[mscott58]

Seeing that the LH Labs IEM-X Balanced IEM's with the 3.5mm TRRS connectors are now shipping, thought it was time to start a thread just for them versus having to post about them on the V2, V2+ or (shudder) Verb threads...
 
Here's a link to the LHLabs site where you can buy the IEM-X's for now.  
 
http://lhlabs.com/products/iem-x/
 
Cheers 

 

[mscott58]

I'll start it off with a composite of some other stuff that I've posted. Apologize for the somewhat of a retread, but thought it would be useful to have here in the dedicated thread. 
 
----
 
First impressions: Got the Vibratos and also a trial pair of the IEM-X’s yesterday. Early impression is that I much prefer the IEM-X’s over the Vibratos. Better resolution and tone, especially in the mid’s and high’s IMO. The Vibrato’s and IEM-X’s both have good bass, with the Vibrato’s being more u-shaped to my ears – the mids seem recessed and the highs aren’t as clear as the IEM-X’s. IEM-X’s are a solid pair of IEM’s, and sound very good coming out of the 3.5mm TRRS port of the V2+ Infinity. I believe that LHL put a lot more effort into the IEM-X’s and it shows, as the sound coming out of the “guts” of the IEM-X is much more of my cup-o-tea. The Vibrato’s are clearly better than the Verbs (although it’s not that high of a bar), both in terms of SQ and build, while the IEM-X’s are a different league (although my K10’s clearly aren’t at risk of losing their job). The build of the Vibrato’s and IEM-X’s is quite good, they’re solid in construction and I like the cable – it’s seems strong and has an interesting rubber coating. Haven’t worn them around a lot so can’t speak to any microphonics, but I’d guess it’s going to be low. Interesting thing about the Vibrato’s and the IEM-X’s is that they look exactly the same. The external casework is identical except for two things – 1) the Vibrato’s have an in-line microphone to be used with a phone (and hence also have a TRRS plug, which is a bit of a risk as people might think they’re balanced and then might plug them into the balanced output of the V2/V2+/etc. (and hopefully eventually the Wave!) while the IEM-X’s don’t have a microphone and have their TRRS plug for the balanced connection, 2) the IEM-X’s are labeled as such on the barrel of the y-splitter. Otherwise they’re almost twins – fraternal versus identical twins at that. So much more listening to be done, and given they’re dynamic drivers I want to make sure they burn-in, but overall the Vibrato’s are fine while the IEM-X’s are where I’m clearly going to spend my listening time – I like them quite a bit, especially balanced out of the impressive V2+ Infinity.

Update on IEM-X’s after more days of listening: Continue to be impressed with the IEM-X’s, especially at their price-point of $129. The resolution for this type of IEM is really quite good, again being much better in the mids and the highs than their fraternal twin Vibratos. These are by no means “dark” sounding IEM’s, having a rather open higher-end with good resolution. Their tuning appears to be emphasized somewhat on the bass end, but that’s how most people like it these days. Did some comparison against the RHA T20’s that are some of my favorite IEMs in the ~$200 price range, and I honestly prefer the IEM-X’s. They’re higher resolution in my opinion and more fun to listen to . To my ear the IEM-X’s have more clarity in the mids and highs, although also maybe a little bit too much “shine” in some of the areas treble range (as also called out by another reviewer here) but that could also be due to my being used to a bit “darker” headphones like the Audeze’s. The IEM-X’s besting the T20’s in my opinion is a pretty impressive feat given their difference in price – with the IEM-X’s retailing for $129 and the T20’s selling for $239.95 on the rha-audio.com site. The RHA’s case and selection of ear tips is nicer, but I go with SQ as my primary decision point. Is important to point out that I’ve had the T20’s for almost a year, so know that they are hardy, but have only had the IEM-X’s for a few weeks, so can’t make a call on how sturdy/reliable they are, but given the build quality I’d hope not to have any issues (although LHL has had some issues in the past with product quality – hope they’re past that now). Another data point that people need to be aware of – the IEM-X’s are made to be used with a 3.5mm TRRS balanced output. They won’t work with all 3.5mm TRS jacks, and require a TRRS to TRS adapter to make sure they’re backwards compatible with SE outputs. These adapters aren’t the easiest to come by, but LHL says they are working on building just that adapter and making it easily available for those who want to run the IEM-X’s in SE mode. No idea about timing, availability or cost yet, but I’ve seen a picture of a prototype, so they’re definitely in process.

