dream theater - scene two: 1 (ROCK/METAL)
hf5 mid/high centric, but overall fairly flat, good separation and detail, but lacking crisp high highs and bass/kick drum thump is lack a but of power
gr07 muffled snare and cymbals, good bass with toms, dark tone overall, muffled lead guitar, lacking high clarity
ba200 mid centric, lacking super high clarity, overall smooth, bass on gr07 was better
ue700 less distinct overall veiled sound, lacking very high clarity, very mid/high tonality fatiguing a bit, fairly distinct otherwise
*pfe112 clear and spacious, good mid toms, kicks are thin but easier to hear and punchy, cymbals much more clear but not harsh, slightly fatiguing overall if too loud (probably mostly due to recording dynamic compression), ending section instrument separation simply incredible
*xba-3 tied with the pfe112, which did surprisingly well considering their typical lack of bass. these bring out the cymbal work more and the cymbals and kick drums sound more realistic and easily heard. the overall sound is great and more crispness and dynamics than the other sets, but they are more bright and bassy whereas the pfe is more mid-centric. both do well, but simply different. if you like double kick drums go with the xba, if you like more warmth and forwardness in some electric guitars go with the pfe. the xba is better at giving the electric guitars their realistic metal tone, but sometime lack a very small amount of mid body.
daniel bedingfield - if you're not the one (POP)
hf5 very good overall fr, low on bass, but it's there, lacking ultra crisp highs, but general high fr is excellent
gr07 overal decent, sibilant percussion
ba200 overall smooth and warm but fairly clear percussion
ue700 loud rimshot slightly muffled sounding or at least mid dominant lacks airiness
*pfe112 good separation and clarity, smoothest overall of the sets from low to high, 3d, spacious and detailed
*xba-3 best instrument separation and clarity, provides the much needed bass the pfe112 is missing, the sub bass in when the bass comes in fills the xba nicely and smoothly, if there were one nitpick, the percussive snaps and hits can seem too dynamic and jump out at louder volumes, although they are the clearest and most distinct of the sets and this could very well be the recording
bread - guitar man (SOFT ROCK/POP)
hf5 excellent overall tone and quality, not really lacking in any way, but not as precise/spacious as pfe112
gr07 mid heavy, sibilant vocals, good depth and reverb trails, drums have good body, fatiguing overall
ba200 great overall quality, perhaps lacking ultra crispness, but otherwise great
ue700 veiled soundind, muffled vocals, lacking ultra highs, slightly fatuiging
*pfe112 great distance instrumentation, spacious, cymbals sound real, kicks sound clear and punchy
*xba-3 best clarity and separation, drums sound more real than pfe having the papery snare properties and low kick frequencies. the silent passages of the song where the vocals are gently really show the xba's 3d-ness and realism. the pfe are smooth in the mids lacking a little detail vs the xba, but the xba might be slightly fatiguing to some at the cost of clarity if too loud.
