[ljokerl]

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Heh. Makes one wonder what sort of ball the hippo VB and munito teleknines are analogous to.

That's an interesting question considering the unique nature of the bass on those. The VB is weird because there is much more subbass than midbass - all of the foundation is there but they aren't ear-rippingly bassy per se. I guess it would be a hollow metal ball - similar in size to the javelin ball but noticeably less damaging in the conventional sense.  The Teknines would be like one of those rubber splat/slime balls that get squashed if you throw them at a wall real hard and then slowly regain composure. Except this one would be the size of a basketball

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[bisayaboi]

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joker could you care to tell me which has more bass? My CK90 or the RE262? Your answer might be the deciding factor on whether I want to get the RE262.

In terms of impact, I would say they are similar but the nature of the bass is very different. The CK90Pro is impossibly fast, tight, and precise. The RE262 is soft and smooth, with long-ish attack and decay times. If the bass delivered by the CK90Pro is like getting hit with a ping-pong ball, the RE262 would be like getting nailed with a beach ball - no more painful but certainly a very different experience. On that scale, something like monster MD would be equivalent to a Javelin ball

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RE262 it is then. The bass on the CK90 is too fast for my tastes.
 

 

[roker]

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Roker - really keen on your impressions of the PFE021/022.  Looking forward to reading them. 

 
 
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I would just like to say that purchasing the Phonak Perfect Bass Earphones (PBE) 021/022s was life-changing. 
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I now have new found respect for IEMs all thanks to the PBEs.  The sound is unbelievably fantastic.  I kind of want to try other high end IEMs to see what else is out there, after all, these IEMs were a measly 99 bucks (chump change in the audiophile world).
 
IMO, you'd be hard pressed to find a better IEM in the price category.  This of course is my opinion and I do not claim to have the prerequisite that Mr. Joker does.  
 
I don't know where to start, the bass, the highs, the mids, all present and wonderful.  The bass is actually perfect.  Not too much, not too little.  In fact, I'd rename these to the Perfect "Amount of" Bass Earphones.  The sound is the closest I can get to my Sennheiser HD-25s, they're not better, but they compliment each other nicely.  The highs are really smooth, giving it a nice refined sound.  I wouldn't say these headphones are dark, but there seems to be more emphasis on the mids and bass over the treble, on the other hand, the trade off is that it makes the vocals clear and never piercing.
 
I hooked them up to my LDI+ and they sounded even better.  I was kind of surprised the difference a full size amp made.  My Nuforce Icon mobile only gave it a small boost.  I was thinking of buying a better portable amp for work (ibasso maybe?) so I can enjoy these to their best potential.  But even out of my iPhone or iPods, it still sounds great.
 
If anyone is on the fence about what to buy in the sub 100 range, I'd go with these hands down. I should also note that the weight and fit make them one of the most comfortable IEMs I've ever worn (disclaimer: I've never owned customs).  The deeper than usual insertion might take some getting used to.  It's a bit more than the average IEM, but nothing like Etys and such.
 
I'm not even sure I'll open the S4is I ordered the other day.  I love them so much that I cannot fathom another set of IEMs taking time away from them.
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[Inks]

The "best" in any category is dependent on what stuff you've tried and even then.... Best in the price range hands-down, sounds like a fairy tale to me an IMO would've made more sense. Anyways, they're pretty great in the price range for sure, but there's worthy competitors out there that some may prefer. 
 
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Roker - really keen on your impressions of the PFE021/022.  Looking forward to reading them. 

 
 

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I would just like to say that purchasing the Phonak Perfect Bass Earphones (PBE) 021/022s was life-changing. 
 
I now have new found respect for IEMs all thanks to the PBEs.  They sound unbelievably fantastic.  I kind of want to try other high end IEMs to see what's out there, after all, these IEMs were a measly 99 bucks (chump change in the audiophile world).
 
I'll go as to far as to say that this is the BEST deal you can get in IEMs right now.
 