Conclusion: If you’re looking for a pair of IEM’s in the $100-150 range (or even up to $250-300) and want the ability to run them balanced using a piece of Geek portable gear (V2, V2+, future Wave, etc.) then the IEM-X’s deserve a serious look. They punch well above their price-point in terms of SQ and appear to be well made and thought out, so I’m happy to recommend that my fellow Geeks out there take a listen. Cheers

Disclaimer: I was provided one pair of IEM-X’s early (I’d already ordered 2 pairs a long time ago via the fun at Indie-gogo) with the request (not requirement) that I post an honest review here.

 

[bimmer100]

I'm a very very early contributor and forgot to cancel my order. I received these but will never get to use them since they are TRRS balanced. So my sealed IEM-X are up for a low price of 50bucks +usps price to ship around 5-6bucks for those who want them. steal? Hope someone gets use out of them!!! they sure have been getting great reviews!!!!
http://www.head-fi.org/t/814166/lh-labs-geekwave-iem-x-brand-new-in-the-box-just-received
 
thanks for sharing! I loved to read this, and so glad these turned out WAY better than the IEM base model they released. I had to return those due to their lack of quality. These appear to be 10fold better! good job to LH LABS! Now....i'm just waiting my my signature edition Source!
 
-T

 

[miceblue]

I received my IEM-Xs a couple of weeks ago but only got around to opening them up yesterday. I gave them a listen today on the GOv2+ since that's the only thing I have that has a balanced TRRS output and they're just okay-sounding to me. I actually prefer the V-MODA Zn's sound coming from the GOv2+'s unbalanced output and its sound signature is more attuned to what I would want to listen to while mobile listening.

[video]https://youtu.be/AJprgF22yTE[/video]

Spoiler: Video Table of Contents

0:26 - Back of box information/specifications
4:16 - Box contents overview
4:32 - Velour carrying pouch
6:07 - Large and small silicone eartips
8:14 - Putting on silicone eartips (it's pretty difficult actually)
8:55 - Earpiece overview
9:33 - Cable Y-splitter overview
10:01 - 4-pin Balanced TRRS jack overview
10:18 - Earpiece feeling/material

Despite having those vents on the back of the driver, they still isolate pretty well. In terms of sound, to me they're fairly balanced from the bass to midrange, bright at the upper-mids, polite in the treble but they have a peak that makes them sound a bit too sparkly and unnatural to me (a region that's usually associated with headphones sounding "detailed").

In terms of build quality, they feel rock solid. The earpieces themselves are actually pretty heavy and they feel nice in the hand, and in the ear since they have a low profile. When they clank together, the sound it makes reminds me of glass marbles coming in contact, so they sound like they're solid too. The cable seems to be two pairs of cables twisted from each driver (likely L+/L- and R+/R-) and those are wrapped in a plastic coating. You can feel the ridges of the twisted cables through the plastic coating, so it's an interesting ribbed texture.

For the $69 I paid, they're not bad with the exception that I need a balanced to unbalanced adaptor (or balanced to balanced) to use it with pretty much any other normal device or balanced amp. My ears are upper-midrange-treble sensitive, so these aren't my cup of tea for sound, but in-ears in general have been very hit or miss for me.

 

[Lonelyers]

I have received my IEM-X, but don't have a good feeling about it.  Given that LH Labs' previous IEM "mishap" (i.e. Verb being rebranded Xuma), when I look at the IEM-X, I can't help but feel that it might be another rebranded product (or OEM product) from China / Alibaba.   The casing looks strikingly similar to a number of cheap IEMs from China I have seen.
 
And then I come across the following item on Alibaba:
 
https://xrxdz.en.alibaba.com/product/60398450714-803292448/2016_new_Titanium_driver_audiophile_metal_in_ear_monitors_IEMs_with_balanced_TRRS_Jack.html
 
So, let’s count the similarities, shall we?
Balanced 3.5mm TRRS jack? Check.
Titanium dynamic driver? Check.
16 ohms impedance? Check.
Comes with 3 pairs of very similar-looking silicone tips? Check.
Very similar-looking earphone casing and 1.2m cable? Check.
 
