[Wallach]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Real Maximus /img/forum/go_quote.gif Folks, I have played my turbines a couple more nights in a row, just to guarantee I have plenty of burn in time on them. I am well over a hundred hours now, and I really feel like this has made a difference. I think these IEMs simply require at least 100 hours of burn in. Does anyone know if more time will yield even further improvements? I have also played around with the larger buds more, and am noticing improvement in overall balance, and would even go as far as to say they seem less fatiguing. I am still not 100% pleased with them, but in just a few days time have seen some pretty noticeable improvements. I have also ordered some comply foam tips, as well as the sony assortment via bestbuy. Additionally, I have a 5.5 generation ipod on the way, which is supposed to sound noticeably superior to my 6th gen ipod. I will continue to update you all on my impressions as each of these new pieces come together. Again, I appreciate your thoughts and suggestions folks, you have all been very helpful in pointing me in the right direction!

Speaking as someone who's just recently put a good 150hrs of burn-in on my Turbines, I really just don't think they match up well with the newest iPods. I have a Touch 2G (well, two now actually thanks to ihatepopupads

) and without an amp I feel like the sound is a bit similar to what you describe; clinical and not very engaging.

I just recently picked up a Sony S638F to have something more "grab n' go" than my Touch, and it's pretty much the opposite; warmer, stronger and much more engaging. To be honest it's a night and day difference. See if you can't audition one somewhere before deciding what to do with your Turbines.

 

[Dobber65]

Wallach, interesting observations. I have 2 6th Gen iPods (80Gb and 160Gb), and an iPhone 3G. I am impressed with the iPhone 3G's analog-out (via the h/p output, not an LOD), but can't compare it to a Touch 2G. The iPhone is not what I would call clinical, but more detailed and better controlled in the bass and treble than my 6G iPods using all of my IEMs.

That said, Sony does seem to do an excellent job on the analog-out on their DAPs, so that in itself may be a significant boost to the sound improvement.

 

[SactoMan101]

I'm not sure if the Monster Turbine is worth the money though. Sony recently introduced the MDR-EX500LP (the replacement for the MDR-EX90LP I own); I had a chance to hear them recently and really enjoyed them, thanks to the clear, but deep bass from the big 13.5 mm driver of this IEM. And unlike what I've read about the Turbine, you don't need lots of hours of "burn in" to make them sound good, either.

 

[dweaver]

I loved my turbines after 1 night of burnin. I just loved more each day afterwards until they had about 100 hours. By the way all dynamic phones need burnin from what I have seen.

 

[dosley01]

Ditto to Wallach said. I bought my wife a Nano 4G for her car and I have a Sony NWZ-A728 and the sound quality is night and day. As far as your original post about the Turbines by clinical, I find them to be the complete opposite. I consider these to be "fun" sounding since them have such an obvious curve to their response. I actually popped in my old ER6i the other day to see how I felt the Turbines had improved and I was utterly SHOCKED how bad the Etys sounded. I think when your new assortment of tips arrive, you will be satisfied. At least you'll have some fun experimenting.

Also I am with dweaver, I am happier every day I listen to these. Something always surprises me.

 

[Bojamijams]

Happy turbine owner and I've tried a few before...

 

[used-2-rap-on-headphones]

I'm always good to chime in on a turbine thread because I love 'em. They are amazing for bass response.

Speaking of the iphone 3g though. I'm getting a fair amount of sibilance with some lower quality mp3's. So much at times that I have to use the treble reducer eq setting. Anyone else have this experience? Because of this I tend to use them with my Sansa Clip -- which hands down sounds better than the iPhone 3g - imo at least. Anyone else getting sibilance with the turbines?

I'd get an lod and amp for the 3g but that defeats the purpose of device convergance

I'm bout to get an e5 for the clip though (i think they look cool when attached to each other).

 

[boomana]

I tried the Turbines out a couple months ago, a pair that belonged to someone I know, but only for a couple songs: one jazz (Mccoy Tyner for the piano), one classic rock (Stones Gimme Shelter); and half a song of folk with trumpet and female vocals (Be Good Tanyas Junkie Song) and a minute with Mozart's Requiem, and a minute of Zoe Keating's cello. My first impressions are that they are extremely comfortable for iems, and I got a great seal. I thought the sq was mediocre: not unpleasant at all, but with poor transient response, poor separation, okay but not great tone, bass out of balance with the rest of the spectrum but not gawd awful, a nothing special midrange in inoffensive treble. Overall, just....okay..........

