xedjflowx
100+ Head-Fier
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Wait until nmatheis posts his impressions as he already has the 750's and will be putting up his impressions of the t10's quite soon. I hear that they're not too similar.
Introducing the T10i, an all new IEM from RHA
Wait until nmatheis posts his impressions as he already has the 750's and will be putting up his impressions of the t10's quite soon. I hear that they're not too similar.
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I'll post on that in a few days. I've been using MA750 more than usual in preparation for a comparison with T10i. I just received the T10i and am giving them a test run with reference filters with recent HD Tracks release of Rush's 2112.
- Joined
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EDIT: Added impressions with Spring 1 from Max Richter's Vivaldi's Four Season Recomposed.
With that in mind, here's my review in progress. Keep in mind this is my first real review
.
RHA T10i FIRST IMPRESSIONS
A big shoutout to shotgunshane for touring his T10i, giving me the opportunity to provide an unbiased review
.
BUILD QUALITY & ERGONOMICS
As mentioned in other reviews, the build quality is spectacular. There are no sharp edges on the earpieces, and the stainless steel has a silky smooth satin finish. The earpieces are quite small and fit well in my small-ish ears. I had absolutely no problem achieving and maintaining a good seal with the stock medium single flange silicon tips, which has honestly been a struggle with a lot of other IEMs I've owned. I either have a hard time achieving a good seal right off the bat or they want to pop out of my ears after a while.
The cable is pretty much the same as the MA750's cable with the exception of the new ear hook design and a mic with iPhone controls. This means you're getting a very sturdy rubberized cable with minimal memory effect. I mean seriously, with how sturdy the cable is (and the fact that you've got stainless steel earpieces) you could use these things for self-defense if worst came to worst!
The new bendable ear hooks are a major improvement over the MA750's ear hooks, which was one of my major gripes with the MA750's ergonomics. They're very comfortable, retain their shape well enough, are very easy to readjust, and interfere far less with my eyeglasses. Again, a major improvement!
I'm not concerned with the mic as I mainly use a Fiio X5 or iBasso DX90, so I won't be testing it. However, I am happy to report that the new headphone jack sports a step-down to accommodate iPhone cases. I always had to remove my iPhone case when using my MA750, which was a poor design choice, imho. I hope this step-down is retained in the non-iPhone model (T10).
Finally, the removable filters are something new for me. I've swapped out Knowles filters on IEMs before, but they're nothing like the filters RHA designed. Again they're well designed. The color coding is easy to discern, the build is sturdy, and they're very secure once attached. The small stainless holder for these is a nice touch, keeping the filters secure in a compact form and providing a reference for the filters' color codes.
ISOLATION & MICROPHONICS
For me, isolation is above average. They deaden outside sound enough that I can concentrate on my music but not so much that I won't hear my 3yo old boy screaming because his baby brother bit him, lol. This is probably due to improved ergonomics making it much easier for me to achieve and maintain a good seal. This means I spend less time readjusting for optimal seal, which is really nice. I've actually been considering going the CIEM route recently because I do end up readjusting my IEMs a lot to maintain a good seal. If these turn out to be a great, secure fit and have good sound quality over my time with them then I might have to reconsider...
Microphonics are minimal due to the very sturdy rubberized cord and mandatory over ear fitment. I suspect the soft, rubberized coating over the memory wire helps, too.
SOUND QUALITY
DAP: Fiio X5
IEM Tested: RHA MA750, RHA T10i, TPEOS Altone200 (similar price + one of my current favorites)
Artist: Alva Noto + Ryuichi Sakamoto
Song: Aurora
Album: Insen
Genre: Modern Classical / Minimalist
Obligatory YouTube Link
I find this to be a very relaxing piece which marries avant garde electronics with solo piano. The piano is played slowly with each note left to hang in the air and really explore the note's decay before moving onto the next note. The supporting electronics switch between bass and mid drones vs. quick, shifting notes to complement and contrast with the piano.