While IEM-X may look quite different from the OEM product on the surface, it should be noted that the supplier can also print the earphones in any colours, print customized logo on the earphones and design custom packages.
 
Of course, I cannot provide concrete proof that the IEM-X is manufactured by this OEM company (no one could - unless the OEM company or LH Labs admits this).  Assuming that they did purchase these IEMs from the OEM company, then after receiving the OEM earphones, LH Labs might have done something more to the earphones (Hopefully further tuning? Testing a few pairs of them? Printing shipping labels and actually shipping them?).  But given LH Labs' past history in making IEMs, seeing the above Alibaba listing makes me feel very uncomfortable.  Call me skeptical, but when I look at the IEM-X, it reminds me about the IEMs from China.  Think about this – backers were charged $69 for the IEM-X, with an additional $15 for shipping; but these can be ordered from the OEM company directly at less than $10 per item.  A very profitable business, isn’t it?
 
There is also another interesting observation – remember the Vibrato that has a similar casing with IEM-X?  Why does Vibrato come with a mic while IEM-X doesn’t?  I don’t know – perhaps because the same OEM company offers balanced 3.5 TRRS earphones without mics (naturally) and unbalanced 3.5 TRRS earphones with mics?
 
https://xrxdz.en.alibaba.com/product/60368676092-803292448/Deep_bass_Metal_Material_Shell_Earphone_With_3_5MM_Gold_Plated_Plug.html
 
And for the sound, I may be in the minority - I am not very impressed with it.  No doubt it is better than the Verb, but let's just say, Verb did not really set a standard in terms of sound.  It does not sound very clear to me, and the vocal is too forward - I cannot hear the instruments and details clearly.  To me, the $5 VE Monk Plus sounds better than the IEM-X - but let's not forget that IEM-X is a $129 IEM (IEM-X is better than Monk Plus in terms of isolation (naturally, because this is in-ear vs earbuds), offers more bass, and that's all).
 
This makes me worry more about the Geek Wave - will it be another OEM product?  How many corners will LH Labs have to cut in order to deliver the product - if it could be delivered?  Understandably, they have mouths to feed - and the longer the delay, the more likely "sacrifices" of the end-product have to be made.  Honestly, I have lost faith in this company.

 

[mscott58]

Interesting observations. Regarding why the IEM-X (or any other balanced HP) doesn't come with a microphone is that there aren't enough channels on the plug. The 4 channels of the TRRS plug are all used up with the audio signals of right plus and minus and left plus and minus. On an SE IEM there are only three of the channels used for the audio signal so the fourth is available for the mic. Cheers

 

[Lonelyers]

Interesting observations. Regarding why the IEM-X (or any other balanced HP) doesn't come with a microphone is that there aren't enough channels on the plug. The 4 channels of the TRRS plug are all used up with the audio signals of right plus and minus and left plus and minus. On an SE IEM there are only three of the channels used for the audio signal so the fourth is available for the mic. Cheers

 
Yes, I agree with you and am aware of this - balanced IEMs using TRRS plugs use the 4 channels to transmit the audio signal (hence, there are no channels left for mic - that is why I said "naturally" in my previous post), while unbalanced IEMs with mics would also use up the 4 channels in the TRRS plug.  Sorry that I did not make this very clear and thanks for your elaboration.
 
What I was trying to point out is the following speculation: LH Labs offered the unbalanced Vibrato with mic (instead of without mic) because for the casing of Vibrato, the OEM company only offered (or usually produced) it with mic (at least this is the impression I get when I briefly glanced through their product page - but I can't be 100% sure, as there were 47 pages of products and I only went through the pages quickly).  Therefore, instead of releasing both IEM-X and Vibrato without mic, LH Labs had no choice but to release the Vibrato with mic (or offered the mic for convenience's sake when making the order from the same OEM company).
 
Once again, I must reiterate that this was purely speculation.  I certainly hope LH Labs would come up to clarify and tell us what they did to manufacture the IEM-X / Vibrato.  But based on past history of LH Labs on making IEMs (which is a very short history, with very negative experience), the Alibaba website and the similarities observed, I wouldn't be surprised if the Vibrato and IEM-X were indeed both manufactured by the same OEM company.  In other words, the IEM-X / Vibrato might be nothing more than rebranded IEMs of an existing product in China.
 