david benoit - safari (JAZZ)
hf5 good overall sound, lacking in the sub bass a tad and crisp high highs, but the overall song sounds excellent if a bit nasaly
gr07 "tone-y" piano not really 'nasally', good bass guitar presence, great toms, smooth and relaxing overall
ba200 good overall tone, clear piano and percussion, although lacking vey high clarity, bass low but good
ue700 hollow sounding ("at the end" of the room sound), percussion clear but not as distinct, overall veiled sound lacking crisp ultra highs, bass low but decent
*pfe112 spacious and clear, piano sounds very real, bass is very precise and surprisingly good at lows, toms more recessed but distinct, overall smooth and very pleasing only lacking a little real crispness the xba has
*xba-3 best detail and clarity, lacking a bit of mids that make this song sound smooth, but still very realistic overall. most realistic sounding piano tone, and tom drums really excell
bt - suddenly (ELECTRONIC)
hf5 very midh/high heavy makes it fatiguing and sharp and hard to appreciate dynamics, surpassingly the mid bass is excellent in this song vocals sound rough
gr07 excellent bass, hard hitting but not too much, muffled overall highs, did i mention awesome bass???, some slightly sibilant instruments and vocals but not much, lacking super "dead stop" dynamics
ba200 where'd the super gr07 bass go? haha, good bass overall, clearer than gr07 but lacking real crisp highs, pretty god "dead stop" dynamics, smooth overall, very good instrument separation and distinction, heard cymbals i didn't hear in the gr07
ue700 good separation and distinctness but mid/high centric and fatiguing, not as 3d and lacking ver high crispness, vocals stand out almost too much, overall just not pleasant sounding
*pfe112 good dynamics and clarity, well separated and distinct, overall spacious. bass very tight and clean albeit very slightly low, some slightly sharp sounding instruments here and there, more fatiguing at louder volumes than others mainly due to original recording, but easier to listen to than most due to overall separation and flatness
*xba-3 mmmm, bass, this shows that the xba has reall bass when it needs it thanks to that sub driver, overall the clear winner here for bass. strong and tight but not too loud. overall song has clarity that makes the dynamics stand out, realistic percussion. some sibilance, but this song is notorius for being a bit sibilant overall. pfe is slightly better but at the cost of the high cliartiy these have
hans zimmer - the battle (ORCHESTRAL/SOUNDTRACK)
hf5 very good overall quality with great dynamics, a bit strong in the mid/treble area at time, but it didn't detract from the good sound, lacking extreme bass and highs though
gr07 lacking string clarity/distinctness, overall muddled/muffled sound, good full low/mid frequencies and quality tough, great horns that stand out well
*ba200 much more open and clear vs gr07, instruments sound more real, strings have clearer attack and texture, less low, but still good and balanced, more mid-centric sounding overall, more dramatic/dynamic overall
ue700 overall decent separation and distinctness, but mid-centric sound, lacking clear ultra highs, same distant room sound as usual like the music is more in front of you, but veiled slightly, horns slightly fatiguing
*pfe112 depth and spaciousness top notch, micro-details in strings apparent, most like listening to a speaker, surprisingly the least fatiguing even at moderate volumes, the most dynamic and engrossing, simply superb
*xba-3 best clarity and micro details by far. very dynamic. high frequency dynamics can get a little fatiguing though. good overall sound, missing some warmth that would smooth out the overall song and probably eliminate fatigue.
jim croce - i got a name (FOLK)
hf5 a bit harsh with harmonies and tone-y mid/highs at times, but very detailed overall and instrumentation is well separated
gr07 good mid bass details, muffled overall, lacking crispness even in basic highs, not very pleasing overall good separation and distinctness nonetheless, sort of 'boxy' sounding
ba200 good overall tone, lacking super crispness, but otherwise clear, bass even and mid-centric, very distinct instrumentation,
ue700 mid/high centric tonality, vocal harmonies can be slightly piercing, typical "veiled" sound as before
*pfe112 wow, the piano sounds more realistic, much clearer and spacious as usual, great harmonies and vocal levels, very flat and smooth but clear
*xba-3 best micro details and widest stereo separation, pfe is more warm and smooth, but xba is still nice and things are easier to pick out
bob marly - stir it up (REGGAE)
hf5 though mid-centric, they have good clarity and overall fr for this song, very detailed sound and smooth overall presentation no distracting frequencies, good mid bass/guitars distinction
gr07 good bass and guitars, vocals sound a bit odd but good
ba200 more open and spacious than gr07, bass not as good, but still there and decent, vocals more clear and present, much better instrument distinctness and clarity, notice little things i didn't notice on gr07
ue700 good overall balance, not super crisp, but clear and distinct instrumentation, surprisingly close to the ba200 overall, perhaps more even bass than ba200, not as veiled or tone-y as usual
*pfe112 kick drums sound more noticeably kicky,much more spacious, very tight baseline on par with ue700 bass level but much tighter sounding, best overall distinctness/clarity/spaciousness
*xba-3 good bass and treble, but sounds a little thin in comparison to the pfe. the clarity is a tad better and some instruments sound more in a real space, but also lack some warmth and reverb trails. widest stereo separatoin of the sets
david gates = where does the loving' go (SOFT ROCK/POP)
gr07 beautiful bass, smooth and deep as needed, mid forward vocals, fairly crisp slightly sibilant at times vocally
ba200 clearer than others except pfe112, well balanced, guitars sound very nice and fuller than others, lacking highest highs of the pfe, but very crisp nonetheless
ue700 overall very balanced and clear, lacking highest highs, but still very distinct instrumentation, slightly mid/high tonality at times almost resulting in sibilance, but not as bad as gr07
*pfe112 more spacious and clear/crisp, much more balanced and flat sounding, vocals and guitars sound "just right" and distinct, lacking some sub bass bus mid bass very good
*xba-3 very crisp and clear but the vocals stand out a little too much at times. instruments have very distinct cliks and snaps, strums and plucks.