WINNER: Tie between T10i with Reference and Treble Filters. With Reference Filters, the T10i's bass is spot on for this song but the hauntingly beautiful piano is recessed a bit too much. With Treble Filters, the piano is spot on but the bass is a bit too recessed.
RUNNER UP: Tie between MA750 and Altone200. A lot more similarities between these two than I ever thought possible (at least with this song). Neither provides enough bass for this song, especially in the sub-bass region. Altone200 is more lively and the piano comes alive a bit more than MA750 or T10i. However, that's not necessarily appropriate for this song, where the piano notes should hang gracefully in the air and slowly decay. The MA750 handles the piano more appropriately for this piece, quite similar to the T10i with Treble Filters.
FALLING BEHIND: T10i with Bass Filters does have more bass which could be seen as appropriate for this song, but the mids and high end sound quite lifeless compared to the rest of the pack.
Artist: Behemoth
Song: Ov Fire and the Void
Album: Evangelia Heretika (Live)
Genre: Blackened Death Metal
WHY: Fast bass drum blastbeats should give me a good idea of bass responsiveness.
Obligatory YouTube Link
WINNER: Altone200 provides an energetic listen here that 's much more exciting than either RHA IEM. Keeps up with drum blastbeat without breaking a sweat while maintaining punchiness. Sounds airier with larger soundstage. However, sibilance creeps in with vocals and could be too much for those with an aversion.
RUNNER UP: MA750 provides a more neutral, less energetic listen and ends up sounding a bit flat in comparison. Bass is less punchy, soundstage is smaller, and sibilance is virtually non-existent. For those of you who are sibilance-averse, this could be your winner.
SECOND RUNNER UP: T10i with Treble Filter is quite a bit warmer than Altone200 and MA750. As a result, it's not as punchy and bass drum blastbeats start to sound too soft for my taste. Still palatable, though.
FALLING BEHIND: T10i with Reference Filter is even warmer with bloated mid bass and ends up being even less punchy. As a result it sounds quite soft in comparison to Altone200 and MA750. T10i with Bass Filters sounds very warm with bass bleeding strongly into mids. As a result, it feels quite congested and soundstage suffers a lot to my ears.
EDIT: I went back and listened to Ov Fire and the Void again, and to my ears there's something very wrong with how T10i present the kick drums. They're very recessed and soft. The bass is deep and plentiful and I have good isolation, so it's not due to poor seal. No other IEM I've listened to has presented kick drums in this way.
NOTE: I'm giving up on the Bass Filters at this point. IMHO, RHA should've called the Reference Filters the Bass Filters, they should've called the Treble Filters the Reference Filters, and they definitely need another filter that creates a more neutral sound than either of those as both are quite warm to my ears.
Artist: Max Richter
Song: Spring 1
Album: Vivaldi's Four Seasons Recomposed
Genre: Classical
WHY: Obligatory classical piece that I really, really enjoy
Obligatory YouTube Link
WINNER: Tie between Altone200 and T10i with Treble Filters. Altone200 provides more neutral sound with increased clarity, instrument separation, and larger soundstage. However, lower strings aren't as rich and higher strings sound a bit etched. T10i with ATRE me Filters provides a very rich foundation with strong presentation of lower strings. Soundstage and instrument separation do suffer some due to increased bass presence. High end is again polite but not so polite that I don't hear good attack on sharp upper register violin notes. In the end, they're both quite good but for different reasons and I think this one comes down to personal preference. If I was listening critically, I'd go for Altones. If I were relaxing, I'd go with T10i with Treble Filters.
RUNNER UP: MA750 provides neutral presentation with adequate soundstage. Instrument separation and positioning aren't quite as good as the winners above, though. Lower strings also don't sound as rich.
FALLING BEHIND: T10i with Reference Filters just have too much bass for my taste with this piece. It makes them feel quite congested and takes away the good soundstage and instrument separation these had with Treble Filters.