What's more, by offering Verb owners a Vibrato for "free" as compensation (for the "shipping cost" of $26), LH Labs was more than able to break even - taking into account of the $15 for shipping that they charged for shipping IEM-X / Verb, and an additional $5 per item for ordering the earphones from the OEM company in bulk, they could still earn at least $6 from each "compensation".  Sorry for making all this sound like a conspiracy theory, but I personally just feel very disappointed in LH Labs, after all these years.

 

[paradox11]

Just got mine today. Seriously un-impressed. Highs are way too bright, lows almost non-existant. I was waiting to buy a DAC from them, but extremely poor communication/customer service and product is a non-starter

 

[mscott58]

Just got mine today. Seriously un-impressed. Highs are way too bright, lows almost non-existant. I was waiting to buy a DAC from them, but extremely poor communication/customer service and product is a non-starter

Curious what your source is and what you're comparing them to? Cheers 

 

[Louis8ball]

.

 

[generation tex]

I think the Vibratos you received are probably defective. Here's why I think so: I received two pairs of Vibratos today, and the first pair I listened to are exactly as you described. The treble was screechy and felt like cactus needles dipped in hornet venom were being shot into my ears. The sound was really bleached with anemic bass levels and nonexistent tone. It was like someone took the Verb’s sound and then made a headphone with the exact opposite tonal signature.
 
At that point I thought the Vibratos were an epic failure and easily the worst headphones I had ever heard (or at least equal to the Verb). I was confused and somewhat angry with LH Labs--surely the company had found another way to shoot itself in the foot and plunge its reputation to an even lower level. Then just to be thorough, I tried the other pair. I didn’t see how it was possible for the two to be the same model of headphone. The difference couldn't be more pronounced. I feel they sound very much as others have already described, however I would just add that they are very dynamic and better than average in detail retrieval. I am liking the second pair quite a bit, and I feel they are an insane deal at the apology-for-the-Verb price.
 
Anyway, I'm sure the pair you received are like my first pair and are faulty. While this doesn't instill confidence in quality control or the manufacturer LH Labs partnered with, I wouldn't think they would want these defective units to represent their products. I opened a ticket for replacement (although it seems opening a ticket with LH Labs hasn't done much for a boatload of their customers). You might want to try reporting your experience to them as well.
 
edit: Sorry, this is a response to paradox 11.

 

[DownSouth]

I probably shouldn't add fuel to the fire but can you explain how LH has been selling them on Amazon and providing them to a special group of friends while many of the Verb buyers are still waiting for their replacement pair of Vibratos?
 
By the way, the factory that makes the look a like IEMs is in the same area of Shenzhen as LH Labs China offices.
It's possible LH specced the parts and had this company make the Vibratos for them with the production cost being a higher than the look a likes.
Saying that, you have to consider the R&D costs, if any, that LH paid and add that to the cost of the earphones ( I hesitate to call them IEMs)
From the measurements and sound it's anyone's guess since LH is very, very quiet about this. The measurements show a mediocre to bad pair of earphones.
All the reviews I've read are on Amazon where reviews need to taken with a bucket of salt,  and most of those people were sold discounted pairs.
Has anyone read a review by a respected source?
 
I bought a combo Pulse and a pair of HiFiMan phones for a very good price (the Pulse was almost free) and the phones were delivered quickly so I have no ax to grind for that part of the campaign and when I finally got my Pulse it sounded good and mated well with the phones.
 
LH Labs should step up and answer some of these questions.
To continue to ignore them will just make their reputation worse, if that's possible.

 

[TranceForLife]

Did they make any statement? I got mine about 2 months ago it's still sealed in the box
I actually asked for a refund before i got it as i already have a few other headphones but they refused

 

[jbr1971]

After sitting in a box in storage for over a year I am finally giving my X's a test drive from my new GO2PRO SE, and while my home-made CIEMs are not in any danger of abandonment, the X's have surprised me thus far in how good they sound compared to the disastrous Verbs (as mentioned by Michael the bar was not hard to beat).

I am very comfortable saying they surpass their price point, and I think minor EQ will dial the mid bump down nicely for me to use them as backups.

I may buy another set to use the drivers and cable as part of my next CIEM build, with the addition of a couple of BA's.