I'd really like a pair to take to the gym, and have been thinking about doing that. I didn't really test out cord microphonics and wish I had. I think they'd be great workout headphones, considering the bass emphasis, overall comfort (A+), and isolation with the excellent seal. I also think they'd be good if extended listening was important to someone (I doubt they'd be fatiguing), and are, again, extremely comfortable.

Oh, I was using them both straight out of an itouch 1g, and with the Mozart and Be Good Tanyas, I added a lod and pico.

That's about it. I'd like the chance to try them again to see if it would be worth spending the money for that purpose alone. The comfort factor really impressed me. I've had the chance to listen to a lot of iems at meets, but my only real prior iem experience (owned or had at home for a day or two to audition) is with Ety ER4P/S, UE11s (custom), UE11s and 10s (universal used for demos), SE530, SE420s, SE310, SE210 and JVC Marshmallows. Other than the last three on that list, I preferred all others to the Turbines for sq.

 

[Nirvana1000]

Your first post "Real Maximus" sounds a little contradictory.You list positives and negetives that almost cancel each other out.I think the bass is overwhelming for you but you agree that burn in has improved the sound.So i assume you agree they are not "junk".Now it all comes down to preference.If these don't meet the sound quality you appreciate unamped from any DAP then you should exchange them.I am wondering how they compare to the Atrios M5/M8's since they are supposed to have the same sound quality signature with quality bass reproduction and in the same price range.

 

[Real Maximus]

Nirvana, I have to disagree with you. I do not believe my original post was controversial in any way. I think it was pretty self explanatory. However, in case I am wrong, and that post was not clear to others, let me re-explain.

Essentially, my experience has been that the turbines have the properties of a great phone, in terms of high and lows, etc, but they did not deliver in the "emotion" of the music. I have not been moved by them as I have been by other full sized systems I have built over the years, etc. These phones by definition, do what a great phone should do, but were not drawing me in as I had hoped they would.

Now, since then, I have to say I have noticed improvements. I found myself really enjoying them the past few nights. Although, I have not listened to them for long periods of time, so I have not been able to test them in terms of fatigue.

I agree, it may just be me and that my ears are looking for something different no matter how good the phones are. At this point, do not think they are junk. I am thinking it is more a limitation of my 6g ipod. I am really looking forward to getting my 5.5g ipod as well as my new ear tips. I will keep you all aprised of my findings!

 

[macbug]

Hey I'm interested in your opinion on the Turbines versus CX300 since you have both and the CX300 which is quite close to my (now broken) EP-630, how much more of an improvement would you say they are over the CX300? I'm just slightly concerned that you claim the Turbines had unnatural oversaturated bass since I thought that's what people attributed to the CX300... put it another way that's probably what I'm looking for so I'm not sure as to why you would keep the CX300 but say no to Turbines

 

[zaphod373]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Real Maximus /img/forum/go_quote.gif Greetings headfiers! I am an audiophile that is new to this forum and new to high end IEMs as well as IEM amplifiers, etc. I am already learning alot from you folks, and I definitely appreciate your thoughts and suggestions! Thus far, I own a 6th generation ipod, and own the sennheiser cx300 EIMs as well as the monster turbines. I listen to my music primarily in lossless, as well as 320kbps and 256VBR. I have recently learned that my ipod has low quality cirrus logic dacs, so I have purchased a used 80 gig 5.5 gen ipod with wolfson dacs from ebay, it should be here by next week. I am entirely unhappy with my monster turbines. I will explain all of their inadequecies in a moment, but my question is this: Are they amazing IEMs and I just need a better ipod, possibly imodded, and a portable amp? Or... are these just that bad? Just that un-musical? My monster turbines have tight, authoritative bass, but honestly, it is probably un-natural, and oversaturated. These IEMs have fantastic range, showing off great lows, great highs, excellent detail, but it is all so clinical. I don't "feel" the music, the life, the emotion. I would say these are dry and extremely boring (other than headpounding bass, thats kind of exciting). They may be accurate in some regard, but they do not compell me to put them in, they are fatiguing. I have over 100 hours of play with these, to be certain they are properly burned in, and I have tried various ear buds and to no avail. I find my much cheaper sennheisers that have substantial weaknesses to be my preference, because they are not fatiguing, they at least are pleasing to listen to and not wearing on the ears. I don't have much money, so my purchases will have to be a progressive thing. If I were to "sell" the turbines, it will help fund a better set of IEMs, or perhaps a portable amp. Were you me, would you put that money toward new IEMs or invest it toward a headphone amp? Details please! ALL THOUGHTS AND SUGGESTIONS ARE APPRECIATED!

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