when it's not an inconvenience to anyone else.

yeah, for your purposes maybe aim for a fischer dba-02, re252, vsonic gr07

 

[ickayR]

My budget is also $100 & need ones w/ good isolation & I listen to rock. What is type if sound for rock music. Should I look for IEM's w/ good bass or what?

 

[aurnob88]

My budget is also $100 & need ones w/ good isolation & I listen to rock. What is type if sound for rock music. Should I look for IEM's w/ good bass or what?

You should definitely get the FIscher ETerna's, very very good isolation and practically made for rock music. WIll be epic.