JBL Reference 220 IEMs - initial impression with pics

[Cooter]

Guess what I bought today?!?

Guess what I'm listening to right now?!?

Woo Hoo! ! !

Initial impressions:

Very open sound. Crisp, clear highs. Mids are nice and open. Bass is clean and full. They make my JVC Marshmallows sound boxy and woofy in comparison. I'll let them burn over the next few days when I'm not listening to them, as has been recommended.

I like the open design. I had to turn the tv sound off to give these a good, close listen. At normal tv volumes I can hear bits coming thru the music but not enough to be able to follow any conversation.

Medium silicone tips are comfy and easy to put in. They seem pretty thin, though. They have a crinkly-paper sound when I put them in or if they move when they're in my ears. I might try to find some med Senn tips, like swagga suggested. The foam tips that were included are useless. They're very hard, won't compress and mold themselves to my ear canal.

I like the cloth covered cord. Very easy to untangle and manage. Haven't noticed the microphonics yet, but I've only been listening to them for a short time now.

The case is very cool! It'll easily carry my iPod Nano and both these phones and my 'mallows. Very nice.

The ear clips and neck headband thingy aren't something I'll use. Probably won't use the airline adapter much, if ever, since I rarely fly. The mini-to-1/4 adapter will get used occasionally.

I think I'm done buying 'phones for a little while. (although I do need to pick up a pair of KSC75's yet) Then I'll be done. Yeah. Right.

 

[t4t3r]

so for those of you in the thread who have (or have listened to) the vibes and these jbl's, which do you like better? i was soooo close to ordering the vibes the other day but decided i'd wait a little longer to do some more research.


so, which one would it be?

 

[warrior05]

well, you can take a look at what i think here.

 

[bigBadBill]

Alright. I am the new kid in town. I found this site after some searching around after my old Senn CX300's had an unfortunate encounter with a 45 lb weight in the gym. rip.

I am not a audiphile by any stretch. I have a pair of Grado SR 80 that I love and use whenever I am not on a plane or in the gym. They are my main reference point. I also tried out some Shure E2C's which I returned since 1) they're not that great sounding, and 2) they impossible to use in the gym because of they're impossibly large, and won't stay in unless you use super-glue.

So I had my eyes set on ordering a pair of Vibes since they seem to be getting all the hype these days. Then I came across this tread, and I though, what the heck, I'll give these JBL's a try since I can just pick em up at the local Staples and easily return if I don't like them.

First off, these really did surprise me right out of the box. They sound GREAT! They're much more detailed than both the CX-300 (no surprise there) and they also outshine the C2E's in every imaginable department. I love their vocal reproduction. They have a strong emphasis on bass although they can be a little boomy at times. Warrior pointed out that this will balance out once broken in, and while I have passed the five hour mark, I am hoping they'll continue to open up. I also find that they're a little hissy at the highs, especially when played on loud volumes.

I have used these while running and they stay in place just fine. I used them with the Senn rubber pads which fit me a little better than the JBL ones. I definitely think they provide LESS sound isolation than do the CX300's. Perhaps this is due to the open design. The microphonics is excellent, and the cord transmits virtually no noise due to the nylon tread wrapping.

I haven't had the chance to compare these to the Vibes. The SR-80's outshine them in all but the very low bass department, but that comparison is a little unfair to the in-ear JBL's. For my purpose, the JBL's are great and definitely a keeper.

 

[warrior05]

cool deal! glad you like 'em and welcome to Team220!

keep listening and they'll continue to open up.

 

[Cooter]

I'm going to hook mine up to pink noise tonite and let them go overnite and thru most of tomorrow. I'm interested to see if I'll be able to hear any difference.

 

[warrior05]

was thinking of doing that myself, cooter. guess i'll wait to hear what your experience is. i did 9 hours of pink noise on my CX300s and the difference was quite impressive.

 

[jamato8]

Where are the JBL reference 220's made?

 

[warrior05]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamato8 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Where are the JBL reference 220's made?

as most things these days - china.

 

[jamato8]

Wow, I thought they might be made in Japan at that price. I should be able to find them here for 5 or 6 dollars then. :^) I think I saw some the other day but I am not sure where. I do know that sometimes for the local market that the quality isn't always the same as for export. This has been told to me on a few occasions by people who live here and I have observed the same. Sometimes though it is the same. I got some OVC 8+ that are excellent and I bet not a far cry from the PK1 in sound quality. The + is supposed to be extra bass but the bass seems just right and the clarity and midrange give my HD650's a run for their money. Sorry, this is about the JBL's, which I would like to get.

 

[jamato8]

Woa, I was wrong! 920RMB here in China!! That is over 110 dollars!!!

They Better be good!!!! That is more than the PK1 at 100 dollars here!!!!!

 

[TedwardRoberts]

I spent some time with the reference 410s from this series and realized that for the price I paid for them ($60), I could have easily have gotten some Grados.

I haven't had a chance to listen to the IEMs yet, but the 410s had a good midrange with a delicious little kick at the low-end, and from these reviews, it seems like that seems pretty consistent with the IEMs. I may have to pick a set up.

 

[warrior05]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TedwardRoberts /img/forum/go_quote.gif I spent some time with the reference 410s from this series and realized that for the price I paid for them ($60), I could have easily have gotten some Grados. I haven't had a chance to listen to the IEMs yet, but the 410s had a good midrange with a delicious little kick at the low-end, and from these reviews, it seems like that seems pretty consistent with the IEMs. I may have to pick a set up.

a ha! finally someone who got the 410s. i've been curious about them. perhaps you should start a different thread and provide more detailed impressions.

 

[bigBadBill]

Alright. I am the new kid in town. I found this site after some searching around after my old Senn CX300's had an unfortunate encounter with a 45 lb weight in the gym. rip.

I am not a audiphile by any stretch. I have a pair of Grado SR 80 that I love and use whenever I am not on a plane or in the gym. They are my main reference point. I also tried out some Shure E2C's which I returned since 1) they're not that great sounding, and 2) they impossible to use in the gym because of they're impossibly large, and won't stay in unless you use super-glue.

So I had my eyes set on ordering a pair of Vibes since they seem to be getting all the hype these days. Then I came across this tread, and I though, what the heck, I'll give these JBL's a try since I can just pick em up at the local Staples and easily return if I don't like them.

First off, these really did surprise me right out of the box. They sound GREAT! They're much more detailed than both the CX-300 (no surprise there) and they also outshine the C2E's in every imaginable department. I love their vocal reproduction. They have a strong emphasis on bass although they can be a little boomy at times. Warrior pointed out that this will balance out once broken in, and while I have passed the five hour mark, I am hoping they'll continue to open up. I also find that they're a little hissy at the highs, especially when played on loud volumes.

I have used these while running and they stay in place just fine. I used them with the Senn rubber pads which fit me a little better than the JBL ones. I definitely think they provide LESS sound isolation than do the CX300's. Perhaps this is due to the open design. The microphonics is excellent, and the cord transmits virtually no noise due to the nylon tread wrapping.

I haven't had the chance to compare these to the Vibes. The SR-80's outshine them in all but the very low bass department, but that comparison is a little unfair to the in-ear JBL's. For my purpose, the JBL's are great and definitely a keeper.

 

[rypin]

wow I want to try a pair of those too now xP