Some other songs I'm considering for comparison...
Artist: Rush
Song: The Trees
Album: Hemispheres
Genre: Rock
WHY: Neil Peart's drums are all over the place, providing a good test for instrument placement and soundstage with another song I really dig
Artist: Senking
Song: Chainsawfish
Album: Capsize Recovery
Genre: Electronic (Bass)
WHY: This song has some serious sub-bass that I find exceedingly hard to replicate with IEM. Maybe the Bass Filters will come in handy after all???
SOUND QUALITY (X5 + E12A)
WHY: Sometimes amping makes more of a difference than a lot of us here would care to admit - let's call it synergy.
With that in mind, here's my review in progress. Keep in mind this is my first real review
. RHA T10i FIRST IMPRESSIONS
A big shoutout to shotgunshane for touring his T10i, giving me the opportunity to provide an unbiased review
.BUILD QUALITY & ERGONOMICS
As mentioned in other reviews, the build quality is spectacular. There are no sharp edges on the earpieces, and the stainless steel has a silky smooth satin finish. The earpieces are quite small and fit well in my small-ish ears. I had absolutely no problem achieving and maintaining a good seal with the stock medium single flange silicon tips, which has honestly been a struggle with a lot of other IEMs I've owned. I either have a hard time achieving a good seal right off the bat or they want to pop out of my ears after a while.
The cable is pretty much the same as the MA750's cable with the exception of the new ear hook design and a mic with iPhone controls. This means you're getting a very sturdy rubberized cable with minimal memory effect. I mean seriously, with how sturdy the cable is (and the fact that you've got stainless steel earpieces) you could use these things for self-defense if worst came to worst!
The new bendable ear hooks are a major improvement over the MA750's ear hooks, which was one of my major gripes with the MA750's ergonomics. They're very comfortable, retain their shape well enough, are very easy to readjust, and interfere far less with my eyeglasses. Again, a major improvement!
I'm not concerned with the mic as I mainly use a Fiio X5 or iBasso DX90, so I won't be testing it. However, I am happy to report that the new headphone jack sports a step-down to accommodate iPhone cases. I always had to remove my iPhone case when using my MA750, which was a poor design choice, imho. I hope this step-down is retained in the non-iPhone model (T10).
Finally, the removable filters are something new for me. I've swapped out Knowles filters on IEMs before, but they're nothing like the filters RHA designed. Again they're well designed. The color coding is easy to discern, the build is sturdy, and they're very secure once attached. The small stainless holder for these is a nice touch, keeping the filters secure in a compact form and providing a reference for the filters' color codes.
ISOLATION & MICROPHONICS
For me, isolation is above average. They deaden outside sound enough that I can concentrate on my music but not so much that I won't hear my 3yo old boy screaming because his baby brother bit him, lol. This is probably due to improved ergonomics making it much easier for me to achieve and maintain a good seal. This means I spend less time readjusting for optimal seal, which is really nice. I've actually been considering going the CIEM route recently because I do end up readjusting my IEMs a lot to maintain a good seal. If these turn out to be a great, secure fit and have good sound quality over my time with them then I might have to reconsider...
Microphonics are minimal due to the very sturdy rubberized cord and mandatory over ear fitment. I suspect the soft, rubberized coating over the memory wire helps, too.
SOUND QUALITY
DAP: Fiio X5
IEM Tested: RHA MA750, RHA T10i, TPEOS Altone200 (similar price + one of my current favorites)
Artist: Alva Noto + Ryuichi Sakamoto
Song: Aurora
Album: Insen
Genre: Modern Classical / Minimalist
Obligatory YouTube Link
I find this to be a very relaxing piece which marries avant garde electronics with solo piano. The piano is played slowly with each note left to hang in the air and really explore the note's decay before moving onto the next note. The supporting electronics switch between bass and mid drones vs. quick, shifting notes to complement and contrast with the piano.
