[aphexii]

I've been a big fan of my Jays Q-Jays for awhile now. I preferred the sound and fit of the Q-Jays over the Shure E500's (SE530) and Westone UM2's and at $179 the Q-Jays were a superb value for the price.

Well this past week I picked up the X10's as I was curious how they compared. Billed as the worlds smallest, they truly are TINY. I thought my Q-Jays were small, DANG! The one downside, the X10 have single drivers, as opposed to dual drivers on the Westone UM2 and Q-Jays, and triple drivers in the E500. (Which I'm sure you all already know) All the reviews said they still sounded great, even with the single drivers, so I wanted to check them out.

So they just arrived, been listening for the past 30 minutes and so far i'm impressed. My quick initial impressions of the X10 vs. the Q-Jays follows. (I'll update the thread after I spend more time with them)

Q-Jays (after 8 months of usage)
Very balanced sound. Trebles are very nice, but not harsh. Bass is deep but a little lighter than I prefer. Overall a very neutral pleasant sound. Very comfortable with the silicon tips, but the Foam tips help improve the bass, but make it a little less comfortable over long periods of time. Included case sucks, but I made a nice makeshift case out of a Zippo tin

Klipsch Image X10 (after 45 minutes of usage)
Warmer sound than the Q-Jays. Treble is a little softer, but the bass goes INSANELY low and is much more present than on the Q-Jays. I could swear there is a subwoofer in the room with me, DAMN, thats just odd to say, but I love what it adds. I do kinda miss the treble of the Q-Jays as the Jays feel a bit clearer to me in the upper frequencies (probably a product of the dual drivers), but the bass just keeps drawing me in. Also, although the Q-Jays are comfortable, these are insane. I can't even tell anything is my ears, at all. They are just so tiny and light (as is the cable), its supremely comfortable so far.


Before I make any final decisions, I'll definitely give it some more time with both of them. Although I do notice a bit less clarity with the X10, the bass is just really making me rock my head and I like it. So far though, thumbs up.

 

[lewislink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aphexii /img/forum/go_quote.gif Before I make any final decisions, I'll definitely give it some more time with both of them. Although I do notice a bit less clarity with the X10, the bass is just really making me rock my head and I like it. So far though, thumbs up.

Do give them more time.

Believe me, you are in for an astounding ride when your X10s come into their full bloom. After a week or so they blew me away and my initial impressions were very similar to your own. They just get better. That's really not supposed to happen with a BA but something is setting in making them get better.

 

[BloodSugar00]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lewislink /img/forum/go_quote.gif Do give them more time. Believe me, you are in for an astounding ride when your X10s come into their full bloom. After a week or so they blew me away and my initial impressions were very similar to your own. They just get better. That's really not supposed to happen with a BA but something is setting in making them get better.

I know this is likely tapping into an age-old debate, but are you sure that is just not you getting used to their sound with time a opposed to the sound ripening?

 

[lewislink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BloodSugar00 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I know this is likely tapping into an age-old debate, but are you sure that is just not you getting used to their sound with time a opposed to the sound ripening?

People, including myself

, do tend to acclimate to things. That's why I sometimes need to spend plenty of time with a new set of canalphones when I've been using another set for any length of time. The ears skew in favor of what you have been using for awhile.

When I was blown away by the X10s, I had been using the new ER4Ps for awhile and put the X10s in. As I said in another post, most of the time when I hear the true quality of a canalphone is when I'm not paying attention to them, my attention is diverted by something. When I put the X10s in I was in the middle of Head Fi posting and online research. While doing that stuff the X10s knocked me for a loop and I was able to just pay attention to them enough to really dig them. I was literally astounded by what I was hearing from these little buggers.

So far, I haven't yet experienced that with the ER4Ps I'm currently listening to, which I had in all night...I slept with them in and they stayed in!...lol...and this morning I simply turned the XM4 back on. The source player, a Sony NWZ-A816 tweaked, was still going but the XM4 turns off a a set time. I've been listening to them all day so far. I will say they seem to be getting better, more clarity and richer bass, but haven't blown me away yet, like those marvels, the X10s.

 

[elnero]

Nice impressions, one thing I find kind of funny though, you say you find the treble of the Images a little softer than the Q-Jays and attribute it to them being a single armature design but by the same token you mention the dual driver Q-Jays' bass are a bit lightweight in bass yet you don't attribute this to a lack of three armatures. Sorry, I know it sounds like I'm nit picking, it just seems a bit ironic to me. I would have though hearing the Images would have dispelled the multiple drivers equals better myth.

 

[BloodSugar00]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lewislink /img/forum/go_quote.gif People, including myself , do tend to acclimate to things. That's why I sometimes need to spend plenty of time with a new set of canalphones when I've been using another set for any length of time. The ears skew in favor of what you have been using for awhile. When I was blown away by the X10s, I had been using the new ER4Ps for awhile and put the X10s in. As I said in another post, most of the time when I hear the true quality of a canalphone is when I'm not paying attention to them, my attention is diverted by something. When I put the X10s in I was in the middle of Head Fi posting and online research. While doing that stuff the X10s knocked me for a loop and I was able to just pay attention to them enough to really dig them. I was literally astounded by what I was hearing from these little buggers. So far, I haven't yet experienced that with the ER4Ps I'm currently listening to, which I had in all night...I slept with them in and they stayed in!...lol...and this morning I simply turned the XM4 back on. The source player, a Sony NWZ-A816 tweaked, was still going but the XM4 turns off a a set time. I've been listening to them all day so far. I will say they seem to be getting better, more clarity and richer bass, but haven't blown me away yet, like those marvels, the X10s.

