[warrior05]

i was in staples of all places and they had a jbl stand that had these IEMs, ear buds, reference 410 headphones and their portable speaker (forgot what they're called now). i know of one other head-fi'er who got the 220s and liked 'em. i figured what the heck. i'm in mid-fi IEM obsession mode so who am i to ignore my obsession?

couple things off the bat - really nice packaging job by jbl. after pulling everything out of the box what fell into my hands is a very nice case. open it up and it's got a headband and ear cuff on one side and ear tips, airline adapter and 1/4" adapter on the other. i can definitely use this case. both my trekstor vibez and my tiny cowon f2 will fit in this case with several pairs of IEMs if i so choose.

the next thing i noticed is that the cord for the 220s is cloth covered. it is a very understated grey with a black stripe spiralling down the length. it lends a very nice look to the whole IMO.

so i popped on the medium silicone tips and put 'em in. VERY comfortable. and the cord? absolutely no microphonics. i mean i was rubbing it up and down on the zipper of my sweatshirt and i couldn't hear it. also, the isolation on these are pretty good. definitely better than my v-moda vibes (though that's not difficult) but not as good as my E4Cs. i would say they are on par with the senn's cx300.

initial out of the box sound? pretty darn good. definite emphasis on bass but not on the level of the senn's but a bit more than the vibes. actually, the bass signature is a lot like the vibes - just a touch more of it. and while i'm at it, these sound a lot like the vibes except for 2 things: 1) they isolate more and 2) they don't have as big of a soundstage. the mids are nice and full - vocals sound real good. highs are slightly rolled off which is how i like it. they sound pretty accurate but then i don't listen to a lot of music that spends much time in the upper registers.

again, this is an initial 30 minute out of the box impression so things may change a bit. but for now, i'm really liking these. they are exactly what i wanted - a similar sound sig and a refined musical sound like my vibes but in a more isolating IEM. i thought these were open IEMs but apparently what looks to be a screen in the back is just an aesthetic touch. i really like how these look. speaking of which...

 

[swagga]

I'ts good to finally have someone compare these to the Vibes, your assessment is similar to the one that I had in my 220 thread, http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showth...+reference+220
for the exception of your take on their isolation. The back is definitely open on these buds, because if you cover the mesh on the back of them with your finger, you will hear the sound change. As far as them having more isolation than the vibes, the vibes must have no isolation at all, if the 220's isolate that much more. I found that with the music off, you can hear pretty much everything that is going on around you, albeit at a low level. That doesn't matter to me because I love the open sound. Let me know how you like them after a couple of days, I found that the bass calmed down a little bit, and they really started to sound very smooth. As you said the midrange is very nice on these, I love the way that they reproduce jazz vocals. After they mellow out a little in a few days, let me know how the sound compares w/ the vibes!

 

[warrior05]

so they are open! i'm surprised they don't sound it then. the vibes definitely have more air but you're right - i should wait a couple of days. the reason i commented about their isolation is that i didn't hear my dog barking when i had them on listening to some music which surprised me. with the vibes i definitely would have heard her. then again, maybe i was getting into the groove a bit much and had the volume pumped up a bit more than usual!

 

[retic3nt]

ok now I have no idea if I want to get these or the vibes now.

warrior, so it is still quite easy to hear outside noises when using the vibes, but not for the 220s?

 

[warrior05]

Quote:

Originally Posted by retic3nt /img/forum/go_quote.gif ok now I have no idea if I want to get these or the vibes now. warrior, so it is still quite easy to hear outside noises when using the vibes, but not for the 220s?

give me another day with them and i'll report back. i've got so many IEMs now plus a repair and recable job that my head is spinning switching between so many head/earphones!

i'll be listening to the 220s throughout the day tomorrow and i'll have a better idea then.

 

[Cooter]

I just found out that Staples had an online 1-day sale last Friday, 12/29, and these phones were only $54.99! ($25 instant coupon)

Dang! Can't believe I missed it! I just sent them an email to see if they'd still honor the price. I doubt if they'll go for it but I figured it was worth a shot. If they do give me the sale price I'm betting that a few others around here might be interested, too. I'll let you know when they reply, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

[warrior05]

argh!!! i HATE when that happens.

 

[Cooter]

Well, I got an email reply from the CS Supervisor saying they won't honor the sale price. I also called them and was told the same thing. No surprise but I'm kinda bummed anyway. Oh well. Guess I'll check their website on Fridays to see if they ever run the sale again.

 

[Audiofiler]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cooter /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well, I got an email reply from the CS Supervisor saying they won't honor the sale price. I also called them and was told the same thing. No surprise but I'm kinda bummed anyway. Oh well. Guess I'll check their website on Fridays to see if they ever run the sale again.

keep us posted cooter

(I just wanted to say that..but really mean it too)

 

[swagga]

Well, it's not $25, but here is a link to a $10 Staples coupon, $70 is better than $80!

http://e.staples-deals.com/staplespa...@optonline.net

 

[munkong]

nice review

 

[ClayMaster]

I just got the JBL. Do they need to burn in like the vibes?

 

[swagga]

Yes they do, at first they will seem to be really bassy, but after about 2-3 days depending on how much you use them, the bass will mellow out and the midrange will come forward. The midrange is the best part.

 

[warrior05]

Quote:

Originally Posted by swagga /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes they do, at first they will seem to be really bassy, but after about 2-3 days depending on how much you use them, the bass will mellow out and the midrange will come forward. The midrange is the best part.

oh, man - is swagga oh so right about this! these things change so much that it has nearly rendered my initial impression useless.

the bass has calmed down a lot and to the point where i now have to say that there is less bass emphasis than the v-moda vibes. meaning that the 220s are a bit more balanced. don't get me wrong - there is still plenty of bass but it seems to have become more extended and refined. they have also opened up and gained detail. the soundstage has opened up too. NOW they are sounding like open IEMs. if anyone doesn't believe in burn-in then they should get themselves a pair of 220s. i haven't heard this dramatic of a change in sound since my K81DJs.

i still haven't done an A/B comparison to the vibes but i would say that the 220s might have a bit more detail but the mids might be a touch recessed compared to the vibes. honestly though, that might be my impression due to the clarity the 220s bring to the party. the cool thing about the JBLs is even though they have an impressive amount of detail (especially considering the price), they are still warm and musical sounding. i just might have to put these in front of the vibes in regards to preference which is difficult for me to say because i've been a big vibes fan boy.

guess i'll have to get down to some critical listening either tonight or tomorrow and post a comparo.

i'll say it again... swagga - you were right!

 

[Cooter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by warrior05 /img/forum/go_quote.gif i still haven't done an A/B comparison to the vibes but i would say that the 220s might have a bit more detail but the mids might be a touch recessed compared to the vibes. honestly though, that might be my impression due to the clarity the 220s bring to the party. the cool thing about the JBLs is even though they have an impressive amount of detail (especially considering the price), they are still warm and musical sounding. i just might have to put these in front of the vibes in regards to preference which is difficult for me to say because i've been a big vibes fan boy. guess i'll have to get down to some critical listening either tonight or tomorrow and post a comparo.

Aww...man! I was convinced that the Vibes were what I needed and now you and swagga are making me think JBL's instead! Well, the JBL's are a bit cheaper and I like the carry bag better. (plus I've got a $10 coupon but it expires 01/06 so I'll have to decide fast!) But I like the metal bodies of the Vibes better. And do you still think the Vibes are more open? For me, that'd be a good thing. Decisions, decisions...