keith urban - yo'll think of me (COUNTRY)
gr07 bass is good with good tone and sub extension, perhaps not as clear in the mid bass as ba200 though, good separation, guitars are full and clear sounding, vocals a bit sibilant but not too harsh, you can clearly hear the deessign done to his voice in these. haha
*
ba200 very smooth and clean sounding, bass fairly well extended and sounds good, lacks the crispest highs, but overall good highs
ue700 good overall balance, great instrument separation and distinctness, bass on par with ba200 but slightly lower level, very 3d vs ba200 and gr07, vocals about 50% as sibilant as gr07
*
pfe112 most spacious and clear, vocal surprisingly has good amount of low "body", bass level between ue700 and ba200, a bit vocal forward vs. others, least sibilant despite clarity, tiny percussive dings and clicks more noticeable
*xba-3 again, best clarity. guitars sound the most realistic and there is a good neutral bass level. not as smooth and warm as the pfe, but has more distinct intrumentation
atmosphere - scapegoat (RAP)
*gr07 best bass tone/level, clear vocals, overall very smooth and clean sounding, slightly sibilant vocal
ba200 smooth overall, good bass and treble, slightly warm
ue700 most dynamic snare drum, sibilant vocals, more mid centric overall
*pfe112 most spacious and real sounding, best kick drum thump and overall very open sounding
xba-3 clear and dynamic, but snare drum has a weird frequency, slightly little raspy overall
alan parsons project - time (ROCK)
gr07 clean good bass, good overall fr, slightly sibilant at times, strings stand out well
ba200 clear guitars although lacking "body", tight bass albeit lower than others, it seems like a mid cut exists somewhere in the fr in this song, otherwise decent overall
ue700 very distinct guitars, overall fairly "flat" sounding (not in a good way), some sibilance in vocals and drums here and there
*pfe112 unbelievable, more spacious, clearer instrumentation and separation while retaining great overall balance, bass on the lower side of the three three but on par with ba200 and tightest sounding, strings and guitars stand out well but also very lush and full while having great micro details, vocal the clearest but with no sibilance issues
xba-3 smae overall quality as pfe, but a little fatuiging in the treble and lacking the nice warm mids
ex85lp (for fun) holy bass momma, lacking certain mid frequencies for fullness, decent highs, but not as distinct and well separated as others, strings sound muffled although still show decent details, bass sounds sort of muddy but strong, soundstage not as well presented, lacking the depth of others, but overall really surprised that they aren't as bad as I expected hearing them again
earpods (for fun) too much mid bass and mid/highs, like two camel humps, otherwise decent brightness and detail, lacking the real depth of others, separation is odd being decent but somehow not right, a little fatiguing overall
yo-yo ma - suite for solo celo no. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007: I. Prélude (CLASSICAL)
gr07 lots of low mid body, not sure if that's good or not in this case, highs are lacking micro details, but still very clear, somewhat sibilant string noise at times but very slightly
*
ba200 more realistic sounding than gr07, more spacious and deep, almost sounds like you're in a hall with yo-yo ma, very nice overall sound nothing lacking, body of cello more believable than gr07, low string noises sound awesome, more dynamic sounding
ue700 lacking lower frequencies that really bring out the cello body, mids are nice enough but overall sounds a bit boxy, some mid highs stand out far too much unnaturally, lacking highest highs for airy-ness, but overall more balanced than gr-07, not as good as ba200
*pfe112 incredible micro details apparent in string bowing that no other pair makes apparent, no noticeable flaws anywhere, but ba200 seems to have more ambiance in the mids and while the strings sound most realistic here the ba200 overall sounds more pleasant and "room-like"