Believe me, I get you! I've had that with all three of the IEM's I own (Triples, SA6 and SE530's) and a marvelous feeling, where the music and your soul just truly connect with one another and give that natural high thats like nothing else! I hope you get it with the Ety's!

P.s// You've obviously invested a lot of time and energy into many top-end canalphones/IEM's of late and from the various posts of yours I've read over the forums, you have a great sensibility and way of depictng your experiences! I believe you also like to review hp's as a hobby. Would you consider doing a big review and comparison of all the IEM's you've been trying?

 

[lewislink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BloodSugar00 /img/forum/go_quote.gif P.s// You've obviously invested a lot of time and energy into many top-end canalphones/IEM's of late and from the various posts of yours I've read over the forums, you have a great sensibility and way of depictng your experiences! I believe you also like to review hp's as a hobby. Would you consider doing a big review and comparison of all the IEM's you've been trying?

I'm not sure I have the aptitude for it. I have enough attention span where I can do short stuff without losing track of my thought processes but something like ClieOS' article would be a major effort by me and I'm not entirely sure I can produce a coherent image of the canalphones and their worth and such.

That article that ClieOS did amazes me. That is some real talent, there.

I'll keep an open mind to it, though. Thanks for your comments and confidence in me.

 

[kloan]

Ugh.. you guys are driving me crazy!!

Everyone's saying how great the bass is.... man I gotta get these things somehow....

 

[BloodSugar00]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lewislink /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm not sure I have the aptitude for it. I have enough attention span where I can do short stuff without losing track of my thought processes but something like ClieOS' article would be a major effort by me and I'm not entirely sure I can produce a coherent image of the canalphones and their worth and such. That article that ClieOS did amazes me. That is some real talent, there. I'll keep an open mind to it, though. Thanks for your comments and confidence in me.

Not a problem, I understand what you're saying. Not that I have enough exp/own enough IEM's/canalphones yet to consider or be in a position to do something like that anyway, but it is a bit of an effort like and would be difficult to filter and organise all the info. I understand also what you mean about the concentration factor and having to juggle so much information and then funnel it out. It is a skill I suppose. Glad to hear you'll keep an open mind on it though. I think you'd be surprised at how good a job you could do once you got your teeth into it (that is its a skill that can be quickly learnt and honed/refined with practice)

 

[aphexii]

Quote:

Originally Posted by elnero /img/forum/go_quote.gif Nice impressions, one thing I find kind of funny though, you say you find the treble of the Images a little softer than the Q-Jays and attribute it to them being a single armature design but by the same token you mention the dual driver Q-Jays' bass are a bit lightweight in bass yet you don't attribute this to a lack of three armatures. Sorry, I know it sounds like I'm nit picking, it just seems a bit ironic to me. I would have though hearing the Images would have dispelled the multiple drivers equals better myth.

I guess the reason I didn't mention the triple drivers because to me, I didn't think the E500's sounded any better at all than the dual driver models I've heard (Westone UM2 and Q-Jays). While previously, every single driver model I had heard didn't sound as good as the dual driver models mentioned above.

I would like to add however, the highs have really come out since I started listening due to a mistake on my part. I had my iPhone EQ to Bass Booster in an effort to get more bass out of my Q-Jays and mistakenly forgot to turn it off before switching to the X10

Since turning the EQ off, the Image's are really starting to shine. They are much cleaner sounding now and the bass still goes insanely low. I agree with one of the reviews I read, it seriously sounds like there is a subwoofer in the room with me.

 

[PeterDLai]

Another review where it seems the X10 seems to struggle a bit with clarity and highs...

I wonder if you all would be more satisfied with the X5 as Sovkiller is.

 

[aphexii]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterDLai /img/forum/go_quote.gif Another review where it seems the X10 seems to struggle a bit with clarity and highs... I wonder if you all would be more satisfied with the X5 as Sovkiller is.

Well, since I fixed the EQ issue (in my last post), the highs have improved considerably since the OP. I still think the Q-Jays get higher, but the difference is much more subtle now.

 

[PeterDLai]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aphexii /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well, since I fixed the EQ issue (in my last post), the highs have improved considerably since the OP. I still think the Q-Jays get higher, but the difference is much more subtle now.

Oops, I missed that post when replying. Good to know that the Image competes well on the top end as well (I also preferred the q-JAYS over the Shure E500/SE530).

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

I really like the Image - they are right up there with the best, while the q-JAYS were nice they are gone as are the Triple.fi (although the SE530 I had converted into customs and still have them). Since I got them I haven't used my Denon C700 at all.

The only time the Image X10 don't have quite enough treble for me is if I wear them deep in my ears, but with a more shallow insertion the treble sparkles and they still block sound well enough. So, using them like a canal phone for me results in a more balanced "high to lows" sound.

 

[tstarn06]

Excellent point. I use the medium gels, which really sit on the outside of the ear canal, because the phones are designed to hang down, not out. By using these tips, I get a great seal, and they seem to sound more sparkly. I still find the Sleeks to be preferable for that end of the sound spectrum, but the Images are very nice too. The lightness and comfort of the X10s is really unbeatable.