[atoff]

I don't have problems with hissing. But sibilance/harshness is present with ALL filters, so I think that's actually a seal issue. This type of over-ear design requires deeper insertion if you have deep ear canals like I do.

At least I believe it's the seal issue, because I can feel that my canal is not filled entirely, if that makes sense. Bass is still present but rest of the spectrum is off. And it changes every time I try different tips.

Yeah, I see what you're saying, and I think that's the same problem I'm having. I rotated them around I can tell they sound amazing, but they won't stay in that position. The tips won't stay in my ears and the rotated position that fits me best doesn't allow the earhooks to hold them in place. I tried all the tips and the ones I liked the best were the blue foam ones, but again, they just won't stay in. The hissing is still there though, and it's very loud.

 

[Nezzad1]

Yeah, I see what you're saying, and I think that's the same problem I'm having. I rotated them around I can tell they sound amazing, but they won't stay in that position. The tips won't stay in my ears and the rotated position that fits me best doesn't allow the earhooks to hold them in place. I tried all the tips and the ones I liked the best were the blue foam ones, but again, they just won't stay in. The hissing is still there though, and it's very loud.

Exactly! I can tell the detail is there and is amazing, even compared to A4. Soundstage as well, bass is super deep. It's just that they dont fill the ear canal good enough, and that's where the harshness is coming from. Try some double flange tips, like I will.

I also get the best seal with foam. But the bass becomes boomy then. And some harshness is still there. So no.

 

[TimeSnow]

This is starting to bum me out.

 

[Venture Guy]

This is starting to bum me out.

Welcome to the club... UIEMs are a PITA

 

[RedJohn456]

Hopefully someone even

Very awesome review. I especially liked the point about pizza.


Anyone who has received these have a picture of them in your ear? I'm curious about the profile of the A5s when worn.

Thanks! I don't have a pic on me at the moment, but they are very similar to the Shure SE215 in terms of fitting. I am using an aftermarket cable which does not have a stiff earguide so a pic wouldn't help how the A5 sits with the stock cable.

I am auditioning them again, and now I am 100 percent certain that I need deeper insertion. No matter what filters I use, some tracks are sibilant.

It's really weird as bass is definitely not suffering (that's how i determine the seal most of the time), yet at the same time I can literally feel that they are not "filling" my ear canals properly with any tips that I have.

So.. can anyone recommend some quality ear tips that can go deeper in ear canal? Bi-flange or something, I guess.

Sorry to hear about the trouble! I had to do a bit of tip rolling to find what worked for me. Part of the problem for me was the fact that the earguide got in the way of positioning the shells so I am using an aftermarket cable in that regard. The new KZ grey tips worked and in this case because of the short nozzle, you need a stiff tip so it retains its shape in your ear canal for maximum seal. The sibilance went away once I got a good seal.

Yeah, I think biflange is the way to go. SpinFit or other tips that has a long stem could also be an option. Sometimes when I have problems getting deep enough fit due to the design of the shells I've got very good results from using slightly more stiff, thicker silicone tips that "fills up" a bit more.

+1 Spin fits worked for me. For the sake of completeness, I tip rolled through my entire collection of tips and came up with a small bunch that worked for me - I will post some pics later

A5 nozzle seems to bit thinner than A4's. Do you think spinfit CP-220 M1 will fit good? I usually use size S or M eartips.

My spin fit eartips latch on to the nozzle perfectly and yes the nozzle is a bid narrower than the usual ones.

Thanks for these nice and detailed impressions ,

Thanks glad you liked it!

I just received my A5's, having never tried the A4's. I'm hearing a massive amount of hissing. Even with the volume to 0 the hissing is incredibly loud. I switched from DAC to directly into laptop and the hissing is just as loud, albeit it the volume needs to be up until the music is audible. Tried again through my Focusrite and again same thing. I can't imagine this is normal. Music is also very sibilant with the default black filter. I'll try the others, but I can't get over this hissing.

The sibilance might be an issue with getting a proper seal - some tip rolling might alleviate that.

Do you have any other MMCX cables you can try with the A5 to see if its the cable? Hissing bugs me more than anything and I didn't hear it with my A5, so I am wondering if its the cable in your case.

I don't have problems with hissing. But sibilance/harshness is present with ALL filters, so I think that's actually a seal issue. This type of over-ear design requires deeper insertion if you have deep ear canals like I do.

At least I believe it's the seal issue, because I can feel that my canal is not filled entirely, if that makes sense. Bass is still present but rest of the spectrum is off. And it changes every time I try different tips.

Yeah A5 is sensitive to how good your seal is - if you have any other cables without a stiff earguide give it a try. Might make it easier to position the shells in your ear. Try stiff tips as it will help with maintaining the seal.

Yeah, I see what you're saying, and I think that's the same problem I'm having. I rotated them around I can tell they sound amazing, but they won't stay in that position. The tips won't stay in my ears and the rotated position that fits me best doesn't allow the earhooks to hold them in place. I tried all the tips and the ones I liked the best were the blue foam ones, but again, they just won't stay in. The hissing is still there though, and it's very loud.

I know I am starting to sound like a broken record but try a different cable if you can, preferably without an earguide.

This is starting to bum me out.

Damn man that sucks Try a diff cable or eartips to see if it helps. I hope it works out!