WINNER: Tie between T10i with Reference and Treble Filters. With Reference Filters, the T10i's bass is spot on for this song but the hauntingly beautiful piano is recessed a bit too much. With Treble Filters, the piano is spot on but the bass is a bit too recessed.
RUNNER UP: Tie between MA750 and Altone200. A lot more similarities between these two than I ever thought possible (at least with this song). Neither provides enough bass for this song, especially in the sub-bass region. Altone200 is more lively and the piano comes alive a bit more than MA750 or T10i. However, that's not necessarily appropriate for this song, where the piano notes should hang gracefully in the air and slowly decay. The MA750 handles the piano more appropriately for this piece, quite similar to the T10i with Treble Filters.
FALLING BEHIND: T10i with Bass Filters does have more bass which could be seen as appropriate for this song, but the mids and high end sound quite lifeless compared to the rest of the pack.
Artist: Behemoth
Song: Ov Fire and the Void
Album: Evangelia Heretika (Live)
Genre: Blackened Death Metal
WHY: Fast bass drum blastbeats should give me a good idea of bass responsiveness.
Obligatory YouTube Link
WINNER: Altone200 provides an energetic listen here that 's much more exciting than either RHA IEM. Keeps up with drum blastbeat without breaking a sweat while maintaining punchiness. Sounds airier with larger soundstage. However, sibilance creeps in with vocals and could be too much for those with an aversion.
RUNNER UP: MA750 provides a more neutral, less energetic listen and ends up sounding a bit flat in comparison. Bass is less punchy, soundstage is smaller, and sibilance is virtually non-existent. For those of you who are sibilance-averse, this could be your winner.
SECOND RUNNER UP: T10i with Treble Filter is quite a bit warmer than Altone200 and MA750. As a result, it's not as punchy and bass drum blastbeats start to sound too soft for my taste. Still palatable, though.
FALLING BEHIND: T10i with Reference Filter is even warmer with bloated mid bass and ends up being even less punchy. As a result it sounds quite soft in comparison to Altone200 and MA750. T10i with Bass Filters sounds very warm with bass bleeding strongly into mids. As a result, it feels quite congested and soundstage suffers a lot to my ears.
EDIT: I went back and listened to Ov Fire and the Void again, and to my ears there's something very wrong with how T10i present the kick drums. They're very recessed and soft. The bass is deep and plentiful and I have good isolation, so it's not due to poor seal. No other IEM I've listened to has presented kick drums in this way.
NOTE: I'm giving up on the Bass Filters at this point. IMHO, RHA should've called the Reference Filters the Bass Filters, they should've called the Treble Filters the Reference Filters, and they definitely need another filter that creates a more neutral sound than either of those as both are quite warm to my ears.
Artist: Max Richter
Song: Spring 1
Album: Vivaldi's Four Seasons Recomposed
Genre: Classical
WHY: Obligatory classical piece that I really, really enjoy
Obligatory YouTube Link
WINNER: Tie between Altone200 and T10i with Treble Filters. Altone200 provides more neutral sound with increased clarity, instrument separation, and larger soundstage. However, lower strings aren't as rich and higher strings sound a bit etched. T10i with ATRE me Filters provides a very rich foundation with strong presentation of lower strings. Soundstage and instrument separation do suffer some due to increased bass presence. High end is again polite but not so polite that I don't hear good attack on sharp upper register violin notes. In the end, they're both quite good but for different reasons and I think this one comes down to personal preference. If I was listening critically, I'd go for Altones. If I were relaxing, I'd go with T10i with Treble Filters.
RUNNER UP: MA750 provides neutral presentation with adequate soundstage. Instrument separation and positioning aren't quite as good as the winners above, though. Lower strings also don't sound as rich.
FALLING BEHIND: T10i with Reference Filters just have too much bass for my taste with this piece. It makes them feel quite congested and takes away the good soundstage and instrument separation these had with Treble Filters.