I don't know where to start, the bass, the highs, the mids, all present and wonderful.  The bass is actually perfect.  Not too much, not too little.  In fact, I'd rename these to the Perfect "Amount of" Bass Earphones.  The sound the closest I can get to my Sennheiser HD-25s, they're not better, but they compliment each other nicely.  Smooth treble as well.  I wouldn't say these headphones are dark, but there seems to be more emphasis on the mids and bass over the treble, but like I said, it makes the vocals clear and never piercing.
 
I hooked them up to my LDI+ and they sounded even better.  I was kind of surprised the difference a full size amp made.  My Nuforce Icon mobile only gave it a small boost.  I was thinking of buying better a portable amp for work (ibasso maybe?) so I can enjoy these to their best potential.  But even out of my iPhone or iPods, it sounds great.
 
If anyone is one the fence about what to buy in the sub 100 range, I'd go with these hands down. I should also note that the weight and fit make them one of the most comfortable IEMs I've ever worn (disclaimer: I've never owned customs).  The deeper than usual insertion might take some getting used to, but like I said before, it's more than the average IEM, but nothing like Etys and such.
 
I'm not even sure I'll open the S4is I ordered the other day.  I love them so much that I cannot fathom another set of IEMs taking time away from them.
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[roker]

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The "best" in any category is dependent on what stuff you've tried and even then.... Best in the price range hands-down, sounds like a fairy tale to me an IMO would've made more sense. Anyways, they're pretty great in the price range for sure, but there's worthy competitors out there that some may prefer. 

 
That's what I meant Mr Inks.

I'll make the edit accordingly (and fix my typos).
 

 

[Inks]

On another note, if you liked the PFEs so much an upgrade for should be easy to identify, hide your wallet lol. 

 

[roker]

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On another note, if you liked the PFEs so much an upgrade for should be easy to identify, hide your wallet lol. 

I'm going to probably stick with these for a while.
 
I don't think the other filters are for me because I like my bass (with a side of clarity, of course)
 
I'm off to buy an amp ... any recommendations?

 

[Inks]

It's good you have restraint, Arrow should pair fairly well, perhaps use the grey filters but then use the bass boost of the Arrow for a nice balance. 

 

[Ikarios]

This is my first foray into the IEM thread, so I have a lot of reading to do. But to save me some time I'll post my main concerns/questions up front:
 
Is there a big detail difference between the RE0 and the Xcape? Is there an analogy using full-size headphones that I might better understand? I heard the RE0 briefly and liked the detail and presentation very much, although the light bass might not be the best for portable/street usage. The Xcape seems like it has most of the qualities of the RE0 but with a little more bass.
 
Also can you sleep with either of these earphones (i.e. do they go deep enough)? Sadly this looks like it's going to be a pretty big concern for me since my roommates like to have conversations to 3am, while I have to wake up at 8.
 
Finally has anyone mentioned the UE700 around here? From some brief reading it sounds like I might like the sound signature. They're also super small, which means they won't be a problem at all when sleeping.

 

[dfrost]

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Also can you sleep with either of these earphones (i.e. do they go deep enough)? Sadly this looks like it's going to be a pretty big concern for me since my roommates like to have conversations to 3am, while I have to wake up at 8.

The Xcapes are fully within my ears with the medium tip, so sleeping with these should not be a problem (unlike your roommates!).
 
Never had RE0's so can't help with that comparison, but I can comment that the Xcapes seem quite well-balanced (after burn-in) with a very nice quantity and quality of bass when it's present in the music.
 

 

[mootookang]

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Also can you sleep with either of these earphones (i.e. do they go deep enough)? Sadly this looks like it's going to be a pretty big concern for me since my roommates like to have conversations to 3am, while I have to wake up at 8.

The Xcapes are fully within my ears with the medium tip, so sleeping with these should not be a problem (unlike your roommates!).
 
Never had RE0's so can't help with that comparison, but I can comment that the Xcapes seem quite well-balanced (after burn-in) with a very nice quantity and quality of bass when it's present in the music.
 