 

[peter123]

Some IEM's are difficult to get a good fit with for some people. Which ones will, quite naturally, vary from person to person.

Five years ago I thought that I couldn't use IEM's because they didn't fit my ears (I've got pretty narrow ear channels). Today I own way more than 100 IEM's and I can get a good enough fit to hear the way they're supposed to sound like will every single one (although some are a lot less comfortable to wear than others) so my statement is that everyone can get a good fit with every pair of IEM's. Unfortunately not everyone has hundreds and hundreds of tips to try though so obviously a lot of people give up and think that they cannot use a certain design, brand etc.

Although I don't have the A5 yet the shell design look very similar to a lot of other IEMs that's popular today and if one's used to straight barrel IEM's it may indeed take some trial and error to find the tips that's right for you. I'd also seriously consider getting a cable without memory wire as I find it a lot easier to get this kind of IEM's to stay properly in my ears without the wire trying to pull them out.

The positive with this design is that once you do get a good fit they're usually more stable, isolation is better and wind noise is a lot less noticeable.

Just my 2c......

 

[stryed]

Don't have an A5 but when encountering this problem I go to larger and SOFT tips. They provide easier seals even if the insertion isn't terrific

 

[Bubblejuice]

Exactly! I can tell the detail is there and is amazing, even compared to A4. Soundstage as well, bass is super deep. It's just that they dont fill the ear canal good enough, and that's where the harshness is coming from. Try some double flange tips, like I will.

I also get the best seal with foam. But the bass becomes boomy then. And some harshness is still there. So no.

Also look into Symbio eartips. They are apparently the best implementation of hybrid tips. They use memory foam to fill the ear but have a soft outer silicone layer (come in both wide and narrow bore).

I personally haven't tried them yet. I'm waiting for some to come in the mail, but I've heard only good things.

 

[Nezzad1]

Thanks for replies. I own a few different cables, and they do fit OK in a way that shell stays in place. It's the inside (seal) that's bumming ME out particularly. I just got a notification that my spinfits (regular, size M) are with courier (ordered them 2 months ago and forgot about them). Talk about the timing. LOL. Hopefully they will fit good!

 

[atoff]

I don't have different cables to test, but if I'm so far the only one experiencing hissing with the stock cables is it possible that I received a bad set?

As for the tips, I tried several others I had laying around, including a doubled flange set, went back to test the ones that came with it. The biggest ones rotated around creates the best seal for me now, but it sounds muddy, and the bass becomes boomy. I think that bit of air leaking in from the others reduced that muddiness / boomy bass.

 

[peter123]

I don't have different cables to test, but if I'm so far the only one experiencing hissing with the stock cables is it possible that I received a bad set?

As for the tips, I tried several others I had laying around, including a doubled flange set, went back to test the ones that came with it. The biggest ones rotated around creates the best seal for me now, but it sounds muddy, and the bass becomes boomy. I think that bit of air leaking in from the others reduced that muddiness / boomy bass.

Exactly what sources do you use when you hear the hiss?

 

[atoff]

Exactly what sources do you use when you hear the hiss?

So far I've tested through a Schiit Modi / Vali combo, a DSS 7.1 headphone amp, a Focusrite Scarlett 6i6, straight to my laptop, straight to my Galaxy S8, and straight to my PCs Sounblaster Z.

I do notice that one side of the cables swivel more freely than the other. Can't see how that would cause the hiss, but thought I'd mention it.

Tried the black and red filters so far with all tips.


Edit: Should mention that my cheap AKG earphones that came with the S8 are dead silent, as are my AKG K712's.

Edit2: Sorry, I said Modi / Magni, I meant Modi / Vali

 

[peter123]

So far I've tested through a Schiit Modi / Magni combo, a DSS 7.1 headphone amp, a Focusrite Scarlett 6i6, straight to my laptop, straight to my Galaxy S8, and straight to my PCs Sounblaster Z.

I do notice that one side of the cables swivel more freely than the other. Can't see how that would cause the hiss, but thought I'd mention it.

Tried the black and red filters so far with all tips.


Edit: Should mention that my cheap AKG earphones that came with the S8 are dead silent, as are my AKG K712's.

Hmm, that it hiss with the Magni is quite natural as it's a very powerful amplifier with a pretty high noise floor. Unfortunately I'm not familiar with your other sources (apart from the S8) but it should still be enough different ones to rule out that the source(s) is the issue. From reports the A5 doesn't seem to be extremely sensitive either. Sometimes balanced armature drivers can hiss from electrical interference from the source or other electronic equipment but it doesn't seem likely in this case. I'm afraid I'm out of suggestions, at least as long as I haven't got my pair so that I can try with my own sources. I've got the S8 as well so I should at least be able to check if I hear hiss with it as soon as my pair arrives.

 

[TimeSnow]

Welcome to the club... UIEMs are a PITA

You can never tell about some of this stuff.. I like my A4s a tonne, and don't feel like they have the described problems the A5 have... welll mostly.

I was really hoping these would be a definitive upgrade... now considering the Dunu 3001s... or something like them, but without the comfort issues people seem to have...

I'll probably buy the A5s anyway though... and just hope my experience is different.

 

[Venture Guy]

Anybody try these with Symbios? I have some incoming...