Some other songs I'm considering for comparison...
Artist: Rush
Song: The Trees
Album: Hemispheres
Genre: Rock
WHY: Neil Peart's drums are all over the place, providing a good test for instrument placement and soundstage with another song I really dig
Artist: Senking
Song: Chainsawfish
Album: Capsize Recovery
Genre: Electronic (Bass)
WHY: This song has some serious sub-bass that I find exceedingly hard to replicate with IEM. Maybe the Bass Filters will come in handy after all???
SOUND QUALITY (X5 + E12A)
WHY: Sometimes amping makes more of a difference than a lot of us here would care to admit - let's call it synergy
.
Dinerenblanc
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2014
- Posts
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- Likes
- 188
If you've taken the time to right this long post, you might as well have written a comparison.
LazerBear
Head-Fier
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2014
- Posts
- 98
- Likes
- 29
I personally think it would be great to have a short "first impression" of sorts earlier, perhaps with some general comparison with the MA750, and then a full review at the end.. we're all quite curious, ya know?
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2013
- Posts
- 14,525
- Likes
- 9,514
EDIT: Added impressions with Ov Fire and the Void by Behemoth.
With that in mind, here's my review in progress. Keep in mind this is my first real review.
RHA T10i FIRST IMPRESSIONS
A big shoutout to shotgunshane for touring his T10i, giving me the opportunity to provide an unbiased review.
BUILD QUALITY & ERGONOMICS
As mentioned in other reviews, the build quality is spectacular. There are no sharp edges on the earpieces, and the stainless steel has a silky smooth satin finish. The earpieces are quite small and fit well in my small-ish ears. I had absolutely no problem achieving and maintaining a good seal with the stock medium single flange silicon tips, which has honestly been a struggle with a lot of other IEMs I've owned. I either have a hard time achieving a good seal right off the bat or they want to pop out of my ears after a while.
The cable is pretty much the same as the MA750's cable with the exception of the new ear hook design and a mic with iPhone controls. This means you're getting a very sturdy rubberized cable with minimal memory effect. I mean seriously, with how sturdy the cable is (and the fact that you've got stainless steel earpieces) you could use these things for self-defense if worst came to worst!
The new bendable ear hooks are a major improvement over the MA750's ear hooks, which was one of my major gripes with the MA750's ergonomics. They're very comfortable, retain their shape well enough, are very easy to readjust, and interfere far less with my eyeglasses. Again, a major improvement!
I'm not concerned with the mic as I mainly use a Fiio X5 or iBasso DX90, so I won't be testing it. However, I am happy to report that the new headphone jack sports a step-down to accommodate iPhone cases. I always had to remove my iPhone case when using my MA750, which was a poor design choice, imho. I hope this step-down is retained in the non-iPhone model (T10).
Finally, the removable filters are something new for me. I've swapped out Knowles filters on IEMs before, but they're nothing like the filters RHA designed. Again they're well designed. The color coding is easy to discern, the build is sturdy, and they're very secure once attached. The small stainless holder for these is a nice touch, keeping the filters secure in a compact form and providing a reference for the filters' color codes.
ISOLATION & MICROPHONICS
For me, isolation is above average. They deaden outside sound enough that I can concentrate on my music but not so much that I won't hear my 3yo old boy screaming because his baby brother bit him, lol. This is probably due to improved ergonomics making it much easier for me to achieve and maintain a good seal. This means I spend less time readjusting for optimal seal, which is really nice. I've actually been considering going the CIEM route recently because I do end up readjusting my IEMs a lot to maintain a good seal. If these turn out to be a great, secure fit and have good sound quality over my time with them then I might have to reconsider...
Microphonics are minimal due to the very sturdy rubberized cord and mandatory over ear fitment. I suspect the soft, rubberized coating over the memory wire helps, too.