RE0 is small enough for sleeping purpose, but I wouldn't suggest it with RE0's infamous build quality.

I sleep with Hippo pearl, it's small enough so it goes deep enough and the isolation is good enough to be used as standard earplug without music in the background.

 

[ljokerl]

 
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Is there a big detail difference between the RE0 and the Xcape? Is there an analogy using full-size headphones that I might better understand? I heard the RE0 briefly and liked the detail and presentation very much, although the light bass might not be the best for portable/street usage. The Xcape seems like it has most of the qualities of the RE0 but with a little more bass.
 
Also can you sleep with either of these earphones (i.e. do they go deep enough)? Sadly this looks like it's going to be a pretty big concern for me since my roommates like to have conversations to 3am, while I have to wake up at 8.
 
Finally has anyone mentioned the UE700 around here? From some brief reading it sounds like I might like the sound signature. They're also super small, which means they won't be a problem at all when sleeping.

No, the RE0 and Xcape are quite similar in detail level, though the more treble-biased RE0 tries very hard to make itself seem more detailed. The housings of the RE0/ZERO are shallower (by about a third) and I have no problem sleeping in them. I can sleep in the Xcape, too, but that requires slightly deeper insertion.
 
I think the UE700 has been mentioned a few times. Great if you like your treble hard enough to cut diamonds (erm... sonic diamonds). I said I couldn't think of a single reason to buy them over the q-JAYS or DBA-02 but I guess if size is a priority that might be one.

 

[maxnight1189]

Just wondering (and I certainly did not read through all 140 pages of this thread to be sure it is complete), but is the lack of Shure IEMs in this thread intentional?  I was thinking about the SCL4's (cuz someones selling them in the FS forum)  and I couldnt find much info on them. And I was shocked to find there was none from ljoker, the most trusted (or atleast most comprehensive) of sources

 

[ljokerl]

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Just wondering (and I certainly did not read through all 140 pages of this thread to be sure it is complete), but is the lack of Shure IEMs in this thread intentional?  I was thinking about the SCL4's (cuz someones selling them in the FS forum)  and I couldnt find much info on them. And I was shocked to find there was none from ljoker, the most trusted (or atleast most comprehensive) of sources

I guess in a sense the lack of Shure products is intentional since in the 18 months or so this thread (and its previous iteration) have been up I haven't bothered to pick up a Shure. Yes, I have owned the SCL4 (E4/E4c). It was my primary earphone long before this thread was even in its nascent stages. I ended up buying the RE0 when it originally dropped to $99 and the RE0, being better in every way (except isolation) as far as I could tell, made it very easy to part with the Shures. Today I don't see myself paying more than $50-60 for an E4. And yes, the Shure question has been asked before (I will add an FAQ section one of these days!):

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I have no personal interest in Shure products after trying a bunch of the lower-end ones early in my head-fi journey. There's no specific reason for avoiding the SE530/535 other than that I haven't felt the urge to go out and buy one myself.

 

[ElcomeSoft]

Quote:

Is there a big detail difference between the RE0 and the Xcape? Is there an analogy using full-size headphones that I might better understand? I heard the RE0 briefly and liked the detail and presentation very much, although the light bass might not be the best for portable/street usage. The Xcape seems like it has most of the qualities of the RE0 but with a little more bass.
 
Also can you sleep with either of these earphones (i.e. do they go deep enough)? Sadly this looks like it's going to be a pretty big concern for me since my roommates like to have conversations to 3am, while I have to wake up at 8.

I recently had the RE-ZERO and found then to be very fun. I never found the 'light bass' to be an issue when walking around outside along a main road.
 
Whilst I never attempted to sleep with the RE-ZERO's in my ears, I did have several long relaxing sessions where I was laying on my sides. Extremely comfortable and could certainly fall asleep with them in my ears with a single flange tip. Comply tips were even more comfortable than the silicone tips I used and if not for the music in my ears, I'd have have forgotten that they were in there. However, The T-400 Comply tips make the sound noticably worse in my opinion.