[maingarden]

the L gels sound better but are not as comfortable as the M, having just a little too much suction...maybe I won't notice at the gym.

are the sony tips that much better?
what about comply? I didn't like the shure yellow foamies as they got itchy so i never bothered with comply.

 

[cn11]

I think the Sony Hybrid silicone tips are much better than the included gels, for seal, as well as for overall SQ.

 

[actorlife]

Burn-in for 70 + hours and I have to say these phones are truly amazing! You can even hear the puff on the mic when the vocalist is doing their thing.

Please do a burn-in it really helps develop the sound. I actually like the tips that came with them, but will try the hybrids when I get them. tstarn06 thanks for recommending these.

I hope the X10 sound just as good or better. You won't go wrong with these.

 

[tstarn06]

No problem. I know you liked the Atrios, but these have deep, resonant bass (not bloated to me), but also the mids and highs, once they get broken in. As for the X10s, I had both at the same time and decided to sell the X10s, so hope you are not disappointed. I just felt the cost difference wasn't worth the price of admission, but you may feel differently.

 

[actorlife]

Well we will see. I've read they don't need burn-in, so I guess i'll know right away. Crossing fingers.

 

[abellaw]

Quote:

Originally Posted by maingarden /img/forum/go_quote.gif i was thinking etymotic HF2, actually. The grado version seems amazing and I"m jealous you have it. I'm currently enjoying my Ms1is. so far: S4 shines on the low end - and my initial listen is that it THUMPS my SCL3. difference is that it falls way short of the SCL3 detail, like it's under water. I'd like to hear how the S4 compares with UE4, HF2, and even PFE in DETAIL. can anyone compare? I"m looking for a compromise with the midrange detail of SCL3 with the bottom end of the S4, or less, as it's more than enough coming from the weak SCL3. should i wait for PFE rev.2 or is it too weak in the low end? It seems to me that to get what i'm looking for, i might have to make the jump to the high end - westone 3, shure 530, UE 10, etc...for now i'm going to enjoy this full sounding S4. unless you got something better...!

That makes so much sense i was wondering why there was all this mention of the HF2 in the portable forum. I was surprised but then i figured that you can use your HF2s portably if you wanted you would be missing out on some of the sq. I actually feel kinda of stupid now lol. Well i am glad that you like the s4s they fit my taste perfectly. They are sensitive to sibilance in that if the song has sibilance it will bring it out in full force. But works perfectly if there is no sibilance on the track.

And on the HF2 they really are an amazing set of cans that still surprise me almost every time i put them on. They were totally worth the whole month of no hot breakfasts or lunches as i ate cereals and sandwiches to save enough money to buy them.

 

[gameboy115]

Quote:

Originally Posted by actorlife /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well we will see. I've read they don't need burn-in, so I guess i'll know right away. Crossing fingers.

Like to know how you compare x10 and s 4

 

[mas215]

Whether it's a psychological effect or not, IMHO there is a marked improvement in sound, but it does seem to take longer than usual, for me it was around the 100 hour mark. I was very disappointed when I tried them out of the box, almost to the point of returning them. But, I figured what the heck, for $79 I'll give them some time especially from what I've read here. It's now been over a week, I did burn them in overnight and parts of the day (I also would give them rest periods for a few hours at a time, who knows if that's necessary or not), and the sound is quite simply incredible. I'm no expert and I do own Shure 530's (for 2 years now) as well as Atrio M5 (the originals). Different price ranges to be sure, but I would put the $79 S4's up against either one, to be honest. More comfortable, no need to wrap around the ear (and get sweat on the wires which can create more problems), just all in all a helluva pair of IEM's.

The burnin can't just be psychological, they sat in a drawer overnight for almost a week and believe me I could tell the difference from when they were new to when they had 50 hours on them, 80 hours, now over 100. Bottom line, a great IEM for those who want to spend less than $100 and as I said, they sound as good as if not better than IEM's that are 4 times the price. Good listening.

Marc in Boca

 

[turnstyle]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mas215 /img/forum/go_quote.gif no need to wrap around the ear

I find them pretty noisy if I don't, imho, ymmv...

 

[actorlife]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mas215 /img/forum/go_quote.gif and the sound is quite simply incredible. I'm no expert and I do own Shure 530's (for 2 years now) as well as Atrio M5 (the originals). Different price ranges to be sure, but I would put the $79 S4's up against either one, to be honest.

I agree with you they may beat my Atrios. I do hear a slight shrill in vocals, anyone one else hear it? But I felt them calm down if I tucked them in a little more in the ear.

 

[cn11]

I agree with the way they are at home with IEM's which cost significantly more. They're a tremendous value, and a no-brainer when your friends ask what headphone/'buds' to get to replace the ones that come with iPods.

The thing I like most is the nice amount of detail they have while remaining quite smooth. I don't hear any harshness or spikes like is so oft mentioned. The only thing I hear is that sibilant 'S' with vocals, but it's so subtle and rare that it's not really an annoyance in the least. Their bass is not on par with the Atrios obviously, but it's punchy enough for me. Everything else they do better and to my ears render the rest of the Atrio sound almost unlistenable (having sucked out mids, much harsher yet less extended highs).

 

[Judge Buff]

I've spent the last few days at work with them jacked into my BB202. While I don't think that the S4 needs amping at all, they do sound amazing with this amp. This is especially true with my crackberry as the source. The Celtic Ladies are so smooth as I type this...

BTW, cn11... I liked your old avatar. It reminded me of a guy I went to college with who did impressions of the Cowardly Lion.

 

[cn11]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Judge Buff /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've spent the last few days at work with them jacked into my BB202. While I don't think that the S4 needs amping at all, they do sound amazing with this amp. This is especially true with my crackberry as the source. The Celtic Ladies are so smooth as I type this... BTW, cn11... I liked your old avatar. It reminded me of a guy I went to college with who did impressions of the Cowardly Lion.

Don't they amp well? I continue to be impressed at what they offer for the cash.

Shall I bring back the previous avatar? I sort of like it too...

 

[maingarden]

does anyone find that complys isolate better on these than the L gels?

i find the L gels VERY comfortable, but noticeably less isolating than my shure olive on the SCL3. im not sure i feel comfortable with decoring and running into an accident, getting an olive stuck deep in there.

the lack of better isolation and slight shrill on the high end has me thinking of trying the RE0, HF5, or PFE...

 

[ucrags84]

If you can get a fit with the included tips than stick with them, there's no reason to try the Sony tips because they are inferior in quality. The contoured tips do work nicely, and provide a better seal than the hybrid sony tips. At least that was my case.