SOUND QUALITY
DAP: Fiio X5
IEM Tested: RHA MA750, RHA T10i, TPEOS Altone200 (similar price + one of my current favorites)
Artist: Alva Noto + Ryuichi Sakamoto
Song: Aurora
Album: Insen
Genre: Modern Classical / Minimalist
Obligatory YouTube Link
I find this to be a very relaxing piece which marries avant garde electronics with solo piano. The piano is played slowly with each note left to hang in the air and really explore the note's decay before moving onto the next note. The supporting electronics switch between bass and mid drones vs. quick, shifting notes to complement and contrast with the piano.
WINNER: Tie between T10i with Reference and Treble Filters. With Reference Filters, the T10i's bass is spot on for this song but the hauntingly beautiful piano is recessed a bit too much. With Treble Filters, the piano is spot on but the bass is a bit too recessed.
RUNNER UP: Tie between MA750 and Altone200. A lot more similarities between these two than I ever thought possible (at least with this song). Neither provides enough bass for this song, especially in the sub-bass region. Altone200 is more lively and the piano comes alive a bit more than MA750 or T10i. However, that's not necessarily appropriate for this song, where the piano notes should hang gracefully in the air and slowly decay. The MA750 handles the piano more appropriately for this piece, quite similar to the T10i with Treble Filters.
FALLING BEHIND: T10i with Bass Filters does have more bass which could be seen as appropriate for this song, but the mids and high end sound quite lifeless compared to the rest of the pack.
Artist: Behemoth
Song: Ov Fire and the Void
Album: Evangelia Heretika (Live)
Genre: Blackened Death Metal
WHY: Fast bass drum blastbeats should give me a good idea of bass responsiveness.
Obligatory YouTube Link
WINNER: Altone200 provides an energetic listen here that 's much more exciting than either RHA IEM. Keeps up with drum blastbeat without breaking a sweat while maintaining punchiness. Sounds airier with larger soundstage. However, sibilance creeps in with vocals and could be too much for those with an aversion.
RUNNER UP: MA750 provides a more neutral, less energetic listen and ends up sounding a bit flat in comparison. Bass is less punchy, soundstage is smaller, and sibilance is virtually non-existent. For those of you who are sibilance-averse, this could be your winner.
SECOND RUNNER UP: T10i with Treble Filter is quite a bit warmer than Altone200 and MA750. As a result, it's not as punchy and bass drum blastbeats start to sound too soft for my taste. Still palatable, though.
FALLING BEHIND: T10i with Reference Filter is even warmer with bloated mid bass and ends up being even less punchy. As a result it sounds quite soft in comparison to Altone200 and MA750. T10i with Bass Filters sounds very warm with bass bleeding strongly into mids. As a result, it feels quite congested and soundstage suffers a lot to my ears.
Some other songs I'm considering for comparison...
Artist: Max Richter
Song: Spring 0
Album: Vivaldi's Four Seasons Recomposed
Genre: Classical
WHY: Obligatory classical piece that I really, really enjoy
Artist: Rush
Song: The Trees
Album: Hemispheres
Genre: Rock
WHY: Neil Peart's drums are all over the place, providing a good test for instrument placement and soundstage with another song I really dig
Artist: Senking
Song: Chainsawfish
Album: Capsize Recovery
Genre: Electronic (Bass)
WHY: This song has some serious sub-bass that I find exceedingly hard to replicate with IEM. Maybe the Bass Filters will come in handy after all???
SOUND QUALITY (X5 + E12A)
WHY: Sometimes amping makes more of a difference than a lot of us here would care to admit - let's call it synergy.