*xba-3 very good micro details, lacking the mid warmth quality of the pfe , if the pfe were slightly less than perfect treble amount these would be slightly too much treble, alittle raspy overall but otherwise essentially comparable overall to pfe
tomaso giovanni albinoni - adagio for organ and strings in G minor [denon 24/7: 1] (CLASSICAL)
gr07 strings sound good, but not as full as they could, organs sound good, overall doesn't sound as 3d or spacious as i'd like, but really no flaws here either, decent enough balance overall, whether good or bad tonality really brings out the organs at times
*
ba200 nice and spacious, well balanced, strings have good warmth and detail, more dynamic and dramatic than gr07, engrossing experience, organs not as full bodied as gr07, but sound realistic and great
ue700 strings sound reasonably warm but overall song lacks high clarity, well balanced otherwise, dynamic but a bit mid/high heavy, organs sound reasonably full but lack real good detail levels
*
pfe112 details, details, details, immediately hear the string bowing better, clicks and knocks of performers are much more apparent, strings sound the most "airy" and very smooth and soft but still dynamic and crisp, string counter melodies and harmonies more apparent in the mix, the mid counter melody strings have a "make you cry" sort of beauty to them lacking in the others, everything just sounds more realistic, organs sound like pipe organs, if you are familiar with organs, you hear the pipe-e-ness of the organs much better here, this is they only set that literally gave me physical chills at the end buildup
*
xba-3 you can here people shufflinf their instruments very clearly. as typical, a little brighter than neutral, very good micro details, but not enough mid body making strings lack some warmth
orgy - candyass (ROCK/METAL?)
gr07 really well on this song., good bass, good mids, vocals sound present but not harsh, good separation
*
ba200 brings out the instrument details more than the gr07, really grungy guitar sounds great and more in your face, snare drums snappier and more depth, bass was nicer on the gr07
ue700 good separation, lacking the crispness of the ba200/pfe112 but detailed, grungy guitar a little fatiguing, vocals and instrumental separated well and god depth
*pfe112 i expected worse, but these brought out more dynamics, cymbals can be hear clearer with no harshness, best depth and immersion, good bass but not as much bass level as others, overall bright vs others but not in a bad way, the first grungy guitars before the vocals come in are nice and thich mid range tones
*xba-3 clearere than pfe but less mids, overall very similar though with just a bit of essssss-ness to the song
andy mckee - rylynn (ACOUSTIC/NEW AGE?)
gr07 good note picking "pluckiness", lacking highest highs, room ambience gets a little lost, good low guitar body
ba200 more balanced than gr07, still lacking deepest ambience, but nice string slapping details can be heard
ue700 surprisingly good overall, a little less depth than ba200 in the highest frequencies and a little mid forward, overall good sound though
*
pfe112 I play guitar, and this was by far the most accurate/realistic sounding, string sliding more apparent, slaps and picking more crisp and natural, note wobble and bending more recognizable, depth sounds great with a metallic reverb of the strings more realistic, very nice overall
*xba-3 very precise, string noises are just great. as usuall pfe slightly warmer with xba slightly crisper
marvin gaye - what's going on (ROCK/OLDIES)
gr07 very nice overall, good instrument details and separation
ba200 more depth and clarity than gr07 but gr07 mid/bass makes the song sound smoother
*
ue700 compares very well with gr07 and ba200, more balanced than both for this song, good separation overall
*pfe112 most depth by far, strings sound more 3d and real, although not loud bass is easier heard and well defined notes
*xba-3 clear and overall good quality on the brighter side with thin mids. warmth of the pfe helps give this song some love. 
but both very good.