With that in mind, here's my review in progress. Keep in mind this is my first real review
. RHA T10i FIRST IMPRESSIONS
A big shoutout to shotgunshane for touring his T10i, giving me the opportunity to provide an unbiased review
.BUILD QUALITY & ERGONOMICS
As mentioned in other reviews, the build quality is spectacular. There are no sharp edges on the earpieces, and the stainless steel has a silky smooth satin finish. The earpieces are quite small and fit well in my small-ish ears. I had absolutely no problem achieving and maintaining a good seal with the stock medium single flange silicon tips, which has honestly been a struggle with a lot of other IEMs I've owned. I either have a hard time achieving a good seal right off the bat or they want to pop out of my ears after a while.
The cable is pretty much the same as the MA750's cable with the exception of the new ear hook design and a mic with iPhone controls. This means you're getting a very sturdy rubberized cable with minimal memory effect. I mean seriously, with how sturdy the cable is (and the fact that you've got stainless steel earpieces) you could use these things for self-defense if worst came to worst!
The new bendable ear hooks are a major improvement over the MA750's ear hooks, which was one of my major gripes with the MA750's ergonomics. They're very comfortable, retain their shape well enough, are very easy to readjust, and interfere far less with my eyeglasses. Again, a major improvement!
I'm not concerned with the mic as I mainly use a Fiio X5 or iBasso DX90, so I won't be testing it. However, I am happy to report that the new headphone jack sports a step-down to accommodate iPhone cases. I always had to remove my iPhone case when using my MA750, which was a poor design choice, imho. I hope this step-down is retained in the non-iPhone model (T10).
Finally, the removable filters are something new for me. I've swapped out Knowles filters on IEMs before, but they're nothing like the filters RHA designed. Again they're well designed. The color coding is easy to discern, the build is sturdy, and they're very secure once attached. The small stainless holder for these is a nice touch, keeping the filters secure in a compact form and providing a reference for the filters' color codes.
ISOLATION & MICROPHONICS
For me, isolation is above average. They deaden outside sound enough that I can concentrate on my music but not so much that I won't hear my 3yo old boy screaming because his baby brother bit him, lol. This is probably due to improved ergonomics making it much easier for me to achieve and maintain a good seal. This means I spend less time readjusting for optimal seal, which is really nice. I've actually been considering going the CIEM route recently because I do end up readjusting my IEMs a lot to maintain a good seal. If these turn out to be a great, secure fit and have good sound quality over my time with them then I might have to reconsider...
Microphonics are minimal due to the very sturdy rubberized cord and mandatory over ear fitment. I suspect the soft, rubberized coating over the memory wire helps, too.
SOUND QUALITY
DAP: Fiio X5
IEM Tested: RHA MA750, RHA T10i, TPEOS Altone200 (similar price + one of my current favorites)
Artist: Alva Noto + Ryuichi Sakamoto
Song: Aurora
Album: Insen
Genre: Modern Classical / Minimalist
Obligatory YouTube Link
I find this to be a very relaxing piece which marries avant garde electronics with solo piano. The piano is played slowly with each note left to hang in the air and really explore the note's decay before moving onto the next note. The supporting electronics switch between bass and mid drones vs. quick, shifting notes to complement and contrast with the piano.
WINNER: Tie between T10i with Reference and Treble Filters. With Reference Filters, the T10i's bass is spot on for this song but the hauntingly beautiful piano is recessed a bit too much. With Treble Filters, the piano is spot on but the bass is a bit too recessed.
RUNNER UP: Tie between MA750 and Altone200. A lot more similarities between these two than I ever thought possible (at least with this song). Neither provides enough bass for this song, especially in the sub-bass region. Altone200 is more lively and the piano comes alive a bit more than MA750 or T10i. However, that's not necessarily appropriate for this song, where the piano notes should hang gracefully in the air and slowly decay. The MA750 handles the piano more appropriately for this piece, quite similar to the T10i with Treble Filters.
FALLING BEHIND: T10i with Bass Filters does have more bass which could be seen as appropriate for this song, but the mids and high end sound quite lifeless compared to the rest of the pack.
Artist: Behemoth
Song: Ov Fire and the Void
Album: Evangelia Heretika (Live)
Genre: Blackened Death Metal
WHY: Fast bass drum blastbeats should give me a good idea of bass responsiveness.
Obligatory YouTube Link
WINNER: Altone200 provides an energetic listen here that 's much more exciting than either RHA IEM. Keeps up with drum blastbeat without breaking a sweat while maintaining punchiness. Sounds airier with larger soundstage. However, sibilance creeps in with vocals and could be too much for those with an aversion.
RUNNER UP: MA750 provides a more neutral, less energetic listen and ends up sounding a bit flat in comparison. Bass is less punchy, soundstage is smaller, and sibilance is virtually non-existent. For those of you who are sibilance-averse, this could be your winner.
SECOND RUNNER UP: T10i with Treble Filter is quite a bit warmer than Altone200 and MA750. As a result, it's not as punchy and bass drum blastbeats start to sound too soft for my taste. Still palatable, though.
FALLING BEHIND: T10i with Reference Filter is even warmer with bloated mid bass and ends up being even less punchy. As a result it sounds quite soft in comparison to Altone200 and MA750. T10i with Bass Filters sounds very warm with bass bleeding strongly into mids. As a result, it feels quite congested and soundstage suffers a lot to my ears.
Some other songs I'm considering for comparison...
Artist: Max Richter
Song: Spring 0
Album: Vivaldi's Four Seasons Recomposed
Genre: Classical
WHY: Obligatory classical piece that I really, really enjoy
Artist: Rush
Song: The Trees
Album: Hemispheres
Genre: Rock
WHY: Neil Peart's drums are all over the place, providing a good test for instrument placement and soundstage with another song I really dig
Artist: Senking
Song: Chainsawfish
Album: Capsize Recovery
Genre: Electronic (Bass)
WHY: This song has some serious sub-bass that I find exceedingly hard to replicate with IEM. Maybe the Bass Filters will come in handy after all???
SOUND QUALITY (X5 + E12A)
WHY: Sometimes amping makes more of a difference than a lot of us here would care to admit - let's call it synergy
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BF3 Player
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Just picked up these beauties from the Apple store today after my friend gave me a discount.
First impression, these earphones looks like expensive pieces of jewelry and they are a perfect match for the brush aluminium finish of my HTC M8. The housing isn't as large as I expected, which is good because my ears very small. I plugged them into my phone and I can immediately feel the full impact of the bass, they are even more bass heavy than the Vmoda M80. I am a bass head and I have to say it will take some time for me to adjust to them.
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What (if any) IEM are you coming from?
BF3 Player
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Shawn71
Headphoneus Supremus
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Just picked up these beauties from the Apple store today after my friend gave me a discount.
First impression, these earphones looks like expensive pieces of jewelry and they are a perfect match for the brush aluminium finish of my HTC M8. The housing isn't as large as I expected, which is good because my ears very small. I plugged them into my phone and I can immediately feel the full impact of the bass, they are even more bass heavy than the Vmoda M80. I am a bass head and I have to say it will take some time for me to adjust to them.
so since its already a bass heavy of your taste and are better than m-80s why you need to buy some time to settle down? Just a small dis-connect,so my question....no offense pls.....may be you miss the texture,ootb?
MasterCrane
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Just ran 10 miles with my T10i. Excellent!
BF3 Player
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No offense taken, I am still new to this hobby so I am still learning all the terminology, I think I can understand what you mean by texture.....
tusing
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How do these compare to the GR07 BE?
I'm kinda new here, and my GR07 BE's are starting to give out. I'm not *too* big on bass, I listen to mostly instrumental music. So would this be an upgrade for me, compared to the GR07 BE?
I'm kinda new here, and my GR07 BE's are starting to give out. I'm not *too* big on bass, I listen to mostly instrumental music. So would this be an upgrade for me, compared to the GR07 BE?
dweaver
Headphoneus Supremus
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These would have a ton more bass than the GR07 and will not have as sharp a treble.
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